Good choice mate, stick to it and enjoy! :)

Thanks!

I am alternating hands for the shift, mostly because this appears to be the "correct" way for touch-typing. Do most people not? I do notice a definite preference for the left shift key if left to my own devices.

And yes, I am using my pinky and was rotating my hand; I can sort of reach the right shift without rotating or moving my index finger off the N key -- it's kind of an "expansion" of my hand, but it feels much less natural.

Admittedly, aTypeTrainer was throwing a lot of caps at me, the problem is much less pronounced in everyday typing.

I'd avoid caps to a certain extent while you're practicing.  I'm a fan of sticky keys myself - I think it lightens the load on the hands.

I personally alternate shift keys.  I'd be interested whether other people do so also and as to whether they alternate thumbs on the spacebar?

The little things can make or lift stresses.

I got hold of a Unicomp keyboard with US markings AND 105 keys. I love that, but it isn't easy to find.

That keyboard is for Japanese, they use the additional two keys near Spacebar for Hiragana and Katakana methods of typing Japanese words.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_input_methods

Up from 17 to 28 wpm in two days, woot! I've been typing Heart of Darkness with Amphetype (great program), and been using my computer 100% in Colemak, though not doing any serious typing outside of practice. I've noticed that it is much easier and faster now to copy text than to write my own prose, because 99% of the time, I'm nowhere near automatic. The 1% that I am, though, is awwwwesome. :)

Shift key photos:

Normal home row.

Right shift default movement, note wrist angle.

Moving entire arm over and pressing right shift.

"Expanding" hand to hit right shift, keeping index finger on home key.

About the thumb – I would say go with whatever's more comfortable for you. I'm using right and I've got no problems whatsoever with load dis-balance between hands (if that's your concern). Either left or right is good. I would never recommend alternating between both while typing (as some tutors do...).

Maybe if you want to be kind to your keyboard and you're an fps gamer, it would be better to use the right side of the space while typing and the left for jumping or whatever in the game. Oh well :) Whatever suits you.

Twisting the left pinky for the shift key is probably more problematic than the right.   For me at least the left incurs a greater twist (Edit: that's if I want to keep my left forefinger close to F (Qwerty), perhaps I shouldn't do this.)  Not using the opposite hand for shifting to the letter you're keying can leads to some bizarre contortions - think capitalising Y one handed under Qwerty - or trying to reach up for the number row.

I don't alternate thumbs for the space bar.  And I wouldn't think it would lead to as much gain.  As you aren't chording when spacing.  Plus the space bar has a large target area - which places less restriction on the placement and posture of the hand.

If you practice with both the left and right thumbs for space bar and can use either, you may find that you naturally adjust to use the thumb that is more comfortable for a given moment.

Welp, that didn't go so well. I had a project to work on where I had to use all my mental energy to think instead of just trying to type, so i fell back into QWERTY for a few months.

I did start consciously not letting myself look at the keyboard, and got quite good at pianistically touch-typing QWERTY, so I figured I could rearrange my Macbook's keys:

Alex, how you recognize the T and N without the nub on top of these keys? I do not rearrange my laptop keys for that reason.

Well if you think about it, you don't really need the nubs right under the home index finger position. It should be all right to have them elsewhere, as long as you can use them as guidance to your home keys – ARST and NEIO (or whichever they are). With that said, it's of course ideal to have them on T and N :)

"You can get good at anything with practice." – Yes, very true.

A while ago I used to use the lowered part of the CapsLock key, next to A, to position my hand, and I still do actually. I still think though, part of the reasons of having a physical reference for your home keys is to be able to start typing without having to look down first. Looking down could take some time and concentration depending on what you're doing.

Anyway. As long as you've got (or make) something to reference to and you're happy, you're set.