Assuming you know the story about why VI / VIM uses offset home keys (i guess that’s not the best way to put it. More about that here if you wish.), I think I came up with the real reason why I don’t like VIM, or at least why I choose not to use it. I realize it has a fine set of text processing/ editing tools, and I’ve wanted to give it a go.

I’ve thought of this before. But, you know. Brain damage, again.

Most of my “adult life” I guess you could say, I’ve been a musician. A professional musician for most of that time. I learned it when I was young, so it’s more like speaking. But we have to back up a bit for that to make sense in the context of my attempt at a reasonable analogy here. I spent some of the formal education period with a Classical Guitar instructor (in the younger years), but after my time with a “rock guitar” instructor (i’m pretty sure).

In taking classical lessons, I developed an appreciation for proper form. I’m sure I don’t adhere to proper form anymore, but the point is if you subscribe to the theory that proper form makes a better musician, you might understand that the notion of being “good” at something– to me– is also the notion of maintaining a proper form in whatever action, or at least precision, repetitive actions that ultimately become what I believe is sometimes known as “motor memory”.

The idea of moving my hand position on the keyboard in order to use VIM properly annoys me for that reason. I’m not annoyed that that’s how it was developed, necessarily (all things considered). I’m annoyed because I don’t want to move my hands because that seems like breaking the form to me, and I don’t want it to impact what I perceive as the proper form. Don’t ask me. I’m crazy. I just make observations.

The guitar analogy is meant to demonstrate that I wouldn’t want, for example, to de-tune half of my guitar strings in order to perform a specific song. Then have that song be basically the only song I ever play, whether it’s variations thereof. Imagine trying to change the way you pronounce most of your words. I dunno. I just don’t care to mess with it.

And there you have my personal little story about why I choose not to use VIM. It’s not laziness. I might get to it some day. I’m pretty sure you can remap the keyboard. I’ve always just been too lazy, not to mention, any tuturoials, etc. you’re going to be lost. It’s just a thing that I personally don’t find enough value in for as much as I”m afraid it would ultimately annoy and frustrate me, so I just never got involved.