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The Art of the Bodge: How I Made The Emoji Keyboard

Tom Scott · talk · Watch on YouTube

Embedded systems & DIY electronicsSoftware practice, open source & careersConsumer devices & gadgets

What it is

Tom Scott explains how he built his emoji keyboard, which turned out to be a series of bodged-together tools including AutoHotkey and LuaMacros. He tells stories about the value of quick-and-dirty solutions.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN links it as a charming defense of bodging and of AutoHotkey, and as the go-to example when custom keyboards or hotkey hacks come up.

  • 4 people recommended it
  • 3 different months
  • 0 strong recommendations
  • first 2018, last 2024

What HN commenters said

  1. “a bodge that helps you make other bodges”

    Ode to AutoHotkey as a bodge that helps make other bodges.

    modernerd, 2020-05 · Recommendation · in “In Praise of AutoHotKey”

  2. “He goes into more detail here[1], but it's beautiful.”

    Details of the emoji keyboard with thousands of hand-placed stickers.

    jedimastert, 2020-05 · Recommendation · in “In Praise of AutoHotKey”

  3. “I saw a good talk on it from Tom Scott some time ago[0] which I think is relevant.”

    Good talk on why bodges keep the world running.

    dijit, 2020-08 · Recommendation · in “Jira Is a Microcosm of What’s Broken in Software Development”

  4. “Easily the most compelling argument I've heard for Windows is Tom Scott's”

    A compelling argument for Windows.

    lcnPylGDnU4H9OF, 2022-09 · Recommendation · in “Software I’m thankful for (2021)”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: autohotkey, bodge, emoji keyboard, luamacros, tom scott

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