Add May 17, 2026 post

1 files changed, 60 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/2026-05-17.txt b/2026-05-17.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7eec5b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2026-05-17.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+What an unluckly day! After breakfast, I accidentally spilled over half
+a cup of water, and some of it went onto my MacBook. I immediately
+grabbed some tissues and tried my best to reduce the chance of the water
+continuing to seep inside. After drying the surface, I wanted to tear
+down the MacBook and clean the internals if necessary.
+
+I already had a pentalobe screwdriver, but I still couldn't open the
+back lid because I didn't have the proper suction tool. To prevent
+further damage, I gave up disassembling the device and tried to make an
+appointment with the Genius Bar. Unfortunately, the earliest appointment
+was 3 days away. I couldn't wait that long, and the device probably
+couldn't either.
+
+I continued using tissues to absorb water from the gaps between the
+keys. Then I realized: why not remove the keycaps from the keyboard? So
+I removed around 13 of them. There actually wasn't much water under the
+keys, and after checking that everything was still working properly, I
+finally felt relieved.
+
+But then another problem came up.
+
+I thought removing and reinstalling keycaps would be easy and
+intuitive—just pull them out and push them back in. I was completely
+wrong. The keys got stuck and would not pop back up. After serveral
+failed attempts, I checked YouTube and started doing some research.
+
+It turned out to be a scissor-switch keyboard, and there is actually a
+proper way to remove and install keycaps without damaging them. To
+remove a keycap, you have to press the top of the key with your finger,
+then use a thin hard plastic tool or paper card to gently lift the key
+from the bottom gap. Once you hear a clicking sound, slide the keycap
+downward and it should come off safely.
+
+To install the keycap, you reverse the process. First slide it
+upward from the bottom, then press the bottom-left and bottom-right
+corners until you hear another clicking sound. The key should work
+normally again afterward. I recommend watching some YouTube videos
+because they explain the process much more clearly step by step.
+
+While reinstalling the keys, I discovered that some of them had already
+been permenantly damaged by my earlier naive attempts. There are two
+tiny plastic claws on the back of each keycap, and they break very
+easily if the keys is installed/removed incorrectly.
+
+In the end, I had to order a replacement set of keycaps from Taobao,
+which cost me around 35 CNY. I am not sure whether the quality will be
+as good as the original ones, and I still need to wait two days for the
+package to arrive. Hopefully everything turns out fine.
+
+There was also an intersting finding. One of the damaged key was the
+Delete key. I didn't know that the shortcut ctrl+h has the same function
+as the Delete key on macOS. Since I had already remapped the Caps Lock
+to Control earlier, using ctrl+h to delete a character actually feels
+much more convenient than reaching for the "far away" Delete key, I may
+start using this shortcut instead.
+
+Apple also has an article listing many useful keyboard shortcuts:
+
+Mac keyboard shortcuts
+https://support.apple.com/en-us/102650