So sorry Rob…
I actually did think that it was an excellent idea.
I was probably wrong…again…
Well, assuming you were talking to me…
who thought he did know what you were talking about previously.
(see “wrong…again…”)
So do the string players have a better sense of humor?
I.D. & Denny, I wasn’t addressing either of you. Sorry if it seemed that way. Looking back at what I wrote, I can see that it did look like I was having a go at you, but it was really more of a delayed reaction to the initial response to my post. I’ve also watched this sort of thing unfold on several other threads, and I find it extremely boring.
Now, it’s entirely possible to do the same drill with half-holing, by bringing the LH ring finger down at an angle so as to strike the G finger-hole off-center (off to the side, I mean) to produce the G#.
May I point out here that G# is part of an A Major scale, i.e. diatonic? Tunes in A aside, there are some lovely hornpipes in G that pass on an A Major chord where the note G# is used. It also crops up in the odd D tune, such as some settings of the Pinch of Snuff.
Here we are, early in the 21st century, and we have the advantage of hindsight.
For instance, when I got my first one-key flute, I was told that it could produce all of the notes of every musical key, as a fully chromatic instrument. Experience being a good teacher, however, although a one-key flute indeed can produce all twelve tones, perhaps a wealth of cross-fingered tones could soon be less than satisfactory.
And so it goes, that the modern “Irish” flute seems to usually be optimised to three keys, that of D, G, and A.
However, to play the key of A requires a G#, where, at least in my experience, G# simply does not come out so well.
Maybe that could be part of the reason behind the development of the four-key flute.
Cork…some light reading 
http://www.oldflutes.com/
http://www.flutehistory.com/
http://www.firescribble.net/flute/index.html
http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/index.html
Here’s a detail in my grip that you may not be dealing with. In my version of the so-called “piper’s grip”, the fingers of my upper (left, in this case) hand are roughly - though not exactly - parallel to the ground, so to work the key with the ring finger, I seem to have to drop my proximal knuckles so that all the fingers curve from the toneholes down in order to make contact with the key. Still working on this; seems a bit awkward to move so much flesh to do so small a thing, but I’m not throwing the baby out with the bathwater just yet.
Good point, Nanohedron. All of my flutes have 2-piece center sections, and I rotate the LH piece out of line (RH holes and embouchure remain in line). Still, since my hand must assume a different angle, maybe the net effect is the same as what you’re talking about. When I do the G# move we’ve been discussing, all I really do is drop my palm slightly and crook my ring finger. For me, it’s not a huge adjustment, though others with different grips may need to swerve around a bit more to get the same effect. Shame we can’t sit down, share a tune, and compare grips!
Rob
Single-piece center section, here. I’m sure my grip looks awkward. Works for me, though. Tried the Rockstro thing and it gave me problems, so…
But who knows? We may meet after all, some day. That would be good, I think. I may not blow my cover, though. 
Sorry for the OT 
Here it is on You Tube
The mysterious musical bit appears about 5 minutes in (5:23 to be exact)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBygW-3ffOY
I played this for my son, who said “I remember this!! From Tom and
Jerry!! when Jerry got stuck in the piano!!” That’s probably why it’s a
meme in western culture… 
I thought it was Bugs Bunny.
okay…we’re good with the piano and a mouse…