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Resolutions for programmers

matt.might.net

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Re: Resolutions for programmers

#61

Post by digitallimit0 »

beagle3 wrote: post #19
tomjen3 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is it that makes people assuming exercise -> running? It has all the unpleasant effects of exercise + it destroys your knees and you still don't have a sixpack.

> It has all the unpleasant effects of exercise That's subjective; I like running outside. It lets me clear my mind like no other form of exercise. (I hate running int he gym, though) > it destroys your knees Only if you do it wrong. Unfortunately, 99.9% of the people do it wrong. I had started to develop some knee pains (only while running) after a healed knee injury. And then I discovered the Vibram Five Fingers, a…

It's not the shoe that's solving your problem, though. The trick is to run on your forefoot and roll back to your heel. That's it. That said, it's true that the key difference in the average running shoe and the Vibram line is the lack of heel-cushioning, which as a result encourages correct running, but I felt it pertinent to clear that up.

tl;dr run with an impact front-to-back, toe-to-heel.

Re: Resolutions for programmers

#64

Post by gtani »

dennisgorelik wrote: post #32
rmc wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got a bount of RSI, and switched to a egonomic keyboard (Microsoft Natural 4000), and it helped immensly.

I use Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 for years and do not suffer from RSI. Another thing that probably helps is that I use table with enough depth, so between my monitors and edge of my table there is enough depth to not only fit my keyboard, but also extra ~15 centimeters space for my arms.

Excellent advice, plus i need to ahve a small hand towel rolled up under my left wrist OTW i get pain.

Re: Resolutions for programmers

#65

Post by gtani »

MichaelGG wrote: post #60
AlexandrB wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The Mindbody Prescription by John Sarno The central claim of this book (from reading Amazon reviews) seems to be that chronic pain may be caused by mental/emotional distress. To me, this seems like a remarkable claim, and I'm super-skeptical without some kind of evidence. Out of curiosity, does the author offer any such evidence in the book? Are there other books on the topic?

Exactly. I was so desperate, I would have tried anything. But, I could not finish The Mindbody Prescription . General non-scientific fluff, and a lot of complaining about Freud not being taken seriously these days. No real evidence, although I only got through a few chapters. However, despite me thinking the book was rubbish and tossing it shortly, my RSI problems disappeared. I guess the suggestion that pain wasn't…

It's good that your wrists are recovered. I think folks need to look at other environmental factors: how you close wrist joint when you're driving, riding a bike, playing guitar, holding a baby, using power tools etc

Re: Resolutions for programmers

#66

Post by barrkel »

parfe wrote: post #9
mattmight wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I learned Dvorak to help with RSI. It worked. I'm fast at Dvorak after 4 years (90 wpm), but not as fast as I was with Qwerty (120 wpm). Dvorak has a pleasant "rolling" finger feel and my wrists never ache, so I've kept it. What fascinated me about learning Dvorak was that I felt like a stroke patient. Suddenly, I could not do something I had been able to do for years. It made me consider the cost of a keystroke. Gre…

>I learned Dvorak to help with RSI. That makes sense. >What fascinated me about learning Dvorak was that I felt like a stroke patient. That's a perfect explanation of the learning process. I just don't think people should be playing the stroke patient with their livelihoods.

Woah, that's some massive hyperbole there; learning Dvorak does not risk your ability to earn a living in this industry.

Re: Resolutions for programmers

#67

Post by derwiki »

candre717 wrote: post #15

Tips for completing resolutions, such as these 12: a. Have a plan with dates, milestones and accountability mechanisms b. Start small (Instead of one month using a different OS, how about day and go from there) c. Make it meaningful, Know why you're making a Committment, Be Selective (Have an intrinsic motivation to make a change in your everyday life) d. Stay the course (If you get off track, get back on) edit: form…

I feel dirty trying to hawk my blog post, but I wrote one a few days ago about setting yourself up for success with New Year's Resolutions:

http://derwiki.tumblr.com/post/15086471518/setting-yourself-...

tl;dr is "pick measurable resolutions, try a bunch in a staggered manner starting with the most achievable first to gain momentum, don't be afraid to cut and run if some resolutions aren't making sense as you try to incorporate them into your life"

Re: Resolutions for programmers

#68

Post by Androsynth »

parfe wrote: post #2

Learn Dvorak - I'd warn against bothering with Dvorak. Huge time sink with dubious claims of speed improvements. While a mythical programmer may exist who feels his raw typing speed limits his productivity, I never met that unicorn. While learning you have an increased error rate, run into incompatibility with other programmers and programs (emacs or vim... good luck) and end up needing to defend something no one act…

Sitting in a nice chair doesn't help you program better, but it sure is comfortable to sit in.

I learned Dvorak a few years ago and I love it. I wouldn't go back at all; it is just too comfortable.

It takes a few months to get back up to qwerty speed (at a logarithmic slope though). If you plan ahead, its not that time consuming. For example, if you have a coding job that you could do in your sleep, that's a perfect time to learn. If you just started a company and need 110% mental effort, don't learn. Personally, I switched about 2 months before I started on my masters thesis and it worked out really well.

However, if you often use other peoples computers (or vice versa), you should seriously think twice about whether it is worth it for you.

One last thing, I would recommend programmers dvorak over regular dvorak. :)

Re: Resolutions for programmers

#69

Post by barrkel »

crazygringo wrote: post #52
parfe wrote: post #2

Learn Dvorak - I'd warn against bothering with Dvorak. Huge time sink with dubious claims of speed improvements. While a mythical programmer may exist who feels his raw typing speed limits his productivity, I never met that unicorn. While learning you have an increased error rate, run into incompatibility with other programmers and programs (emacs or vim... good luck) and end up needing to defend something no one act…

I learned Dvorak in my teens, and can touch-type fluently in it. But I've found it doesn't provide a lot of speed improvement, and for programming (with all its punctuation) I still use QWERTY. Since programming isn't primarily normal English language text, Dvorak really doesn't help, plus you have to touch-type. What I use Dvorak for is for proper, sit-down, full-screen writing. I'm not sure it's much faster, but it…

I use Dvorak everywhere. For programming, I frequently use editor macros to enter paired braces; but that's to save on effort on alignment and indenting. For other punctuation, there's little to choose between Dvorak and Qwerty. The square brackets are slightly further away, but equals is closer. That's about it.
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