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What Does a Coder Do If They Can't Type?

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Re: What Does a Coder Do If They Can't Type?

#311

Post by mirimir »

bspammer wrote: post #206
hilyen wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Definitely interested. I’ll check it out. Same boat, software engineer, my index and middle finger main knuckles on both hands inflame from the slightest use even after years of therapy, doctors visits, etc. Also tendinitis in both elbows/arms. Note to those who are pushing off fixing your ergonomics, don’t. If you feel pain, numbing, tingling; do not ignore it. Listen to your body, don’t be like me.

I'm 23 and have been using computers very heavily for the last 10 or so years - probably an average of 6 hours a day. During a particularly intensive day of typing last week I started getting pain in my right hand. I had to resort to hunt-and-peck index finger typing to get the feature I was working on finished. I'm horrified, it feels like I'm way too early in my career for something like this to happen, but I guess…

I have an ergonomic support for my right arm. My elbow rests on a silk fabric "hammock", which is supported by a linear bearing slide, mounted on a vertical shaft. I bought it too many years ago to remember a brand. And hopefully the description makes sense.

Basically, my right arm feels ~weightless.

Edit: Also, I use a touchpad, not a mouse. If I use a mouse, my hand cramps. And it also helps, I think, that I never learned to type. So I've developed my own style that doesn't hurt me.

Re: What Does a Coder Do If They Can't Type?

#312

Post by lstamour »

rkagerer wrote: post #239
lstamour wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The biggest change that helped when I developed temporary RSI when playing video games in my mid-teens was learning and switching to Colemak. Natural keyboards (Microsoft-style) helped a bit, but the curved Kinesis Advantage really taught me that you should try to never raise your keyboard angle, and instead keep the keyboard flat at a height where your fingers rest on the home row, wrists straight and naturally held…

I want to pick up a couple of those mice. Which do you prefer - the VerticalMouse 4 or VerticalMouse C? Is the only difference the # of buttons?

I haven’t used the C yet, I’ve only used the 4 - I’ve a “For Mac” Bluetooth one which I returned because the 2.4GHz wireless version was performing much better. I suspect they made the Bluetooth one to sell in the Apple Store. As far as I know, they haven’t changed the basic mouse design in 5-6 years now. It still works and feels high quality, I’ve no complaints. (Except that it is definitely not “travel size” - and isn’t rechargeable, it takes an AA battery - but for all that, it has a nice high quality plastic feel and the design of the mouse means you’re not rubbing your palm all over the table as when trying to hold a regular mouse with a vertical wrist.)

The extra buttons require their driver but it works fine without and I don’t notice the buttons most of the time anyway.

Re: What Does a Coder Do If They Can't Type?

#313

Post by namanyayg »

bspammer wrote: post #206
hilyen wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Definitely interested. I’ll check it out. Same boat, software engineer, my index and middle finger main knuckles on both hands inflame from the slightest use even after years of therapy, doctors visits, etc. Also tendinitis in both elbows/arms. Note to those who are pushing off fixing your ergonomics, don’t. If you feel pain, numbing, tingling; do not ignore it. Listen to your body, don’t be like me.

I'm 23 and have been using computers very heavily for the last 10 or so years - probably an average of 6 hours a day. During a particularly intensive day of typing last week I started getting pain in my right hand. I had to resort to hunt-and-peck index finger typing to get the feature I was working on finished. I'm horrified, it feels like I'm way too early in my career for something like this to happen, but I guess…

I can't be sure but it feels like a lot of people are discounting exercise here, I don't mean stretches but something more serious.

I've been staring at a desktop screen 6h+ daily for 8y+ and started feeling serious rsi symptoms on my right wrist at the old age of 19.

I tried bandages and wraps in the beginning, but once I started lifting all pains literally disappeared.

Heavy deadlifts (and maybe a press), done with correct form, is something that I'm quite sure will resolve the issue for the majority of people -- when your wrist starts being able to manage 200lbs+ loads then mouse-related issues feel like a joke.

I'd be interested in hearing stories where deadlifts didn't help. Would there be any?

Re: What Does a Coder Do If They Can't Type?

#314

Post by bosie »

rkagerer wrote: post #239
lstamour wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The biggest change that helped when I developed temporary RSI when playing video games in my mid-teens was learning and switching to Colemak. Natural keyboards (Microsoft-style) helped a bit, but the curved Kinesis Advantage really taught me that you should try to never raise your keyboard angle, and instead keep the keyboard flat at a height where your fingers rest on the home row, wrists straight and naturally held…

I want to pick up a couple of those mice. Which do you prefer - the VerticalMouse 4 or VerticalMouse C? Is the only difference the # of buttons?

I had every VerticalMouse so far (they don't seem to last for me for whatever reason). I prefer the C, it sits nicer in my hand, they changed the shape; I can't comment on the buttons as I under-utilize those. Either way though, going to any VerticalMouse from a regular mouse is a huge improvement. The changes between 4 and C are probably hard to pick out for someone who hasn't exclusively used those mice for a decade.

Re: What Does a Coder Do If They Can't Type?

#315

Post by Eli_P »

It's interesting if and how the reverse task is possible: if we can type with our voice, can we hear back the feedback?

Hearing back the gobbledygook we pronounce might be a start to a mental disorder. Should the feedback be isomorphic to the input? There could be different levels of abstraction, starting from audio tty and ending with a high level commands. The usable solution would be non-trivial, what should I hear after running make -j? There could have been a commands like "give me the first five warnings", "navigate to the first warning".

Blindfolded navigation in the code tree would also be interesting. I could say commands like "list modules with route handlers", "go to function X", "get the type signature", "summarize function".

If the sane audible feedback would be feasible, it'd open a door into coding for people with visual impairments, or coding while wandering around, or pushing commits with a headset from the beach.

Re: What Does a Coder Do If They Can't Type?

#316

Post by mirimir »

hilyen wrote: post #259
throwaway61292 wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you elaborate on somethings you wish you had done. I get a bit of pain after half a day of coding, mostly my right pinky after hitting enter multiple times. Also get pain after certain activities like rolling food into a ball for my toddlers. I’ve joint pains here and there and the doctors have not yet found the cause and think it’s early onset of arthritis and have been told to take pain killers. I’m 39 by the w…

Just be careful with NSAIDS, taking them regularly can cause stomach ulcers.

And taking them for many years can cause kidney damage.

Re: What Does a Coder Do If They Can't Type?

#317

Post by rootw0rm »

namanyayg wrote: post #313
bspammer wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm 23 and have been using computers very heavily for the last 10 or so years - probably an average of 6 hours a day. During a particularly intensive day of typing last week I started getting pain in my right hand. I had to resort to hunt-and-peck index finger typing to get the feature I was working on finished. I'm horrified, it feels like I'm way too early in my career for something like this to happen, but I guess…

I can't be sure but it feels like a lot of people are discounting exercise here, I don't mean stretches but something more serious. I've been staring at a desktop screen 6h+ daily for 8y+ and started feeling serious rsi symptoms on my right wrist at the old age of 19. I tried bandages and wraps in the beginning, but once I started lifting all pains literally disappeared. Heavy deadlifts (and maybe a press), done with…

that's solid advice I think. I have pretty much the same story. I mean, I went all out with anabolics and such because I was also trying to get some hot babes, but I never had wrist issues after that.

Re: What Does a Coder Do If They Can't Type?

#318

Post by craigt00 »

bspammer wrote: post #206
hilyen wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Definitely interested. I’ll check it out. Same boat, software engineer, my index and middle finger main knuckles on both hands inflame from the slightest use even after years of therapy, doctors visits, etc. Also tendinitis in both elbows/arms. Note to those who are pushing off fixing your ergonomics, don’t. If you feel pain, numbing, tingling; do not ignore it. Listen to your body, don’t be like me.

I'm 23 and have been using computers very heavily for the last 10 or so years - probably an average of 6 hours a day. During a particularly intensive day of typing last week I started getting pain in my right hand. I had to resort to hunt-and-peck index finger typing to get the feature I was working on finished. I'm horrified, it feels like I'm way too early in my career for something like this to happen, but I guess…

I started to get pain in my right hand in my mid-20s (early 40s now) when I was spending a full working day programming and then spending most of my time playing fps games on my PC in the evening using KB+M. It progressed to the point that I would get stabbing pains on the top of my hand whenever I right-clicked my mouse.

After a few weeks of trying different layouts and avoiding my mouse as much as possible, I found the source of my issue was not my hand but a nerve in my elbow which was being crushed when using chair arm rests. I was also sleeping with my arms folded up on my chest which kept the nerve under tension when I was sleeping, preventing it from fully healing. I now avoid arm rests whenever possible and sleep with my arms to the side. The pain disappearred after about a week and I've been pain free ever since. I've also naturally reduced the amount of typing/mousing I do as I've got older and my career has progressed.

Re: What Does a Coder Do If They Can't Type?

#319

Post by namanyayg »

rootw0rm wrote: post #317
namanyayg wrote: post #313

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't be sure but it feels like a lot of people are discounting exercise here, I don't mean stretches but something more serious. I've been staring at a desktop screen 6h+ daily for 8y+ and started feeling serious rsi symptoms on my right wrist at the old age of 19. I tried bandages and wraps in the beginning, but once I started lifting all pains literally disappeared. Heavy deadlifts (and maybe a press), done with…

that's solid advice I think. I have pretty much the same story. I mean, I went all out with anabolics and such because I was also trying to get some hot babes, but I never had wrist issues after that.

At what age did you start loading anabolics?

Re: What Does a Coder Do If They Can't Type?

#320

Post by GordonS »

casion wrote: post #216
tofof wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's unsurprising that Advil (Ibuprofen), an anti-inflammatory painkiller, would work better for pain than Valium (Diazepam), an anti-anxiety medication with no pain relieving properties of any kind, and certainly not an opiate. Perhaps you meant Vicodin? In either case you undercut your position to give advice about choice of painkiller.

Parent may have mistyped, but benzodiazepines are very frequently utilized for treating Firbomyalgia pain. (at least in the US)

Not in the UK. Almost all doctors don't like to prescribe benzos at all nowadays, and if they do it will be literally a few as a one-off for something like anxiety.
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