RE: OFF-TOPIC: re. tendonitious

[Norman Bauman nbauman@xxxxxxxx]

Tom,

That is exactly the right way to set up your keyboard!

I do something similar--without the yardstick. I just sit in my chair,
close my eyes, hold out my hands in the most comfortable position, and open
my eyes to see whether my keyboard is set up properly. I roll my chair back
to position my hands in the air, and then I roll it forward to check how it
lines up with the keyboard.

I got the idea from a book titled, "The Bath Room," which one of my physics
professors liked. They designed sinks by having people wash their hands in
the air, then taking movies, and seeing where the sinks actually should be
placed. (A lot higher than traditionally, it turned out--but then it became
difficult for children to use them.)

This must be a standard engineering design technique.

I once read another book, whose name I forgot, which recalled the studies
that the U.S. Navy did during WW II of typing efficiency. They set up
typing tables, copy holders, etc. that could be adjusted.

Their typists averaged about 50 wpm.

If they raised or lowered the height of the table by an inch, they would
lose 10 wpm.

They used a standard copy holder on the side of the typewriter. If they
moved the copy flat onto the typing table, they would lose 10 wpm. If they
moved the copy *over* the typewriter, they would gain 10 wpm. There were
also some studies that established the value of having a place-holder when
you're typing copy.

IBM commissioned studies by Dartnell on this subject of typing efficiency,
in case anybody wants to look them up.


At 09:22 PM 5/21/99 -0400, Tom Robertson wrote:
>
>Dear Folks:
>
>Tendonitis really shouldn't be off-toptic at all, should it?
>
>If your arms ache so you can't hit the XyKeys, then where are
>you.
>
>A suggestion I found to stop what ends up being tendonitis.
>
>Get a yard stick and place it where you can reach it easily.
>
>Sit straight in the chair you use to write with your computer.
>
>Close your eyes and put your hands out in front of you in their
>most comfortable position.
>
>Kind of feel around to see what really does seem the most
>comfortable.
>
>Hold your hands where they are and open your eyes.
>
>Try to keep one hand right where it was, and with the other get
>three measurements.
>
>The first is from the floor to the tips of your fingers.
>
>The second is measure the clearance distance from your desk,
>because chances are the keyboard height will be lower than your
>desktop.
>
>The third measure is to get the slant on the back of your hands.
>
>Your keyboard should be set to the height of your first
>measurement with your hand on the "home" keys.
>
>The second setting for your keyboard should be to the slant of
>the second measure.
>
>The slant will probably be just the opposite of the direction you
>keyboard is tilted with by those cute little flippers on the back
>of the board that makes it tilt toward you.
>
>>From my experience, and according to several typing teachers I
>asked and one champion speed typist, the heel or any other part
>of your hand should not rest on anything. If it does, you are
>probably cramping your writing style.
>
>Anybody have anything to add, subtract, or change from this?
>
>TR...

-------------------------------------------------------
Norman Bauman
http://www.nasw.org/users/nbauman
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