Hacker News Reader

Comment by klodolph | Hacker News Reader

Before I switched to Dvorak, I had RSI problems. I still have RSI problems, but they are much less severe and much less frequent. The difference is stark. It makes a huge difference in quality of life for me. I have also tried alternative keyboards, like the Kinesis and the Ergodox, but switching to Dvorak seems to have had the largest impact.

> Learning a new layout is one of the most frustrating experiences that I’ve had so far.

Learning anything is frustrating. Learning Dvorak, for me, was less frustrating than learning QWERTY was in the first place.

View on HN

Doing daily exercises for the hands and wrist solved my issues.

Which ones specifically, out of curiosity?

Squeeze therapeutic putty 30s per hand, wrist curl underhand and overhand 10x3, rotate hammer from left to right 10x3. Nothing too fancy but it's the routine an occupational therapist gave me and it worked.

Is there a video/article you could share describing how to do these with good form?

I am now about 7 years into an RSI issue that nothing seems to work on, but I haven't committed to any training routine for more than a couple of weeks (with no effect).

Some starting points:

[The Functional Programmer - keeping Repetitive Strain Injury at bay](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_eelK-KLIA)

[Wikihow](https://www.wikihow.com/Strengthen-Your-Wrists)

There might be, but wouldn't it make more sense to visit an OT and get personalized recommendations?

The BB Pascarelli and Quilter RSI book is worth reading.

I have never (luckily) had any problems with RSI, but have taken the time to learn layouts which hide special keys under the home row, accesible with combination of the Alt gr key. Have you had any experience with that and how it impacts on RSI? From my perspective it should do at least an impact since I rarely move from home row even if I do a lot of programming.

Interesting, I found learning Dvorak was way more frustrating than learning qwerty... Of course I learned qwerty at age five and Dvorak at age 19... And usually unlearning things is harder.

My experience is that learning dvorak when you can touch type qwerty is pain since every key you are looking for will be hidden under your other hand. If I were to issue a recommendation to someone in my situation back then I would say: Use only one hand for the first weeks!

What's your take on the Kinesis Advantage vs Ergodox EZ? I'm currently debating between the two.

Maybe you've already ruled it out, but it might also be worth considering the Kinesis Freestyle line too. I've been using one for many years now after trying it at work and have been pretty happy with it. Since the layout isn't too different it's also easy to switch back and forth with regular keyboards. They have new bluetooth/mechanical versions now too.

I use it tented up in the middle at about 30 degrees with an accessory. The setup isn't very portable though.

Never heard of the Ergodox EZ. Looks great. Neat that you can replace entire switches with no soldering.

Most of my typing is done with my Kinesis keyboard on my lap. Doesn't look like the Ergodox can go on your lap, which is a dealbreaker for me.

Also, I mounted a trackpad|touchpad in the center of the Kinesis (with tape), and it's wonderful. Again, doesn't look like you can do that with the Ergodox.

I prefer the Ergodox because it takes less space than the Kinesis. Never used the EZ in particular. I spend most of my time with regular 80% keyboards or laptops.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com