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Comment by dailo10 | Hacker News Reader

"I don't use a desk. I work in five or six different places and postures around the house. When the weather's good, I'm outside, or on the porch. My preferred "desktop background" is some interesting view in back of my netbook's rather small screen."

This is such a liberating setup. I'm rethinking my need for a home office now.

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> This is such a liberating setup.

Yeah, it's "liberating" until you develop chronic back and shoulder pain later in life.

I'd wager that it's more healthy than most home offices, which tend to restrict you to one position.

To each his own, I suppose. I've been deskless for 4 years, mostly on a couch in a relaxed position with laptop on my, hmm, laps. It's much more comfortable for me than chairs and desks. I sometimes spend 16 hours per day pressing those keys; I don't think I could've survived that in a chair behind a desk.

You still need to be careful: 4 years is not that long. Middle Ages people were exposed to very harsh environments and still lived to 30.

I started getting neck pains after 11 years into my programming career. I attribute it mostly to programming on a sofa with a laptop -- in this position you constantly look a bit down (if a laptop is on your lap) and your neck will not like it.

Observing your body and changing positions whenever they become uncomfortable is far better for your long-term health than is a well-engineered chair.

I now rotate between a standing desk, a normal desk, a couch (only when reading/exploring - typing here is tougher), and the floor, and all of my back problems have disappeared.

Pilates is great for developing that sense of individual muscle fatigue and for strengthening the muscles that will hold you in proper form.

You should just give it a go. It might work well for you.

It was a total failure for me because I found I needed the psychological aspect of going to an office and sitting at a desk to shift into "work mode." (The anecdotal 'proof' being a 2x jump in income between these two settings.) But we're all different.. luckily :-)

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