ergonomics

[egypturnash]

I think that the general death of desktop computers in favor of towers or laptops has contributed to the occurrence of back problems. So many people seem to think it's perfectly fine to have the keyboard on a desk, with the monitor plopped down on the same surface. Unless you're really short, it's not... this leads to awkward slouching that causes trouble when you do it for extended periods.

With a big flat box on your desktop, there's somewhere obvious to put the monitor on top of, at about the right height. But with an even bigger box hidden under the desk, you're left at the mercy of whatever stand adjustment the manufacturer of your monitor has seen fit to offer, which is usually none.

Everywhere I go, I see this. Monitor on the same table or desk as the keyboard, no keyboard drawer, no monitor raising, no nothing. Animation studios, video game companies, nobody lifts the monitor to the backache-avoiding height...

I need to figure out how to safely prop up the monitor at work. *sigh*

Comments

[laturner.livejournal.com]

I agree, most people don't think about ergonomics at all. Ironically, I'm one of those people whose ergonomics are perfect with the monitor just on the desk and the keyboard also on the desk. I tried a keyboard tray but it was at the wrong height for me.

How about the people who have the keyboard on a tray, but the mouse on the desk because the keyboard tray has no room... so every time they use the mouse they have to stretch forward? That makes my back hurt just thinking about it.

[pseudomanitou.livejournal.com]

Agreed.
At work- I have this huge 150lb. dinosaur of a monitor sitting on top of a slim steel file box originally meant to be hung up to store magazines. It’s extremely dangerous for the monitor, but it’s safer for my neck. Since I have a 45 minute drive home form work every day- guess which I consider a priority.

Plus: I believe the I-mac to be a massive health insurance scam developed by a collaboration between Macintosh and chiropractors around the world, am I paranoid?

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

I think you're right on the health insurance idea.

Even worse is people who use laptops as their main computer. Kevin at Spümcø recently got a Powerbook to replace his old PC. It's cute and fast and slick, but I cringe every time I pass by his office and see him hunched over it.

[lapdragon.livejournal.com]

Maybe if he's using it as his primary computer in the office, a second-hand monitor could be plugged into it while at the desk? I know my nasty old NEC has a SVGA port on the back. And if 200 bucks can save you 6 months of chiropractor bills and a lot of aches, it might be worth it.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I even suggested that the first time I saw him crouched over it... there might be an adaptor problem, but that's maybe fifty bucks at the most. Eh, it's his spine, in that case, not mine; if I see him getting up fro his desk and grumbling about his back, I shall have to refrain from any more than the politest 'told you so', and suggest spare monitor and adaptor.

In the meantime... phonebooks. Yes. Phonebooks. Phonebooks shall raise my work monitor to a happy height.

[adequatemagic.livejournal.com]

Telephone books.
Telephone books are an ergonomicist's friend. They come in many thicknesses, are durable, inexpensive (heck, people just LEAVE them on your doorstep) and can be decorated in amusing ways. They'll support almost any sort of monitor, too.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Yes, I was kinda thinking about those. I need to see if there are some old ones lying around at work. Unfortunately, the tripod design of the Apple monitor I have at work means I'll have to use three piles. But my spine will thank me.

Ha!

[koogrr.livejournal.com]

At home, I have trays, wide enough for the mousie-mouse too.
At work, one big-ass monitor with a big stand, and another monitor on a Docking Station, both rising to acceptable heights of non-neckstrain land.
In the field, much pain. Nothing ever works in the field.