Tuesday 15 September 2009

The Most Important Programming Book

A holy war, you might think, for any of author / architecture / language. But for full-time professional geeks, how about a book that is much more important than any of these mere implementation details:

It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! You might be thinking “huh?”, but as IT professionals (and programmers in particular), we are hugely exposed to RSI in our professional life. Don’t underestimate the risks; we do this job to pay the mortgage/rent, after all.

I switched to an ergonomic keyboard years ago (one of the Microsoft models with the split key groups), after a warning shot – but the importance of things like correct posture / equipment is huge. But my point here: don’t wait to be a sufferer: take preventative steps now to avoid problems (and pain) later. Even those fancy vertical / air mice are a snip compared to just a few days off work.