I spend many hours every day on the computer. Offline I am a tax adviser so during the months of January to April I might spend 12 or more hours every day on the computer. And without fail by mid February I would have some form of RSI, Repetitive Strain Injury.

Repetitive Strain Injury

RSI refers to arm and hand pain that can occur when you perform the same motion over and over again. It is common in the computer world. For me, I would often get pain and weakness in my right forearm. I have been diagnosed with Tendinitis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I was prescribed wrist braces and pain relievers. But nothing seemed to really work. Surgery could not promise a cure, because the real problem was the amount of time I spent on the computer. It seemed like my only options were to live with the pain, or go on disability. I didn’t like either of those options.

Before I go on, I want to stress that I am not expert in Repetitive Strain Injury. I am just sharing with you what worked for me. Everyone’s situation is different and you should consult with your own professional advisers regarding your particular situation.

Avoid Using Braces or Splints

Short term these are OK, but if you use braces or wrist splints for an extended period of time the muscles in your wrist will weaken. With weak muscles you will not be able to support your wrists properly without the splints, and you run the chance of re-injuring yourself. Limit splint use to one or two weeks at most, and when you are not on the computer, do strength exercises that target the hands, wrist and arms.

Always use proper wrist position

The funny thing here is that many devices that are designed to help prevent repetitive strain injury can actually make it worse. It is very important that you keep your wrists straight and in a neutral position. Using a wrist rest can put the wrists in a bent up position that can make repetitive strain injuries worse.

Put Your Hands in Your Lap!

This is actually the technique that made the most difference for me. When we spend long hours on the computer there are many times when our hands are not being used. It might be for less than a minute, but you may have your hand on your mouse waiting for a page to load, you may be thinking about what you are going to write next, or you may be watching a video. No matter how short a time, take your hands away from the keyboard, away from the mouse, and put them in your lap. By doing so you give your neck, shoulders, arms, wrists and hands several “mini breaks” during the day. All those little mini breaks add up and I found that even after a long 12 hour day I was still pain free.

As bloggers and webmasters we can spend many hours per day in front of the computer. By following these few simple techniques, you can drastically minimize your chances of getting a repetitive strain injury. So now tell me, while you have been reading this post, where have your hands been?

I know you probably prefer to get most of your information from the web, but every once in awhile you need to leave the computer and read something printed on paper. Website Magazine is all about running a website. Each issue is filled with practical advice and insights into the business of running a website, written by some of the top talent in the industry. All this and the magazine subscription is free, as in no cost to you, as in what do you have to lose. All you need is a website and you qualify for the free subscription. Get Your Free Subscription to Website Magazine

Hi, as you all may already know, Kat will be away for a few days. I am here to deputize for her.

First of all, in the last post, Kat linked to a post on Veritable Life regarding the controversial Section 11 of Google Chrome’s terms of service (TOS). For those who have not read the post yet, apparently in the first version of Google Chrome’s TOS, by using Chrome to post, submit or display any content which belonged to you, you automatically also grant Google worldwide, royalty-free and non-exclusive license to reproduce, modify and publish the same content.

However, on 4th September 2008, barely a few days after the release of Google Chrome, Google has come out with an official statement saying that Google Chrome’s TOS has been updated, more specifically the content of Section 11 has been altered to:

11. Content license from you
11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services.

The updated Section 11 is rather short but it is effective and simple. Internet users can now use Google Chrome without worry. You don’t even need to download a new copy of Chrome, because this updated TOS is retroactive and will cover everyone who has downloaded Google Chrome since the first day it was launched.

By the way, hot off the stove is the news that SiteMeter has completed its migration and it has a face lift in the way site tracking reports are displayed. Site tracking reports are now displayed with Flash. Check out the screen shot on the right.

One of the most noticable changes is that now you can manage all your tracked sites individual accounts under one primary account with only one login and password required. Previously there was no way for users to link several individual accounts under one primary account, users have to keep many logins and passwords and spend a lot of time just to login, logout and relogin to view other accounts. On top of the primary account, SiteMeter users can also receive Stats by email for multiple accounts.

Premium account users can also enjoy several new features from SiteMeter such as Aggregate Reports, Dedicated Path Report, RSS Activity Report and Most Popular Pages report.

SiteMeter is one of the better site and visitor tracking services available. It is especially useful for webmasters whose host do not provide built-in tracking reports and also those using free blogging platforms such as Blogger which also lacks such a feature. If you need such a tool for your website, feel free to check out SiteMeter.

Question(s) of the day: Have you been using Google Chrome? What do you feel about it? What site statistics tools do you use for your websites?

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