the study of people's efficiency in their working environment.
Questions tagged [ergonomics]
19 questions
264
votes
2 answers
Do bigger or more monitors increase productivity?
There is a ton of anecdotal evidence that adding more screen estate (more or larger monitors) leads to an increase in productivity, especially for programmers.
For example, where I work, all programmers have either two 20" screens or a single 24"…
Sklivvz
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Are light-on-dark colour schemes for computer screens better for programmers?
There is somewhat general scientific agreement that in general case for reading, dark text on light background is more readable than light on dark.
However, most studies have shown that dark characters on a light
background are superior to light…
vartec
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Is using a standing desk for several hours healthier than sitting at a desk all day?
Is working at a standing desk more healthy than working at a regular sitting desk?
Source: Crackberry Blog
Over the past couple of years there has been a lot of buzz about the health benefits of standing desks, driven by research that concluded…
Olivier Lalonde
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28
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Is it preferable to use a computer in a darkened room?
In his latest blog post, Jeff Atwood states:
We computer geeks like it dark. Really dark. Ideally, we'd be in a cave. A cave … with an internet connection.
The one thing that we can't abide is direct overhead lighting. Every time the overhead light…
Sklivvz
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28
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1 answer
Does defecating while sitting cause more strain than squatting?
This commercial1 from "Squatty Potty" claims that evacuating stool in a seated position is suboptimal for humans because we have a muscle that partially pinches the colon when seated. They claim that, due to our evolution, the colon only becomes…
CircleSquared
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Are ergonomic keyboards better for your health?
Popular consensus seems to be that ergonomic keyboards (with the middle split or curve) are better for your physical health than standard keyboards, and reduce the likelihood of carpel tunnel syndrome or other medical issues. If this is the case, I…
DuckMaestro
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Does working at a standing desk consume more calories than sitting?
src
I've heard conflicting claims:
Site that claims it maks a crap load of difference
Site that claims it doesn't make a shred of difference
What does science say?
You may find this question about the general health effects also interesting
Sklivvz
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Is using vim faster than a mouse-based editor for source code?
Many people claim that editing text using the vim editor is faster than using a mouse-based one, for experienced users.
There seems to be a lot of anecdotal evidence for this claim, but considering that the typical vim user probably spends a lot of…
loopbackbee
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Is the solarized color scheme easier on the eyes?
MakeUseOf writes in Solarized – A Crisp, Scientifically-Based Color Scheme For Your Apps:
Color is everywhere around us. For most people, color is about beauty or aesthetics. But if you spend your days in front of a computer monitor, color can be…
Christian
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Should you regularly replace your pillow?
According to an article in the Guardian:
Out of 2,200 men and women, only 18% knew they should replace their pillows every two years. The average person uses the same pillow for three years and two months.
[...]
Many – though not all – sleep…
Christian
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15
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Can overuse of smartphones cause the pinky finger to become deformed?
NTT DoCoMo (the largest Japanese telecom company)'s customer service department recently tweeted an image purportedly showing the harmful effects of overusing smartphones:
To me, at least, the photo looks suspiciously doctored, and I was not aware…
March Ho
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Does Emacs cause "Emacs pinky"?
From http://ergoemacs.org/emacs/emacs_pinky.html:
Emacs makes frequent use of the Control key. On a conventional keyboard, the Control Key is at the lower left corner of the keyboard, usually not very large and is pressed by the pinky finger. For…
user5582
13
votes
2 answers
Does the Retina Display cause less eyestrain than other screens?
Apple Mac Retina display screens make text look great.
Retina pixel density = 220.5 PPI, vs. 135 PPI for the 2018 non-Retina MacBook Air (according to The Verge).
Gary Heiting, an optometrist told Mashable:
“A key factor in something that’s called…
samthebrand
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Are PC-based players generally superior to console-based players in first-person shooters?
I have heard that the reason that the XBox live games cannot be played with friends on Windows machines is that when MS tried it out, the keyboard-based players were so dominant that Microsoft decided not to allow the capability. Specifically, I've…
Larry OBrien
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Do exercise/balance ball chairs improve posture?
I have read claims that sitting in a balance ball chair (aka exercise ball chair) will improve your posture. Is this true?
The Balance Ball Chair is designed to keep your posture properly aligned to help prevent slumping, back pain, shoulder pain…
lofidevops
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