Sounds like what I've heard called "overuse syndrome." Most folks don't rest their elbows and wrists on anything when they're typing, so there's musculature in the forearms (volar or palmar side of the forearms, usually) that is usually used to support the hands. After some time of this, the muscles tend to swell a little bit, which stretches the muscle sheaths, which makes the muscles feel as if they're being squeezed while they're working -- which tends to hurt just a bit.
It appears that the best way to resolve it is usually just what your doctor prescribed -- strength and endurance training. Also, elbow and wrist support seem to help.
in a high school, the easiest people to keep on a tight leash are the jocks. No, seriously. All an administrator has to do with misbehaved jocks is threaten to kick them off their team for a few games.
Maybe in your school. In a small town (I grew up in a town of 350 people; the Kindergarten through 12th grades might have been 700, as it was a rural consolidated school), where the members of the school board are the parents of the jocks, the administrators would be FIRED for that.
That was 22 years ago, and I doubt that things have changed.
Just because they are poor, or black, or asian, or mexican, or gay, they don't get the same attention as upper white class kids in Colorado did.
I'd like to point out that one of the victims was black. He was killed for being black. Others were killed for being Christian, or for being athletes, or just for being in school that day.
The two gunmen were hardly rational. In fact, a story released today indicates that at least one had a mental health problem and was refused enlistment into the Marines because of it.
This particular topic has been thoroughly hashed out (and continues to be hashed out) on the various Debian mailing lists. There are plenty of opinions to go around, too.
However, there are a few statements that sum things up:
-- Everybody was clueless once. Anybody who thinks he was never clueless can think again. Some got unclueless, some did not (they're still clueless).
-- Some users need more handholding than others. Some users, even AFTER reading the HOW-TO's and the FMs (some of which really aren't very helpful), need some explanation and some step-by-stepping through the procedures.
-- The installation process for Debian is fairly user-friendly, which is good. It's been pointed out that it could be better. It's been pointed out that it is being made better. It's also been pointed out that "better" doesn't necessarily mean "GUI". Debian's current installation process is MENU-DRIVEN, but I wouldn't consider it a GUI.
-- The whole "clueless user" debate is (it still rolls on, in more distros than just Debian) really not about "difficulty." The idea behind the post, I think, was that we shouldn't compromise the utility and quality of software in order to satisfy the needs of the "typical clueless user." However, the other side of the coin is that perhaps we should include software which is just as usable and just as functional, but more user-friendly (at a cost, of course. In this case, probably a cost of the extent of configurability available by using "user-friendly tools").
-- We don't necessarily want Linux to go the way of GEOS, Windows, or some other "user-friendly" operating systems. They sacrificed power-for-the-user for friendly-to-the-user.
So maybe the debate is a good thing. Remember, this wasn't a "pronouncement from on high." The debate continues, in more forums than just Debian's, about whether "user-friendly" is a good thing or not.
There are some things to watch for: in the same way that features creep [ uh... the visual image that crept [argh!] into my mind is really rather disgusting], scores also tend to creep. People tend to want to "go along with the crowd" or to "scratch her back so she can scratch mine."
This is one reason why the Olympic judging panels throw out the top score and the bottom score except for tie-breaking. (this is typical also in many martial arts contests)
Another possible problem: initial over- or under- scoring. Using another sports analogy: in some arenas, the first few scorings are tossed out. (For example, a couple of contestants do their thing, and the judges score them, but the scores mean nothing because they were just "practice." Those contestants LATER (usually last or close to it) perform again, but this time "for real.").
Also, the idea of "going along with the crowd" might prompt moderators to give a posting a positive response because it already has one.
How to guard against these? Don't know. Probably no way to really do effectively. Don't show the current posting's scores to the moderators? That'd get rid of the last effect. The others? Perhaps discard the first n responses from a moderator? Discard the two worst responses in each direction?
Not easy. Perhaps something to think about, though.
Speed-reading courses are useful. Evelyn Woods' course is excellent.
There ARE some tricks which will help you stay focused on what you're reading.
They don't work very well online, but do work on printed material.
Several ideas:
-Forget all the stupidity you've acquired about how to read.
-Use your finger to follow the lines of text you're reading (your third-grade teacher would be horrified, but it WILL help you read faster). Use it to follow your eye-direction as you read. Your finger will be moving side to side along the lines, and moving down the columns of text you're reading. This technique, because it essentially stops REreading what you've just read, usually increases reading speed by about 100%, sometimes more.
-Read SO FAST that you CANNOT subvocalize what you're reading -- subvocalizaion, or reading out loud without speaking, is a major cause of slow reading.
-Ask questions of what you're reading. For example, if you read "Uncle Emma was reading brown" you might ask (out loud) "Who is Uncle Emma" "What is 'reading brown'" and so on. This technique is to engender subconscious INTEREST in what you're reading, and to help you catch the cues to the answers to these questions later on. Also, it effectively prevents subvocalization.
Slashdot Mirror
Sounds like what I've heard called "overuse syndrome." Most folks don't rest their elbows and wrists on anything when they're typing, so there's musculature in the forearms (volar or palmar side of the forearms, usually) that is usually used to support the hands. After some time of this, the muscles tend to swell a little bit, which stretches the muscle sheaths, which makes the muscles feel as if they're being squeezed while they're working -- which tends to hurt just a bit.
It appears that the best way to resolve it is usually just what your doctor prescribed -- strength and endurance training. Also, elbow and wrist support seem to help.
ws23
in a high school, the easiest people to keep on a tight leash are the jocks. No, seriously. All an administrator has to do with misbehaved jocks is threaten to kick them off their team for a few games.
Maybe in your school. In a small town (I grew up in a town of 350 people; the Kindergarten through 12th grades might have been 700, as it was a rural consolidated school), where the members of the school board are the parents of the jocks, the administrators would be FIRED for that.
That was 22 years ago, and I doubt that things have changed.
ws23
Just because they are poor, or black, or asian, or mexican, or gay, they don't get the same attention as upper white class kids in Colorado did.
I'd like to point out that one of the victims was black. He was killed for being black. Others were killed for being Christian, or for being athletes, or just for being in school that day.
The two gunmen were hardly rational. In fact, a story released today indicates that at least one had a mental health problem and was refused enlistment into the Marines because of it.
ws23
Englewood, CO
Just FYI...
In the United States, having an opinion is NOT grounds for arrest. Even expressing an opinion is not grounds for arrest.
The right to express an opinion is guaranteed by the first amendment to the Constitution.
Heck, even being a member of the KKK isn't unlawful.
And woe betide any law enforcement official who arrests somebody for having an "unorthodox opinion."
ws23
This particular topic has been thoroughly hashed out (and continues to be hashed out) on the various Debian mailing lists. There are plenty of opinions to go around, too.
However, there are a few statements that sum things up:
-- Everybody was clueless once. Anybody who thinks he was never clueless can think again. Some got unclueless, some did not (they're still clueless).
-- Some users need more handholding than others. Some users, even AFTER reading the HOW-TO's and the FMs (some of which really aren't very helpful), need some explanation and some step-by-stepping through the procedures.
-- The installation process for Debian is fairly user-friendly, which is good. It's been pointed out that it could be better. It's been pointed out that it is being made better. It's also been pointed out that "better" doesn't necessarily mean "GUI". Debian's current installation process is MENU-DRIVEN, but I wouldn't consider it a GUI.
-- The whole "clueless user" debate is (it still rolls on, in more distros than just Debian) really not about "difficulty." The idea behind the post, I think, was that we shouldn't compromise the utility and quality of software in order to satisfy the needs of the "typical clueless user." However, the other side of the coin is that perhaps we should include software which is just as usable and just as functional, but more user-friendly (at a cost, of course. In this case, probably a cost of the extent of configurability available by using "user-friendly tools").
-- We don't necessarily want Linux to go the way of GEOS, Windows, or some other "user-friendly" operating systems. They sacrificed power-for-the-user for friendly-to-the-user.
So maybe the debate is a good thing. Remember, this wasn't a "pronouncement from on high." The debate continues, in more forums than just Debian's, about whether "user-friendly" is a good thing or not.
I like it.
There are some things to watch for: in the same way that features creep [ uh... the visual image that crept [argh!] into my mind is really rather disgusting], scores also tend to creep. People tend to want to "go along with the crowd" or to "scratch her back so she can scratch mine."
This is one reason why the Olympic judging panels throw out the top score and the bottom score except for tie-breaking. (this is typical also in many martial arts contests)
Another possible problem: initial over- or under- scoring. Using another sports analogy: in some arenas, the first few scorings are tossed out. (For example, a couple of contestants do their thing, and the judges score them, but the scores mean nothing because they were just "practice." Those contestants LATER (usually last or close to it) perform again, but this time "for real.").
Also, the idea of "going along with the crowd" might prompt moderators to give a posting a positive response because it already has one.
How to guard against these? Don't know. Probably no way to really do effectively. Don't show the current posting's scores to the moderators? That'd get rid of the last effect. The others? Perhaps discard the first n responses from a moderator? Discard the two worst responses in each direction?
Not easy. Perhaps something to think about, though.
ws23
Speed-reading courses are useful. Evelyn Woods' course is excellent.
There ARE some tricks which will help you stay focused on what you're reading.
They don't work very well online, but do work on printed material.
Several ideas:
-Forget all the stupidity you've acquired about how to read.
-Use your finger to follow the lines of text you're reading (your third-grade teacher would be horrified, but it WILL help you read faster). Use it to follow your eye-direction as you read. Your finger will be moving side to side along the lines, and moving down the columns of text you're reading. This technique, because it essentially stops REreading what you've just read, usually increases reading speed by about 100%, sometimes more.
-Read SO FAST that you CANNOT subvocalize what you're reading -- subvocalizaion, or reading out loud without speaking, is a major cause of slow reading.
-Ask questions of what you're reading. For example, if you read "Uncle Emma was reading brown" you might ask (out loud) "Who is Uncle Emma" "What is 'reading brown'" and so on. This technique is to engender subconscious INTEREST in what you're reading, and to help you catch the cues to the answers to these questions later on. Also, it effectively prevents subvocalization.
Go ahead. Try it and see.
What? You think a journalist should let "facts" get in the way of a good story?
After all, truth is what the media say it is.