Re: Terminal Fatigue

Subject: Re: Terminal Fatigue
From: "Arlen P. Walker" <Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- COM>
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 1995 14:02:00 -0600

I am still in school and not yet in the field, but I cannot imagine
staring at a computer screen for 8 solid hours. When I am working at
a computer terminal for serveral hours, I'm exhausted and suffering
from a headache when I'm finished.

That shouldn't be happening. I'm not saying you should get up from eight hours
at your computer refreshed and alert, but headaches and exhaustion means your
body's trying to tell you something. Start listening.

The usual suspects (posture, glare, chair, seating position, etc.) have been
mentioned. There are some other things which are a little more subtle:

* Refresh rate on your monitor. Sometimes the refresh rate on your monitor can
interact with the frequency of the lights in your area to cause tension. When
that happens, you'll feel exhausted after a while, simply because the flickering
is tensing your body. You can become so acclimated to it that sometimes you
aren't even consciously aware of the flickering. (I once had a 55 Hz monitor
under flourescent lights. I think I lost half the surface area of my teeth from
grinding them!)

* Other monitor-related problem. Sometimes your monitor can emit sonic
frequencies which also produce tension. Again, you may not be consciously aware
of it.

I get up out of my chair at least once every two hours for soda or a candy bar.
I use the vending machine farthest from my office (single-floor building) and
stretch my neck and shoulders while en route. Gets me some interesting looks,
but I simply trot out my best Boris Karloff laugh and they stop pointing and
staring.

As a technical writer, won't have
spend at least a few hours a day completing non-computer
responsibilities, such as interviewing and user testing?

You'll find you spend less time writing (that is, getting words onto paper or
silicon) than you will on the non-writing portions of the job.


Have fun,
Arlen
Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
DNRC 24

Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
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In God we trust; all others must provide data.
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