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Ask HN: How can I avoid getting mouse arm while doing webdev/front end work?

4 points by maaaats ↗ HN
The Q may be a bit weird, but please stay with me. Before, I used to do mostly backend work. So I could spend all day in the IDE and mostly just see if the tests passed.

Now, I do a lot of frontend, which is not easily testable in the same way. I have to click back and forth, scroll a lot etc. to trigger the conditions I'm testing. All this I do with a mouse, and I'm really starting to feel it.

Any tips on a workflow that avoids using the mouse so much?

4 comments

[ 4.2 ms ] story [ 21.9 ms ] thread
kndyry
There are a few browser add-ons you might be interested in, for example Pentadactyl [0], or an entirely new browser like luakit [1], to return navigation control to the keyboard.

Another thing you might consider - and my personal preference - is switching your mouse for a trackball. I use the Logitech M570 [2] and find that I can be doing heavy UI work all day without fatigue. This is because your thumb drives the trackball, leaving the mouse body and your wrist stationary. In fact this mouse has been so great I've gotten everyone on my team using one as well.

Hope this helps.

[0] http://5digits.org/pentadactyl/

[1] https://mason-larobina.github.io/luakit/

[2] http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/wireless-trackball-m57...

walshemj
Which type/brand of mouse are you using I found that my work MAC mouse was giving me aches in my little finger - so I switched to an old ergo Microsoft mouse and the problem went away
hookshot
I switched to a Wacom pad and I really like it. It's a little weird to get used to picking up the pen but that is mostly when context switching between programming and web browsing.

I have heard good things about using a vertical mouse but I haven't tried it.