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From: Dan Wallach <[e-mail]>
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.med.occupational,news.answers
Subject: FAQ: Typing Injuries (3/3): Software Monitoring Tools [monthly posting]
Supersedes: <typing-injury-faq/[e-mail]>
Followup-To: sci.med.occupational
Date: 16 Dec 1992 17:45:59 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 333
Approved: [e-mail]
Expires: 24 Jan 1993 17:45:51 GMT
Message-ID: <typing-injury-faq/[e-mail]>
Reply-To: Richard Donkin <[e-mail]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: zonker.cs.berkeley.edu
Summary: software tools to help out injured typists
Originator: [e-mail]

Archive-name: typing-injury-faq/software
Version: 1.8, 7th December 1992

This FAQ is actually maintained by Richard Donkin <[e-mail]>.
I post it, along with the other FAQ stuff.  If you have questions, you want
to send mail to Richard, not me.  -- Dan


            Software Tools to help with RSI
            -------------------------------

This file describes tools, primarily software, to help prevent or manage RSI.
This version now includes information on such diverse tools as calendar
programs and digital watches...

Please let me know if you know any other tools, or if you have information
or opinions on these ones, and I will update this FAQ.

I am especially interested in getting reviews of these products from people
who have evaluated them or are using them.

Richard Donkin
Internet mail: [e-mail]
Tel: [phone] (direct)
Fax: [phone]

Changes in this version:

     Added information on StressFree, another typing management tool
     for Windows.


TYPING MANAGEMENT TOOLS: these aim to help you manage your keyboard use,
by warning you to take a break every so often.  The better ones also include
advice on exercises, posture and workstation setup.  Some use sound hardware to

warn of a break, others use beeps or screen messages.

Often, RSI appears only after many years of typing, and the pain has
a delayed action in the short term too: frequently you can be typing
all day with little problem and the pain gets worse in the evening.
These tools act as an early warning system: by listening to their
warnings and taking breaks with exercises, you don't have to wait for your
body to give you a more serious and painful warning - that is, getting RSI.


    Tool: At Your Service (commercial software)
    Available from:
    Bright Star
    Tel: [phone]
    Platforms: Mac (System 6.0.4), Windows
    Description:
    Provides calendar, keyboard watch, email watch, and system info.
    Warns when to take a break (configurable).  Has a few recommendations
    on posture, and exercises.  Sound-oriented, will probably work best
    with sound card (PC) or with microphone (Mac).  Should be possible
    to record your own messages to warn of break.

    Tool: AudioPort (sound card and software)
    Available from:
    Media Vision
    Tel: [phone]
    Platforms: PC
    Description:
    A sound card to plug into your PC parallel port.
    Includes 'At Your Service'.

    Tool: Computer Health Break (commercial software)
    Available from:
    Escape Ergonomics, Inc
    1111 W. El Camino Real
    Suite 109
    Mailstop 403
    Sunnyvale, CA
    Tel: [phone]
    Platforms: DOS
    Description:
    Aimed at preventing RSI, this program warns you to take
    breaks after a configurable interval, based on clock time, or
    after a set number of keystrokes -- whichever is earlier.
    It gives you 3 exercises to do each time, randomly selected from
    a set of 70.  Exercises are apparently tuned to the type of work
    you do - data entry, word processing, information processing.
    Exercises are illustrated and include quite a lot of text on
    how to do the exercise and on what exactly the exercise does.

    CHB includes hypertext information on RSI that you can use
    to learn more about RSI and how to prevent it.  Other information
    on non-RSI topics can be plugged into this hypertext viewer.
    A full glossary of medical terms and jargon is included.

    CHB can be run in a DOS box under Windows, but does not then
    warn you when to take a break; it does not therefore appear
    useful when used with Windows.

    Cost: $79.95; quantity discounts, site licenses.

    Comments:
    The keystroke-counting approach looks good: it seems better
    to measure the activity that is causing you problems than to
    measure clock time or even typing time.  The marketing stuff
    is very good and includes some summaries of research papers,
    as well as lots of arguments you can use to get your company
    to pay up for RSI management tools.

    Tool: EyerCise (commercial software)
    Available from:
    RAN Enterprises
    One Woodland Park Dr.
    Haverhill, MA  01830, US
    Tel: [phone] (US only)
    Platforms: Windows (3.0/3.1), OS/2 PM (1.3/2.0) [Not DOS]
    Description:
    Aimed at preventing RSI and eye strain, this program warns you to take
    breaks after a configurable interval (or at fixed times). Optionally
    displays descriptions and pictures of exercises - pictures are
    animated and program beeps you to help you do exercises at the
    correct rate.  Includes 19 stretches and 4 visual training
    exercises, can configure which are included and how many repetitions
    you do - breaks last from 3 to 7 minutes.  Also includes online help
    on workplace ergonomics.

    Quote from their literature:

    "EyerCise is a Windows program that breaks up your day with periodic
    sets of stretches and visual training exercises.  The stretches work
    all parts of your body, relieving tension and helping to prevent
    Repetitive Strain Injury.  The visual training exercises will improve
    your peripheral vision and help to relieve eye strain.  Together these
    help you to become more relaxed and productive."

    "The package includes the book _Computers & Visual Stress_ by Edward C.
    Godnig, O.D. and John S. Hacunda, which describes the ergonomic setup
    for a computer workstation and provides procedures and exercises to
    promote healthy and efficient computer use.

    Cost: $69.95 including shipping and handling, quantity discounts
    for resellers.  Free demo ($5 outside US).

    Comments:
    I have a copy of this, and it works as advertised: I would say
    it is better for RSI prevention than RSI management, because it
    does not allow breaks at periods less than 30 minutes.  Also, it
    interrupts you based on clock time rather than typing time, which
    is not so helpful unless you use the keyboard all day.  Worked OK on
    Windows 3.0 though it did occasionally crash with a UAE - not sure
    why. Also refused to work with the space bar on one PC, and has
    one window without window controls.  Very usable though, and does not
    require any sound hardware.

    Tool: Lifeguard (commercial software)
    Available from:
    Visionary Software
    P.O. Box 69447
    Portland, OR  97201, US
    Tel: [phone]
    Platforms: Mac, DOS (Windows version underway)
    Description:
    Aimed at preventing RSI.  Warns you to take a break
    with dialog box and sound.  Includes a list of exercises
    to do during breaks, and information on configuring your
    workstation in an ergonomic manner.  Price: $59;
    quantity discounts and site licenses.  The DOS product is
    bought in from another company, apparently; not sure how
    equivalent this is to the Mac version.

    The Mac version got a good review in Desktop Publisher
    Magazine (Feb 1991).  Good marketing stuff with useful
    2-page summaries of RSI problems and solutions, with
    references.

    Tool: StressFree (commercial software, free usable demo)
    Available from:
    LifeTime Software
    P.O. Box 87522
    Houston
    Texas 77287-7522, US
    Tel: [phone] (US only)
    Fax: [phone]
    Mail: [e-mail]

    Demo (working program but reduced functions) available from:
        Compuserve: Windows Advanced Forum, New Uploads section, or
            Health and Fitness Forum, Issues At Work section.
        Anon FTP:   ftp.cica.indiana.edu (and mirroring sites)

    Platforms: Windows (3.0/3.1) (Mac and DOS versions underway)
    Description:
    Aimed at preventing RSI, this program warns you to take
    breaks after a configurable interval (or at fixed times).
    Displays descriptions and pictures of exercises - pictures are
    animated and program paces you to help you do exercises at the
    correct rate.  Quite a few exercises, can configure which ones
    are included to some extent.  Online help.

    Version 2.0 is out soon, Mac and DOS versions will be based
    on this.

    Cost: $29.95 if support via CompuServe or Internet, otherwise $39.95.
              Site license for 3 or more copies is $20.00 each.
          (NOTE: prices may have gone up for V2.0).

    Comments:
    I have had a play with this, and it works OK.  Its user interface
    design is much better in 2.0, though still a bit unusual.
    expensive tool around and it does the job.  It is also the only
    tool with a redistributable demo, so if you do get the demo, post it
    on your local bulletin boards, FTP servers and Bitnet servers!
    Does not include general info on RSI and ergonomics, but it does
    have the ability to step backward in the exercise sequence,
    which is good for repeating the most helpful exercises.

    Tool: Typewatch (freeware), version 3.8 (October 1992)
    Available from:
    Email to [e-mail]
    Anonymous ftp: soda.berkeley.edu:pub/typing-injury/typewatch.shar
    Platforms: UNIX (tested on SCO, SunOS, Mach; character and X Window mode)
    Description:
    This is a shell script that runs in the background and warns you
    to stop typing, based on how long you have been continuously
    typing.  It does not provide exercises, but it does check
    that you really do take a break, and tells you when you
    can start typing again.

    Typewatch now tells you how many minutes you have been typing
    today, each time it warns you, which is useful so you
    know how much you *really* type.  It also logs information
    to a file that you can analyse or simply print out.

    The warning message appears on your screen (in character mode),
    in a pop-up window (for X Windows), or as a Zephyr message
    (for those with Athena stuff).   Tim Freeman <[e-mail]>
    has put in a lot of bug fixes, extra features and support for
    X, Zephyr and Mach.

    Not formally supported, but email [e-mail]
    (for SCO, SunOS, character mode) or [e-mail] (for Mach,
    X Window mode, Zephyr) if you have problems or want to give
    feedback.

    Tool: Various calendar / batch queue programs
    Available from:
    Various sources
    Platforms: Various
    Description:
    Any calendar/reminder program that warns you of an upcoming
    appointment can be turned into an ad hoc RSI management tool.
    Or, any batch queue submission program that lets you submit
    a program to run at a specific time to display a message to
    the screen.

    Using Windows as an example: create a Calendar file, and
    include this filename in your WIN.INI's 'load=' line so
    you get it on every startup of Windows.  Suppose you
    want to have breaks every 30 minutes, starting from 9 am.
    Press F7 (Special Time...) to enter an appointment, enter
    9:30, hit Enter, and type some text in saying what the break
    is for.  Then press F5 to set an alarm on this entry, and repeat
    for the next appointment.

    By using Windows Recorder, you can record the keystrokes
    that set up breaks throughout a day in a .REC file.  Put this
    file on your 'run=' line, as above, and you will then, with
    a single keypress, be able to set up your daily appointments
    with RSI exercises.

    The above method should be adaptable to most calendar programs.
    An example using batch jobs would be to submit a simple job
    that runs at 9:30 am and warns you to take a break; this will
    depend a lot on your operating system.

    While these approaches are not ideal, they are a good way of forcing
    yourself to take a break if you can't get hold of a suitable RSI
    management tool.  If you are techie enough you might want to
    write a version of Typewatch (see above) for your operating
    system, using batch jobs or whatever fits best.

    Tool: Digital watches with count-down timers
    Available from:
    Various sources, e.g. Casio BP-100.
    Description:
    Many digital watches have timers that count down from a settable
    number of minutes; they usually reset easily to that number, either
    manually or automatically.

    While these are a very basic tool, they are very useful if you
    are writing, reading, driving, or doing anything away from
    a computer which can still cause or aggravate RSI.  The great
    advantage is that they remind you to break from whatever you
    are doing.

    Comments:
    My own experience was that cutting down a lot on my typing led to
    my writing a lot more, and still reading as much as ever, which
    actually aggravated the RSI in my right arm though the left
    arm improved.  Getting a count-down timer watch has been
    very useful on some occasions where I write a lot in a day.

    I have tried an old fashioned hour-glass type egg timer, but
    these are not much good because they do not give an audible
    warning of the end of the time period!


KEYBOARD REMAPPING TOOLS: these enable you to change your keyboard mapping
so you can type one-handedly or with a different two-handed layout.
One-handed typing tools may help, but be VERY careful about how
you use them -- if you keep the same overall typing workload you
are simply doubling your hand use for the hand that you use for typing,
and may therefore make matters worse.

    Tool: hsh (public domain)
    Available from:
    Anonymous ftp: soda.berkeley.edu:pub/typing-injury/hsh.shar
    Platforms: UNIX (don't know which ones)
    Description:
    Allows one-handed typing and other general keyboard remappings.
    Only works through tty's (so, you can use it with a terminal or
    an xterm, but not most X programs).

    Tool: Dvorak keyboard tools (various)
    Available from:
    Anonymous ftp: soda.berkeley.edu:pub/typing-injury/xdvorak.c
    Also built into Windows 3.x.
    Description:
    The Dvorak keyboard apparently uses a more rational layout
    that involves more balanced hand use.   It *may* help prevent
    RSI a bit, but you can also use it if you have RSI, since
    it will slow down your typing a *lot* :-)

--
Dan Wallach               "One of the most attractive features of a Connection
[e-mail]  Machine is the array of blinking lights on the faces
Office#: 510-642-9585     of its cabinet." -- CM Paris Ref. Manual, v6.0, p48.