Comment by QuercusMax
4 years ago
Unfortunately for me, I started developing really bad RSI around January of last year, and typing has been incredibly painful. In the past I would have discussed things using whiteboards, sitting down side-by-side with code, etc.; these are all very hard to do if typing causes pain.
Interactive sessions are also very helpful, as there are so many assumptions and background material baked into things that often take a long time to unwind. Being able to gauge on-the-fly if the audience understands can save tons of time and confusion.
I've got 17 years of domain experience across 3 companies in the industry; there's no way I'm going to write all that down in my docs.
It sounds like you need a secretary--someone who can type fast and dress up your words for wider distribution in the company.
You're not wrong; I've actually thought about that.
Fortunately my RSI is starting to get better. Therapeutic massage and shoulder rehab exercises have made a big difference (I had a bike accident a few years back, and my shoulders were in pretty bad shape).
I stopped typing on my 2018 MacBook Pro's keyboard (which I think contributed to my problems), and exclusively use an ErgoDox. I've also been taking Magnesium as well as NSAIDs to reduce inflammation. Still a daily struggle, but I can type posts like this one without too much pain.
Dragon works very well for dictation, and a Wacom style tablet works great as a remote substitute for whiteboarding.
There are also voice coding solutions like Talon voice that work well (I use it regularly).
Might be worth trying Dvorak keyboard layout.
Has worked for many, me included.