Well I guess my first role as active Pimp Lead Writer Guy ,or something like that, is to announce this saturday's guest writer....lets give it up for Scorpionic!! I have no idea what Scorpionic actually means but I'm sure the answer is somewhere on google But I do know that everytime I look at his avatar, it reminds me of ther terminator..but with a big'ol " IV " on his forehead.

So enough of my rambling..time for an article we all can relate too!

"Gamers and RSI"

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Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is something that most people aren't concerned with, but those of us who have felt the bitter sting of this condition know all too well how bad it can hurt. I think those of us who are gamers and computer enthusiasts are especially at risk to develop RSI, even more so if your job involves using computers all day. Millions upon millions of keystrokes, millions of mouse clicks and movements will take their toll on your body.

My own struggles with this started when I was in the military. I would work twelve hour shifts at my workstation, not typing the entire twelve hours of course, but a good deal of the time. Then I would come home and play some games for a few hours or so, sometimes even longer if I had a new game. Chatting, web surfing, posting to message boards, it all adds up.

Eventually while playing a game that required many repetitive, precision mouse clicks and movements, I began to feel an ache in my wrist. I shrugged it off and kept at it, which was an incredibly stupid mistake. I should have stopped playing that game instantly.

In a couple of months I was sporting a lovely pair of wrist splints. Now not only my right wrist hurt, but my left one as well from countless WASD and 1234 keystrokes and my fingers began to hurt too from contorting them to reach the alt and ctrl and shift keys. If you think about how many times as a gamer you have pressed these keys and just in general computer operation, it might be alarming. On my keyboard those keys are worn smooth.

Eventually I quit my cushy salaried job with a software firm in favor of some good ol' manual labor. The sheer amount of computer time was too much for me...I wasn't getting the rest time I desperately needed for my body to heal.

But that turned out to be a good thing. I've found that not only did my new job give my body the time it needed to heal, but I've also lost 15 pounds (the cube farm days were ones of massive caloric intake).

The pain is still there at times, and if I go too long without a break I'll definitely pay for it, but I don't need to wear the wrist splints all the time anymore. I don't think I would ever want to work another computer job, I really hated it in retrospect. But I'll never give up gaming, just isn't gonna happen!

The bottom line is if you're feeling some pain in your hands or wrist from your keyboard or mouse, do something about it. Don't let yourself slip into denial, thinking it will go away, because it's not going to. Take breaks often, get ergonomic devices, and play smarter. At one point in time, I resorted to using a 3rd party utility to automate repetetive tasks in a certain MMO. Gamepads can also make gameplay easier with macroing features.


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RSI = PIA lol

I'll tell you what, Scorpionic mentioned that gamepads could make gameplay much easier...and I'll be the first to attetst to that. My first week of GuildWars I used the keyboard/mouse combo...and then I moved to a Belkin n52 and I couldn't imagine playing that game without it. It made GW playtime so much better Anyways, greate write-up man!

So until next saturday...Peace out!!

I always use keyboard.
I have a belkin speed pad, but in the end its just not complex enough to replace my keyboard.
My good ol beast.
Has never failed me once.
Which reminds me, I need to clean her.
Shes becomin a dirty keyboard.