Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×

Comment Re:Focal Dystonia (Score 1) 165

I started noticing issues with my typing a month or so after I stopped playing clarinet (September). I can still sort of use the pinky, but it locks up and gets tired quickly. I'm not sure exactly how to explain it. I went to a neurologist at the University of Washington Medical Center. She suggested two treatments: pills or botox injection. The botox seemed to be the better choice, so we tried that. They gave me a small injection at the end of January, but there was no effect. I'm scheduled to get a larger dose in May. However, the doctor isn't optimistic that the botox will work in just the right way to let me play clarinet again. We'll see, but it doesn't look good. I would love to hear any treatments or other advice you have. You mentioned finger splints in another post; would you recommend that I try that? Do you know if it's common (or at least not unheard of) for musicians to be able to overcome dystonia? I'm repeating myself I guess, but the neurologist wasn't too optimistic...

Submission + - Ask Slashdot: Keyboard Layout to Reduce Right Pinky/Ring Finger Usage?

Tooke writes: I've developed focal hand dystonia from playing clarinet. It affects my right pinky (and my ring finger, but to a lesser extent). My pinky isn't totally unusable when typing; however, it isn't nearly as agile as it used to be. When I must press a key with it, I tend to keep the whole finger rigid and move my entire hand instead. I also use my ring finger to press the P and semicolon keys (on QWERTY) which is a bit awkward but better than using the pinky. Thus my question: are there any keyboard layouts that are optimized to reduce right pinky/ring finger usage? I switched to Programmer Dvorak a few years ago, but Dvorak seems to make me use my right hand significantly more than my left. I'm considering mirroring the letter keys so my left hand would be used more. I also came across the Workman layout which looks interesting. I might try using that after switching the numbers and symbols around to be more like Programmer Dvorak. Has anyone been in a similar situation? What else could I do to make typing more comfortable? I've got a long career ahead of me as a programmer (I'm currently a high school senior) and I'd like to take care of my hands as much as possible.
Privacy

Submission + - Changes To a Kids' Privacy Law Would Put Burden On Plugin Developers (arstechnica.com)

Tooke writes: Currently, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires that websites get parental consent before collecting information from kids under age 13. Most websites simply ban the underage users, and the law has had little to no effect on adults and teenagers. However, the FTC has proposed changes that could hold plugin developers liable if their code is used on sites "directed to children." The developers would have to somehow either disallow children sites from using their plugins or verify that the users meet the minimum age requirements, a task ranging from difficult to impossible. The FTC also defines sites "directed to children" as sites that are "likely to attract an audience that includes a disproportionately large percentage of children under 13 as compared to the percentage of such children in the general population," though they give no clarification for how large a percentage is considered "disproportionate." However, sites that age screen before collecting personal information will be exempt. Public comments on the changes are being accepted until September 24th.

Comment Re:Categories (Score 1) 265

The post's author ... apparently considers statistics to be "social science".

No, he/she said statistics is a requirement for the psychology students, of which they have a lot.

In response to the rest of your post, I don't really think of CS being in the same category as math, physics, etc. It just doesn't seem as "science-y" to me.... Though I'm just a student barely starting his CS degree, so what do I know eh.

Comment Re:Sennheiser PX100 (Score 1) 448

Another vote for Sennheiser here. I've bought two different sets of their headphones, and I've been very happy with both of them. Specifically, I bought the HD 212s for $50 (extremely durable, lightweight, good bass, but they squish your ears after an hour or so) and then the HD 555s for $100 (also very durable, you can wear them for hours, even better sound quality than the 212s, but they're open-backed so no noise isolation). Neither of those quite fit the OP's specs, but my point is that Sennheiser is a great brand. Definitely check them out.

Comment Re:that first sentence (Score 1) 306

I'm sure you're very proud that you read above 2nd grade level, but when you get to seventh or eighth grade, you'll find that your teachers call this a "run-on sentence", and penalize you for writing such sentences yourself. They'll also point out that "US Justice Department has sent letter" is missing an article.

While we're on the topic of grammar, we should note that a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction (e.g. ", and") is equivalent to a full stop, so your post is equivalent to the following:

... call this a "run-on sentence." Penalize you for writing such sentences yourself. ...

This is what we call a sentence fragment. I don't know if your original sentence would be considered a run-on or a fragment, but it's incorrect either way. Also note that the period or comma comes before, not after, the double quote mark.

Despite these minor errors, we all somehow understood what you meant. Isn't it just magical?

Slashdot Top Deals

"I've seen it. It's rubbish." -- Marvin the Paranoid Android

Working...