[Air-L] have I discovered a new disease?

[Dominic Pinto]

Francois

Good posture, seating, etc is still worthwhile. I use a sit/kneel chair, 
for example, recommended for the back.

On the human factors side - user interfaces if you will - oh yes, lots 
done in designing the equipment around ourselves. I worked on the user 
interfaces WG (I think we called them trailblazers) of the European 
Smartcard Charter some years back. A lot of good work on developing 
guidance, with a lot of people putting time in. But we never got 
sufficiently highly rated (other than technically) to fund further work 
directly. Tho' I think it was fed in and used thru CENELEC woorkshops or 
some such.

I can't answer tho' for internet researchers - but suspect there's a lot 
out there who aren't on the list orking in this area.

All the best

Dominic

nsenga at mediom.qc.ca wrote:
> Dear Dominic and list
>
> On one side, "office design and ergonomic work guides" ("seating height and
> geomtery 
> right", etc.) are all experts prescriptions to end users on how to interact
> with internet (computer) hardware. 
>
> On the other side, there are those, apparently more and more among us now
> that the Internet use has become ubiquitous and (almost) universal, who
> utilize those kinds of equipments and, as one of the unintended and
> undesired outcome, experience physiological (and psychological!!) malaise,
> harm, "disease", ...
>
> My question then is: how come there isn't, among the Internet researchers,
> any interest to conduct also research on this phenomenon of fitness of
> internet hardware with end users, with the aim to alleviate or find a cure
> to the "disease" that has or is becoming a real public health menace to
> many currently suffering in silence? Instead of dwelling in the usual
> complacency of always blaming the victims (ourselves!) who do not comply
> with the experts prescriptions, and/or who adopt "bad" or "inappropriate"
> work posture and habits? Are those software on physical exercises, like the
> two already suggested on the list, really THE only solution? 
>
> As users that we all are and for whom those equipments are made after all,
> shouldn't we rather be more knowledgeable in all levels of harm and threat
> of those equipments to our health, to our entire body and mind, and not
> only to arms wrists, eyes and  spine? What, for example, about harm
> actually being caused to those in China and elsewhere dismantling
> electronic equipments to recuperate precious metals therein contained? Etc.
> Etc. 
>
> With such knowledge, we (Aoir researchers and laypersons, respectively each
> in one's own capacity) would thus be in a position to make explicit to
> manufacturers and to procurement officers our requirements for ONLY those
> equipments that are less detrimental to our health.
>
> Regards
>
>
> Francois
> Montreal
>
>
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