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A few months ago I had an RSI problem so bad - able to type only a minute at a time, even sitting with hands on keyboard hurt - that I started down this route.
by mechanical_fish 13y ago
A few months ago I had an RSI problem so bad - able to type only a minute at a time, even sitting with hands on keyboard hurt - that I started down this route. This video was, literally, a life-altering motivator for me, and I was quite obsessed with it.
Ironically, after seeing a physical therapist - which, let me tell you, you should do at the first sign of pain, because while they can't help some people I personally am batting 1.000 with PTs for RSI over my many-year career - my recovery is now so complete that I've totally fallen off the voice-computing path... for now. But I intend to keep going, not just because it is hilarious but because, well, RSI happens and it really pays to vary the routine sooner rather than later. There is nothing like trying to do a ton of emergency scripting on Python and emacs at the lowest possible point of your productivity.
The most important hint I have so far is: do not waste time with Mac OS. You need a PC running the Windows version of Dragon. The Mac version is pretty good for occasional email but lousy for emacs because it doesn't have the Python hook into the event loop that a saint hacked into the PC version years ago before leaving Dragon.
The speechcomputing.com forums are your friend.
Yeah, they say there is an open-source recognition engine that works okay, and time spent improving free recognition engines is time that really improves the world for all kinds of injured people, but here's the problem: when you need a speech system you really need it, and there are a lot of moving parts. Dragon, and Windows, and a super PC to run it on are super cheap compared to your time, especially when your time is in six-minute increments punctuated by pain.
- milos_cohagen 13y agoAs someone with a disability (quadriplegic), who types/codes with one finger, I find it appalling that Nuance, Apple and Google haven't opened up their speech recognition systems through a rudimentary API that would allow innovation that would _directly_ help the lives of me and many other disabled people whether it's RSI or worse.
- mechanical_fish 13y agoIt was a shock to me to discover that the livelihood and happiness of so many people depends on a dubiously-reliable unofficial API that was hacked into Dragon years ago and that has been lovingly preserved ever since, just below the radar. It feels like being critically dependent on Windows 95.
- buovjaga 13y agoHere's some recent (very promising) work on open source dictation: http://grasch.net/node/23 http://grasch.net/node/23
- thenomad 13y agoHaving suffered with RSI for years (before the advent of current-gen speech recognition, so it really sucked), I heartily echo this advice: which, let me tell you, you should do at the first sign of pain Do that. REALLY REALLY do that. Also, this book is superb: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-Carpal-Tunnel-Syndrome-Professionals/dp/0965510999 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-Carpal-Tunnel-Syndrome-Professio...
- read 13y agoThe most surprising information I discovered curing RSI is: http://aaroniba.net/articles/tmp/how-i-cured-my-rsi-pain.html http://aaroniba.net/articles/tmp/how-i-cured-my-rsi-pain.htm... which recommends http://www.amazon.com/Mindbody-Prescription-Healing-Body-Pain/dp/0446675156 http://www.amazon.com/Mindbody-Prescription-Healing-Body-Pai...
- darkmighty 13y agoPseudoscience? Here? Placebo pills seem a lot less time consuming than the suggested above...
- pierrend 13y agoThis book has been really helpful for me. I recommend it.
- tavisrudd 13y agoGreat book!