Sub clinical infection.

jacobolus · on Sept 1, 2019

Why would keyboard cleanliness matter more than everything else in the environment?

This dirty keyboard theory seems entirely implausible to me. Do you have any evidence supporting it? Or is it purely speculative/anecdotal?

A search of the academic literature for «"subclinical infection" "repetitive strain injury"» turns up zero results.

DoreenMichele · on Sept 1, 2019

Why would keyboard cleanliness matter more than everything else in the environment?

On the one hand:

It doesn't and I didn't say it did. I only suggested it might be helpful for some people.

On the other hand:

Your hands come into regular contact with the keyboard, sometimes for many hours a day. Some keyboards are shockingly disgusting.

I inherited a shockingly disgusting keyboard at my corporate job. My tendon issues got worse. I began cleaning it regularly. It helped.

You can call it anecdotal if you wish.

jacobolus · on Sept 1, 2019

If you are e.g. typing in an operating room, wearing gloves contaminated with MRSA, I would recommend regularly sterilizing your keyboard, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019567010...

It would also would be a good idea to regularly clean keyboards on public computers, e.g. at libraries.

But not because of concerns about RSI...

* * *

Edit: “I cleaned my keyboard and my joint pain seemed subjectively better” is a good example of anecdotal evidence; no need to italicize anecdotal.

Edit 2: I removed my comments below, because this whole conversation is off topic and unproductive.

DoreenMichele · on Sept 1, 2019

So, you can find zero studies at all investigating the relationship between RSI and keyboard cleanliness, but you will actively shoot down anecdotal evidence even though you have no harder evidence with which to rebut it and the one pertinent article you can find is an extreme example supporting my opinion that some keyboards are shockingly disgusting.

jacobolus · on Sept 1, 2019

DoreenMichele · on Sept 1, 2019

This is written there:

But not because of concerns about RSI...

Please explain to me how I should interpret that if it isn't a dismissal of the idea.

jacobolus · on Sept 1, 2019

Izkata · on Sept 1, 2019

> I began cleaning it regularly.

How often?

Interesting possibility: Perhaps that provided just enough exercise for your hands, as suggested by others.

DoreenMichele · on Sept 1, 2019

It was years ago, so I don't recall. Possibly daily with peroxide.

Though I intend for this to be my last reply to the endless stream of dismissive bullshit regarding the suggestion to clean your keyboard.

There are multiple other comments in this discussion also saying, in essence, "anecdotally, X helped me." None of them are getting the ridiculous levels of pushback this is getting.

"Clean your keyboard" (if you are in so much pain that you are desperate for solutions and will try random shit you tripped across on the internet) is such an innocuous suggestion that I find it impossible to see the replies here as anything other than a giant pile of sexist bullshit on multiple levels.

It's not like I'm suggesting people douse themselves in gasoline and light themselves on fire or spend zillions of dollars. Geez.