Medium Says You're Using Your Mouse Wrong

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rgMekanic

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Medium has posted an article today that states that even if you're right-handed, you need to put the mouse on the left side of the keyboard. The writer, hb20007, gives 10 reasons why this is a good idea, including citing a study that left-handed mouse use has a positive effect on upper-extremity posture.

While I'm not saying that the author of this article is wrong... he is wrong. And probably a "Magic Mouse" user.

People who notice that I’m right-handed but keep my mouse on the left often ask me why. It never fails to arouse the curiosity of people who have never seen it before, and it has led to interesting conversations with individuals that I wouldn’t have spoken much with otherwise.
 
That is a stupid list. two of them are the same thing, and, the last one is dumb. "stretching" farther to reach a mouse? really?
The whole multitasking aspect is dumb also. As a right handed mouse user, I've learned to use my left hand to "drink, eat, etc." - the same thing he said freeing up your right hand would do.

I can't believe I read that.
 
My fave point:

9. It makes you a more interesting person

People who notice that I’m right-handed but keep my mouse on the left often ask me why. It never fails to arouse the curiosity of people who have never seen it before, and it has led to interesting conversations with individuals that I wouldn’t have spoken much with otherwise.
Click to expand...

Dude likely spent a good chunk of his childhood playing with stuffed animals and imaginary friends.
 
Let me say thank you to all the people read and reported on the article,
so that I didn't waste my time doing so.

It's never too late for April Fools. They are fools, after all.
 
Article is wrong about the mouse, but as a former CAD tech, I can tell you that numpad on the left is the way to go. Mousing and entering dimensions at the same time is a huge time saver, and the arrangement results in the mouse being a more comfortable distance away.

Tenkeyless+USB numpad ftw.
 
I switched to left handing mousing years ago due to RSI. 8+ hours at work + several more hours gaming at home became too much. Pain quit when I started gaming with a left handed mouse and switched to one of the Logitech trackballs with the giant red ball while at work. Mouse provided the quick response games need and the track ball moved most of the motion away from the wrist. Documents or admin screens rarely need lightning quick pointer movements. Was a lot of cussing during the learning curve. Now using a right handed mouse seems weird. Agree with #s 1 and 2 from TFA. The rest seem dubious at best. Any posture improvements happened when I bought a new chair.

The switch has made me very aware of how most games just assume everyone is right handed.
 
Eerily familiar to the interlude I had with the ergonomics expert at work who "fixed" my workstation and setup.

Somehow, I'd been doing everything wrong for a few decades without any pain or discomfort. When "fixed", I did actually get to experience pain and discomfort. I put everything back to the "wrong" settings, and told my boss the ergo people were not to bother me again.
 
I'm ambidextrous, and I still think he's wrong. I write, throw, and use a fork left handed, but bat, use a sword, golf, hockey stick, scissors, can openers, and a host of other things with my right hand... including my mouse, unless I absolutely have to use the other hand. You know, like when I'm eating a sandwich or messy food with my right hand. Wait, what did you think I was doing with my right hand? :-/
 
rgMekanic said:
Medium has posted an article today that states that even if you're right-handed, you need to put the mouse on the left side of the keyboard. The writer, hb20007, gives 10 reasons why this is a good idea, including citing a study that left-handed mouse use has a positive effect on upper-extremity posture.

While I'm not saying that the author of this article is wrong... he is wrong. And probably a "Magic Mouse" user.

People who notice that I’m right-handed but keep my mouse on the left often ask me why. It never fails to arouse the curiosity of people who have never seen it before, and it has led to interesting conversations with individuals that I wouldn’t have spoken much with otherwise.
Click to expand...


This smacks too much of a "youre doing it wrong...here let me show you how I do it." Id probably just smack his hand with a ruler for attempting to touch my mouse. Nobody touches carmen except me...err I mean my mouse!
 
I'm right handed but often use my left hand to control the mouse when my right hand is . . . um . . . . busy.
 
scojer said:
That is a stupid list. two of them are the same thing, and, the last one is dumb. "stretching" farther to reach a mouse? really?
The whole multitasking aspect is dumb also. As a right handed mouse user, I've learned to use my left hand to "drink, eat, etc." - the same thing he said freeing up your right hand would do.
Click to expand...
Yeah, etc...
 
Jesus christ what a retard. I don't need to give this any real logical thought process. It makes absolute ZERO sense.
 
As long as the device is sending the correct inputs when you want to and doesn't cause undue pain and suffering you're using it correctly. It's stupid to tell others how they should when it comes to certain topics. Not like someone's going to die from a mouse device. Driving a car on the other hand, everyone's doing it wrong.
 
"While I'm not saying that the author of this article is wrong... he is wrong. And probably a "Magic Mouse" user."

Quite possibly one of the worse mice ever created. I use a Mac at work - mine is stuck in my drawer and will never be used by me.
 
I tend to stay away from articles that tell me the way I prefer to do things is "wrong".
 
Am I the only one here who has both a right and a left mouse? I can switch hands now and then, cuts down on fatigue and allows me to do something with the other hand if need be.
 
It's physically impossible to have bad posture if you hold the mouse with your !eft hand. Everyone who has studied Ergonomics 101 knows that.
 
(scuffs at anyone who isn't capable of using a mouse in either hand when called for)
Be ambidextrous and this is a non-issue. [insert sarcasm mark here]
 
You are using a mouse? You are doing it wrong, a good trackball just kills a mouse. For the doubters, although my daughter was a monster, using a trackball, I was pretty good myself at Q3, back in the day. Q3 in a tough room, does expose weakness.
 
I use the mouse on the left when my right wrist starts hurting, or for those games with incomprehensible controls where you need to use the arrow keys and the mouse at the same time, or some other keys on the right side of the keyboard.

It's actually pretty comfortable and surprisingly intuitive even without swapping the mouse buttons, but I couldn't use it every day because it's a pain mousing right-forward to get to all the window controls on the right side when the keyboard is right there.

Also, trackball mouse is the way to go when you aren't gaming, and even when you are they're great as long as you keep the ball and your hands clean so they don't get stuck while tracking...don't ask why this is an issue. :p
 
tempertantrum said:
I'm ambidextrous, and I still think he's wrong. I write, throw, and use a fork left handed, but bat, use a sword, golf, hockey stick, scissors, can openers, and a host of other things with my right hand... including my mouse, unless I absolutely have to use the other hand. You know, like when I'm eating a sandwich or messy food with my right hand. Wait, what did you think I was doing with my right hand? :-/
Click to expand...

The same thing all us right handlers do, scratch our balls.
 
If I moved my mouse to the left, I'd have to move my 3d motion controller to the right.
 
I'm ambidextrous. I can eat a cheeseburger with either hand. However, if I lost my right hand I'd buy a trackball, and I'd also learn to wipe my ass on the carpet like my dog does.

P.S. Wiping your ass on the carpet is not as easy as it looks.
 
An interesting person?

I'm right handed, and use my mouse near the middle of my keyboard with my left hand! Get a load of that you ordinary prick!
 
Jim Kim said:
It's physically impossible to have bad posture if you hold the mouse with your !eft hand. Everyone who has studied Ergonomics 101 knows that.
Click to expand...

I think I missed your sarcasm tags? I am currently slouched and left handing it (the mouse you perv) because I am too lazy to move the mouse to the other side of the keyboard at the moment...
 
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