I was going to downvote you because obviously this does happen to people and saying "this doesn't happen to me" is kind of annoying. I think you can understand RSI. We don't all get to enjoy a positive outcome from the same seemingly neutral events.

I am also a 16 hour a day computer user and used to be a musician and I've had bouts of "ouch" from playing video games and also from lifting weights or riding a bike a long distance. Lifting weights is a good ouch generally, playing video games is a bad one. But my most downvoted comment is a response to someone being really dismissive about ear damage from loud music. I was in a band and it kind of messed up my ears. I don't have RSI and consider myself lucky, I can still work because my job is typing.

The comment that set me off was "how about simply not playing so fucking loud?"

I would like you to look at the parallels between your comment and the one that set me off, and look at my response and look at how a response from someone who IS suffering from it would see your response and realize how it's just... not helpful. "how about just don't get hurt like I didn't?" Easy! Just invent time travel and don't do that thing that hurt you. You can make choices and you can take precautions. But I did not wear ear plugs at shows because I wanted to hear everything and usually did but sometimes didn't wear ear plugs at band practice and that was very dumb. At the time, I thought it was important to hear it as it was in the room. Listening to the buzz in my ears now, mayyyybe I was wrong about that.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37517355

That is very much not what I got from the parent comment. My takeaway was "very odd that I do the same things as you but didn't get RSI".

For what it's worth, I've also been using computers all day for 25 years and didn't get a lick of RSI. I am also wondering what I'm doing differently. Maybe finding that out can help the people who did get it.

In my case, I think it helps that my elbows are resting on the table always, and I take care that my hands/wrists don't need to be in a weird position for me to type. I did learn to type badly (basically typing at an angle), but maybe that means that my wrists were more comfortable that way.

>I am also wondering what I'm doing differently.

This is another way of saying "It didn't happen to me because I do something special."

You don't see an issue with the parent comment because...you have the same viewpoint.

And your viewpoint is what? That it's an act of God and it doesn't make sense to try to find any correlations, just pray every day instead?

That it's probably physiological. If you are doing something special, great. Spread the word.

I've been trying to: Make sure your elbows rest on your desk.

What makes this advice special? It's based on a single experience.

I assume you prayed over it, at least.

Alright.

I've been using computers for 25+ years and no RSI, should we start a support group?

I wasn't making the comment trying to be helpful/unhelpful but didn't realize that I'd strike such a nerve. I consider myself enormously fortunate that I've been able to get away with this all without constant pain.

All I was saying was that I've found it difficult at times to empathize even though I know that I should. I'm admitting my failure to be a good person here. And my "OTOH" comment was a recognition of being a hypocrite. I'm saying sorry without groveling about it.

at what age, you started spending your time as a sedentary nerd? I have a theory. I have been similar to you until last year. Then I started exercising, lifting weights, fixed my posture. Then I had to take a break because of life's circumstances, and I got all the ailments and pains people have been complaining about the sedentary lifestyle; back pain and all that.

It is possible, those of us who have been nerds from an early age develop with body skeleto-muscular structure that is more forgiving to this lifestyle.

Sedentary my whole life.

2 bouts of RSI that I suspect were psychosomatic.

I'm 32 and have been playing instruments and using computers for a long time. About a decade ago I started developing nerve compression issues that led to tingling and numbing sensations in my outer fingers. I switched to using an ergonomic keyboard and handshake mouse and modified my typing style on "regular" keyboards to eschew the use of the home row to remove ulnar deviation. The most beneficial change, however, was much simpler: I stopped sleeping with my arm under my pillow. As it turns out having my elbow sharply bent for 7 hours at a time was compressing my nerves and exacerbating symptoms. I've had zero problems since then.

As regards hearing: you should buy a few sets of nice re-usable earplugs to keep what you still have. My hearing is still great for my age but I do notice a difference from when I was younger - a few years ago I stopped hearing transformer whine (which was nice) but it was a stark reminder of the fidelity that I'd lost.

You may naturally be in a neutral position and not tense your wrists / hands. I found tension from stress to be the worst. Even running would help my RSI, as it helps relieve stress. Adding an ergonomic keyboard to the mix completely fixed it. For me, I think it was 75% stress 25% keyboard/wrist position.

This is what is known as "genetics". Unfortunately, we're not all born tabula rasa. And yes, never having to concern oneself about soft tissue injuries is quite a blessing.