Have you ever considered of mousing ambidextrously?

[WangQiang]

I'm also a programmer, as working in front of computer day and day, my
right hand is so tired and ached. So I tried to mouse in both hands. I
find that it is really an efficient way to release pains. At first I
switched the mouse buttons in windows control panel, but it taked me
several steps to finish it, and I can't flip the cursor, so I maked a
utility. With it I can switch mouse buttons and flip the cursor
immediately by pressing a hotkey. I gave it a name: "Ambidexter Mouse",
do you want to have a try: www.ambidexter-mouse.com

[Roy Smith]

"WangQiang" <Wa********@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm also a programmer, as working in front of computer day and day, my
right hand is so tired and ached. So I tried to mouse in both hands. I
find that it is really an efficient way to release pains. At first I
switched the mouse buttons in windows control panel, but it taked me
several steps to finish it

I never understood why people switch mouse buttons. I'm left handed, so I
put the mouse on the left side of my keyboard. It never occurred to me to
flip the buttons around.

When somebody right handed sits down at my keyboard, I often see them
trying to avoid using the mouse (using arrow keys, control keys, anything
to avoid mousing). I just pick up the mouse and move it over to the right
side for them, and then they often say, "But, the buttons are backwards
now". Apparently most right handers *expect* that I, as a sinister mouse
user, have changed the buttons. Why?

Of course, I grew up (and still prefer) the Mac, where there *is* only one
button.

[Scott David Daniels]

Roy Smith wrote:

I never understood why people switch mouse buttons. I'm left handed, so I
put the mouse on the left side of my keyboard. It never occurred to me to
flip the buttons around. Well, I switch 'em because the "forefinger is primary" is ingrained.
When somebody right handed sits down at my keyboard, I often see them
trying to avoid using the mouse (using arrow keys, control keys, anything
to avoid mousing). I just pick up the mouse and move it over to the right
side for them, and then they often say, "But, the buttons are backwards
now". Apparently most right handers *expect* that I, as a sinister mouse
user, have changed the buttons. Why?

Of course, I grew up (and still prefer) the Mac, where there *is* only one
button.

I grew up on 3-button mice, and later worked with people used to the
original optional chord pad, so I find the Apple "users can't count
past one" attitude strange. With the chord pad and three-button mouse,
you could fill in forms without touching the keyboard.

http://www.cedmagic.com/history/firs...ter-mouse.html

--Scott David Daniels
sc***********@acm.org

[Peter Hansen]

Roy Smith wrote:

"WangQiang" <Wa********@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm also a programmer, as working in front of computer day and day, my
right hand is so tired and ached. So I tried to mouse in both hands. I
find that it is really an efficient way to release pains. At first I
switched the mouse buttons in windows control panel, but it taked me
several steps to finish it

I never understood why people switch mouse buttons.

It seems likely it's because the index finger is generally more dextrous
than the middle finger, in spite of how often some people use their
middle finger during driving or, say, pair programming... ;-)

-Peter

[Paddy]

I can't quite understand why right handed people put the mouse in their
right hand.

I'm not a touch typist, like most of the English engineers I know, and
I am left handed but prefer to have the mouse in my right hand. this
allows my to mouse and then peck at the keyboard with my left hand for
the odd keystroke.

I would however prefer the numeric pad on the left.

- Paddy.
--
http://paddy3118.blogspot.com/

[Roy Smith]

In article <44********@nntp0.pdx.net>,
Scott David Daniels <sc***********@acm.org> wrote:

Roy Smith wrote:

I never understood why people switch mouse buttons. I'm left handed, so I
put the mouse on the left side of my keyboard. It never occurred to me to
flip the buttons around.

Well, I switch 'em because the "forefinger is primary" is ingrained.

I do both buttons with my forefinger. It just seems like the normal thing
to do.

[Felipe Almeida Lessa]

Em Sáb, 2006-03-18 Ã*s 14:26 -0500, Roy Smith escreveu:

"WangQiang" <Wa********@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm also a programmer, as working in front of computer day and day, my
right hand is so tired and ached. So I tried to mouse in both hands. I
find that it is really an efficient way to release pains. At first I
switched the mouse buttons in windows control panel, but it taked me
several steps to finish it

I never understood why people switch mouse buttons. I'm left handed, so I
put the mouse on the left side of my keyboard. It never occurred to me to
flip the buttons around.

I'm also left handed and using the middle finger for left click leave my
index finger for middle or right clicking or scrolling with the wheel. I
find it much easier to do this way, specially when programming, where I
do lots of copy & pastes with middle click, and playing first person
shooters.

But for me the greatest advantage is that, as my index finger is more
precise than the middle one, I leave my best finger to the activity that
need most accuracy: scrolling with the wheel. The middle finger just
have to click, very easy.

--
Felipe.

[Scott David Daniels]

Roy Smith wrote:

In article <44********@nntp0.pdx.net>,
Scott David Daniels <sc***********@acm.org> wrote:

Roy Smith wrote:

I never understood why people switch mouse buttons. I'm left handed, so I
put the mouse on the left side of my keyboard. It never occurred to me to
flip the buttons around.

Well, I switch 'em because the "forefinger is primary" is ingrained.

I do both buttons with my forefinger. It just seems like the normal thing
to do.

Ahhhh, but if you had been around when "chording" was practiced (a
technique that makes no sense with less than 3 buttons), you would have
been used to having to have pairs of buttons down at a time. With that
style, it does make a difference which button the forefinger is over.

--
-Scott David Daniels
sc***********@acm.org

[Aahz]

In article <ro***********************@reader2.panix.com>,
Roy Smith <ro*@panix.com> wrote:

I never understood why people switch mouse buttons. I'm left handed,
so I put the mouse on the left side of my keyboard. It never occurred
to me to flip the buttons around.

Heh. When possible, my work situation includes two computers, each with
their own keyboard and mouse. To put the keyboards as close together as
possible, the mice go on the outside. I generally flip the buttons on
the left-hand mouse. That way I'm using the "same" fingers on both mice.
--
Aahz (aa**@pythoncraft.com) <*> http://www.pythoncraft.com/

"19. A language that doesn't affect the way you think about programming,
is not worth knowing." --Alan Perlis

[John Salerno]

Roy Smith wrote:

In article <44********@nntp0.pdx.net>,
Scott David Daniels <sc***********@acm.org> wrote:

Roy Smith wrote:

I never understood why people switch mouse buttons. I'm left handed, so I
put the mouse on the left side of my keyboard. It never occurred to me to
flip the buttons around.

Well, I switch 'em because the "forefinger is primary" is ingrained.

I do both buttons with my forefinger. It just seems like the normal thing
to do.

How do you manage that? Do you keep your finger hovered over the mouse?
It seems like quite an effort to move it back and forth between the two
buttons, unless you have a smaller mouse.

[Roy Smith]

In article <so******************************@rcn.net>,
John Salerno <jo******@NOSPAMgmail.com> wrote:

Roy Smith wrote:

In article <44********@nntp0.pdx.net>,
Scott David Daniels <sc***********@acm.org> wrote:

Roy Smith wrote:
I never understood why people switch mouse buttons. I'm left handed, so
I
put the mouse on the left side of my keyboard. It never occurred to me
to
flip the buttons around.
Well, I switch 'em because the "forefinger is primary" is ingrained.

I do both buttons with my forefinger. It just seems like the normal thing
to do.

How do you manage that? Do you keep your finger hovered over the mouse?
It seems like quite an effort to move it back and forth between the two
buttons, unless you have a smaller mouse.

Mostly, I've got both hands on the keyboard. I don't spend a lot of time
holding the mouse.

[Benji York]

Aahz wrote:

Heh. When possible, my work situation includes two computers, each with
their own keyboard and mouse. To put the keyboards as close together as
possible, the mice go on the outside.

I prefer a similar setup with 2 duel monitor PCs (one Linux, one
Windows), but use x2vnc to control both with one keyboard and mouse.

Unfortunately neither x2vnc or Synergy really fulfill my needs though,
so I'm working on a replacement. Actually I'm writing this email
instead of working on it, back to the (Vim) mines.
--
Benji York

[Nick Craig-Wood]

Roy Smith <ro*@panix.com> wrote:

"WangQiang" <Wa********@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm also a programmer, as working in front of computer day and day, my
right hand is so tired and ached. So I tried to mouse in both hands. I
find that it is really an efficient way to release pains. At first I
switched the mouse buttons in windows control panel, but it taked me
several steps to finish it

I never understood why people switch mouse buttons. I'm left handed, so I
put the mouse on the left side of my keyboard. It never occurred to me to
flip the buttons around.

Me neither.

I actually made the switch suggested by the OP some years ago in an
attempt to control my RSI. I never dreamed of switching the buttons
over. I click with my ring finger, middle finger does the whirly
wheel and index finger does right clicks.

I'm now an ambidextrous mouse user. I still can't draw stuff with my
left hand quite as well as my right, but I don't attempt that very
often!

I can't actually think of any possible way of getting this on topic,
so I'll just mention python now and we'll take it as read ;-)

--
Nick Craig-Wood <ni**@craig-wood.com> -- http://www.craig-wood.com/nick