[asdff]

Ergonomics are only very recently hitting the office. When you think about it, the analog office experience was even worse. Reading and writing constantly with the neck craned far lower than even a keyboard would be placed. Exclusive use of one hand, no doubt introducing wear and fatigue in the writing side and atrophy in the side not being used at all really over the work day.

Maybe kids learning handwriting ought to be taught to write ambidextrously just to even out...

[Someone]

> Reading and writing constantly with the neck craned far lower than even a keyboard would be placed

I think desks in the pre-typewriter era were higher than keyboard desks. Professional desks may also have been standing desks.

Also, constantly? Writing on paper has frequent interruptions to grab a new sheet of paper/turn a page in a notebook, to dip one’s quill in an ink bottle, to wait for ink to dry before turning a page, likely also short walks to get new stuff to work on.

[asdff]

>Also, constantly? Writing on paper has frequent interruptions to grab a new sheet of paper/turn a page in a notebook, to dip one’s quill in an ink bottle, to wait for ink to dry before turning a page, likely also short walks to get new stuff to work on.

Even just being a full time student writing, hand cramps were pretty regular for me.

Some desks were more ergonomic like drafting tables, which were at standing height and able to be angled. But the standard business desk you can still find plenty of pre computer examples of in antique shops or photos of historical desks (e.g. einstein) and it is the same height as it is today.