I assume your concern is invading your users' privacy. In which case, here are two sites with lists and information regarding privacy-focused analytics options:
It would be in your best interest to at least _learn_ hooks, since they are gaining popularity and are the presumed future of React [0]:
> In the longer term, we expect Hooks to be the primary way people write React components.
I also recommend learning the differences between function components (the prerequisite of hooks) and class-based components. This way you can gain understanding into why one would want to use one over the other which will ultimately serve you better than simply learning something just for the sake of learning it. "How Are Function Components Different from Classes?" [1] by Dan Abramov is a great start.
- I use a BenQ anti-glare monitor [0] that automatically adjusts the brightness based on ambient lighting.
- I use f.lux [1] to automatically adjust the color temperature based on the time of day.
- I use Dark Reader [2] to enable dark mode on all websites.
- I work near a window that I can easily, and often, look out of away from the screen.
- I make sure to sit/stand with good posture while working. Slouching with your head forward causes the muscles in your face and neck to tense up which contributes to eye strain.
- I make sure to use f.lux (or adjacent apps) on my mobile devices and reduce the amount of time I use them before bed in order to get a decent amount of restful sleep. Tired eyes have to work extra hard to focus which contributes to eye strain.
One thing I've yet to do, but am going to soon, and highly recommend, is to see an eye doctor for a comprehensive exam. Uncorrected, or under corrected, vision problems can be major contributing factors to eye strain.
I haven't fully read through this so I can't provide any direct insights; however, https://staffeng.com/guides/ may prove to be a helpful resource for you. It's a site/book regarding the career path for engineers beyond the senior level.
It contains stories as well as guides and in particular there are two sections that stand out regarding your situation: *Getting the title where you are* and *Switching companies to get the title*.
I've been a software engineer for over 15 years and so have been working at a desk for just as long. For the first few years I never thought twice about it, just sat all day long, no big deal. Eventually that started to catch up with me and my health began to noticeably decline.
I eventually made a conscious effort to combat the sedentary nature of knowledge work and have since seen significant improvements in my health, both physically and mentally. I now have this dichotomous relationship with computers: on one hand I love programming but on the other I can't stand being sedentary and I don't like that the default mode for computer work is sitting at a desk completely stationary.
So I'm always looking for the most effective way to maintain my well-being while also working at a desk all day and I've been writing about it on my blog. It's rough at the moment but am actively working to improve the content and quality; but I think this article in particular may be of interest: https://healthyhacker.co/how-to-improve-your-health-with-an-....
I think there are the obvious answers like: go for walks, go to the gym, do active things, etc. I'm 100% for all of those, but for the most part you can't really do any of them while working. But movement is the key and so I think the most important thing you can do at your workspace is to create a movement-rich environment where you are constantly able to shift positions and fidget. Ideally get a standing desk; this sets the foundation... you'll have a difficult time being sedentary while you're standing. This keeps the lower half of your body active; i.e. muscles are engaged and circulation is flowing. And then from there you can add additional activities such as putting a ball under your desk that you can prop your foot on and move around.
It's also vital to actually step away from your desk once in awhile as well. One of the most effective things you can do relatively easily is go for more walks. No equipment necessary; just get up and move (with a standing desk you're already half way there). It also has the added benefits of clearing your head, which as we know mental clarity is vital to knowledge work.
To answer your specific question, what's the cutting edge of doing knowledge work while not being stationary... it might not be a fancy answer, but I think it's simply just moving more.
Also, I highly recommend the book Deskbound by Kelly Starrett (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01E1HDJ64). It is my main resource so far for all this information and I have found it incredibly helpful in learning how to become a healthy hacker. And here's the presentation he gave that inspired the book: https://youtu.be/kfg_e6YG37U.
A standing desk plus a soccer ball (or the like) to put my foot on.
The desk encourages me to move around which keeps me more alert, and the increased circulation keeps my brain feeling more active.
By propping one foot up on the ball my posture is automatically put into better positioning allowing me to stand comfortably for longer periods; and it allows me to fidget a bit as well.
Staying active and alert like this makes me significantly more productive.
I personally have not experienced dizziness per se, but have certainly felt the effects of prolonged screen usage. For me it generally manifests as pressure headaches and irritability.
> I’ve gotten a lot better by taking regular breaks (fully away from the desk every hour), following the 20/20/20 rule, and getting out for a walk at lunchtime. I also cut monitor and screen usage outside of work down.
I think you nailed it with this. As difficult as it may be at times, complete separation from the screen is the best solution.
I'm actually extremely interested in health implications of computer hackers and write about it on my blog. So, there are a couple of other considerations to keep in mind that may be contributing:
1. Your posture; particularly your shoulders and head/neck position. The tl;dr is poor posture puts a significant amount of strain on your nerves and blood vessels which can lead to a whole host of problems including dizziness. I wrote a bit about that here [0] if you'd like to read more.
2. Electromagnetic sensitivity [1]. Our computer monitors, amongst every other electronic device around us, emit electromagnetic fields, and some of us are more sensitive to them than others. And one of the most commonly mentioned symptoms is dizziness. An interesting way to combat that this is with a concept called "earthing", which is basically a means of discharging the buildup in your body by direct physical contact with the vast supply of electrons on the surface of the earth [2]. This is a new concept to me and so have limited details. It is something I'd like to look into more and write about, but wanted to share in case it may help.
As already mentioned this is highly dependent on why you want a VPN and what's most important to you. That being said, an internet hero by the name of ThatOnePrivacyGuy researched and scrutinized a significant number of available VPNs using numerous data points and compiled them all into a spreadsheet for easy comparison.
The original site is now defunct [0], but has been merged with SafetyDetectives, and so now the full comparison can be found here [1].
Without any other details, that is your best place to start looking.
I've always been fascinated, and driven by, good health; particularly in the context of working at a desk on a computer all day long.
This book has helped me to understand the implications and negative impact of typical habits surrounding working at a computer; specifically sitting all day.
By considering, and practicing, the advice presented in the book, I've changed the way that I physically work which in turn has significantly impacted my efficiency and performance.
I now stand a majority of the day and have learned methods for doing so effectively without simply tiring out my legs and causing a different set of problems. I've learned much about posture, particularly in the context of typing, which has helped reduce various aches and pains. And I've also learned various mobility exercises which have reduced stiffness in my arms, shoulders, and neck.
All in all, I feel better, which in turn has helped me to gain mental clarity and stay focused.
I feel your pain. I was there too not long ago; slightly different circumstances and reasons, but same idea, and same low feelings.
> I realized that I do not want to work as a team lead anymore
This is essentially what I ran into as well. I've been in the software industry for over 15 years. Over time I became a team lead and continued into management. For too long I had convinced myself this is what I wanted; that it was too much to keep up with tech, managing people was easier. Unfortunately I kept doubling down on this notion until I finally burned out. Sadly that's what it took for me to realize I'm not a manager, I'm an engineer.
> and still our is the most beautiful job in the world
100% agree. I played with the idea of changing industries, but I knew this is where I belong; I just needed a reset.
I decided to find another company where I could start again as a software engineer; no more management. Even if it meant a pay decrease, rejuvenating my mental health was far more important.
> tech interviews suck
Again I agree. Tech interviews on average are horrid. I've been on both sides many times, as interviewee and interviewer. And sadly as an interviewer I've contributed to the suck.
But what I've learned from my most recent endeavor is that this is not true across the board. There are actually some great companies out there with great culture and great interviewing practices. You just need to know how to find them; which involves knowing exactly what is you want.
> people who deliberately use MongoDB as a relational database sucks too
Yep. But it's good that you're able to identify this as something you don't like. Keep that in mind and consider everything else that you do and do not want as part of your job or the company that you work with; and then bring that with you into your interviews. _You should be interviewing the companies and teams just as much, if not more so, than they are interviewing you._
For myself, I knew exactly what I wanted: no management, no team lead, just software engineering so I could get back into the code and recover from my burnout. I also considered any position I found to be potentially temporary; maybe after a year I'd move on again; wherever I landed didn't need to be where I'd be stuck for the remainder of my career.
I went through a lot of interviews, wrote a lot of cover letters, did a lot of coding in front of others. Sometimes I did great, sometimes I totally bombed. But each time I learned something new that I brought with me into the next one.
Fast forward to today (this all happened about 1.5 years ago) and I couldn't be happier. I found a great company that made me realize culture is vitally important and it doesn't matter what the company claims their culture may be, it is inherited top down from the leaders. Realize, though, that this is a two way street as well; meaning don't just expect a company to be a perfect fit without some contribution from yourself as well.
I started over as a software engineer and soon realized there are aspects of leadership I do enjoy and so am now pursuing a path within this company that I can increase my influence as an engineering lead without shifting my role into management.
Admittedly I also have an incredibly supportive wife by my side, helping and encouraging me all along the way. Before I left my previous company, and before I burned out, she could see me slipping and shared this with me, which I wish I had listened to sooner; could've avoided a lot of misery:
"Recognize when a phase, job, a life stage, or a relationship is over and let it go. Allow yourself to gracefully exit situations you have outgrown. Moving on doesn't have to be a catastrophic dramatic event. You can simply chose to move forward with peace and clarity."
Hang in there. It gets better; just own the situation and move forward.
I realize you're interested in hearing from others dealing with the same problem; I, myself, am not, however, I am extremely interested in our general health as deskbound hackers and would like to offer some thoughts that may prove helpful:
1. Reduce optional sitting.
Sitting for extended periods of time compromises our musculoskeletal system and in particular our spinal health.
When we sit, the muscles in our lower body basically turn off leaving only our core to support our spine which is not sustainable. We eventually collapse into poor posture with our shoulders rounding forward and hips rounding backward putting the body into a c-shape. This position adds a ton of extra pressure on our vertebrae which can lead to various amounts of pain.
Plus, the more we sit the less we move; and we need to move to keep muscles engaged and blood circulating.
2. When you do sit, choose the right chair, and sit properly.
The ideal chair is one with a wide square seat made of wood or metal. It may sound uncomfortable, but that's the point; the goal is to encourage movement, a chair shouldn't encourage you to sit all day but to simply give you a place to temporarily rest.
The square shape allows you to sit along the edge without sliding off which makes it easier to maintain a neutral upright position. And the hard surface allows for great mechanical feedback; you get uncomfortable which reminds you to move.
Before you even sit, engage your core to stabilize your spine, then sit without collapsing your rib cage.
All of this will help keep your pelvis rounded forward taking the direct pressure off of your coccyx.
3. Shift positions often.
This one's simple. Our bodies will stagnate and atrophy when still for too long, especially when sitting. Shift positions to get your blood flowing to those areas. Even better, get up and actually move around a bit every 30 minutes or so.
4. Try some mobility exercises.
Despite our best efforts muscles are going to get stiff and our joints are going to become restricted if we don't maintain them regularly.
Daily mobility work is a key preventive and restorative practice to stay ahead of these problems.
I'm actually just starting to look into this myself so I don't have an easy go-to list of exercises, but here's a giant resource I just came across that looks promising: https://www.heromovement.net/blog/mobility-exercises/.
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I highly recommend the book Deskbound by Kelly Starrett (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01E1HDJ64). It is my main resource so far for all this information and I have found it incredibly helpful in learning how to become a healthy hacker. And here's the presentation he gave that inspired the book: https://youtu.be/kfg_e6YG37U.
- https://creativerly.com/google-analytics-alternatives/
- https://privacyfocusedanalytics.info/