Whose What?

And no, I`m not trying to give employees an excuse to take longer smoke breaks, nor am I saying that one can attribute every last splutter and cough to `spending too much time at work`, just highlighting some risks that you might want to look into.

Though most of these ailments are caused by the length of time we spend and our posture while sitting at the computer, this rather unusual tale was set off by a Microsoft function that I attended last week.

The mighty MS summoned us to a showcase of its latest in hardware and gaming technology. The one piece of machinery that caught everyone`s eye was a mouse that eliminates the possibility of getting `mouse elbow.`

This might sound like the kind of thing you`d come up with when you`ve used up all your excuses at work and are left only with the option of calling in dead, but according to studies published on the Global Health and Fitness website, this is quite serious and could have long-term effects.

According to GHF, damage to the arms and elbows can become chronic if the activity causing the condition is not changed or discontinued. To help prevent it, you should arrange your workstation so that you don`t have to reach long distances. The choice of tools and placement of equipment can also limit the weight held or handled.

Rolling your eyes? I know it sounds pretty ridiculous, but apparently it`s a reality! Here`s some advice to employers, be on the safe side, look into it and try to follow steps to alleviate these c ailments. Then when it comes to workman`s compensation, you can say: "I tried."

The Last Byte

THE WISE MARKETER has a very `paraat` take on login security. Not happy with just username and password, the login process takes you through two clicks - the second requiring additional info. I duly gave this, but the next page could "not be displayed". I`d just as soon have less security or none at all, than to be bumped off a website.

PRS AND VENDORS generally (pretend to) believe journalists do what they do more or less correctly, in other words that we attend events and choose, edit, place and write articles to a given length, based on their true importance. Sometimes, however, they try to influence the process. Here are some of our favourites: One vendor browbeats us once a year over lunch into having to defend our coverage of competitors. He`s not above reminding us that he`s an advertiser, a choice trick of a few others too. Sometimes we`re even told that a company will withdraw advertising if we don`t cover them. In the old days, journalists would be showered with gifts, presumably to make sure we`re positively inclined towards them, but most seem to realise now that this has no bearing on what the good ones publish. I sometimes get a phone call from some poor pressurised PR, wanting to know why the press release in question didn`t make it. Then we get the emotive appeal - "I`d really, really, really like to get them into iWeek". Or my favourite of them all - "I`m phoning you on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, which ought to tell you how important it is that you attend".In our issue of 20 October, we attribute the final quote on page 17 to Mark Mallabone of IBM. Heather Third of Microsoft was actually responsible for it.