Mastodon/Fedi: The social network for people who have actually cleaned mouse balls 🖱️

[joannacanfixit@mastodon.social]

@FlockOfCats if you use a trackball, then you still have to do that once in a while!

[m0pwx@mastodon.radio]

@Felila @RachelThornSub @FlockOfCats watching the disk play tetris with the data and pray it worked after

almost as much fun as setting the interleave factor on old ST-506 hard disk interfaces

[stevefenton@mastodon.social]

@FlockOfCats

[m0pwx@mastodon.radio]

@FlockOfCats nine times out of ten it wasn't the ball that was dirty, but the build up on the little wheels that transfered movement from the ball to the rotary encoders for the X and Y movement

spent many an hour taking mice apart in the workshop to clean all the little rollers and encoders to save the company a small fortune

we had a stack of mouse boxes in the corner to put the cleaned mice in to make users think they were getting a new one, then bring the box back, to reuse again

[troy_frizzell@mstdn.social]

@zillion @FlockOfCats

Ball mice work on glass tables. Just saying...

[wannabe_alarmist@mastodon.social]

ok this is accurate

can confirm

[drewcommins@mastodon.social]

@FlockOfCats Not only did I wash the balls, I used a toothpick to carefully scrape off the stuck-on gunk from the two rollers that touched that filthy ball.

[pthane@toot.wales]

@FlockOfCats I was a tech teacher when mouse balls were a thing. Kids used to steal them either to use as missiles at break time or just to mess up the lesson and piss off the teacher. We used to drill the retaining ring and fit small screws to discourage them. But if course this also discouraged anyone from cleaning them.

[nine@chitter.xyz]

@FlockOfCats wosh ur ballz

[ottaross@mastodon.social]

@FlockOfCats mouse cleaning is still a thing, though thankfully no ball-handling required.

These days, in homes with pets, I find that cat hair can get into the craziest places, and a bit of tweezer work is occasionally required around the LED/sensor lens under the mouse, and any assembly seams.

[ni@hostux.social]

️ I still clean my trackball’s ball every day.

@zillion @FlockOfCats @Ju_

[rachelthornsub@famichiki.jp]

@Workshopshed @jamesrg @pussreboots @FlockOfCats Not naming it "OAK" was a missed opportunity. The image of an arm growing from an acorn is disturbing.

[rachelthornsub@famichiki.jp]

@M0PWX @Felila @FlockOfCats That rings a bell, but I can't for the life of me remember what "interleaving" was.

[rachelthornsub@famichiki.jp]

@hmantegazzi @wonka @Felila @FlockOfCats Yes, it takes the fun out of it to start it up, scan the disk, and see that it actually doesn't need de-fragging (if only because that means fragmentation isn't what's making your computer slow, so you have to look for another cause).

[chloeraccoon@mastodonapp.uk]

@FlockOfCats @patterfloof We had a tool to clean the insides - looked like a mini golf ball on a stick. Take out ball, spray with foam cleaner, wipe with cloth/paper towel. The stick this into the mouse body, and rotate it and move it around to remove all the "mouse jam"...

[anguadelphine@mk.absturztau.be]

@FlockOfCats@famichiki.jp

Whatever did we do before optical mice / trackballs?
I always prefer alcohol based wipes - no messing around drying off and you can guarantee they're clean; the trackball and the inner cradle.
Still a good idea to have mini blower & vac.

Also I am old enough to have had / used non GUI computers.

[emil@helo.fuse.pl]

@FlockOfCats My friend swallowed one.

[me@social.jlamothe.net]

@abartlet @cy @FlockOfCats As was I, but I use a trackball these days. I'm back to having to clean it.

[misterwanko@mastodon.social]

@FlockOfCats do tractor feed printers next

[tmruppert@universeodon.com]

@FlockOfCats
More than once I was called to fix a friend’s or relation’s computer and all that was needed was a mouse ball clean out. I was highly praised and revered. They still sing songs about my amazing feats!