TSEMM@ALASKA.BITNET (Ed 'Apple Guru' Moore) (09/30/89)
Students in a Appletalk lab have been stealing the mouces and the mouse balls from the Apple GS's and mac's. Anyone know of a security "lock" or such device so that the students won't get them?
gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) (09/30/89)
In article <8909291639.aa08421@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> TSEMM%ALASKA.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu writes: >Students in a Appletalk lab have been stealing the mouces and the mouse balls >from the Apple GS's and mac's. Anyone know of a security "lock" or >such device so that the students won't get them? Sounds to me like you're trying to solve the wrong problem. Why not tell the students that further theft will not be tolerated, and the stolen equipment will not be replaced even though all students will still held responsible for completing the assignments. You might find that the student body will police themselves under such circumstances.
jac@paul.rutgers.edu (Jonathan A. Chandross) (09/30/89)
TSEMM%ALASKA.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu writes: >[Students stealing mice] gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) > Sounds to me like you're trying to solve the wrong problem. > Why not tell the students that further theft will not be > tolerated, and the stolen equipment will not be replaced > even though all students will still held responsible for > completing the assignments. You might find that the > student body will police themselves under such circumstances. This is a non-solution that I, fortunately, haven't seen since in a while. Applying your solution, every time a crime is committed some random member of society should be put in jail for it. Soon society will be self policing. This is nonsense. If I can't complete an assignment because SOMEBODY who I don't even KNOW stole a mouse, how can I (1) get the mouse back? (2) see that it doesn't happen again? The morons at Rutgers applied such a policy about 5 years ago. This was when Mac Pascal first came out. Mac Pascal cost several hundred dollars, so the school purchased a few for student use. Copies were damaged (people deleted items from folders, disks were physically damaged, etc.). These copies were not replaced, and students were still responsible for completing assignments. You might try making students swap an student ID for a mouse. This will tend to insure that you get them back in one piece. Jonathan A. Chandross Internet: jac@paul.rutgers.edu UUCP: rutgers!paul.rutgers.edu!jac
ART100@PSUVM.PSU.EDU ("Andy Tefft 862-6728", 814) (09/30/89)
>You might try making students swap an student ID for a mouse. This >will tend to insure that you get them back in one piece. > > >Jonathan A. Chandross >Internet: jac@paul.rutgers.edu >UUCP: rutgers!paul.rutgers.edu!jac Good idea. I wonder why we don't have problems like this with our mice though. We do have to swap ID's for startup disks but of course one could always make a copy of this for his own personal use. All the software for the Macs is on servers so they're not worried about people trashing their expensive software. I've never heard of mouse problems before. The English department has started using Macintoys in the tech writing courses (thank God it's not mandatory to use them, though we had to go to a 50-minute introductory session -- "the switch is here, turn your macintosh on now" -- Blech!!) and they have Macs in a few classrooms for instructors to use (along with these really neat displays that go on overhead (transparency) projectors). Everything is chained down, including the mouse. In order to steal the mouse you'd have to cut the cord. Another deterrent is the words "ENGLISH DEPARTMENT" in permanent marker written all over every piece of equipment. All they use is a cable looped around the cord (loop small enough for the plug not to fit through) which is connected to the table somehow. Gee, is this a reason to use optical mice instead of mechanical? I like the idea with ID cards best though (be sure to accept drivers licenses too!) cause it's free and would work best. People tend to be responsible when their ID cards are at stake. You need one of those for EVERYTHING! (library, football games, even to get into some dorms) Andy
emerrill@tippy.uucp (09/30/89)
/* Written 10:07 pm Sep 29, 1989 by jac@paul.rutgers.edu in tippy:apple */ >gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) >> Sounds to me like you're trying to solve the wrong problem. >> Why not tell the students that further theft will not be >> tolerated, and the stolen equipment will not be replaced >> even though all students will still held responsible for >> completing the assignments. You might find that the >> student body will police themselves under such circumstances. >This is nonsense. If I can't complete an assignment because SOMEBODY >who I don't even KNOW stole a mouse, how can I > (1) get the mouse back? > (2) see that it doesn't happen again? >You might try making students swap an student ID for a mouse. This >will tend to insure that you get them back in one piece. I totally agree! The former solution is analogous to 1st grade when the teacher made all the students put their heads on their desks because one student did something wrong. _________________________________________________________ | | | Eric Merrill tippy!emerrill@newton.physics.purdue.edu | | | | Disclaimer: | | If you think I'm serious, that's your problem! | |_________________________________________________________|
estell@m.cs.uiuc.edu (10/01/89)
Perhaps you would be better off by having the mouses left off the computers when not in use. When a student needs to use a computer, a mouse can be checked out under that person's name, which makes it rather hard to steal.
dseah@wpi.wpi.edu (David I Seah) (10/02/89)
In article <8909291639.aa08421@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> TSEMM%ALASKA.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu writes: >Students in a Appletalk lab have been stealing the mouces and the mouse balls >from the Apple GS's and mac's. Anyone know of a security "lock" or >such device so that the students won't get them? For the mouseballs, the CAD lab at WPI has applied a dab of fingernail polish (a lovely red :) to the edge of the locking ring. When it dries, it's near impossible to get it off without taking a knife to it. -- Dave Seah | O M N I D Y N E S Y S T E M S - M | Internet: dseah@wpi.wpi.edu | User Friendly Killing Machines | America Online: AFC DaveS "MY GOD! I HAVE POCKETS!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I HAVE POCKETS!!" - Tick
emerrill@tippy.uucp (10/03/89)
/* Written 2:46 pm Oct 1, 1989 by dseah@wpi in tippy:apple */ >For the mouseballs, the CAD lab at WPI has applied a dab of fingernail polish >(a lovely red :) to the edge of the locking ring. When it dries, it's near >impossible to get it off without taking a knife to it. Yeech! Even in a relatively clean environment, the mouse ball has a great knack for attracting all sorts of neat lint and stuff. The little rollers get covered, and the mouse starts to stick a little. What fun! (When my mouse goes to Rodent Heaven, I think I'm gonna definitely get an optical rat to replace it.) How would they ever clean the mice? _________________________________________________________ | | | Eric Merrill tippy!emerrill@newton.physics.purdue.edu | | | | Disclaimer: | | If you think I'm serious, that's your problem! | |_________________________________________________________|
prl3546@tahoma.UUCP (Philip R. Lindberg) (10/04/89)
From article <7300020@m.cs.uiuc.edu>, by estell@m.cs.uiuc.edu: > > Perhaps you would be better off by having the mouses left off the computers > when not in use. When a student needs to use a computer, a mouse can be > checked out under that person's name, which makes it rather hard to steal. The major drawback of this is the connector between the mouse and the keyboard will wear out, quite quickly. I was in the habit of unplugging my mouse periodically to unkink the cord and I discovered within a couple of months the connector was only making intermittent connection. I suggest you don't unplug your mouse a lot. +---------------------------------------------------------+ | I heard some where IBM stood for "I've Been Mugged"...| | Phil Lindberg snail mail: 13845 S.E. 131 ST | | INET: prl3546@tahoma.UUCP Renton, WA 98056 | | UUCP: ..!uunet!bcstec!tahoma!prl3546 | | Disclaimer: I don't speak for my employer (and I not | | sure they even know I exist....) | +---------------------------------------------------------+
UD182050@VM1.NODAK.EDU (Mike Aos) (10/05/89)
In reply to mice getting full of crap and needing to be cleaned..... I got my GS in '86, and a mousepad at the same time. I've never had to clean it, and it's always worked flawlessly. Osiris BTW-I do agree optical mice are nice, but the one that came with the machine is cheaper.
dseah@wpi.wpi.edu (David I Seah) (10/05/89)
In article <145300002@tippy> emerrill@tippy.uucp writes: >/* Written 2:46 pm Oct 1, 1989 by dseah@wpi in tippy:apple */ >>For the mouseballs, the CAD lab at WPI has applied a dab of fingernail polish >>(a lovely red :) to the edge of the locking ring. When it dries, it's near >>impossible to get it off without taking a knife to it. > >Yeech! Even in a relatively clean environment, the mouse ball has a great >knack for attracting all sorts of neat lint and stuff. The little rollers >get covered, and the mouse starts to stick a little. What fun! (When >my mouse goes to Rodent Heaven, I think I'm gonna definitely get an >optical rat to replace it.) How would they ever clean the mice? Good point. I wonder how long it will be before the CAD lab supervisors realize this :-). They are using those new Logitech mice with some 286s. They have, I think, the funny new ball that is supposed to repel dust and lint. I think all new Apple mice have the same kind of ball with plastic rollers. The mouse that came with my GS has a heavy rubbery ball with metal rollers. It does pick up lint and crud from the desk..yuck. I wonder how often you have to clean the new Apple mice...they are made in Taiwan, right? Black, lightweight ball. -- Dave Seah | O M N I D Y N E S Y S T E M S - M | Internet: dseah@wpi.wpi.edu | User Friendly Killing Machines | America Online: AFC DaveS "MY GOD! I HAVE POCKETS!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I HAVE POCKETS!!" - Tick
prl3546@tahoma.UUCP (Philip R. Lindberg) (10/05/89)
From article <145300002@tippy>, by emerrill@tippy.uucp: > > Yeech! Even in a relatively clean environment, the mouse ball has a great > knack for attracting all sorts of neat lint and stuff. The little rollers > get covered, and the mouse starts to stick a little. What fun! Open it up and remove the ball. Wipe the ball with a cloth. Clean the rollers with a wooden pencil WITH THE LEAD BROKEN OUT OF IT. This works really well, doesn't take much time or effort, or have to be done often (only when it needs it.) AND doesn't seem to hurt the rollers at all. ( I was amazed how it well clean the rollers without scratching them.) Phil > Eric Merrill +---------------------------------------------------------+ | I heard some where IBM stood for "I've Been Mugged"...| | Phil Lindberg snail mail: 13845 S.E. 131 ST | | INET: prl3546@tahoma.UUCP Renton, WA 98056 | | UUCP: ..!uunet!bcstec!tahoma!prl3546 | | Disclaimer: I don't speak for my employer (and I not | | sure they even know I exist....) | +---------------------------------------------------------+
david@jc3b21.UUCP (David Quarles) (10/09/89)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > keyboard will wear out, quite quickly. I was in the habit of unplugging my > mouse periodically to unkink the cord and I discovered within a couple of > months the connector was only making intermittent connection. I suggest > you don't unplug your mouse a lot. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Here they have a small steel wire that is looped around the mouse cable and crimped and the other end of the wire is passed through two small holes in the keyboard and crimped likewise. It seems to be working. =-=-= Email: david@jc3b21.UUCP -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Dave =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= EOT