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Maybe Bring Your Own Mouse To The Internet Cafe

Studies

from the just-a-thought dept

Wed, Feb 15th 2006 9:19am — Mike Masnick
We've already heard that your computer is likely to be dirtier than your toilet seat, so what does that mean for public computers as compared to public bathrooms? You guessed it (unfortunately). A new study found that internet cafe mice were the second most bacteria-infested objects they studied, after shopping cart handles. Public bathrooms come in fourth place, with less than half the contaminants of the mice. Might want to bring a travelling mouse next time you're going to an internet cafe.
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22 Comments

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  • icon
    crystalattice (profile), 15 Feb 2006 @ 9:42am

    Simple solution for the paranoid.

    Bring a small pack of Clorox pre-moistened wipes w/ you.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 15 Feb 2006 @ 9:49am

      Re: Simple solution for the paranoid.

      for the porn? I think the article is referring to internet cafes, not porno movie stores.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        stephen.pray@gmail.com, 15 Feb 2006 @ 10:37am

        Re: for anonymous

        I've watched this forum slowly degenerate into the 'Anonymous Coward's Hour' where we are regaled and even titillated by your wry wit and amazing insite into all matters profound. I've even sat and read your amusing little 'put downs'. I think it's not so much I object to you having an opinion on every subject, but rather your belief that we all the right to it.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Philip (profile), 15 Feb 2006 @ 9:50am

    Types of dirty

    There's two types of dirty: (1) the germ type, you can't see or small which I don't care about. (2) the stench type which you can smell and see which I DO care about.

    I have no problems with the first type. The second type is where I draw the line, reguardless how "sanitary" it is.

    These studies are really stupid. They really don't understand what the underlining reason people call things dirty. It's not cause it's infested with load of bacteria (many folks are immune to majority of them anyway), it's the sight and stench of it. If it looks bad or smells bad it's "dirty" reguardless the number of bacteria that may or may not be on it.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Rikko, 15 Feb 2006 @ 10:07am

      Re: Types of dirty

      If my hands are sticky after touching something, it's filthy. I don't care if it's clean petroleum jelly all over the place - it's gross and it stays with you.

      Probably why I have a bigger issue touching the hand rails on a public bus than flushing a public toilet.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Dam, 15 Feb 2006 @ 10:31am

    No Subject Given

    Wear vinyl gloves

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Evan, 15 Feb 2006 @ 10:47am

    No Subject Given

    Being as I am a bit of a germophobe, I would just use the provided mouse, then wash my hands or use hand sanitizer when I'm done, no big deal. Certainly not worth toting a mouse around.

    And to the guy who doesn't care about invisible germs, it doesn't matter if you can see them or not, they'll still get you sick sometimes.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Weeverman, 15 Feb 2006 @ 11:05am

      Question??

      If you had to pick between licking the mouse or a public toilet seat... what would you choose? Germs or no germs, I would eat that little clicker in a hearbeat.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        gipper, 15 May 2006 @ 12:49pm

        Re: Question??

        Quote: "If you had to pick between licking the mouse or a public toilet seat... what would you choose? Germs or no germs, I would eat that little clicker in a hearbeat."

        nice way to put it.

        agreed.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Philip (profile), 15 Feb 2006 @ 11:11am

      Re: No Subject Given

      And to the guy who doesn't care about invisible germs, it doesn't matter if you can see them or not, they'll still get you sick sometimes.

      This I know, that's why I built up my immune system. Concidering I hadn't been sick in 10 years (never taking any meds), I think I did rather well.

      Thus why it doesn't bother me. The more germs I come in contact with, the greater my immunity will be. I understand how the body works, so I've tought it to improve itself internally. It does work, you should try. ;)

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    dorpus, 15 Feb 2006 @ 11:54am

    Impetigo

    Impetigo can be passed through skin-to-surface contact.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      grossed-out, 15 Feb 2006 @ 12:39pm

      Re: Impetigo

      EWWWWWW!!! That's really disgusting. I've got a better idea.....your OWN laptop and wireless connectivity.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      darrell, 15 Feb 2006 @ 12:40pm

      Re: Impetigo

      whoa...that's terrifying.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 15 Feb 2006 @ 1:20pm

      Re: Impetigo

      Yea, and so long as you are under the age of 4, over 80, or between 4 and 85 and have advanced HIV, you just might have a slight chance of getting anything at all like those pictures...oh, and you would have to either live in a 3rd world country, or just stupidly ignore it rather than see a doctor.

      Any normal person 12-50 years old would have statistically ZERO chance of getting that.

      Now for all your germaphobes, you would be best to just stay in your own house and avoid all human and animal contact, and douse yourself in clorine bleach at least twice an hour just to be safe. Oh, and when you are 65+ and die from pneumonia caused by a common cold that non-germaphobes gained immunity to when they were 30, it will only be your fault.

      And lastly, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't keep germs from your children. Look up the statistics of children that spend lots of time in daycares getting covered in germs from other kids...you will notice that a lot less of them have asthma.

      Constant exposure to pathogens strenthens the immune system, as does getting breast-fed.

      Unless you are otherwise unhealthy, elderly, very very very young (like under 3), or have HIV, avoiding germs does far more harm than good.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        dorpus, 15 Feb 2006 @ 1:33pm

        Re: Impetigo

        Uhh... not quite. ;-)

        Impetigo is an endemic problem among contact sports athletes, all of them young and healthy. College campuses are hotbeds for all sorts of infectious disease outbreaks, including mono, chicken pox outbreaks, Staph-A, urinary tract infections, etc. If you are a woman, you'd know that urinary tract infections are a major problem in dorm life -- embarassing, painful, and leading to a lot of finger-pointing among dorm mates. Most college campuses have good health clinics, which prevent the problems from getting too bad. But it is not fair to say that youth confers immunity to infectious diseases.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        dorpus, 15 Feb 2006 @ 1:38pm

        Re: Impetigo

        Also, the notion that day-care kids get asthma less often is still an active topic of research -- there is evidence to contradict this too. Kids at day care centers may get greater exposure to e.g. cockroach feces or Stachybotrys fungus, which could cause asthma or even make kids spray blood out of their mouths like fire hydrants. I know about Stachybotrys because I wanted to do a class project on it, but there isn't enough literature available on the particular question at hand, so I had to abandon it. Oh well.



        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 15 Feb 2006 @ 12:47pm

    Does anyone use them?

    I dont see many internet caffes around here, there is one, but it just closed up shop because the computers at the library are free to use ..

    There is even a computer with internet for free public use at my laundry mat.

    I don't see the point for internet cafes'

    Everyone I know has a ocmputer, and if no internet, there is so many open WIFI connections around, there is 4 open and 2 locked WIFI's in my building..

    its like.. ini.. mini.. mini.. mo..

    take your pick, I don't even pay for internet.


    Look at tit this way, if there is no lock on it, then the person is not smart enough to know if anyone is using it .. so go ahead and go to town.. your computer will log in by itself! its not your fault that they didn't lock it ..

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 15 Feb 2006 @ 1:26pm

      Re: Does anyone use them?

      To expand on the "its not your fault if they didn't lock it"...the law is actually on your side, if they so chose to try and make a fuss over it.

      The act of broadcasting the signal grants anyone able to recieve it the right to do so.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Chris, 16 Feb 2006 @ 9:04am

    Practices that turn me away

    I was on (insertonlineretailer).com and was looking to buy some cd's. Some Stan Getz and Pink Floyd and was even pondering getting some Metalica (diverse, I know). I was going to spend about $100. After reading stuff like this, I don't want to buy the cd's any longer. I want to stick it to the record companies as if they were an effeminate inmate bent on losing their prison virginity. These people are ignorant hacks, bending and pushing laws so they can milk an extra cent from their patrons. If I tried to do that to my clients, I feel they may just go elsewhere. But where are we to go? Well, the internet. It will remain the one thing that the RIAA will never get their hands on. For every RIAA lawyer there are 1000 intelligent internet citizens that will find a way to distribute music without interruption. If the RIAA simply went away, the record companies would have seen a piece of my $100, or the other millions that have been withheld waiting to know if it is legal to use their MP3 player.
    On a side note, I can just imagine a meeting between these guys. "Well my daughter just showed me how to use a computer and I saw all the web sites with music on them. Are we getting paid for this?"
    This ignorance disgusts me.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]


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