People keep poking my screen

[Doctor Q]

Why do people treat monitors like touchscreens? When they see a pretty picture or interesting text on my Mac, they often touch it (or try to) while talking about it. I used to put up with it, and clean my CRT screen now and then. Now that I have LCD screens, I'm more worried about it.

Is the surface in real danger when they jab their pointy fingers at it? Will fingers, especially fingernails, damage the screen?

I've been asking coworkers and friends not to touch my displays at work and at home, but I'd like to know just how much of an issue I should make of this.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Go to their office, eating crunchy cheese doodles and start pointing on their screens....shouldn't take long for them to get the picture

 

[zelmo]

My wife constantly touches my PB screen and, while it doesn't appear to be any worse off as a result, those temporary "newton rings" created by the pressure of a finger make me cringe. It would be nice to know if there is any lasting or cumulative damage to be had from this contact, if only so that I could use it as an excuse to upgrade to a PB G5 if they ever release one.

 

[Sun Baked]

Go to their office, eating crunchy cheese doodles and start pointing on their screens....shouldn't take long for them to get the picture

That orange cheese-like powder gets everywhere...

 

[edesignuk]

You need something the equivalent of a "swear box", but this will be a "you touched my screen you bastard, now gimme some money" box

$1 a time

By the time all these people have worn a hole in your screen you should have made enough to buy a new one

Now that's a plan

 

[Blue Velvet]

Well, at least they're not licking it...


Didn't Steve Jobs claim Aqua was 'lickable'?
Mind you, if it was covered in cheese-powder...

 

[Mr. Anderson]

That orange cheese-like powder gets everywhere...

just one of many reasons not to eat them....

or you could just make a working model of a guillotine mounted on top and when anyone asks you, you tell them that it is automatically activated when it senses a finger touching the screen.....

D

 

[emw]

Go to their office, eating crunchy cheese doodles and start pointing on their screens....shouldn't take long for them to get the picture

Your signature is quite appropriate for this thread.

In my experience, it is almost impossible to prevent people from touching your screen. Think about it - it's human nature to rely upon tactile response, even though it may be meaningless. People (including me) touch my screen, printed photos, printed documents, etc. Even though touching provides no additional valuable feedback in these situations, we do it anyway.

 

[efoto]

I cringe everytime I even see a hand heading towards any of my screens. I have a 20.1" lcd at home and a 23" at work, and some random crts that I rarely give thought to anymore , and everytime I am working in Photoshop or basically anything (even Word!!) people always feel the need to touch for some reason.

I was editting some family things at home last night and my mother came in to see the progress. She starts reaching for the screen to say "oh I like this one" and I grabbed her hand mid-air, "mom, I'm not going to kill you, this time (under my breathe) but it really annoys me when people, including you mother dearest, touch my screen. a simple verbal description of the location of your point on the screen would be more than adequate for me to find what you are referring to. Take into account that I will always know what is on my screen much better and more accurately than you will. I do not require your finger for visual assitance." This usually results in her asking why I am so pissy and confrontational...getting all emotional...yadda yadda girl stuff.

So back to topic...I have never read of ill-affects from anyone touching the screen other than temporarily stuck pixels, which resulted in me now having a bald spot @ age 20 . Unless they poke through or something, I don't see a problem other than surface oils that can alter your color view, but you should clean your screen sometimes anyway.
Sorry for the long post...I am at work late tonight and needed a break and felt a little chatty.

 

[Doctor Q]

or you could just make a working model of a guillotine mounted on top and when anyone asks you, you tell them that it is automatically activated when it senses a finger touching the screen.....

Well, I do the verbal equivalent now, snapping at them "DON'T TOUCH THE SCREEEN!" to make them jump back and promise never to do it again.

My question is whether I'm being needlessly paranoid about these digital vandals (it's just a matter of having my personal space, and that of my Mac, invaded) or whether I have just cause to worry about hardware damage.

(BTW, I own a bumper sticker that says "Help! The paranoids are after me!" and, as we all know, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you!)

 

[jsw]

Personally, I think it's inconsiderate. Like touching someone's glasses. I can't stand a smeared monitor and don't see why people touch one. I think most adults are capable of the fine muscle control required to point at but not touch the screen. I touch my screens only to clean them, and I've somehow managed to avoid other contact for decades now without difficulty.

Maybe it's a glasses-wearer thing. I wear glasses. I hate it when they're dirty. Same with my screen. On the other hand, I am in no way even vaguely close to being a neat person. I just want a clean screen, that's all.

If only it was possible to zap intruders with an electric charge when they touched it....

 

[Sun Baked]

(BTW, I own a bumper sticker that says "Help! The paranoids are after me!" and, as we all know, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you!)

If you leave the paranoids alone, they may leave you alone...

And stop selling the ray gun that can read their thoughts, and start selling tinfoil hats -- the profit margin is much higher on those anyway, if you remember to upsell them the custom fitting service.

 

[Doctor Q]

...and start selling tinfoil hats...

We may not be safe, but at least MacRumors member Counterfit is (link).

 

[jsw]

We may not be safe, but at least MacRumors member Counterfit is (link).

Unbelievable - he left the base of the skull exposed! Surely he must know that the aliens use the reptilian brain stem to gain access to the entire brain. Poor Counterfit. He's lost now; surely they've gotten to him.

BTW, the Reynold's non-stick foil seems to do a better job of keeping your brain safe. It costs a bit more, but it's worth it. FYI, the non-stick side faces out.

 

[rueyeet]

Feh. that's a mere skullcap, not 360-degree protection.

Frankly, I don't understand why anyone who's ever had to clean fingerprints off their computer screen would touch one. I never do; I just sort of hover my finger a little bit over whatever I'm pointing to, which is good enough.

Short of timely verbal discouragement, I don't know what you can do about it. I'm sure it wouldn't be dangerous if there weren't too much actual pressure applied. Probably a well-timed "careful! it's an LCD, y'know" just when the ring around their finger becomes visible might be sufficient over time to install in them a vague fear that they'll somehow damage an LCD if they touch it too hard.

 

[mactastic]

Oh man, try working in a CAD enviroment. Even I can't avoid touching the screen now and then to point to one particular line.

You should see the monitors at my old college's CAD lab. They're like an inch thick with finger grease.

 

[efoto]

You should see the monitors at my old college's CAD lab. They're like an inch thick with finger grease.

I can attest to this. Working with ProE all the time, everyone and their friends want to touch. The worst is marketing people though (sorry to those to whom this may apply) because they are not familiar with the CAD program, they feel the need to touch the buttons on the toolbars like they will actually do something . They make pretty things that sell, I give them that but the ones at my place of work could use a little help.

 

[angelneo]

My colleagues know how anal I am over my LCD screen and if they really need to point then they would use a non-writing end of a pen to point (no jabbing included). and (in case you think I am), I am not some freak nut who squats in a corner of my office and start talking to myself

 

[WinterMute]

I find that intercepting the pointing finger as it approaches the screen and bending it sharply backwards till it's firmly embedded in the offenders eye socket works wonders.

You only need to do it once or twice, word soon gets around.

NO-ONE touches my PowerBook without my expressed permission. In writing. Signed in blood.

You stand more chance of surviving touching my wife.

 

[AppleMatt]

You'd have to give it a significant poke to physically damage the layers, the fluid in them does "buffer" the pokes it seems. I've never damaged an LCD with years of ripping laptops apart, dropping screwdrivers onto them etc. Although I can't find the link I have read that when they're off they are a lot less susceptible to damage than when they're on.

As for the coating...that's different. They have an anti-glare coat on them. The reason you're not supposed to use alcohol cleaners is because alcohol can dry out the plastic and make it crack, so I presume the various oils, salts and daily grime on the fingertip won't do it wonders.

NO-ONE touches my PowerBook without my expressed permission. In writing. Signed in blood.

Ditto. And when they use it they sure as hell better not move it (or worse, slide it, ripping all the feet off)

AppleMatt

 

[bbarnhart]

Some people are just clueless. A particular coworker of mine is a big screen toucher. When he gets that finger going I yell "The monitor is for looking at. It's not for touching!"

 

[kettle]

Keep a rolling pin handy. It usually takes the one, but anything up to eight demonstrations of bone shattering force may be needed before the pokie either learns or runs out of pointable fingers. Thumb prints have not really been a problem.

 

[kettle]

You stand more chance of surviving touching my wife.

Probably a good time to differentiate between "touching the Mrs" and "Poking the Mrs"

 

[WinterMute]

Probably a good time to differentiate between "touching the Mrs" and "Poking the Mrs"

Damn right, although it's still a fine line when it comes to the PowerBook

 

[Palad1]

I cringe everytime I even see a hand heading towards any of my screens.
(snip...)
This usually results in her asking why I am so pissy and confrontational...getting all emotional...yadda yadda girl stuff.

My girlfriend does that too, but instead of getting emotional, she toys with my ultimate Fear Of The Polished Fingernail Impact On My Powerbook and points another finger at the screen, slowy moving it back and forth, still aiming for the screen, while making scary noises...

And of course I can't even begin to pretend this does not make me even more anal about her not touching my screen...

I mean, have you seen these things human females have at the end of their fingers? It's thin, it's hard, it's sharp, it's covered with vynnilic paint and solvent residues...

I don't want those tools of mayhem anywhere near my beloved powerbook's screen!!! Pleeeaaasee!!!