I HATE Touch screens

[jimbo45]

Hi all

is it just me but I'm dreading the proliferation of more and more touch screens -- I just HATE them.

My pet hate are the Public ones -- such as those you see in railway stations or airports -- seems to be the fastest way of transmitting diseases on the planet -- who knows if the person in front of you using the machine to buy his / her ticket has just visited the station's WC / Restrooms and hasn't washed his / her hands.

I had to really laugh the other night -- was watching the BBC's News channel coverage of the European Elections to the EU Parliament. The poor guy was trying to use a huge touch screen to bring up results in individual regions in the UK.

To get the wretched thing to work the poor guy was making contortions all over the place and looked like he was suffering from a severe physical disabilty (please no insult intended to disabled people) but if you had seen the program in question you would have thought -- well it's fine in the middle of a severe worldwide economic downturn how some organisations seem awash with cash even if the technology isn't fit for purpose.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[DarkXeno]

I hear you Jimbo, touch screens in public places a very bad idea. I know here in Pittsburgh we have some for the subway system and I don't think they have ever been cleaned I now know some people that carry rubber gloves with them just in case they have to use one of those things I think i might do the same.
Touch screens on personal devices are ok, but in public please god no.

 

[mxosder16]

touch screens in public places a very bad idea.

Not only are touchscreens a bad idea but so are doorknobs :sarc:

 

[TheTeZ]

and sink handles..

 

[dw96]

As a personal computer, it's okay, but in public places... you are SO RIGHT!

 

[jw12345]

I don't mind them for kiosks. Really, what alternate form of control could you have that's cleaner? In fact, buttons and other controls with crevices collect all sorts of stuff, but at least a screen could be wiped periodically.

The world's a disgusting place no matter what you do. We're constantly oozing bacteria, viruses, hormones, and sweat that all over each other nonstop. Invariably, you're injesting fecal matter and bugs and... let's just say, touchscreens are the least of our problems.

 

[jimbo45]

Not only are touchscreens a bad idea but so are doorknobs :sarc:

Doorknobs are generally much less of a problem as you tend to use them in "Known" environments -- such as private workplaces etc etc.

A 100% public place like a railway / subway station poses much more of a threat due to the often much larger number of vagrants, panhandlers and other assorted random people hanging around these places - also door knobs etc are usually cleaned daily whereas how often is a ticket touch screen ever cleaned,

Cheers
jimbo

 

[DarkXeno]

Not only are touchscreens a bad idea but so are doorknobs :sarc:

Yes they are but most buildings have a cleaning crew that has some sort of weekly cleaning cycle so I know those have been cleaned in the last 7 days. If I really sat down and thought about this I could become one of those freaks that doesnt leave the house. :shock: Guess I should just carry one of those purell germ things like my sister does for my four year old nephew..

 

[happinessiseasy]

Why do you think touch screens are dirtier than other public surfaces? Maybe because you can see the smudged oil and dirt on them. If you touch guardrails walking down to the subway, or the handle to open the door to a Burger King, you're touching the same types of germs. It's the illusion of cleanliness because you can't "see" the dirt and oil like you can on a shiny screen.

 

[Win7User512]

Buttons on ATMs...dangerous! LOL.

 

[Lordbob75]

Hi all

is it just me but I'm dreading the proliferation of more and more touch screens -- I just HATE them.

My pet hate are the Public ones -- such as those you see in railway stations or airports -- seems to be the fastest way of transmitting diseases on the planet -- who knows if the person in front of you using the machine to buy his / her ticket has just visited the station's WC / Restrooms and hasn't washed his / her hands.

I had to really laugh the other night -- was watching the BBC's News channel coverage of the European Elections to the EU Parliament. The poor guy was trying to use a huge touch screen to bring up results in individual regions in the UK.

To get the wretched thing to work the poor guy was making contortions all over the place and looked like he was suffering from a severe physical disabilty (please no insult intended to disabled people) but if you had seen the program in question you would have thought -- well it's fine in the middle of a severe worldwide economic downturn how some organisations seem awash with cash even if the technology isn't fit for purpose.

Cheers
jimbo

Hmmmmm.....
Ever heard of the Immune System?
Immune system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thats how I feel about it. If my immune system doesn't stop all the germs out there (which is impossible), then it will do its best. Most of the time, it won't be a problem.
Though, as the years progress and more and more systems have touch screens...... It's really not any worse than the buttons now. Or doorknobs (as said before) or the air we breathe, or the seats we sit in, or the cars, or basically our entire universe.

I see no problem here that my immune system won't be able to readily deal with. Not any worse than what is already out there.

~Lordbob

 

[copernicus]

I wasn't aware screens are now being made of porous materials.

 

[swarfega]

I personally wouldnt get touch screens. Being the person that I am, I couldnt bare to leave finger marks all over my screens.

 

[jfar]

Maybe they should be touchless touch screens, like this one.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDTlbJ0VdBo"]YouTube - "touchless touch screen"[/ame]

 

[Lordbob75]

Maybe they should be touchless touch screens, like this one.

YouTube - "touchless touch screen"

Yeah, maybe.

~Lordbob

 

[Win7User512]

Drink orange juice.

 

[dw96]

Drink orange juice.

Sorry, I like apples and pears more ...
So apple & pear juice! Maybe multivitamin.

@jfar - This seems interesting, but buggy, whenever someone passes by, he may accidentally give a command to the machine and bug up stuff... Still it is sweet...

 

[holo88]

Maybe they should be touchless touch screens, like this one.

YouTube - "touchless touch screen"

HE'S A WITCH!!! BURN HIM!!!
lol
grossest place for touchscreens....video poker players at shady run down convenience stores. eeeww *shutters*

your immune system cant stop you from getting herpes. wrap you head around this for a while. 1 in 8 have some kind of incurable disease, and don't know it. :shock:

 

[Lordbob75]

HE'S A WITCH!!! BURN HIM!!!
lol
grossest place for touchscreens....video poker players at shady run down convenience stores. eeeww *shutters*

your immune system cant stop you from getting herpes. wrap you head around this for a while. 1 in 8 have some kind of incurable disease, and don't know it. :shock:

Then I will be forced to carry around a flamethrower to cleanse all germs in HOLY FIRE!!!!!

~Lordbob

 

[holo88]

Then I will be forced to carry around a flamethrower to cleanse all germs in HOLY FIRE!!!!!

~Lordbob

you mean you don't carry a flamethrower?!? if i had one, I'd be sterilizing all sorts of s%#t. the world is, in fact, a very disgusting place. public touch screen's don't help that fact in any way, shape, or form. so i'd cook them too