 |
 |
Hi Janet, Your post re: computer keyboard grime reminds me of a call for help I once received.... Seems a young lady spilled a coke on her keyboard and took it home and put it in the dishwasher... no, I'm not kidding! It looked reallllyy clean... and it almost worked... My personal experience says a lot of hair is in the average keyboard... cheers ....... murray On 13 Sep 2000, at 10:32, janet paterson wrote: > Computer filth exposed > > Wednesday, 13 September, 2000, 09:14 GMT 10:14 UK - The shocking secrets of > the life of grime beneath your fingers have been revealed. > > Computer keyboards are accumulating up to two grams of dirt every month, > research conducted on behalf of AOL UK shows. > > The crumbs and dirt collect beneath the keys because users eat breakfast, > snacks, and lunch over their computer terminals. > > The personal grooming that people undertake while at their desk also > contributes to the build-up of grunge. > > AOL collected the dust, dirt and organic debris accumulating beneath the > keys of a keyboard in a typical London office for a month. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Keyboard crumb breakdown > Corn Flakes (15%) > Boiled sweet (15%) > Noodles (7%) > Vegetable piece (4%) > Leaf (1%) > Pencil shavings (1%) > Staple (1%) > Finger nail (<1%) > Tape/plastic (<1%) > Insect (<1%) > Foil (<1%) > Hair (<1%) > Various particles resembling cereal grains, biscuit crumbs, bread crumbs, > pastry flakes and chocolate crumbs (56%) > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > The accumulated rubbish, which weighed in at a hefty 1.89 grams, was then > sent for study at Reading Scientific Services, an independent food and > drink analysis centre. > > The majority of the debris, 56%, was made up of food crumbs from the > chocolate bars and biscuits that people like to snack on when using their > computer. > > Much of the rest was also food-related, but also in the dirt were dead > insects as well as fingernail parings, small patches of dead skin and the > odd hair. > > If the keyboard studied is typical, AOL UK estimates that almost 0.318 > tonnes of what it calls "keyboard krumbs" will accumulate beneath all > keyboards over the space of a year. > > A spokeswoman for Reading Scientific Services said the company operated a > strict confidentiality policy and could not comment on the research, or > whether the accumulating grime constituted a health hazard. > > To keep keyboards spruce, office cleaning firms recommend that people > regularly hold their keyboard upside down and shake them vigorously to > dislodge the debris. > > Alternatively, users can remove the keys, and vacuum, blow or shake off the > dirt beneath. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Related to this story: > Computers as clothes (04 May 00 | Sci/Tech) > E-mail: Our right to write? (03 May 00 | UK) > What's my line, again? (18 Apr 00 | UK) > Do we work too hard? (10 Feb 00 | Talking Point) > Technology boost for key skills (14 Jan 00 | Bett2000) > Domino's e-pizza orders top £1m (20 Jul 00 | Business) > Cold pizza passes the taste test (27 Mar 00 | Scotland) > Britain's most irritating ads (05 Jan 00 | Entertainment) > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Internet links: > Reading Scientific Services > AOL UK > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > BBC News Online: Sci/Tech > By BBC News Online internet reporter Mark Ward > http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/english/sci/tech/newsid_921000/921923.stm > > > janet paterson > 53 now / 44 dx cd / 43 onset cd / 41 dx pd / 37 onset pd > tel: 613 256 8340 url: "http://www.geocities.com/janet313/" > email: [log in to unmask] smail: POBox 171 Almonte Ontario K0A 1A0 Canada [log in to unmask]