Today in my office I'm working on some Excel spreadsheets for our IT activity statistics. The spreadsheets are very large, with as many as 4500 rows. I'm using a regular two-button mouse with a red thumb wheel between the buttons. I use this wheel frequently to move quickly up or down in the sheets.

The worker in the next cubicle over just came over and asked me to stop using the mouse wheel because the sound is like "fingernails on a chalkboard" to her ears. There's nothing wrong with the mouse and it sounds about the same as any of our other IBM mice wheels.

Unfortunately there are no other cubicles available, so now I have a Post-it on the edge of my computer screen that says "Don't use mouse wheel…"

This is the same worker who complained that when I used her cubicle a couple of months ago I spilt coffee on her desk and changed her seat adjustments, even though I wasn't drinking coffee and I never touched the seat controls.

No wonder I am looking for another job... :rolleyes:

Did she put the post-it note there?

Oh boy! I'd have to run with this one... "mad scroller" now for sure! I'd pick up a box of foam ear plugs and keep them on me for the next time she complains and then just smile and say "I have these if you'd like" :D

That's horrible, I think that most keyboards are louder than the mouse wheels. I'd tell her to go out and find a mouse that performs with in her sound preference and that she should buy it for you to use as the company provided you with that one.


Some people. I would change her seat adjustments at least once a week just to mess with her and then start humming while I work

I would change her seat adjustments at least once a week just to mess with her and then start humming while I work

Excellent!

if you push on the wheel your cursor get replaced with a circle with up and down arrow with a dot in the middle. This feature lets you got up and down fast without using the wheel on your mouse and you can cancel this by pushing on the wheel again. Would this help?

She she wants an excuse to argue with you Bruce.... she probably has the hots for you :P

Personally I'd just ignore her. It's part of your job, if she can't handle the sound of the common mouse wheel then she has absolutely NO business being near a modern computer let alone working in a room full of them. If she complains again tell her to seek therapy for her issues.

@ rockNroll: The earplug suggestion is great!

This reminds me of the time a coworker was singing in the cube next to me. My reaction? I popped my head over the cube wall, told him "Hey opera, shut it!" I heard not a word from him the rest of the day.

Ask your boss for some assistance. It is kinda like reporting she is an asshole without saying it.

I found another mouse that has a very quiet mouse wheel, so I'm just going to swap the two mice.

Seems a bit crazy though, eh? Several of the people I work with are nutty like this. I really need to find another job.... :(

Coworker would probably hear my quiet click wheel on my ipod or my blackberry trackball. Years ago a fairly harmless virus would cause all keystrokes to click thru the pc speaker. That would annoy yor coworker, but probably get u fired.
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Unless she has the sales slip saying she paid for her chair herself she has no right to complain about you adjusting it. It's company property and I'm sure your boss would like to hear how she thinks she owns the damn thing and is trying to prevent you for doing your job better by being comfortable. I'd take the damn chair and hide it in a closet some morning and make sure the boss was present to watch her freak out.

I think when I eventually find another job and give two weeks' notice, those last two weeks are gonna be fun... >:-)

I would go to your manager concerning the issue and suggest that if the mouse wheel causes problems, the company must provide a mouse that does not make the noise, without hidering your performance levels (optical scrolling or a quieter wheel). If not you will continue to use the tools that have been given to you and your manager must tell your coworker that the use of the scroll wheel is a necesity of the job and if she will have to make the adjustment.

If one of my associates came to me with this problem I would try a new mouse and if it was not possible I would in a polite way tell the complainer, to get over it or use earplugs.

My suggestion, if you are the vengeful type:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/b278/

Finding another mouse is the higher-road though, good on you for that. If she keeps up with this kind of thing, well some folks are just like that so you will have to bring this to your boss' attention so he / she is aware of it and go from there. Make sure you mention switching mice to show that you have tried to deal with the situation in a non-confrontational manner and are flexible when working with others.

Your boss might not be able to solve the problem completely, but you get the situation on record and are seen as the level-headed and mature one. Both bosses and career paths reward that. ;)

My suggestion, if you are the vengeful type:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/b278/


Years back when I worked for university computer services, I put a high pitched buzzer in a data wall plate in my bosses office, then wired it to a battery and switch in our tech shop. Periodically we would turn it on, and without fail, a service report would be generated to fix the fan on his NeXT workstation.

This one looks even more annoying:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/ae83/?cpg=ab

Though the rest of your advice is what I wholly agree with.

I think the boss is tapping the sweet young thing (aka bitch) and that's why she thinks she runs the show.

I think the boss is tapping the sweet young thing (aka bitch) and that's why she thinks she runs the show.

if that's the case, in a way, she does. :D

I think the boss is tapping the sweet young thing (aka bitch) and that's why she thinks she runs the show.

Must you always go to the dark side? :p

go to k-mart and buy one of their cheap $8 keyboards that doesn't have the little sound isolators in them. those keys click so ungodly loud, that she'll be begging you for that mouse wheel sound again.

or find some other noise that's even more annoying then the mouse. but whatever you do, don't give up your wheel. it's company property, and if she in fact has a problem with it, then you have 2 choices.

1) stop working, and when your boss asks why the work isn't done, tell the boss that your co-worker told you to stop,

or

2) tell her to take it up with the boss, and if he agrees, then they should provide you with a more "work environmentlly friendly mouse".

Scroll till she hears it in her sleep. :thumbup:

Have you seen my stapler?