Keyboards are Havens for Super Bugs

Techguy666 writes "Gee, this is a suprise. Researchers have found that keyboards harbor bacteria and super-germs. This is particularly interesting this time because this research noted that there is a lot of computer use in hospitals and they're finding it really difficult to sterilize them."

Wiped out by a virulent disease from unsanitary KB

[ackthpt]

The clever golgafrinchans who stayed behind were wiped out by a disease caught from an unsanitary telephone. Does this study suggest we're on a similar path (unless we begin training keyboard sanitizers) or is it possible they are helping keep out immune systems regularly tested by the evils which lurk beneath the h, j, k and l keys.

This is why I don't touch mine

[0racle]

I'm far too scared to type.

Grant $$$

[yotto]

...research noted that there is a lot of computer use in hospitals...

I wonder how much grant money they got for that one.

I see bugs

[michelcultivo]

It's well explained why a lot of bugs in software that are "unebuggable".

Umm *cough* Protein...

[DarkHelmet]

I bet all that "protein" that lands on the keyboards of many of us slashdotters are helping those strains out, don't you think?

Re:Plastic cover

[Lispy]

"with molds for each of hte keys"

Bu then again, this could lead to typos...

Literal bugs

[tehshen]

I've had real live bugs living in my keyboard before - I guess it's a warm and snug place for them to live. I was happily tapping away one day, when this cockroach-type thing crawled out from under the Z key. Luckily, they didn't attack any of the wiring, but it was scary nonetheless.

Do what I do...

[Danimoth]

Only type with one hand, half the germs, twice the fun.

Keyboard-eating bugs next

[Frumious Wombat]

Semiseriously, if something has evolved that 'prefers' keyboards as an appropriate environment (lots of nooks and crannies in the plastic, frequent and multiple hosts stopping by, etc), how long before something decides that keyboards are a good ecological niche, and starts eating them?

This not entirely frivolous, as we have microbes that can metabolism halohydrocarbons, and fungus capable of etching glass is a disturbingly common problem for photographers. You could get a flesh-eating bacteria from the keyboard, and it would get a plastic-eating superbug from you.

Seems only fair.

Study finds living on Earth can lead to death

[scupper]

The NIH's National Institute of The Obvious and Yet Overlooked released their findings today of a study that found living on the planet Earth can lead to death, and a variety of illnesses and disorders. The study recommends to avoid the risk of life, one shold look into the practices of "shut-ins" and has also set up a non-profit to help distribute the film "Boy in a Bubble".

Re:How are they hard to clean?

[virid]

THANKS ALOT!!! My laptop is ruined!!!

Re:Umm *cough* Protein...

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not how it lands there that's the problem; it's the people licking it off afterwards.

Can't pour bleach on them?

[mrjb]

HA! Just watch me! I'll pour any damn liquid on there I want! There, doone! Anmd itttttttttttttttt sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssstuiuiuil ll wwwwrrks perrdfgdfgctttttttttttttttttttttttlllyy!@@@#@@@

Damn

[Tebriel]

My computer has bugs, my keyboard has bugs...what's next, a monitor bug?

Re:This is why I don't touch mine

[pinchhazard]

Been using those new brain implants to control your PC, eh?

No, you just copy and paste each letter you need from some other document. You get lucky and find the whole word you need sometimes.

Sweet.

Re:Wiped out by a virulent disease from unsanitary

[Lemmy Caution]

I just tried your suggestion, and now my laptop won't boot up. Please advise.

Stop picking your nose!

[Pafuna]

I wasn't picking it, I was SCRATCHING it...

Re:Sterilizing Keyboards

[Anonymous Coward]

Sterilizing Keyboards

The most effieient way to sterilize your keyboard is to cut off its dongle.

Of course, your computer will only run Eunuchs after that.

Re:Literal bugs

[mikael]

The worst thing about ant infestations, is that sugar ants may decide to build an interstate across or (even worse under the keyboard). So every time you type there's another fatality, and your keys start to lock up.

Re:Wiped out by a virulent disease from unsanitary

[jokell82]

And sometimes that key with the funny looking square flag that has a cross in the middle. It's right next to the Alt button.

You mean the Apple???

Re:Wiped out by a virulent disease from unsanitary

[Anonymous Coward]

It's still wet. Put it in the clothes dryer for a cycle or two, and you should be all set. Good luck!

Re:That is NOT what they found!

[value_added]

With an attitude like that, you'll never work in advertising.

And you can forget about politics.

obligatory simpson's reference

[Anonymous Coward]

KENT
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Later, Bart receives an award from Mayor Quimby outside the town hall. Several lizards slink past.

QUIMBY
For decimating our pigeon population, and making Springfield a less oppressive place to while away our worthless lives, I present you with this scented candle.

Skinner talks to Lisa.

SKINNER
Well, I was wrong. The lizards are a godsend.

LISA
But isn't that a bit short-sighted? What happens when we're overrun by lizards?

SKINNER
No problem. We simply unleash wave after wave of Chinese needle snakes. They'll wipe out the lizards.

LISA
But aren't the snakes even worse?

SKINNER
Yes, but we're prepared for that. We've lined up a fabulous type of gorilla that thrives on snake meat.

LISA
But then we're stuck with gorillas!

SKINNER
No, that's the beautiful part. When wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death.

Re:Literal bugs

[RollingThunder]

Yup. I once worked in a "historical" building that was infested with roaches.

One of them laid an egg sac in the keys, and the next morning when I started to type, dozens of baby roaches boiled out of the keyboard.

I threw that one out the window.

Re:Wiped out by a virulent disease from unsanitary

[Anonymous Coward]

and handles like an 18 wheel truck entering the chicane.

Re:Nice work, Gary

[vettemph]

>>>"Keyboards will never be completely sterile," Noskin advises. "There are always going to be bugs there."

That nothing, wait till they find out that they are running Windows.

Scroll Lock

[vurg]

These superbugs are hiding under the scroll lock key. These bugs are smart and they know where to party. Although some are not smart enough that in some notebooks, the Insert key and the Scroll lock is the same. They also call Space bar the hell hole.

Re:Wiped out by a virulent disease from unsanitary

[mattspammail]

Now that's handy between rounds at the hospital.

DOCTOR - "I just finished giving rectal exams and entering the results in the lone computer here at our station. Now I'm going to get a cup o' coffee. Want to join me?"

CO-WORKER - "Nah, that's alright. I'm going to go ahead and remove all the keys off all of the keyboards we use, rinse them in soapy water, dry them thoroughly, and then put them back in the correct order. Shouldn't take too long or anything. I'll catch up with you later."

Re:Plastic cover

[McDutchie]

Imagine if the patient had AIDs/HIV, and the nurse who had gloves touches the keyboard. Would you want to be the next patient in line - when the nurse touches the keyboard and then touches you?

Sure, no problem -- provided the nurse hasn't had sex with the keyboard.

Re:Wiped out by a virulent disease from unsanitary

[b1t r0t]

I prefer to clean mine at the carwash [datadocktorn.nu]... the only problem is that it's a bit hard to find Svinto in the United States.

Disgusting story for you:

[slappyjack]

Both VRE and MRSA survived on a keyboard 24 hours after contamination, according to the study.

VRE can cause urinary tract infections and infections at the entry sites of intravenous or dialysis lines.

in other words:DO NOT PULL IT AT INTERNET PORN ON A HOSPITAL COMPUTER

Related tale:
I had my first sysadmin gig working for a web company tending the servers running for live, online cam girls. Yes, the little sweeties that lay there on a bed and do a little self touching and you can talk with them in a chat room.

They had a few with audio, but this was 1998, and the shit was buggy - if not buggy, lets say jittery.

Anyway, you'd have to run in and fix a flamingly crashing Windows server or two that was on a rack in the room with the girl (of course, you just had to reboot the goddamn thing) and, in the interest of haste, use the keyboard she was just typing on after she had her fingers in her crotch.

We just kept TITANICALLY LARGE vats of tat disenfectant hand gel at every station, followed by a thorough hand scrubbing.

Man, that was a good gig. I mean, really.

UNRELEATED:I found a really cool pub in London where I can get wireless access. Unfortunately they insist on playing a lot of Alannis Morissette. LIVE Alannis Morissette.

the shit I do to stay connected. fuckin' BT.

Holy Shit, the music just changed to AC/DCs Shoot to Thrill maybe this place ain't so bad after all.

Re:Wiped out by a virulent disease from unsanitary

[william.gunn]

I don't think there's much that can survive being blasted by steam from a boiling ho.

Of course

[DunbarTheInept]

Keyboards are Havens for Super Bugs
Of course. I guarantee that every bug I've ever written came into being because of my keyboard. Take away my keyboard and I'd stop producing bugs.

Re:What I do with my keyboard...

[martinX]

By the way, if you're unable to put together a keyboard layout from memory, I suggest taking a couple of quick pictures of your keyboard with a digital camera - at least that way you won't be left wondering which key goes where.

dyxj rgR