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The "mouse" (computer hardware) has an equally bad name, and yet...
by troymc 11y ago
The "mouse" (computer hardware) has an equally bad name, and yet...
- wingerlang 11y agoExcept mice do not have the same reputation of grossness that cockroaches have. With Disney, mice are even seen as cute (as opposed to rats). While I don't care about the cockroach name, I think RoachDB would be a suitable "change" if they have to.
- troymc 11y agoI'll remind you that Disney also has some cute rats. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then watch _Ratatouille_. Maybe _you_ don't think mice are gross, but maybe you're not a representative sample.
- wingerlang 11y agoI am sure they could make a cockroach cute as well, but the fact is that rats/cockroaches are seen by the majority as gross. I never got the impression that mice are seen as gross.
- troymc 11y agoMice often carry diseases [1]. When they get into homes, they can transmit those diseases to the occupants, which are often house pets, children, or the elderly. Mice also chew holes in walls, cupboards, pipes, and wiring, sometimes to disastrous effect (e.g. house fire [2]). You can pretend to be all macho and unconcerned by mice, but the fact is, they're awful disease-carrying rodents, and you ought to avoid them and get rid of them if they're in your house. [1] http://pestcontrol.about.com/od/diyrodentcontrol/a/Rats-And-Mice-Spread-Disease.htm http://pestcontrol.about.com/od/diyrodentcontrol/a/Rats-And-... [2] http://pestusa.com/rodents-fire-hazard-considered/ http://pestusa.com/rodents-fire-hazard-considered/
- wingerlang 11y agoI'm not saying I'm unconcerned by them, just that I do not believe they carry the same stigma as cockroaches or rats. Of course, if the majority of people would see an actual mouse on their cupboard they would not be so happy - me included.
- PhasmaFelis 11y agoYou think mice and cockroaches evoke the same emotions in the average human?
- troymc 11y agoNo, but many humans will jump up on a chair, or run from the room if a mouse runs across the floor. Calling a product a "mouse" must have seemed like a strange decision at the time. Now we don't think twice about it. My point is that people get accustomed to things over time.