4 ms·

Why the wires behind your computer are a tangled mess.

45 points by asciilifeform 18y ago

deleted 18y ago
[deleted]
boredguy8 18y ago
Because my office is spun about its axis while I'm not around?
omarchowdhury 18y ago
Instead of having to clean my room, my mother made me clean and organize my wires.
harpastum 18y ago
Interesting paper, but I think it has very little to do with cable tangling behind computers. It seems to me that the latter is more a function of manually plugging and unplugging cables over time, where we are manually forming knots--like tying a shoe very slowly. The main difference I see is that the strings in this study were allowed to move freely, while cables are connected on at least one end, often both.
jimfl 18y ago
Because each of the cables is a different length, and each of the things plugged into the computer is a different distance to the edge of the desk, and each cable has a different stiffness, and tendency to retain the shape of having been tied up with a twist-tie for much of its life, and so hang off in different ways. The article better describes why I have to struggle with my earbuds for 5 minutes after they've been put in a pocket.
- dandelany 18y ago
  I've noticed another big factor here is how often & in what order I use all the things I plug into my computer. I use a MacBook, so all the ports are on the left. If I plug in my USB, then power, then audio, etc, every time I do so I pull the wire I'm plugging in to the top of the stack. Doing this often causes the wires to become knotted/woven together. Anyway, you're right about this article applying more to earbuds, they talk about coiled string in a confined space.
- jcl 18y ago
  For what it's worth, when I am transporting cables, I find I can keep them from tangling by folding the cable repeatedly in halves or thirds to make a longish bundle, then tying the entire bundle in a single overhand knot, as if it were a single piece of rope. I've rarely gotten tangles this way; in terms of the article, I suppose it works because it keeps the string from agitating, perhaps even better than using twist-ties. I picked this method up from a piano teacher years ago, who used it to keep his MIDI cables in order. The result is a bit bulkier than using a twist-tie to bind the bundle, and I'm not sure how good it is for the cable for long-term storage (since it effectively adds a slight twist at several points along the cable's length). But the method has the benefits of being neat, effective, quick to tie, and not needing additional ties/straps.
dgallagher 18y ago
But they're "not" a tangled mess! If you're a neat-freak like me, you've got everything zip tied down, and some nice BlueLounge.com* cable-management to boot! *I'm not associated with BlueLounge in any way. I just love their cableyoyo's. :)
- evilneanderthal 18y ago
  i don't go that far, but i agree with the sentiment. i've got everything slung up to the underside of the desk so it's not visibly apparent what a mess it all is unless you really go looking for it.
Keyframe 18y ago
I hate wires.

45 points by asciilifeform 18y ago

deleted 18y ago

[deleted]

boredguy8 18y ago

Because my office is spun about its axis while I'm not around?

omarchowdhury 18y ago

Instead of having to clean my room, my mother made me clean and organize my wires.

harpastum 18y ago

Interesting paper, but I think it has very little to do with cable tangling behind computers. It seems to me that the latter is more a function of manually plugging and unplugging cables over time, where we are manually forming knots--like tying a shoe very slowly. The main difference I see is that the strings in this study were allowed to move freely, while cables are connected on at least one end, often both.

jimfl 18y ago

Because each of the cables is a different length, and each of the things plugged into the computer is a different distance to the edge of the desk, and each cable has a different stiffness, and tendency to retain the shape of having been tied up with a twist-tie for much of its life, and so hang off in different ways. The article better describes why I have to struggle with my earbuds for 5 minutes after they've been put in a pocket.

dandelany 18y ago
I've noticed another big factor here is how often & in what order I use all the things I plug into my computer. I use a MacBook, so all the ports are on the left. If I plug in my USB, then power, then audio, etc, every time I do so I pull the wire I'm plugging in to the top of the stack. Doing this often causes the wires to become knotted/woven together. Anyway, you're right about this article applying more to earbuds, they talk about coiled string in a confined space.
jcl 18y ago
For what it's worth, when I am transporting cables, I find I can keep them from tangling by folding the cable repeatedly in halves or thirds to make a longish bundle, then tying the entire bundle in a single overhand knot, as if it were a single piece of rope. I've rarely gotten tangles this way; in terms of the article, I suppose it works because it keeps the string from agitating, perhaps even better than using twist-ties. I picked this method up from a piano teacher years ago, who used it to keep his MIDI cables in order. The result is a bit bulkier than using a twist-tie to bind the bundle, and I'm not sure how good it is for the cable for long-term storage (since it effectively adds a slight twist at several points along the cable's length). But the method has the benefits of being neat, effective, quick to tie, and not needing additional ties/straps.

dgallagher 18y ago

But they're "not" a tangled mess! If you're a neat-freak like me, you've got everything zip tied down, and some nice BlueLounge.com* cable-management to boot! *I'm not associated with BlueLounge in any way. I just love their cableyoyo's. :)

evilneanderthal 18y ago
i don't go that far, but i agree with the sentiment. i've got everything slung up to the underside of the desk so it's not visibly apparent what a mess it all is unless you really go looking for it.

Keyframe 18y ago

I hate wires.