How to restrict mouse usage for an employee on a 3rd monitor
Posted by mrrosenthal@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 56 comments
I want to have an employees 3rd monitor not be accessible by normal mouse usage. It will have daily tasks, weekly goals, KPIs rotating every few minutes and I dont want this monitor to be interactive for them as it will distract their work flow. I dont need to restrict the employees usage of the monitor due to security reasons, but rather that I dont want them losing their mouse icon when doing their normal work on the 3rd screen, it will be annoying to them.
Is there a way to restrict the mouse from accessing this 3rd monitor? Is there a 'slideshow' program that allow rotating of browser tabs every few minutes?
BlackV@reddit
For prosperity
tr3kilroy@reddit
Have you tried a bull whip?
Wrong_Exit_9257@reddit
where in 1984 did you pull this idea from? George Orwell would be impressed and appalled, you do know that 1984 was supposed to be a warning not a checklist, right?
dark-DOS@reddit
> as it will distract their work flow...
Sir, there is a monitor in their view showing them daily tasks, weekly goals, and KPIs rotating every few minutes. Their work flow is disrupted.
derango@reddit
Yeah, this sounds kinda like hell on earth to me.
jmbpiano@reddit
Agree.
I'm going to be generous and give it 5 minutes before the employee hits the power button on the third monitor.
cthoogiland@reddit
Next thing OP asks, how do I hardwire a monitor so my employees can't turn it off?
TheLastRaysFan@reddit
They don't want the 3rd monitor interactive because the employee, like any sane person, will minimize/close out of a screen in their face showing metrics that only micromanaging sycophants like OP care about.
Master4733@reddit
I had a screen with it when I was at an MSP
But I also had 4 monitors, and only actively used 2, the 3rd was for teams because that's how we communicated everything.
That being said forcing it down peoples throat is terrible
TotallyNotIT@reddit
This is an XY problem if ever there was one.
Senkyou@reddit
I've never heard this term before. What does it mean?
Saritiel@reddit
An XY problem is when someone goes "I need help with X" when they're really trying to do "Y". Basically it's when someone asks a question about help with their misguided solution rather than asking for help with the core problem.
Like, "I need help printing PDFs, part of them is always cut off."
Then you take a look and they show you a PDF that has a horizontal photo in it that's cut off because the PDF is in portrait and you discover that they're trying to take a photo with their phone of something they have on their screen, then they're emailing it to themselves, copying the image out of their email and pasting it into a word doc, then exporting the word doc to a PDF, then trying to print the PDF, and this is their solution for trying to print off a "screenshot".
In that case the X is them asking for help because the photo they've pasted into their PDF is always cut off, but the Y is that really they need help taking a screenshot and printing it.
Senkyou@reddit
Makes perfect sense, and is definitely a frequent type of issue in IT.
BadSausageFactory@reddit
goals vs plans
jstuart-tech@reddit
https://xyproblem.info/
tarkinlarson@reddit
It sounds like you've asked this in a really terrible way. Perhaps think about what you're trying to achieve and go back to a more basic request.
"I want users to have a dashboard on a dedicated screen on their desk that they can't readily access"
You'll get answers like... Use a seperate computer, raspberrypi, minipc or use a smart TV with a Web browser to a Web page that's hosted on a server.
Alternatively you can just suck it up and give them the dashboard on their third screen. You know what the time lost on "losing their mouse cursor " will likely not be much and they'll learn not to do it.
argefox@reddit
To hell with you and this cursed request.
I'm not going to be part of it, just remember that your SysAdmin card has been revoked.
ps: rot in hell you bastard!
curi0us_carniv0re@reddit
Cheaper and less crazy to just mount a tv in a central location and display those things on there.
If you put that on my desk flashing in my face all day then I'm just turning that screen off. Or flat out disconnecting it.
ThatsASaabStory@reddit
Scenario 1:
A manager asked you to do this.
Avoid giving them a solution. This is a terrible idea. Find some way to divert them.
Normally if you're doing this kind of thing, you do it in a monitor in the corner of the room.
If it has to be on their monitor, just give them a shortcut.
Scenario 2:
This is your idea.
As everyone is trying to explain to you, this is inherently annoying.
This is a terrible idea.
ZAFJB@reddit
Your reasoning is utterly idiotic.
Micromanaging anyone will decrease their effectiveness.
BlackV@reddit
/r/shittysysadmin calling
killjoygrr@reddit
What company is this for? I want to ad them to my list of companies to always look out for. Oh, but in the good way of course…
killjoygrr@reddit
Don’t forget to have it play a really loud sound, or mimic the most common ring tone, every time the KPI screen rotates. That way they can check to see if anything has changed.
BadSausageFactory@reddit
Display settings, put that monitor at a diagonal position. They won't be able to drag the mouse to it.
vulcansheart@reddit
Until they accidentally somehow get their cursor onto it, then flail around violently trying to get a now-caddywompus cursor back to monitor 2
jmbpiano@reddit
As a lover of language, I thank you, kind internet person, for expanding my vocabulary with a delightful new adjective on this fine day.
vulcansheart@reddit
I'm from South Carolina. We have more like that.
fkngdmit@reddit
OP suspiciously absent at their own roast.
Gtapex@reddit
Put this on a wall-mounted TV if it’s for everyone.
If it’s just for the one employee, give him the third monitor back to do work and let them look at the KPIs in a browser tab as needed.
Saritiel@reddit
Yeah, this is it. Previous job had wall mounted TVs with important metrics (that honestly shouldn't have been shown to the employees but were there for the manager's convenience), and then a separate dashboard bookmarked for the individual employees.
fgc_hero@reddit
Middle managers shouldn't be posting here LMFAO
cozyHousecatWasTaken@reddit
r/LinkedInLunatics
cozyHousecatWasTaken@reddit
lol how do managers like these even tie their shoes in the morning
WeaselWeaz@reddit
Have you considered not micromanaging them to the point that you're forcing them to see a KPI monitor constantly on an entire damn monitor?
As a manager, this is going to just piss off your direct with zero benefit.
WorkFoundMyOldAcct@reddit
Sir this is a Wendy's.
ML00k3r@reddit
You restrict the users mouse usage by setting up a completely separate station to display that information.
Never have I seen a request like this. Anything that specifically displays just a KPI or other metrics was on it's own station. When I worked for a MSP we had a massive TV display this where we could see from anywhere in the room. To have it setup directly in front of this employee....oof, that does not sound joyous at all.
xGarionx@reddit
What in the everflying fucking coperate hellhole did we land??
MBILC@reddit
What problem are you actually trying to solve because how you are thinking about it is not the right way.
You want to present data to this user, directly in front of them, but they have no ability to interact with said data..
What you need is a separate system entirely connected to said display, but also realize shoving this data in their face all day, is not going to make them a better employee.
How do you currently assign daily / weekly tasks? Are they not doing the work?
sync-centre@reddit
Digital signage software attached to that third monitor?
viral-architect@reddit
I'm sorry but are you running a slave factory or something? Why would a person need to have their KPIs constantly in the corner of their vision throughout the workday? Are they not completing their work without them visible?
For an individual, this sounds like a person is constantly cracking the whip at you should you have the audicity to take a minute to breath in-between tasks. For a team, however, why not have a display that's visible to everyone showing overall team KPIs instead? That feels more like a scoreboard to try and beat rather than a looming specter constantly reminding you how slow you're going.
KaelthasX3@reddit
Don't forget to unsolder the power button, so your employees can't turn it off /s
g2g079@reddit
OK Satan
osxdude@reddit
no lol use another computer and quit your job while you're at it!
thebeansoldier@reddit
You want to restrict them from using the monitor but not restrict them from using the monitor. Gotcha.
SubstanceSerious8843@reddit
Wait... This isn't linkedinlunatics...?
Nitricta@reddit
I have done something similar before. I used a thin client for it. However it wasn't a third monitor, more like a screen showing callcenter information... Your idea seems like something that would cause stress related absence.
Kumorigoe@reddit
Tell me you're a micromanaging nightmare to work for without saying you're a micromanaging nightmare to work for.
Suck_my_nuts_Dave@reddit
I'm confused. Is your user too dumb to understand how to use a computer?
ostracize@reddit
That's an HR problem if I've ever seen one
fishter_uk@reddit
Run a tiny pc stuck to the back of the monitor. Then they never actually interact with it. Use remote desktop if you have to interact with it.
agingnerds@reddit
Maybe some kind of light digital signage. We had something similar attached to a tv in our office. it wasnt user specific, but still pretty useful.
IntelJoe@reddit
I was thinking a RasPi, which is probably overkill, but set to open a website on boot. Make the website the location of desired content.
But the other thing sounds like OP wants to micromanage employee, which I'm not a big fan of but hey.
therealtacopanda@reddit
Something like yodeck would be perfect for this use case. It runs off raspberry pi and is pretty decently priced for what it can do.
djkretz@reddit
Are you the IT person? If not you should manager your employee better.
thecomputerguy7@reddit
Do you not have a ticketing system or some other way of tracking metrics and keeping your team updated?
If I had a monitor taking up space on my desk and all it did was show “do this work” all day, I’d probably unplug it.
GuerillaPost@reddit
What in tarnation.