# Person who used ballpoint ink pen instead of stylus on LCD touchpad: Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 26, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/person-who-used-ballpoint-ink-pen-instead-of-stylus-on-lcd-touchpad-why/544629 "2010-06-26T21:44:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/person-who-used-ballpoint-ink-pen-instead-of-stylus-on-lcd-touchpad-why/544629/41 "2010-06-30T17:55:28Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > … You don’t see any reason why someone wouldn’t design a screen that physically prevents ink from being released from a pen or lead from being worn off a pencil. Seriously. Wow. That’s almost exactly what I _didn’t_ say. > [@](#): > > Okay, yes, you could design a screen that ink wouldn’t stain. But then you’d end up with at least some ink still coming out, so now it’s just sliding all over the place and you have to constantly find something to wipe it off with and/or get it all over your hands and fingers. Things for wiping surfaces are easily obtainable in our society. > [@](#): > > Or, y’know, people could just NOT USE writing utensils, designed to leave marks on surfaces, on a surface that they don’t want to leave a mark on. Or designers could design for foreseeable usage rather than assuming everyone will immediately cotton on to the limitations of their devices. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/person-who-used-ballpoint-ink-pen-instead-of-stylus-on-lcd-touchpad-why/544629/42 "2010-06-30T19:19:31Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Things for wiping surfaces are easily obtainable in our society. But why would you WANT ink or pencil lead all over your surface? Which you’d then have to constantly wipe off? Why should they design around something that nobody (or very few people) would want? > [@](#): > > Or designers could design for foreseeable usage rather than assuming everyone will immediately cotton on to the limitations of their devices. I don’t think not using writing utensils that are designed to, y’know, \*write \*on a surface that is designed to \*not be written on \*is a “limitation.” What next–you’re going to complain that you can’t use White-Out to erase in a word processing document? :rolleyes: ETA: I just remembered we’re in the Pit. So I can say what I really think! You’re being _fucking retarded_. Just admit that it was a stupid thing to say and stop digging yourself in deeper. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/person-who-used-ballpoint-ink-pen-instead-of-stylus-on-lcd-touchpad-why/544629/43 "2010-06-30T19:35:58Z")
I concede that the capability of allowing people to use White Out on a computer screen seems to be a trickier technological problem. In this case, when it’s pretty much inevitable that lots of people are going to try to write on that kind of a screen with a pen, then I think the device should be designed to allow for it. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/person-who-used-ballpoint-ink-pen-instead-of-stylus-on-lcd-touchpad-why/544629/44 "2010-06-30T20:16:12Z")
It isn’t “inevitable” that people will try to write with a pen or pencil on a touchscreen, any more than it’s “inevitable” that people will try to use White-Out on a computer monitor. People will do stupid shit from time to time; but we shouldn’t just throw up our hands and say, “Oh well, they’re going to be a bunch of fucking retards, let’s just go to a lot of time and expense and make the final product more expensive to accomodate that stupidity.” Now, it may be a selling point for, say, a touchscreen at a cash register to be able to have ink easily cleaned off it, \*in case a customer is a fucking idiot \*and/or just not paying enough attention. But that doesn’t mean that the screen should be designed to be used with an actual pen. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/person-who-used-ballpoint-ink-pen-instead-of-stylus-on-lcd-touchpad-why/544629/45 "2010-06-30T20:19:12Z")
We disagree on the role of design and technology. Designers should anticipate and take into account likely deviations from intended use – in essence, the more likely an unintended use is, the more likely it should become an intended use and accounted for in the design. The fact that nearly every credit card screen I’ve seen has pen marks on it indicates that the primary fault is in the design. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/person-who-used-ballpoint-ink-pen-instead-of-stylus-on-lcd-touchpad-why/544629/46 "2010-06-30T20:23:00Z")
No, the primary fault is in _people being fucking retarded_. Seriously. Explain how this is any different from someone trying to use White-Out on their monitor. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/person-who-used-ballpoint-ink-pen-instead-of-stylus-on-lcd-touchpad-why/544629/47 "2010-06-30T20:25:18Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Designers should anticipate and take into account likely deviations from intended use – in essence, the more likely an unintended use is, the more likely it should become an intended use and accounted for in the design. I don’t disagree with this in principle, but I’m baffled as to what sort of design you’re envisioning. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/person-who-used-ballpoint-ink-pen-instead-of-stylus-on-lcd-touchpad-why/544629/48 "2010-06-30T20:42:21Z")
One where either people need to constantly wipe ink or pencil lead off the screen, or where the screen magically stops the pen from releasing ink or lead from wearing off the pencil. Like I keep saying: _fucking retarded_. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/person-who-used-ballpoint-ink-pen-instead-of-stylus-on-lcd-touchpad-why/544629/49 "2010-06-30T20:46:27Z")
It seems entirely possible to make a surface smooth and frictionless enough that a ballpoint pen won’t roll and a pencil won’t rub off very much graphite, if any. I just tried drawing all over my phone with a pen I know works well, and there wasn’t a single mark of ink. Whether or not said surface can be useful for a touch screen that registers via pressure rather than electric signals is something else again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/person-who-used-ballpoint-ink-pen-instead-of-stylus-on-lcd-touchpad-why/544629.md?page=2)