# Scroll Mouse Wheel with index or middle finger **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 5, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693 "2004-03-05T13:57:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/1 "2004-03-05T13:57:47Z")
Do you prefer scrolling your mouse wheel with your index or middle finger? I have always used my index finger but I suspect I am getting RSI from all the scrolling I do and I am trying to switch to middle. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/2 "2004-03-05T14:09:09Z")
I never even paid any attention to which finger I actually used until i saw this thread. I always use my index finger on the scroll wheel as it turns out. It feels much more comfortable and natural than to try using the middle finger (I have _other_ uses for that finger, of course). It doesn’t bother me to switch the index finger between the left mouse button and the scroll wheel. ---
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/3 "2004-03-05T14:14:32Z")
I scroll with my ring finger. Left click with my middle finger. Index finger is vestigal I guess 🙂 I right click with my pinky. Oh and this is with a thumb trackball. I always knew I was odd 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/4 "2004-03-05T14:17:49Z")
Index finger on left click button, middle finger on wheel, ring finger on right click. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/5 "2004-03-05T14:19:04Z")
Index finger,always. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/6 "2004-03-05T14:45:37Z")
Index finger ---
**Author:** ![VenusProbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e495f1/32.png) [@VenusProbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VenusProbe)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/7 "2004-03-05T14:46:37Z")
Yep, I use my index finger to scroll. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/8 "2004-03-05T14:57:23Z")
No no no! You are all wrong! (And **tanookie** , I’m sorry but you’re kinda weird. How the heck can you right click with your pinky!) Middle finger scrolls the mouse wheel. It’s perfectly placed, especially on the new 5 button mouses (meese?). Wait. If everyone else uses index finger, does that make me wrong?? Nope, I may be counter to the norm, but I’m still right. 😃 Whaddya mean, I’m the queen of denial!!?!?? ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/9 "2004-03-05T15:20:35Z")
I use both. I think that makes me ambifingerous. ---
**Author:** ![tulokyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@tulokyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tulokyn)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/10 "2004-03-05T15:43:17Z")
I have two scroll wheels. I have one on my mouse, which I use with my index finger, and I have one on the left side of my keyboard (which is an infinitely superior scroll wheel) that I use with my middle finger. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/11 "2004-03-05T15:44:14Z")
**tanookie** , you are most certainly NOT weird! I right click with my pinky too. Left click with index finger, roll trackball with middle and ring finger both. Thumb is usually be-bopping against trackball base in time with whatever is playing on my radio. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/12 "2004-03-05T16:26:01Z")
Scroll and left-click with the index finger, right-click with the middle finger. I drive a stick-shift truck, too! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cosmopolitan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/94ad74/32.png) [@Cosmopolitan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cosmopolitan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/13 "2004-03-05T16:59:20Z")
Index finger for me. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/14 "2004-03-05T17:03:28Z")
Index finger. Anyone else supremely annoyed by computers that don’t have them? ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/15 "2004-03-05T17:59:26Z")
As I scrolled down MPSIMS (with my index finger) I came upon this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Phedre\_no\_Delaunay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@Phedre\_no\_Delaunay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phedre_no_Delaunay)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/16 "2004-03-05T19:01:10Z")
Index finger for left button and scroll wheel, middle finger for right button. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/17 "2004-03-05T19:30:45Z")
My mouse only has one button. :eek: When a mouse does have a scroller I use my index. I don’t have enough fine control in my middle, I guess. I also right click with my index. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/18 "2004-03-05T21:06:19Z")
> [@DeadlyAccurate](#): > > I use both. I think that makes me ambifingerous. Same here… When I read the thread title, I was using my index finger. But then I tried using my middle finger, and that felt very comfortable as well, so I decided not to post right away. For the past few hours, I’ve been trying to not consciously use one or the other, and have now concluded that I switch back and forth between the two quite often. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Badger\_Racing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@Atomic\_Badger\_Racing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Badger_Racing)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/19 "2004-03-05T22:34:48Z")
My mouse has two scroll wheels. When you install the mouse software the second one scrolls sideways, I haven’t so the second one just scrolls double the distance. I usually use the second one with my middle finger, but if the page I’m reading is short I use the first one with my index finger. If it’s long I use both. ---
**Author:** ![Erika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/47e85d/32.png) [@Erika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erika)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693/20 "2004-03-05T22:52:11Z")
left click with index finger, scroll and right click with my middle finger. and I occasionally find myself staring dumbly at mice without scroll buttons… or at least attempting to scroll. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scroll-mouse-wheel-with-index-or-middle-finger/232693.md?page=2)