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I've been in the IT field for around two years.
One of my colleagues (the 'senior') makes sounds with the keyboard and mouse. Those intentional 'tick-ticks' in a silent environment are annoying for me and for most of our team members.

I have already told him about this indirectly many times, but still there is no positive response.

He's one year senior to me.

  • Should I tell him to stop?

  • How can I do that politely?

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    Tapping, playing music, talking and even signing I've had. The solution is always the same. Put on your headphones.
    – dan-klasson
    Feb 16, 2017 at 11:54
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    That's weird. Do you mind if I ask why?
    – dan-klasson
    Feb 16, 2017 at 12:02
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    Edit the question. INTENTIONAL TICK is not clear. Capital and bold don't make it any clearer.
    – paparazzo
    Feb 16, 2017 at 12:09
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    Is he just typing and doing his work? Or does he fidget by tick-tick-ticking his keyboard and mouse? Does he hit the keys much harder than most people, or has he been issued a particularly noisy mouse and keyboard? Typing and mouse clicking noises are fairly normal in an office, and INTENTIONAL seems strange in this context. I am typing right now, on purpose, but I'm not doing it to bother those around me. And if someone came and told me to stop I would laugh at them It's my job. Please clarify what the coworker is doing beyond simply typing.
    – Kate Gregory
    Feb 16, 2017 at 12:30
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    What you're asking is extremely unclear. What exactly is he doing? Tapping forcefully on the keyboard and mouse? Using loud equipment (old mousewheel, mechanical keyboard...)? Is he just doing his job or fidgeting?
    – BgrWorker
    Feb 16, 2017 at 14:21

3 Answers 3

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Making an issue of it will most probably cause a larger, interpersonal, issue.

It's normal office noise, just get used to it and move on with your life.

Apologies for the short answer, I didn't want to annoy you with my typing/clicking.

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    Exactly, or use earplug, earphones, headphones, or whatever to shield yourself from the noise. Apologies for the short comment, I didn't want to annoy you with my clicking either.
    – Alic
    Feb 16, 2017 at 19:56
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Wait till you get a colleague that has one of those mechanical keyboards. Those make even more noise.

I've learned to turn mechanical sounds and noise out. Loud voices, music and other stuff I can get understand, but at some point it is unreasonable to expect an office environment to be completely quiet. I only see 2 options here for you. You either talk to management about the headphones policy, or you ask to be relocated to a different office space, one with preferably less or quieter people.

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    Once I went for this interview and they made me sit down at one of their computers to make a test. And just behind me 4 people were engaged into a technical converstation that almost amounted to screaming at each other. I said thanks but no thanks and left.
    – dan-klasson
    Feb 16, 2017 at 12:07
  • I'm that guy with the mechanical keyboard. In my room they don't let me use my blue switches though. Everyone hates me for even having brown switches. Three doors down the whole room has blue ones and the door open all the time, and no-one cares.
    – simbabque
    Feb 16, 2017 at 15:35
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    @simbabque, I read that after I posted my comment, that's why I deleted it already... and since the browns are already the most silent ones out there I have no other suggestions.
    – R-D
    Feb 16, 2017 at 16:38
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I would say message him and ask him politely if there was a way he could type and move his mouse a little more quietly :) it might even be a way to get to know him better.

Alternatively, you could play it safe and just dismiss it as normal office noise.

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