Hacker News Reader

Comment by kyrra | Hacker News Reader

Random side-fact: a co-worker who climbs a lot stopped using fingerprint sensors on his phones because his prints change frequently enough due to climbing, that it's basically useless.

View on HN

Many years ago I had to clock in and out of a job with a fingerprint scanner. I had the same issue because I played acoustic guitar a lot and had thick calluses on my fingers that would occasionally crack.

I had continual issues ~20 years ago when I worked nightfill in a supermarket's perishable department. The freezer exposure apparently changed my prints enough that clocking out was an issue.

> Many years ago I had to clock in and out of a job with a fingerprint scanner.

Interesting, I don't think I've ever heard of a company doing this. Was it like a second factor in addition to some type of card reader?

It was an entry-level IT support job at a US public school district circa 2005. They had just recently installed the scanners at every building. I believe that part-time and hourly employees like custodians, mechanics, groundskeepers, and cafeteria workers were the primary target, but the policy also extended to the tech support department (which was only me).

I've also had to do this. Worked at a fairly big healthcare company.

Mandolin positions your finger such that the callouses form even further onto the fingerprint than with guitar. I gave up on TouchID with my left hand (thumb still worked, though), and FaceID was a nice upgrade.

Yeah, I believe at one point I had them rescan with my left thumbprint.

I mostly stopped using mine because I have a bad case of hyperhydrosis (sp?), so my fingers are always sweaty / oily enough that none of the devices I use can reliably tell what my prints are.

Even when I got printed for the feds (for work reasons), they had to redo most of the fingers.

Use a knuckle. I have a similar problem. Works ok.

I climb regularly and can say that I am a bit concerned that the finger print scanner on my Pixel 2 works as often as it does. It makes me wonder if the initial scan of an abused finger means that it will read false positives more often.

Likewise for weightlifting hook-grip, which squashes your thumbs against the bar's knurling.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com