from
Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003)
mouse droppings
n.
[MS-DOS] Pixels (usually single) that are not properly restored when
the mouse pointer moves away from a particular location on the screen,
producing the appearance that the mouse pointer has left droppings
behind. The major causes for this problem are programs that write to
the screen memory corresponding to the mouse pointer's current
location without hiding the mouse pointer first, and mouse drivers
that do not quite support the graphics mode in use.
from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
mouse droppings
1. <graphics, operating system, jargon> {Pixels} (usually
single) that are not properly restored when the {mouse
pointer} moves away from a particular location on the screen,
producing the appearance that the mouse pointer has left
droppings behind. The major causes for this problem are
{MS-DOS} programs that write to the screen memory
corresponding to the mouse pointer's current location without
hiding the mouse pointer first, and mouse drivers that do not
quite support the {graphics mode} in use.
2. <World-Wide Web, jargon> The client address recorded in a
{World-Wide Web} server's log whenever a client connects to a
site.
Users may be unaware that their activity is being logged in
this way but the potential for misuse of the information is
limited.
[March 1996 Macworld, p260, Viewpoint article by Larry Irving].
(1994-12-05)