Overlay a message/“sticker" on a Mac's screen full-time?

[nagromme]

I’m helping someone who wants a message overlaid on a Mac’s screen at all times. It should not absorb clicks and take people out of what they were doing. Just for show! The graphic needs to stay all the time (at least when someone is logged in; we could run it from Login Items). And there can’t be an easy/obvious way to close/dismiss it (so Apple Stickies can’t do the job).

In short, a “nicer” way to “glue a sticker” on the screen! (If there’s limited visual control, we can live with that. A graphic would be great, but plain old text would be OK.)

Is there an app that can do that? I’m coming up blank.

TIA!

 

[bmcgonag]

I’m helping someone who wants a message overlaid on a Mac’s screen at all times. It should not absorb clicks and take people out of what they were doing. Just for show! The graphic needs to stay all the time (at least when someone is logged in; we could run it from Login Items). And there can’t be an easy/obvious way to close/dismiss it (so Apple Stickies can’t do the job).

In short, a “nicer” way to “glue a sticker” on the screen! (If there’s limited visual control, we can live with that. A graphic would be great, but plain old text would be OK.)

Is there an app that can do that? I’m coming up blank.

TIA!

I hate to say this, but that sounds like malware, and it sounds like it would be really annoying, particularly since you are specifying that you don't want there to be an obvious / easy way to close or dismiss it.

I would love to know for what purpose this is desired?

 

[nagromme]

I hate to say this, but that sounds like malware, and it sounds like it would be really annoying, particularly since you are specifying that you don't want there to be an obvious / easy way to close or dismiss it.

I would love to know for what purpose this is desired?

Lots of purposes: in a school, store, business, kiosk, etc.

The purpose to is make sure your users/customers, sitting at your computer or kiosk, see something you need them to see. This could be used to show a logo, a set of instructions for the user, a policy/legal statement, news alert of the day, etc.

Basically, anything you could put on a physical sticker—we just want a more slick way to do that kind of thing.

It’s not malware to install something you need on a computer you own. You could as easily say a utility you use to slow your mouse down is annoying, and therefore malware. But what’s annoying in one case is useful in another.

 

[bmcgonag]

Lots of purposes: in a school, store, business, kiosk, etc.

The purpose to is make sure your users/customers, sitting at your computer or kiosk, see something you need them to see. This could be used to show a logo, a set of instructions for the user, a policy/legal statement, news alert of the day, etc.

Basically, anything you could put on a physical sticker—we just want a more slick way to do that kind of thing.

It’s not malware to install something you need on a computer you own. You could as easily say a utility you use to slow your mouse down is annoying, and therefore malware. But what’s annoying in one case is useful in another.

I wasn't trying to say you are making malware, I just meant it sounded like it from your initial description. Didn't mean to offend. I would still think you'd want to let each user see the "sticker" then close it to free up screen real-estate.

 

[dylan.shenton]

Just make a desktop background maybe? I know it's not really fully what you want, but it's a lot less intrusive to your user and a lot simpler whilst still letting them know what you want them to know.

 

[Mal]

GeekTool can do that. Just tell it to keep that box on top of everything. It won't be clickable, clicks will just pass through. I agree this might not be a great solution, because it could just make it very difficult to use the computer, but depends on how you do it.

jW

 

[nagromme]

Thanks for the ideas, all!

GeekTool might be it. The most important app on these stations, for now, is a full-screen one. That means we can’t use a desktop pic, but it means we CAN choose a part of the screen that that app doesn’t need, so we’re not blocking anything important.

If the user were allowed to change to different apps, that would be a much trickier situation.

(And we can’t let the user dismiss it, because then the next person who walks up won’t see it.)

I wasn't trying to say you are making malware, I just meant it sounded like it from your initial description

No worries