Seriously, why hasn’t anybody put a scrollball on top of a mouse yet? They’ve had tiny trackballs on keyboards for decades, so it can’t be technically challenging, and we all know tiltwheels are nonoptimal–tilting is inferior to scrolling because it’s a fixed rate of movement (unless maybe there are analog tilters), and what’s more you can’t tilt and scroll simultaneously.
Dear gentle reader: this blog has been operating continuously since I was a teenager. The writing below is at least a decade old. In that time every molecule of my body has been replaced, along with many foolish ideas and flighty beliefs. I want to keep some of those things public out of an honesty and humility I owe the world. I trust you to carry that context with you.