scroll wheel mouse configuration

[Skunk Worx <skunkworx verizon net>]

I am using Fedora Core 6 and gnome and do not like the default behavior 
of the pointer when using a scroll wheel mouse.

For example if I have two applications open, and slide the mouse from 
one to the other, the focus does not follow. I am okay with that, that 
is configurable via a menu setting, stay with me...

However, rotating the scroll mouse over (say) a combo box on the 
unfocused window starts changing the values in that combo box. Not just 
scrolling through the values, actually scrolling the values and slecting 
them! With no mouse click.

As stated, the mouse wheel rotation both scrolls and activates the 
change. Open two instances of OpenOffice writer and move the pointer 
over the font size combo box. Scrolling the wheel (no click) scrolls the 
list and activates the size as it scrolls. This seems very, very wrong.

Now imagine a application with a scrollable pane, sparsely populated 
with combo boxes or whatnot. The pointer goes over the pane, the scroll 
wheel gets bumped or nudged, and the pane scrolls slightly. Ignoring the 
lack of main window focus issue, fine again...

The problem is, scrolling the pane and having the pointer enter a combo 
box as the pane slides, now the pointer stops in the combo box and 
starts altering the contents of the combo...not just scrolling the 
values, but actually performing a selection of the values with no mouse 
click at any time. This just seems very, very wrong.

How can I change this or disable the scroll mouse entirely (other than 
the obvious of changing out the mouse)?

Is this a gnome or xorg.conf configuration issue? I have asked on the 
fedora list and they don't seem to understand what I am talking about.

Neither my Mac mini running tiger nor my windows machines exhibit this 
(what I consider) destructive behavior.

Thanks,
John