I'm reminded of a funny story as I sit here and look at my "x-less" computer. By this I mean, the letter "x" key fell off of my lap top. Gone. Disappeared. No more "x" for me. This is just part of the story my laptop tells. You see, everyone's computer tells the true, deep, dark secrets of its owner. You don't have to be much of a techie to search around and find out just what someone is like from their computer. This little black box is a window into the soul.
Which brings me back to my funny story. When I stopped practicing law, I had a short 2 year stint of working for a company that makes legal software with which attorneys do legal research. My job was to teach the attorneys how to do their research with this software. (my most cushie job ever...calling it a job doesn't do justice to my long afternoons of doing nothing, and my late start mornings). ANYWAY...I had an appointment to teach the managing partner of a huge LA firm. He was a normal looking guy, "the guy next-door" if you will. Mid-40's, gorgeous office, smart looking suit. Impressive. Well, it was...until I started messing around on his computer. I needed to clean out his "cookies" so that our program would stop hanging up. As I scrolled through his cookies I became privy to ever dirty nasty secret he was harboring. And by dirty and nasty, I mean DIRTY and NASTY. You name it, he was visiting the site. Every over the top kinky porn site, he was on it. Row, after row, after row. And I don't mean the tame stuff, I'm talking some seriously randy stuff. The names were absolutely obvious (how do you mistake "bare-a** babes in bondage")--and as I scrolled and secretly gasped, Mr. Managing Partner sat with quiet confidence and didn't say a THING. It's a wonder this guy got any work done at all!
What does my computer say about me? I think it says I shouldn't let the kids play with it, I need more sleep, I'm a textile junky, love clothes, have an unhealthy sweet tooth, use www.dictionary.com far more often than a person who spells well, and buy stacks of books that I couldn't possibly have time to read.
And your computer?
Signed, ME {lv}
ok..so the attorney didn't clean-up the cookies before you got there and didn't flinch when you saw what was going on. Do most people clean-up cookies on their computers and why didn't the attorney do so? I think anyone who works on a computer deviates from the actual job and yes you can learn alot about what is going on. Hours of non related job description activity. Next liftime I am going to have a computer job!
Posted by: martha harvell | December 31, 2008 at 07:43 AM
Oh yeah, I work in the hi-tech world and I know that everyone surfs sometimes. Symantec actually blocks some sites from us, but for the most part we are free. I make sure I clean out my internet files often. It ensures my machine runs good and keeps me clean. Although I don't have anything to hide. Anyone looking would see I look at the Melange site a lot :). Other sites like Nordstrom, Revolve, Shopbop, Sephora. The rest of them, for the most part, are really job related internet activity!! Happy New Year My Melange Friends :)
Posted by: shanti | December 31, 2008 at 10:38 AM