10 Stupid things I've done with a computer

1. Used it as a datebook: 2 minutes to log in compared to 2 seconds to find the page on an old-fashioned paper version.

2. Used it to hang Post-It notes to myself.

3. Hours of entertainment trying out screen savers, all of which do nothing to "save screens" anyway.

4. Ordered stuff off the Web: 15 minutes finding the site, accessing, wading through forms, compared to one 30-second 800 telephone call.

5. Sent e-mail messages to colleagues sitting less than 15 feet away.

6. To save paper, e-mailed assignments and handouts to students, all of whom promptly printed them out at the computer center.

7. Played music on the CD-ROM drive, while my cheap boom box offers far superior sound.

8. When flaming a spammer, accidentally sent the message to world-wide Listserv.

9. Graded papers handed in on a computer server: 5 minutes to download and grade each paper, compared to 2 minutes on a hard copy.

10. Booted up a computer just to check the time.

Copyright 2004 by Ross F. Collins <www.ndsu.edu/communication/collins>