Feeds:Thursday, seventeenth week after Pentecost
The scenario: there are three students working in the maclab. Additionally, one computer has been password-locked by a user. The rest of the computers are unused. A few are, as usual, not working. A young man enters, a computer scientist, looks to be about second, maybe third year. He immediately walks to the one locked computer. When he realises that the screen is locked, he looks around in confusion for a moment. "I'm no fool," he says to himself. "I know what to do with a computer that isn't showing the login screen. I'll press CTRL-SHIFT-backspace and restart X!" And so he does.
As he sits down and begins to work, another young man enters. This man is somewhat older, and is casually carrying a backpack. Looking around at the lab as he enters, he stares at the first man. He begins to stride toward his target, quickly at first, and then more hesitatingly. Finally, he is standing behind the other man. He clears his throat quietly, and says, "Did you..." and pauses, as though unsure, and then continues, "...restart this computer?" A look of confusion can be seen on his face.
The first man looks up at him, his innocent expression marred by a tinge of confusion. "I thought no one else was using it."
The older man, murmuring a polite dismissal, shoulders his bag and walks away, his steps and posture unsure. In this fashion, he proceeds out the exit, shaking his head.
Comments have closed.