Comments on: Monitors inhabited by the devil http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/2007/01/18/monitors-inhabited-by-the-devil/ Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:49:57 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: William (green) http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/2007/01/18/monitors-inhabited-by-the-devil/comment-page-1/#comment-50899 William (green) Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:20:16 +0000 http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/index.php/2007/01/18/monitors-inhabited-by-the-devil/#comment-50899 On the other hand, a few light taps isn't going to harm your computer, either. I mean, when he gets out the baseball bat, I'd be concerned, but if it's a CRT, I'd bet you'd hurt yourself if you <i>tried</i> to break a monitor through brute force. With your hands. On the other hand, a few light taps isn’t going to harm your computer, either. I mean, when he gets out the baseball bat, I’d be concerned, but if it’s a CRT, I’d bet you’d hurt yourself if you tried to break a monitor through brute force. With your hands.

]]> By: Cyde Weys http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/2007/01/18/monitors-inhabited-by-the-devil/comment-page-1/#comment-83 Cyde Weys Sat, 20 Jan 2007 16:08:23 +0000 http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/index.php/2007/01/18/monitors-inhabited-by-the-devil/#comment-83 It's not understandable to me - he's potentially ruining a nice piece of equipment with no possible benefits. That's destructive behavior. I have yelled at my machine on occasion, and of course I realize it isn't really doing any good, just making me feel better, but it's also not hurting my computer. It’s not understandable to me – he’s potentially ruining a nice piece of equipment with no possible benefits. That’s destructive behavior. I have yelled at my machine on occasion, and of course I realize it isn’t really doing any good, just making me feel better, but it’s also not hurting my computer.

]]> By: arensb http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/2007/01/18/monitors-inhabited-by-the-devil/comment-page-1/#comment-80 arensb Sat, 20 Jan 2007 15:52:00 +0000 http://www.cydeweys.com/blog/index.php/2007/01/18/monitors-inhabited-by-the-devil/#comment-80 You don't really think he rationally thought it was going to do any good, did you? Most likely it was just a more physical version of yelling at the machine, something I'm sure you've done (I know I do it). As Dennett points out, we humans seem to be wired to see intentional agents everywhere. So when a piece of machinery malfunctions, it's natural for us to see it as if it were inhabited by a homunculus that was trying to frustrate us. So while smacking the monitor may not have been the smartest thing to do, it's quite understandable, like the scene in Office Space where they trash the printer. You don’t really think he rationally thought it was going to do any good, did you? Most likely it was just a more physical version of yelling at the machine, something I’m sure you’ve done (I know I do it). As Dennett points out, we humans seem to be wired to see intentional agents everywhere. So when a piece of machinery malfunctions, it’s natural for us to see it as if it were inhabited by a homunculus that was trying to frustrate us.

So while smacking the monitor may not have been the smartest thing to do, it’s quite understandable, like the scene in Office Space where they trash the printer.

]]>