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April 09, 2001 :: "Adventures with PEBCAKs. Volume 1"

First off, if you are unfamiliar with the term PEBCAK, it is an acronym that dates back to the ancient Geeks. It stands for Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard. Think about it.

It’s perfect for those ocassions when one’s employer says, “Damn computer doesn’t seem to respond. I unplugged the network to cut down on our electrical bills. Now the damn computers are on the fritz.” You smile knowingly and respond, “Sounds like a simple PEBCAK error. I can fix it.

But I digress... For the first installment of Aventures with PEBCAKs I’d like to mention my disgust at the misuse of the word “screensaver.” There is a huge difference between a screensaver and a simple desktop image (wallpaper).

Screensavers move.
Desktop patterns generally do not.

Screensavers protect your monitor from phosphor burn-in.
Desktop patterns do not. On older monitors they may actually cause it.

How people got these two confused is not mine to understand. I merely know that it drives me to distraction when some PEBCAK looks at my desktop and says, “Hey that’s a nifty screensaver.”

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He said. She said. There’s 4 Comments

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>>Sounds like a simple PEBCAK error. I can fix it.<<

My favourite response to this sort of problem is RUTOK.

Replaced User. Tested OK.

Wonder how many helpdesk calls get closed with that comment...
pixeldiva :: 10 April, 2001 08:31 AM

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My favorite is when they call the Computer case containing all the hardware the "Hard Drive."

Or they refer to Hard Drive space as memory.
jason :: 10 April, 2001 08:39 AM

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Another favorite of mine is the ID 10-T error. Sounds official but looks like IDIOT. And the "Error 18," so-named because most people sit 18" from the screen.
Davezilla :: 10 April, 2001 10:25 AM

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This post came at such an opportune time for me. I had just finished reading it when I had a PEBCAK error moment with a colleague who couldn't find page one of a document she was working on...
iblog :: 10 April, 2001 04:07 PM

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