Pranks can be great fun, but not all of them involve putting someone’s hand in warm water while he’s sleeping or similar, juvenile ideas. Some pranks have moved well beyond that, and they’re high-tech. Check out these five excellent geeky pranks.
1) Remember the “blue screen of death” that pops up when the computer crashes?
Now you can install it as a screensaver. It’s a great thing to do when your friend and coworker goes to lunch. Just slide over to his cubicle, install the BSOD screensaver, and return to your desk. Watch the hilarity when your coworker returns, nice and relaxed, from his lunch – only to see that his computer has “crashed” while he’s been away.
2) Appear to fill your coworker’s cubicle with packing peanuts.
This only works if they have a glassed-in office (at least one wall needs to be glass). You don’t have to actually fill their office with the little foam peanuts, either, because there’s a way to make it look like you did without going through all the work. You also won’t have the amazing mess of cleaning up tens of thousands of packing peanuts when your coworker finally gets brave enough to open his office door.
3) “Take over” your coworker’s computer and control it remotely.
You can use realVNC to do this, and all you’ll need is two things: a chance to install the program on the other computer, and the victim’s IP address. If you share a network, it’s easy. Just install the program while your unsuspecting coworker is at lunch or otherwise occupied, set everything up, and then have some fun from a few cubicles (or the other side of the building) away.
4) A broken LCD screen is one of the worst things that can happen…
… Especially on that brand new machine that your victim is so proud of. With the broken LCD wallpaper, you can download a great image and then hide the icons and taskbar. It’ll take a few panicked minutes before your coworker figures out his prized machine isn’t really damaged, after all.
5) Do you have an HP printer in your office?
If you do, how about changing the message on it? You can set the ‘Ready’ prompt to say ‘Insert Coin’ and watch not only the aggravation of having to pay but the confusion of looking for the coin slot. Eventually your victim will give up and go away, but it’s fun to watch the few minutes he’ll spend, coin in hand, looking for just the right place to stick it.
It’s easy to see that there’s plenty you can do with a good prank. Even if you’re a geek (or know someone who is) you don’t have to be straight-laced and professional all the time. Get out and have some fun (safely) at someone else’s expense. There are always fun things to do around the office, and a happy worker is a productive worker – so spread a little joy.
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