I always thought it'd be great to have a screensaver that was a photo of a computer monitor, with the words, "This is not a computer monitor." Good ol' Magritte.
While we're at it: What's this Windows "wallpaper" thing? I thought it was the "desktop." You're supposed to put wallpaper on your desktop? Shall we decide which axis we're on here? I can't help thinking that had something to do with Microsoft's forced breakup. You go on long enough, pretending you're on two planes at once, and eventually you're going to run into a corner.-- Ander, Jan 02 2001 xscreensaver http://www.jwz.org/...er/screenshots.htmlSearch for "BSOD". [egnor, Jan 02 2001, last modified Oct 05 2004] Sorry, Boss, my computer's crashed http://www.sysinter...uescreensaver.shtmlBlueScreen Screensaver [Ander, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004] I was thinking, a picture of your monitor with infinitely diminishing instances of same picture vanishing into the center... either way, it wouldn't make a very good screen saver.-- absterge, Jan 02 2001 Perhaps a screen saver that captures the "look" of someone working at a computer... takes a look at all the windows settings, then shows a procedurally generated animation of the mouse cursor opening various programs on the current desktop, fiddling around in them (like by typing something predetermined) and then closing them and starting on another random application. All the work the computer did while you were gone, of course, doesn't exist once you move your mouse.-- badoingdoing, Jan 03 2001 badoingdoing's idea is awesome, someone work on this right away-- Wraith, May 14 2003 What if your at work and the screensaver RANDOMLY decides to log onto a pornographic website? HUH? What then? I'm sure your boss will be real happy when he comes across that!
But, Ander's has got a point, who puts wallpaper on a desk? or a window on a desk? or a folder in a window? Was Bill Gates totally stoned when he developed this concept? In that case why not put a door in the window, and behind the door could be a a tiny elf, working on his own little computer.-- JesseOQ, Aug 02 2003 I like badoingdoing's idea too. The screensaver could have a simulation of an extremely slow download in progress. When the boss drops by and asks for that report, you point to the screen and throw up your hands and curse the system. A mouse click restores your solitaire game when the boss leaves.-- wombat, Aug 02 2003 The phony download could work, but other than that I don't think it would serve much of a purpose other than to look at (which would get really, really boring).-- JesseOQ, Aug 06 2003 The screensaver could take random snapshots while you are working, say after so many clock cycles, and then string these together into a screensaver so that when the boss comes by and you are gone (after working your eyebrows to the bone) s/he can see what you have been up to. After seeing your multitude of screenshots they won't be upset that you are away from the desk.
Based upon processor clock cycles instead of time so that it can reflect the actual processing done, not just the time spent at the desk.-- subflower, Dec 07 2005 Could be useful so *I'd* see what I was up to when I need to explain what I just did.-- phundug, Dec 07 2005 random, halfbakery