Simon Travaglia - Humour for BOFHins
Created | Updated Nov 27, 2003
"Nerdish" humour has always been diverse, but hard for outisers to understand, considering it is usualy full of references to "alternative" culture (or, Late-Night TV sci fi series, and popular fantasy novels). It is Rare, considering the diversity and obscurity of the references for such humor to actualy become widespread, in any way other than the occasional viris, or Trojan horse code reference, or an obsure mention in a computer game, for such humour to be as widespread, and long-lasting as Simon Travaglia's "Bastard Operator From Hell" (or BOFH).
The BOFH traces its routes back to a time before helpdesks were called helpdesks, when the administrator was called "Root" or "Sysop" as a standard (unlike today, where "administrator" is used by those of less technical knowledge, or people who ignore computings glorious past), and the operator was god.
The writings of the BOFH, particularly more so in the older days, makes a lot of technical references, but its humour can still be enjoyed by those who glance over them (lets face it, you dont have to understand the difference between POP3 and SMTP to find convincing a rookie technitian that a waffle Iron is a computer, (and then electrocuting him) funny).
The "older" BOFHs ( http://bofh.ntk.net )are considered by many to still be the best, since its a BOFH, who is mean just for the heck of it. The newer BOFHs (at http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/30/index.html ), with his Sidekick (and I mean Kick) The pimply-Faced Youth (PFY), dont kill so many people, but are still up there enough that the BOFH could quite legitamately claim a spot with the four horseman of the apocolypse
The BOFH series began as a group of posts on what we used to call Usenet (Now its either called "News" or "That post thingie I look up using Google") in Simons Semi-Regular "Bucket" series, if you're looking through them, beware that some of them seem to resemble "trips" of a narcotic nature. The BOFH specificaly started in the Striped Irregular Bucket subseries, based on a poor University computer opators fantasies of attacking people with cattle prods. The postings were an immediate hit, and people began to email simon, demanding more.
This popular wave has never lessened. Several times Simon has tried to kill the BOFH, with no success, just like the enivitability of management, the BOFH has been rekindled.
The BOFH has a few qualities that anyone in any kind of business can assoicate with, the never ending war with the "beancounters" (Accountants) being one of the more commonly seen of these. Who wouldnt like to move a few objects around (including exit sigs), switch off the lights, and bet on which guy makes it out first, partuiclarly if it means you can get back at the "beancounter" who denied your recent expense claim for 10 largers and travel down to the local Boozer (and by Local, I mean several contenents away).
The BOFH's idea of Fun is taking a helpdesk call, and giving some "adive" like checking the depth of Power points, or connecting your computer to a fire hoze. Armed with a Cache full of Smut (Purchased on the new Boss' Credit card), A "Bulk Eraser", unfettered (and secret) access to the security system and a large hammer, the BOFH is capable of solving any problem, in just a simple *clickety click*
The BOFH represents what becomes fantasy to many working in such environments, taking the most direct approach to solving your problems, if noones reporting it, there is therefore no problem, and lets face it, how many out there have wanted to strap a boss into a 3 phase power supply (thats realy high voltage for the non Techies out there). As long as noone out there seriously takes his "advice" its good clean fun, and anyone who says otherwise, well, theres only two things to say
What was your Username
and
*Clickety Click*
The BOFH traces its routes back to a time before helpdesks were called helpdesks, when the administrator was called "Root" or "Sysop" as a standard (unlike today, where "administrator" is used by those of less technical knowledge, or people who ignore computings glorious past), and the operator was god.
The writings of the BOFH, particularly more so in the older days, makes a lot of technical references, but its humour can still be enjoyed by those who glance over them (lets face it, you dont have to understand the difference between POP3 and SMTP to find convincing a rookie technitian that a waffle Iron is a computer, (and then electrocuting him) funny).
The "older" BOFHs ( http://bofh.ntk.net )are considered by many to still be the best, since its a BOFH, who is mean just for the heck of it. The newer BOFHs (at http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/30/index.html ), with his Sidekick (and I mean Kick) The pimply-Faced Youth (PFY), dont kill so many people, but are still up there enough that the BOFH could quite legitamately claim a spot with the four horseman of the apocolypse
The BOFH series began as a group of posts on what we used to call Usenet (Now its either called "News" or "That post thingie I look up using Google") in Simons Semi-Regular "Bucket" series, if you're looking through them, beware that some of them seem to resemble "trips" of a narcotic nature. The BOFH specificaly started in the Striped Irregular Bucket subseries, based on a poor University computer opators fantasies of attacking people with cattle prods. The postings were an immediate hit, and people began to email simon, demanding more.
This popular wave has never lessened. Several times Simon has tried to kill the BOFH, with no success, just like the enivitability of management, the BOFH has been rekindled.
The BOFH has a few qualities that anyone in any kind of business can assoicate with, the never ending war with the "beancounters" (Accountants) being one of the more commonly seen of these. Who wouldnt like to move a few objects around (including exit sigs), switch off the lights, and bet on which guy makes it out first, partuiclarly if it means you can get back at the "beancounter" who denied your recent expense claim for 10 largers and travel down to the local Boozer (and by Local, I mean several contenents away).
The BOFH's idea of Fun is taking a helpdesk call, and giving some "adive" like checking the depth of Power points, or connecting your computer to a fire hoze. Armed with a Cache full of Smut (Purchased on the new Boss' Credit card), A "Bulk Eraser", unfettered (and secret) access to the security system and a large hammer, the BOFH is capable of solving any problem, in just a simple *clickety click*
The BOFH represents what becomes fantasy to many working in such environments, taking the most direct approach to solving your problems, if noones reporting it, there is therefore no problem, and lets face it, how many out there have wanted to strap a boss into a 3 phase power supply (thats realy high voltage for the non Techies out there). As long as noone out there seriously takes his "advice" its good clean fun, and anyone who says otherwise, well, theres only two things to say
What was your Username
and
*Clickety Click*
