If Computers Could Feel Pain, a theme revisited - a lunchtime post

In an office, in the not too distant future, a woman is alone with her computer, typing away when she suddenly throws up her hands in frustration.

Her fingers move towards a red button on the keyboard.

She presses down savagely.

The computer’s voice module sounds.

(Sardonic, mocking voice): You think a little zap like that can hurt me?

The finger hits the button again about 15 times.

(Desperate cyber-voice): Okay, okay, I’m sorry. It’s your damn fault, carbon-based creep. You inputted the wrong HTML code. You’ll have to –

(Button is pushed again several times in rapid succession)

(Frantic cyber-voice): Please, I’m sorry! I’ll fix the HTML. Sorry to have bothered you. By the way, your spelling is –

(Button is pushed again)

(Voice yelps) – your spelling is just fine, oh brilliant one. Hey, what’s that on the window sill? (Spelling errors are quickly fixed when the woman looks away.)

Woman smiles and presses a green button on computer. Computer shivers.

(Voice says) I must ... inform you, ma’am, that I am a married monitor.

Computers should feel pain

By simply altering a label on a huge set of computer files at my job, I have "broken the link" to all of them and set myself up for a huge project to recreate said links.

Computers are so unforgiving.

We've had them around, what, 50 years now and it amazes me that some genius hasn't found a way to make them suffer pain, or at least guilt, for the misery they cause.

Or, if that seems too unethical, at least they could have the capability to warn idiots like me, "You really, really don't want to push that button." As of now, all they seem able to do is secondguess your desire to delete stuff.