How's your computer feeling today?

I was listening to the news the other day and there was  segment on how a group of scientists did an experiment about how people reacted to machines. One part of the experiment involved people being presented with a computer that could talk to them. The people being studied were told that they had to shut the computer down and erase all it's memory by telling the computer to shut down. As the people started the process of getting the computer to shut down, the computer proceeded to beg them not to erase all its memory and stop shutting it down. The scientists found that the people they studied actually went through a sort of internal struggle in shutting down the machine (which they all eventually did, by the way.) It was as if having a computer "beg" not to be shut down almost made people feel that the machine had feelings of its own. (Either that, or the people that were being studied were just an extremely sympathetic and nice bunch of poor sods.) 

The story got me thinking about what my computer might say to me about how it felt on a daily basis. (Of course I care because I like to think that I'm an extremely sympathetic and nice poor sod!) I want to believe that my little computer is fairly satisfied with its lot. Sure I've dropped it a couple times (not very far mind you,) which might have ticked it off a bit, (after all wouldn't you be ticked if someone dropped you on your bottom from any height?) I have also (horror of horrors, gasp) eaten in front of it and probably dropped some crumbs now and then on the keyboard (but I cleaned it out-promise!)  Yes, it's also true that I may have psychologically damaged my little machine as  I have on occasion sworn at the damn thing when it  decided to be naughty and rebellious  and not do what I needed it to do!  Despite all that, my computer keeps miraculously working and hasn't put up too much fuss. Well yes, it freezes up occasionally but who hasn't had an off day now and then? With all this in mind,  I have decided to believe that my computer is a tough little machine and can take life's hard knocks and soldier manfully on despite everything! (Brief pause now so I can applaud the machine's bravery.-huzzah, huzzah, huzzah!)

Of course, now I've written this and confessed that I care about my computer's feelings, if it gets ticked off with me it'll probably decide to spontaneously combust. So if you don't see any more blog posts all of a sudden, you'll know why! Moral of my story: love thy computer as thyself!