# For the computer cultured...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-computer-cultured/23197
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [June 22, 2000, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-computer-cultured/23197 "2000-06-22T15:51:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2000, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-computer-cultured/23197/1 "2000-06-22T15:51:50Z")
I was going through some old files and came across this. I thought you all would enjoy it!
NEVERMORE
Once upon a midnight dreary, fingers cramped and vision bleary,
System manuals piled high and wasted paper on the floor.
Longing for the warmth of bedsheets, Still I sat there, doing
spreadsheets:
Having reached the bottom line, I took a floppy from the drawer.
Typing with a steady hand, I then invoked the SAVE command
But got instead a reprimand: “Abort, Retry, Ignore.”
Was this some occult illusion? Some maniacal intrusion?
These were choices Solomon himself had never faced before.
Carefully, I weighed my options. These three seemed to be the top ones.
Clearly, I must now adopt one: “Abort, Retry, Ignore”.
With my fingers pale and trembling, Slowly toward the keyboard bending,
Longing for a happy ending, hoping all would be restored.
Praying for some guarantee, Finally I pressed a key –
But on the screen what did I see? Again: “Abort, Retry, Ignore.”
I tried to catch the chips off-guard. I pressed again, but twice as hard.
Luck was just not in the cards. I saw what I had seen before.
Now I typed in desperation, Trying random combinations.
Still there came the incantation: “Abort, Retry, Ignore”.
There I sat, distraught, exhausted, by my own machine accosted.
Getting up I turned away and paced across the office floor.
And then I saw an awful sight: A bold and blinding flash of light –
A lightning bolt had cut the night and shook me to my very core.
I saw the screen collapse and die. “Oh no – my database”, I cried
I thought I heard a voice reply, “You’ll see your data Nevermore.”
To this day I do not know the place to which lost data goes.
I bet it goes to heaven where the angels have it stored.
But as for productivity, well, I fear that it goes straight to hell.
And that’s the tale I have to tell. Your choice: “Abort, Retry, Ignore”.
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### Author:  [@SoMoMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SoMoMom)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2000, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-computer-cultured/23197/2 "2000-06-22T16:28:32Z")
I had to send that to dear hubby. Thank you for sharing.
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### Author:  [@Elthia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elthia)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2000, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-computer-cultured/23197/3 "2000-06-22T18:41:48Z")
[http://www.poppyfields.net/filks/fullindex.html](http://www.poppyfields.net/filks/fullindex.html)
Computer poetry. A random index I found that contained several I’ve received over the years.
For those who like their poetry in English, that is.
-Elthia
if ((light eq dark) && (dark eq light)
&& ($blaze\_of\_night{moon} == black\_hole)
&& ($ravens\_wing{bright} == $tin{bright})){
my $love = $you = $sin{darkness} + 1;
};
a poem by Angie Winterbottom, best of show, The Perl Journal’s poetry contest.
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### Author:  [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2000, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-computer-cultured/23197/4 "2000-06-22T18:49:56Z")
Thanks for the link, Elthia. Those are great! I’ll be sure and bookmark that page.