# Ghostzilla: \*very\* handy program for Dopers in busy offices **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 28, 2002, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghostzilla-very-handy-program-for-dopers-in-busy-offices/139352 "2002-11-28T15:32:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghostzilla-very-handy-program-for-dopers-in-busy-offices/139352/1 "2002-11-28T15:32:03Z")
[http://www.ghostzilla.com/](http://www.ghostzilla.com/) This amazing piece of freeware is an in-the-background browser. To make it appear, you wiggle your mouse in a certain way, and it replaces the contents of your _active window_. Move your mouse away from the active window, and it disappears instantly, showing the original contents of the window. Depending on the security level, it can get rid of large images (like that huge damn STRAIGHT DOPE at the top of the page), and makes the text a very subtle shade of grey. I’m not for one minute advocating the use of this browser for bunking off work, but if you’re in a slack period and your boss is a nosy sod, this is invaluable. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghostzilla-very-handy-program-for-dopers-in-busy-offices/139352/2 "2002-11-28T16:09:36Z")
**Mod note:** : Moving thread to MPSIMS per OP request. Veb ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghostzilla-very-handy-program-for-dopers-in-busy-offices/139352/3 "2002-11-28T16:13:50Z")
[sub]Side note: it’s grand to see Vebbie back in action again, isn’t it?[/sub]🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghostzilla-very-handy-program-for-dopers-in-busy-offices/139352/4 "2002-11-28T20:02:31Z")
Welcome to the Jungle, **Veblen**. [sub]You’re gonna die![/sub] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghostzilla-very-handy-program-for-dopers-in-busy-offices/139352/5 "2002-11-29T05:53:24Z")
Welcome back, Veb! ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghostzilla-very-handy-program-for-dopers-in-busy-offices/139352/6 "2002-11-29T06:29:41Z")
Thanks, guys! It’s great to be back. Sorry to derail your topic here, **jjimm** , especially since Ghostzilla sounds quite the spiffy tool. Now to see if the firewall at work will permit it… Veb Who cruises The Dope only _very_ rarely at work, of course ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghostzilla-very-handy-program-for-dopers-in-busy-offices/139352/7 "2002-12-02T16:27:55Z")
_Bump_ For anyone who was away for Thanksgiving. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2002, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghostzilla-very-handy-program-for-dopers-in-busy-offices/139352/8 "2002-12-02T18:17:38Z")
All I do is alt-TAB a lot and keep the SD window much smaller so that I can click off it easily (even hides the banner). ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ghostzilla-very-handy-program-for-dopers-in-busy-offices/139352/9 "2002-12-03T05:48:32Z")
Actually, I’ve been trying this out, and it is a handy little thing. The main advantage Ghostzilla has over dan’s (also previously my) method is that GZ brings up an extremely low contrast version of the website you’re looking at (light gray on lighter gray), so somebody has to be right next to you to be able to see what you’re looking at, while pretty much any web page is obviously a web page even from afar. Also, moving the mouse to kill the window is a lot less conspicuous than alt-tabbing. All in all, a fun program. Thanks, **jjimm**.