# Hamster Un-Dance

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamster-un-dance/126087>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [August 29, 2002, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamster-un-dance/126087 "2002-08-29T14:09:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![auRa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@auRa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auRa)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamster-un-dance/126087/41 "2002-09-02T16:54:28Z")

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I love you people. 😃 I’ve been singing these out loud for about an hour now.

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**Author:** ![Tir\_Tinuviel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tir\_Tinuviel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tir_Tinuviel)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamster-un-dance/126087/42 "2002-09-02T19:03:19Z")

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Dee ba dee da de de doh doh, Dee bah diddy doh!

😃

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**Author:** ![litost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@litost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/litost)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2002, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamster-un-dance/126087/43 "2002-09-02T23:43:11Z")

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Can someone please explain to me how hamster (a member of the rodent family) came to be associated with the actions of a web server?

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**Author:** ![apotheosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba8739/32.png) [@apotheosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apotheosis)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2002, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamster-un-dance/126087/44 "2002-09-03T01:07:37Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by litost \*  
> \*\*Can someone please explain to me how hamster (a member of the rodent family) came to be associated with the actions of a web server? \*\*

If you don’t readily make the mental connection between server admins and rodents, one can only assume you’ve met very few server admins. 😃

Seriously, though: web servers, and servers in general, are often derisively said to be powered by hamsters, gerbils, etc. running in exercise wheels. This explains their occasional sluggish response, as the rodents in question lose either energy or interest in their task.

FWIW, I’ve often heard this same explanation applied to cars with smallish engines.

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