# Saying Screensaver when you mean Wallpaper **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 23, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806 "2010-09-23T20:05:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/1 "2010-09-23T20:05:45Z")
Not strong enough to put in the pit but it bugs me in ads and in conversation when people, for example, take a picture and say, “That would make a good screensaver,” when what they really mean is wallpaper. If you mean the background of your desktop, it’s wallpaper. Okay, carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/2 "2010-09-23T20:39:34Z")
Mr. Athena does this all the time, and it bugs the shit out of me! I think at this point he does it mostly to hear me correct him. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/3 "2010-09-23T23:35:58Z")
It’s getting pretty bad- recently I saw “The Yellow Screensaver” on a list of classic gothic horror stories. By the way, what do you think of [my current wallpaper](http://steampunkwallpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/toaster1.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/4 "2010-09-24T07:03:59Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > It’s getting pretty bad- recently I saw “The Yellow Screensaver” on a list of classic gothic horror stories. > > By the way, what do you think of [my current wallpaper](http://steampunkwallpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/toaster1.jpg)? OK, but I prefer mine. [Alien vs. Predator](http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn210/hrhomer/alienvspredator.jpg). Joe ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/5 "2010-09-24T11:39:15Z")
Yeah, I’ve noticed this too lately. Someone asked me what to do if their screen saver is not displaying. It took me forever to realize they were getting a blank image for their wallpaper. Perhaps it is because we no longer use screen savers very often? ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/6 "2010-09-24T11:52:47Z")
My screensaver is a set of pictures set to change every few seconds. Perhaps they do mean screensaver. Mine goes on all the time. I have the computer on at school to take attendance and such, but I only get on it every 45 minutes or so. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/7 "2010-09-24T12:58:57Z")
Do screensavers even serve a purpose (i.e. saving screens) beyond entertainment, on modern monitors? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/8 "2010-09-24T13:30:05Z")
To further complicate the issue, on my work computer the screensaver is just the wallpaper with a login dialog box. And on my home computer, the wallpaper acts more like a screensaver. ---
**Author:** ![KinkiNipponTourist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9bcb4/32.png) [@KinkiNipponTourist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KinkiNipponTourist)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/9 "2010-09-24T14:09:02Z")
::koff:: ignorance fought. thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/10 "2010-09-24T14:23:39Z")
What’s really frustrating is when people decide to use MS Paint instead of wallpaper, so they think they have to install Steam to take it down. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/11 "2010-09-24T14:28:35Z")
Guilty, sometimes. It’s something that rarely comes up in conversation, but when it does, the first of the two words that pops into my mind is usually “screensaver”, not “wallpaper”. It may have something to do with which I learned first, or it could just be that I’m getting old. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/12 "2010-09-24T14:47:42Z")
My screensaver is set to pull images from the same folder that my wallpaper changer pulls its images from, so on my computer, any image that is a wallpaper will be a screensaver sooner or later and vice versa. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/13 "2010-09-24T15:52:26Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > What’s really frustrating is when people decide to use MS Paint instead of wallpaper, so they think they have to install Steam to take it down. That should be okay, as long as they remember to use a spreadsheet. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/14 "2010-09-24T16:24:27Z")
At work, I have a lot of pictures saved in a folder. Every few days I change the wallpaper to the next one alphabetically. Most of them are hi-res digital art from sites like [digitalblasphemy.com](http://digitalblasphemy.com), I really like those space pictures. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/15 "2010-09-24T16:41:54Z")
If you use a search engine to look for “screensavers” you’ll get hundreds of sites trying to get you to download wallpapers. I’m guessing lowest-common-denominator thinking in Internet marketing schemes/scams has permanently confused a lot of users. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/16 "2010-09-24T22:51:18Z")
Why the hell does Windows call it “Wallpaper” when it covers your “Desktop?” It’s always been a “Desktop Picture” in Mac Land. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/17 "2010-09-25T03:04:19Z")
As Chaucer is, so shall Dryden be. ---
**Author:** ![compositejoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/compositejoe/32/7232_2.png) [@compositejoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/compositejoe)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/18 "2013-04-27T21:01:44Z")
Sorry to bump this thread, I know it’s almost 3 years old, but it reminds me of when we had computer lessons at school, and even though we weren’t actually supposed to, we kept changing our desktop backgrounds. I changed mine to a Poke’mon picture. When my classmates would say, “Cool, nice screensaver!” I would be glad that they liked my new desktop background, but was sick and tired of saying “It’s a desktop background, _ **NOT** _ a god damn screensaver!!! Don’t you know the difference between desktop backgrounds and screensavers!!!” :mad: Dumb idiots! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/19 "2013-04-27T21:04:41Z")
I don’t get how “screensaver” has overtaken “wallpaper” considering screensavers are entirely irrelevant these days. When’s the last time you’ve seen one of those things? 1998? ---
**Author:** ![the\_O](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@the\_O](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_O)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806/20 "2013-04-27T21:22:49Z")
I use my “screensaver” all the time. I never shut my monitor off and after a while a digital clock pops on. My “wallpaper” is a randomly rotated folder full of NatGeo pix. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saying-screensaver-when-you-mean-wallpaper/554806.md?page=2)