# Stupid Computer tricks in Television and Movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 26, 2025, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359 "2025-07-26T15:30:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/41 "2025-07-26T19:32:53Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > In _War Games_ (1983), David (played by Matthew Broderick) has a voice synthesizer hooked up to the computer in his bedroom that he uses to communicate with WOPR (the DOD system he hacks into), David continues to hear the synthesized voice of WOPR even when he’s nowhere near his bedroom. That one seems to me to be more of a creative license thing, so it’s a feature not a bug. It makes it easier for the audience to think of Joshua as its own character. Plus, we always see its text, right? So they stay true to the reality of it (such as it is), but they employ the voice even when he’s not at his house as a convention for characterization. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/42 "2025-07-26T19:37:17Z")
It’s not having the voice that @Jeff_Lichtman is objecting to. It’s having the voice, when Broderick isn’t near the speaker that the voice should be coming out of. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/43 "2025-07-26T19:37:56Z")
Right, that’s what makes it a creative license. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/44 "2025-07-26T19:42:23Z")
Ah. That is a puzzle. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/45 "2025-07-26T19:44:40Z")
In _Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla_ (2002), the latter is built as an “anti-Godzilla superweapon” run by tiny DNA computers which conveniently warn “Out of Control” and “Not Enough” (power) on monitors when such events occur. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/46 "2025-07-26T19:50:35Z")
It would have been amusing if the first time WOPR spoke in the war room, one of the workers there had said “Oh my God, WOPR’s hijacked the PA system!” ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/47 "2025-07-26T20:19:07Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > computer’s tape drive start moving back and forth But did it really? Spinning wheels in movies will often appear to slow down, stand still, or reverse direction. Maybe it was just turning in one direction all along. > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > That’s nothing. MI-6 of the _Bond_ series has technology that can produce [high fidelity 3D images of the progression of a bullet in someones brain remotely from thousands of miles away](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NsNYC6Ye24&t=105s), even though they don’t know where on the planet he is. He was treated by a doctor, who was unable to remove the bullet. Presumably they x-rayed him from every angle. I don’t find it implausible that MI6 was able to access the medical records and make a 3D image. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/48 "2025-07-26T20:20:15Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Enhance! Enhance, enhance more. Then we can get a clear image of the real killer, reflected in the eyeball of the victim right before they were killed. Most security cameras have awful detail and quality. But people have an expectaion that if we just enhance the picture that we can tell if the stamp on an envelope is a Forever stamp and when it was postmarked. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/49 "2025-07-26T20:26:31Z")
When you are using a computer, it projects readable text onto the skin of your face. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/50 "2025-07-26T20:42:45Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > He was treated by a doctor, who was unable to remove the bullet. Presumably they x-rayed him from every angle. I don’t find it implausible that MI6 was able to access the medical records and make a 3D image. Except they are tracking the movement of the bullet through his brain with the doctor explaining that, “The bullet will kill him, but he’ll grow stronger every day until the day he dies.” He is basically described as an unstoppable supervillain which is why it is so disappointing that he doesn’t actually do anything very impressive in the rest of the film. I guess this is why MI-6 stopped issuing 7.65mm PPKs to agents up until _Quantum of Solace_ when they inexplicably started again arming their agents with this purse gun. > [@Mangetout](#): > > When you are using a computer, it projects readable text onto the skin of your face. I know I always work best when I have a 500W projector glaring in my eyes. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/51 "2025-07-26T20:46:29Z")
Hackers always notify their victims by animated demon images laughing loudly through the speakers, instead of, you know, just taking the customer credit card numbers or undercover agent names quietly, with no one the wiser. Nice of them ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/52 "2025-07-26T20:48:21Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Now having a backdoor as simple as “Joshua” is very stupid indeed, but the real world provides many similar examples of bad computer security IIRC, in the book, it was “Joshua5”, which is slightly less bad. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/53 "2025-07-26T20:48:47Z")
Indeed… ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/54 "2025-07-26T20:52:22Z")
Also in any terminal-like environment, text responses such as error messages appear one character at a time, accompanied by little chattery beeps ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/55 "2025-07-26T21:11:39Z")
That always reminds me of when people would turn on the “key clack” switch on 3270 dumb terminals and it would sound like [a room of people with mechanical typewriters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYf3_ynfXa4). Was somebody missing this from their computing experience? Stranger ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/56 "2025-07-26T21:16:11Z")
I never understood the attraction of the IBM M style noisy keyboard. But knockoffs with the noisy switches are still sold today in decent number to various self-defined leet sorta folks. I know you know what these are, but some folks might not: **[Model M keyboard - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_M_keyboard)** ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/57 "2025-07-26T21:17:28Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Area 52 had the scout alien ship since the 50s, the eye rolling conspiracy theory is actually about the one that implies that the microchip and OS was copied from that and it gave us the technologies that we have today. Of all the annoying things in ID4, the fact that the virus worked is not one of them. Apple OS was based on the alien tech from the scout ship. We probably even improved it, which is why the virus worked so well. > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > But why didn’t this advanced civilization have any kind of authentication scheme, or recognize that the scout ship that just docked had been lost forty years prior? They’ve never been defeated. They’ve probably never even been challenged. They don’t lock their doors because there’s no reason to. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/58 "2025-07-26T21:27:05Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I know you know what these are, but some folks might not: **[Model M keyboard - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_M_keyboard)** The 3270 terminal was even worse; it actually had an electromechanical ‘clacker’ that would make a sound every time a key made a connection. When it was turned off it was only about as loud as a Selectric but with the clacker on it sounded like someone was smacking a tap hammer against an anvil every time. I actually like the tactile feel of mechanical keyboards but I opt for ‘brown’ switches, although in practice I mostly use low profile chicklet or scissor type keyboards as it is really annoying to listen someone banging away (even quietly) on their keyboard while on calls. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/59 "2025-07-26T21:50:33Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > [ETA: It looks like [XFree86](https://www.x.org/wiki/Releases/History/) did have a 2.0 release as far back as 1994, but Version 3.3, which was the first really functional X Windows distributed with Linux was released in June 1997.] Before that, it was basically a hobby OS for comp geeks to fuck around with. It worked fine, but, yes, downloading, compiling, and installing every single update of the kernel or of a utility was a PITA. However, there were absolutely Linux distributions available, **including X Windows** by the way, by 1992. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359/60 "2025-07-26T22:01:59Z")
I stand corrected, then. I only started with Linux (Slack, and then Red Hat) in 1996. But that would have to be a pretty advanced kid to be installing Linux on their home computer circa 1993, and it wouldn’t look anything like IRIX. I give the film props for actually getting a technical detail correct (within so many other copious errors) but I recall thinking at the time, “How could she possibly know IRIX?” Stranger [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-computer-tricks-in-television-and-movies/1021359.md?page=4)