# You are looking at a computer screen, or What does your screensaver text say? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 20, 2001, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239 "2001-07-20T20:15:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/1 "2001-07-20T20:15:32Z")
On my computer at work, I have the scrolling text screensaver turned on, and recently I set it to display the words “You are looking at a computer screen.” This made me wonder if anyone else has tried to come up with clever things to say with their text screensaver. Not that I’m saying _mine_ is necessarily clever, but…well…you get the idea. ---
**Author:** ![Faldage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Faldage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Faldage)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/2 "2001-07-20T20:23:07Z")
I used to have “Speak friend, and enter” written in Feanorean Tengwar in whatever language it originally was in. ---
**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/3 "2001-07-20T20:48:31Z")
Codename: Microsoft Whistler Server Build 3505 For testing purposes only. I’ve never changed it. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/4 "2001-07-20T21:03:02Z")
This easter egg worked in Windows NT 3.51, don’t know if it works anymore or not: You use the 3D Text and enter the text “beer” and what is displayed is all the different brands of beer. “dog” worked too, as well as a few others that I don’t remember. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/5 "2001-07-20T21:16:05Z")
“Quit staring at my computer!” But it sucks, cuz I live alone. And the cat can’t read. ---
**Author:** ![hardygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@hardygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hardygrrl)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/6 "2001-07-20T22:47:22Z")
My work computer alternates between these two quotes: "I’m the firm believer in the philosophy of a ruling class,especially since I rule…Randal Graves, Clerks Extreme is not a mood-it’s a lifestyle…Jeff Hardy ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Zero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Saint\_Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Zero)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/7 "2001-07-20T22:49:46Z")
I think “Mountain” works as well, and with all the 3dtext screen savers ---
**Author:** ![katiekilldare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/838e76/32.png) [@katiekilldare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katiekilldare)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/8 "2001-07-20T22:55:24Z")
I had “Lacroix, Sweetie” dancing on my screen for the longest time. It’s a quote from Eddie on “Absolutely Fabulous”. ---
**Author:** ![Tyklfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Tyklfe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tyklfe)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2001, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/9 "2001-07-20T23:02:50Z")
My screensaver dosn’t have text, I’m sorry 😉 But it does have pictures of High-Priced BMWs!:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2001, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/10 "2001-07-21T01:59:01Z")
I have 2 PC’s next to each other. One screen saver says, “Narf!”, the other, “Zoink!”. When both are showing their desktops, they both have scenes from “Pinky and the Brain”. ---
**Author:** ![TruePisces](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/truepisces/32/13628_2.png) [@TruePisces](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruePisces)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2001, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/11 "2001-07-21T02:18:10Z")
Mine’s actually kinda boring. It says “Amber will be back soon…” because people are always looking for me when I’m not at my cube… ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2001, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/12 "2001-07-21T02:23:06Z")
Mine says DOOFUS in those big rainbow striped letters. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2001, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/13 "2001-07-21T05:12:25Z")
My kids have discovered the joys of tinkering with the Scrolling Message, so I never know from one minute to the next (literally) what my screen saver is going to show me. Tonight it says: “Pikachu O \_/_\_/_\_/_\_/_\ s JOO!! … (long pause)… Pika-Power /_/_/_\_/_\_/_\_/_\_/_\_/_–X … (long pause) … \_/_\_/_\_/_\_/_\ X” I _thought_ Bonzo was taking an unusually long time to Shut Down the computer last night. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2001, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/14 "2001-07-21T05:16:44Z")
I no longer have text, but at one time I did. It read “If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much room!” ---
**Author:** ![Crispy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Crispy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crispy)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2001, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/15 "2001-07-21T05:47:43Z")
Mine currently says “All hail **Crispy** , Supreme Ruler of the Universe!” ---
**Author:** ![Pessor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pessor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pessor)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2001, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/16 "2001-07-21T06:25:58Z")
mine at work didn’t scroll but it was a 30 or so character line of text that you could type in, then it would tumble around irratically and in and out of the frame. Set on high, it was so fast it was illegible, and almost made you ill. So it said “I’m gonna boot!” and tumbled around (cute to an idle computer…) ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2001, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-looking-at-a-computer-screen-or-what-does-your-screensaver-text-say/73239/17 "2001-07-21T13:36:01Z")
“You are looking at a computer screen.” Self-referential. I like that. Reminds me of my friend Pat who once had a labelmaker that was labeled with a label that read “labelmaker”. My screensaver is either a blankscreen, or, when nobody else is around, a random sequence of pictures from my harddrive. Yes, porn. hehe 🙂