Top 10 Geek Ways To Beat Boredom My list. Whats yours?

[Animator 0]

My Top Ten recommendations for what geeks can do to stop getting bored...

 

1. Visit a humorous website.

My recommendation: Computer Stupidities - http://www.rinkworks.com/stupid/

 

2. Download a new computer game

Linux: http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

Windows / DOS: http://www.pcgaming.ws/

Mac: http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

For the record, my geek-game recommendation would be nethack: http://www.nethack.org/

 

3. Build something in 3D

For this I recommend Blender. It's a big program to learn, but well worth it.

Download from: https://www.blender.org/

While you're there, check out the cool gallery at https://blenderartists.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?27-Forum-Gallery

 

4. Design a webcomic

Check out http://www.ustherobots.com/ (I chose this webcomic because it was made in Blender, mentioned above)

 

5. Paint something!

Use Photoshop (commercial) or Gimp (free from https://www.gimp.org/ Linux / Unix / Windows / Mac)

 

6. Mix some sound

Grab a whole fistful of Audio clips and remix them into something good. Add effects. Rehash your music collection if you wish, or make a soundeffect-narrative version of a story for young kids...

You only need Audacity for this: https://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/

 

7. Make a website.

There is plenty of software available, and tutorials on this. I'm not going to list one. Use google if you're not "in the know" of how to do this already. Being on the Xisto/Xisto forum means you probably are. It's just one I couldn't miss out from my list.

 

8. Learn to hack, legally

Try out the missions at http://www.hackthissite.org/

If you need more, search for them at http://www.hackergames.net/ or http://www.puremango.co.uk/2009/03/wargames_110/

 

9. Set up a computer with a new Linux distro

Try to customise it to be the perfect box for someone you know. Try different distros at http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ I recommend trying a LiveCD if you only want to muck around for a bit, or if you haven't much experience in Linux already: http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/search.php?category=Live+Medium%23distrosearch

 

10. Get outside!

Seriously, if you've worked through the above and still bored; then you need to get away from your computer for a bit. No one gets geek by pushing themselves 24/7. Go on, get some air into your brain. Exercise. Recharge. You'll be a much better geek for the balance.

 

 

Okay, there ya go. My top ten (off the top of my head) geek ways to fight boredom. I'll admit that I'm really just a tad desperate to get my Xisto credits up, so I thought, "I must have something to contribute" and made the list.

 

I'm bound to have missed something though...

Get your own list up there... let me know where mine is lacking

Edited August 11, 2008 by Animator (see edit history)

[miladinoski 1]

11. Read a book

 

It doesn't have to be a book about computers and tech (though it can be ofcourse), it could be any book from any writer you like. That's what I call quality time! (But please don't read a pdf book on the monitor or other device, rest your eyes from the monitors a little - read a real book, with a cover )

[onscreen 0]

12. Write tiny applications

 

May it be a web applications, softwares, mobile / smart phones applications, its a great past time to keep the mind and hands occupied. Who knows your tiny application could be the next big hit among users.

[csp4.0 1]

13. Re-Install Your operating system

 

I mean, SURE you have AMPLE anti-virus applications, SURE you have not been visiting certain "websites", SURE you haven't picked up any "applications that download a specific type of pictures"...

 

Just back up your data, get out that rusty'ol OS installation disk and BAM! 3 Hours or so of your life gone!

[seba1killer 0]

Hahaha, i like all this ways to not get bored with a computer, i have applied almost all of them.I would like to tell you a story about my life:Seven years ago my take internet to my home, i was only 11 years old and i couldnt get the most of internet, i used it for downloading music and videos(now i buy them ). But i was feeling as the internet i was paying was so much for the uses i give to it. What is more my dad only used it to download mails and the computer was alone all the day.So some day i was with my mum in the science university of my local city when i heard somenone saying something as "dude, yesterday i hacked a server wich had a bug implementing unicode charset". That phrase changed my life.I get home and looked on altavista the words "hack", "bug", "unicode". I started to learn about hacking. After knowing what was about hack i started with lammer things(try to find mail passwords and exploiting servers who had unicode bug with the same exploit i found).Then i started programming and learning how to find vulnerabilities. I pass from not using the computer to use it around 6 hours a day. I read from the computer every book and tutorial i found about hacking and finding bugs techniques.The time pass and now my eye-doctor(dont know how is said in english) said that i will have to use glasses because my eyes where hurted for reading from the computer. Well, about three years ago i also learned about SQL injection and after that the boom of mysql and php. I couldnt believe that the internet was so insecure that i could hack databases of about the 3/4 parts of the sites i visited.Now i teach and prevent the people about how insecure is internet and how to prevent to being "hacked", from time to time i also try to break in servers or PC but not as much as i did in the past(now i am a serious person).Well, that is my story with computers and internet. Maybe i will never understand how the word "hack" change my life for ever. But i think that internet is a mysterous world for many people, they dont know how it works and how insecure it is and maybe if i had never gone to that university with my mum i would be one of them.Regards, Seba.

[onscreen 0]

This came to my mind recently,

 

When a geek is bored, he is usually bored with his computer related activities, mostly i would say. So, the best solution is this :

 

14. Select a destination and lets go travel!

Gather your loved ones, family members, friends or even colleagues then mark the best holiday for your travel and book the tickets. Holidays can always help a geek to regain his inspiration on his tasks and whatsoever.

[Albee1337 0]

15. Youtube, what else?

Youtube is a great website for you all to watch movies and can play a good role when it comes to spending time. After all, its not too hard to find an entertaining video, when theres such a big quantity of them in this site. You could watch videos, or just post your own and wait anxiously for others to comment on and rate. Who knows, maybe you can get popular?

Edited August 18, 2008 by Albee1337 (see edit history)

[cangor 0]

Haha youtube is great... used to watch whose line is it anyway reruns with coworkers during lunch :)Oh and nice webcomic suggestion, it's really nice looking, which is coolPhotoshop is a great way to waste time, and you can make some pretty cool stuff, especially if you have a computer tablet... or else you can draw by hand haha...

[armondtimesbelize 0]

I think the best way to past time is to watch or post videos on youtube, playing computer and video games or doing some website development. Personally, i find designing flash animation or even flash programs or mini-games to be the most entertaining past time. I always have a rewarding feeling after i've create something in flash, because i did it on my own. I also occasionally experiment with php on Xisto, where i have a free host domain. Thank you Xisto for that one. Also i like to create comics, draw or even experiment with photoshop. It always amazing that each time i use photoshop, my experimenting always makes me feel great.

[midnightvamp 1]

If I can find the time to be bored, I'll definitely be using some of these suggestions. Heck, I'm already using several of them, which keep me so busy that I don't usually have the time to be bored. The only times that I seem to get bored, is when I walk away from my computer to do other things. Otherwise, I'm multi-tasking and doing about 15 things at once.

[moodsey211 0]

16. Sleep.Don't forget to sleep. It really works. just a nap. your brain is just like an engine, too much work would cause it to overheat. so let it cool for a while by sleeping. it's not just for your brain but also for your entire body. just don't over do it. hahahaha.

[Bluebear 0]

Things I do when I am bored

 

This always depends on were I am and who is home and not. I can not exactly do all of these things if my house is full of my brothers friends.

 

1. Go shopping.

It is slightly overrated but it is fun if you have enough time and money in your wallet. For some reason I do not find as many nice things when I am shopping with friends, but when I am alone it is better. When I shop with friends that is mostly because we need something to do - not because we need new things.

 

2. Buy and read magazines.

...or you could find some free ones. I love those about clothes, make-up and accessories. They give me a lot of idea for the shopping, haha. (I doubt boys would like that.) If you are more of a reader then buying one of the "smarter" magazines is better.

 

3. Go outside.

For a walk, on the football field, in the woods or just right outside your home.

 

4. Do something creative.

Create a collage of your favourite photos, make something on Photoshop, take pictures outside/inside... a lot of options.

 

5. Hang out with friends.

I am bored, my friends are bored. When we hang it gets a little bit less boring. Still boring - but it works.

 

6. Play a game.

It could be a board game or perhaps on the computer. Of course on game consoles too. If I could choose I would go outside and play a completely childish game with my childish friends.

 

7. Put on your favourite music and dance around.

Yup. Works for me.

 

8. Climb up on the roof.

Have no idea why. It just seems fun.

 

9. YouTube

Watch a funny show or of course other videos. Create your own and have fun.

 

10. Create a list about things you can do if you are bored.

I am still bored. But less bored.

[kudmus 0]

I really don't understand you guys. Most of you have high spec machines that can handle anything u throw at it. You have very fast internet but u still manage to get bored? Now picture this: I'm still using a P3 with less than half a gig of memory, infraslow broadband internet that is usually down. Every time I try to do something I meet a lot of hurdles. I can't purchase anything online(Mastercard, Visa, Paypal, etc don't work from sanctioned countries). With all that standing in my way I spend 10 hours on my machine and rarely get bored. If I had what most of you guys have I wouldn't be able to spell, let alone define the "bored" .

Edited August 21, 2008 by kudmus (see edit history)