Really Safe Computing

Plugging in…

I completely forgot about this little ditty until a friend recently reminded me of it. The Tutor was tutoring a large group of sales people from a well-known athletic shoe manufacturer. This was in the early days of computing, when floppy disks ruled the storage roosts. During a discussion about sharing files, the topic of computer viruses arose. One young man raised his hand and asked if the plastic case the 3.5" floppy disk was stored in, was enough protection to keep a virus out of a computer.

When the general laughter from his colleagues finally stopped, I answered, as seriously as I could, that NO, the plastic sleeve was not considered a computer condom, just a sleeve to protect from dirt and dust. I was adamant that one must remove the floppy disk from the sleeve before inserting it into the floppy disk drive.

ALWAYS REMEMBER: before calling for help - is it plugged in, is it turned on, is it safe?

Unplugged