I think my laptop knows more about me than anyone else does. Disturbing, but true. And your computer does, too. It knows your likes and your interests, it knows who your friends are, it even knows what you look for when you job hunt. If you have some kinky propensity that you haven’t shared with even your best friend, rest assured it knows about that, too.
Think about it. It finishes your sentences for you, as if you’re an old married couple.
When I open my browser and start to type in a web address or something in my Google search field, I often don’t have to type more than one or two letters. What’s interesting is that every single one of us can do this and it will yield completely different results. If that doesn’t equal a digital representation of who we are as individuals, nothing does.
Here are some of my keystrokes and my computer’s helpful suggestions for web addresses. I’ll let you decide what this says about me.
- t = https://theviewfromadrawbridge.wordpress.com/ (of course!)
- f = Facebook
- y = Youtube
- h = Hulu. (Are you sensing a trend? I don’t really lead an exciting life.)
- d = dictionary.reference.com (and you thought I was a confident writer.)
- j gives me my local public library. Yay books!
- k sends me straight to kayak.com, although I have no idea why. I haven’t been able to travel in years. Wishful thinking on my laptop’s part?
- m takes me to Mapquest. I may not get to travel, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still get lost.
- s = Second Life. Even though I don’t have much of a first life, my second one can be rather exciting.
And here are some of my recent search terms on Google, apparently.
- A is for Aborigines and Ad blocker.
- B is for Barack Obama, Bobby McFerrin and Bear Hibernation.
- C is for Capricorn and Carpe Diem.
- D is for Dogs for Defense and Daddy Saddle (Only for research purposes, I swear. It’s a long story.)
- N is for Nelson Mandela and Nutrasystem, which is kind of an ironic juxtaposition.
- P is for Philip Seymour Hoffman and Pete Seeger, may they both rest in peace.
- Q yields nothing. Poor neglected Q.
- T really reveals my eclectic nature. It gives me Trepanning, TED Talks, and The Peeling Garlic Trick.
- W is for Wizard of Oz and a ton of questions that start with What.
There is really no need for interrogation in the modern world. To find out who someone is, where they’ve been, and what their intentions are, simply look to their laptop and all will be revealed.
The View from a Drawbridge 
And with every click… the inside of your computer is telling the powers that be, all they’ll ever need to know about you. But, I try not to think about that, I’m learning too much and having too much fun.
Me too!
Well, now I haven’t thought about it like that. Now I will pay closer attention. 🙂
It’s very enlightening when you look closely.
I don’t have a laptop… so…
Uh… it happens with computers, too.
oh… right