08/03/09 01:01 - ID#49446

Funny/Terrible Story

So, I had something that I decided to print this weekend, to show to James. It didn't print at home, our printer is out of ink or just generally screwed up.

It was something... shall we say, sexually explicit and very detailed and personal.

Today when I went to work, my local print queue somehow sent it to the main office printer, where it sat for about 4 hours before the office manager brought it to me.

She seemed OK and reassuring about it, but I'm just sooo nervous about who else might have seen it and how much they read.

It's like one of those things you're always afraid of happening, and then it does and you can only laugh. And freak out. Freak out a lot.

dimartiste writes at 02:35:41 08/10/09 - Comment #50708: Well the silver lining is that you did not get into trouble, lose your job kind of thing!

I have to work with large groups of people and most of the time, I glance at whatever it is and put it on a pile of papers in the corner where people retrieve thier print outs.

I agree with tiny and metalpeter. Maybe you could send it to (e:Terry)'s printer too?! Ok, just joking.

I know the feeling you are talking about just because I am an artist and most of the stuff I draw can be taken in all sorts of ways.

Yet, lilho has my curiosity. I wonder what you were going to printout? hmm... (evil mini me)

Everyone has a dark side and we are all sexual beings, now they know what you are interested in!

hodown writes at 06:43:43 08/07/09 - Comment #50645: Ok:

1. So if your office manager got to read it, can we?

2. Paul- That kinda stuff? What are you guys printing out?!

metalpeter writes at 07:29:15 08/03/09 - Comment #50527: Here is what I'm guessing would have happened if anyone other then the Person who found it found it. If they read it and liked it they would have copied it and passed to others who they thought might like it and some might not like it. If someone who didn't like it or you found it, it would be plastered every where, unless they thought it would make you look good. So unless you walk into a room and everyone shuts up and the giggling stops I wouldn't worry about it. I'm guessing if people knew you would know they knew.

paul writes at 02:02:18 08/03/09 - Comment #50521: Omg - That is why I only use terry's computer for that kind of stuff.

tinypliny writes at 01:45:24 08/03/09 - Comment #50520: Or here is a rather complicated attack-attack strategy. Make a mental list of worst case scenarios. The what-if case list should assume that all the people whom you mainly don't want to see this print-out have seen it.

Then, summarize. You will find most of your "end-result-worries" are not worth worrying about because they are somewhat ridiculous.

jim writes at 01:36:03 08/03/09 - Comment #50519: Thank you, you're right. Whether or not I can manage to do that I'm not so sure of :)

tinypliny writes at 01:33:38 08/03/09 - Comment #50518: I don't think you should avoid eye-contact either. Psychologically, that intensifies feelings of internal guilt. When you don't really have anything to be guilty about, it is not a sound strategy.

I say be as you normally would be. If you perceive people acting strangely, then that will probably point out that they are the fickle ones! Ditch them. Problem solved.

jim writes at 01:27:48 08/03/09 - Comment #50517: That's what I'm telling myself. It's sorta working :)

I also think the whole thing is kinda funny, hence telling it here.

But I'm not going to be able to look anyone in the eye for a while...

tinypliny writes at 01:26:02 08/03/09 - Comment #50516: Forget about it. Whoever has read it won't really tell you they have read it. If they have read it and reading it changes their opinion of you, then you probably shouldn't worry about them anyway because they are so fickle.

In the end, you can't do anything about it. So quit thinking about it.

I don't know how many people adopt my strategies. I usually avoid looking at anything that has printed out in the print queue because it gives me a headache. I have enough worries and articles and what-nots of my own to hover over the printer reading other print-jobs. Ugh.