Trivial Net – Computer and Tech Trivia for Geeks

Tasty?

Question: The word "spam" is Internet jargon for bulk e-mail and newsgroup postings. The popularity of the term comes much to the chagrin of the company that produces Spam canned meat products:

• Best Foods
• Hormel Foods
• Kraft
• Nabisco

Answer: Hormel Foods

September 20th, 2008

Bad boy

Question: Sanford Wallace is a man that many Internet users love to hate. He is also known as…

• BIFF
• Cancelmoose
• Joel Furr
• the Spam King

Answer: the Spam King

Wallace is president of Cyber Promotions, notorious for spamming Internet users.

September 19th, 2008

Usenet

Question: Fill in the blank in this quote from Steven Bellovin, co-creator of Usenet. "Those who mourn for 'Usenet like it was' should remember the original design estimates of maximum traffic volume: _____ articles a day."

• two
• maybe a dozen
• no more than a hundred
• about 500

Answer: two

September 18th, 2008

Unpopular choice

Question: When Steve Jobs announced Apple's partnership with Microsoft during the August 1997 MacWorld trade show, for how long did the audience boo?

• 5 seconds
• 25 seconds
• 42 seconds
• 69 seconds

Answer: 42 seconds

September 17th, 2008

Zap the PRAM

Question: To a Mac user, what does "zapping the PRAM" mean?

• clearing nonvolatile memory
• removing and re-seating the memory chips
• grounding yourself to prevent static electricity from harming the chips
• cursing Steve Jobs

Answer: clearing nonvolatile memory

September 16th, 2008

Modem

Question: It is generally believed that the term "modem" originated as…

• an acronym for 'Multi-Output Data Emission Module'
• an acronym for 'Modulator/Demodulator'
• "Mode M" is old telephone company slang for digitally modulated data
• It's named after its inventor, Miles Odem.

Answer: an acronym for "Modulator/Demodulator"

September 15th, 2008

Atari

Question: What port did the Atari ST line of computers have that made it popular with musicians?

• ACSI
• ADSR
• Fiber-optic
• MIDI

Answer: MIDI

Musical Instrument Digital Interface

September 14th, 2008

Bunny people

Question: Who are the bunny people?

• People who multiply very quickly
• People who wear sanitized plastic suits in clean rooms
• People who 'hop' from one chat room to another
• Regulars on the newsgroup rec.pets.rabbits

Answer: People who wear sanitized plastic suits in clean rooms

September 13th, 2008

Pffft!

Question: What is vaporware?

• Hardware or software that is promised but never released
• Hardware or software that ends up in a landfill rather than on dealer shelves
• Hardware or software that is donated as a tax write-off
• Hardware that explodes when turned on

Answer: Hardware or software that is promised but never released

September 12th, 2008

Mario

Question: Nintendo's "Mario" is one of the best known video game characters. Who was Mario named after?

• Nintendo's landlord
• Nintendo's janitor
• Nintendo's president's daughter's boyfriend
• the lead programmer's cat

Answer: Nintendo's landlord

September 11th, 2008