How to Appear Busy While Using a Computer

For people in school/work who use a computer on a daily/hourly basis, this is a guide to looking productive while actually not doing anything.

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Steps

1. 1
   If you have an active assignment, keep it in the task bar and prepare to fastclick to it at a second's notice.
   
   
   
2. 2
   Intersperse work with downtime by working for a few moments followed by IMing, Facebooking, Googling, or whatever thing you do. This way you relax and do your job at the same time.
   
   
   
3. 3
   Write a Wikihow on something you know. It looks like work, and takes a good amount of typing to do. It's a perfect cover.
   
   
   
4. 4
   If you're at home with a laptop then try sitting with your back to a wall. Then no one can see what you're doing. Do a lot of typing that looks productive.
5. 5
   Make sure that even if you aren't doing much work, have something that looks like work open, such as an end of quarter PowerPoint or something of the sort.
   
   
   

 Tips

• Turn down/off the volume of the computer, as the bleeps and bloops of IM and other messengers will tip you off.
• Don't spend the whole period doing this. You need to do your work; this is just for little breaks you might need.
• If you get caught, be prepared with an excuse. Keep it real!
• You can always keep open a work file. For instance: If you're on myspace, or email when you should be writing a paper, keep the paper opened but minimized.
• When somebody tells you something, don't answer immediately and say, 'Shhh! Can't you see I'm busy? I can't focus both at you and at what I'm doing now!'
• If you're working online and using a tabbed web browser, it's simple to do anything you want in one tab while doing work in another. Or, try installing a remote access software such as LogMeIn on your computer, which is accessible by browser, so you can access your home computer and do stuff from anywhere.
• Practice using the Alt-Tab strategy. You can immediately switch to another open program without using the mouse.
• In Windows, hitting the Windows and the D key simultaneously will take you to your Desktop instantly.
• Using a proxy can usually bypass filters/blocking software, but it can get you in trouble with the school IT director, so try to avoid it if you can
• If you are at work, a library, or any other public place, it may be a good idea to strategically place open books, folders, or papers on and around your desk or table. Be sure to turn the pages once in a while, or pretend to read them, to increase believability.

Warnings

• Don't appear to be too interested, that is a sign that you're not doing work.
• You might get caught, be alert at all times.
• Don't click out of something fast, that will draw a teacher or professors attention. Just calmly click into another page or always go to Yahoo.com or Google!
• Don't play Solitaire/Minesweeper/any other silly game if you want to appear busy. Being caught doing something as trivial as that only shows how bored you really are.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Time
• Skills in covering up