Fudging a story is easy, but fudging how computers work in the
age of computers is laughable. Yet, as the experts at Cracked point out,
Hollywood does it all the time. Take
NCIS --
Two people typing simultaneously on a keyboard? Are they kidding?
I know, I know. No one wants to watch me dig into the registry to remove a file that launches on startup, even if I use four hands to do it. But please: If someone hacks my PC, they won't create a graphical representation of what's happening so I can take steps to stop it. Blame it on the1983 movie
War Games, when a supercomputer had to learn in real time that thermal nuclear war was really, really bad. Here's five things Cracked missed:
- Actors passionately staring at computer screens with concern, fear, anger, awe, etc.
- Google Earth shots that zoom in on bad guys with a flashing crosshairs over their heads.
- Computer techs are always nerds. That ended 10 years ago. (Though I should say the resident nerd on NCIS is kind of hot.)
- All that typing. Apple introduced the mouse with the Apple II.
Finally -- Could someone drop their iPad in the street and scream a profanity?
That would be realistic.
