From: legend@cheshire.oxy.edu (Linda A. Malcor)
Subject: folklore and computing article
Organization: Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA 90041 USA.
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 18:20:16 GMT

Hello World!

     I am writing an article about folklore and computing, and I
was wondering if you had heard anything that I might be able to
include.  If you have, please fill out the following
questionnaire and personal data sheet, and return them to me as
soon as possible, I'd really appreciate it.

     Feel free to answer any or all of the questions "No," since
negative results are just as important as positive ones.  The
data sheet is designed to help me track ethnic and occupational
folklore as well as folklore within other cultural groups.  I am
requesting addresses and phone numbers so I can contact you if
you have a particularly interesting item (but, by no means, feel
obligated to include this or any other personal information). 
All personal data will be kept strictly confidential.

     If you want, make copies of the questionnaire and personal
data sheet to give to other people you know who have something to
contribute.

     Please send completed questionnaires to me via my Internet
address (legend@tiger.oxy.edu), or mail hard copy to:

                        Linda A. Malcor, Ph.D.
                        12524 Culver Blvd., Suite 11
                        Los Angeles, CA   90066-6619
                        USA

                                    Cheers,

                                    Linda Malcor

  ===============================================================

                          Questionnaire



1.   Do you know of any ways in which people believe a computer
     enhances their health?



2.   Do you know of any ways in which people believe a computer
     harms their health (damage to vision, radiation, etc.)?



3.   Do you know of any ways in which people believe a computer
     will affect the birth of a child?



4.   Have you heard any stories about computers being in love,
     jealous, etc.?



5.   Have you heard any remarks about people using computers to
     affect their own love relationships, to encourage courtship
     or promote marriage?



6.   Have you heard any references to computers and death (either
     preventing or causing it; affected by it)?



7.   Do you know of any stories about computers and sports?



8.   Have you heard of computers having an effect on other types
     of recreation?



9.   Do you know of any instances where people believe that a
     computer had affected travel?



10.  Do you know of any instances where people believe that a
     computer had affected the weather?



11.  Do you know of any instances where people believe that a
     computer has been affected by the weather?



12.  Do you know of any stories about animals and computers
     (around the computer, in the computer, affected by the
     computer, etc.)?



13.  Do you know of any stories about ghosts and computers?



14.  Do you know of any instances where people claim that magic
     has affected the computer?



15.  Do you know of any instances where people claim that they
     have used the computer to perform magic?



16.  Do you know of any stories about witches or other
     supernatural beings (elves, etc.) and the computer? 



17.  Do you know of any instances where someone claims that a
     computer has affected their dreams?



18.  Have you ever heard someone say that they dreamt of a
     computer and it meant something?



19.  Have you ever heard someone claim that a computer has
     foretold an event?



20.  Have you ever heard someone claim that they used a computer
     to foretell an event?



21.  Do you know of any numbers that people cite as significant
     in relation to computers (e.g., 3, 7, 9, 666, etc.)?



22.  Do you know of any stories of devils or demons and
     computers?



23.  Do you know of any stories of angels and computers?



24.  Have you ever heard a person say that a computer has
     affected a plant?



25.  Have you ever heard a person say that a computer has been
     affected by a plant?



26.  Have you ever heard a person say that they have a personal
     magnetic field that has affected a computer?



27.  Do you know of any instance where someone claims that a
     computer has affected a personal item (purse, belt, jewelry,
     etc.?)



28.  Do you know of any instance where someone claims that a
     computer has been affected by a personal item (purse, belt,
     jewelry, etc.)?



29.  Do you know of any beliefs about viruses and computers?



30.  Do you know of any practices that people perform with items
     associated with a computer (e.g., disks, tractor feed on
     computer paper, printers, etc.)?



31.  Do you know of any special dates that people associate with
     computers?



32.  Do you know of any special dates (e.g., Friday the 13th,
     April Fool's day, Easter, Christmas, birthdays, Halloween,
     New Year's Day/Eve, etc.) that are supposed to affect
     computers?



33.  Have you heard anyone say that a computer affected their
     ability to make love (e.g., infertility, sterility,
     aphrodisiac, etc.)?



34.  Do you know of any customs that connect eating and the
     computer?



35.  Do you know of any special colors that people associate with
     a computer (e.g., lucky, unlucky, works better, etc.)?



36.  Do people advise others to wear any special type of clothing
     while working on a computer?



37.  Do you know of anyone who carries anything related to a
     computer with them as a lucky piece?



38.  Do you know stories about anyone with a specific occupation
     that is associated with a computer (e.g., gambler, banker,
     prostitute)?



39.  Have you heard any stories that emphasize a person's ethnic
     group (e.g., Black, Hispanic, Native American, Chinese,
     Japanese, Korean, etc.) that are associated with a computer?



40.  Do you know any special times of day that people say are
     significant when speaking about computers?



41.  Do you know of any religious beliefs associated with
     computers (e.g., bibles, missionaries, warnings not to use
     computers on religious grounds, etc.)?



42.  Do you know of any stories about God and the computer?



43.  What anthropomorphic terms have you heard associated with
     the computer (e.g., dying, eating, thinking, etc.)?



44.  Do you know of any rituals people perform around or using
     computers?



45.  Do you know of any prayers people say around computers?



46.  Do you know of any sayings about computers?



47.  Do you know of any practical jokes people play with
     computers?



48.  Do you know any stories about computers and transportation
     (e.g., cars, trains, airplanes, etc.)?



49.  Have you heard any taboos about buying, giving or receiving
     computers?  Do you know any way to counteract the negative
     effects?



50.  Have you heard anyone offer special advice about how to get
     rid of an old computer (e.g., bury it, burn it, etc.)?



51.  Have you heard anyone offer special advice about how to make
     an inoperative computer work (e.g., talk nicely to it, hit
     it, get the tech support guru to walk into the room, place a
     phone call to tech support, etc.)?



52.  Have you heard any urban legends that involve computers?



53.  Have you heard any proverbs about computers?



54.  Do you know any other folk stories about computers?



55.  Do you know any computer myths?



56.  Do you know of any other customs or beliefs related to
     computers?


============================================================

                       PERSONAL DATA SHEET


NAME:_____________________________________

     _____________________________________
     street

     _____________________________________
     city,               state     zip

TELEPHONE:________________________________
          area code      number

AGE_______ SEX_______ USUAL OCCUPATION__________________________
                      (regardless of whether working nor or not)

EDUCATION:

     grade school _____ yrs.;      high school________yrs.;

     college or university______yrs.;

     special licenses, certificates:_____________________________

     other special training:_____________________________________

Where were you born?


Where did you grow up?

Was English first language learned?  Yes____  No____

If no, what was first language?_________________________________

Please mention residence in any areas with strong ethnic
identification, where languages other than English are spoken, or
where customs and ideas from outside the U.S. are prevalent:



Please mention military service, travel, residence outside the
U.S.



Thanks for the help!

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers