I know a woman that believes there is a hacker attacking her computer. Every time there is a problem, or she gets an error message she is convinced it is “the hacker” messing with her. Almost every day she tells me “The hacker made me lose my document” or “The hacker made my email return with a wrong address message” or “The hacker made Explorer freeze today” or “The hacker made Napster lose its connection today” or “The hacker made a floppy unreadable” or “The hacker made the printer jam.”

She has even assumed her imaginary enemy has superhuman powers. When I tell her some of the things she says are impossible to do, she says, “He knows how to do it. He is a genius.”

While not anyone connected with my work this poor woman strikingly familiar to the people I experience in my everyday work environment. The difference is the people I encounter believe supernatural powers speak to them and they are well medicated.

She is sure this guy exists, and he devotes enormous resources and several hours a day, seven days a week to the sole purpose of bothering her.

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