I would suggest that computer frustration differs from normal
frustration in important ways.
Regular
frustration is the experience of feeling limited or
thwarted in your efforts towards any particular end. It normallly has a number of physical (
slow, cold sweat,
tightening of the chest,
shortness of breath) and psychological (
racing thoughts,
violent fantasies towards the thwarting party) symptoms.
Computer frustration, however, differs from the frustrations encountered in just about any other domain or endeavour. When a computer becomes the thwarting party, for whatever
capricious reason, the psychological symptoms become acute while the physical symptoms disappear, only to be replaced by an
intense desire to drink
copious amounts of tequila.
Or maybe spending 6 hours reinstalling an OS is just taking its toll on my
psyche.
Well, I'm off to find a replacement for
Francine.