Letter: Digital disease

From Ann Finnemore

I think I’ve discovered a new, computer-age disease: Münchausen’s by
proxy var technologica.

I met someone today who believes that their computer has suffered from nearly
every virus going. Initially sympathetic, I soon realised that some of the
events described either could not be real (such as pornographic photographs
loading instantly when the computer was turned on) or were unlikely to have been
caused by a virus.

As they continued to tell me that they knew their PC had various viruses on
its hard drive (and knew exactly what activated them), it dawned upon me that
they were manifesting a form of Münchausen’s by proxy.

Have others come across this condition? Do computer engineers find themselves
being called out to machines made “sick” by sufferers of this complaint? Are
sufferers altering the settings and parameters to make them behave as if they
have a new virus? More research needed, I believe.

Barwell, Leicestershire