Goof-Off Guide

By Anita Hamilton

I could concoct some elaborate excuse to explain why, around 2 p.m. last Thursday, I was dropping virtual water balloons on taxis, bicyclists and innocent pedestrians traversing my computer screen. Or why I spent 10 minutes answering a detailed online questionnaire only to discover that (according to whoever wrote it) I have the personality of a pug dog. But I won't insult your intelligence. The truth is, I was goofing off.

I'm not alone. A third of the people questioned in a recent study by N.F.O. Interactive admitted to spending at least 25 min. during the workday using the Net for personal pursuits. But after a while it gets dull checking the five-day forecast on weather.com or hoping some news will break on CNN.com to liven up your mundane Monday. So if you need a quick fix that won't get you fired because it takes all day, here are a few sure bets:

PURE PLAY: Superbad.com is part art, part puzzle and part mind number. Since there are no directions, you don't really know where to click or why. But once you start, the series of strange, colorful pictures and patterns that flash before your eyes will keep you amused and intrigued. For more pointed fun, check out the minigames on shockwave.com which require a quick download of the Shockwave player. I got hooked on Water Balloon Drop, but there's also online poker, trivia games and even an Austin Powers dancing game.

BE PETTY: On those really bad days, you may want to head over to pinstruck.com where you can send an online voodoo curse to the annoying guy across the hall--if you dare. Messages range from "It's not over yet" to "I love you" and arrive in e-mail form along with Web links to voodoo dolls customized to resemble each victim type. If passive-aggressive is more your style, read hundreds of at-work horror stories or post your own at dumbboss.com

WAX NOSTALGIC: Remember that cute guy who always seemed too shy to ask you out back in high school? Or that friend you lost touch with when you went off to college? Highschoolalumni.com lists more than 22,000 public and private high schools and lets you add your name and contact information to the list. It will even send you an e-mail notice if someone from your class (or any graduation-date range you designate) signs up. I was amazed to see that my California school, which had a senior class of just 93 students, was listed. But I'm still waiting for a long-lost friend to materialize.

POP QUIZ: From trivia to personality tests, quiz sites are all the rage on the Net these days. And they're more fun than on paper because your score pops up the second you answer the last question. Emode.com's funny tests can tell you whether you're a natural leader, a risk taker or just high maintenance. Coolquiz.com on the other hand, is an e-Trivial Pursuit, asking hundreds of questions about movies, music and history.

GET WEIRD: For a heady dose of silliness, check out useless knowledge.com a site where you'll get a daily quote, definitions for obscure words and answers to such penetrating questions as "What is quicksand?" and "Who invented the pencil?" A Yahoo-like index of arcana, absolutetrivia. com neatly organizes the world's minutiae, from crazy laws and criminals to an index of phobias. Both sites have weekly e-mail newsletters--handy for those who want their Net dalliances disguised as serious work memos.

What's your favorite silly site? You can let Anita know at [email protected] Just don't tell your boss where you've been!