WoWing @ Work - Tips & Tricks!
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iTZKooPA on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 - 34 Comments Tags: fired, playing at work, productivity, tbc, tips and tricks, wow, wow at work, wrath, you will get fired
iTZKooPA on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 - 34 Comments Tags: fired, playing at work, productivity, tbc, tips and tricks, wow, wow at work, wrath, you will get fired 
Back when World of Warcraft launched in November 2004 I was a lowly Pre-Junior at Drexel University. Let me answer your first question. A Pre-Junior is a year later than a Sophomore but a year before being a Junior. It was a five year program. Really, I swear, five years. At the time I was an aspiring Computer Science and Mathematics major, which meant that I spent a bit of time on my computer(s). But I still had to pay the bills between my studies so I picked up an IT job for Drexel's computer department. That is where it all began, playing WoW while on the clock.
Jobs obviously, and rightfully so, frown upon the idea of playing video games while you are on the clock. Some bosses even frown upon playing the game during lunch which is unfair in my opinion. Why is it that I can read the newspaper, watch TV or bother other people at lunch but I can't play a video game? Don't give me the company resources crap, it doesn't hurt the computer and at max takes about 30 kb/s of bandwidth. My boss at Drexel was one of those bosses who hated gameplaying, in all forms, while at work. So I had to get crafty.
There are actually numerous things you can do to play WoW at work. The most difficult is probably to get the game installed and patched. Depending on how locked down your computer is, this can be quite a task. You may get lucky and have free reign over your machine. Sometimes imaging the CDs/DVDs and then mounting them with Daemon Tools, will do the trick. Worst case, you will simply have to figure out (or reset) the administrator password, which could get you in serious trouble.
As for actually playing the game, here are a few tips:
- Most important, play in Windowed mode. WoW is highly optimized for Windowed mode, allowing you to hide it behind other applications quickly and easily.
- Having your back to the door is a major problem and should be remedied immediately. Make up some excuse like you “need a change of scenery” or can “get more workspace” to get permission to move your office around.
- On the same track, your entire office/cubicle/desk should be set up in a fashion to provide cover for your addiction. Use a tall printer to block line-of-sight to the screen if possible. Put your in/out boxes in the way. Anything you can possibly think of to slow people down, or lower their visual range. (If you have one of those short cubicle walls, good luck.)
- Stack recent delivered items, files, books, etc by the entrance to slow people down. If asked why you do this say “So I don't forget about them before I leave.”
- Dual monitors can help immensely. Keep work on the screen that is most readily visible to intruders and WoW on the other screen.
- Set the task bar to auto hide so no one can see what is open down there.
- Alt + tab and windows key + D key combinations are your friends. If WoW, WoWHead, and ProjectLore are covering your monitor real estate at the moment then hit the windows key + D and everything will be minimized (hit them again to restore). Placing a work window behind WoW will allow you to alt + tab (switches the focused application) to it to hide just WoW.
- Set your desktop to an active desktop and place a work-related website as the background. This will allow you to use windows key + D and look somewhat active to a casual observer.
- I have been told that a messy desk makes you look more productive, so mess it up to hide your unproductive distraction.
- Play with no sound and no headphones.
- If you know the intruder is going to need your time or have to look at something on your machine then kill the process instead of minimizing. To do this hit control + shift + esc to get the task manager up fast. Select WoW.exe and hit end task.
- Setup some sort of code, distraction system or warning sign with other like minded people. A bird call, a whistle, a ball of rubber bands being thrown 40 feet into your face. Anything to save each other's asses is worth it.
Remember, if you get fired for playing you can only blame yourself. I'm just trying to give you some helpful pointers so you DON'T get fired. Do your job, then play WoW while you wait for your next assignment. You manager's job is to manage, not yours.
I know you guys have more tricks and tips for getting away with WoW at work. Let's hear them.
Reader Comments (34)
Hmmm... I think you covered it all, Koopa, tho using one of those 3M privacy filters is also a good idea, makes it impossible to see the screen if you aren't looking straight at it.
Truely an awesome guide! :P
minimizing helps hide what u are doing with windows key +d but i like in extreme emergencies to use the classic alt+f4 to shut down wow immediately so they have no proof that they just saw u playing
Or: have your boss play for a bit, till he is addicted too, then you can play openly. That's how it was for me ^^
great guide! It's an adrenaline rush i bet
I run firefox tabs and have project lore on one tab and then a work related site on another tab. So I can flick back quickly. I also run dual monitors and I put the websites on the smaller one.
FYI: You can also right click on you windows task bar to get to your task manager.
I have a open layout at work so I cant get away with playing at work... oh well.
Enjoy
or you have the office space option. Don't hide it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V1QB89CCz4
I use TrayIt! to minimize WoW to the tray and have the icon set to always hide. No more taskbar giveaway.
http://www.teamcti.com/trayit/
Lol this guide is sweet
If you have Rocket Dock, every window you minimize, will be on the dock, instead of the taskbar.
i work at a call center, and when its not busy, there is some big down time. when im not having people call and order things, i can only read newsweek and gaming mags, sooo how i would long to make gold and bs around on wow while i wait. i sit semi in the open, but work the later shift where half my shift im not constantly monitored by managers. and our computers run windows 98, but on the computers that u know can only graphically run the processes it currently holds on it. im very sure they did that on purpose so that no one can play games or watch movies online or anything, plus they can check your screen if they want. luckily though, im not addicted to much bc i am living just fine with not being able to play wow for 8 hours =).
http://www.teamcti.com/trayit/trayit.htm
Best tool ever, you can hide WoW from the task bar and put it between the icons at the right bottom corner and even change the WoW icon. When pressing Windows key + D it automatically hides in the icon bar and is no way recoverable with alt-tabbing.
Forgot one something. You need to become your companies IT Director, that way you have admin access, you "need" a high system for all the IT stuff you have to do, and plus then you have other people under you that actually can do the leg work. An added bonus is you can shut your office door, put a headset on and look like you are on an important conference call.
Not that I would ever do this (*cough cough*), but another good way to put WoW on a work computer is to load the entire game directory onto a removable drive and then connect it to your work computer.
Pros:
You can have it set up exactly like your home computer. I even use Dropbox to automatically update my work comp when I install a new addon on my home computer.
You technically don't install anything on the work computer (this is sometimes included in company policies).
You can remove it and take it home if you think they're on to you.
You can even password protect the drive for when you're not at your desk.
Cons:
Unless you get a really good removable drive, access speeds will be a little slower, so you might notice a little more lag.
Explaining to a supervisor why you have a removable drive attached to your computer might get ugly, especially if you work for a company that is worried about the leaking of their proprietary materials.
How about NOT PLAYING WOW IN WORK TIME?
The most secure and efficent way in having a life and getting money.
You alway do what I do and get a job where you work from home!
Have this set up on my work PC saved me more times than I can count.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/accessories/76ed/
Hey guys n gals.
At my previous college i used "Windows Hide Tool"
It's simple and it hides the window(s) you want to be hiding.
The only thing then on your screen would be a blueish icon in your tray.
you can set your own key combination in it so it's only you that knows.
Oh btw the sound thing is figured out easily by your boss *if he's clever*
So if you're at talking distance from your collueges just either ask them if they want coffee.
Otherwise... we used to play on the same realm... and we put us all together in a group and a watchful colluege will send raid warnings over your screen so you know you gotto hide ^_^
In an emergency, forget task manager:
Alt+F4 is your friend.
I still love the old school commercial from Office Space... Alt F4 never works for me but windowed mode does wonders...
i know im boring but i dont recoment this why loose your job just cuz you wanted to play wow while your supose to work...
honestly you are there 2 work not play its basicly like staying at home and then say that you were at work its cheating lying and all that crap
sorry that im on my holy horse( or charger mount since im a pala) but how would you feel you you paid me what ever you earn to oh i dont know build you a new house and all i did was play wow ½ the time...
BUT that thing about the break im with you
oh but good and funny guide:D
Windowed mode, 3m Privacy filter, Multifunction End task macro for end wow.exe, nuff said...
...and to the self-righteous palladin... This article isn't called "Work Ethics", it's called "WoWing @ Work - Tips & Tricks!"
Awesome tips, must try some of those later. I always have my email program open so no one wonders why my hands never leave the keyboard.
Nihilust
yearh i know im boring but its just not a good example and will allso give fuel to the fire of wow addicts and games are bad for our kids and all that shit
and im not a self-righteous palladin
its just my opinion
but as a allready said before good and funny guide
im just saying
yearh you are not listenig to me anyway sorry to "DAD" all over this post