Generate impressive-looking terminal output, look busy when stakeholders walk by

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Novelty and Similar Tools

  • Many see the project as a fun, well-executed “fake productivity” app, more believable than stereotypical “hacker terminals.”
  • It’s compared to tools like hollywood, HackerTyper, genact, and even simple commands like tree or make world as part of an arsenal to impress non-technical stakeholders.
  • Some suggest wiring it to an LLM to generate unhinged-looking logs over time, or using real builds/CI runs throttled to last longer for plausibility.

Boss Keys and Historical Anecdotes

  • Strong nostalgia for 80s–90s “boss keys” in DOS games and applications, which swapped to fake spreadsheets or compilers when a manager walked by.
  • Several stories describe TSRs, fake compilers, spreadsheet modes in games, and text-mode mouse cursors as early forms of hiding non-work activity.
  • Modern analogs include chatting in terminals, Lynx-based browsing, or piping logs with color for impressive background visuals.

Ethics of Pretending to Work

  • Some commenters find tools like this amusing but ultimately degrading, arguing that if you need them, you should probably find a different job or fix management incentives.
  • A management perspective is shared: taking honest breaks is fine, but faking work is insulting and grounds for firing. Detailed anecdotes describe catching employees who pretended to work while browsing eBay or dating sites.
  • Others counter that some coworkers already “fake productivity” via meetings, late emails, and micromanagement, and still get rewarded.

Remote Work, Presence, and Productivity

  • Long subthread debates office vs WFH:
    • Some argue remote work often reduces average efficiency due to communication, motivation, and isolation issues.
    • Others cite stats (unreferenced in-thread) and personal experience that remote can be more productive, especially when judged on output, not screen time.
  • Serendipitous office interactions (overhearing problems, coffee-machine chats) are seen as valuable; others stress flexibility, bursts of productivity, and the waste of in-office “looking busy.”
  • There’s acknowledgment that individuals vary widely: some thrive remotely, others need office structure.

Terminal Aesthetics and Stakeholder Perception

  • Non-technical people often equate terminals, colored logs, and dense scrolling text with “real” or “advanced” work.
  • Commenters describe managers and even TV crews gravitating to colorful log displays as symbols of busyness and professionalism, reinforcing why such a tool is effective.