An ohnosecond is the brief moment of realization after performing a regrettable action, such as hitting “delete” or “send” on an email. These moments can cause minor inconveniences or serious repercussions. To avoid ohnoseconds, computer users should be cautious when clicking certain commands and develop a routine for saving important files.
An ohnosecond is a surprisingly short period of time between performing an action and realizing how really stupid or unfortunate that action was. It only takes an ohnosecond to hit a “delete” or “send” button and then exclaim, in an internal or external voice, “Oh no, what did I do?” Almost every computer user has experienced at least an ohnosecond in his life. Many ohnoseconds cause only temporary mishaps or minor inconveniences, but some can have serious repercussions.
A common ohnosecond occurs when sending emails, especially when the subject of the email is offensive to an employer or contains other objectionable material. Instead of sending a reply to a specific name on the email chain, a user could hit “reply all,” which automatically sends copies of their reply to every single name associated with the original email. This could include the last few people who need to read the user’s strongly worded response. Pushing the wrong button when dealing with forwarded emails can be a major situation in seconds.
Another ohnosecond often occurs when storing important computer files and documents. Instead of clicking a “save” button, some people may accidentally click a “delete” button, thus losing what may be the only copy of a very important project. Fortunately, many modern computer systems have safeguards that automatically back up files or allow users to undo the effects of a single mistake.
However, ohnoseconds aren’t strictly limited to the world of computing. Some people have experienced an ohnosecond after closing a locked car door with the keys still in the ignition. Others have made the mistake of leaving a cup of soda on the roof of a car just before pulling out of a restaurant parking lot. Even leaving an appliance on or not turning off a car’s headlights can create memorable ohnoseconds.
To avoid having too many one-second crashes, computer users should be very careful before clicking commands that don’t have a recognizable return point, such as “delete” and “reply all.” Developing a consistent routine for saving important files or ending a workday should also help prevent these kinds of heart-stopping events from happening again.
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