11.
This was over thirty years ago, but a coworker and me used to delete one important file from a test UNIX server then see how long it took the other to fix it. That was a great way to learn. —PreviousResponse
12.
I went to a merchant marine academy and we had a thing called sea term. While on this term you stood watch and stuff on a big ol steam ship. So being students they really didn’t give us anything to do. Watch was essentially pretending to be busy so one of the engineers didn’t yell at ya. So we would go around the engine room of the ship, turning valves a quarter of a turn and see what happens and If nothing happens you turn it again. However this turned out pretty badly when I accidentally turned off the control air and almost flooded both of the boilers.—Garfus-D-Lion
13.
Find something to read that they can’t tell isn’t work if they don’t look close. Like did you know the script of the Truman show is online somewhere? That was a fun day. —Jenslosingit
14.
I have a heap of ebooks downloaded from the internet an old co-worker gave me years ago. I’ve pulled some out and converted them to pdf or word. My job has days where it’s full on and I barely have time to take a breath and days when it’s the complete opposite. The books are a lifesaver on those days. I split the screen between a word or excel document and just randomly tap the keyboard while reading. Throw in some suitable facial expressions now and then if anyone can see you, keep an eye out for anybody coming up to you unannounced and you’re set. —elliebeans90
15.
When you look annoyed all the time, people think you’re busy —BlinkRogue1
16.
I’ve had the same spreadsheet open for 4 days, no one has said anything, and I still got paid so I guess it’s working. —CitizenHuman
17.
Play games on the laptop. A girl sitting at a reception desk focused on a computer screen. Good enough. —Miss971
18.
I have a steady flow of work these days, but when I first started, my position was brand new. So there was not a lot to do, and it’s actually the reason I joined reddit. Figured I could stay current with all the free time I had.
But yeah those first few months were rough, so I started emailing myself really long articles and short stories. I’d then either just read them straight from email, or I’d past them into an Excel/Word/Publisher document. —meltedlaundry
19.
We weren’t allowed to use the internet on the computers at the laboratory I used to work at, then some dick got phones banned as an excuse to throw his weight around. So I bought a binder and put tons of lab equipment manuals in, and cut a rectangular hole through the back half of the papers. My phone went in the rectangular hole, and I surfed the web with impunity while looking like I was studying important things. —GambettoMio
20.
Open up various tools for system monitoring and look at them. If something went tits up we’d get an email so I don’t really need to do that, but it looks busy and maybe I’ll notice something important.
Otherwise I take some training courses or something. Most aren’t very good but it’s fuel for my self evaluation come mid year. —TetrisCannibal