Keyboard Swap

Here’s a prank idea that only takes a few moments to set up (and reverse), but can have big impact on your daily fun factor. It works best if you and your intended victim work close together—as in adjoining cubicles, side by side desks, or any place where a group of PCs live together in peace and harmony.

The preparation here is quick, and can easily be pulled off while your coworker heads down to the break room for a cup of coffee, runs out to get some lunch, or gets stuck in a meeting.

Once they step away from their desk, unplug their keyboard from the PC tower, and plug in another one—that you keep at your desk. The key here is to be quick! You can either use your actual keyboard, or bring in another from home that you stash on your lap.

Once your friend returns to their desk, keep an eye on them. Every time they go to type something in, you type along with them from the keyboard at your own desk. (Try not to crack up as they attempt to compose an email, only to find that no matter what they type, it’s still addressed Dear Jackass)

Chances are good that at some point, they will get up to go seek help with their wayward keyboard. Again, quickness is essential as you re plug their keyboard back in. Now, when the IT guy comes to check out the haunted computer, he’ll find nary a thing wrong with it.

I actually managed to pull this one off not too long ago, with hilarious results. I actually had my coworker thinking that there was something spooky going on by typing mysterious messages from the great beyond every time he opened a Word Document. Of course, my hysterical laughter eventually gave me away…