A Cure for Boredom: Solitaire

A Cure for Boredom: Solitaire

Mariela Leon, Staff Writer

As students, we all understand the feeling of boredom during class. The lights are dim, there’s nothing interesting going on, and your teacher is just talking sooo slowly. You could just fall asleep but that could get you in trouble so you open up a new tab in your computer and type in “Solitaire.” Solitaire, also known as Patience, is played by millions, maybe even billions of people around the world and has been around for hundreds of years. The origins of the game are unclear, but many people consider the game to have originated in the late 1700s in Europe. Solitaire being a single-player card game is even sometimes considered to be more of a puzzle than a card game, probably another reason why it is so popular. And now, in the computer age, Solitaire is accessible to all more than ever. It’s been a norm for all Microsoft computers and basic computer and mobile games everywhere. So why did they put Solitaire as a computer game?

The reason is actually really simple. When Microsoft computers were first coming out the whole concept of a computer and how to use it was very unfamiliar to the general public. Computers were considered to be used by really smart people who knew how to code and work with them. So in 1988, then intern Wes Cherry claims that he developed the Solitaire game and was never paid for his work. Now he “does very little programming” and “mainly keeps himself busy growing apples.” Anyways, developers decided that adding a familiar game like Solitaire would help people become familiar with using the computer and with completing simple tasks like using the mouse and clicking and dragging. Of course, now a game like Solitaire isn’t enough to help people learn how to use a computer since some old people might only know how to play Solitaire and other simple games.

 

 

Now Solitaire has become a great pastime for procrastinators all over the world! Many players become experts at the game and become very skilled at the game. Or as my good friend Wes Cherry said “[redefine] “winning” to mean “slacking at work.” What a funny apple farmer. This concept has even been shown in TV and other pieces of media with bored office workers who pretend to do actual work but are really just playing one of the most popular games in the world! How often do you play Solitaire?