What is a Server?

[ManSnake]

My friend had an interview with Microsoft for a support engineer position, they asked this question during an interview
"How would you explain a server to my grandmother, who doesn?t understand anything about technology?"

How would you answer it?

 

[shiner]

A server is a big box full of magic elves who weave electricity into numbers and letters that they then send through the network using pixie dust and woven blonde hairs.

 

[SirChadwick]

A server works his/her @$$ off in a resturant, making $2.13/hr and getting $#itty $2 tips.

 

[FrustratedUser]

It's a box connected to the so called 'Internet'. It is the box that makes you see funny stuff and the occasional Error 404.

 

[PG]

Microsoft Servers are those computers on the Internet that propogate viruses and worms.

 

[Vic]

To someone who knew absolutely nothing about technology, I would say that a server is a computer for other computers.

 

[bleeb]

A server is like a retarded porn star delivering it's "goods" at the right time for your internet convenience.

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: PG
Microsoft Servers are those computers on the Internet that propogate viruses and worms.

Wait till ameesh gets those viri out of his system and sees that!

 

[Argo]

I would probably try to use some kind of anology.

 

[Atrail]

Originally posted by: Argo
I would probably try to use some kind of anology.

A-nal-o-gy

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: ManSnake
My friend had an interview with Microsoft for a support engineer position, they asked this question during an interview
"How would you explain a server to my grandmother, who doesn?t understand anything about technology?"

How would you answer it?

I teach. I have always used that it is the Information booth at Grand Central Station.

 

[everman]

A computer that sends people the information they ask for.
edit: In the case they don't know what a computer is, lets just say computer = magical box of elves.

 

[SnapIT]

A computer that serves other computers...

 

[CraigRT]

computer that hands out addresses so that other computers are able to be seen or/used on it's network and which possibly has storage for the computers to access saved data.

something along those lines... heh.

 

[DoNotDisturb]

a server is a computer that serves people in many ways:

these ways can be:

giving them files to download
letting them give files for others to download
mail
letting people host website

 

[Argo]

Originally posted by: Atrail

Originally posted by: Argo
I would probably try to use some kind of anology.

A-nal-o-gy

Take the first 4 letters of what you typed

 

A server provides a service to a client.

 

[Juniper]

Originally posted by: dwell
A server provides a service to a client.

 

[Beau]

A server is the king of the Computer Kingdom. All the computers in that kingdom have to go to it and ask permission before doing a certain task (authentication). If a computer doesn't know an answer to a question it has to go to the King to get the information, because the server is all knowing (file & application sharing). Other kings from other kingdoms might talk with this king to collaborate new ideas and tasks (distrubuted computing).

 

[Geekbabe]

I usually use library analogies when explaining file storage and management to older people.

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: Geekbabe
I usually use library analogies when explaining file storage and management to older people.

Exactly what I was going to say.

The server is the librarian.

Viper GTS

 

[FoBoT]

a server is like a TV station

if you want to watch a TV show, like "ER" , you turn your television to channel "12" (a certain TV station)

so if you are on your computer and want certain content , ie a certain web page/server, you tune your "TV" ie your computer to the right channel to get the server/TV station that has the content you want

so for TV

you tune your TV to a certain TV station to watch a certain program

for computers/internet

you "tune" your computer to a certain "server" to get the content you want, ie eBay, yahoo, anandtech, etc