Editing Bastard Operator From Hell

{{short description|Fictional rogue computer operator}}
{{redirect2|PFY|Pimply-Faced Youth|other uses|PFY (disambiguation)}}

The '''Bastard Operator From Hell''' ('''BOFH''') is  a fictional rogue [[computer operator]] created by [[#Simon Travaglia|Simon Travaglia]], who takes out his anger on [[user (computing)|user]]s (who are "[[luser]]s" to him) and others who pester him with their computer problems, uses his expertise against his enemies and manipulates his employer.<ref name=PR/><ref name="JF" />

Several people have written stories about BOFHs, but only those by Simon Travaglia are considered canonical.<ref name="JF" /> 
The BOFH stories were originally posted in 1992 to [[Usenet]] by Travaglia, with some being reprinted in ''[[Datamation]].''<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://bofh.ntk.net/BOFH/index.php 
 |title=The Bastard Operator from Hell Official Archive 
 |first=Simon 
 |last=Travaglia 
 |publisher=Datamation Magazine 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151205062358/http://bofh.ntk.net/BOFH/index.php 
 |archive-date=2015-12-05 
}}</ref><ref>''Network Week'', London [[Computergram International|APT Data Services]], 1995–1999</ref> Since 2000 they have been published regularly in ''[[The Register]]'' (UK).<ref>[https://www.theregister.co.uk/Author/1541/Simon%20Travaglia Simon Travaglia], The Register, accessed 18 January 2013</ref> Several collections of the stories have been published as books.

By extension, the term is also used to refer to any system administrator who displays the qualities of the original.<ref name=PR>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/security/2008/09/the-bofh-lives-88-of-it-workers-would-steal-data-if-fired/|title=The BOFH lives: 88% of IT workers would steal data if fired|last=Paul|first=Ryan|work=[[Ars Technica]]|date=2008-09-08|access-date=2014-12-31}}</ref><ref name="JF">{{cite book|first=Eric S.|last=Raymond |title=The New Hacker's Dictionary|isbn=978-0-262-68092-9|year=1996|publisher=The MIT Press|page=80|title-link=The New Hacker's Dictionary }}</ref>

The early accounts of the BOFH took place in a university; later the scenes were set in an office workplace. In 2000 (BOFH 2k), the BOFH and his pimply-faced youth (PFY) assistant moved to a new company.

== Other characters ==
* The PFY (Pimply-Faced Youth, the assistant to the BOFH. Real name is Stephen<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/05/bofh_2010_episode_15/|title=BOFH: You just can't go around killing people (''The Register'')|website=[[The Register]]}}</ref>) Possesses a temperament similar to the BOFH, and often either teams up with or plots against him.
* The Boss (often portrayed as having no IT knowledge but believing otherwise; identity changes as successive bosses are sacked, leave, are committed, or have nasty "accidents")
* [[CEO]] of the company – The PFY's uncle Brian<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bofh.ntk.net/BOFH/1996/bastard96-04.php |title=The Bastard Operator From Hell Official Archive 1996 "The Bastard meets his match" |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140927070138/http://bofh.ntk.net/BOFH/1996/bastard96-04.php |archive-date=2014-09-27 }}</ref> from 1996 until 2000, when the BOFH and PFY moved to a new company.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/05/09/bofh_returns_from_the_dead/|title=BOFH returns from the dead (The Register)|website=[[The Register]]}}</ref>
* The [[help desk]] operators, referred to as the "Helldesk" and often scolded for giving out the BOFH's personal number.
* The Boss's secretary, Sharon.
* The security department<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://bofh.ntk.net/BOFH/1997/bastard97-26.php |title=The Bastard Operator from Hell Official Archive: In the aftermath of the trade show the PFY is forced to dip into the favour bank... |last=Travaglia |first=Simon |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108140615/http://bofh.ntk.net/BOFH/1997/bastard97-26.php |archive-date=2015-01-08 }}</ref>
* George, the cleaner (an invaluable source of information to the BOFH and PFY)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://bofh.ntk.net/BOFH/1997/bastard97-30.php |title=Bastard Operator from Hell Official Archive: The boss tries to oust the BOFH and the PFY again. Enter George, some lager, a shredder and several PFYs to-be... |last=Travaglia |first=Simon |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219055722/http://bofh.ntk.net/BOFH/1997/bastard97-30.php |archive-date=2014-12-19 }}</ref>

== Books ==
* {{cite book |title=The Bastard Operator From Hell |last=Travaglia |first=Simon |others=Illustrated by [[Pete Abrams]] |publisher=Plan Nine Publishing |year=2001 |isbn=978-1-929462-17-9 |oclc=276706543}}
* {{cite book |title=Bastard Operator From Hell II: Son of the Bastard |last=Travaglia |first=Simon |publisher=Plan Nine Publishing |year=2001 |isbn=978-1-929462-40-7}}
* {{cite book |title=Bride of the Bastard Operator From Hell |last=Travaglia |first=Simon |publisher=Plan Nine Publishing |year=2002 |isbn=978-1-929462-48-3}}
* {{cite book |title=Dummy Mode Is Forever |last=Travaglia |first=Simon |others=Illustrated by [[Brad Guigar]] |publisher=Plan Nine Publishing |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-929462-63-6}}
* {{cite book |title=Dial "B" for Bastard |last=Travaglia |first=Simon |publisher=Plan Nine Publishing |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-929462-94-0}}

== Influence ==

The protagonist in [[Charles Stross]]'s ''[[The Laundry Files]]'' series of novels named himself Bob Oliver Francis Howard in reference to the BOFH. As Bob Howard is a self-chosen pseudonym, and Bob is a network manager when not working as a computational demonologist, the name is all too appropriate. In the novella ''Pimpf'', he acquires a pimply-faced young assistant by the name of Peter-Fred Young.

BOFH is a text adventure game written by Howard A. Sherman, which took part in the 2002 [[Interactive Fiction Competition]] and was placed 26th out of 38.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://ifcomp.org/comp02/ | title=8th Annual Interactive Fiction Competition | year = 2002 | website=ifcomp.org | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060709062227/http://ifcomp.org/comp02/ | archivedate=2006-07-09}}</ref><ref>[https://inventory.superverbose.com/2021/03/27/bofh-by-howard-sherman-comp02/ BOFH by Howard Sherman (Comp02) ], review by [[Paul O'Brian]]</ref>

==Simon Travaglia<span class="anchor" id="Simon Travaglia"></span>==
<!--Courtesy note per [[WP:RSECT]]: [[Simon Travaglia]] links here -->
Simon Travaglia (born 1964<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/Simon-Travaglia/e/B00JCJDZCU "Simon Travagia"], a profile at amazon.com</ref>) graduated from the [[University of Waikato]], [[New Zealand]] in 1985. He worked as the IT infrastructure manager (2004&ndash;2008) and computer operator (1985&ndash;1992) at the University of Waikato  and the infrastructure manager at the [[Waikato Innovation Park]], [[Hamilton, New Zealand]] (since 2008). Since 1999 he is a freelance writer for ''[[The Register]]''.<ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-travaglia-1076687/ Simon Travaglia] at [[LinkedIn]]</ref> He lives in [[Hautapu]], New Zealand.<ref>[http://www.bofharchive.com/#about "About me"]</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite web |url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/article/4373 |title=The Trouble with the Bastard Operator from Hell |last=Marti |first=Don |date=1 December 2000 |website=[[Linux Journal]] |access-date=2016-08-22}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|http://www.bofharchive.com}}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/data_centre/bofh/ |title=Data Centre: Bastard Operator From Hell |last=Travaglia |first=Simon |website=[[The Register]] |access-date=2016-08-22}}
* {{cite newsgroup |title=BASTARD OPERATOR FROM HELL #1 |last=Travaglia |first=Simon |date=9 June 1992 |newsgroup=alt.tasteless |message-id=1992Jun10.091440.8536@waikato.ac.nz |url=https://groups.google.com/group/alt.tasteless/browse_thread/thread/5bdbb59af47bf0b0/f0e09b9e5734272 |access-date=2016-08-22}}


[[Category:Computer humour]]
[[Category:Internet culture]]
[[Category:Internet slang]]
[[Category:System administration]]
[[Category:Fictional characters introduced in 1992]]
[[Category:Fictional people in information technology]]