Stock Image Meltdown.

Is this man a serial killer? He definitely looks like he wants to kill us all!

During the course of the day when I'm working on ads and publicity for my Computer Repair business, I trawl through thousands of stock images. There's millions of the damned things and I've probably seen them all.

When I use a search word like computer, laptop or mac, the images appear to fall into eight categories:

1.) Attractive business people sitting at (or near) a computer, looking vaguely happy and productive.

2.) A computer on a desk, with or without a coffee cup or plant.

3.) Random circuit boards that don't belong to any computer I've ever seen.

4.) Futuristic Sci-Fi images that are meant to give the impression that you're an uber tech savvy geek and really, really clever.

6.) Angry people hitting and shouting at computers.

7.) A close up of a moodily lit keyboard looking all mysterious.

8.) The downright weird and bizarre.

The image above belongs in the last category. I have no idea what that man is thinking or what his intentions are, but judging by the look in his eyes, it can't be good. Reminds me of a young Hannibal Lecter or the lead character in the film American Psycho. If I shared an office with him, I would definitely be thinking about taking some time off.

What I really don't understand is - in what context would you use an image like that?