Rudder says he does not know why this new procrastination fodder strikes a chord with Harvard students.
"They're probably bored. It's fun," he says. "There's nothing to do online so that's the void we are trying to fill."
Spark fans can take heart, however, that in the realm of time-wasting activities, theirs is far from the worst, according to a Bureau of Study Counsel official.
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"Once you're in front of the computer you're already over one of the hurdles of procrastination--I mean, at least you're in front of the computer," says M. Suzanne Renna, the associate director of the Bureau.
--Staff writer Rachel E. Dry can be reached at dry@fas.harvard.edu.