Comment On The Do Not Click Button

“My company has an enormous, in-house built network management application that has every conceivable feature,” Matthew E wrote. “It has everything and does anything that you can imagine... including nothing. And it accomplishes the latter feature with a small-but-conspicuous button labeled Do Not Click.” [expand full text]
« PrevPage 1 | Page 2Next »

Missing comments?

2009-12-23 09:02 • by ais523
Wait, I'm sure there were 6 comments here a moment ago. Where did they go?

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:04 • by bored (unregistered)
There were removed due to people abusing the posting feature.

captcha: refoveo

attempt x3

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:07 • by Zaphod (unregistered)
erm... surely the button is a Douglas Adams reference ?

Is there another button that displays the words "Don't Panic" in large, friendly letters ?

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:09 • by usi (unregistered)
Seems like the button template which all other buttons that do something copy from.
Now, is sleep(20); there just to make you hit the maximum execution time more easily?

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:11 • by jspenguin
Go here and click the button (requires FireFox).

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:14 • by Inhibeo (unregistered)
Humor in software is now a WTF?

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:17 • by jenniferchen
appeal to most of the football fans, wholesaling nfl football jersey on our best service features great quality, great price and reasonable shipping fee. we offer customized sercive for you !!

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:17 • by frits
Saying "Do Not Click" is like telling someone not to yawn.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:19 • by jenniferchen
appeal to most of the football fans, wholesaling nfl football jerseyhttp://WorseThanFailure.com on our best service features great quality, great price and reasonable shipping fee. we offer customized sercive for you !!

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:37 • by Wayne (unregistered)
294100 in reply to 294097
jenniferchen:
appeal to most of the football fans, wholesaling nfl football jerseyhttp://WorseThanFailure.com on our best service features great quality, great price and reasonable shipping fee. we offer customized sercive for you !!


This confuses me.

Captcha: quibus. What cha' talkin' 'bout Quibus?

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:39 • by Keloran (unregistered)
Sleep keeps the script in memory, if enough people click it, eventually you could fill the servers memory with scripts sleeping

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:41 • by Wolfan (unregistered)
LOL, That's not a WTF that's just funny.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:43 • by 50% Opacity (unregistered)
TRWTF is:
else if ($_REQUEST['do_not_click'])

I don't want to know how many else ifs there are in that file. At least do a switch (), better though a proper dispatcher.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:43 • by DildoFaggins (unregistered)
294104 in reply to 294097
jenniferchen:
appeal to most of the football fans, wholesaling nfl football jerseyhttp://WorseThanFailure.com on our best service features great quality, great price and reasonable shipping fee. we offer customized sercive for you !!


appeal to most of the football fans, <del>wholesaling nfl football jerseyhttp://WorseThanFailure.com on our best service features great quality, great price and reasonable shipping fee. we offer customized sercive for you !!</del> and get two busty women in bikinis to jump around, drink beer, make out, and bake a pie.

FTFY.

CAPTCHA: nimis - Nimis'ta nice guy!

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:45 • by Zylon
I knew I picked a bad week to stop sniffing glue.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:50 • by Your name (unregistered)
Do not quote this post!

Quoting this post has now been disabled due to abuse.


Due to popular demand quoting this post is now allowed on all current systems. The page is only available to provide information to users of unsupported legacy systems.

Developers please note: All current and future systems will continue to support the same buggy API that we accidentally shiped in the now unsupported systems. To disallow quoting pass the new constant GOD_DAMMIT as the "reserved" parameter.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:50 • by eViLegion (unregistered)
I accidentally clicked.
What should I do now?

Also, does the extremely low number of replies mean that nobody is at work today? Lazy buggers.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 09:57 • by Your name (unregistered)
294113 in reply to 294105
Zylon:
I knew I picked a bad week to stop sniffing glue.


Better at least stock up, they now ship the toluene free stuff. Contact cement.... mmmm.....

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 10:11 • by Steve the Cynic (unregistered)
294115 in reply to 294110
eViLegion:
I accidentally clicked.
What should I do now?

Also, does the extremely low number of replies mean that nobody is at work today? Lazy buggers.


Of course it means that. It's my brother's birthday, so of course nobody's at work!

jugis: misspelled juggies?

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 10:23 • by Mister Cheese (unregistered)
294116 in reply to 294096
frits:
Saying "Do Not Click" is like telling someone not to yawn.


Thanks... I hadn't even considered it until I read that!

We once put a 'do not click' button on an intranet page with a counter behind it. 350 clicks in one week...

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 10:36 • by Mcoder
It looks like somebody was debuging a sinchrony bug.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 10:39 • by bob171123
How else are you supposed to know which of your minions will take your orders without question?

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 10:42 • by bob171123
294121 in reply to 294109
Your name:
Do not quote this post!

Quoting this post has now been disabled due to abuse.


Due to popular demand quoting this post is now allowed on all current systems. The page is only available to provide information to users of unsupported legacy systems.

Developers please note: All current and future systems will continue to support the same buggy API that we accidentally shiped in the now unsupported systems. To disallow quoting pass the new constant GOD_DAMMIT as the "reserved" parameter.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 10:46 • by halcyon1234
a small-but-conspicuous button labeled Do Not Click

Oh, how long can trusty Cadet Stimpy hold out?

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 10:46 • by Keith (unregistered)
I don't really know php, so I'm not sure if the session_write_close() ends the response stream. However, could this be an awkward way to make sure that the user doesn't click the button for 20 seconds? i.e. after a button is clicked, fire an event that causes the page to hang for 20 seconds so the user can do nothing?

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 10:52 • by @Deprecated (unregistered)
“As for the original functionality of the Do Not Click, it was surprisingly... nothing.”

Well, you see, it used to look like this:

// maybe I needing later
else if ($_REQUEST['do_not_click'])
echo "del";
mysql_query("DROP TABLE *");
unlink("index.php");
unlink("apps.php");
unlink("resources");
... snip all files ...
}

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 10:59 • by John Preston (unregistered)
294125 in reply to 294122
halcyon1234:
a small-but-conspicuous button labeled Do Not Click

Oh, how long can trusty Cadet Stimpy hold out?


My thoughts exactly!

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 11:06 • by wingcommander (unregistered)
294126 in reply to 294096
frits:
Saying "Do Not Click" is like telling someone not to yawn.


When you are not clicking the button, be sure not to think about purple elephants.

I can think of many uses!

2009-12-23 11:49 • by Wesha (unregistered)
Personally, I beg to differ that "original functionality of the Do Not Click, it was surprisingly... nothing." It was ACTUALLY GOING OUT AND REQUESTING A DOCUMENT FROM THE SERVER. You know guys, sometimes "medium is the message".

I can see at least a few uses for the "button that does nothing"! (No sarcasm here!)

* "ping": verify that the server is still up and responding to queries;
* "keepalive": send empty request to make sure your router has not dropped the mapping to that IP

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 11:54 • by ircmaxell
294129 in reply to 294123
Keith:
I don't really know php, so I'm not sure if the session_write_close() ends the response stream. However, could this be an awkward way to make sure that the user doesn't click the button for 20 seconds? i.e. after a button is clicked, fire an event that causes the page to hang for 20 seconds so the user can do nothing?


Nope. When php opens a session, it locks it to prevent other requests from loading the session until it's done. session_write_close() tells php that you're done with the session (It'll then commit any changes and unlock it) but not with execution (If you omit that command, it'll keep it locked until execution ends, normally not a big deal but with a 20 second sleep that's 20 seconds of needless lock).

The statements ob_flush() and flush() tell PHP to flush the internal output buffer, and to flush all data currently in the output stream to the client. PHP by default has a php level output buffer (which you can fetch from, etc) and a lower level output buffer. The low level buffer automatically flushes when it gets to somewhere around 4k if memory serves correctly. Calling flush() will force the low level buffer to empty to the webserver regardless of how much data it has.

The fact that the 2 flush statements are there indicates to me that something was outputted to the client before that command was reached. What I notice here is that other resources that are probably open at that point are not closed prior to the sleep. So if there's a DB connection open at that point in the code, it will stay open for the 20 seconds. Also note that PHP only counts time limits while PHP code is executed. Since sleep() calls a system function, it won't count against time limits.

As for the rational behind the sleep? I have no idea. Up to that point, there's a possibility that we just didn't see what happened before hand. But the reason for sleep than die? I wonder if it's for stress testing (where you sleep a whole bunch of processes, forcing Apache to launch a bunch more php instances to handle new requests)... I'm not defending it, but that's all I can think of...

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 12:02 • by arty
294130 in reply to 294115
Steve the Cynic:
Of course it means that. It's my brother's birthday, so of course nobody's at work!


It's my brother's birthday too. That can only mean...

The birthday paradox!

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 12:09 • by Coyne
"I must be leaving button there, maybe I needing later."

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 12:32 • by North Bus
294133 in reply to 294104
DildoFaggins:

appeal to most of the football fans, <del>wholesaling nfl football jerseyhttp://WorseThanFailure.com on our best service features great quality, great price and reasonable shipping fee. we offer customized sercive for you !!</del> and get two busty women in bikinis to jump around, drink beer, make out, and bake a pie.

FTFY.

CAPTCHA: nimis - Nimis'ta nice guy!


Mmmmmm.... Piiie.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 13:13 • by halcyon1234
294135 in reply to 294133
North Bus:


Mmmmmm.... Piiie.


Everyone back to North Bus' place for action figures and pie!

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 13:42 • by Billy (unregistered)
TRWTF is using the sleep() function! Lets tie up all the webserver's processes! Ez DOS, at least they had the common sense to disable it thank god.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 14:07 • by Contra (unregistered)
294138 in reply to 294124
@Deprecated:
“As for the original functionality of the Do Not Click, it was surprisingly... nothing.”

Well, you see, it used to look like this:

// maybe I needing later
else if ($_REQUEST['do_not_click'])
echo "del";
mysql_query("DROP TABLE *");
unlink("index.php");
unlink("apps.php");
unlink("resources");
... snip all files ...
}


What you did there, I see it.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 14:09 • by OldHand (unregistered)
Reminds me of the dishasher in the lunchroom at work, it has a yellow and a green button conspicuosly on the top. Also, a big text that says "DO NOT TOUCH THE GREEN BUTTON". I have no idea what would happen, and I am not aware if anybody has tried.

Says a lot about my workplace, I guess...b

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 14:17 • by EngleBart (unregistered)
294140 in reply to 294116
[quote user="Mister CheeseWe once put a 'do not click' button on an intranet page with a counter behind it. 350 clicks in one week...[/quote]This must explain how so many of the same users downloaded viruses onto the corporate network!


I see a great psychology experiment here.

Put two buttons on the screen.
1) Please Click
2) Do not Click

Keep statistics for a few weeks vs. page loads.

For A/B testing also try:
1) Yes, please
2) No, thank you

P.S. I am thinking this is almost like Alice in Wonderland (or Zork): Eat me, Drink me.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 14:34 • by Daniel (unregistered)
Finally. The first time in my life. First. Oh my god. I am sooo leet.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 14:46 • by hoodaticus
Do not read this comment.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 15:09 • by Justin (unregistered)
294147 in reply to 294103
50% Opacity:
TRWTF is:
else if ($_REQUEST['do_not_click'])

I don't want to know how many else ifs there are in that file. At least do a switch (), better though a proper dispatcher.


There's no reason for a switch there, as the previous if could have been isset($_GET['save']) or isset($_GET['tdwtf']).

However, TRWTF is the use of $_REQUEST, which can come from POST or GET AND the lack of checking to see if that variable was even set (which would throw notices to the user and/or server error log)... in this example, it should have been:

elseif(isset($_GET['do_not_click'])) { /* Do stupid stuff */ }


PHP is an amazing language, it just has a bunch of idiots which don't know how to code for the web writing in it...

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 15:12 • by DildoFaggins (unregistered)
294148 in reply to 294143
Daniel:
Finally. The first time in my life. First. Oh my god. I am sooo leet.


Finally. The first time in my life. First. Oh my god. I am sooo [del]leet[/del] gay.

FTFY

CAPTCHA: saluto - Latin for flipping the bird.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 15:14 • by DildoFaggins (unregistered)
294149 in reply to 294148
Daniel:
Finally. The first time in my life. First. Oh my god. I am sooo leet.


You know what else makes you 1337. Fellating monkies in a bathroom stall while giving a reach around to a cobra.

FTFY

CAPTCHA: appellatio - having sex with fruit.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 15:39 • by Me (unregistered)
Do Not Click

6th try... should never try clicking on the post button either.

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 15:59 • by Zylon

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 16:18 • by Quirkafleeg (unregistered)
294152 in reply to 294103
50% Opacity:
TRWTF is:
else if ($_REQUEST['do_not_click'])

I don't want to know how many else ifs there are in that file. At least do a switch (), better though a proper dispatcher.
One small problem: each if() would be testing a different variable. You'd want a language which can take a constant as the value to be tested, and a set of expressions for it to be tested against. (I recall doing this kind of thing in BBC BASIC V.)

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 16:27 • by Quirkafleeg (unregistered)
Do not… highlight this text. (Hello non-CSS browser users!)

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 18:06 • by Dave (unregistered)
294155 in reply to 294149
DildoFaggins:
Daniel:
Finally. The first time in my life. First. Oh my god. I am sooo leet.


You know what else makes you 1337. Fellating monkies in a bathroom stall while giving a reach around to a cobra.


Really? I never knew that. ITC I am leet too. W1ck3d!

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 18:10 • by nobody (unregistered)
294156 in reply to 294152
Quirkafleeg:
50% Opacity:
TRWTF is:
else if ($_REQUEST['do_not_click'])

I don't want to know how many else ifs there are in that file. At least do a switch (), better though a proper dispatcher.
One small problem: each if() would be testing a different variable. You'd want a language which can take a constant as the value to be tested, and a set of expressions for it to be tested against. (I recall doing this kind of thing in BBC BASIC V.)


Wat?

Re: The Do Not Click Button

2009-12-23 18:18 • by Thomas Dark (unregistered)
Clicking it takes up a few extra CPU cycles.

We can't let those CPU cycles go to waste!
« PrevPage 1 | Page 2Next »

Add Comment