Comment On The Long Flight Home

The real WTF for Michael is that he blacked out his address, but left the intelligent mail barcode that not only includes his full 11-digit zip code, but may very well include a number that uniquely identifies the mail piece he was sent.

Of course, nobody would be stupid enough to use something sensitive as a piece level identifier. Would they?

Abu Dhabi? Happen to find a certain grey kitten while you were there?

That plane must be Etihad. They had the same high-milage when I flew with them. I just asumed there was a manual reset that didn't ever get run.

TRWTF™ is the custom dialog box and button from Oracle.

Shinobu:

TRWTF™ is the custom dialog box and button from Oracle.

That's Java. and it is a WTF, not because it's Java, but because Oracle insist on using Java 1.1 for most of their tools.

I don't get the Crystal Tech one. 'SMUT' seems pretty close to 'SMTP'. If the dictionary used didn't include acronyms like SMTP then smut probably WOULD be the closest real word it would find.

That's some amount of airmiles you've collected

mabinogi:

Shinobu:

TRWTF™ is the custom dialog box and button from Oracle.

That's Java. and it is a WTF, not because it's Java, but because Oracle insist on using Java 1.1 for most of their tools.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Except of course half of their tools are broken, including the Java based installer, from what I've noticed.

what could I have done wrong?

The clue is right there in the dialog box: "files to Oracle Support"... sounds like you attempted to run something made by Oracle.

A straight line is the shortest distance between two points, except when you're flying or sailing, when we use curved lines instead, as the map "planely" shows. Also, we use nautical miles, which are nothing like real miles. So, the faster you need to get there, the more we bend the curve, and the higher the miles.

all one hundred and fifteen thousand of them?

Lucky bastard, I wish my student loans could be deferred for 90 years.

Yes, but after 90 years of interest your student loan balance will be 750 billion dollars. When you fail to repay it, the universal economy will collapse.

amischiefr:

Lucky bastard, I wish my student loans could be deferred for 90 years.

Note that the loan actually was not deferred, he is still required to pay all payments due before that date in order for said automatic payments to be activated.

Easiest 'Automatic Payment' program to implement EVER!

The only real WTF here is the first one. The rest are common mistakes that you'll always see....

You know what? Never mind. This is to much stress.

*packs bags for half way trip to the moon*

Old Sailor:

A straight line is the shortest distance between two points, except when you're flying or sailing, when we use curved lines instead, as the map "planely" shows.

The shortest distance between two points is still a straight line. You just have to make sure you're using the correct geometry.

Old Sailor:

A straight line is the shortest distance between two points, except when you're flying or sailing, when we use curved lines instead, as the map "planely" shows. Also, we use nautical miles, which are nothing like real miles. So, the faster you need to get there, the more we bend the curve, and the higher the miles.

If you loop around the moon at the speed of light, you can actually arrive before you depart. Plus, it helps if you can cross the international date line.

Postal Geek:

The real WTF for Michael is that he blacked out his address, but left the intelligent mail barcode that not only includes his full 11-digit zip code, but may very well include a number that uniquely identifies the mail piece he was sent.

Of course, nobody would be stupid enough to use something sensitive as a piece level identifier. Would they?

It's jsut a shame that the bar code reader on my nokia can't quite make it out at that res

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, most just prefer not to fly through the earth on that straight line flight.

On a map on the other hand, if the map is large enough, a straight line is NOT a straight line because the map is flat and the earth is round. As a result, a curved line on a map of the earth is actually shorter than a straight line. If you plotted that curved line on a globe it would be straight.

The distance still isn't as far as the moon given the earth is only ~25K miles(?) around.

Old Sailor:

Also, we use nautical miles, which are nothing like real miles.

A nautical mile is 1.15 miles - that sure sounds something like a "real" mile.

kraftymiles:

Postal Geek:

The real WTF for Michael is that he blacked out his address, but left the intelligent mail barcode that not only includes his full 11-digit zip code, but may very well include a number that uniquely identifies the mail piece he was sent.

Of course, nobody would be stupid enough to use something sensitive as a piece level identifier. Would they?

It's jsut a shame that the bar code reader on my nokia can't quite make it out at that res

Hint: print it out then take a picture of it on a wooden table.

You may have meant to search for smut

Maybe they just know you better than you think!
Captcha: vereor: Be afraid, be very afraid.

Have to have that extra for the knot don't you know.

You may have meant to search for smut

perhaps the site detected copious amounts of porn/smut/filth cookies and based the suggestion on this! (improbable, i know)

Shinobu:

TRWTF™ is the custom dialog box and button from Oracle.

It's not as bad as Oracle Forms Builder... Needed to use that for my DBMS class at university, and it's horribly ugly D:

Of course long airplane flights follow a curve. To do everything via straight lines would require a lot of tunneling through the middle of the earth, flooding all our airports with liquid hot magma.

slot

You may have meant to search for slut

corn

You may have meant to search for porn

shit

You may have meant to search for microsoft

Actually, Third Party Smut Authentication does sound more interesting.

Sec Ces:

kraftymiles:

It's jsut a shame that the bar code reader on my nokia can't quite make it out at that res

Hint: print it out then take a picture of it on a wooden table.

You don't need to do either. Copy out the talls, shorts, ups, and downs, and then go google for "Intelligent Mail Barcode"

I'm sure you can find a decoder...

BTW, congratulations to Michael for photographing his WTF letter on a wooden table. Thanks for upholding the traditions of TDWTF, Michael.

Major Payments:

Yes, but after 90 years of interest your student loan balance will be 750 billion dollars. When you fail to repay it, the universal economy will collapse.

With current inflation rates 750 billion dollars will buy you a loaf of bread 90 years later.


Hey same CAPTCHA as last time (facilisis)

mabinogi:

Shinobu:

TRWTF™ is the custom dialog box and button from Oracle.

That's Java. and it is a WTF, not because it's Java, but because Oracle insist on using Java 1.1 for most of their tools.

That button is not because of Java (and also not because of Java 1.1).

Maybe the even realer WTF is that Oracle bought Sun and now owns Java...

Flatline:

I don't get the Crystal Tech one. 'SMUT' seems pretty close to 'SMTP'. If the dictionary used didn't include acronyms like SMTP then smut probably WOULD be the closest real word it would find.

When the Mac OS spellchecker is used with the German dictionary, it suggests replacing "Portfolio" with "Pornofilm" (translations unnecessary). Just because a word is the closest match in the dictionary, does not mean it's similar enough to qualify as a suggestion.

Why are there no landmasses in that picture of the flight from Syndey to Abu Dhabi? The picture is not very useful! Is it just trying to show how much of the earth you have circumnavigated?

@Mike: "The distance still isn't as far as the moon given the earth is only ~25K miles(?) around."

So? The distance to the moon is not really related to the circumference of the Earth. The comment from Matt said "halfway to the moon", and the distance given is more than halfway, so Matt's comment is right. He didn't say "as far as the moon", but he slightly underestimated how close he would be (about 3/4 of the way to the surface of the moon, I think).

As for the "16:9 aspect resolution" of the battery charger, well, people don't know what words mean...

Even lithium batteries have memory.

Mike:

On a map on the other hand, if the map is large enough, a straight line is NOT a straight line because the map is flat and the earth is round.

That depends on the projection used to make the map. With the stereographic projection, great circle routes are straight lines.

Shinobu:

TRWTF™ is the custom dialog box and button from Oracle.

How about resizing the graphic inside the browser? WTF.

DWalker59:

He didn't say "as far as the moon", but he slightly underestimated how close he would be (about 3/4 of the way to the surface of the moon, I think).

Actually...the average center-to-center distance between the Earth and the Moon is about 239,000 miles, while surface-to-surface is more like 234,000 miles. Either way, the distance quoted on the screen is much closer to "halfway to the Moon" than "3/4 of the way to the surface of the moon".

We've covered this bar code issue before.

We may have covered the barcode issue before, but since I took the effort of googling, I want someone else to try it.

USPS Intelligent Mail Barcode online encoder/decoder: http://ribbs.usps.gov/onecodesolution/Default.aspx

Convenient, I have to admit.

Now get cracking on the decoding!

Worf:

We may have covered the barcode issue before, but since I took the effort of googling, I want someone else to try it.

USPS Intelligent Mail Barcode online encoder/decoder: http://ribbs.usps.gov/onecodesolution/Default.aspx

Convenient, I have to admit.

Now get cracking on the decoding!

Sorry, my ire was meant to be directed at Alex.

Before I posted, I had already done the decoding to make sure that the bar code hadn't been dummied. The address is in New Haven, CT.

So, we know the product specs aren't for the battery charger... but what *are* they for?! What in God's name has 512mb of memory but 480x234 resolution? What kind of camera has a contrast spec that looks like that for a display, and what kind of small display has 400:1 contrast - that you would even bother to measure?

Did they just slap together a bunch of specs from random things?

Bizarre.

PeriSoft:

So, we know the product specs aren't for the battery charger... but what *are* they for?! What in God's name has 512mb of memory but 480x234 resolution? What kind of camera has a contrast spec that looks like that for a display, and what kind of small display has 400:1 contrast - that you would even bother to measure?

Did they just slap together a bunch of specs from random things?

Bizarre.

If you do a search for "480x234", lots of digital picture frames come up. That seems to fit the specs.

Well done sir. Well done. :-)

~:

Abu Dhabi? Happen to find a certain grey kitten while you were there?

Well done sir. Well done.

(forgot to quote).

EatenByAGrue:

Of course long airplane flights follow a curve. To do everything via straight lines would require a lot of tunneling through the middle of the earth, flooding all our airports with liquid hot magma.

Many's the time I've been stuck in an airport, just wishing to be flooded with liquid hot magma. Especially in Detroit.

Worf:

We may have covered the barcode issue before, but since I took the effort of googling, I want someone else to try it.

USPS Intelligent Mail Barcode online encoder/decoder: http://ribbs.usps.gov/onecodesolution/Default.aspx

Convenient, I have to admit.

Now get cracking on the decoding!

FTAFTAFTTFTDTFDTAADFDTTAAFDDFFFTDTDATDDATDFADFFFAFFADFADAFATDFTTD

Barcode ID: 00
Special Services: 080
Mailer ID: 100309
Serial Number: 042921342
Delivery Point ZIP Code: 06515211612

Flatline:

I don't get the Crystal Tech one. 'SMUT' seems pretty close to 'SMTP'. If the dictionary used didn't include acronyms like SMTP then smut probably WOULD be the closest real word it would find.

May not quite be a WTF, but amusing nonetheless...

Perhaps they realise how many people do search for smut (although I'm not sure entering smut would get such good results....)

Major Payments:

Yes, but after 90 years of interest your student loan balance will be 750 billion dollars. When you fail to repay it, the universal economy will collapse.

And since I'll be dead, I'd care exactly why?

EatenByAGrue:

Of course long airplane flights follow a curve. To do everything via straight lines would require a lot of tunneling through the middle of the earth, flooding all our airports with liquid hot magma.

Actually, the earth only appears to be round. In truth it is warped along with the curvature of the universe and is shaped like a partially deflated soccer ball: convex at one pole, concave at the other, so that flying a true straight line would actually carry the plane straight across from one concave edge to the other.

Or something like that. It's late and I'm bored.