• REW (unregistered)

    The yellow form is used as a pre-filled-out bank-transfer order. You just sign it and send it to the bank, and the bank will transfer the money to whomever you owe the money to.

    Normally they pre-print your name and account number (if known) their name and account number and the amount (if known).

    Now sometimes they send you an invoice which ends up being a negative amount (i.e. a refund). So they invalidate the form which would allow you to send the money.

    Sometimes you authorize them to take the money out of your account. Then you'll get one of those every month. (If you disagree, you complain to the bank and they will revert the transaction).

    This of course for those companies that chose to have one invoicing "pipeline" for both those that require the acceptgiro (yellow bank transfer forms) and those that do not.

  • The Ancient Programmer (unregistered)

    Okay, I'm going to state the bleeding obvious just in case people out there are too young to remeber line printers. (The computer I learnt to program on is now in the Science Museum!) Forms with XXXX in the fields are usually printed at the start of a print run so the operator can line the forms up. TRWTF is somebody put it in an envelope and sent it to Jeroen. What are the chances anyone got the right bill?

  • mtgeekman (unregistered)

    Working at a statement printing company I think I can explain the XXXXXs...

    It usually shows up in a file to be printed to help make sure the lay out on the stub is correct. IE every thing is in the box its supposed to be in.

  • Rorre Rorreson (unregistered) in reply to ping floyd
    ping floyd:
    I do believe that's the most OS-neutral error'd posting I've ever seen. Windows, Linux, and Macs, all showing their best (or worst) in the same post. Kudos!

    Three cheers for that!

    Hip hip, ERROR! Hip hip, ERROR!

    X,

    Rorre

  • OldCoder (unregistered) in reply to Dazed
    Dazed:
    Toon:
    The XXXXXXXX one is NOT a WTF!
    It's still pretty silly. Putting x's over the amount and account number is what is usually done, and is entirely sufficient. Here they've unnecessarily filled everything with x's, even the information field and the stub (except, for some odd reason, the account number).
    Are none of you lot old enough to remember line-up pages on mainframe line printers?

    Print routines would automatically fill any variables completely with X's so that the paper could be properly set up before printing began. Obviously, these aren't supposed to get mailed out.

    Ahh, what's the use. Get off my lawn!

  • (cs)

    For a moment, it looked like that last one was addressed to ERROR.

  • Ken B. (unregistered) in reply to The Ancient Programmer
    The Ancient Programmer:
    Okay, I'm going to state the bleeding obvious just in case people out there are too young to remeber line printers. (The computer I learnt to program on is now in the Science Museum!) Forms with XXXX in the fields are usually printed at the start of a print run so the operator can line the forms up. TRWTF is somebody put it in an envelope and sent it to Jeroen. What are the chances anyone got the right bill?
    Beat me to it.

    Yes, it looks like a form alignment page from "ye good olde days". But, just about everything like this that I get in the mail come in windowed envelopes, with the address on the form showing through the window. Unless this came with the "real" bill showing, it sounds like you could have an entire run of one-off bill-to-envelope matching.

  • frits (unregistered)

    Seriously? Who hasn't written their own forms to do something like this? [image]

  • qbolec (unregistered) in reply to The Ancient Programmer
    The Ancient Programmer:
    Okay, I'm going to state the bleeding obvious just in case people out there are too young to remeber line printers. (The computer I learnt to program on is now in the Science Museum!) Forms with XXXX in the fields are usually printed at the start of a print run so the operator can line the forms up. TRWTF is somebody put it in an envelope and sent it to Jeroen. What are the chances anyone got the right bill?

    e^-1 ? ..hm..no, wait...

  • qbolec (unregistered)

    As to the picture no. 3 it is a muralt

  • wtf (unregistered) in reply to frits
    frits:
    Seriously? Who hasn't written their own forms to do something like this? [image]
    u dont understand: this is now a requirement for every error'd post to have a form with a country code speled out multiple times. [image] [image] Oh, wait. I new this looked familiar: [image]
  • Mike (unregistered) in reply to airdrik
    airdrik:
    the beholder:
    Why does Bart Kuik's picture looks so weird? There's even a floating chimney there.
    Well, the floating chimney can be explained as a part of the building that is behind the display, however it does look like they set up a giant backdrop between the display and the building behind it with a poorly drawn scene from another city.

    A part of me says that the display is just a retail POS display and they snapped a picture of it in front of a model backdrop to make it look like an electronic billboard gone awry. But then several of the details in the picture and on the display lead me to believe that it really is an electronic billboard.

    They actually do this kind of crap in Miami in the name of "beautification."

    CAPTCHA: oppeto - "Someday I'll be a real boy!"

  • Some Guy (unregistered) in reply to ExOttoyuhr
    ExOttoyuhr:
    I AM ERROR. SHOW MY NOTE TO RIVER MAN.

    [Captcha: facilisi: yes, it is facile to invoke this meme in this context...]

    TRWTF is you. Bagu is the guy with the note for the "river man". Error is in a different part of the world.

  • (cs)

    The Mac one is interesting. Apparently the system failed to localize the dialog (the localization machinery is used even for English), maybe because it couldn't open the strings file, and it instead used the key strings put in the source code, that may or may not match the strings in the development language (if the keys match the strings at least in the development language, this allows the development language strings to be shown in development, before the localization process happens, IIRC).

    The SLA note seems to be handled in another way (it's not in the strings file), probably a nib, so that may be why it was not affected.

  • XXXX (unregistered)

    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX? It says XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX? Why would he write XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX?

    Perhaps he was censored?

    If he was censored, why would he bother writing XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX? Wouldn't he just not send the letter?

  • Dazed (unregistered) in reply to OldCoder
    OldCoder:
    Dazed:
    Toon:
    The XXXXXXXX one is NOT a WTF!
    It's still pretty silly. Putting x's over the amount and account number is what is usually done, and is entirely sufficient. Here they've unnecessarily filled everything with x's, even the information field and the stub (except, for some odd reason, the account number).
    Are none of you lot old enough to remember line-up pages on mainframe line printers?

    Print routines would automatically fill any variables completely with X's so that the paper could be properly set up before printing began. Obviously, these aren't supposed to get mailed out.

    Ahh, what's the use. Get off my lawn!

    Sure I remember them. But do tell us: if this was a line-up page, how precisely did the Post Office manage to deliver the bill to XXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX XX, XXXX XX XXXXXXXXX? Enquiring minds want to know.

    What you're seeing here is the bottom third of an A4, where the top two thirds includes the recipients address and the bill. Toon is quite right about what they've done: but they've gone ludicrously over the top, filling everything (well almost, but not quite, demonstrating that it is not an automatic fill routine) with X's.

  • (cs)

    It's a coal powered electronic billboard.

    Note the lack of smoke. There was an error and the fire went out.

  • Anon (unregistered) in reply to ShatteredArm
    ShatteredArm:
    I believe it is just a nice city scene painted on the side of a building in order to make a run down (I mean, "working class") neighborhood look not so bad.

    I believe the PC real-estate term is "up-and-coming" neighborhood. If you Realtor™ tells you a neighborhood is "up-and-coming" it's code for get the fuck out of there.

  • pixelbart (unregistered) in reply to airdrik
    airdrik:
    the beholder:
    Why does Bart Kuik's picture looks so weird? There's even a floating chimney there.
    Well, the floating chimney can be explained as a part of the building that is behind the display, however it does look like they set up a giant backdrop between the display and the building behind it with a poorly drawn scene from another city.

    A part of me says that the display is just a retail POS display and they snapped a picture of it in front of a model backdrop to make it look like an electronic billboard gone awry. But then several of the details in the picture and on the display lead me to believe that it really is an electronic billboard.

    The pic is not edited. I put the originals jpegs here as a proof:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/lostintheforest/5189694977/sizes/o http://www.flickr.com/photos/lostintheforest/5190293790/sizes/o

    The pic was taken on the 3rd of July in Ede, the Netherlands (near the Ede-Wageningen train station). It looks a bit exotic with the multi-perspective wall painting, the gray skies and the Chinese Restaurant, but it is real :)

  • (cs) in reply to pixelbart
    pixelbart:
    The pic was taken on the 3rd of July in Ede, the Netherlands (near the Ede-Wageningen train station). It looks a bit exotic with the multi-perspective wall painting, the gray skies and the Chinese Restaurant, but it is real :)

    What part of South Africa is that in?

  • qqqqqqq (unregistered) in reply to Deezil
    Deezil:
    Xxxx XXXXXXXXXXXX,

    Xx xxxx xxx xxx’x xxxx, xxxx xx x xxxxx-xx xxxxx. Xxx xxxx xxxx xxx xxxxxx xx xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxx xxxx xxx’xx xxx xxxxx xxx xxx xxxxxx xx xx xxxxx XXXXxxx.

    Xx xxxx xxx xxxx xx.

    Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx

    Qqqq, qqq qqqqqqqq qqqqqqq qqq qq qqqqqqqqq qq q qqqq qq qqq qqqqqqqq qqqq qq qqqqqq qqq qqqqqqq, qqqqqqq qq qqqq qqqq qqqq qqqq qqq qq q qqqqq qqqqqqqq qqqqqqq qqq qqqqqqq qqq qqq qqqqqqqq qqqqqq qq qqqq q qqqqqq qqqqq qqqqq qqqq qqqqqqq qqqq.

    Q qqqq qq qq qqqq qqqq qqq qqqqqqq qq qqqq q qqqqqq QQQ qqqqqqq qqq qqqq qqqqqqq q qqqqqqq qq qq qq qqqqq qq q qqqqq qqqqqqqq qq qqqq qq qqqq qqqq qq qqqqqqqqqq qqqqqqqqq qqqq qqqq. Qqq qqqq qqqqqqq qq qqq qqqqqqq qq qqq qqqqqqq qqq qq qqq qqqqqqq qqqq qq qq qqqqqqq qqqq qq qqqqqq qq qq qqqqqqqqqq qqqqqqqqq.

  • ÃÆâ€℠(unregistered) in reply to wtf
    wtf:
    frits:
    Seriously? Who hasn't written their own forms to do something like this? [image]

    Oh, wait. I new this looked familiar: [image]

    Looks like the good ol' days of TDWTF are gone. They don't post daily now, they make dumb stories, and now, they even recycle old wtf's.

  • ÃÆâ€â„ (unregistered)

    http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/There-is-No-Survey-Currently-Running.aspx

    Thanks Alex!

  • Dan (unregistered)

    Is it only Macs that "Just Work"? I have a Mac Mini that half the time fails to boot up completely, and an iPod that reset twice yesterday. If they are also in the "Just Works" category, I want my money back.

  • drusi (unregistered) in reply to Paul
    Paul:
    ERROR If you cannot view this comment properly, please ERROR.

    Dear Mr. Papadimoulis ERROR

    Okay.

    ERROR

  • JJ (unregistered) in reply to Some Wonk
    Some Wonk:
    Silfax:
    golddog:
    operagost:
    It says, "Here may be found the last words of Joseph of Informix. The selected locale/codeset will result in performance degradation. For optimum performance, UGGGGHHHHH"

    Nobody would write, "UGGGGHHHHH", they'd just say it!

    perhaps he was dictating

    No, no. It's Aaauugghh. In the back of the throat.

    No, I mean "Ooohh!" as in surprise and alarm.

  • can't say (unregistered)

    The actual WTF is the actual collection of "items" posted today (I can't call them articles, cause they're really not). I mean, one simply cannot say anything sophisticated about any of them - the global reaction is "ha-ha", and that's it. We (well, I) want an interesting story, something that can be discussed. WTF can anyone say about any of the "stories" from today? Nothing! Ha-ha. Yes, they're funny. What else can you say? Am I missing a message, or what?

  • Dazed (unregistered) in reply to can't say

    What you're missing is that this post is in the category "Error'd".

  • (cs) in reply to can't say
    can't say:
    The actual WTF is the actual collection of "items" posted today (I can't call them articles, cause they're really not). I mean, one simply cannot say anything sophisticated about any of them - the global reaction is "ha-ha", and that's it. We (well, I) want an interesting story, something that can be discussed. WTF can anyone say about any of the "stories" from today? Nothing! Ha-ha. Yes, they're funny. What else can you say? Am I missing a message, or what?
    Shhh! Don't tell the emperor that he's got nothing on!
  • can't say (unregistered) in reply to Dazed

    I guess I did miss that. However, it's presented on the home page as the "article of the day". So - still - WTF?

  • BentFranklin (unregistered) in reply to Dan
    Dan:
    Is it only Macs that "Just Work"? I have a Mac Mini that half the time fails to boot up completely, and an iPod that reset twice yesterday. If they are also in the "Just Works" category, I want my money back.

    Just take the to the just Mac store and get them just fixed.

    Captcha: iusto. But I don't anymore

  • AC (unregistered)

    If you're happy and you know it, ERROR If you're happy and you know it, ERROR If you're happy and you know it, and you really want to show it ERROR!

  • Nome de Plume (unregistered) in reply to frits
    frits:
    Seriously? Who hasn't written their own forms to do something like this? [image]

    I don't know why this guy from the Netherlands can't understand it. Africaans is just simplified Dutch. This must be how they simplify countries.

  • (cs) in reply to Web Dude
    Web Dude:
    Anonymous:
    Obviously it's in Roman numerals. ЄXXXX.XX is 40 Euros and 20 Eurolets (are Euro pence called Eurolets?

    A Euro pence is called a Eurine. FACT.

    Nope, it's a Euranus.

  • airdrik (unregistered) in reply to can't say
    can't say:
    I guess I did miss that. However, it's presented on the home page as the "article of the day". So - still - WTF?
    Except that they do Error'd every Friday.
  • enim (unregistered) in reply to pixelbart
    pixelbart:
    The pic is not edited. I put the originals jpegs here as a proof:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/lostintheforest/5189694977/sizes/o http://www.flickr.com/photos/lostintheforest/5190293790/sizes/o

    The pic was taken on the 3rd of July in Ede, the Netherlands (near the Ede-Wageningen train station). It looks a bit exotic with the multi-perspective wall painting, the gray skies and the Chinese Restaurant, but it is real :)

    TRWTF is that 3 out of 8 posted submissions are from the Netherlands. (Numbers 1, 3, and 7)

  • Ex Ex Ex Ex Ex Ex... (unregistered) in reply to wtf
    wtf:
    frits:
    Seriously? Who hasn't written their own forms to do something like this? [image]
    u dont understand: this is now a requirement for every error'd post to have a form with a country code speled out multiple times. [image] [image] Oh, wait. I new this looked familiar: [image]

    I thought you were posting a consulting job for fried pickles in south africa, so I mailed my resume to what I presume is your business address:

    XXXXXX XXXXXX c/o XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXX XXXXXX XX XXXXXX, XXXXXXX XXXXX, XX

    Please ignore.

  • (cs) in reply to not so humble
    The selected locale/codeset will result in performance degradation. For optimum performance...
    As a former Informix DBA, I can tell you that the rest of the error message that was cut off by the limitations of the display box is
    ... install Oracle, or SQL Server, or even freaking MySQL. Anything but this piece of crap DBMS. Seriously.
  • (cs)

    This is the stupidest thread of meta-comments yet.

  • uuang (unregistered)

    ERROR

    wtf akismet, IM NOT SPAMMING!

  • DJ (unregistered)

    I call BS on the Mac error.

    This is what happens when you install OS X on a PC and edit the one of the localization files to make it display the correct CPU name. So I don't think you can really call it a Mac error.

  • (cs)

    Looks like Jeroen's health insurer anticipated the submission to TDWTF and preemptively redacted the confidential info.

    Now that's first class customer service, right there!

  • (cs) in reply to REW
    REW:
    (reasons why you may not need the transfer form snipped...)

    This of course for those companies that chose to have one invoicing "pipeline" for both those that require the acceptgiro (yellow bank transfer forms) and those that do not.

    And that is TRWTF. The transfer forms cost a lot more since they have to conform to regulations. Last quote I heard was about 10 eurocents per form.

    Print the bills that don't need a transfer form attached on regular paper. Save money and embarrassment.

  • Leifbk (unregistered) in reply to SCSimmons
    SCSimmons:
    The selected locale/codeset will result in performance degradation. For optimum performance...
    As a former Informix DBA, I can tell you that the rest of the error message that was cut off by the limitations of the display box is
    ... install Oracle, or SQL Server, or even freaking MySQL. Anything but this piece of crap DBMS. Seriously.

    What's wrong with PostgreSQL?

  • Zongo (unregistered)

    Tonight we're gonna ERROR like its 1999!

  • Bushea (unregistered) in reply to ratis
    ratis:
    Power Troll:
    The XXXXXXXXXXXX thing is not a WTF. This is similar to the IRC password incident. See, when you see XXXXXXXXXXXX (a medical condition), I actually see XXXXXXXXXXXX. It's the latest technology being used across the globe so that personal medical information remains anonymous in real life and on the internet.

    For example, I've been diagnosed with XXXXXXXXXXXX, but I'm not afraid to submit that, because it's automatically hidden from you guys.

    Hemorrhoidal Erectile Polyp Dysfunction.
    Arrrgh! Must... destroy... minds... eye...

  • USER_NAME_TITLE (unregistered)

    COMMENT_MESSAGE

    COMMENT_INFORMATIVE

    TRWTF_MESSAGE

    CAPTCHA_MESSAGE

    FUCK_AKISMET_MESSAGE

  • minim (unregistered) in reply to anon
    anon:
    Anonymous:
    Obviously it's in Roman numerals. ЄXXXX.XX is 40 Euros and 20 Eurolets (are Euro pence called Eurolets? If not, why not?).
    They're called Euro-cents, presumably because "cents" was already taken.
    Except that they're not.
  • Anoniem (unregistered) in reply to Toon

    Indeed. This is not a WTF. It shows only a part of a letter. The person is getting money back or he pays via direct debit. The letter states that money will be withdrawn from his account automatically. The xxxx prevents him from using the yellow form and paying twice.

  • Xythar (unregistered) in reply to USER_NAME_TITLE
    USER_NAME_TITLE:
    COMMENT_MESSAGE

    COMMENT_INFORMATIVE

    TRWTF_MESSAGE

    CAPTCHA_MESSAGE

    FUCK_AKISMET_MESSAGE

    NONSENSICAL_STATEMENT_INVOLVING_PLANKTON

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