• Allwise (unregistered)

    Well, you should always STOP! DON'T DO IT! a few times before using that peacock.

    capcha: damnum!

  • Peacock himself (unregistered)

    Peacock! That sounds like a really important table that you got there.... That's some genitus (CAPTCHA) idea...

  • Ni_knight (unregistered)

    That "peacock" in the very last row made me fell off my chair laughing

  • (cs)

    What you have there is the MS-DOS epoch. It's still lurking about in various FAT formats.

  • Nemo (unregistered)

    1980 is the MSDOS epoch, or the IBM PC BIOS epoch, if you prefer. For those of us old enough to remember, the original PCs didn't always keep the time on their own. You needed a fancy "real-time clock" add-on for that. If you didn't have that, you had to enter the date on startup. And if you didn't do that, you got "1980" as the timestamp on all your files. So 1980 shows up disproportionately as a timestamp on older files.

  • (cs)

    TRWTF is that pressing STOP will still delete the database, since noone's thought to check the return value from MessageBox.Show()...

  • faoileag (unregistered) in reply to Julia
    Julia:
    TRWTF is that pressing STOP will still delete the database, since noone's thought to check the return value from MessageBox.Show()...
    TRWTF is suggesting to test the return value of a MessageBox that only has an "OK" button.
  • (cs)
    /*_*/
    indeed.
  • Warren (unregistered)

    That tract column looks like it's come from someone's digestive tract.

  • Chris Angelico (unregistered) in reply to Julia
    Julia:
    TRWTF is that pressing STOP will still delete the database, since noone's thought to check the return value from MessageBox.Show()...

    It may be that you're meant to use some other way to halt the program - Ctrl-C or kill process or something.

  • Black Bart (unregistered)

    The 1980 PC Epoch is still alive and well, and with us today. I recently digitized some original music that was recorded in 1970 and 1975. I thought it would be smart to set the file dates to the recorded dates. So far, so good. But when I zipped it - it zapped the dates fast forward to 1980: this is the oldest date supported by the .ZIP format.

  • Racemaniac (unregistered)

    It's obviously a innovative database system. Learning from for example null terminated strings, this is an example of a peacock terminated table.

  • Doranku (unregistered) in reply to Nemo

    Dec Alpha also had its epoch on 1980-01-01 iirc

  • MrOli (unregistered) in reply to Julia
    TRWTF is that pressing STOP will still delete the database, since noone's thought to check the return value from MessageBox.Show()...

    That's the REAL WTF, is it? That is the point of the whole thing? So if only they had considered testing the return value like you say, this would no longer be a WTF at all?

  • HandsomeStan (unregistered) in reply to MrOli
    MrOli:
    TRWTF is that pressing STOP will still delete the database, since noone's thought to check the return value from MessageBox.Show()...

    That's the REAL WTF, is it? That is the point of the whole thing? So if only they had considered testing the return value like you say, this would no longer be a WTF at all?

    Yes.

  • OldCoder (unregistered) in reply to MrOli
    MrOli:
    TRWTF is that pressing STOP will still delete the database, since noone's thought to check the return value from MessageBox.Show()...

    That's the REAL WTF, is it? That is the point of the whole thing? So if only they had considered testing the return value like you say, this would no longer be a WTF at all?

    The WTF is the fact that the four message boxes get presented to you in sequence, and no matter what button you press, it still goes and deletes the database tables.

    Captcha: eros. I wish.

  • Matthew (unregistered) in reply to MrOli

    Yeah, asking "are you really really really sure" is less of a WTF than doing the Very Dangerous Operation even when your user says not to.

  • anonymous (unregistered)

    Anybody care to explain? Too cryptic (am I headbanging?)

  • Eisenkai (unregistered)

    Breakin' the database, breakin' the database.

  • (cs)

    Peacock terminated table is new meme on wtf.

    [image]
  • Andrew (unregistered) in reply to OldCoder
    OldCoder:
    ...and no matter what button you press...

    ...of which there's only one, mind you.

  • (cs) in reply to Doranku
    Doranku:
    Dec Alpha also had its epoch on 1980-01-01 iirc
    Maybe, but then only if it ran on Windows NT, which nobody in his right mind would do.

    Dec Alpha normally ran on Unix (epoch January 01 1970) or OpenVMS (epoch November 17, 1858).

    TRWTF is that I still know the OpenVMS epoch from memory, while it has been at least 12 years since I last used it.

  • (cs) in reply to nerd4sale
    nerd4sale:
    TRWTF is that I still know the OpenVMS epoch from memory, while it has been at least 12 years since I last used it.

    So you're having an amazing memory. Would you like to play Teen-Patti with me?

  • Valued Service (unregistered) in reply to Andrew
    Andrew:
    OldCoder:
    ...and no matter what button you press...

    ...of which there's only one, mind you.

    If you don't press ok, the message box will stay there indefinitely.

  • the beard of the prophet (unregistered) in reply to Valued Service
    Valued Service:
    Andrew:
    OldCoder:
    ...and no matter what button you press...

    ...of which there's only one, mind you.

    If you don't press ok, the message box will stay there indefinitely.

    ... and thus the database will not be deleted. Mission accomplished!

  • (cs) in reply to Nemo
    Nemo:
    For those of us old enough to remember, the original PCs didn't always keep the time on their own. You needed a fancy "real-time clock" add-on for that.
    No, the PC had a real-time clock. Even inexpensive personal computers like the VIC-20 had a real-time clock. The battery, which was indeed not included on the PC and XT, just means it keeps running while the system is off. The "real-time" part refers to it being able to track (relatively) accurate seconds on its own.
  • (cs) in reply to Black Bart
    Black Bart:
    The 1980 PC Epoch is still alive and well, and with us today. I recently digitized some original music that was recorded in 1970 and 1975. I thought it would be smart to set the file dates to the recorded dates. So far, so good. But when I zipped it - it zapped the dates fast forward to 1980: this is the oldest date supported by the .ZIP format.
    Did you zip your Zappa?
  • Ren (unregistered)

    It's the database eraser button! What does it do? We don't know! Could be something good, could be something bad. We'll never find out, because you're going to guard it.

  • My Name Is Missing (unregistered)

    I see Peacocks in my tract all the time.

  • James (unregistered)

    I first learned people don't look at warning messages when I wrote a PHP-MySQL database engine for a small business when I was still in school. There was one condition that meant somehow the database was boned, and when I detected it I didn't know what to do, so I just had it say "STOP USING THE DATABASE AND CALL, IT IS REALLY REALLY BROKEN" a few times.

    In retrospect I should have like shut it down. This condition that should have never happened hit, and sure enough I get a call:

    User: So, the database isn't working right. Me: Oh yeah? What's going on? User: Well, I go to create a new customer, and it says like database is totally broken stop or whatever, so I click OK through a few boxes, and then it doesn't add the customer right. Me: ...

    For the curious, turns out I made a boneheaded mistake with increment numbers as strings and not integers (super hard in PHP, not!) and things were going sideways after the 9th thing.

  • Brian_EE (unregistered) in reply to nerd4sale

    I don't think the DEC Alpha ran on Windows NT or Unix. Other way around. Those OSs ran on the DEC Alpha. Software always runs on Hardware.

  • (cs) in reply to faoileag
    faoileag:
    Julia:
    TRWTF is that pressing STOP will still delete the database, since noone's thought to check the return value from MessageBox.Show()...
    TRWTF is suggesting to test the return value of a MessageBox that only has an "OK" button.

    My bad, I misread it as having two (OK and Stop) buttons.

    I'll get my coat.

  • Nekrotzar (unregistered)

    This WTF is an onion, each layer being removed reveals another WTF underneath:

    • Not checking the return value
    • Not having a 'Cancel' button
    • Protecting the database from destruction by being abstruse and annoying
    • Using C#
    • Using a relational database
    • Using a programming language based on the Latin alphabet
    • Typing with 'fingers'
    • Being a member of a species that bears live young
    • DNA/Sexual reproduction
    • Life forming on a rock spinning around a ball of fire.
  • anon (unregistered)

    I am a peacock, you gotta let me fly!

  • Doodpants (unregistered) in reply to Julia
    Julia:
    faoileag:
    Julia:
    TRWTF is that pressing STOP will still delete the database, since noone's thought to check the return value from MessageBox.Show()...
    TRWTF is suggesting to test the return value of a MessageBox that only has an "OK" button.

    My bad, I misread it as having two (OK and Stop) buttons.

    I'll get my coat.

    Actually, message boxes in Windows normally have a standard Close button in the title bar, which functions as a Cancel button. So it is possible to dismiss the message without clicking OK.

  • (cs)

    "Please press Ctrl + Alt + Del and end this program to save your database."

  • (cs)

    /_/

    Nice emoticon.

  • YellowOnline (unregistered)

    Admittedly, I didn't see the peacock coming. I LOLed. Now back to my captcha (lego).

  • Strong Bad (unregistered) in reply to Nekrotzar
    Nekrotzar:
    * Typing with 'fingers'

    Real men type with boxing gloves on their hands!

  • Guestimate (unregistered) in reply to Andrew
    Andrew:
    OldCoder:
    ...and no matter what button you press...
    ...of which there's only one, mind you.
    ... but should still return a "abort requested" value when ESCape is pressed (or Alt F4).
  • Racemaniac (unregistered) in reply to Nagesh
    Nagesh:
    Peacock terminated table is new meme on wtf. [image]
    my only worry is how to use a peacock terminated table when the database is about ornithology... there is still some research left in this new branch of computing
  • Liam (unregistered) in reply to Racemaniac

    Obviously you have to escape the peacock first.

  • Racemaniac (unregistered) in reply to Liam
    Liam:
    Obviously you have to escape the peacock first.
    And if it is escaped, how do you get a new one to terminate the table with?
  • (cs) in reply to Racemaniac
    Racemaniac:
    Liam:
    Obviously you have to escape the peacock first.
    And if it is escaped, how do you get a new one to terminate the table with?

    You have to breed them. But that's tricky, since it leads to a lot of CNR issues.

  • ih8u (unregistered) in reply to Brian_EE
    Brian_EE:
    I don't think the DEC Alpha *ran* on Windows NT or Unix. Other way around. Those OSs ran *on* the DEC Alpha. Software always runs on Hardware.

    I think he proved his wicked awesome memory in his post (remembering a date from 12 years ago?!). If he remembers his hardware running on his software, I believe him.

  • bambam (unregistered) in reply to James
    James:
    I first learned people don't look at warning messages when I wrote a PHP-MySQL database engine for a small business when I was still in school.
    Wait! What? You wrote a MySQL database engine in PHP? Awesome dude!
  • Norman Diamond (unregistered) in reply to faoileag
    faoileag:
    Julia:
    TRWTF is that pressing STOP will still delete the database, since noone's thought to check the return value from MessageBox.Show()...
    TRWTF is suggesting to test the return value of a MessageBox that only has an "OK" button.
    Actually it can be tested, though that doesn't lessen the WTFity of the message box design.

    If you click the [X]box at the upper right of a message box, it cancels the message box instead of OK'ing it.

  • Anonymous Coward (unregistered) in reply to Nekrotzar
    Nekrotzar:
    This WTF is an onion, each layer being removed reveals another WTF underneath:
    • Not checking the return value
    • Not having a 'Cancel' button
    • Protecting the database from destruction by being abstruse and annoying
    • Using C#
    • Using a relational database
    • Using a programming language based on the Latin alphabet
    • Typing with 'fingers'
    • Being a member of a species that bears live young
    • DNA/Sexual reproduction
    • Life forming on a rock spinning around a ball of fire.

    Thank you, sir. My first LOL here. If I had my way, you would now own the interwebs.

  • Bill C. (unregistered) in reply to ih8u
    ih8u:
    I think he proved his wicked awesome memory in his post (remembering a date from 12 years ago?!). If he remembers his hardware running on his software, I believe him.
    It was more than 12 years ago. Will people please stop remembering my date and whose hardware and whose software?

    At least I didn't get similis from it. Oops. Now I captcha'd it. Oh no.

  • (cs) in reply to bambam
    bambam:
    James:
    I first learned people don't look at warning messages when I wrote a PHP-MySQL database engine for a small business when I was still in school.
    Wait! What? You wrote a MySQL database engine in PHP? Awesome dude!

    If you name your database 'engine', it's a database engine, right?

Leave a comment on “A Priestly Epoch, Running off the Tracts”

Log In or post as a guest

Replying to comment #:

« Return to Article