• DrDoom (unregistered)

    Empty Comment

  • Dave (unregistered)

    Go Away! Or I will force you to log in a second time!

    CAPTCHA: letatio another type of foreplay?

  • RBiter (unregistered)

    What are 'lange' roses?

  • BostonDriver (unregistered) in reply to RBiter
    RBiter:
    What are 'lange' roses?

    Long-stemmed roses.

  • (cs)

    And of course, there's the question of why you would buy insurance from a company who spells "waiving" as "waving"...

    (And, no, it isn't a trivial matter. "Waiving" this, that, or the other thing (apparently, often, your right to claim) is an important part of the general operation of the insurance scam^H^H^H^Htrade, so if they can't spell the word, there's a problem.)

  • backForMore (unregistered)

    Ooo I loathe Citi Financial, this is the only time I have came to TDWTF and left angered.

  • Chris (unregistered)

    Sorry, I can't see anything wrong with the maths on the Twitter screenshot?

  • (cs)

    "smartie.on.computer at the G e-mail provider"? The way you redacted it, my brain actually filled in the shapes (I was wondering about the weird font). 's what I get from too much work with faulty printers, I guess.

  • Frankie Howerd (unregistered)

    Nay, nay and thrice nay!

  • (cs)

    Who hasn't created their own custom Exception type? I mean seriously, go away.

  • Anonymous (unregistered) in reply to frits
    frits:
    Who hasn't created their own custom Exception type? I mean seriously, go away.
    throw new Exception("Funny exception messages are the lamest WTF of all time.
                         It isn't smart, it isn't clever, it isn't even funny.", 
                         new Exception("Oh look, funny inner exception too! That 
                         makes me TWICE AS FUNNY!"));
  • (cs)

    Is there any point in partially redacting an email address but still leaving enough information to read it? Something about computer, smartie, on, gmail (the email address turns up on a web search). Is there a joke in there somewhere (too lazy to do a proper job of working it out), or was it just a really bad redaction job?

    (Edit; piskvorr ninja)

  • jfruh (unregistered)

    The spelling "cheque" but the denomination in dollars indicates to me that that's from a Canadian bank, in which case you have to keep in mind that $0 Canadian is only worth $0 American.

  • foo (unregistered) in reply to jfruh
    jfruh:
    The spelling "cheque" but the denomination in dollars indicates to me that that's from a Canadian bank, in which case you have to keep in mind that $0 Canadian is only worth $0 American.
    Actually, at the moment the CAD is worth slightly more than the USD, so $0 Canadian is worth a full 0$ US.
  • (cs)

    I get those letters from Citi Financial every month or so. Not only for me, but also for my mother-in-law, who hasn't lived here for two years and wasn't a resident in Canada anyway (she was on a visitor's visa).

    I called the number and left a voicemail asking several questions very slowly, reading large sections from the letter in a slow, mentally-handicapped voice. The voicemail stopped recording after 5 minutes, but I felt good knowing that someone would have to listen all the way through!

  • My Name (unregistered) in reply to Chris
    Chris:
    Sorry, I can't see anything wrong with the maths on the Twitter screenshot?

    The math is not wrong. However, the developer should have checked for the rate limit to non-zero to show this dialog. In case of the limit being zero, he should have either assumed the header of the last request returned false information* or twitter blacklisted the IP/application/user. Based on this assumption the program should have taken an appropriate action. My guess is that the dialog is referring to the requests of this app on this machine with this user authenticating left rather than the general Twitter API rate limit, and it all comes down to bad wording. Still, the developer should have checked for the left requests being zero and displayed a message like "Too many requests to Twitter - we will be up to date in [time remaining until requests will be return the desired data again] [seconds or minutes, whatever is more appropriate]."

    • the current limit is included in the headers of the response to each request
  • Zapp Brannigan (unregistered) in reply to foo
    foo:
    jfruh:
    The spelling "cheque" but the denomination in dollars indicates to me that that's from a Canadian bank, in which case you have to keep in mind that $0 Canadian is only worth $0 American.
    Actually, at the moment the CAD is worth slightly more than the USD, so $0 Canadian is worth a full 0$ US.
    Please check your math. If the value of the Canadian dollar is higher wouldn't $0 Canadian be worth some negative amount in American?
  • Delicious pie is delicious. (unregistered) in reply to gramie
    gramie:
    I called the number and left a voicemail asking several questions very slowly, reading large sections from the letter in a slow, mentally-handicapped voice. The voicemail stopped recording after 5 minutes, but I felt good knowing that someone would have to listen all the way through!

    What do we know about that "someone?" He or she works in a call-center, probably living check to check, and has no decision making authority whatsoever, and was concerned enough about doing his or her job to listen to your voicemail all the way through.

    But you sure showed those worthless fatcats!

  • corey (unregistered)

    Someone set up the Grim Reaper with the BOM!

  • My Name (unregistered) in reply to My Name
    My Name:
    Chris:
    Sorry, I can't see anything wrong with the maths on the Twitter screenshot?

    The math is not wrong. However, the developer should have checked for the rate limit to non-zero to show this dialog. In case of the limit being zero, he should have either assumed the header of the last request returned false information* or twitter blacklisted the IP/application/user. Based on this assumption the program should have taken an appropriate action. My guess is that the dialog is referring to the requests of this app on this machine with this user authenticating left rather than the general Twitter API rate limit, and it all comes down to bad wording. Still, the developer should have checked for the left requests being zero and displayed a message like "Too many requests to Twitter - we will be up to date in [time remaining until requests will be return the desired data again] [seconds or minutes, whatever is more appropriate]."

    • the current limit is included in the headers of the response to each request

    Forget the second paragraph, it comes down to bad reading comprehension on my side in this case. The first one still stands, though.

  • Nagesh Kukunoor (unregistered)

    Empty Offer has was an old joke.

    [image]
  • Gary (unregistered) in reply to Zapp Brannigan
    Zapp Brannigan:
    Please check your math. If the value of the Canadian dollar is higher wouldn't $0 Canadian be worth some negative amount in American?

    Damn if that's true then since I have zero Canadian dollars I have negative infinity American dollars. There goes my 401(k)!

  • Me (unregistered) in reply to Steve The Cynic
    Steve The Cynic:
    And of course, there's the question of why you would buy insurance from a company who spells "waiving" as "waving"...

    (And, no, it isn't a trivial matter. "Waiving" this, that, or the other thing (apparently, often, your right to claim) is an important part of the general operation of the insurance scam^H^H^H^Htrade, so if they can't spell the word, there's a problem.)

    Obviously the server itself was aware of the difference. That's why it wouldn't let him not select "Other coverage". He wasn't waiving it.

  • Stark (unregistered) in reply to Gary
    Gary:
    Zapp Brannigan:
    Please check your math. If the value of the Canadian dollar is higher wouldn't $0 Canadian be worth some negative amount in American?

    Damn if that's true then since I have zero Canadian dollars I have negative infinity American dollars. There goes my 401(k)!

    This is why I always keep at least one Canadian dollar. Don't want to risk my future there ay.

  • encre (unregistered)
    1. Is "100 lange rode rozen" the Dutch version of "100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall?

    2. Does "waving coverage" remind anyone else of Marilyn Monroe's steam grate scene?

  • imgx64 (unregistered)

    I can understand the <FEFF> is the Unicode BOM. But why is it in the middle of the sentence?

  • (cs)

    Internet explorer? On my TDWTF?

  • Me (unregistered) in reply to Me
    Me:
    Steve The Cynic:
    And of course, there's the question of why you would buy insurance from a company who spells "waiving" as "waving"...

    (And, no, it isn't a trivial matter. "Waiving" this, that, or the other thing (apparently, often, your right to claim) is an important part of the general operation of the insurance scam^H^H^H^Htrade, so if they can't spell the word, there's a problem.)

    Obviously the server itself was aware of the difference. That's why it wouldn't let him not select "Other coverage". He wasn't waiving it.

    Sorry for quoting myself - but I'm surprised I didn't notice something earlier.

    Forgetting about the waiving vs waving mistake, the poster was selecting "No", which meant he wasn't waiving (or waving) other coverage, so naturally the server wouldn't let him continue.

    So TRWTF is the submitter.

  • (cs) in reply to gramie
    gramie:
    I get those letters from Citi Financial every month or so. Not only for me, but also for my mother-in-law, who hasn't lived here for two years and wasn't a resident in Canada anyway (she was on a visitor's visa).

    I called the number and left a voicemail asking several questions very slowly, reading large sections from the letter in a slow, mentally-handicapped voice. The voicemail stopped recording after 5 minutes, but I felt good knowing that someone would have to listen all the way through!

    Reminds me of the time when I worked in the London office of a large American firm, one that provides financial information services. I had two calls from different people in the department whose name rhymes with "sails".

    In the first, the caller dialed my number, then put me on hold and forgot about the call, so I had to listen to 20 minutes of the company's radio station recorded on my voice mail. When I asked him about it later, he said that he had wondered why his phone wasn't working properly afterward...

    The second call was from one of the first caller's colleagues. She dialed my number, then proceeded to have a conversation with, oddly enough, the first caller, but without putting me on either hold or mute, and without noticing that the call had gone to my voice mail. The other side of the conversation was sufficiently muted as to be unintelligible, which made for a surreal listening experience when I got back to my desk.

  • (cs) in reply to imgx64
    imgx64:
    I can understand the <FEFF> is the Unicode BOM. But why is it in the middle of the sentence?

    I think in this case, it's meant to hide an expletive. I read the comic as "It's my FEFFing job."

    TRWTF is that the comic isn't all that funny. (Or did I miss it?)

  • Alex (unregistered) in reply to imgx64
    imgx64:
    I can understand the <FEFF> is the Unicode BOM. But why is it in the middle of the sentence?
    It's a zero-width whitespace character, actually.
  • (cs) in reply to JamesQMurphy
    JamesQMurphy:
    TRWTF is that the comic isn't all that funny. (Or did I miss it?)
    The woman is the grim reaper's wife. Think about it.

    It's dark humor.

  • swschrad (unregistered)

    you forgot to black out all the scattered characters at the bottom. that is the specific offer code tied to your credit pull. with that, somebody could go online and get their $0 card on your record.

  • swschrad (unregistered) in reply to RBiter

    habst hier der Deutsche sich gewerden.

  • My Name (unregistered) in reply to swschrad
    swschrad:
    habst hier der Deutsche sich gewerden.

    WTF?!?

  • Jasmine (unregistered)

    I didn't do the calculations on the numbers for the flowers, but when I worked in a flower shop, it didn't follow a regular bulk formula. So, 2 roses are not twice as expensive as one. The prices are for arrangements of X flowers. There's a fixed cost for arrangement materials like foam and baby's breath, and adding another flower doesn't increase that cost. So - it's a WTF, but I understand why they have to do it that way. Possibly TRWTF with that one is that they make available the arrangements with weird numbers of flowers - you don't buy 99 roses and you certainly don't buy 98...

  • (cs) in reply to Jasmine
    Jasmine:
    I didn't do the calculations on the numbers for the flowers, but when I worked in a flower shop, it didn't follow a regular bulk formula. So, 2 roses are not twice as expensive as one. The prices are for *arrangements* of X flowers. There's a fixed cost for arrangement materials like foam and baby's breath, and adding another flower doesn't increase that cost. So - it's a WTF, but I understand why they have to do it that way. Possibly TRWTF with that one is that they make available the arrangements with weird numbers of flowers - you don't buy 99 roses and you certainly don't buy 98...

    From what one can see in the picture, one might guess it's EUR 1,95 per "lange rode rozen" (not sure whether this is plural or singular). So, even though you're right, in this case there is a quite obvious pattern/formula for the prices.

  • Jake (unregistered) in reply to Jasmine
    Jasmine:
    you don't buy 99 roses and you certainly don't buy 98...
    Damn! I was planning to buy my wife 99 roses for our 99th anniversary! Assuming I'm not sick of her by then...
  • (cs) in reply to Nagesh Kukunoor
    Nagesh Kukunoor:
    Empty Offer has was an old joke. [image]

    Please find enclosed a drawing of a spider...

  • Jay (unregistered) in reply to foo
    jfruh:
    The spelling "cheque" but the denomination in dollars indicates to me that that's from a Canadian bank, in which case you have to keep in mind that $0 Canadian is only worth $0 American.

    I thought $0 Canadian was worth $32 American. At least, that's how it works with temperatures.

  • Bill (unregistered)

    To be fair, Citi did say if you'd like more than $0, just ask and maybe we'll approve it. I used to work in a bank, and we would usually go as much as 200% of the original amount, if the person begged enough.

  • Carl (unregistered)
    Chances are, you'll save on interest too
    Well my other bank only charges $0.00 per month on my $0.00 loan, so to beat that you'll have to be paying me. Yeah, gimme that check. In fact I'll take 100 of them!
  • Jay (unregistered)

    I think when they ask if you want to "wave coverage", they mean, "Are you going to be one of those people who come to our office every time a claim is denied and wave your coverage certificate around?"

  • Jay (unregistered)

    Even without the embedded code, I don't get the grim reaper cartoon. Was there a previous cartoon that we had to see that involved her mother?

  • ConE (unregistered) in reply to Bill

    lol, so if I begged enough I could get 200% of $0... wow, I wonder how much in US$ that would be?

    captcha: nimis... isn't that an admiral?

  • ConE (unregistered) in reply to Jay

    Ok, it may not be funny, but why aren't people getting this cartoon?

    The grim reaper is apologizing for doing something to her mother that was his job... Put the pieces together..

    lol, captcha: nulla ... haha, NULLA, you hear that NULLA!

  • (cs)

    I don't get the password one.

    The password field is blank, so of course it's asking for a longer password.

    If the joke is that there WAS a longer password, well, we can't see that from the screenshot.

    Also: Nepean, ON? That's where I am right now!

    Addendum (2011-01-28 12:58): Oh, must NOT be longer... oops. I get it now.

  • (cs) in reply to My Name
    My Name:
    Chris:
    Sorry, I can't see anything wrong with the maths on the Twitter screenshot?

    The math is not wrong. However, the developer should have checked for the rate limit to non-zero to show this dialog. In case of the limit being zero, he should have either assumed the header of the last request returned false information* or twitter blacklisted the IP/application/user. Based on this assumption the program should have taken an appropriate action. My guess is that the dialog is referring to the requests of this app on this machine with this user authenticating left rather than the general Twitter API rate limit, and it all comes down to bad wording. Still, the developer should have checked for the left requests being zero and displayed a message like "Too many requests to Twitter - we will be up to date in [time remaining until requests will be return the desired data again] [seconds or minutes, whatever is more appropriate]."

    • the current limit is included in the headers of the response to each request
    I had submitted a screenshot like this about a year ago when the problem first started occurring - Twitter had completely changed their developer API at one point, and to phase the old API out they slowly reduced the rate limit to 0, permanently. Unfortunately, the makers of Twitterrific did a terrible job of letting people know about the fact that the app had been updated for the new API when the rate limiting change went into effect, and so a lot of people were (and apparently still are) running an old, no-longer-functional version of Twitterrific.

    Anyway, Twitterrific 3.2.4 fixed the problem, in August of 2010.

  • ConE (unregistered) in reply to WhiskeyJack

    "Your password must not be longer than 8 characters." in the error was the WTF they were talking about. It was 0 chars, so how could it be longer... unless I missed something.

    ideo!

  • Darth FEFF (unregistered)

    I have just FEFFed your FEFF. Pray I do not FEFF it any further.

Leave a comment on “An Empty Offer”

Log In or post as a guest

Replying to comment #:

« Return to Article