• (cs)

    The converting of tracking numbers to exponential notation is the sort of thing you get when idiots in an office environment insist on running everything through M$ Excel, which converts things like tracking numbers, phone numbers, and credit card numbers to exponential notation, and removes the leading zeroes from zip codes. If only the death penalty were administered to people who inflict this on data, the human gene pool would be greatly improved.

  • Used to be a bank guy (unregistered) in reply to Bryan

    How funny. I was going to note the same thing... I wonder if it's the same vendor... (misspelled name for a sword).

  • Myself (unregistered)

    Hmm, I wonder if that cookbook has any good Soylent Green recipes. I've been looking for some.

  • Huzzah! (unregistered) in reply to Ken B.
    Ken B.:
    But, I do agree that it's a poor design choice to not use the buttons surrounding the screen in addition to the existing yes/no buttons, since it's apparently not obvious to some that they exist.
    It's even more of a poor design choice when they do allow users to use one of the surrounding buttons to select yes or no (many times, in my experience, without even putting a screen label next to the appropriate buttons), but fail to allow the user to use the actual Yes and No buttons next to the buttons.
  • Used to be a bank guy (unregistered) in reply to Adriano

    Modulated Continuious Wave... someone's been staying up at night, playing with his morse code software on his computer!

  • Huzzah! (unregistered) in reply to Huzzah!
    Huzzah!:
    ... but fail to allow the user to use the actual Yes and No buttons next to the buttons.
    Er, "next to the digit buttons."
  • (cs)

    That's because Macs are for arty, creative types. If you want something that can count then get a PC, nerd!

  • GP (unregistered) in reply to Cliff notes anyone
    Cliff notes anyone:
    No thanks, my car is pretty clean now," writes Chris Johnson, "too bad there's no way to decline the upsell."

    Problem hese is that this is a PEBKAC. The user must have not noticed the num pad which always has yes/no options in addition to things like cancel and 0-9.

    Wrong.

    Pads around here are typically 3x4 with 0-9, enter, and cancel. Y/N functions are handled by the assignable keys to either side of the screen.

  • True that (unregistered) in reply to JamesQMurphy
    JamesQMurphy:
    WhiskeyJack:
    I keep forgetting to cut the meat across the grain when preparing human carcasses.
    Just put it through a meat grinder and make Sloppy Joe's. Like the old commercial said... a sandwich is a sandwich, but a Manwich is a meal!

    Winner!

  • (cs)

    Jeeze, haven't any of you ever written a bank application before?

    You know in movies, when they hack the bank's servers, and get the wrong password, and there's the big flashing red letters "ACCESS DENIED" that buzz as they flash?

    Yeah, that's why the bank needs audio drivers.

  • Hugh Brown (unregistered) in reply to Robert

    What he said:

    >>> a = [106,215,45,48,47,74,94]
    >>> for aa in a:
    ...     print float(aa) / sum(a[0::2])
    ... 
    0.36301369863
    0.736301369863
    0.154109589041
    0.164383561644
    0.16095890411
    0.253424657534
    0.321917808219
    
  • Anon (unregistered) in reply to powerlord
    powerlord:
    JamesQMurphy:
    Anon:
    What's wrong with the car wash one? It's a gas pump screen. Lot's of gas stations have car washes. They try and sell you a car wash while you pump gas.

    I think it's because in the picture there are no Yes/No buttons. But on all the gas pumps I've seen (in the US), there are Yes and No buttons. Usually they are used to ask if you want a receipt, but they should also work for the car wash upsell.

    I routinely go to a gas station that does this. The Yes/No buttons are usually by the keypad.

    You know, the one not shown in the picture with the buttons to select a payment type and enter in a PIN if you select Debit.

    Exactly this, and I can't fathom why so many posters here are too stupid to see this. The way the picture is framed, it's impossible to tell if there is a Yes/No button. All we know is that the buttons right next to the screen aren't labeled, but we don't know if there are labels next to the buttons, or another numeric keypad somewhere else on the pump.

  • Anon (unregistered) in reply to GP
    GP:
    Cliff notes anyone:
    No thanks, my car is pretty clean now," writes Chris Johnson, "too bad there's no way to decline the upsell."

    Problem hese is that this is a PEBKAC. The user must have not noticed the num pad which always has yes/no options in addition to things like cancel and 0-9.

    Wrong.

    Pads around here are typically 3x4 with 0-9, enter, and cancel. Y/N functions are handled by the assignable keys to either side of the screen.

    Don't know where you're from. Where I'm from they look like this:

    [image]

    Notice the "Yes" and "No" buttons!

  • Anon (unregistered)

    I guess it could also be a pump like this:

    [image]

    Which does not appear to have a Yes/No button.

  • sino (unregistered) in reply to dtobias
    dtobias:
    The converting of tracking numbers to exponential notation is the sort of thing you get when idiots in an office environment insist on running everything through M$ Excel, which converts things like tracking numbers, phone numbers, and credit card numbers to exponential notation, and removes the leading zeroes from zip codes. If only the death penalty were administered to people who inflict this on data, the human gene pool would be greatly improved.
    Yeah, but then we'd all go on to die horribly from some disease we catch from an unsanitized telephone. Also, hairdressers.
  • sino (unregistered) in reply to md5sum
    md5sum:
    Anon:
    What's wrong with the car wash one? It's a gas pump screen. Lot's of gas stations have car washes. They try and sell you a car wash while you pump gas.

    Well then which one of the 8 buttons was he supposed to push to decline to take the wash?

    The one that declines the wash. Obviously.

  • Andrew (unregistered) in reply to dtobias
    dtobias:
    The converting of tracking numbers to exponential notation is the sort of thing you get when idiots in an office environment insist on running everything through M$ Excel, which converts things like tracking numbers, phone numbers, and credit card numbers to exponential notation, and removes the leading zeroes from zip codes. If only the death penalty were administered to people who inflict this on data, the human gene pool would be greatly improved.
    Yes, but we could accomplish so much more net good for human happiness and productivity throughout the world, with so much less bloodshed, if we could just legally apply the death penalty to M$. Take away the babies' knives, and they won't be able to cut themselves any more.
  • Andrew (unregistered) in reply to sino
    sino:
    md5sum:
    which one of the 8 buttons was he supposed to push to decline to take the wash?
    The one that declines the wash. Obviously.
    7 of the buttons are programmed to Accept the wash. One (guess which one -- it changes every time) Declines. But at least when you get your credit card bill for the wash, they can say they gave you a choice!
  • Dr. Beef (unregistered) in reply to Andrew
    Andrew:
    dtobias:
    The converting of tracking numbers to exponential notation is the sort of thing you get when idiots in an office environment insist on running everything through M$ Excel, which converts things like tracking numbers, phone numbers, and credit card numbers to exponential notation, and removes the leading zeroes from zip codes. If only the death penalty were administered to people who inflict this on data, the human gene pool would be greatly improved.
    Yes, but we could accomplish so much more net good for human happiness and productivity throughout the world, with so much less bloodshed, if we could just legally apply the death penalty to M$. Take away the babies' knives, and they won't be able to cut themselves any more.

    ...against the grain of the meat.

  • (cs) in reply to GP
    GP:
    Cliff notes anyone:
    ... the num pad which always has yes/no options...
    ... Pads around here are typically 3x4 with 0-9, enter, and cancel...

    Tip:

    Enter is "Yes". Cancel is "No".

    For phones: # is "Yes". * is "No".

  • Anonymouse (unregistered) in reply to Anon
    Anon:
    Exactly this, and I can't fathom why so many posters here are too stupid to see this.

    You must be new here.

  • Nobody (unregistered)

    TRWTF is the animosity against cannibals found among the commenters here.

  • Quirkafleeg (unregistered) in reply to Anon
    Anon:
    What's wrong with the car wash one? It's a gas pump screen. Lots of gas stations have car washes. They try and sell you a car wash while you pump gas.
    My first thought was "bank ATM", which makes the question itself the WTF.

    Incidentally, gases tend not to be liquids…

  • Quirkafleeg (unregistered) in reply to Cliff notes anyone
    Cliff notes anyone:
    No thanks, my car is pretty clean now," writes Chris Johnson, "too bad there's no way to decline the upsell."

    Problem hese is that this is a PEBKAC. The user must have not noticed the num pad which always has yes/no options in addition to things like cancel and 0-9.

    It's entirely possible that the user assumed that that keypad was only for use with credit/debit card transactions, which isn't unreasonable given all of this “chip & PIN” “it's more secure, honest, yes, really, we're not trying to dodge liability” junk.

  • (cs) in reply to frits
    frits:
    GettinSadda:
    Hang on... is that book really explaining how to prepare human meat?

    Yes. More specifically, "Five-Finger Kabobs".

    No lady fingers?

  • Henning Makholm (unregistered)

    Somewhere out there, there must be a language that uses the same word for a roast as for a carcass. And a blind idiot translator (who may or may not be a machine). And a malingering proofreader.

  • (cs) in reply to md5sum
    md5sum:
    Anon:
    What's wrong with the car wash one? It's a gas pump screen. Lot's of gas stations have car washes. They try and sell you a car wash while you pump gas.

    Well then which one of the 8 buttons was he supposed to push to decline to take the wash?

    The green one marked 'Y' or the red one marked 'N' on the keypad below (not included in the picture). You know the one that has a numeric pad for entering your pin or amount of gas you'd like to fill that you used for the rest of the process.

    Yeah it's lame that there are a bunch of buttons beside the display that aren't used, but it's hardly a wtf. I personally prefer it to use those button and have arrows to the associated yes or no (e.g. YES ---->), but since for some reason the developer of that particular pump decided to use the y/n buttons below (probably easier with the available dev library or something).

  • Quirkafleeg (unregistered) in reply to DaveAronson
    DaveAronson:
    The taxi is simply objecting to running sys_getdents64(). Even for a taxi, 63 dents is more than enough.
    True ☺

    But the truth of it? I think that the computer in question was having filesystem problems (at least), and probably needed to have fsck run on at least one partition. Some of that stuff's specific to ext3 journalling…

    Anyway, since when does warning == crash?

  • somedudenamedbob (unregistered) in reply to Arancaytar
    Arancaytar:
    GettinSadda:
    Hang on... is that book really explaining how to prepare *man* meat?

    May be that is TRWTF!

    The cover says "To Serve Man"! :P

    FTFY

  • (cs)

    "Wave the Applecare" - wave it at what? Or wave it about because its overheating? That's as dumb as using "roll" when you mean "role" - misspelling a difficult word is fair enough, but not when its 4 or 5 letters long & you change the meaning to something totally different. Trivial, I know - I've seen too much internet stupidity today & its getting to me. By the way, does anyone know how you type an 'o' with a circumflex? - I'm using Debian. I wanted to spell 'role' correctly, but couldn't get the circumflex to appear...

    Addendum (2010-04-09 18:20):

    Think I've got it "rôle" - the windows key is the 'Multi_key' so you press Multi_key then 'o' then '^'

  • default (unregistered) in reply to Anon

    You're supposed to speak your answer to the ones that look like this:

    [image]
  • Quirkafleeg (unregistered) in reply to method1
    method1:
    "Wave the Applecare" - wave it at what? Or wave it about because its overheating?
    Wave? Where? I see only waive.
    That's as dumb as using "roll" when you mean "role" - misspelling a difficult word is fair enough, but not when its 4 or 5 letters long & you change the meaning to something totally different.
    A bit like “its” and “it's”, I imagine.

    However, let's assume that it's intended as a pun…

    Trivial, I know - I've seen too much internet stupidity today & its getting to me.
    Well, yes.
    By the way, does anyone know how you type an 'o' with a circumflex? - I'm using Debian. I wanted to spell 'role' correctly, but couldn't get the circumflex to appear...
    Generally, Compose ‘^’ ‘o’ will do it, but there may be a layout-specific way which is quicker. (Your Compose key is probably the left logo key.)

  • Quirkafleeg (unregistered) in reply to Quirkafleeg
    Generally, Compose ‘^’ ‘o’ will do it
    … and yes, Compose == Multi_key.
  • (cs)

    I am the Chris Johnson who submitted the gas station pic. To clarify, it was one similar to this one:

    [image]

    It had a screen with 8 blank buttons and a number pad with Cancel/Enter. The number pad had no Yes/No option. For the other questions, like whether or not I wanted a receipt, there were contextual menus using the 8 unmarked buttons. For the Car Wash question it didn't give any choices at all. I didn't think to try Cancel or Enter as that seems like a stupid way for it to work considering they'd been using on-screen menus for the rest. After about a minute it either assumed No or someone did something inside and it let me pump the gas though.

  • PinkyAndTheBrainFan137 (unregistered) in reply to Robert
    Robert:
    Sir Read-a-Lot:
    Robert:
    If you only use the odd positioned rows - 106, 45, 47, and 94 - for the total, all the percents work out, even for the numbers not added in.

    Alternatively, the second and sixth rows also work. (74 and 25)

    Of course, the real wtf is the poll question and answers

    This. Fucking. This. Thank you The DailyWTF for posting this and making sure I never go to "joyoftech.com".

  • (cs) in reply to Anonymous

    I find it a little hard to believe that the taxi has a full-blown PC and display just to power the sign on top.

    Anonymous:
    OK, so I've basicaly redacted everything in this post and just left the Akismet flaming so at least a mod might see the pain that Akismet is causing. Bring back the fucking spammers.
    You seem to have fallen victim to the common "comment must be submitted 16 times before it will be accepted" bug. As they say, TRWTF is TDWTF.

  • (cs)

    Apparently, there are people new to the Joy of Tech.

    Me, when I saw that poll, my first thought was, "Looks like an After Y2K/Joy of Tech poll."

    I seem to recall there were a couple AfterY2k polls that added up to 100% +- n/2, where n is the number of questions. They were aberrations.

    The little I've looked at joyoftech.com, I've gotten the impression they're running with that same gag.

    Either that, or they converted the percentages from Celsius to Fahrenheit, so that they can give a little more precision without resorting to floating points.

  • none of your beeswax (unregistered) in reply to Xenon Xavior
    Xenon Xavior:
    Huzzah! There's finally something on one of these error'd features that I've seen before.

    The OpenTTD error comes from a truly awesome game - Transport Tycoon Deluxe. There's a great open-source project now freely available. The problem seen here is related to the fact that the in-game graphics files are copyrighted and not included with the open-source distribution. You need to get a set of new graphics files to make the game work, UGH! It's totally worth the hassle to play the game.

    Ah, open sores. That explains the overly long error message which nobody ever reads.

  • (username *)me (unregistered) in reply to none of your beeswax
    none of your beeswax:
    Xenon Xavior:
    Huzzah! There's finally something on one of these error'd features that I've seen before.

    The OpenTTD error comes from a truly awesome game - Transport Tycoon Deluxe. There's a great open-source project now freely available. The problem seen here is related to the fact that the in-game graphics files are copyrighted and not included with the open-source distribution. You need to get a set of new graphics files to make the game work, UGH! It's totally worth the hassle to play the game.

    Ah, open sores. That explains the overly long error message which nobody ever reads.


    open sores

    Damaged DNA was detected in the outer regions of the wrist/elbow. The lengthy and arduously pain-staking task of repair has begun. Many, many cells have been sent, as has a media circus. The "wrist damage appeal" has been set up in your name, 50% of it's proceeds will be sent to your urine. Please don't pick at it, we have had enough, any and every attempt to re-open your wound will result in a permanent loss of capacity to replenish vitamin C supplies. Enjoy your scurvy you ungrateful low-life bastard.

    OK

  • Susan (unregistered)

    Hi! Is it weird that I am 23 and still a virgin? I would like to invite you to join my circle of friends on _ Black White Cupid c/o-m **—- My username is “looking4sexxx” Give me your comments on my photos. I’m waiting 4 u.

  • (cs) in reply to Bosshog
    Bosshog:
    Anonymous:
    If anyone was wondering what a "continuums bit" is, here you go, complete with an explanatory comment:
    /*[Removed Chinese comment due to Akismet being crap]*/
    [Redacted entire code sample due to Akismet being crap]
    
    [FYI - it disallows any two consecutive characters]

    Apparently, Akismet thinks this is spam. Interesting, considering there are no fucking links in this comment at all. Can we please take Akismet out back and shoot the pathetic waste of space in the head?

    Still spam apparently.

    Still spam. I'd remove the links but there aren't any. What the hell? Why is this happening?

    I must have pissed of an Akismet staff member at some point.

    I think I get it now - the code sample had a Chinese comment. Obviously Akismet just assumes that any Chinese writing automatically makes you a spammer and blocks your message. In other words, Akismet is fucking racist and it should die in the fire of bigotry from which it came. Thanks for listening.

    So I removed the Chinese comment and it's still flagged as spam. Going to give up on this soon.

    Removed code tags, does that make you feel better Akismet?

    No, apparently not.

    OK, so I've basicaly redacted everything in this post and just left the Akismet flaming so at least a mod might see the pain that Akismet is causing. Bring back the fucking spammers.

    But.... your comment came through fine!

    The important bit certainly did, anyway. +1 for taking akismet out the back and shooting it in the head. It's not even stopping the cocksucker who's spamming his dating site right now.
  • (cs)

    Plural of Continuum should be Continua not Continuums..

  • Shinji (unregistered)

    The car wash one looks like screen that we have at Sheetz. It has a prompt for Yes and No pointing at buttons that don't work for the receipt. It took me a few times to realize that I should use the buttons labeled Yes and No on the keypad but it doesn't make it obvious. Something tells me the car wash one was similar.

  • face-i-lisis victim (unregistered) in reply to frits
    frits:
    GettinSadda:
    Hang on... is that book really explaining how to prepare human meat?

    Yes. More specifically, "Five-Finger Kabobs".

    I've heard of five-finger discounts, but what exactly is "five-finger-abob"?

  • Xythar (unregistered) in reply to Andrew
    Andrew:
    3 billion dollars plus change was a tad more than I wanted to spend.
    Those are hopedollars, also known as Obamadollars. They're printing them as fast as they can, day and night, and of course they are going to hand out plenty to everybody solving all financial problems. Prices may rise a bit, though...

    Now if only we could configure Akismet to block the worthless political soapboxing.

  • whistleblower (unregistered)

    The real WTF is that "waive" was written as "wave" not once but twice.

  • stu (unregistered) in reply to Susan
    Susan:
    Hi! Is it weird that I am 23 and still a virgin? I would like to invite you to join my circle of friends on _ Black White Cupid c/o-m **—- My username is “looking4sexxx” Give me your comments on my photos. I’m waiting 4 u.

    It's not weird at all, given that you're reading TDWTF.

  • BillyBob (unregistered)

    What's the worst thing you can do to your Mac?

    Use it in any sort of number crunching

  • iWerner (unregistered) in reply to (username *)me
    (username *)me:
    frits:
    GettinSadda:
    Hang on... is that book really explaining how to prepare human meat?

    Yes. More specifically, "Five-Finger Kabobs".

    It's a handy nutritious snack!

    It goes great with with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

    (can't believe that no one has pointed this out already)

  • Anonymous (unregistered) in reply to Anonymous

    Unbelievable! After all the hassle I had with Akismet here:

    Anonymous:
    If anyone was wondering what a "continuums bit" is, here you go, complete with an explanatory comment:
    /*[Removed Chinese comment due to Akismet being crap]*/
    [Redacted entire code sample due to Akismet being crap]
    
    [FYI - it disallows any two consecutive characters]

    Apparently, Akismet thinks this is spam. Interesting, considering there are no fucking links in this comment at all. Can we please take Akismet out back and shoot the pathetic waste of space in the head?

    Still spam apparently.

    Still spam. I'd remove the links but there aren't any. What the hell? Why is this happening?

    I must have pissed of an Akismet staff member at some point.

    I think I get it now - the code sample had a Chinese comment. Obviously Akismet just assumes that any Chinese writing automatically makes you a spammer and blocks your message. In other words, Akismet is fucking racist and it should die in the fire of bigotry from which it came. Thanks for listening.

    So I removed the Chinese comment and it's still flagged as spam. Going to give up on this soon.

    Removed code tags, does that make you feel better Akismet?

    No, apparently not.

    OK, so I've basicaly redacted everything in this post and just left the Akismet flaming so at least a mod might see the pain that Akismet is causing. Bring back the fucking spammers.

    ...some bloody spammer just goes right ahead and spams their crap straight in:

    Susan:
    Hi! Is it weird that I am 23 and still a virgin? I would like to invite you to join my circle of friends on _ xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxx **—- My username is “xxxxxxxxxxxxx” Give me your comments on my photos. I’m waiting 4 u.

    I was on board for implementing spam filtering but Akismet has proven itself to be utterly ineffective at stopping any real spam and a pain in the ass for legit commenters. There must be a better way, surely? Aksimet deserves nothing more than its own timely death.

Leave a comment on “Avoiding Continuums Bits”

Log In or post as a guest

Replying to comment #:

« Return to Article