• Watson (unregistered) in reply to CRNewsom
    CRNewsom:
    ChiefCrazyTalk:
    The real WTF is that people still pay to expose their skin to harmful radiation.
    Not always, some people choose to spray their skin a horrid shade of orange that makes you look like and alien (a space alien, not one of the South-of-the-border varieties, I felt like I needed to specify)
    Englishmen are orange?
  • ZeroConf/Revendouz (unregistered) in reply to Renan_S2
    So, did they just reinvent DHCP?

    No, they 're'invented Revendouz/ZeroConf except without the need to have an mDNS responder running and all the complexity of that. (Except this seemingly predates Revendouz / ZeroConf.)

    Really, it isn't a WTF at all - the missing step is a loop in the client code that if it doesn't get a response, automatically retries ten seconds later.

    (It's definintly not a DHCP replacement, despite what people here seem to think. As for adding DHCP options, what if there already was a DHCP server on the network, it was an embedded device so you can't add additional options to it for your tanning salon managment program?)

  • therealwtfiseverything (unregistered) in reply to Atario
    Atario:
    Anon Fred:
    Putting a radiation emitting device under the control of Windows 98?

    Brillant!

    There must be hundreds of Win98-based X10 systems out there, happily controlling lots of radiation-emitting devices.

    I lol'd.

  • validus (unregistered) in reply to xtremezone
    xtremezone:
    Isn't this old? I remember reading this already...
    Yes. I remember it too. But can't find it :S
  • fsn (unregistered) in reply to Moo

    Yes, while BOOTP and friends also provide similar functionality, it actually sounds, to me, more like an implementation of Service Location Protocol [rfc2608] or Simple Service Discovery Protocol, something like Apples Zeroconf and friends. Especially since the actual IP of the client was not configured using the protocol, as I understood it.

  • NeoMojo (unregistered) in reply to drinkingbird
    drinkingbird:
    DHCP is not just about setting a friggin' IP address for the client. Learn your network protocols, it's important!
    Just use frames. You'll never need networking protocols again.
  • Cloak (unregistered) in reply to dlikhten
    dlikhten:
    Windows 98 to manage your networking BRILLIANT!

    I guess its always better to get a 2nd opinion when you have no idea what the other person is talking about...

    Also, I would have went to a minimum of 2 places and asked them to just outline what they would do. Get a reasonably tech-savvy friend, and just see which one sounds better.

    After that just get a person who is just "practical in life" and just ask them if you need a kick in the head because you are overshooting the solution.

    Yes, go and get a nicely speaking consultant that costs a fucking lot, creates enterprisy solutions for an even enterprisier price. This sounds just so nice, so futuramaesque, so Year 2100, so... A must-buy.

    The timers and locks maybe cost $200 and you are finished. You may be able to find a consultant who for that price is looking at your computers for 4 hours just to familiarise with the system and tell you that what you have is crap and you need to have it all replaced because he knows what is best for you... (to be continued)

  • Cloak (unregistered) in reply to ChiefCrazyTalk
    ChiefCrazyTalk:
    The real WTF is that people still pay to expose their skin to harmful radiation.

    Meanwhile this is safer than exposing oneself to the sun directly.

  • Cloak (unregistered) in reply to Johan
    Johan:
    Is it just me, that I don't see the titles in the article?

    Only when I select the text, both show up...

    (And when viewing the article separately I see them, just not when looking at the front page... )

    The real WTF is using a FrontPage

  • Cloak (unregistered) in reply to xtremezone
    xtremezone:
    Isn't this old? I remember reading this already...

    indeed

  • Toumal (unregistered) in reply to Anon Fred

    Thanks for linking to that article. It was used as ammunition in a safety-critical case by me just today.

  • Toumal (unregistered) in reply to Toumal

    And with article, I meant the Therac-25 thingy.

    (Drat, why doesn't this thing have threaded replies...)

  • Mike C (unregistered) in reply to Outlaw Programmer

    The customer was happy - ergo the low-tech solution was correct regardless of what you would put in your salon.

  • Cloak (unregistered) in reply to snoofle
    snoofle:
    Anon:
    How about the WTF that the users had such easy access to the computer that they could pull out the serial cable.
    Not for nothing, but the (few) folks that I know that would even use a tanning salon wouldn't know a serial cable from a butter knife, let alone how to remove one.

    I'm extremely sure they have wouden tables and the tube can be used for scanning the folks, dematerializing (Scott me up, Beamie) them put them into an email and the receiver can then print the people out

  • Cloak (unregistered) in reply to freelancer
    freelancer:
    No, The Real WTF is that you two actually agree on what TRWTF is. That's not how it works!

    :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :))

  • AdT (unregistered) in reply to jmroth
    jmroth:
    Find the error:

    Windows 98 Workstation

    There is none. A train station is where trains stop. A Windows 98 workstation...

  • (cs) in reply to ZeroConf/Revendouz
    ZeroConf/Revendouz:
    No, they 're'invented Revendouz/ZeroConf except without the need to have an mDNS responder running and all the complexity of that. (Except this seemingly predates Revendouz / ZeroConf.)

    I see. I am enlightened now, I think.

  • Henry Miller (unregistered)

    I can think of lots of ways to fix this. Most involve starting over from scratch (but I'm not a Windows developer, I suspect those of you who know windows could fix this - it doesn't sound complex). The cost however is questionable. If there is an attendant anyway, it costs nothing extra to have the attendant do something. Therefore the low tech solution is just fine.

    If they want to get rid of the attendant - help in retail will often quit without notice, or just not show up - then the automated solution should be fixed.

    Note too that high tech as a marketing stragity isn't as in style as it used to be. When this system was put in place the high tech may have been a useful advertising tatic while it may not work so well now. (If it was just an advertising tatic I'd just go for the bar code scanner which tells the attendant what booth to open for how long, and then the attendant starts the timer)

  • freelancer (unregistered) in reply to AdT
    jmroth:
    Find the error:

    Windows 98 Workstation

    Windows, Workstation, and 98.
    Cloak:
    ChiefCrazyTalk:
    The real WTF is that people still pay to expose their skin to harmful radiation.

    Meanwhile this is safer than exposing oneself to the sun directly.

    But, wait, isn't there something even safer? No, don't tell me, I know this...just a minute...ok, got it: NOT DOING ANY OF THOSE THINGS!

  • Bill (unregistered) in reply to ZeroConf/Revendouz
    ZeroConf/Revendouz:
    So, did they just reinvent DHCP?

    No, they 're'invented Revendouz/ZeroConf except without the need to have an mDNS responder running and all the complexity of that. (Except this seemingly predates Revendouz / ZeroConf.)

    Really, it isn't a WTF at all - the missing step is a loop in the client code that if it doesn't get a response, automatically retries ten seconds later.

    (It's definintly not a DHCP replacement, despite what people here seem to think. As for adding DHCP options, what if there already was a DHCP server on the network, it was an embedded device so you can't add additional options to it for your tanning salon managment program?)

    Its a kind of handy technique cos of the 10 inbound connections limit on the non-server MS o/s. The clients create a server port, then scream "here I am" periodically (until they are connected), the server (not running a server o/s) listens for these then connects to the clients ports. Backwards, but no need for client licenses. And its dead easy.

  • (Nobis) Luser (unregistered) in reply to John Doe
    John Doe:
    ChiefCrazyTalk:
    Depends on if they bring sunscreen and a big floppy hat or not.
    If they're smart, they'll use the 5 1/4" floppies for that, because they are lighter than the 3 1/2" ones.
    No, but 8" floppies will actually cover the entire top of your head. But remember to keep it in the envelope or you will burn through the hole in the middle!
  • Fabrix (unregistered) in reply to Anon Fred

    You'll be suprised to know how many laser eye-surgery devices are under the control of Windows 95/98...

  • blue.rose (unregistered) in reply to Anon Fred

    Augh... That is exactly what I was thinking when I read this article! Therac-25...oh gods, unplug, unplug!!

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