The Daily WTF: Curious Perversions in Information Technology

Dogsworth · 2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Hank Hill said to always give it 110%.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Michael:
Yep, I think that my desktop has enough RAM to last awhile.

I wouldn't be so sure if my applications already use 54GB on a 32-bit windows system...

Nutster · 2013-09-27 Reply Admin

faoileag:
Michael:
Yep, I think that my desktop has enough RAM to last awhile.
I wouldn't be so sure if my applications already use 54GB on a 32-bit windows system...

I suspect that is just the Windows operating system eating all that memory. The applications get to use the other 346 GB. Although, I am beginning to suspect that this count might be a little inaccurate.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Nutster:
faoileag:
Michael:
Yep, I think that my desktop has enough RAM to last awhile.
I wouldn't be so sure if my applications already use 54GB on a 32-bit windows system...
I suspect that is just the Windows operating system eating all that memory. The applications get to use the other 346 GB. Although, I am beginning to suspect that this count might be a little inaccurate.

You don't think he might have shopped the commas out do you? That would be cheating!

Nutster · 2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Tony, the readings from "k10-pci-00c3" looks reasonable, so I will not discount everything that lm_sensors is telling me, but "nouveau-pci-0068" might be having a problem. Rather than operating inside a run-away nuclear reactor or exploding super-volcano, I suspect that the temperature sensor has already overheated, or the designer of the component decided to just attach random voltage to the temperature probe line. Might be time to investigate exactly what that device does for potential replacement.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Kies is Samsung's sync software for its phones, tablets, etc. So, I'd have to ask Hendrik, did he check the A: drive on the connected device?

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

faoileag:
Michael:
Yep, I think that my desktop has enough RAM to last awhile.
I wouldn't be so sure if my applications already use 54GB on a 32-bit windows system...

Any one process gets its own 4 GB address space, so many virtual-memory hungry processes could be using 54 GB collectively. And if they have memory mapped files open (like shared libraries) they're using a lot of virtual memory without being wasteful.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Nutster:
Tony, the readings from "k10-pci-00c3" looks reasonable, so I will not discount everything that lm_sensors is telling me, but "nouveau-pci-0068" might be having a problem. Rather than operating inside a run-away nuclear reactor or exploding super-volcano, I suspect that the temperature sensor has already overheated, or the designer of the component decided to just attach random voltage to the temperature probe line. Might be time to investigate exactly what that device does for potential replacement.

More likely, nouveau (the driver) aint reading the nvidia (hardware) sensors correctly.

Nutster · 2013-09-27 Reply Admin

faoileag:
Nutster:
faoileag:
Michael:
Yep, I think that my desktop has enough RAM to last awhile.
I wouldn't be so sure if my applications already use 54GB on a 32-bit windows system...
I suspect that is just the Windows operating system eating all that memory. The applications get to use the other 346 GB. Although, I am beginning to suspect that this count might be a little inaccurate.
You don't think he might have shopped the commas out do you? That would be cheating!

Another thought that popped into my head: Go into language settings and set the decimal character to nothing. Hmm, let's see. Performs Experiment. Windows language settings requires at least one character, like a space, but some numbers are unaffected, such as the processor speed, as indicated. Maybe choose a non-printing character. Still cheating though.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Warren:
Kies is a [b]steaming pile of dog poo[\b]. So, I'd have to ask Hendrik, did he check the A: drive on the connected device?

FTFY

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

PK:
Warren:
Kies is a [b]steaming pile of dog poo[\b]. So, I'd have to ask Hendrik, did he check the A: drive on the connected device?

FTFY

Badly.

Nutster · 2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Warren:
Kies is Samsung's sync software for its phones, tablets, etc. So, I'd have to ask Hendrik, did he check the A: drive on the connected device?

I think somebody has not updated their installation scripts in a few years, like from when they distributed on 5.25" floppies! The thinking in the 90's was: If it fails this way, then the floppy drive is not properly engaged. That logic has not been updated in the last two decades so if something goes wrong with the DVD-ROM or memory stick, it continues to fall back to the floppy drive failure message.

Unit testing, people. Just saying. Force the failure and see if it still makes sense.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Nutster:
Another thought that popped into my head: Go into language settings and set the decimal character to nothing. Hmm, let's see. Performs Experiment. Windows language settings requires at least one character, like a space, but some numbers are unaffected, such as the processor speed, as indicated.

I'm definitely not creative enough :-( BTW: space works for me, but you can of course see the space. Escaping ("\b") doesn't seem to work. Nice experiment for a Friday!

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

faoileag:
Nutster:
Another thought that popped into my head: Go into language settings and set the decimal character to nothing. Hmm, let's see. Performs Experiment. Windows language settings requires at least one character, like a space, but some numbers are unaffected, such as the processor speed, as indicated.
I'm definitely not creative enough :-( BTW: space works for me, but you can of course see the space. Escaping ("\b") doesn't seem to work. Nice experiment for a Friday!

What about a zero-width space? Does Windows support Unicode already? ;-)

Captcha: genitus - UR A GENITUS

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

PK:
Warren:
Kies is a [b]steaming pile of dog poo[\b].

FTFY

Yup. Ridiculously large and slow. Fails to recognise the device long, long after the device tells me it has a connection with the PC. Regularly tells me that there is a firmware upgrade available, but when I try to load the upgrade, Kies tells me that there isn't one after all. Error messages in Korean.

What have I (mercifully) forgotten?

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

His regional settings are messed up and there's no decimal separator.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Non-metric rope is obviously for those idiots who still haven't grasped that metric is better. The fact that it's a hot item (only a few left!) is more evidence that it's for idiots. After all, sensible people would just buy the metric rope.

captcha oppeto. There's a real oppeto for arbitrage here, buy the metric rope, and then re-sell as non-metric.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

That temperature seems normal for a Fermi.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

I can't remember when was the last time I actually used a floppy disk for which I had to close the door manually.

I guess it's talking about those 1.2Mb floppies... the REAL floppy type floppies.

Side note: In South Africa we call the (newer) 1.44Mb kind "stiffies" because they're not floppy, but rigid; but for some reason that made the Americans giggle... I guess calling them rigidies never took off ...

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Dazed:
PK:
Warren:
Kies is a steaming pile of dog poo.

FTFY
Yup. Ridiculously large and slow. Fails to recognise the device long, long after the device tells me it has a connection with the PC. Regularly tells me that there is a firmware upgrade available, but when I try to load the upgrade, Kies tells me that there isn't one after all. Error messages in Korean.

What have I (mercifully) forgotten?

To say "TRWTF is Kies"?

How are you supposed to pronounce that anyway? To rhyme with "dies" or with "cheese"?

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Stefan:
faoileag:
Nutster:
Another thought that popped into my head: Go into language settings and set the decimal character to nothing. Hmm, let's see. Performs Experiment. Windows language settings requires at least one character, like a space, but some numbers are unaffected, such as the processor speed, as indicated.
I'm definitely not creative enough :-( BTW: space works for me, but you can of course see the space. Escaping ("\b") doesn't seem to work. Nice experiment for a Friday!

What about a zero-width space? Does Windows support Unicode already? ;-)

Captcha: genitus - UR A GENITUS

You can just use U+200C (zero-width non-joiner), use Charmap to copy-paste it. It worked for me, 400GB, wieeeeeeeh!

ubersoldat · 2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Michael:
Yep, I think that my desktop has enough RAM to last awhile.

Too bad your system is 32-bit so you can't use more than 4GB.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Davio:
Stefan:
faoileag:
Nutster:
Another thought that popped into my head: Go into language settings and set the decimal character to nothing. Hmm, let's see. Performs Experiment. Windows language settings requires at least one character, like a space, but some numbers are unaffected, such as the processor speed, as indicated.
I'm definitely not creative enough :-( BTW: space works for me, but you can of course see the space. Escaping ("\b") doesn't seem to work. Nice experiment for a Friday!

What about a zero-width space? Does Windows support Unicode already? ;-)

Captcha: genitus - UR A GENITUS
You can just use U+200C (zero-width non-joiner), use Charmap to copy-paste it. It worked for me, 400GB, wieeeeeeeh!

I wonder if the submitter is now sad. :-(

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Davio:
Stefan:
faoileag:
Nutster:
Another thought that popped into my head: Go into language settings and set the decimal character to nothing. Hmm, let's see. Performs Experiment. Windows language settings requires at least one character, like a space, but some numbers are unaffected, such as the processor speed, as indicated.
I'm definitely not creative enough :-( BTW: space works for me, but you can of course see the space. Escaping ("\b") doesn't seem to work. Nice experiment for a Friday!

What about a zero-width space? Does Windows support Unicode already? ;-)

Captcha: genitus - UR A GENITUS
You can just use U+200C (zero-width non-joiner), use Charmap to copy-paste it. It worked for me, 400GB, wieeeeeeeh!

So wait, Davio figured out a way to increase memory without a hardware upgrade? Patent that!

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Yeah, good thing I have 64-bit Windows so I can even make use of the 100-fold RAM increase.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

TRWTF is that SimCity still costs 60€.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Andrew:
TRWTF is that SimCity still costs 60€.

60€ for a bunch of 1s and 0s? You're right, that's outrageous. I'd be happy to sell you as many 1s and 0s as you need for only 30€ (some assembly may be required).

operagost · 2013-09-27 Reply Admin

I wonder how the submitter got his System control panel to even show the installed RAM. I have Windows 7 Enterprise 32-bit here, and it just says installed memory is a paltry 2.94. I know that 4 GB is installed, but my system doesn't show that over 1 GB is wasted.

alegr · 2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Kies error dialog looks like what Windows would do if the program would probe a device which was not ready, and the SetErrorMode function was not called at the start, with argument SEM_FAILCRITICALERRORS.

SetErrorMode documentation recommends that all program set that mode (by default it's not set).

alegr · 2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Michael needs to check whether the decimal separator is set correctly in local settings for currency. The control panel might have used it to format the number.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

You can use a unicode zero-width space as the decimal symbol. As a I test, I did this on my desktop and it now says I have 320GB available and my system rating experience is 79! I had no idea those stupid little dots were holding back my system performance so much! ;)

4.00 GB of which 3.46 GB is usable is a pretty normal amount for a 32-bit OS. You lose 0.5-1.0 GB of the upper address space to PCI memory mapped registers, depending on the hardware in the system.

The CPU speeds didn't change because what's shown is the fixed ident string read from the CPU itself. Windows doesn't even know there are decimal points in it.

Science!

chubertdev · 2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Stefan:
faoileag:
Nutster:
Another thought that popped into my head: Go into language settings and set the decimal character to nothing. Hmm, let's see. Performs Experiment. Windows language settings requires at least one character, like a space, but some numbers are unaffected, such as the processor speed, as indicated.
I'm definitely not creative enough :-( BTW: space works for me, but you can of course see the space. Escaping ("\b") doesn't seem to work. Nice experiment for a Friday!

What about a zero-width space? Does Windows support Unicode already? ;-)

Captcha: genitus - UR A GENITUS

Davio:
Stefan:
faoileag:
Nutster:
Another thought that popped into my head: Go into language settings and set the decimal character to nothing. Hmm, let's see. Performs Experiment. Windows language settings requires at least one character, like a space, but some numbers are unaffected, such as the processor speed, as indicated.
I'm definitely not creative enough :-( BTW: space works for me, but you can of course see the space. Escaping ("\b") doesn't seem to work. Nice experiment for a Friday!

What about a zero-width space? Does Windows support Unicode already? ;-)

Captcha: genitus - UR A GENITUS
You can just use U+200C (zero-width non-joiner), use Charmap to copy-paste it. It worked for me, 400GB, wieeeeeeeh!

alegr:
Michael needs to check whether the decimal separator is set correctly in local settings for currency. The control panel might have used it to format the number.

d:
You can use a unicode zero-width space as the decimal symbol. As a I test, I did this on my desktop and it now says I have 320GB available and my system rating experience is 79! I had no idea those stupid little dots were holding back my system performance so much! ;)
4.00 GB of which 3.46 GB is usable is a pretty normal amount for a 32-bit OS. You lose 0.5-1.0 GB of the upper address space to PCI memory mapped registers, depending on the hardware in the system.

The CPU speeds didn't change because what's shown is the fixed ident string read from the CPU itself. Windows doesn't even know there are decimal points in it.

Science!

Got it.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

DonaldK:
I can't remember when was the last time I actually used a floppy disk for which I had to close the door manually.
I guess it's talking about those 1.2Mb floppies... the REAL floppy type floppies.

Side note: In South Africa we call the (newer) 1.44Mb kind "stiffies" because they're not floppy, but rigid; but for some reason that made the Americans giggle... I guess calling them rigidies never took off ...

Your side note is making me giggle!

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

So, the real WTF is ... different sellers on Amazon can sell the same product at different prices?

Pass the god-damn smelling salts - this is pathetic even by pictorial pseudo-WTF standards.

chubertdev · 2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Sigivald:
So, the real WTF is ... different sellers on Amazon can sell the same product at different prices?
Pass the god-damn smelling salts - this is pathetic even by pictorial pseudo-WTF standards.

How is that the WTF? o_O

chubertdev · 2013-09-27 Reply Admin

DonaldK:
Side note: In South Africa we call the (newer) 1.44Mb kind "stiffies" because they're not floppy, but rigid; but for some reason that made the Americans giggle... I guess calling them rigidies never took off ...

we call them "coasters."

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Sigivald:
So, the real WTF is ... different sellers on Amazon can sell the same product at different prices?
Pass the god-damn smelling salts - this is pathetic even by pictorial pseudo-WTF standards.

Gee, different sellers named "Gibbon Slacklines" and "Gibbon Slacklines". I wonder how they keep people from confusing them?

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

anonymous:
Sigivald:
So, the real WTF is ... different sellers on Amazon can sell the same product at different prices?
Pass the god-damn smelling salts - this is pathetic even by pictorial pseudo-WTF standards.
Gee, different sellers named "Gibbon Slacklines" and "Gibbon Slacklines". I wonder how they keep people from confusing them?

One of them has a U+200C (zero-width non-joiner) in their name.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Amazon varies their prices based on who's looking at the item and how much they think you can pay:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323777204578189391813881534.html

Apparently Americans have fatter wallets than those who use metric.

SpewinCoffee · 2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Floppy drives for the win!

Haven't seen the floppy drive dialog in Windows for a long time.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

The sunglasses are not a WTF.

The regular price is 17.03, but they're running a special promotion where you can buy one for 2.97. Obviously they don't want people to hoard them and resell them on the black market at a higher price - that would be stupid. So they're limiting the special offer to 1 per customer.

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Maybe the Office installer is only at 11.0%?

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

nouveau is the open source driver, so it probably doesn't read the value from the card correctly. The closed source driver probably reports the correct temperature, but probably not via lm_sensors, but via its own control panel.

RichP · 2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Didn't the original Sim City refuse to install on some newer hardware because it required 256 colors (and newer video cards tend to not allow you to set the color depth that low)?

chubertdev · 2013-09-27 Reply Admin

Andrew:
The sunglasses are not a WTF.
The regular price is 17.03, but they're running a special promotion where you can buy one for 2.97. Obviously they don't want people to hoard them and resell them on the black market at a higher price - that would be stupid. So they're limiting the special offer to 1 per customer.

Then the WTF is not displaying "limit 1 at sale price"

2013-09-27 Reply Admin

RichP:
Didn't the original Sim City refuse to install on some newer hardware because it required 256 colors (and newer video cards tend to not allow you to set the color depth that low)?

The hardware doesn't even have to be that new. I bought a PC in 1994 that had an SVGA video card capable of 16-bit color at 800x600 resolution, and if I didn't first change to 256-color mode, SimCity would refuse to run.

tin · 2013-09-28 Reply Admin

Jim the Tool:
Non-metric rope is obviously for those idiots who still haven't grasped that metric is better. The fact that it's a hot item (only a few left!) is more evidence that it's for idiots. After all, sensible people would just buy the metric rope.

Yeah. I was thinking along those lines too. If idiots want to pay more for feet than metres then the vendor is willing to take their money.

RichP:
Didn't the original Sim City refuse to install on some newer hardware because it required 256 colors (and newer video cards tend to not allow you to set the color depth that low)?

Lots of old Windows games refuse to install/run when you're using more than 256 colours or a res higher than 640x480. Of course the original Sim City didn't care what Windows was set to - it was a DOS game and set it's own VGA mode.

2013-09-28 Reply Admin

Nutster:
Warren:
So, I'd have to ask Hendrik, did he check the A: drive on the connected device?
I think somebody has not updated their installation scripts in a few years, like from when they distributed on 5.25" floppies!

http://solutiontodrivea-cv.ytmnd.com/

2013-09-28 Reply Admin

Amazon actually don't do this at all. They always show you the cheapest price they can give it to you for regardless of anything else, even if you place it in your basket for one price and the item is then reduced, you will pay the reduced price.

That article is about Staples with a mention of Amazon doing something similar as a test with DVDs in 2000 and then refunding customers.

notromda · 2013-09-28 Reply Admin

Invader from Mars:
Amazon varies their prices based on who's looking at the item and how much they think you can pay:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323777204578189391813881534.html

Apparently Americans have fatter wallets than those who use metric.

Why is that a featured comment? The linked article is about Staples, not Amazon.

Metric Midnight Madness Sale?

Leave a comment on “Metric Midnight Madness Sale?”