• itzfritz (unregistered) in reply to Zap Brannigan
    Zap Brannigan:
    Niki:
    The Real WTF is that Jessica didn't remote into Michael's computer to set up Ben's printer.
    Slightly different topic, have you ever tried to remote into a computer from the same computer? Can't do it with VNC. Once I tried to remote into a computer and from that computer remote back into the first one. I don't remember how that worked out.
    yes you can (at least w/ Uvnc) - it gives you a nice infinite regression ;)
  • JB (unregistered)

    What the heck kind of f*cked up phone switch has you dial 8, then 1 to dial back into your OWN office?

  • Zap Brannigan (unregistered) in reply to Sergej
    TopCod3r:
    ud.exe - this goes up a directory, so instead of typing "cd.." you can simply type "ud"
    I did the same thing but I made a .bat file. It was on a Linux box but I always suffix shell scripts with .bat.
    TopCod3r:
    mkdirrandom.exe - makes a new directory with a random name, using a random number generator I wrote (I adapted the code someone posted on this site).
    That sounds useful, but I only need arbitrarily named directories instead of randomly named ones. I modified the random function to produce arbitrary results.
  • Rocketboy (unregistered)

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    Installation of Vereor is complete.

  • Zap Brannigan (unregistered) in reply to Strider
    Strider:
    As Ben shifted his glaze from his computer screen to Michael

    Wow sounds messy, but most likely very tasty.

    Maybe not, what is Ben's glaze made from?

  • Rocketboy (unregistered) in reply to TopCod3r
    TopCod3r:
    I pretty much function as technical support for my team, setting up things like start menu shortcuts and icons. I have even written some useful programs that I gave to the corporate support group. You get better response from them if they know they owe you for giving them free programs.

    I have heard NO complaints from them, so I am very pleased with a rate of zero defects. Every time I ask my friend in tech support how they are working out, he gets a big smile and says they are working perfectly.

    Here are some examples of programs I have written for our technical support group:

    ud.exe - this goes up a directory, so instead of typing "cd.." you can simply type "ud"

    ud2.exe - this goes up TWO directories at once, so it is like doing ud twice.

    ud3.exe - this goes up THREE directories at once (you get the picture by now I hope).

    mkdirrandom.exe - makes a new directory with a random name, using a random number generator I wrote (I adapted the code someone posted on this site).

    regall.exe - this recursively searches your hard drive for all DLLs and runs regsvr32.exe on each one so everything will work again if a DLL registration gets messed up.

    backupall.exe - this backs up all exes, dlls, ocxs, and tmp files in case you need to restore your computer. It puts them in a folder called C:\backupall.

    This is why you have such high turnover. You need to make things easier for the users. I've done some of the same programs, including one that shuts down the user's PC (I was the office hero after that one). The difference is between my solution and yours, I created a front-end for all of the programs using Visual Basic for Excel. So the users just have to load up a spreadsheet, activate unsigned macros, and then select which function that they would like to use. Heck, one of our clients (who was a potential client at the time) was doing an on-site visit, and happened to see one of my fellow employees using the spreadsheet. They liked it so much, we gave it to him for free, and that became the tipping point for purchasing our solutions over our main competitor.

    Of course, to be sneaky and make things harder for them to coping and distributing what was an internal tool only, I remoted in to each of their user's PC's, and installed the macros in their Personal.XLS file. The spreadsheet is now just a dummy front-end that calls Personal.XLS. This way we are protected from anyone else getting the tools, as it's a hidden spreadsheet, and not easily transferable.

  • SomeCoder (unregistered)

    One thing that is a side-WTF for this story: Jessica's handling of the new employee's questions.

    If I ask you to give me the path to some code, would you give me the full path? Or would you give me part of it?

    Most of the people I worked with at my last job tended to just assume that the brand new guy would just magically know where things were so they could just truncate paths when they would tell me where to look for things. Or they would provide flat out wrong information.

    Combine this with a codebase that was worthy of Codethulu and... you get the point.

    Anyway, yes, this story is a WTF but Jessica should realize that new employees aren't going to know to dial 8 then 1 THEN the fricking number to get anywhere.

  • Soctan (unregistered)

    Processes are meant to make successful actions repeatable. So that an organization does not have to rely on the heroics of individuals. In this case, Jessica was the hero/villian. The process failed. The ability to successfully implement a printer installation is not repeatable without Jessica, who should be regulated to receptionist except she has 'personal problems.'

  • (cs) in reply to Asiago Chow
    Asiago Chow:
    The real WTF was Ben not knowing how to place a call on the phone system used by his employer.

    Right. The real WTF is a new employee not knowing how to use his employer's non-standard phone system. (Non-standard because 99.9% of the phones in US businesses typically use '9' to access an outside line, not '8'.) Also, the new employee should have obviously known (via osmosis, perhaps?) that calling the support line across the same office space would require a '1' long-distance prefix.

    The real WTF is the idiot who tries to pretend he's smart and instead ends up showing what a dolt he is.

  • (cs) in reply to Zap Brannigan
    Zap Brannigan:
    Niki:
    The Real WTF is that Jessica didn't remote into Michael's computer to set up Ben's printer.
    Slightly different topic, have you ever tried to remote into a computer from the same computer? Can't do it with VNC. Once I tried to remote into a computer and from that computer remote back into the first one. I don't remember how that worked out.

    I believe it was with VNC that I did that. Since I had the window at maximum (not full screen) it started creating a very fun tunnel.

  • Zach Bora (unregistered) in reply to Rocketboy
    Rocketboy:
    TopCod3r:
    I pretty much function as technical support for my team, setting up things like start menu shortcuts and icons. I have even written some useful programs that I gave to the corporate support group. You get better response from them if they know they owe you for giving them free programs.

    I have heard NO complaints from them, so I am very pleased with a rate of zero defects. Every time I ask my friend in tech support how they are working out, he gets a big smile and says they are working perfectly.

    Here are some examples of programs I have written for our technical support group:

    ud.exe - this goes up a directory, so instead of typing "cd.." you can simply type "ud"

    ud2.exe - this goes up TWO directories at once, so it is like doing ud twice.

    ud3.exe - this goes up THREE directories at once (you get the picture by now I hope).

    mkdirrandom.exe - makes a new directory with a random name, using a random number generator I wrote (I adapted the code someone posted on this site).

    regall.exe - this recursively searches your hard drive for all DLLs and runs regsvr32.exe on each one so everything will work again if a DLL registration gets messed up.

    backupall.exe - this backs up all exes, dlls, ocxs, and tmp files in case you need to restore your computer. It puts them in a folder called C:\backupall.

    This is why you have such high turnover. You need to make things easier for the users. I've done some of the same programs, including one that shuts down the user's PC (I was the office hero after that one). The difference is between my solution and yours, I created a front-end for all of the programs using Visual Basic for Excel. So the users just have to load up a spreadsheet, activate unsigned macros, and then select which function that they would like to use. Heck, one of our clients (who was a potential client at the time) was doing an on-site visit, and happened to see one of my fellow employees using the spreadsheet. They liked it so much, we gave it to him for free, and that became the tipping point for purchasing our solutions over our main competitor.

    Of course, to be sneaky and make things harder for them to coping and distributing what was an internal tool only, I remoted in to each of their user's PC's, and installed the macros in their Personal.XLS file. The spreadsheet is now just a dummy front-end that calls Personal.XLS. This way we are protected from anyone else getting the tools, as it's a hidden spreadsheet, and not easily transferable.

    Here we use a tool called GoverLAN. It does everything : -Remote control for NT4, nt server, 2K, XP, Vista, 2k3 (doesn't work with 98 and <) with Chat possibility -Remote access to running processes -Remote access to add/remove programs -Remote access to services -Logoff user, restart, reboot, lock -Scope actions -> allow to do stuff on multiple computers at once, let it be installing programs, running scripts, you can do anything and even run it as administrator -List every computers and users in an active directory

    and that's just the functions I use

  • h (unregistered) in reply to itzfritz
    itzfritz:
    ok, you are a retard because: <drum roll> 1) cd .. 2) cd ..\.. 3) cd ..\..\.. 4) mkdir wqeipjfwvoefi 5) that's not very a good idea. 6) 'system restore'

    "he gets a big smile and says they are working perfectly"=="nod and smile at the retard"

    Who's the retard, already? YHBT (T), HAND.

  • NightGoblin (unregistered) in reply to TheDev
    TheDev:
    duh:
    serious fricken bureaucracy is not more than three word
    But "bureaucracy, bureaucracy, serious fricken bureaucracy" is, which was the point.
    Actually, I think "serious fricken bureaucracy" should be one word. With two spaces in it.
  • Steve (unregistered) in reply to Rob
    Rob:
    This was obviously positioned as a bureaucracy tale but I didn't really feel any excessively onerous and pervasive bureaucracy at work. All I really got from this was that Jessica and co are not inclined to do any work without bloody good reason, and 'bloody good reason' equates to making everyone jump through the traditional corporate hoops to get things signed off (whether it is necessary or not). What I see here is disillusioned staff who want to make everybody's life as miserable as their own.
    Not necessarily.

    I've worked for the Federal Government in the Civil Service (though I no longer do) and, yes, there's a lot of annoying red tape and seemingly extraneous procedure but, as I pointed out in a previous comment, there may be a not necessarily obvious reason for that annoying red tape and seemingly extraneous procedure.

    As a governmental agency, there is (and should be) a lot of oversight and accountability. If there isn't, then the taxpayers and the legislators get upset about government "waste, fraud, and abuse".

    I've worked with a few duds, to be sure, including one whose sole occupation seemed to be administering his Boy Scout troop to the exclusion of any actual useful work, and a two or three who were "retired in place", just serving out their time.

    But, surprisingly (or not), the duds and losers have been the exception, rather than the rule, in my experience. I've also worked with a number of intelligent, innovative, and motivated co-workers in Civil Service -- folks who are doing their best to actually serve the public, often working long hours and weekends -- that I'll put up against anyone in the private sector.

  • Messy Wiper (unregistered) in reply to Ryuzaki
    Ryuzaki:
    First!

    And wow, don't you love "the process".

    :The Process": Preventing anything productive from being done since the dawn of man.

    Sorry L, you aren't first this time >_< Maybe you should spend more time worrying about Kira than being first on this oh so funny blog!

  • ContraCorners (unregistered) in reply to Tommy Tutone
    Tommy Tutone:
    Our help desk number is 867-5309. Jenny is really helpful.

    JHC... you must be ancient (like me) to have thought of that!

  • ContraCorners (unregistered) in reply to JimmyVile
    JimmyVile:
    Double fail, I made a typo, AND I was beaten to it by Tommy Tutone himself!

    /damn you Tommy Tutone! //see what I did there

    Oddly enough, last I heard Tommy was working in software dev in the Pacific NW somewhere. That may well have been him...

    http://www.tutone.com/main2.html

    you may need to click on bios.

    captcha = acsi (or 61 63 73 69 I suppose)

  • John (unregistered) in reply to ContraCorners
    ContraCorners:
    Tommy Tutone:
    Our help desk number is 867-5309. Jenny is really helpful.

    JHC... you must be ancient (like me) to have thought of that!

    Or a Family Guy fan...

  • ContraCorners (unregistered) in reply to itzfritz
    itzfritz:
    ok, you are a retard because: <drum roll> 1) cd .. 2) cd ..\.. 3) cd ..\..\.. 4) mkdir wqeipjfwvoefi 5) that's not very a good idea. 6) 'system restore'

    "he gets a big smile and says they are working perfectly"=="nod and smile at the retard"

    And yet you'd be amazed at how many people find "cd.." to be extreamly profound. I've absoultely amazed users with "programs" like

    cd c:\progra~1\foo foo.exe

    Not everyone computer user is a programmer, after all.

    That being said... When are raising your mentally disabled children - as I am raising mine - please drop me a line and let me know how the colloquial use of the word "retard" strikes your ears.

  • adsfg (unregistered)

    If at first you don't success, try, try again. And then retry. And reboot a few times just to make sure.

  • Rob (unregistered) in reply to Steve
    Steve:
    Rob:
    This was obviously positioned as a bureaucracy tale but I didn't really feel any excessively onerous and pervasive bureaucracy at work. All I really got from this was that Jessica and co are not inclined to do any work without bloody good reason, and 'bloody good reason' equates to making everyone jump through the traditional corporate hoops to get things signed off (whether it is necessary or not). What I see here is disillusioned staff who want to make everybody's life as miserable as their own.
    Not necessarily.

    I've worked for the Federal Government in the Civil Service (though I no longer do) and, yes, there's a lot of annoying red tape and seemingly extraneous procedure but, as I pointed out in a previous comment, there may be a not necessarily obvious reason for that annoying red tape and seemingly extraneous procedure.

    As a governmental agency, there is (and should be) a lot of oversight and accountability. If there isn't, then the taxpayers and the legislators get upset about government "waste, fraud, and abuse".

    I've worked with a few duds, to be sure, including one whose sole occupation seemed to be administering his Boy Scout troop to the exclusion of any actual useful work, and a two or three who were "retired in place", just serving out their time.

    But, surprisingly (or not), the duds and losers have been the exception, rather than the rule, in my experience. I've also worked with a number of intelligent, innovative, and motivated co-workers in Civil Service -- folks who are doing their best to actually serve the public, often working long hours and weekends -- that I'll put up against anyone in the private sector.

    To be fair, I am 100% with you on your basic point - that bureaucracy is very often there for a good reason, even if you don't realise it. But that is just not the feel I got from this story. The feeling was very much that Jessica and co failed to make even the slightest effort to help the new guy on his first day. Even when she gave Ben her own phone number to make the support call to her phone, she failed multiple times to provide the new hire with the full information he needed to actually make the call. That's not being bureaucratic, it's being downright unhelpful and disruptive.

    So I do agree with you that bureaucracy is not just about making people's lives harder but I still think that in this office, Jessica and co have a lot more to answer for than just following procedure.

  • (cs) in reply to Crabs
    Crabs:
    Processes provide accountability, which for a big company is important. Unfortunately, some processes have been built so that no one person can be held accountable (and this is on purpose), and so the fault lies with the process itself. The process, not being a sentient being but rather an intangible noun, gets complained about, but no one using the process ever gets in trouble.

    The process also provides documentation, so next time somebody asks the question, "How do I/We accomplish <X>?" the answer is already known and doesn't need to be reinvented. Therefore, I think process can improve efficiency.

  • I walked the dinosaur (unregistered)

    I'm not going to lie - I only look in the comments to see if TopCod3r has posted anything, and consequently to see some people unknowingly get trolled.

    I think he is doing good since he consistently puts out good remarks without making it too obvious to those who aren't aware of him.

    BTW - http://www.danstheman.com/Jenny.htm

  • dur (unregistered) in reply to ContraCorners
    ContraCorners:
    itzfritz:
    ok, you are a retard because...

    ....

    That being said... When are raising your mentally disabled children - as I am raising mine - please drop me a line and let me know how the colloquial use of the word "retard" strikes your ears.

    You sound retarded.

  • (cs) in reply to TopCod3r
    TopCod3r:
    ...

    ud.exe - this goes up a directory, so instead of typing "cd.." you can simply type "ud" ...

    This sounds like a relatively complicated program to me, because changing the working directory of your own program would not help. You would actually have to change the directory of the parent shell process. Is this even possible under Windows? SetCurrentDirectory and _chdir/_wchdir work for the current process only.

    Iirc, cd is usually implemented directly in the shell.

  • ContraCorners (unregistered) in reply to dur
    dur:
    ContraCorners:
    itzfritz:
    ok, you are a retard because...

    ....

    That being said... When are raising your mentally disabled children - as I am raising mine - please drop me a line and let me know how the colloquial use of the word "retard" strikes your ears.

    You sound retarded.

    Thanks for your input. Do you care to elaborate on that?

  • Yep (unregistered)

    Jenny wanted him to call her so that the stats on calls through the support number would include his request. How else could she justify her job?

    Our support guys prefer to remote in because the have their notes at their desk, and quick access to information they may need to solve my problem. I've seen them copy and paste file paths, registration keys for site licenses, etc. from their notes. Plus, they can work on something else while my computer reboots. All of which are less convenient if they are at my desk and my login.

  • (cs) in reply to DoctorFriday
    DoctorFriday:
    Oh great...774-2612...that's one digit off from dialing the local help desk here at work.

    And yes...you can dial 8 first to dial internally.

    Jessica? Is that you?

  • Sutherlands (unregistered) in reply to ContraCorners
    ContraCorners:
    dur:
    ContraCorners:
    itzfritz:
    ok, you are a retard because...

    ....

    That being said... When are raising your mentally disabled children - as I am raising mine - please drop me a line and let me know how the colloquial use of the word "retard" strikes your ears.

    You sound retarded.

    Thanks for your input. Do you care to elaborate on that?

    *Thinks something about how being retarded is in fact something that is negative, and was used perfectly in context. You being overly sensitive about something doesn't mean it was used improperly or that it shouldn't be used.

  • vdragon (unregistered) in reply to KenW

    Thank you for the Amen...

  • JamesQMurphy (unregistered) in reply to Zap Brannigan
    Zap Brannigan:
    Strider:
    As Ben shifted his glaze from his computer screen to Michael
    Wow sounds messy, but most likely very tasty.
    Maybe not, what is Ben's glaze made from?
    Creamy nougat?
  • (cs) in reply to Soctan
    Soctan:
    The ability to successfully implement a printer installation is not repeatable without Jessica, who should be regulated to receptionist except she has 'personal problems.'
    For the love of god, the word is "relegated".
  • Steve (unregistered) in reply to Rob
    Rob:
    So I do agree with you that bureaucracy is not just about making people's lives harder but I still think that in this office, Jessica and co have a lot more to answer for than just following procedure.
    Perhaps. But, of course, we only have one side of the story, so it's impossible to know.

    We don't know how busy Jessica was or what else was going on in the office at the time. As the lead tech, she might've been fighting seven other fires that Ben would have known nothing about. Or she may have perceived (rightly or wrongly) a bit of "attitude" on Ben's part.

    I do know that whenever I'm faced with a new phone system, the first thing I generally ask when I need to use it is "how do I get an outside line?" since I know that not all systems are the same (ours, for example, requires you to press '8', not '9', and also requires an access code for long distance) so it strikes me as if there's some amount of shared cluelessness (not at all surprising on the first day on the job).

  • SomeCoder (unregistered) in reply to Steve
    Steve:
    Rob:
    So I do agree with you that bureaucracy is not just about making people's lives harder but I still think that in this office, Jessica and co have a lot more to answer for than just following procedure.
    Perhaps. But, of course, we only have one side of the story, so it's impossible to know.

    We don't know how busy Jessica was or what else was going on in the office at the time. As the lead tech, she might've been fighting seven other fires that Ben would have known nothing about. Or she may have perceived (rightly or wrongly) a bit of "attitude" on Ben's part.

    I do know that whenever I'm faced with a new phone system, the first thing I generally ask when I need to use it is "how do I get an outside line?" since I know that not all systems are the same (ours, for example, requires you to press '8', not '9', and also requires an access code for long distance) so it strikes me as if there's some amount of shared cluelessness (not at all surprising on the first day on the job).

    I don't think Jessica was fighting fires... she did answer the phone when Ben finally got through after all. If she was THAT busy, I would imagine she would let it go to voicemail. Also, if she was THAT busy, telling Ben what he needed to know to dial the phone the FIRST time would have saved both of them like, what, 45 minutes of frustration?

  • Zap Brannigan (unregistered) in reply to Zylon
    Zylon:
    Soctan:
    The ability to successfully implement a printer installation is not repeatable without Jessica, who should be regulated to receptionist except she has 'personal problems.'
    For the love of god, the word is "relegated".
    If the government does it, it's "regulated."
  • 5|i(3_x (unregistered) in reply to TopCod3r

    Plz to send the codez!

  • ContraCorners (unregistered) in reply to Sutherlands
    Sutherlands:
    ContraCorners:
    dur:
    ContraCorners:
    itzfritz:
    ok, you are a retard because...

    ....

    That being said... When are raising your mentally disabled children - as I am raising mine - please drop me a line and let me know how the colloquial use of the word "retard" strikes your ears.

    You sound retarded.

    Thanks for your input. Do you care to elaborate on that?

    *Thinks something about how being retarded is in fact something that is negative, and was used perfectly in context. You being overly sensitive about something doesn't mean it was used improperly or that it shouldn't be used.

    No one will be surprised by this, I guess, but I don't think "retard" was used perfectly (or even appropriately) in this context. Our friend itzfritz is using "retarded" as a synonym for "stupid" AND making some very infantilizing, demeaning comments about how to treat people who are perceived to be retarded. (Somewhere in all of this they were snipped. If anyone wonders I'm referring to "he gets a big smile and says they are working perfectly"=="nod and smile at the retard")

    Retarded is not a synonym for stupid. Retard people are not "stupid" in the same way that quadriplegics are not weak.

    Look, I know this is all in fun. I strongly suspect that itzfritz (although I’ve probably never him) isn’t really going to infantilize and demean the mentally disabled. I just want to make a point about how we – and I am definitely guilty of this myself – sometimes use words thoughtlessly, in ways that do demean others.

  • C. F. Martin (unregistered) in reply to TopCod3r
    TopCod3r:
    ud3.exe - this goes up THREE directories at once (you get the picture by now I hope).

    mkdirrandom.exe - makes a new directory with a random name, using a random number generator I wrote (I adapted the code someone posted on this site).

    I wrote a program (mkdirNOTrandom.exe) that makes a directory using a random string and converting it to "UR_a_iD10t" Do you folks have any idea on how I could market this amazing application? And why didn't I think of cutting and pasting code from this site?!?

    I also wrote ud4.exe but am having trouble scaling it down, perhaps the TopCod3r could give me some goood codz to cut and paste.

    ...then again, nah.

    Hey, keep us posted on your amazing career FL0pCod3r!

  • WTF-Catcher (unregistered)

    Is it only me, or did you ask yourselves, too why Jessica did not remote into Michael's machine?

  • (cs) in reply to C. F. Martin
    C. F. Martin:
    TopCod3r:
    ud3.exe - this goes up THREE directories at once (you get the picture by now I hope).

    mkdirrandom.exe - makes a new directory with a random name, using a random number generator I wrote (I adapted the code someone posted on this site).

    I wrote a program (mkdirNOTrandom.exe) that makes a directory using a random string and converting it to "UR_a_iD10t" Do you folks have any idea on how I could market this amazing application? And why didn't I think of cutting and pasting code from this site?!?

    I also wrote ud4.exe but am having trouble scaling it down, perhaps the TopCod3r could give me some goood codz to cut and paste.

    ...then again, nah.

    Hey, keep us posted on your amazing career FL0pCod3r!

    Hi C. F. Martin,

    I'm not sure I understand the purpose of your mkdirNOTrandom.exe, maybe you are making a joke? I didn't cut and paste the code from this site, but as I often do, I did re-use portions of code that was posted on this site. I recommend googling "code re-use" and read something about that topic, and maybe it can become more clear for you.

    I wrote ud4.exe as well, but in my post I stopped after ud3.exe because everyone got the idea, except you maybe. I can't provide you with the code because I signed an NDA when I was hired.

    I don't know why you called me FL0pCod3r, maybe you are frustrated because software development is an intimidating career for someone just starting out. I recommend picking up a book and start working on a Microsoft Certification, that will help you get on the path to a good career in IT.

  • (cs)

    Am I the only one who's reminded of old raycasting games when looking at that picture of the hall of filing cabinets?

  • BA (unregistered) in reply to ContraCorners
    ContraCorners:
    Retarded is not a synonym for stupid. Retard people are not "stupid" in the same way that quadriplegics are not weak.

    So...., they are stupid? Because I arm-wrestled a quadriplegic before and he was pretty weak.

    But in all actuality, yes retarded people are stupid. The only difference is that they are unable to learn past a certain point. They have lower IQ's than morons and idiots (both of which have concrete definitions and technically, shouldn't be used any more than "retarded" to insult someone who said something stupid).

    So please, stop feeling insulted on behalf of other people. It only makes you look pompous. Now, if you are retarded, then please be offended all you want.

  • itgirl (unregistered) in reply to JB

    Well it certainly explains why the had to do everything by phone and remotely. Apparently 3 feet is long distance in their office.

  • (cs) in reply to ContraCorners
    ContraCorners:
    That being said... When are raising your mentally disabled children - as I am raising mine - please drop me a line and let me know how the colloquial use of the word "retard" strikes your ears.

    ...

    Retarded is not a synonym for stupid. Retard people are not "stupid" in the same way that quadriplegics are not weak.

    I am definitely guilty of this myself – sometimes use words thoughtlessly, in ways that do demean others.

    Get off your high horse already. If you post something like the first part, going after the offender saying, "You have mentally disabled children, hear people call them retdards, and see how you like it..." then you openly admit to being guilty of the same thing yourself. I smell a steaming pile of hypocracy steaming in the snow...

    And yes, "retarded" isn't a dictionary synonym for "stupid" but it is one in society just like how "gay" is a synonym for "stupid", "unfair", and "unpleasant".

    The bottom line is that we have so much slang nowadays that 1 word can mean 30 different things and chances are it's going to offend someone. It's all of this uptight PC bullcrap that Christians and politicians invented so that "everyone would be a winner". Every little thing around us will offend someone, whether it be religious, ethnic background, physical problem, blah blah blah.

    GET OVER IT AND MOVE ON!

    And don't even try to make an argument for the n-word to only mean one type of people...

  • (cs) in reply to BA
    BA:
    So...., they are stupid? Because I arm-wrestled a quadriplegic before and he was pretty weak.

    But in all actuality, yes retarded people are stupid. The only difference is that they are unable to learn past a certain point. They have lower IQ's than morons and idiots (both of which have concrete definitions and technically, shouldn't be used any more than "retarded" to insult someone who said something stupid).

    So please, stop feeling insulted on behalf of other people. It only makes you look pompous. Now, if you are retarded, then please be offended all you want.

    So if I get this right, it's BA->Retard->Moron->Idiot->Normal?

    Thanks for setting that straight.

  • C. F. Martin (unregistered) in reply to TopCod3r

    Hi back,

    In my long and non-intimidating career as a programmer, I have met people like the one you pretend to be. I remember one guy in particular at BankOne who wrote an entire enterprise solution for copying a file from one place to another. This guy had an answer for everything. You said something and he topped it by making an inane comment on how brilliant he was. I'm sure that we will read about him going postal someday.

    I congratulate you one being able to channel one of the biggest $favorite_orifice_plural I have had the displeasure of supervising. And props to you for catching me with your trolling. (Won't happen again). Real guys like that can indeed be frustrating and while I thought you were serious I was suitably frustrated. Perhaps I will play the Id-10-T today. Congrats.

    captcha = TEGO (somehow fitting)

  • RBoy (unregistered) in reply to TopCod3r
    TopCod3r:
    C. F. Martin:
    TopCod3r:
    ud3.exe - this goes up THREE directories at once (you get the picture by now I hope).

    mkdirrandom.exe - makes a new directory with a random name, using a random number generator I wrote (I adapted the code someone posted on this site).

    I wrote a program (mkdirNOTrandom.exe) that makes a directory using a random string and converting it to "UR_a_iD10t" Do you folks have any idea on how I could market this amazing application? And why didn't I think of cutting and pasting code from this site?!?

    I also wrote ud4.exe but am having trouble scaling it down, perhaps the TopCod3r could give me some goood codz to cut and paste.

    ...then again, nah.

    Hey, keep us posted on your amazing career FL0pCod3r!

    Hi C. F. Martin,

    I'm not sure I understand the purpose of your mkdirNOTrandom.exe, maybe you are making a joke? I didn't cut and paste the code from this site, but as I often do, I did re-use portions of code that was posted on this site. I recommend googling "code re-use" and read something about that topic, and maybe it can become more clear for you.

    I wrote ud4.exe as well, but in my post I stopped after ud3.exe because everyone got the idea, except you maybe. I can't provide you with the code because I signed an NDA when I was hired.

    I don't know why you called me FL0pCod3r, maybe you are frustrated because software development is an intimidating career for someone just starting out. I recommend picking up a book and start working on a Microsoft Certification, that will help you get on the path to a good career in IT.

    Again TopCod3r, this illustrates the benefits of using Excel over command line options. As I am sure Mr. C.F.Martin can understand, it's much simpler for the users to have a drop-down box in Excel to indicate the number of directories to move vs. having to remember obscure command line options. Also, if I were to do a random directory creator, I would give the users the option to use the single randomized name, or the double-randomization that I use for my password spreadsheets.

  • (cs)

    Reminds me of working for UCSD. I'll never work for the government again. Never.

  • (cs) in reply to I walked the dinosaur
    I walked the dinosaur:
    I'm not going to lie - I only look in the comments to see if TopCod3r has posted anything, and consequently to see some people unknowingly get trolled.

    I think he is doing good since he consistently puts out good remarks without making it too obvious to those who aren't aware of him.

    BTW - http://www.danstheman.com/Jenny.htm

    A few days ago I picked a fresh comment that TopCod3r had just posted, still hot. I had an impulse to answer that his trolling was so obvious that no one would fall for it. Then I thought better and skipped my comment. The answers I read were so funny that I guess it was definitely worth it.

    I should have made some popcorn to enjoy the fight.

  • RBoy (unregistered) in reply to Smash King
    Smash King:
    I walked the dinosaur:
    I'm not going to lie - I only look in the comments to see if TopCod3r has posted anything, and consequently to see some people unknowingly get trolled.

    I think he is doing good since he consistently puts out good remarks without making it too obvious to those who aren't aware of him.

    BTW - http://www.danstheman.com/Jenny.htm

    A few days ago I picked a fresh comment that TopCod3r had just posted, still hot. I had an impulse to answer that his trolling was so obvious that no one would fall for it. Then I thought better and skipped my comment. The answers I read were so funny that I guess it was definitely worth it.

    I should have made some popcorn to enjoy the fight.

    The first rule of enjoying Top Cod3r's posts is that you don't talk about enjoying Top Cod3r's Posts. You're going to ruin it. Freakin usitas.

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