The Daily WTF: Curious Perversions in Information Technology

MiffTheFox · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

TRWTF is Safari on Windows.

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Did Vincent try the "Why do we need this?" link? Was the answer "Because when you're on a PC we can't use GPS to spy on your location?"

Cbuttius · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Madonna Sweet or her publisher/PR has paid Amazon a lot of money to get her book in the top 2 of all search results, regardless of its relevance to the search.

How is Amazon supposed to provide its great service at such low cost if it doesn't get its money from advertisers...

(Ok, really, I can understand with google who make all their revenue that way but Amazon makes their main profit from sales, don't they?)

Cbuttius · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

18446744073709551614 is FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFE in hex.

What it really means is that his password expired 2 days ago, stored in 64 bits.

Incidentally 24 bit color is 16777216 different possible colors. In 32 bit color one of RGB only gets 10 bits compared to 11 for other other two?

Not sure how 16-bit works: if you have a palette of 65536 colors your palette would occupy 192K which seems rather expensive. Or does it use 5+5+6 bits for RGB in some order (not sure which one gets six).

Severity One · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Cbuttius:
18446744073709551614 is Incidentally 24 bit color is 16777216 different possible colors. In 32 bit color one of RGB only gets 10 bits compared to 11 for other other two?

Usually red, green, blue, alpha channel.

SeySayux · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Cbuttius:
18446744073709551614 is FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFE in hex. Incidentally 24 bit color is 16777216 different possible colors. In 32 bit color one of RGB only gets 10 bits compared to 11 for other other two?

32-bit color is usually just 24 bit RGB with 8 bits for the alpha layer.

The Safari one is perfectly fine, Belgian Dutch is so diverse you can't properly understand anyone who lives more than 10 km away from you.

"WTF" probably stands for "Windows Template Forms" or something. Or maybe "Warcraft Text Files"?

Sey

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Cbuttius:
Not sure how 16-bit works: if you have a palette of 65536 colors your palette would occupy 192K which seems rather expensive. Or does it use 5+5+6 bits for RGB in some order (not sure which one gets six).

5+6+5, as far as I know (i.e. green gets the extra bit of colour depth, since eyes are most sensitive to green).

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

16777216 bit devided over a 1024x768 screen, gives 21 1/3 bit per pixel, 7 bits per channel. I wonder what the remaining 1/3 bit does?

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

How is it possible that there are this many comments and yet nobody has said 16777216 bits of color should be enough for anyone? Well I'm certainly not going to do it.

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Warren:
Did Vincent try the "Why do we need this?" link? Was the answer "Because when you're on a PC we can't use GPS to spy on your location?"

Is there a new version of GPS that detects the language you speak?

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

That thing from easyJet is not an email. Email is text. Some spammer decided to send you what is, most likely, a horribly garbled web page in an email envelope. (Strike One.) You decided to open it. (Strike Two.) In a program that cheerfully does whatever spammers tell it to do, with no regard for the safety of your computer. (Strike Three.)

Protip: Instant spam filter -- if it contains HTML, trash it.

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

MiffTheFox:
TRWTF is Safari on Windows.

What's wrong with the blind leading the blind? Nobody else will bother to help them.

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Mimi:
Warren:
Did Vincent try the "Why do we need this?" link? Was the answer "Because when you're on a PC we can't use GPS to spy on your location?"
Is there a new version of GPS that detects the language you speak?

That's a scary thought.

(which probably means it's true, right?)

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Mimi:
Warren:
Did Vincent try the "Why do we need this?" link? Was the answer "Because when you're on a PC we can't use GPS to spy on your location?"
Is there a new version of GPS that detects the language you speak?

They don't need your GPS for that. They're recording all your calls.

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Translation of the German email:

Hello _______

For our customer ________ .NET Development [something missing] Applications.

You should have the following skills:

Programming knowledge C#
.NET Framework 3.5
WTF
Experience with Oracle databases
Stored Procedures

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

"Perhaps someone can tell me which option means 'unsubscribe'?

Click "confirm"....?

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Enoch:
They're recording all your calls.

Hey, I work in their datacenter and it isn't as bad as you paranoids think. We're just looking for:

Terrorists
Kiddie porners
Drug dealers
Gun runners
Tax evaders
Murderers
Cell phone using drivers
Burglars
The "one percent". And the next one percent after them.
Fags, trannies, and all other manner of misfits
Drug abusers
Romney voters
Drug users
Obama voters
Unlicensed roadside ice cream vendors
Speeders
Spammers
People who don't use their seat belts
Anonymous posters
That guy who left his blinker on for three miles

Cbuttius · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

MiffTheFox:
TRWTF is Safari on Windows.

I have it, use it mainly only when I am cheating at Bejeweled Blitz.

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Bill:
How is it possible that there are this many comments and yet nobody has said 16777216 bits of color should be enough for anyone? Well I'm certainly not going to do it.

Well I remember the Amiga days of trying to decide if you could justify 320000 bits of colour per the whole screen, but I guess times change.;-)

Cbuttius · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Wordpress Theme Framework...

used for writing blogs? WTF ones?

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Jack Boot:
We're just looking for...

You forgot Visual Basic programmers.

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

We have a computer with a vicious piece of malware we recognize from past painful events.

Me to user: please do not perturb the computer in any way. Do not run a virus scan. Do not install anything. Do not log in, log out, or reboot. Leave it untouched until we can decide on next steps. Any "checking for intrusions" may destroy evidence.

User reply: I've just run MalwarBytes full scan and Forefront full scan and found no issues.

Obviously I need help making myself clearer. Anyone?

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

I'm guessing the super-boring explanation for "WTF" is a typo or something for "WPF."

powerlord · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Decade:
I'm guessing the super-boring explanation for "WTF" is a typo or something for "WPF."

That was my assumption. WPF being an English acronym for a technology name, I can't completely blame the HR people for getting it wrong. Especially since WTF is also an English acronym...

redtetrahedron · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

I haven't been able to download Safari for a couple of months. It just redirects me to the main Safari page. Maybe it's because I'm not from Belgium?

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Frankly I would love to have more coworkers who can read WTF code, understand the WTF code, and be able to fix bugs or add new features.

pitchingchris · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Decade:
I'm guessing the super-boring explanation for "WTF" is a typo or something for "WPF."

Could be WCF as well.

SenTree · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Philip Newton:
Cbuttius:
Not sure how 16-bit works: if you have a palette of 65536 colors your palette would occupy 192K which seems rather expensive. Or does it use 5+5+6 bits for RGB in some order (not sure which one gets six).
5+6+5, as far as I know (i.e. green gets the extra bit of colour depth, since eyes are most sensitive to green).

Yep, I'm currently developing code for just such a display.

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Location () Belgium (French) () Belgium (Dutch) () Belgium (Dutch) () Belgium (Dutch) () Belgium (Dutch) () Belgium (Dutch) () Belgium (Dutch) () Belgium (Dutch) () Belgium (Dutch) () Belgium (Dutch) () Belgium (Dutch) () Belgium (Dutch) (O) [WTF]

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

MiffTheFox:
TRWTF is Safari on Windows.

TRWTF is someone wanted to download Safari on Windows.

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Ruquay gets bonus points for what is apparently a wooden table beneath his/her reader.

ekolis · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Yo dawg, we put a window in your window so you can use a desktop while you use a desktop!

I wonder if WTF stands for some sort of framework... still waiting on a Windows Transaction Foundation!

RichP · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Vincent gets the Rory for most gratuitous use of the word "Belgium".

poizan42 · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

SeySayux:
Cbuttius:
18446744073709551614 is FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFE in hex. Incidentally 24 bit color is 16777216 different possible colors. In 32 bit color one of RGB only gets 10 bits compared to 11 for other other two?

32-bit color is usually just 24 bit RGB with 8 bits for the alpha layer.

So how the hell can a monitor have an alpha channel? Can you see the electronics behind the pixel if it is not opaque, or something like that?

minitech · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

We have discovered one of the six users of Safari for Windows.

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

poizan42:
SeySayux:
Cbuttius:
18446744073709551614 is FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFE in hex. Incidentally 24 bit color is 16777216 different possible colors. In 32 bit color one of RGB only gets 10 bits compared to 11 for other other two?

32-bit color is usually just 24 bit RGB with 8 bits for the alpha layer.

So how the hell can a monitor have an alpha channel? Can you see the electronics behind the pixel if it is not opaque, or something like that?

All knowing wikipedia says, "Many modern desktop systems (Mac OS X, GNOME, KDE, Windows XP/Vista/7, etc...) offer an option for 24-bit truecolor with 8 bits for an alpha channel, which is referred to as '32-bit color'." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_depth)

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Chris A:
Bill:
How is it possible that there are this many comments and yet nobody has said 16777216 bits of color should be enough for anyone? Well I'm certainly not going to do it.
Well I remember the Amiga days of trying to decide if you could justify 320000 bits of colour per the whole screen, but I guess times change.;-)

From what I hear, women can generally see more shades of red than men. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3929071.stm)

I guess this means, depending on one's gender, 16777216 bits of color may be enough. ;)

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Jack Boot:
Enoch:
They're recording all your calls.
Hey, I work in their datacenter and it isn't as bad as you paranoids think. We're just looking for:

Terrorists

Kiddie porners

Drug dealers

Gun runners

Tax evaders

Murderers

Cell phone using drivers

Burglars

The "one percent". And the next one percent after them.

Fags, trannies, and all other manner of misfits

Drug abusers

Romney voters

Drug users

Obama voters

Unlicensed roadside ice cream vendors

Speeders

Spammers

People who don't use their seat belts

Anonymous posters

That guy who left his blinker on for three miles

You should really screen for nonvoters. Just in case, you know.

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Jack Boot:
We're just looking for:

Tax evaders

The "one percent". And the next one percent after them.

Romney voters

You have some duplicates there.

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

MiffTheFox:
TRWTF is Windows.

FTFY

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Joe:
Jack Boot:
We're just looking for:

Tax evaders

The "one percent". And the next one percent after them.

Romney voters

You have some duplicates there.

Not sure. Timothy Geithner fits the first two, but is probably an Obama guy.

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

That Dan (black belt) certificate does make me laugh. But what also makes me laugh is that my Dan certificates are from the World Taekwondo Federation. Yes, that's right, I have a 2nd degree black belt in WTF. I try not to apply it to my work.

operagost · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Jerry:
That thing from easyJet is not an email. Email is text. Some spammer decided to send you what is, most likely, a horribly garbled web page in an email envelope. (Strike One.) You decided to open it. (Strike Two.) In a program that cheerfully does whatever spammers tell it to do, with no regard for the safety of your computer. (Strike Three.)
Protip: Instant spam filter -- if it contains HTML, trash it.

1999 called, it wants its rant back.

operagost · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Joe:
Jack Boot:
We're just looking for:

Tax evaders

The "one percent". And the next one percent after them.

Romney voters

You have some duplicates there.

* Terrorists * Kiddie porners * Drug dealers * Gun runners * Tax evaders * Murderers * Burglars * Drug abusers * Drug users * Obama voters

You forgot about these dupes, too. Definitely dupes.

operagost · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

Ozz:
Joe:
Jack Boot:
We're just looking for:

Tax evaders

The "one percent". And the next one percent after them.

Romney voters

You have some duplicates there.
Not sure. Timothy Geithner fits the first two, but is probably an Obama guy.

Heck, Obama is a 1%-er, and I'm pretty sure I know who he's going to vote for.

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

operagost:
Heck, Obama is a 1%-er, and I'm pretty sure I know who he's going to vote for.

He probably won't have time to vote. He's too busy micromanaging the economy so we can all prosper, but not get rich, because that would be wicked.

Everything will be fine. Any day now.

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

I think the first rule of being "entrusted with the rank of _____________" is that you don't talk about "the rank of _____________".

And you certainly wouldn't give away the secret internal codez to the uninitiated!

PiisAWheeL · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

poizan42:
SeySayux:
Cbuttius:
18446744073709551614 is FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFE in hex. Incidentally 24 bit color is 16777216 different possible colors. In 32 bit color one of RGB only gets 10 bits compared to 11 for other other two?

32-bit color is usually just 24 bit RGB with 8 bits for the alpha layer.

So how the hell can a monitor have an alpha channel? Can you see the electronics behind the pixel if it is not opaque, or something like that?

You may just be a troll but I'll bite. When refering to 24 bit color (or any of them) you are not refering to screen space or monitor technology. It is how the computer represents a color internally. When they say 24bit color and 8 bit alpha, they mean 8 bits (0-255 possible value) for each primary color (primary as far as the computer is concerned) of RGB (Red Green Blue). The alpha value is equivilent to the brightness of the specific color. Each pixel on your 1024x768 monitor can have a seperate (32bit) value for each pixel on the screen. This is why the memory requirements go up exponentially as your screen resolution goes up. Fortunatelly we are just about to the point where most of the population (myself included) can't tell the difference in resolution past a certain point.

2012-09-07 Reply Admin

I'd suggest changing your password now, Shawn.

Unless you want to be nagged by that same dialog every day for the next 18446744073709551614 days.

Then again, maybe it would be worth it if they'll guarantee you live that long. 50 thousand trillion years should be enough for anyone.

chubertdev · 2012-09-07 Reply Admin

ekolis:
Yo dawg, we put a window in your window so you can use a desktop while you use a desktop!
I wonder if WTF stands for some sort of framework... still waiting on a Windows Transaction Foundation!

Yeah, that would have been insanely funny if it had read "Microsoft WTF"

"Well, to be honest, I have years of experience with Microsoft WTFs!"

Sponsor Appreciation, 16777216 Bits of Color, and More Error'd

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