The Daily WTF: Curious Perversions in Information Technology

2011-09-14 Reply Admin

frits:
Didn't you notice the moniker? He's talking military technology. I'll take our bombs over yours.

What bombs? Most the bombs used in Libya were ours because our partners ran out.

2011-09-14 Reply Admin

Technology was really no part of my job. I was an account manager in a customer-service oriented industry.

The TRWTF is you didn't tell them it's a hardware problem, call IT.

Severity One · 2011-09-14 Reply Admin

dyslexicbunny:
frits:
Didn't you notice the moniker? He's talking military technology. I'll take our bombs over yours.
What bombs? Most the bombs used in Libya were ours because our partners ran out.

On a positive note, the Libyans ran, as a consequence, out of armed forces.

Living some 350 km from Tripoli, I'm happy with that. We still have two of their Mirage jets here, which must be all that's left of their air force.

2011-09-14 Reply Admin

Severity One:
Geeky? No. Unusual? Definitely. Good-looking? You bet.

Geeky? Yes. Unusual? Staggeringly. Good-looking? I'll take your word for it.

2011-09-14 Reply Admin

Think, people! Think!

2011-09-14 Reply Admin

North Shore Beach Bum:
A pint of water weighs a pound (assuming US measurements).

A pint's a pound, the world around!

hoodaticus · 2011-09-14 Reply Admin

snoofle:
Just curious; where did they pump the hot exhaust from the air conditioners?

I'd vent it into a small steam turbine driving a generator wired to the CTO's chair. If the current is weak, he'll be soothed/paralyzed. If the current is strong, well, consider it an upgrade of core IT resources.

2011-09-14 Reply Admin

Matt Westwood:
Good grief. Not only are you ornery enough to insist on using Imperial measurements, you're even ornery enough to make the bloody things different from the rest of the world. Bah. May all your spaceships miss Mars.

Unlike Beagle 2, of course, Britain's first Mars probe. It definitely did not miss Mars. No indeed. It definitely hit. Possibly rather hard, since it was never heard from again.

Last spacecraft to miss Mars altogether was Akatsuki, a Japanese probe, and with their usual determination, they're trying to get it on the second pass. (While they're taking a break from rebuilding a nation devastated by earthquake and tsunami, of course.) Can't blame that one on non-metric measures.

(Note: I'm being snarky here, but I actually was very disappointed and saddened by the loss of Beagle 2. One of the most remarkable things about it was that it wasn't really a government project. It was run by a group of people from various universities, making it the first non-governmental attempt to land on another world as far as I know. Pretty impressive even without a successful surface mission, really.)

hoodaticus · 2011-09-14 Reply Admin

Calli Arcale:
Matt Westwood:
Good grief. Not only are you ornery enough to insist on using Imperial measurements, you're even ornery enough to make the bloody things different from the rest of the world. Bah. May all your spaceships miss Mars.

Unlike Beagle 2, of course, Britain's first Mars probe. It definitely did not miss Mars. No indeed. It definitely hit. Possibly rather hard, since it was never heard from again.

Last spacecraft to miss Mars altogether was Akatsuki, a Japanese probe, and with their usual determination, they're trying to get it on the second pass. (While they're taking a break from rebuilding a nation devastated by earthquake and tsunami, of course.) Can't blame that one on non-metric measures.

(Note: I'm being snarky here, but I actually was very disappointed and saddened by the loss of Beagle 2. One of the most remarkable things about it was that it wasn't really a government project. It was run by a group of people from various universities, making it the first non-governmental attempt to land on another world as far as I know. Pretty impressive even without a successful surface mission, really.)

Unless those universities are privately-owned and funded, I'd have to disagree.

C-Octothorpe · 2011-09-14 Reply Admin

hoodaticus:
snoofle:
Just curious; where did they pump the hot exhaust from the air conditioners?
I'd vent it into a small steam turbine driving a generator wired to the CTO's chair. If the current is weak, he'll be soothed/paralyzed. If the current is strong, well, consider it an upgrade of core IT resources.

I find it funny how you seem to think that a CTO is a core IT resource... :P

hoodaticus · 2011-09-14 Reply Admin

C-Octothorpe:
hoodaticus:
snoofle:
Just curious; where did they pump the hot exhaust from the air conditioners?
I'd vent it into a small steam turbine driving a generator wired to the CTO's chair. If the current is weak, he'll be soothed/paralyzed. If the current is strong, well, consider it an upgrade of core IT resources.
I find it funny how you seem to think that a CTO is a core IT resource... :P

It's better than thinking of them as "people".

C-Octothorpe · 2011-09-14 Reply Admin

hoodaticus:
C-Octothorpe:
hoodaticus:
snoofle:
Just curious; where did they pump the hot exhaust from the air conditioners?
I'd vent it into a small steam turbine driving a generator wired to the CTO's chair. If the current is weak, he'll be soothed/paralyzed. If the current is strong, well, consider it an upgrade of core IT resources.
I find it funny how you seem to think that a CTO is a core IT resource... :P
It's better than thinking of them as "people".

You got me there...

2011-09-14 Reply Admin

Peter:
North Shore Beach Bum:
A pint of water weighs a pound (assuming US measurements).

A pint's a pound, the world around!

In the UK, a pint of water's a pound and a quarter.

(Say it with a British accent, and it rhymes better.)

2011-09-14 Reply Admin

Luiz Borges:
Five gallon gas can, hundred-quart cooler, two hundred pounds of water, fifty degrees Fahrenheit???
Is it really that hard to follow, I don't know, the rest of the WHOLE world and use metric?

Is it that difficult for you to be able to understand at least the basics of both?

Matt Westwood · 2011-09-14 Reply Admin

Peter:
North Shore Beach Bum:
A pint of water weighs a pound (assuming US measurements).

A pint's a pound, the world around!

Nope, our pints are bigger than your measly pints.

Matt Westwood · 2011-09-14 Reply Admin

hoodaticus:
Calli Arcale:
Matt Westwood:
Good grief. Not only are you ornery enough to insist on using Imperial measurements, you're even ornery enough to make the bloody things different from the rest of the world. Bah. May all your spaceships miss Mars.

Unlike Beagle 2, of course, Britain's first Mars probe. It definitely did not miss Mars. No indeed. It definitely hit. Possibly rather hard, since it was never heard from again.

Last spacecraft to miss Mars altogether was Akatsuki, a Japanese probe, and with their usual determination, they're trying to get it on the second pass. (While they're taking a break from rebuilding a nation devastated by earthquake and tsunami, of course.) Can't blame that one on non-metric measures.

(Note: I'm being snarky here, but I actually was very disappointed and saddened by the loss of Beagle 2. One of the most remarkable things about it was that it wasn't really a government project. It was run by a group of people from various universities, making it the first non-governmental attempt to land on another world as far as I know. Pretty impressive even without a successful surface mission, really.)
Unless those universities are privately-owned and funded, I'd have to disagree.

Okay I'll come clean, yes, they do get some modest government subsidy. Not as much as they used to, unfortunately, making it more expensive to study now.

Matt Westwood · 2011-09-14 Reply Admin

Dave-Sir:
Peter:
North Shore Beach Bum:
A pint of water weighs a pound (assuming US measurements).

A pint's a pound, the world around!
In the UK, a pint of water's a pound and a quarter.

(Say it with a British accent, and it rhymes better.)

Ur puiynt ov woortur's ur paouwnd urnd ur kwortur.

A leetur ov woortur's ur paouwnd urnd free qworturs. Rufflee.

2011-09-14 Reply Admin

Matt Westwood:
hoodaticus:
Calli Arcale:
Matt Westwood:
Good grief. Not only are you ornery enough to insist on using Imperial measurements, you're even ornery enough to make the bloody things different from the rest of the world. Bah. May all your spaceships miss Mars.

Unlike Beagle 2, of course, Britain's first Mars probe. It definitely did not miss Mars. No indeed. It definitely hit. Possibly rather hard, since it was never heard from again.

Last spacecraft to miss Mars altogether was Akatsuki, a Japanese probe, and with their usual determination, they're trying to get it on the second pass. (While they're taking a break from rebuilding a nation devastated by earthquake and tsunami, of course.) Can't blame that one on non-metric measures.

(Note: I'm being snarky here, but I actually was very disappointed and saddened by the loss of Beagle 2. One of the most remarkable things about it was that it wasn't really a government project. It was run by a group of people from various universities, making it the first non-governmental attempt to land on another world as far as I know. Pretty impressive even without a successful surface mission, really.)
Unless those universities are privately-owned and funded, I'd have to disagree.

Okay I'll come clean, yes, they do get some modest government subsidy. Not as much as they used to, unfortunately, making it more expensive to study now.

Is much better here in Russia. Not only superior space program (I hear US is all out of space shuttles), but also free university.

C-Octothorpe · 2011-09-14 Reply Admin

Boris Novakovich:
Matt Westwood:
hoodaticus:
Calli Arcale:
Matt Westwood:
Good grief. Not only are you ornery enough to insist on using Imperial measurements, you're even ornery enough to make the bloody things different from the rest of the world. Bah. May all your spaceships miss Mars.

Unlike Beagle 2, of course, Britain's first Mars probe. It definitely did not miss Mars. No indeed. It definitely hit. Possibly rather hard, since it was never heard from again.

Last spacecraft to miss Mars altogether was Akatsuki, a Japanese probe, and with their usual determination, they're trying to get it on the second pass. (While they're taking a break from rebuilding a nation devastated by earthquake and tsunami, of course.) Can't blame that one on non-metric measures.

(Note: I'm being snarky here, but I actually was very disappointed and saddened by the loss of Beagle 2. One of the most remarkable things about it was that it wasn't really a government project. It was run by a group of people from various universities, making it the first non-governmental attempt to land on another world as far as I know. Pretty impressive even without a successful surface mission, really.)
Unless those universities are privately-owned and funded, I'd have to disagree.

Okay I'll come clean, yes, they do get some modest government subsidy. Not as much as they used to, unfortunately, making it more expensive to study now.
Is much better here in Russia. Not only superior space program (I hear US is all out of space shuttles), but also free university.

And let's not forget about all the government oppression you can handle!

2011-09-14 Reply Admin

Fedaykin:
Luiz Borges:
Five gallon gas can, hundred-quart cooler, two hundred pounds of water, fifty degrees Fahrenheit???
Is it really that hard to follow, I don't know, the rest of the WHOLE world and use metric?

Is it that difficult for you to be able to understand at least the basics of both?

Uh, yes; after you learnt a sane and coherent measurement system why would you bother learning a stupid clunky system that was designed to be as confusing as possible?

Conversion in metric system: 1 kilometer = 1000 meters. (quite easy) Conversion in imperial system: 1 mile = 5280 feet (wtf?) or 1760 yards (which is the distance between the king of England's nose and thumb, BTW)

Granted, I can understand the basics of both. And the better I know Imperial units the stupider that system looks to me.

2011-09-14 Reply Admin

Peter:
North Shore Beach Bum:
A pint of water weighs a pound (assuming US measurements).

A pint's a pound, the world around!

In the US, a pint is 16 fluid ounces; in the UK, a pint is 20 fluid ounces.

2011-09-14 Reply Admin

Boris Novakovich:
Is much better here in Russia. Not only superior space program (I hear US is all out of space shuttles), but also free university.

Well, you see, there's this thing...

2011-09-14 Reply Admin

snoofle:
Just curious; where did they pump the hot exhaust from the air conditioners?
Similar incident: my brother and 5 friends just opened up a sports bar with lots (>50) tv's. There's a communications room with all the cable and satellite controllers which is used to direct what channel to which tv. Naturally, it gets very hot in there. Equally, there is no window, vent or drain in there. The general manager's solution? Put a portable a/c unit in there, and direct the heat through the wall into the next room. Ok, this works out as the kitchen is hot anyway. To drain the water, they drilled a hole in the floor with the idea of putting a drain hose in the basement. Unfortunately, when they drilled down, they didn't first check to see what was under them. They had drilled right through the top of the big refridgerator that is used to chill all the beer,

you're killing me, what happened then?

2011-09-14 Reply Admin

Was this you? http://thereifixedit.failblog.org/2011/09/08/white-trash-repairs-its-not-leaking-in-your-cubicle-anymore/

2011-09-15 Reply Admin

snoofle:
Just curious; where did they pump the hot exhaust from the air conditioners?

Up through the ceiling tiles, I'll bet.

Not something that would work with the water.

Severity One · 2011-09-15 Reply Admin

Boris Novakovich:
Is much better here in Russia. Not only superior space program (I hear US is all out of space shuttles), but also free university.

This must be a troll by somebody opposed to Russia, right?

Russia (or would that be Kazakhstan?) lost its shuttle 'Buran' after, um, the building in which it was parked collapsed, and Russia had four of its rockets go 'boom' in the past few weeks.

2011-09-15 Reply Admin

C-Octothorpe:
Boris Novakovich:
Matt Westwood:
hoodaticus:
Calli Arcale:
Matt Westwood:
Good grief. Not only are you ornery enough to insist on using Imperial measurements, you're even ornery enough to make the bloody things different from the rest of the world. Bah. May all your spaceships miss Mars.

Unlike Beagle 2, of course, Britain's first Mars probe. It definitely did not miss Mars. No indeed. It definitely hit. Possibly rather hard, since it was never heard from again.

Last spacecraft to miss Mars altogether was Akatsuki, a Japanese probe, and with their usual determination, they're trying to get it on the second pass. (While they're taking a break from rebuilding a nation devastated by earthquake and tsunami, of course.) Can't blame that one on non-metric measures.

(Note: I'm being snarky here, but I actually was very disappointed and saddened by the loss of Beagle 2. One of the most remarkable things about it was that it wasn't really a government project. It was run by a group of people from various universities, making it the first non-governmental attempt to land on another world as far as I know. Pretty impressive even without a successful surface mission, really.)
Unless those universities are privately-owned and funded, I'd have to disagree.

Okay I'll come clean, yes, they do get some modest government subsidy. Not as much as they used to, unfortunately, making it more expensive to study now.
Is much better here in Russia. Not only superior space program (I hear US is all out of space shuttles), but also free university.
And let's not forget about all the government oppression you can handle!

Oh, get real. That's so last millennium.

2011-09-15 Reply Admin

Boris Novakovich:
Matt Westwood:
hoodaticus:
Calli Arcale:
Matt Westwood:
Good grief. Not only are you ornery enough to insist on using Imperial measurements, you're even ornery enough to make the bloody things different from the rest of the world. Bah. May all your spaceships miss Mars.

Unlike Beagle 2, of course, Britain's first Mars probe. It definitely did not miss Mars. No indeed. It definitely hit. Possibly rather hard, since it was never heard from again.

Last spacecraft to miss Mars altogether was Akatsuki, a Japanese probe, and with their usual determination, they're trying to get it on the second pass. (While they're taking a break from rebuilding a nation devastated by earthquake and tsunami, of course.) Can't blame that one on non-metric measures.

(Note: I'm being snarky here, but I actually was very disappointed and saddened by the loss of Beagle 2. One of the most remarkable things about it was that it wasn't really a government project. It was run by a group of people from various universities, making it the first non-governmental attempt to land on another world as far as I know. Pretty impressive even without a successful surface mission, really.)
Unless those universities are privately-owned and funded, I'd have to disagree.

Okay I'll come clean, yes, they do get some modest government subsidy. Not as much as they used to, unfortunately, making it more expensive to study now.
Is much better here in Russia. Not only superior space program (I hear US is all out of space shuttles), but also free university.

Not only Russia, from what I understand. Most of the nations in Europe have the same excellent system. Britain did, till the tragically misguided governmental apparatus in the UK suffered significant influence from a series of disgracefully mendacious leaders who appeared to want to turn us into another State of America.

2011-09-15 Reply Admin

the beholder:
Fedaykin:
Luiz Borges:
Five gallon gas can, hundred-quart cooler, two hundred pounds of water, fifty degrees Fahrenheit???
Is it really that hard to follow, I don't know, the rest of the WHOLE world and use metric?

Is it that difficult for you to be able to understand at least the basics of both?
Uh, yes; after you learnt a sane and coherent measurement system why would you bother learning a stupid clunky system that was designed to be as confusing as possible?

Conversion in metric system: 1 kilometer = 1000 meters. (quite easy) Conversion in imperial system: 1 mile = 5280 feet (wtf?) or 1760 yards (which is the distance between the king of England's nose and thumb, BTW)

Granted, I can understand the basics of both. And the better I know Imperial units the stupider that system looks to me.

Actually, there is an advantage to using non-metric systems of measurement. When the time comes to study number bases in mathematics, the concept of non-base-10 arithmetic is not as alien as it otherwise might be.

2011-09-15 Reply Admin

Migala:
drobnox:
Not the sharpest hammer in the drawer, our "Alex". Should have opened the box up the minute he noticed it was running hot. Shame shame.

And fix the problem himself instead of watching the CTO try to fix it? Now where's the fun in that?

Tell the CTO that server cases need to be dusted internally once per month and it becomes a janitorial responsibility.

2011-09-15 Reply Admin

. . . She swallowed the cow to catch the dog, She swallowed the dog to catch the cat, She swallowed the cat to catch the bird, She swallowed the bird to catch the spider, She swallowed the spider to catch the fly; I don't know why she swallowed a fly . . .

Matt Westwood · 2011-09-15 Reply Admin

North Shore Beach Bum:
Peter:
North Shore Beach Bum:
A pint of water weighs a pound (assuming US measurements).

A pint's a pound, the world around!

In the US, a pint is 16 fluid ounces; in the UK, a pint is 20 fluid ounces.

All very well, but don't forget the ounces are different too Not much, but, just saying.

2011-09-15 Reply Admin

Steve A:
kktkkr:
The Daily WTF has too many articles on cooling! Not cool.

This is an article about not cooling. Cool!

FTFY

acsi: "CSI: Australia"

2011-09-16 Reply Admin

Amen to that

2011-09-16 Reply Admin

In most modern office buildings the space above the ceiling is a plenum used for return air, so they probably just vented into the ceiling space. We have several small closet server rooms that have one of those floor portable A/C units in them, we just run the exhaust up to the ceiling (with approval of the building though, and water is properly drained)

2011-09-16 Reply Admin

I have to ask a simple question.

I notice that a number of posters picking on the US article using imperial units, then repeatly getting the conversion math wrong, and we are talking very simple math to boot.

The original post uses imperial units and gets the right calculation of volumes and weights, the metric users all seem to mess it up. Does metric destroy it's users ability to do math?

method1 · 2011-09-17 Reply Admin

n_slash_a:

I would argue that while the math is slightly more complex (x4 instead of x10), the units are clearer (wait, was that deciliter or decaliter?).

a)That may be true about this particular example, but maths involving Imperial is a nightmare,esp. when one starts dividing different compound unitsetc., e.g. what is the US weight/force unit pounds-feet-per-second-squared or some insane shit like that? Ever heard of SI units? b) No-one uses weird prefixes like decilitre(notice correct spelling) or even worse "deca". Just litres. Or millilitres if small.The term "Metric" is a bit dated & recalls stuff like dynes,ergs & the cgs mistake IMO - as mentioned above, SI units are the sensible ( and almost univerally accepted, way to go). Its not just the x10 thing, all the units hang together in a satisfying fashion. A bit like electrical units - don't have an imperial version of those do you? Though perhaps the US should be using "jars" instead of Farads, "horsepower" instead of Watts, and not Kelvin, but "Rankine"

2011-09-20 Reply Admin

Roman:
Yankee Doodle:
Luiz Borges:
Five gallon gas can, hundred-quart cooler, two hundred pounds of water, fifty degrees Fahrenheit???
Is it really that hard to follow, I don't know, the rest of the WHOLE world and use metric?
Maybe you should have thought of that before you switched.

It's funny that a Republic uses an Imperial system.

Here we see the flaw inherent to the system. The flaw, I might add, that seems to effect the foreign policy.

2011-10-18 Reply Admin

"Just curious; where did they pump the hot exhaust from the air conditioners?"

Dead on, mate. I call BS on this story!

2011-11-04 Reply Admin

They had drilled right through the top of the big refridgerator that is used to chill all the beer

Sounds like they should have done that first. Doesn't that solve the heating issue without introducing a plumbing one?

The Cooling Kludge

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