• Tristram (unregistered) in reply to castlerobber
    castlerobber:
    Caribbean, not Carribean.
    I think you mean "Carob Bean".
  • yeahIDidIt (unregistered) in reply to Tom

    sometimes you have to demonstrate your value...

  • (cs)

    :)

    Glad to see this story made the front page after-all (even with the funny edits).

    Still the biggest fuck-up in IT I've ever been involved with.

    Having to recover those FreeBSD machines while sick as a dog with two directors over your shoulder will always be remembered fondly.

  • An Ex-Employee of said company (unregistered)

    I just found this article and could not believe what I was hearing! I worked at that company when this happened and can confirm that the story is 100% accurate. This happened during a particularily busy time of the year and I remeber "rafe", "don", "mike" and "leo" being quite upset at not being able to on the trip. "The Shredder" had alot more misadventures before his departure but it's good to see his story live on if only as a warning to others!

  • (cs) in reply to Yep

    Individual in question had full access to the site with the rest of the admins. They never checked work orders, just authorization to be in the cage.

  • Anomaly (unregistered)

    "Eventually, "The Shredder" had enough of this treatment, and left the company. He now adminsters the Windows network at the local nuclear power plant."

    So THAT's what happened in Japan to cause the nuclear meltdown. He probably thought it was a good idea to place the servers outside of the earthquake-resistant zone.

  • Moci (unregistered)

    TRWTF is the last line... I hope it's just a joke from the submitter or from Alex.

    Captcha: inhibeo :)

  • Kasper (unregistered) in reply to Lone Marauder
    Lone Marauder:
    Where I work, even though I'm responsible for the network hardware, in order to get into the datacenter I have to create a ticket that states specifically what is to be done (i.e., if the ticket says "check this server for connectivity issues" and it needs to be power-cycled, a separate ticket is required unless you had the foresight to include "and reboot if necessary" on the original ticket) and it has to be signed by two senior managers.
    I recall the story from 2008 about the place where you work.
  • Anon (unregistered) in reply to Anomaly
    Anomaly:
    "Eventually, "The Shredder" had enough of this treatment, and left the company. He now adminsters the Windows network at the local nuclear power plant."

    So THAT's what happened in Japan to cause the nuclear meltdown. He probably thought it was a good idea to place the servers outside of the earthquake-resistant zone.

    No, no, no. He thought it was a good idea to put the servers in the earthquake-resistant zone. For safety. He just had to move some pesky backup generators to make room.

  • Anon (unregistered) in reply to Anon
    Anon:
    Anomaly:
    "Eventually, "The Shredder" had enough of this treatment, and left the company. He now adminsters the Windows network at the local nuclear power plant."

    So THAT's what happened in Japan to cause the nuclear meltdown. He probably thought it was a good idea to place the servers outside of the earthquake-resistant zone.

    No, no, no. He thought it was a good idea to put the servers in the earthquake-resistant zone. For safety. He just had to move some pesky backup generators to make room.

    After all, why would a power station need backup generators. That's just silly. It's one big generator!

  • Nagesh (unregistered)

    Never be sending American to do Indian job.

  • Dennis (unregistered)

    James Avery? Where was Will Smith when you needed him? (Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire FTW)

  • . (unregistered) in reply to Nagesh
    Nagesh:
    Never be sending American to do Indian job.

    Indeed, the last guy we sent over there got the worst case of Bangalore-Belly I've ever heard of.

  • (cs) in reply to Kasper
    Kasper:
    I recall the story from 2008 about the place where you work.

    TRWTF is that, after following the linked article, I found this article which is in a category called Best of the Sidebar.

    For those people who have been screaming that Snoofle stories should be mainstream, this ought to be the way to do it. (And I agree, BTW -- they ought to be main page.)

  • peedy (unregistered) in reply to Jockamo
    Jockamo:
    Blah blah blah data center blah decommisioned blah blah. Who cares. Tell me more about these open-air brothels.

    +1

  • Jan (unregistered)

    The question is: After this incident, did the management decide that it might be wise to have something like, say, a backup datacenter?

  • Ugh (unregistered)
    He now adminsters the Windows network at the local nuclear power plant.
    Now there's a scary thought.
  • (cs) in reply to Ugh
    Ugh:
    He now adminsters the Windows network at the local nuclear power plant.
    Now there's a scary thought.

    No worry. All power plant running unix systems.

  • TheTodd (unregistered)

    How does someone pass all three (probably still 5 at the time) CCNP exams and not know what the difference is between TCP and UDP?

  • tekiegreg (unregistered) in reply to Nagesh
    Nagesh:
    Ugh:
    He now adminsters the Windows network at the local nuclear power plant.
    Now there's a scary thought.

    No worry. All power plant running unix systems.

    That was my thinking, any Nuclear plant running anything vital on Windows is a WTF in and of itself...

    My thinking is that this Windows network is probably something non-vital like a corporate Intranet whose most vital task is ensuring the photos of the company holiday party are available...

  • Turtle Power (unregistered)

    I thought there was going to be a section where his co-workers dressed up like Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo, and Raphael. And then another section where they take The Shredder out behind the building to the Technodrome (the company's name for the work shed) and beat the crap out of him.

    I am disappoint.

  • (cs) in reply to nonpartisan

    Snoufle's stories should be treated as the dim witted rants that they are.

  • (cs) in reply to Turtle Power

    You are disappointed, however the real real real real real What the fucking fuckity fuck is why would you want to beat someone up simply because he made a mistake.

  • Nagesh (unregistered) in reply to tekiegreg
    tekiegreg:
    Nagesh:
    Ugh:
    He now adminsters the Windows network at the local nuclear power plant.
    Now there's a scary thought.

    No worry. All power plant running unix systems.

    That was my thinking, any Nuclear plant running anything vital on Windows is a WTF in and of itself...

    My thinking is that this Windows network is probably something non-vital like a corporate Intranet whose most vital task is ensuring the photos of the company holiday party are available...

    Incorect.

    Try doing research before making the unfounding clams.

  • Jan (unregistered) in reply to tekiegreg
    tekiegreg:
    That was my thinking, any Nuclear plant running anything vital on Windows is a WTF in and of itself...

    My thinking is that this Windows network is probably something non-vital like a corporate Intranet whose most vital task is ensuring the photos of the company holiday party are available...

    I am sorry that I have to crush all your hopes. Probably the most critical systems are running on Windows as the crappy SCADA control software only runs on that. Additionally, since the Software is so crappy it is probably NT4 because it does not run on anything newer.

    Of course its possible that they have a slightly more current system that at least runs something like XP. Without updates, though, as the system is not certified and any change requires checking, testing, evaluation, certification etc.

    In case you hope I am joking, I am not. I hope you don't live near a nuclear power plant, chemical factory, prison or anything else that uses SCADA and may hurt you when it blows up.

  • (cs) in reply to RonPaii
    RonPaii:
    The backup datacenter was on the same hurricane prone island as the production?

    Actually, Curacao has never had a hurricane make landfall, just tropical storms. I chuckled though.

  • (cs) in reply to karly
    karly:
    My posts should be treated as the dim witted rants that they are since I can't even fucking spell "Snoofle" right.

    FTFY.

  • Jake (unregistered)

    See what comes of kicking a guy when he's down? Better stock up on potassium iodide and bottled water, fellas...

  • Buddy (unregistered)

    Fucking retard. These kinds of people you can predict the five Ws of their fuck ups. I was going to recount a similar story that happened in my junior days, but I know that will get me angrier than a sack of tomcats and my doc told me to lighten up on the type A behavior.

  • Buddy (unregistered) in reply to TheTodd
    TheTodd:
    How does someone pass all three (probably still 5 at the time) CCNP exams and not know what the difference is between TCP and UDP?

    Study the night before to pass the exams, forget the day after.

  • Bob (unregistered) in reply to Buddy
    Buddy:
    Fucking retard. These kinds of people you can predict the five Ws of their fuck ups. I was going to recount a similar story that happened in my junior days, but I know that will get me angrier than a sack of tomcats and my doc told me to lighten up on the type A behavior.
    Please attempt some sensitivity. I had a son who was retarded, and let me assure you: it is no laughing matter.
  • trollbert (unregistered) in reply to karly

    an u wanted to beat up snoofle with a chair leg simply because he made a post an thats ok is it

  • Lone Marauder (unregistered) in reply to Kasper

    Holy crap. Yes, that sounds like where I work, down to the "Multinational Corporation" bit.

  • Fred (unregistered) in reply to frits
    frits:
    Argle:
    frits:
    Argle:
    frits:
    Craash420:
    Did anyone else wince when the candiru was mentioned?
    Why would you wince at the mention of a small river fish?

    http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2551/can-the-candir-fish-swim-upstream-into-your-urethra

    You can probably get the "wince factor" just reading the URL.

    Did you actually read the whole article. No proof was given of the behavior. If you check the wikipedia, you'll see that one documented case is highly suspect.
    Did you even really understand what I was doing? I was explaining why the mention of "candiru fish" made people wince. I never said the legend was true.
    But if it's not true, why should anyone wince? shrugs
    Never winced at anything in a movie?

  • Ahem (unregistered) in reply to Bob
    Bob:
    Buddy:
    Fucking retard. These kinds of people you can predict the five Ws of their fuck ups. I was going to recount a similar story that happened in my junior days, but I know that will get me angrier than a sack of tomcats and my doc told me to lighten up on the type A behavior.
    Please attempt some sensitivity. I had a son who was retarded, and let me assure you: it is no laughing matter.

    The difference:

    [image]
  • (cs) in reply to RonPaii
    RonPaii:
    The backup datacenter was on the same hurricane prone island as the production?

    This. The problem isn't the "hurricane-prone" part; all locations have their risks (some more, some less.) The problem is that BOTH DATA CENTERS WERE IN THE SAME GEOGRAPHIC NEIGHBORHOOD.

    If you're going to the expense to set up two data centers, put them as far apart as you can. Leaving aside hurricanes, what if there was an extended power outage? Or a revolution?

  • iToad (unregistered) in reply to Beachy
    Beachy:
    In defense of The Shredder I spent three months on Curaçao as part of a military "deployment" and it is possible to get distracted by the nude beaches covered with 6' blond Dutch women with assets that defy gravity; also the sunsets were very nice.

    Are there any companies on Curaçao that are hiring? Anybody at all? I'll work really cheap. I can do anything that needs to be done. I don't need any training at all. Do you need a resume? Like I said, I'll work really, really cheap.

  • tom (unregistered) in reply to Maurits
    Maurits:
    RonPaii:
    The backup datacenter was on the same hurricane prone island as the production?

    This. The problem isn't the "hurricane-prone" part; all locations have their risks (some more, some less.) The problem is that BOTH DATA CENTERS WERE IN THE SAME GEOGRAPHIC NEIGHBORHOOD.

    If you're going to the expense to set up two data centers, put them as far apart as you can. Leaving aside hurricanes, what if there was an extended power outage? Or a revolution?

    Exactly! I'd put one at the North Pole and one at the South Pole.

    Did anyone else think about Homer Simpsons when they read about the power plant?

  • (cs) in reply to tom
    tom:
    Exactly! I'd put one at the North Pole and one at the South Pole.
    Madrid and Wellington; Shanghai and Buenos Aires; Honolulu and Johannesburg; Galapagos and Hyderabad.
  • Pete (unregistered) in reply to Craash420
    Craash420:
    Did anyone else wince when the candiru was mentioned?

    Even if Wikipedia and more authoritative sources say that these fish can't do what they are reputed to do - I bet you'd still take precautions.

  • tlewis1300 (unregistered) in reply to boog

    NEVER underestimate the power of stupid!

    CAPTCHA: ratis The ratis chewing on our ethernet cables!

  • mandyd0g (unregistered) in reply to iToad

    have you any brothel experience?

  • Phil McCrackin (unregistered)

    Holy, crap - I know this guy. He's at TVA

  • (cs) in reply to Anomaly
    Anomaly:
    He probably thought it was a good idea to place the servers outside of the earthquake-resistant zone.

    i.e., outside Japan?

  • Gibbon1 (unregistered) in reply to TheTodd
    TheTodd:
    How does someone pass all three (probably still 5 at the time) CCNP exams and not know what the difference is between TCP and UDP?

    I have noted from time to time people who have super human short term memory. They tend to be world class test takers. The downside is they tend to be seriously lacking on the retention side of things. In the true engineering fields they tend to wash out at the end of the second year.

  • UmGuBugle (unregistered) in reply to frits

    Get back in your box, Sheldon.

  • (cs) in reply to synp
    synp:
    Larry:
    Geoff:
    Who write work orders? IT obviously. Who completes work orders? My suspicion is at many companies it would be the same person.
    This is why auditors want to see a little thing called "separation of duties". The person who authorizes a change should never be the person who implements it.

    Any CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) could have told you that. So TRWTF is that the guy with all the certificates didn't also have CISA on his list.

    Alright. You show the rent-a-cop an order form that says "run shredder dongle on all systems on all racks in the backup data center at [address of live datacenter]". The address is correct because James wrote it, and the person who authorizes didn't check (they never do).

    Do you think the rent-a-cop would have noticed the "backup" qualifier and stopped you? I think not.

    Leo's WTF.

    Knowing James' tendency to act without thinking he should have seen this coming down the road and made sure there was someone at the other end who would ensure the stupid prick was in the right place. Alternatively, logistics aside, he should have sent someone else. Or, what should really have happened, he should have been fired ages before.

  • (cs) in reply to karly
    karly:
    You are disappointed, however the real real real real real What the fucking fuckity fuck is why would you want to beat someone up simply because he made a mistake.

    For making that sort of comment you deserve a right royal British-style full-on no-holds-barred kicking.

  • (cs) in reply to Bob
    Bob:
    Buddy:
    Fucking retard. These kinds of people you can predict the five Ws of their fuck ups. I was going to recount a similar story that happened in my junior days, but I know that will get me angrier than a sack of tomcats and my doc told me to lighten up on the type A behavior.
    Please attempt some sensitivity. I had a son who was retarded, and let me assure you: it is no laughing matter.

    But you haven't any more, we kicked him to death.

  • (cs) in reply to Remy Porter
    Remy Porter:
    James Avery also voiced the Shredder. And played Uncle Phil. I mean, not the .NET Developer James Avery. He could be a .NET developer, I suppose, but I think he's more of an actor.
    Oh wait, Phil Banks from The Prince Of Bel Air! Thanks for explaining, I missed that reference!

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