• (cs)

    Re: my organization: one might start by asking what "productivity" was there to be lost...

  • Mike MacDonald (unregistered)

    The REAL WTF is the random Capitalization.

  • Anon (unregistered)

    Genius

  • Colin (unregistered)

    How long would I wait?  42.

  • (cs)

    Just hold the mouse still and move the mousepad underneath it. Problem solved.

  • (cs) in reply to John Bigboote
    John Bigboote:
    Just hold the mouse still and move the mousepad underneath it. Problem solved.
    Do I smell an advanced degree in mathematics?
  • (cs)

    <FONT face=Arial>Er, I'd just click OK right away.</FONT>

    <FONT face=Arial>Reading dialogs is for wusses.</FONT>

  • (cs)

    I can see it now.....

    Employees by the hundreds sitting in their cubicle, starring at the monitor, waiting for some king of notification that the script is done executing... Just like the empty stare of a dog who doesn't know you put the bone behind your back... Cattle.....

    Suddenly out of nowhere comes some geeky looking technician, yelling throughout the halls "Just hit OK! Just hit OK!", but alas it's too late, as all of the hard workers are focused on their monitor and simply tune out the salvation... Oh well.... Guess you just gotta update the script again and flip the main breaker...

    (Hoping you don't mess any hardware up in the process ;-P)

  • anonymous coward (unregistered) in reply to JBL

    Clearly, the solution is to press a key while moving the mouse.  Or simply move the mouse, but we'll be kind, and be safe if its an xor. :)

    Please !(press any key) OR  move mouse

     

     

  • (cs) in reply to GoatCheez

    I can follow directions: it said don't touch MY keyboard or mouse - it didn't say anything about anyone ELSEs keyboard or mouse.

    Over the PA system: Everyone hit OK on the computer to your right!

  • Dazed (unregistered)

    The idea that one must not even move the mouse is so unbelievably stupid that I would move it immediately just to see what happened.

    But yes, the whole thing is a classic example of applying the fingers without engaging the brain.

  • (cs) in reply to JBL
    JBL:
    John Bigboote:
    Just hold the mouse still and move the mousepad underneath it. Problem solved.
    Do I smell an advanced degree in mathematics?


    I do believe it was used to wrap fish at one time, yes.
  • (cs) in reply to Eric Shinn

    Cmon!

    Fix the script.  With domain admin rights, enter:

    psshutdown -r @txtMyComputers 

    Where @txtMyComputers is a text file of the affected systems.

     

    Now where's my $32K of the $64Ki just saved?

  • (cs) in reply to Eric Shinn
    Eric Shinn:

    <FONT face=Arial>Er, I'd just click OK right away.</FONT>

    <FONT face=Arial>Reading dialogs is for wusses.</FONT>

    Oh that's classic. Typical attitude of my users. That and reading Help files and Readme.txt files :P

    -shnar

  • (cs) in reply to John Bigboote
    John Bigboote:
    JBL:
    John Bigboote:
    Just hold the mouse still and move the mousepad underneath it. Problem solved.
    Do I smell an advanced degree in mathematics?


    I do believe it was used to wrap fish at one time, yes.
    Those take some work to come by. Beats burning it in protest in front of the White House, at least (if a flag isn't handy or legal any more).
  • (cs) in reply to shnar
    shnar:
    Eric Shinn:

    <font face="Arial">Er, I'd just click OK right away.</font>

    <font face="Arial">Reading dialogs is for wusses.</font>

    Oh that's classic. Typical attitude of my users. That and reading Help files and Readme.txt files :P

    -shnar



    My favorites are the users who can't remember the error message because they didn't read it, or the users who fabricate error messages out of thin air.
  • (cs)
    Alex Papadimoulis:

    Now I have no idea what this all adds up to in lost productivity, but I'm pretty sure it's right around $64,000.



    Hey, that's our CEO's hourly salary!
  • (cs) in reply to Bus Raker

    The solution is Obvious.  Replace Your monitor with a touch-Screen and Push the Ok button with your Finger.  No mouses moved.  No keys Pressed. 

    I, Too prefer Random Capitalization.

  • (cs) in reply to JBL

    JBL:
    ...Beats burning it in protest in front of the White House, at least (if a flag isn't handy or legal any more).

    First bras, then flags, now diplomas? The stuff being burned in front of the white house is getting less and less interesting...

  • (cs) in reply to kmerkle

    kmerkle:
    ...No mouses moved...

    mouses ???

  • (cs) in reply to snoofle
    snoofle:

    kmerkle:
    ...No mouses moved...

    mouses ???



    Meeses.
  • Godai (unregistered)

    Of course the people with no problem are those who had the snap-to option active.

    Since it would automatically move it to the button. And it says nothing about not clicking with the mouse, just not moving it.

     

     

  • (cs)

    I would expect this sort of message to be accompanied by one of those stupid macros, where you get to watch as the mouse laboriously moves across the screen to open a folder to move a file, and then drags the file to were it is supposed to be, then does a few seconds of code, waits for 55 more seconds, then the mouse moves across the screen again.

    Ug. I worked behind a programmer who was enamored of Applescript, and there are applications all over the place that are just one race condition after another. This piece has to wait 1 minute, and this piece has to wait 2 minutes, but if the first piece gets stalled, and runs for too long, then the whole thing crashes in a big fricking train wreck.

    This kind of stuff is almost always a sign of amature hour, with sloppy macros and kludge code doing something that they'd have been better off doing by hand.

  • (cs)

    There should a been a printed piece of paper on everyone's desk, titled:  "Turn on your computer and take this test.  If you fail this test, you are fired."

    Step 1:  Read pop up message.

    Step 2:  Get further instructions from help desk without using a phone or computer.

    Step 3:  Ignore steps 1 and 2. 

  • Joe (unregistered) in reply to Colin

    How long would I wait?

    Depends... Metric or Imperial?

    If Metric, 3.75 Litres

    If Imperial, definately at least 46 square yards.

    Joe     (sometimes I swear the Captcha test knows me... "clueless"... ha ha ha ha)

  • Jersey (unregistered)

    I'd like to see IT put a little extra in the script so that the OK dialog moves around the screen away from the cursor when the user moves the cursor over to click it. That would definitely keep them from being able to hit any keys, or click any OK buttons. Make it so that they have to press CTRL-ALT-T-|-& in sequence to make it go away. But then, they'd all get fired unless it was April 1st.

  • (cs)

    This is a tricky one, I see no other solution than first install a variant of the ClickYes application on every user's machine, see http://thedailywtf.com/forums/thread/77580.aspx

  • Nickolay (unregistered)

    That reminds me of an adventure I have gone through performing an upgrade of Oracle Portal software. Upgrading involved running a console script, which worked for some time, then appeared to hang.

    The nicest thing was that it printed a message saying not to interrupt the upgrade process (and I knew it was serious, because a friend of mine had to do a complete reinstall after interrupting the upgrade!)

    It took me another half an hour to find the courage to run ProcessExplorer to find out (from the stack trace) it was waiting for me to press any key.

    Call it a $64,000 lack of message, if you like.

  • dept non style dep (unregistered) in reply to Jersey

    Its like a countdown atomic bomb that reached zero, then continue with 1, 2, 3, 4,.... frustrating and enfuriating angry thing! I dont even know english word to say that!.

    A workaround:

    1. Photo the monitor.
    2. Print the photo.
    3. Sell the monitor.
    4. Replace the monitor by the printed photo.

    Users will not notice, but will give a profit > $64.000

    -Tei
  • MBV (unregistered) in reply to Nickolay
    Anonymous:

    That reminds me of an adventure I have gone through performing an upgrade of Oracle Portal software. Upgrading involved running a console script, which worked for some time, then appeared to hang.

    The nicest thing was that it printed a message saying not to interrupt the upgrade process (and I knew it was serious, because a friend of mine had to do a complete reinstall after interrupting the upgrade!)

    It took me another half an hour to find the courage to run ProcessExplorer to find out (from the stack trace) it was waiting for me to press any key.

    Call it a $64,000 lack of message, if you like.


    That's why you should backup before upgrading :+
  • mr blake (unregistered)

    Alex Papadimoulis:
    Now I have no idea what this all adds up to in lost productivity, but I'm pretty sure it's right around $64,000.

    thankfully, $64K is roughly the annual salary of the mid-level programmer who put wrote the buggy code.  once he's downsized (don't they say "right sized" these days?), the balance sheet will be back to even....

  • JS (unregistered)

    I like how there's no apostrophe in "dont", probably because whoever wrote the script didn't how to escape single-quotes. Lame.

  • Shizzle (unregistered) in reply to dept non style dep

       CAN YOU FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS?
      
       One of the most common errors made by users when facing a
       dialog box is failing to read, understand and following the directions
       given to them on the screen.

       Test your skills by completing this dialog.

       Directions: Read the entire message before doing anything else. Do
       exactly as instructed. Under no circumstances are you to call the help
       desk.  Be sure to keep your eyes on you own computer.  If you ever
       finish, sit quietly until everyone else finishes.

       1) Do no press any key on your keyboard
       2) Do not move your mouse
       4) Do not call the help desk
       5) Do not leave your cubicle
       6) Do not turn off your computer
       7) Wait until this program is finished
       8) Please click OK to continue

                      [==OK==]


  • (cs)
    Alex Papadimoulis:

    Now try to imagine just how long the average computer user would wait before believing that something went wrong. Add to that the average help desk technician who knows nothing about the update script and instructs the average user (calling, on average, an hour later) to just wait it out. Add to that the time it takes for the help desk to finally contact IT and the time it takes for them to confirm that the script, indeed, has a bug and requires that the user click OK. And finally, add to that the challenge of communicating the message of "just click OK" to all users across the organization *without* the use of email.

    Now I have no idea what this all adds up to in lost productivity, but I'm pretty sure it's right around $64,000.


    <FONT face=Tahoma>I would assume that the original message was just the "Please Don't Press any key..." and after the script executes, the "Please click OK..." as well as the button appears. If this is the case then this would be a valid message but would really lead to confusion if the user didn't notice that. It would better off I think to just remove the first text when the script finishes its execution.

    But if the message pops out exactly as what was posted, I would have clicked the button immediately. Hey, there were no text that states not to follow the last instruction...

    Is "*without* the use of email" involve wooden tables?



    </FONT>
  • xcor057 (unregistered)

    Can you move the keyboard and press the mouse instead?

  • (cs)

    Do Not Interrupt

    should read

    <FONT size=4>Do Not Interpret</FONT>

  • (cs) in reply to xrT

    xrT:
    <FONT face=Tahoma>I would assume that the original message was ... if the message pops out exactly as what was posted ...</FONT>

    No anonymization took place this time ... what you see is what was sent in.

  • (cs)

    Only an hour? I know people who'd happily sit and stare at the screen for the entire day!

  • John (unregistered)

    1. Do not startle the tiger, it will maul you.

    2. Do not run away from the tiger, it will chase you, then maul you.

    3. The tiger is in the other room.

  • (cs) in reply to Jersey
    Anonymous:

    I'd like to see IT put a little extra in the script so that the OK dialog moves around the screen away from the cursor when the user moves the cursor over to click it. That would definitely keep them from being able to hit any keys, or click any OK buttons. Make it so that they have to press CTRL-ALT-T-|-& in sequence to make it go away. But then, they'd all get fired unless it was April 1st.

    You are truly devious - you have my everlasting respect...

  • Morbii (unregistered) in reply to Dazed

    Anonymous:
    The idea that one must not even move the mouse is so unbelievably stupid that I would move it immediately just to see what happened. But yes, the whole thing is a classic example of applying the fingers without engaging the brain.

     

    Maybe it was one of those ones where vb was programatically using the start menu and clicking things :P

  • Last Bubble (unregistered)

    I DONT THINK THIS IS SO FUNNY. I HAVE WENT THROUGH THREE(!) COMPUTERS ALREADY WHERE THIS HAPPENED.

  • (cs) in reply to John Bigboote
    John Bigboote:
    snoofle:

    kmerkle:
    ...No mouses moved...

    mouses ???



    Meeses.

    Well, actually, the plural of "mouse" is "meese" (or "meece," if you must).  The meta-plural of "meese" is "meeses," which is a herd of meese, I think.

    See, all that education in Latin wasn't wasted!

    (If, by "all that," I mean "none," of course.)

  • (cs)

    but if i cannot move my mouse, how do i click ok?

    ooooooooo an enigma

  • (cs) in reply to mrprogguy
    mrprogguy:
    John Bigboote:
    snoofle:

    kmerkle:
    ...No mouses moved...

    mouses ???



    Meeses.

    Well, actually, the plural of "mouse" is "meese" (or "meece," if you must).  The meta-plural of "meese" is "meeses," which is a herd of meese, I think.

    See, all that education in Latin wasn't wasted!

    (If, by "all that," I mean "none," of course.)





    Actually it's Mice.

    The Mice went out the find cheese (plural)
    vs
    The Mouse went out to find cheese (singular)

    The Mice we bought all had defective connectors (plural)
    vs
    The Mouse we bought had a defective connector (singular)
  • (cs)

    What's left to do is cycle the power. I bet most unsophisticated users would think of that - not many of us, obviously. Cycling the power is the second or third action help desks tell them to do, after all.

  • (cs) in reply to MikiWatts
    MikiWatts:
    Only an hour? I know people who'd happily sit and stare at the screen for the entire day!

    I'd happily pull out a book and spend the day reading. Hey, if they don't want me to do any work, then I won't.

  • (cs) in reply to xcor057

    Anonymous:
    Can you move the keyboard and press the mouse instead?

    What about pressing the mouse WITH the keyboard?

    Or throwing either one at the monitor? (extra points if you shatter it at the exact point of the OK button)

  • (cs) in reply to mrprogguy
    mrprogguy:
    John Bigboote:
    snoofle:

    kmerkle:
    ...No mouses moved...

    mouses ???



    Meeses.

    Well, actually, the plural of "mouse" is "meese" (or "meece," if you must).  The meta-plural of "meese" is "meeses," which is a herd of meese, I think.

    See, all that education in Latin wasn't wasted!

    (If, by "all that," I mean "none," of course.)

    You've got it all wrong. The plural of "mouse" is "moose". The plural of "moose" is "meese".
  • (cs) in reply to Last Bubble
    Anonymous:

    I DONT THINK THIS IS SO FUNNY. I HAVE WENT THROUGH THREE(!) COMPUTERS ALREADY WHERE THIS HAPPENED.



    Looks like you need to replace your keyboard as well. Seems like the either the Caps Lock or the Shift key are broken.

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