Lyle Seaman

networking, security infra and filesystems kernel hacker turned application programmer, SRE and engineering manager, Lyle traded tilting at windmills for viking at Vikings but couldn't catch any.

Mar 2025

Here Comes the Sun

by in Error'd on

We got an unusual rash of submissions at Error'd this week. Here are five reasonably good ones chosen not exactly at random. For those few (everyone) who didn't catch the off-by-one from last week's batch, there's the clue.

"Gotta CAPTCHA 'Em All," puns Alex G. "So do I select them all?" he wondered. I think the correct answer is null.


NaN is the Loneliest Number

by in Error'd on

Today we have a whole batch of category errors, picked out from the rash of submissions and a few that have been festering on the shelf. Just for fun, I threw in an ironic off-by-some meta-error. See if you can spot it.

Adam R. "I'm looking for hotel rooms for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Most hotels haven't opened up reservations yet, except for ridiculously overprice hospitality packages. This search query found NaN facilities available, which equates to one very expensive apartment. I guess one is not a number now?"


No Time Like the Present

by in Error'd on

I'm not entirely sure I understand the first item today, but maybe you can help. I pulled a couple of older items from the backlog to round out this timely theme.

Rudi A. reported this Errord, chortling "Time flies when you're having fun, but it goes back when you're walking along the IJ river!" Is the point here that the walking time is quoted as 77 minutes total, but the overall travel time is less than that? I must say I don't recommend swimming the Ij in March, Rudi.


Tomorrow

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It's only a day away!

Punctual Robert F. never procrastinates. But I think now would be a good time for a change. He worries that "I better do something quick, before my 31,295 year deadline arrives."