Scariest computing moment?
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
A few years ago I was on a client site and the sales guy had failed to tell me they were using Unix (which I handn't used for about 3 years at that point). Anyway, to cut a long story short, I was moving their database around manually (as there were no nice GUI tools like a decent file manager application) using the unix
mv:eek: command and just copy and pasting each command line modifying the extension on each. I accidentally forgot to change the destination filename :doh: on one occasion wiping out a several gigabyte database :omg::eek: (which at the time was hefty - one other customer had asked if we could handle very big databases, when we asked how big this "very big database" was the response was "in the region of 10Mb":wtf:) --Colin Mackay-- -
Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
I worry most when I open Windows Update. With one exception, every time I've had to reinstall Windows (and lose everything on my system) in the past 3 years or so it's been due to damage done by an update from Microsoft. It doesn't happen every time, or even very often, but it happens often enough and is so destructive when it does that I am extremely reluctant to even go there. "Another day done - All targets met; all systems fully operational; all customers satisfied; all staff keen and well motivated; all pigs fed and ready to fly" - Jennie A.
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
Oh, that's the easiest question to answer: Many years ago I started a job as a budding new Novell network engineer. My very first solo service call was to install a replacement power supply in an NEC server at a very large accounting firm. The original had blown the afternoon of the day before and a new emergency replacement power supply had been flown in. The accounting firm was basically unable to work at all, when I came in the office lot's of junior accountants were playing Doom with each other trying to look busy. I nervously install the new power supply carefully following the service manual and fire it up. Netware boots properly, I wait until the volumes are mounted, everything seems fine, the server is up and running! I stop sweating, walk out into the reception area and tell the owner who was nervously pacing in reception that the server is back up, he is really happy and relieved. At that exact moment a loud popping noise can be heard coming from the server room, I run back in there and there is literally smoke coming out of the back of the server and it is not running. (turns out that NEC had sent a defective power supply as the replacement) At this point the owner of this accounting firm literally grabs my arm and drags me into the board room. He calls in 5 other managers and they proceed to grill the life out of me for 10 minutes... "Do you realize we are losing 6 thousand dollars every hour every hour that we are down?" That kind of thing. The owner is apopleptic, red faced, veins standing right out, spitting in my face...the whole works. They rake me over the coals one way and then back again the other way. This is literally my first service call onsite by myself. At that point I had been working at the bench in the shop for a while and accompanying other techs onsite but never by myself. I'm totally freaking out at this point, trying not to show it but sweat is pouring down my face, I say "I'll call my boss", the owner of the accounting firm won't let me leave the board room, he points to a phone beside the boardroom table and says use that phone. I have to track down my boss who is onsite (none of us had cell phones in those days, only pagers) and with all these managers of the company listening to every word I say I explain that there is a problem with the new power supply and he needs to come to the site. He says "can't it wait" at which point I totally lose that employee / boss respect thing and say "No it can't wait get down here right now". He m
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
Not for me really but just yesterday we had a junior network admin working on restricting access to certain machines. His solution was deny access for the everyone group at the root of the machine (MAC OS X). It was certainly a learning experience for him :laugh:
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
I have had many, but the first is probably the scariest because I had only been coding about one year. I was working on a custom SAP program that updated telephone rental prices according to CPIX, and the program and its tables were documented nowhere. Now we were forbidden on pain of dismissal to do any work whatsoever on the production box, but that day I obtained special permission, because I needed to update custom tables urgently. Somehow I updated 40,000 records with the same transaction date or something like that :omg: Fortunately because it was a custom table the data was sourced from SAP tables and with about six hours of exploring and assuming where the source data was (sometimes matching on amounts, eek) and restore the transaction dates, before the main boss got back. Memes don't exist - tell your friends
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
Not really computing related but... I used to repair Hewlett Packard Oscilloscopes. One day a job came in from Singapore (I think) and I plugged it in, hit the power switch and noticed it came up very quickly. Nice bright display that just got brighter and brighter. Suddenly I realised that I hadn't checked the power settings. Sure enough, it was set for 110 volt mains and I was running it at 240 volts. Too late! I'd burned a nice straight line in the storage mesh. Needed a new CRT which at the time (1980) cost something north of A$2000 :(:doh: Rob Manderson http://www.mindprobes.net **Paul Watson wrote:**What sense would you most dislike loosing? Ian Darling replied. Telepathy Then I'd no longer be able to find out everyones dirty little secrets The Lounge, December 4 2003
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
I used to work for an electric utility and I was told that someone entered the command to open a breaker on a high voltage line thinking he was on the development control system. Fortunately, the system was able to mitigate the effects of the load loss and no power plants had to shut down. I'm sure it was a mistake he never made again!
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
Oh, it goes back about 13 years or so. Right after I was hired to be the new "Staff Programmer" We were working on some software on our Apollo workstations. Now for those of you who don't know Apollo.... They were an Aegis (Think Unix) basic operating system by later purchased by HP. Thse suckers were expensive. And, to make matters worse, the software on them was something like $20,000 a seat. These are the kind of machines you don't want sitting idle. So, I'm sitting there working on my program, and boom, machine locks up. Now, I'm just a couple of weeks on the job..... Panic starts in, this is a unix box, you don't just shutdown, restart this babies..... Espically back then.... So, I'm sitting there wondering just what to do... Finally, one of the other programmers comes over and notices I'm starting to panic. He says "Well, you gotta fix it." Big help he was. Finally, he said just call this 800# they'll tell you what to do.... I did, luckily, everything came back up. Front that point on, I made SURE I knew about the specific types of computers I was working on. In case you are wondering, yes, I did do a cold reset on the beast. There is a little white button on the back of them that when you hit it, it resets the computer. Kind of like the PC reset button. Nick This are my own opinions. You know the rest.....
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Not really computing related but... I used to repair Hewlett Packard Oscilloscopes. One day a job came in from Singapore (I think) and I plugged it in, hit the power switch and noticed it came up very quickly. Nice bright display that just got brighter and brighter. Suddenly I realised that I hadn't checked the power settings. Sure enough, it was set for 110 volt mains and I was running it at 240 volts. Too late! I'd burned a nice straight line in the storage mesh. Needed a new CRT which at the time (1980) cost something north of A$2000 :(:doh: Rob Manderson http://www.mindprobes.net **Paul Watson wrote:**What sense would you most dislike loosing? Ian Darling replied. Telepathy Then I'd no longer be able to find out everyones dirty little secrets The Lounge, December 4 2003
That probably was the only HP scope that ever had a display bright enough to be usable! I hated the things, and the department that ordered them for the company. :mad: "Another day done - All targets met; all systems fully operational; all customers satisfied; all staff keen and well motivated; all pigs fed and ready to fly" - Jennie A.
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
I guess my scariest moment was when my computer kept blue screening giving me some kind of message errors that looked like program bugs. I thought win98se had finally gone kaput on me. I tried to make a dual-boot system by adding win2k on it, but the problem still kept coming up in win2k as well. Turned out some of my memory had finally gone bad. Didn't matter to me, was putting together a new system anyways.
Who am I? Currently: A Programming Student trying to survive school with plan to go on to Univeristy of Advancing Technology to study game design. Main career interest include: Multimedia and game programming. Working on an outside project: A game for the GamePark32 (GP32) portable gaming console. My website: www.GP32US.com
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
Of course there are also the moments when you lie about having completed work, waiting to do it in the quiet and comfort of your own home, and either your home machine bombs, or you lack a critical piece of software that you can't get at 22:00. Memes don't exist - tell your friends
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
I was doing work in the Phone room of a call center and had to pull a rack mounted server out to count how many boards were in it. As I pulled it out to take a look all 16 of the cables connecting the cards to the phone system pulled off the back like a zipper and the call center went silent. Came to find out latter that some technician at the site was bored one day and decide to tidy up the cable mess at the back of the rack so he used wire ties to secure all the cables neatly in bundles and then secured them to the rack itself never giving a thought about the fact this was a server on rails….. I got some very evil looks for a few tense minutes but I have never again pulled out a server. When I go onsite I always have the resident IT people touch their equipment. I am really surprised how many people just pull those servers out assuming that the cables are free enough in the back to allow it.
Paul Watson wrote: "At the end of the day it is what you produce that counts, not how many doctorates you have on the wall." George Carlin wrote: "Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things." Jörgen Sigvardsson wrote: If the physicists find a universal theory describing the laws of universe, I'm sure the asshole constant will be an integral part of that theory.
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
I've had a few of these moments over the past 15 years, and they generally fall into one of these categories; 1) Realising you've deleted/updated something you shouldn't have JUST as you press the enter key 2) Locking up a production server 3) Listening to the Hard Disk fail on a (non backed-up) PC or server :rolleyes: Whichever one it is, the feeling is always the same. First, your heart starts racing. Then the adrenalin rush hits you, followed by that light-headed 'I'm not really here' feeling. I always find the 'I'm not really here' feeling helps matters. I think it's a natural defence mechanism. :laugh: John[^]
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
I was around 8-9 years old and I already had Commodore 64 for some 3 years. Now C64 had this massive transformer (or whatever it was) which had one cable coming out and plugging it into the C64 and the other going into the wall. For three years I would grab it by the wires and lift the transformer. One day before going to school (I was banned on playing on it due to my bad marks in the school) I played a bit and to disassemble it and put it away I lifted the transformer by the wires. To my surprise (well not really surprise, the bang startled me and I pissed myself) There was a huge explosion in the transformer and the electricity in the flat went down. The first ten minutes I was cool (but pissed), trying to be smart and to fix the problem. When it got to the point that I would be late for school and still unable to fix the problem I started crying. So I called my mum as she worked closer to the flat than dad. She came home, kicked a crap out me and sent me to school. Later that day (winter time, late, already dark), on my way back I first checked if there were lights in the flat. There were, so the problem was solved. Mum almost gave me additional kicking, but dad said, it's ok, it were only the fuses. Transformer was fixed, C64 was sold. :(( 15 years later I have 5 PC's in the flat, bought with my money. HE HE HE HE HE HE
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
We have 3 Oracle databases running (Dev, Test, and Prod). According to my Unix shell prompt, I was in Test, about to do some major table alterations. For some reason, I decided to do a row count comparison to the Prod tables. Surprise, they were the same:wtf:. The scripts used to change the database pointer were all the same (Prod), and had been for some time. I almost lost tons of production data.:doh: "For all of our languages, we cannot communicate" - Christy Moore, Natives
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
I think the most worrying moment was my first semester in college when I thought about my future locked up in a cube staring blankly at my monitor for 30+ years. I'm doing much better now, though.:) BW CP Member Homepages
"...take what you need and leave the rest..."
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Random question of the day. What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Examples: Installing the 'new' server software and hoping it doesn't mess up your corporate network? Performing a data 'slide' on your 200GB hard drive? I'm a bit of a chicken and back everything up before doing the slightest thing, however I was really worried one time when modifying the way my forum database structured itself. No backup option was avaliable for me by the host. It was a fairly complicated algorithm for copying records, assigning new ID's and values etc... based on other parameters. All I needed was the server to hang or one step in the process to conflict with something and several thousand records would be damaged or lost. I crossed all possible parts of my body including fingers and touched as much wood as possible.
Jonathan 'nonny' Newman blog.nonny.com [^]
Jonny Newman wrote: What's the most worrying moment you've had regarding computers? Anytime I attempt to restore from a media written to by an IOMega device X| Cheers, Tom Archer Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic. * Inside C# -Second Edition * Visual C++.NET Bible * Extending MFC Applications with the .NET Framework