Posts by Blofeld's Cat

Foreign Office IT chaos: Shocking testimony reveals poor tech support hindered Afghan evac attempts

Disgraceful ...

This whole episode will no doubt feature in some future textbook as an example of how NOT to organise an evacuation.

Reading the story here and elsewhere only emphasises the utter disconnect between the frantic efforts of people at the sharp end, and those seated comfortably in the upper echelons of Whitehall, demanding that their procedures must be followed.

That the evacuation of dogs from an animal rescue charity was prioritised ahead of people who had actively put their lives on the line, is frankly unbelievable. (Did I read that right, or have I misunderstood something?)

There should be resignations ... but there won't be.

Tech Bro CEO lays off 900 people in Zoom call and makes himself the victim

Re: Bastard

"... place reserved in Hell ..."

He may not get in - they have standards too.

Garg: I have a reservation.

Demonic Maitre D: "Ah Mr Garg. No, you had a reservation."

G: "Had?"

D: "Yes 'had' - The Big Boss cancelled it."

G: "Why?"

D: "There were complaints. A number of denizens objected to your admittance. Even Vlad the Impaler thought your methods inhumane."

G: "This is ridiculous. I demand you find somewhere to seat me."

D: (sighs) "Very well." (dials phone) "Vlad? - Good, have you got a moment? ..."

Hmm ...

I worked on contract for a company that was taken over by a US corporation.

After several months of "onward to the glorious future" style presentations, a whole company meeting was arranged in a local sports hall so the new owners could address the workforce.

The visiting US team unexpectedly announced that they were shutting down the whole UK operation, making everyone redundant.

Evidently surprised by the reception their announcement received, one of the visitors suggested to the UK boss, (who was also seated on the platform), that "Security" needed to be summoned.

He pointed out that this was unnecessary as the group of large men who had just described the visitors as "callous bastards*", were in fact "Security".

The visitors left very shortly afterwards for the airport - at speed - in a car with four flat tyres.

_{* Not an exact quotation}

New UK product security law won't be undercut by rogue traders upping and vanishing, government boasts

Bad debts ...

"For some years I was suing about one company per week for non-payment of bills issued by my small (partnership) business ..."

I sympathise with you deeply, having just gone through something similar myself.

In my case one of a particular company's ex-employees* explained that the company concerned was having cash-flow problems and the boss had simply decided not to pay invoices below a certain value.

This was on the cynical basis that it would cost their supplier more to start legal action than the value of their invoice, and most small firms would simply write off the money instead.

When (as in my case) they received legal papers, they simply apologised for their oversight and paid up before the case was heard.

_{* There were several redundancies once the furlough money stopped.}

Google's 'Be Evil' business transformation is complete: Time for the end game

"Beware of gifts bearing Greeks" - Former citizen of Troy

Nothing works any more. Who decided that redundant systems should become redundant?

Re: Doubting Hervé

"... With barely a micron of leeway on either side, I knew there was no way of fitting a 5mm wider unit in the same space ...

It's surprising what can be done with a couple of metal rulers, some blocks of wood and an Acrow prop...

BOFH: You'll find there's a company asset tag right here, underneath the monstrously heavy arcade machine

Re: Sshh!

I know somebody who decided to connect a machine to multiple socket outlets in a workshop to get a higher current feed.

He didn't realise that the sockets used different phases of the three-phase supply to balance the load.

Well not until he switched on the second one anyway ...

Brits open doors for tech-enabled fraudsters because they 'don't want to seem rude'

"... freepost envelope ..."

Try running the literature through a cross-cut shredder before putting it in the return envelope. Some basic origami can result in a "confetti cannon" effect on opening.

Adding a spoonful of glitter to the mix may be taking matters a little too far ...

RAF chief: Our Reaper drones (sorry, SkyGuardians) stand ready to help British councils

Er ...

Allegedly the drones are already equipped to deal with "Old Farmer's bin loading" or something like that.

Talent shortage? Maybe it's your automated hiring system, lack of investment in training

Re: And that degree ...

No degree here - left school at 15 with no qualifications of any sort. Straight into an apprenticeship, local Tech and night-school. Consequently I have multiple City & Guilds type qualifications, but most agencies and HR people haven't even heard of them, let alone know if they're relevant.

Apparently I also didn't have the "necessary technical knowledge" to modify a piece of hardware I designed and built 25 years ago.

True, I don't have <current-buzzword> on my CV, but I do have <previous-buzzword> from when the technique was called that 20 years ago. Oh and it didn't work then either.

</rant>

I'm so glad not to have to deal with agencies now that I'm "retired" - and busier than ever...

Bonkers rocket launch sees craft slip sideways, barely climb and tear up terrain

Er ...

A spectacular demonstration of the attitude control systems keeping the pointed end up and the hot end down. Nobody hammered home the sensors on this one.

They also avoided having to do a major clean up of the environment and launch pad by letting it continue until it was over one of the marine exclusion zones.

So a good call all round - have several of these ...

Boots on Moon in 2024? NASA OIG says you better moonwalk away from that date, because suits ain't ready

Er ...

"... establishing a long-term presence at the Moon under Artemis is a priority ..."

I can assure you that if we had a pub called "The Moon under Artemis" around here, I too would be looking to establish a long-term presence there.

Q: Post-lockdown, where would I like to go? A: As far away from my own head as possible

Re: Sending DNA

Sounds good - I mean what could possibly go wrong...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species_(film)

Cordon Bennet ...

That book is still in print - I have the Kindle version of it.

I can recommend the "Easy apple cake" recipe as even my so called culinary skills, can't turn it into a flywheel on a regular basis.

Das tut mir leid! Germany's ruling party sorry for calling cops on researcher after she outed canvassing app flaws

"... engineers mindset ..."

Very similar to the scientific method.

In the early days of exoplanet research there was a press conference at which a research team announced that they had calculated the "year" of an exoplanet at 365.25 days.

There was a pause, after which the team leader said something along the lines of:

This is either a staggering coincidence, or we have got something wrong. We have checked our data many times and cannot find an error. Our research is all published on line and we would be most grateful if somebody could please point out where we messed up.

Google hits undo on Chrome browser alert change that broke websites, web apps

Hmm ...

"Specifically, they allow an embedded resource like an ad to present a prompt as if it were the host domain."

Perhaps the developers forgot where Google derives most of its revenue from.

"The grand emperor has sent me here to inform you that the spice ads must flow."

UK chancellor: Getting back to the altar of corporate dreams (the office) will boost young folks' careers

Re: Hmm

"Lighthouse Keeper?"

I thought that job paid too well considering it was just "light housekeeping" ...

Er ...

Many years ago it was quite common to sort out development issues while chatting at the water cooler, or during a smoking break for that matter.

Unfortunately the efficiency of this practice was not generally understood by the numerous managers brachiating though the corporate tree.

It appears they believed that if the minions were talking they were not working, and that such issues could only be sorted out by endless scheduled meetings anyway.

Nuisance call-blocking firm fined £170,000 for making almost 200,000 nuisance calls

Er ...

I'm not sure which part of this is the most bizarre:

- A supplier of nuisance call-blocking systems doesn't understand that a cold call made without the recipient's explicit consent is a nuisance call.

- The sole director of the company bought the contact list from a liquidated marketing company they used to be the sole director of.

NFT or not to NFT: Steve Jobs' first job application auction shows physically unique beats cryptographically unique

Re: For sale now!

Would you consider an exchange for some clothes?

Brand new - made for an emperor ...

D'oh! Misplaced chair shuts down nuclear plant in Taiwan

Re: Confirmed

"Ah, but it also had Soolin!"

Also Servalan, one of the best villains ever.

Remember the bloke who was told by Zen Internet to contact his MP about crap service? Yeah, it's still not fixed

Oh Fawkes ...

A friend wrote to her MP responding to one of the government's consultation invitations, politely expressing her reasoned opinion on the subject.

She received a reply thanking her for her comments, and a glossy booklet explaining the government's view on the subject, and why she was completely wrong.

That's the sort of thing that happens when your MP is also the PM.

BOFH: You say goodbye and I say halon

Hmm ...

"...the eye-watering halon disposal fee..."

I can't help feeling that this involved their black-market halon supplier, with the BOFH, PFY and fire engineer all receiving well-stuffed brown envelopes.

Exsparko-destructus! What happens when wand waving meets extremely poor wiring

Er ...

Not quite the same, but I got called out to a site where their in-house "electrical genius" had installed a number of "Emergency Stop" buttons demanded by Health & Safety.

Shunning the usual methods, he had wired cheap push button switches across the mains at strategic points. Pressing the switch shorted the supply, tripped the circuit breaker and cut off the power.

Eventually one test welded shut the contacts of the 32V rated switch involved, making it impossible to reset the breaker.

Good news: Jeff Bezos went to space. Bad news: He's back

Congrats ...

Congratulations to Wally Funk.

Richly deserved in so many ways.

Engineers' Laurel and Hardy moment caused British Airways 787 to take an accidental knee

Re: Boeing-ing-ing

I always assumed "Boeing" was the sound made by a part of the aircraft hitting the ground.

Revealed: Perfect timings for creation of exemplary full English breakfast

On the go ...

My preferred method of obtaining a "Full English" while out and about, is to select the dining establishment with the most sign-written vans outside, as this usually indicates that the proprietor goes for both quality and quantity.

This can generally be confirmed when the menu consists of breakfast offerings which are numbered rather than named.

Remember that a successful day never starts with a croissant and decaffeinated coffee...

Re: Lost me in the first paragraph.

Indeed, and preferably turned at least once during the cooking process.

11-year-old graduate announces plans to achieve immortality by 'replacing body parts with mechanical parts'

Er ...

"Immortality, that is my goal. I want to be able to replace as many body parts as possible with mechanical parts."

That sort of statement is usually accompanied by a clasping of hands while laughing maniacally.

"His grandparents, who mainly raised him, have cardiac issues and he reportedly wants to help them."

For some reason I'm now imagining The Colossus of New York wandering around looking for his slippers, and being unable to recall why he was at the UN Building in the first place.

Florida Man sues Facebook, Twitter, YouTube for account ban

Re: Asking for a fiend

"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist" - Charles Baudelaire

Devilish plans for your next app update ensure they never happen – unless you start praying

Sign here ...

"I, Alistair Dabbs, hereinafter and in the hereafter to be known as 'The Damned' ..."

Record-breaking Kuwaiti heatwave triggers inadvisable TikTok expletive outburst

Zap!

I gather that cursing Thor (or Zeus) for soaking you during a thunderstorm can also attract serious charges ...

Leaked Apple memo tells employees that they'll be coming into the office at least 3 days a week from September

Hmm ...

"To sweeten the blow, Apple said it would allow employees to work fully remotely for two weeks each year ..."

Is that over the Christmas and New Year holidays, or during their annual leave?

US Supreme Court rules teens cussing out schools on social media is protected speech

Hmm ...

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Evelyn Beatrice Hall, The Friends of Voltaire (1906)

'I put the interests of the country first': Colonial Pipeline CEO on why oil biz paid off ransomware crooks

Er ...

'... the password used to gain access to the VPN was "complex" – it wasn't just "colonial123" ...'

So "Coloni4l123!" then?

Good news for pentesters and network admins: US issues ransomware guidance asking biz to skill up security teams

Hmm ...

"Firms were also told to keep regular offline backups, segment their networks, promptly apply security patches, test their incident response plans, and use the services of a third-party penetration tester to identify any potential vulnerabilities missed by internal staffers."

Meanwhile, in the real world, firms will continue to beef up their legal teams, hire more spin-doctors, and recruit better snipers to take out any approaching messengers.

Stack Overflow acquired for $1.8bn by Prosus (no, me neither)

Re: Hooker Overflow...

So true (+1) ...

Let's forget about the Stack Overflow bit and just concentrate on Hookers that play Blackjack

The common factor in all your failed job applications: Your CV

Hmm ...

I always wondered if the opening paragraph on my CV made any sort of difference, as very few people seemed to read it.

"The people, places and events in this document are fictitious. Any resemblence to actual places, products, or persons (living, deceased or shortly to make the transition) is purely coincidental."

European Parliament's data adequacy objection: Doubts cast on UK's commitment to privacy protection

Er ...

_{require_once('sarcasm'); // Just in case}

I can't see where the element of doubt creeps in. The data protection policy of successive UK governments has been made very clear on numerous occasions.

BOFH: But we think the UK tax authorities would be VERY interested in how we used COVID support packages

Re: It's been a while....

"... I am surprised they didn't take him into the basement ..."

Judging by the "faint scream" I suspect he made his own way to the basement - possibly using litho-braking in the process.

Former IT manager from Essex pleads guilty to defrauding the NHS of £800k

"I hope he gets a substantial prison sentence."

Hopefully he will also be made to pay the NHS back - with interest.

Man found dead inside model dinosaur after climbing in to retrieve phone

Re: Sleeping with the stegosaurus

Watch out for the Thagomizer...

Icarus moment: Mozilla Thunderbird was saving OpenPGP keys in plaintext after encryption snafu

Re: testing is the mother of...

5. Repeat steps 1 to 4

6. Collect ISO 9001 certificate

The Home Office will need to overturn a long legacy of failure to achieve ambition of all-digital border by 2025

Re: Prediction

"... All user data will leak out to black hat hackers ..."

I suspect that the data will have already been sold to a social media company or somebody the minister in charge went to school with, long before it can be leaked.

Google will make you use two-step verification to login

Er ...

I commonly reuse passwords on sites where I will probably not be coming back, and shouldn't really need to set up an account in the first place.

This usually happens where I am researching something like opening times or prices, but the company will not tell me unless I create an account first.

In such cases no real financial or personal information is ever given, the mailbox concerned is only used for "confirm your email" messages, and gets auto-deleted unread after 48 hours.

If it turns out that I will be turning a casual enquiry into something more solid, then a proper email address and password gets generated and recorded.

I recently had to create an account just to find out when and if the local authority Swimming Pool Leisure Centre "Wellbeing Center" [sic] was reopening.

And, no, I don't want to "like" my experience on Facebook, or become a "friend" of your refuse collection department.

Bitcoin is ‘disgusting and contrary to the interests of civilization’ says famed investor Charlie Munger

Hmm ...

I must be getting old.

I had assumed the "Guinea" was still the preferred unit for legal fees, financial transactions, bribes and ransom demands.

Terminal trickery, or how to improve a novel immeasurably

Re: Novel interference

"... take a newly cooked bit of prose and leave it to rest ...

Indeed. It is also surprising how much corruption happens to a "perfect" report left overnight to cool.

"Where did the second copy of paragraph xyz come from and WTF is that chart?"

Microsoft demotes Calibri from default typeface gig, starts fling with five other fonts

More fonts ?

I still get flashbacks to the early days of "Desktop Publishing".

Twenty fonts and three different border styles on a simple A5 sized flyer ...

Good: Water vapor signal detected for first time on distant planet. Bad: Er, we'll let one of the boffins explain

Hmm ...

Water vapour at 2000 degrees centigrade ?

Sounds ideal for a coffee franchise.

UK government gives Automated Lane Keeping Systems the green light for use on motorways

Rolling roadblock ...

The idea of having vehicles travelling at "up to 37 mph" on motorways seems to me a curious one, when the majority of traffic on these roads will be travelling considerably faster - outside peak hours at least.

Being unable to match the speed of other vehicles would make it difficult to safely change lanes when necessary.

The usual queue-jumping suspects would however quickly realise that they could use the "Holborn Effect" to force a vehicle to let them in.