Posts by Sam not the Viking

AWS says Britain needs more nuclear power to feed AI datacenter surge

Re: Alternatively..

Perhaps we could ask AI how to use less energy?

It does seem perverse that as energy-intensive, productive, industries fade away, low-energy "solutions" start to consume even more.

Bosses weren’t being paranoid: Remote workers more likely to start own biz

Re: Yes remote working is what caused it...

Gosh! If you feel that about your current employment you need to get out.

Personally, I enjoy working from home but the office has a great buzz, too. I work with friends as well as colleagues. That's not to say there aren't candidates for the 'open window'.....

Amazon tested warehouse robots and found they're not ready to replace humans

Success!

These robots are at the forefront of technology! The new mantra is to move fast and break things.

So your [expletive] test failed. So [obscene participle] what?

Don't look too closely...

CAD was very new..... Our designers were tasked with creating a CAD drawing of the entire factory and offices on the new system to 'demonstrate its capabilities'.

Somewhere, in the corner of an office on the second floor at a scale unimaginable, Albert's caricature sits with arms folded in the classic pose as he admonishes a lowly apprentice.

Allegedly.....

BOFH: HR tries to think appy thoughts

Re: Gamification

Look. It is because of articles like this, that the boss knows I read, that enables me to fulfil my objectives. Some of these objectives are even connected with our business. The 'ideas-graveyard' is generally foretold by the BOFH together with useful solutions.

Another solution ---->

PowerSchool paid thieves to delete stolen student, teacher data. Looks like crooks lied

Re: Money Laundering

Just how stupid do you have to be if you service 'Education' data?

It is to be expected that those who authorised payment of this ransom did so from their own pockets. If they didn't at the time, they must now.

As ChatGPT scores B- in engineering, professors scramble to update courses

Re: But when deeper thought was required, ChatGPT fared poorly.

In any technical environment, knowing when your bounds of knowledge have been reached is a skill. You might need to extend your knowledge and understand the implications.

The quickest answer is not always the right one, rarely the best. Food for thought ------>

It takes one click to join Uber One, but quitting might need 32 actions

Re: So my conclusion is

I'm with you here. Perhaps, with others, we could start a group?

Just fill in this form with your details and click on the 'agree to all' box.

Just kidding, have one of these thou kindred spirit --->

Dev loudly complained about older colleague, who retired not long after

Older Employee

Soon after I finished my post-grad training and working for real with proper customers on solving Technical problems with our machinery, we were 'given' an older guy who had worked away from the factory for years and needed somewhere to eke out his time before retiring. At first I resented having an extra person in the department where I was junior but had far more technical knowledge than the new/old guy.

He was just brilliant. Without a single complaint, he undertook all the mundane tasks, took calls and made understandable notes, and was very good with those 'irritable' customers. When he did retire after a few months, he was sorely missed.

Cheers Peter --->

EU: These are scary times – let's backdoor encryption!

Re: Impossible

I think it's worse than that.

If a criminal were to send me a message which is just garbage, gobbledegook, how would law-enforcement know that it wasn't encrypted by some dastardly process thus hiding a heinous plot? I couldn't supply the key, so I am then implicated in Mr. Big's enterprise.

Because I can't decrypt the 'message', I must be guilty.

Tech trainer taught a course on software he'd never used and didn't own

Poor Trainers

I'm generally sympathetic to trainers; they know they might be up against some trainees with more knowledge/experience than them but what can they do? Even as a self-diagnosed expert myself, I've never failed to learn something from a trainer.

Real experts know that they don't know everything. There are, of course, some who know this is not true.

On the other hand, I've had experts who come in to tell us how we should be doing things, find out they know nothing, learn how it should be done, and then go away. Never fast enough.

The passive aggression of connecting USB to PS/2

Re: I have one in my box of "keep one of everything"

Another instance of me having the box, in the attic, but no longer having the mouse......

After three weeks of night shifts, very tired techie broke the UK’s phone network

Re: Communication is important

Ha! Rather different era, I'm afraid. Pre M25 if you can believe it.

The recent Heathrow shenanigans did remind of another job which was so important, it had three independent power supplies and a standby generator. On our day of commissioning plant, all three power supplies were 'unavailable'. The generator had no fuel......

We rescheduled for the following Monday morning: It all made work for the working man to do.

Communication is important

I was a trainee so given the overnight shift to watch over a system which was on a two-week proving run. This installation was part of a linked system and I was given the middle section with a more experienced guy who had brought his caravan as his own 'welfare provision'. I had to sit in the control room whilst he sat in the caravan, probably thinking deeply. Nothing happened for several days until severe winds blew down the radio-link between stations, coinciding with a digger finding the new telephone lines. We hadn't been in touch with the other sites before so things carried on as normal........ Until the mains power-transformer failed catastrophically at 2:00 a.m. leaving us in near total darkness and isolated deep in the middle of nowhere. It was snowing.....

We needed to alert the other stations on the line. Raising my supervisor from his deep thoughts, I was sent off-site to find a telephone box.... This was long before mobile phones became popular.

The snow was getting deep and time was running out. I did find a working telephone box in a village a few miles away and called through to the 'command centre': "Just who are you?" they asked, not unreasonably. Eventually, I did convince them this was not a joke and they set in process appropriate action. It was a big interruption though; we reassembled a few weeks later to restart the two-week proving run. Fortunately, I had moved on in my training schedule.....

Weeks with a BBC Micro? Good enough to fix a mainframe, apparently

Don't underestimate the labourer.....

I was asked to go and investigate a control issue at a modern utility, installed in the middle of nowhere. Our mechanical-installation guys were still on site but the customer had insisted on 'Someone from the Office' to resolve the problem. It was clearly an issue of different sensor-inputs not being compatible with the control philosophy and I went with some trepidation as it was a complex arrangement to isolate and fix the fault whilst keeping the machinery operating.

On arrival at site, I had a cup of tea with our site guys and outlined the problem as I understood it. Two of us went over to the operating room to review the equipment and before I knew it, Keith had opened up the control screen, tapped in a few instructions and said "I think that transducer has incorrect coefficients." I left site a few minutes later.

I made sure we employed Keith on a full-time basis. A few years later he left us and now runs his own business.

Amazon to kill off local Alexa processing, all voice requests shipped to the cloud

Re: I feel old...

I remember trying to train Via Voice in vain. Before the millennium.......

It is strange how these horrors seem so vivid. Natural selection ensures we remember traumas to avoid repeating them.

On the other hand -----> (It would be the equivalent of Aristotle-think to believe the mouth developed to shout at Alexa, Siri, Clippy etc.)

Flang-tastic! LLVM's Fortran compiler finally drops the training wheels

Re: FORTRAN IV rings an ancient memory bell

As an engineering student we had to do a computing project. We used Fortran to write a Finite-Element program which was the up-and-coming analysis method at the time. A huge bunch of punched cards, the program took ages to process; we had to get special permission to avoid having the batch rejected for using too much run-time. To us, the results were spectacular. Fortran was the god. Happy memories ---->

I find it shameful that my latest batch of engineering graduates had nil training in writing code of any type.

OK, Google: Are you killing Assistant and replacing it with Gemini?

A subscription to enable AI?

I would rather pay in order to not auto-invoke AI.

BOFH: HR's AI hiring tool is perfectly unbiased – as long as you're us

New Employees....

We needed a new Project Engineer, skilled in handling high-value, long-term, technical projects from initial order, customer specifications, sub-contracting sub-orders, installation, commissioning and hand-over, including getting the invoices in on schedule. We were well prepared to pay a good price for this engineer.

The agency sent us a bouncer. They said he might need 'a bit of training' but he was cheap.....

Now I'm prepared to give those who find themselves in unfortunate positions the benefit of the doubt. This was not one of those.

Re: HR's AI hiring tool

Always employ lucky people.

The technique is to take all the CV's, and throw them up in the air. After the dust has settled, you choose one at random: The Lucky One.

We've had far worse initial-hires at vast expense from bloody 'Recruitment Agencies'. A solution ---->

Moonshot goes sideways as Intuitive Machines' second lunar lander seemingly falls over

Re: Cotton Reel Car/Crawler

These were great fun. The skill was in getting the tension just right: too many turns and it span out of control, too little and it had no endurance. The little grooves on the ridges enabled them to climb over small obstacles...... We sometimes put two on each side of a large matchbox to make a tank-like construction. This tank would 'attack' platoons of little plastic soldiers whose only defence was another rubber-band powered field-gun.

Football on the street; having to pause the game when a car/milk-float/coal-wagon approached. Any passer-by could join the game, if they dared....

Cheery times ---->

Profit slide at HP can only mean one thing: Hammer time

It is a constant paradox that in businesses which serve the customer, the bosses must fail to use the service themselves so can't see if their product/service matches expectations.

On the other hand, if you are taking home $19 million, why should you care at all?

One stupid keystroke exposed sysadmin to inappropriate information he could not unsee

Re: one mandatory parameter for format is the drive letter

My first computer is not up in the loft, but I think the box is......

Confidential.....

After we were taken over by a much bigger concern, I was tasked with forwarding the monthly 'Management Reports' because I knew how to use Kermit...... These reports were apparently highly confidential and obviously, I could not read them because they were password-protected..... Whilst this might have been a challenge, security was rather undermined when they used the same password as the Kermit transfer-protocol....

You will have guessed this was some time ago but the password is still in my memory: 'cabinet'. Their accountant had decided this was a word he could remember. Of course all companies in the group had to use this password.

Somehow, we learned that they were considering changing our working hours to match the rest of the group; we finished early on Friday afternoon.... they wondered why the other companies started to push for similar conditions to the newcomers. It might have been mentioned in the reports.....

BOFH: The USB stick always comes back – until it doesn't

Re: "putting even more addends onto the stack of stupidity."

I remember the old soldering iron which required heating up in the fire. More like a cattle-brand than a tool and my fingers still bear evidence of its multi-function.

However, my father was keen on electronics although it was thermionic valves in those days (he built our first TV in the 1950's): he had purchased an electric soldering iron. It was powered by a cotton-covered two-core cable and he connected it to work from a bayonet light-fitting via an adaptor you could buy for this very purpose. It meant that the power-cable dangled down from the lamp-fitting and was rather out of the way during soldering. Plenty of singed shirts and arm-air though..... My ability to fault-find by electrical-odour stems from those days.

Untrained techie botched a big hardware sale by breaking client's ERP

A major project for a utility was to be discussed with the End-User, Consultant, machinery-supplier (us), Electricity board, Control-panel supplier, Telemetry and the cabling-contractor. For some reason, the control panel supplier was leading the meeting and they had determined all the major items of equipment to be supplied. The intention was to use state-of-the-art starters to drive the machinery and that supplier had been identified and was joint-leader of the meeting……

After detailing their proposal, I innocently asked for some technical particulars regarding the starting procedure which I thought was unnecessary. A sort of waffle-response from the starter-people raised eyebrows. Seeking further clarification, the electricity supplier scratched his head and said that they would have to lay on a new HV cable through the town at a preliminary cost in the millions of pounds.

Flabbergasted, the End-User looked at his Consultant, who looked at the control-panel supplier who looked at the starter-supplier whose face revealed panic.

Consequently, the starting method was revised to the relief of the end-user. The control-panel had his order-value reduced to tatters. The starter-people went away with nothing.

A good outcome for us.

There's a slight chance Asteroid 2024 YR4 could hit Moon in 2032

Soup Dragons Beware

One in fifty is indeed not vanishingly small. I think someone's dropped a Clanger. They must be told.

Techie pointed out meetings are pointless, and was punished for it

Re: I used to work for an automotive OEM

We used this format in not-automotive manufacturing.This practice even had a name: "Team Briefing".

Grade A1 useless. Important/interesting news spread (much) faster by the jungle-drums; Doom-news was never reported but we knew, often before some of the bosses themselves.

If you want people to attend meetings, bring biscuits.

Management Meetings

When newly promoted I was invited/expected to attend the company monthly management meetings. Quite a large concern, highly departmentalised..... Lots of managers and each meeting took up the best part of a day.

The same managers attended but few did any preparation between meetings; each had a dog-eared, 'dedicated' folder which they carried in order to look important.

Business was tough (no surprise there!), and inevitably cost-savings were raised. "Overheads must be reduced" meaning: "Redundancies". A significant number of staff were to go. Of course, blind to the real problem, not a single participant at those meetings was personally affected.

Eventually, it was decided that a major product was to be run down and sold off. Which was when we started our own business with a clean sheet and no baggage. It won't surprise you that 30 years on, our company continues, the old company and it's thousands of workers has been scattered (frittered) to the winds. Those managers were the last to go.

Does this thing run on a 220 V power supply? Oh. That puff of smoke suggests not

Re: "built to survive minor accidents"

In the 1960's, I repaired a portable radio. It had valves. And a 90-volt battery......

I learned a lot from that radio.

Re: AC/DC

We had an attic full of old wartime radios of different voltages, AC/DC and frequencies. My experience on 'trying to get these things going' lead to my acute skill in fault-finding by electrical-odour. And fear of electric shocks.

Even if you know something is 'dead', the first touch should be with the back of your fingers!

Re: Arsène?

I came across one of the split-phase converters on some old electrical plant. We had to break down a door in order to get access to the mains supply. Two-to-three phase converter with open terminals. It had been installed during WWII to restore supply after bomb damage.

The customer, a utility, was upset because it had no metering so they'd had free electricity for nearly sixty years.

It's always worth checking

UK phase-colours were Red/Yellow/Blue: A pub nearby had its 3-phase supply 'updated'. Unfortunately, the electrician connected 'red' and 'blue' as 'live' and 'neutral' thus exposing every device to 415 V..... The resulting damage was extensive and expensive. Every electrical appliance was replaced.

Fortunately, business was able to continue by candlelight, hand-pumps and cash. ---->

These days, phase colours are Brown/Black/Grey which are sufficiently indistinguishable to encourage checks on completion......

BOFH: Engage Hollywood Protocol – because nonsense always looks legit

Movies and Shakers

'Ealing Comedies' is our in-house reference to management investigations. We're safe since discovering the 'Brian Rix' files: Think trousers around ankles etc.... Our 'Pinewood Protocol' is actually the Roger Moore raised eyebrow. No expense will be spared --->

CompSci teacher sets lab task: Accidentally breaking the university

Re: I crashed one of two graphics domains

Inspired by James Gleick's 'Chaos', I wrote a little programme to draw the classic Mandelbrot Set. It ran on my home, pre-Windows, Amstrad. I had to let it run overnight to get a grainy picture plotted on the screen which I was then reluctant to stop and lose the image. Wanting a better, more detailed picture, I knew our work computers had more memory......

Our server had a big (40 Mb!!) HDD which we used simply as file storage. In those days it was heavily under-utilised. I set the program to send its output to be stored there. Everything else on the system ground to a halt which although not uncommon, was unexpected and only I knew the probable culprit.....

It was good friend Peter Norton who brought his Toolbox to resolve the chaos I caused. How we laughed......

AI revoir, Lucie: France's answer to ChatGPT paused after faux pas overdrive

Educating AI

I just think it's wonderful that LLMs will be skimming erudite sites such as this in order to 'update' their vocabulary.

What could possibly go wrong?

User said he did nothing that explained his dead PC – does a new motherboard count?

Re: PC Update

Those in the know, know that you reimburse your children for a long time...... They're not children anymore but they are my children. Next year. I'll be free..... Ha ha ha.

(Actually, I get far more in return but there's no need to let on is there?)

PC Update

I have a friend who admits he is 'computer-literate' but knows his limits. Apparently my experience is superior and my suggestion that he update his very old computer was met by "Can you just have a quick look at it?" I didn't need a quick look but he persisted. Eventually this was causing some friction between us so my son who was just starting his career in IT (another story) volunteered to review the old computer and he took it away for a complete inspection.

My son is a better diplomat than I am. At his own cost, he replaced the motherboard and updated the software but in keeping the carcass it was ostensibly the same PC. He didn't mention the new internals. Response: "I said it only needed a clean-up."

Twenty years on, that PC is still in use, monitoring his wildlife cameras.

Words alone won't get the stars and stripes to Mars

Prima inter Pares

He has the means. How can the President himself resist being first to step on Mars?

And putt a flag on the first green/red .....

He'll need a Caddy.

SpaceX resets ‘Days Since Starship Exploded’ counter to zero

Re: caused the ship to RUD

To dis-assemble something implies it can be re-assembled, probably to working order.

A genius way of being disingenuous.

Boeing going backwards as production’s slowing and woes keep flowing

Re: They need ....

Making planes is difficult, complex and involves a lot of components. We know this and so do Boeing. In order to reach a successful outcome it needs good management who know what they are doing and do their job of managing and supervising. This involves skills and expense.

Unfortunately, as long as the financial board get their money, their conscience allows them to shut out the noise. If they were booted out tomorrow, they'd still be better off, for life, than almost everyone else; workers and shareholders. What's the incentive for them to do anything different?

Shackleton's Endurance sets sail for polar peril in Lego

Accuracy

One of my favourite tales of yesteryear..... These people were made of sterner stuff than me.

After completion and display, the 'Endurance' model can be at least partially dismantled to represent the remains as-found on the bottom of the Weddell Sea.....

In the interests of balance, I also admire the Nansen's 'Fram', which was also used by Amundsen and is on display near Oslo. The display has been updated. If you have the inclination go and see it.

How the OS/2 flop went on to shape modern software

Re: I remember reading Letwin's post

Gosh, I tried OS/2 thinking it must be the way things are going to go. At the time, my conclusion was that I was out of my depth because I just found it awkward in every way. I probably was out of my depth but being in business, manufacturing real things, we needed our systems to work and work for everyone.

I find it hard to say, but Windows did just that. And we ran it on 'clones', despite dire warnings on 'compatibility'.

Tech support warrior left cosplay battle and Trekked to the office

Re: Bathing attire

I was diverted from a 'quick trip' to Dubai to go and resolve an 'urgent' problem in Hong Kong as it was 'on the way' by somebody's reckoning. A great flight, seated in comfort, upstairs in a 747.

The customer was surprised at the quick response. So much so that they weren't in fact ready. I resolved the problem-that-wasn't-there and flew home to the UK after a few days sight-seeing only to return a couple of weeks later to complete the commissioning of new plant.

BOFH: Printer's festive bips herald a merry mystery for the Boss's budget

A Good Boss

One of my ex-bosses (he's retired now) was just brilliant when it came to the Christmas 'drinks' party..... At the pub, he instructed his subordinates who carried company credit cards, which included me, that "No employee can buy a drink". Taxis were arranged as required.

It was expensive, but not in the overall scheme of things. Who doesn't want to work for a boss like that?

I can also confirm that not all bosses take the same approach......

Re: "By my calculation, the Boss has now made 12 contactless payments of 100 quid"

I was fooled by the 'bips' until the denouement. Brilliant ruse; all those useless 'out of ink' printers can have a worthy life, or afterlife, after all.

As a youngster, we gradually re-arranged the filing cabinets in the office so that the boss had to squeeze through. It was our way of nudging him into a 'healthy' diet.

Techie fluked a fix and found himself the abusive boss's best friend

Re: Cobol...

I started on Algol/Basic then moved onto Fortran. These stood me in good stead for a long time, I think it's the discipline in logic that guide and help in fault-finding in any language or system (how could it be otherwise?).

I was very disappointed to learn that my new Engineering Graduates had learned no programming language at all at Uni. It shows.

Heart surgery device maker's security bypassed, data encrypted and stolen

Re: "Sounds like th-aorta get this sorted quickly"

This isn't something to jugular about.

Thicker than water ----->

Who had Pat Gelsinger retires from Intel on their bingo card?

Re: Meanwhile in the boardroom

Guys, Guys, I have a plan. Let Copilot run the company!