Technological Travesties

[DefunctTheory]

Here's something for you. I have a brother who is technological savvy to the point of high geekdom. He can do ANYTHING for computers, probably, to the point where I'm the only one in the house who can understand him because I'm the only one tech savvy enough to get it.

He does dumb shit sometimes, things that should NEVER happen with him because he's suppose to be smart.

My sister's computer is on. My sister is married, living away from home, and was in ONCE to print some tickets. Her computer is on and I want to shut it down. Everyone else: Go do it. Him: Wait, she might have a remote operating system running. ME: Bullshit, she doesn't have one because she came HERE to print the tickets! Guess who's right.

Another thing is about the wireless router. There is the main router and an extra node in his room, a secondary one, to beam better signals to my sister's computer. I am directly above the first one. ME: Well, since you disconnected my PS3 from the net, I'll have to reconnect it now. Him: They're exactly the same in output. ME: THE MAIN ONE GIVES OUT A STRONGER SIGNAL BY 15%, DUMBASS! YOU PICK THE ONE THAT PERFORMS BETTER, ALWAYS!

This does not include the times he's actually fucked up a computer somehow while trying to fix it. Oh, he's good and all, but that's because he's done the damage TO fix. It's a travesty because he's suppose to be good and yet he is like this when it should never happen.

The more you know how to fiddle with, the more you know how to fuck up.

Rookie mistake most young techs make. The Number One Cardinal Rule of Circuitry:

If its working, keep your hands off it.

 

[lacktheknack]

This does not include the times he's actually fucked up a computer somehow while trying to fix it. Oh, he's good and all, but that's because he's done the damage TO fix. It's a travesty because he's suppose to be good and yet he is like this when it should never happen.

Seems like a case of "Can't see the forest through all the trees". You know, he gets so into computers that he can't see the larger picture of how everything works.

 

[Akytalusia]

I've seen someone dual-boot Windows on a Macbook, mistakenly believing that it was required to run Linux (he did so in a virtual machine display), and he needed Linux in order to run Wine (a Windows compatibility layer).

Essentially, he installed Windows in Linux in Windows on a Mac. The layers of fail simply pile up.

What's the most depressing technological fail you've seen someone pull?

Personaly i think that's awesome, not fail XD

OT: the most depressing technological fail i know about is how edison stole all the financial support that should have been given to tesla. maaaaaaaaaaan that depresses me every time i think about it.

 

[FalloutJack]

-A Tisket-

-A Tasket-

Well yeah. I know this shit because I don't claim to be an expert! If it ain't broke, don't fix it! But you know these experts, right? They can do fine work most of the time, but there will be occasions where their knowledge equals FUCK ALL and my instincts and experiences are GOD. And that's why it's a travesty. Combined, the two of us could have conversations with Bill Gates, the marriage of technical know-how and some common sense. Alone, I get by and he gets lucky. That's it.

 

[nbamaniac]

Second: a girlfriend of mine once called me in hysterical laughter. After I calmed her down she told me why she was laughing (in that cute way she did, lol): her mum asked her to call me and ask for some paper, as she wanted to send an email and had run out... of paper.

XD

My oh my.. Words are failing me at this moment.. :O

 

[Shio]

Second: a girlfriend of mine once called me in hysterical laughter. After I calmed her down she told me why she was laughing (in that cute way she did, lol): her mum asked her to call me and ask for some paper, as she wanted to send an email and had run out... of paper.

XD

My oh my.. Words are failing me at this moment.. :O

After I too finished laughing I asked "You mean she wants to send a fax? I have fax paper. I'll bring it over." "No. She wants to send an email."

Oh yes, we had much laughter at the expense of her poor mother, lol.

 

[Gaderael]

Also, behold, the most pointless (And annoying) networked device I have ever had the displeasure of working on, the Digital Sender, a $3000 scanner/email client. Because a $100 scanner and $500 dollar computer couldn't do the same fucking thing.

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/15179-15179-64195-12126-64404-3330619.html

What on Earth is that monstrosity!?

A digital sender. It scans things, then emails them.

Seriously, 3 grand for a scanner/email combo. I wish I was making this shit up.

But it's all on a single machine!
/joking

OT: My parents just now got caller ID
I'm not kidding -_-

I can see how something like that would be useful. If you work with sensitive documents and you do not want your network to be compromised by hackers, viruses, and the like, you'd have them on a closed network and use this as a stand alone for documents that would be deemed safe to sent over the internet.

Having it as a standalone machine vs. a separate desktop machine connected to the internet prevents typical human laziness where someone would evenually start leaving documents saved to that computer to make it easier to send later, where it could get hacked, and prevent productivity sappers, like Facebook and the Escapist from getting used while at work.

 

[Wintermoot]

me needing to emulate a Windows OS on a Windows OS.
also the girl that thought it was a good idea to tattoo her FB friends (152 of them) on her arm.
also Steam requiring INTERNET ACCESS TO GO INTO OFF LINE MODE!!!!
also people still using dial-up and DX9 I don,t mind it that some people still use Windows XP/95/98/DOS for legacy systems but dial-up is pretty much outdated for a reason.

 

[ZeZZZZevy]

Also, behold, the most pointless (And annoying) networked device I have ever had the displeasure of working on, the Digital Sender, a $3000 scanner/email client. Because a $100 scanner and $500 dollar computer couldn't do the same fucking thing.

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/15179-15179-64195-12126-64404-3330619.html

What on Earth is that monstrosity!?

A digital sender. It scans things, then emails them.

Seriously, 3 grand for a scanner/email combo. I wish I was making this shit up.

But it's all on a single machine!
/joking

OT: My parents just now got caller ID
I'm not kidding -_-

I can see how something like that would be useful. If you work with sensitive documents and you do not want your network to be compromised by hackers, viruses, and the like, you'd have them on a closed network and use this as a stand alone for documents that would be deemed safe to sent over the internet.

Having it as a standalone machine vs. a separate desktop machine connected to the internet prevents typical human laziness where someone would evenually start leaving documents saved to that computer to make it easier to send later, where it could get hacked, and prevent productivity sappers, like Facebook and the Escapist from getting used while at work.

the fact remains that for what it can do it is nowhere near worth $3000

 

[booker]

I'm on Ubuntu right now. To be honest, I'm not a Linux guy. I just have it installed for file recovery (And run it for shits and giggles).

Whats wrong with it?

I just don't like the way it looks or operates.

Nuttin' wrong with Ubuntu, it's just Debian with a bunch of extra stuff to make it friendlier. You can easily change how it looks, of course. What do you mean by not liking how it operates?

Probably the user interface, which I must admit, as a windows user, is annoying. Right is left, no start button, file system is similar yet ever so different.

I have a similar problem.

My answer to this has always been to use KDE, the desktop environment most closely resembling Windows. While I have used GNOME, Fluxbox and even TWM and FVWM, I keep coming back to KDE, because I just prefer the way it's all integrated together, in a way I'd regard as cleaner than GNOME or the other alternatives.

>using KDE
>not using DWM + dmenu + feh for setting the wallpaper

It must drive Knack crazy knowing how much of a technology hipster I am. I ain't even got a file manager.

 

[lacktheknack]

It must drive Knack crazy knowing how much of a technology hipster I am. I ain't even got a file manager.

YOU DO. On the bright side, if anyone calls me a PC elitist, I can say "You know, I'm friends with this one guy..."