Slashdot Mirror
Ukrainian Computer Destruction Championship
Alien54 writes "Over 300 self-confessed computer addicts have participated in a competition in the central Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya to destroy their own hardware in a spectacular fashion. The event, dubbed the "First Open Computer Destruction Championship", was organised by a local FM radio station with the professed aim of raising young people's awareness of the dangers of spending too much time in front of a computer."
if this is about spending to much time in front of a computer, shouldn't this be 'user destruction'?
eric
This will only prove that computing causes violence, just like concerned parents across America have been saying all along. Young children should not be allowed to watch or attend.
Those computer could have been put to a much better use of folding...
This reminds me of my "Toss-a-mac" days.
*sigh* Oh the memories!
-- dK
...To just install Windows on them? I guarantee you wouldn't get much more uptime.
Just give it to a luddite...
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Destroying the computers is suposed to be a symbol of... what? That spending too much time in front of the PC will make you FLIP OUT and kill your PC? Or is this more akin to bra burning? But then, that doesn't make any sense, either. I really don't see how watching people wreck their hardware is suposed to make younger people less addicted.
"...with the professed aim of raising young people's awareness of the dangers of spending too much time in front of a computer."
What about releasing the toxic chemicals found in computers, especially in monitors, into the environment?
Must-not-watch TV!
Can I destroy the Slashdot servers instead?
"... a country with an average annual income of about $700 ..."
And some radio station is getting people to destroy computer equipment for a bit of publicity? What a waste! It pains me to see the rest of the world following in our footsteps, straight down the road of stupidity...
-- "There's no explaining the things that might happen; there's now a new home for technology in fashion."
Don't they have those Russian T-80 tanks still around from the cold war? Might be an idea...
Of course, you could give the guy who modded the V8 engine a ring instead; 2ghz T-80 anyone?
Hate me!
Actually, all they have to to is introduce these young people to regular slashdot users. That should scare the pants of them enough to swear off computers forever. Don't do computers or you will look like one of these sorry saps...
From excellent karma to terible karma with a single +5 funny post...
This "FM radio station" is really a terrorist organization that wants to test anti-computer weapons of mass destruction to use against Western nations! Is there a website where I can watch?
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS SPACE
okI've been hearing it all my life, if you spend too much time reading,at the movies, at the arcade, in front of the TV, NOT reading. . . it'll ruin you life.
.Well get the hell up and walk away no and again Sparky.
And now computers. "Internet Addiction," "Computer Game Addiction, etc.
Well I'm sorry. Smack is addictive. TV, books and computers are compelling. If you think you spend too much time at the computer. .
You don't have a monkey on your back. You really do just lack self control. Control yourself, or give up trying, but at least shut the hell up about it. It's your problem
Spending too much time at the computer simply isn't one of my issues. I enjoy it and it's never caused me any harm. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go for coffee.
Ummmmmm, I can't stand up. Hey, my legs. Where the hell are my LEGS?!
ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!
KFG
Sigh... please think before you post.
What makes you think that CD-Rs have cyanide in them? They use cyanine or pthlalocyanine dyes. cyanine != cyanide. In fact, they are completely different chemical compounds.
Enough FUD already.
"I installed Windows 95 and my computer suicided itself"
I installed Red Hat 5.2 and my computer can't figure out how to edit its scripts so it can commit suicide.
KFG
The Ukraine is not the wealthiest country in the world by any means. Every single piece of computer hardware they've got is an extremely valuable commodity and could be very useful in a "non-addictive" setting SOMEWHERE. How about a school? Library? SOMETHING rather than destroying an extremely useful tool?
I hate wanton, frivolous waste.
+++ATH0
The easy way to destroy a computer:
1. Set up computer as a server.
2. Create a web page with a certain "geek appeal."
3. Get posted to Slashdot.
4. Clean up smoking rubble.
You know, it's things like this that really infuriate me. Rather than destroy these computers for the thrill of it, how about these people donate their computers to schools or to the less-fortunate. This is a country where 4% of the populace in on the internet, according to the article, so the overall number of people who even own computers cannot be that much higher. So rather than destroy these machines in some barbaric rage, these machines could instead benefit a young person etc...
Loomis
"The television is the retina of the mind's eye" - Videodrome
Anecdotal evidence of this important rule can be seen in America's ghettos, where even the poorest, longest unemployed black people wear bling around their necks, watch cable channels on color TVs, and install $1500 stereo systems in their early-model Caprices that hardly run.
Way to beat Pile of Electronics State!
On to Homestar's Knees Tech!
-- This void intentionally left null.
Everyone who owns a car should push it off a cliff. This would symbolize the dangers of irresponsible vehicle use.
Everyone who owns an airplane should crash it in the mountains. This would symbolize the dangers of being high in the air.
Everyone who owns a building should jump off its roof. This would symbolize the dangers of being inside a structure built by people.
Everyone who owns a gun should shoot himself. This would symbolize the dangers of irresponsible use of guns.
Everyone who owns a pen should write a suicide note before performing the above activities. This would symbolize the dangers of writing things down. That's all, folks.
This is the same Ukraine that just decided to ban class rooms being used as brothels.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
I don't agree with you. I'm not talking about the latest technology, I'm talking about something that was build with some awareness of the World Wide Web. Don't you think that the internet has the potential to be a good tool in education? I'm not talking about the need for the latest in tech, but IIsi's and similar are about as helpful in education as a typewriter.
Install a web server on it.
Hook it to a fat pipe.
Post the URL to Slashdot!
Boom!
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
You really don't All of these destroyed hardware was obsolete. Probably, 386s, 486s, burned monitors, clogged mice, ruined keyboards, etc. Ukrainians are most frugal nation in the world! They would never thru away anything they can sell. Believe me, if you'd had Ukrainian girlfriend you'd learnt it.
When something claims to be rugged, you never take its word for it do you? It's in that spirit that I present you with high-res photos of Toughbooks being shot at during this summer's Independence Day celebrations.
If you have a friend with a few acres of land, and a friend with a bunch of guns, and a pile of "ruggedized" hardware, I highly recommend trying this at home. Mouse kicking and keyboard throwing simply can't compare to putting slugs through magnesium laptops. We also ran over a Toughbook, and detonated a Nextel i1000 and a watermelon. Squibs are your friends, even more so when they're at the end of long pieces of wire. Eye and ear protection are cheap compared to the thrill of taking aim at a f00f-bugged Pentium.
This year's results were about as I expected: Shotgun blasts and small handguns bounce off and leave small dents, unless at point-blank range. Medium-sized handguns penetrate one or two layers, but based on the laptop's construction, it's likely that had a hard drive been mounted in the cavity, it would've been untouched. Large handguns and rifles go straight through, some of them fast enough to ignite the magnesium dust they generate, making a nice flash as they exit. (None of the weapons actually lit the thing on fire. We'll have to try a flare gun next year.)
Next year's July-4th festivities should be even more fun. The plan is to amass the widest possible variety of cheap "rugged" hardware, and set it all up running. Then shoot 'em all with progressively larger calibers until each stops responding to pings.