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How Would You Handle a $1,000,000 Coding Error?
theodp writes "The Chicago Tribune's efforts to upgrade its computer system over the weekend turned into a fiasco when the system crashed, halting all printing operations and leaving about half of the Trib's subscribers without papers. The software contained 'a coding error,' according to a spokesman who estimated the cost to resolve the problem at 'under $1 million.' Any advice for the poor schmuck who's going to get the blame?"
Check out this link. Sorry, dude. Any of us could have done it.
> How Would You Handle a $1,000,000 Coding Error?
I would have to follow Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook, and take full responsibility for the bungle. That way when the next job comes up two or three rungs above me, I'll be at the top of the list of people with actual experience with massive projects, and it won't matter that it was a colossal screw-up because I will have jumped two or three pay-grades. Corporate fall-guys, if they take it right, always end up better off than quiet behind the scenes types.
So my advice is that you should take full responsiblity and sharpen that resume, but be sure to make it known that you have learned from your mistakes and you worked hard to correct them. Nobody gets anywhere without making big blunders along the way. Be a good sport and you'll jump at least two pay grades for this blunder.
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
(It pays to use Splint)
Sigs cause cancer.
... and blame it on Microsoft.
[SIG] It's like putting a moose in the blender -- a recipe for disaster!
Time for plan B
Just have each of their coders chip in a dollar, problem solved.
*ducks*
Introducing the new Occam Fusion! Now with sqrt(-1) fewer blades!
Blame it on the company not supplying enough caffine?
Anyone else think it was poor 'theodp' ??!
I would go out, and get so absofreakinlutely drunk that I wouldn't be able to remember my middle name, let alone that I made a $1M error. And then when the lawsuits are about to go to court and I started showing signs of severe alcoholism, I would put my head inbetween my legs and kiss my ass goodbye. 'Cause man, that would really suck.
Well, you asked.
Any advice for the poor schmuck who's going to get the blame?
;)
Well my first advice is to come clean, yes I mean you theodp, I think we all know who this poor schmuck is
I stole this Sig
He should blame the requirements.
There's always a mistake in the requirements.
Don't know; Don't care; Don't ask
That isn't a bug - its a feature!
Even heroes have the right to dream
23:44:03 up 48545 days, 6:15, 1 user, load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00 Blink. up 0 days, 1:00, 1 user, load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00 I hope they got a SS of that massive uptime.
LIMITED LIABILITY
Software provided as-is. Softare developer/company is not liable for any physical, financial, or any other loss or damage arising from use of software.
Doesn't all software come with things like this? (nevertheless, thank-goodness I'm not a software developer)
$cat
" .. I must have missed a zero somewhere ... damn I always do that!"
"Any advice for the poor schmuck who's going to get the blame?"
My advice: Prepare three envelopes
Change your name, and switch to a "skills" based resume rather than an experience based one...
Karma: 0 (But I wield a mean +10 Vorpal Apathy)
And this is why you don't use an Access database for a job like this.
-- I could tell right away that she was impressed with my HUGE Slashdot Karma.
Down, not across. (motto of alt.sysadmin.recovery referring to best method of slashing one's wrists).
Blame the users, of course.
Or The journalists that work at the outfit the link went to. Did you notice it took 3 of them to write that article? Talk about overstaffed.
Well, if I was in management.. I would find the programmer responsible, and have him snipped!
Do daemons dream of electric sleep()?
I've had coworkers who made major bugs that crashed servers and workstations and caused a lot of downtime. This is because they wrote sloppy code in a hurry and never bothered to check it. Management usually wants faster turnaround time on projects.
So your choices:
Plan A: Blame managers for forcing you to work under stressful conditions that lead to a workplace hazard (stress) that caused you to make the error. Cite that you had to work a lot of overtime and the lack of breaks and sleep caused you to miss a major bug.
Plan B: find someone like me who takes their time coding and have them look over the code and fix the problem for you. Sometimes another pair of eyes helps to find things you've missed.
Plan C:
Go to work in flip-flops, a Hawaiian shirt, sunlasses and tell everyone you are on vacation. Make Pacman noises, and talk to your invisible friends. Claim insanity and see if that works.
Plan D:
Start looking for another job ASAP.
Remember, Slashdot does not have a -1 disagree moderation, and no, troll, flamebait, and overrated are not substitutes.
Send the coder to the Open Source world because no one is going to pay him to code anymore.
And send his supervisor too for not testing the system properly before trying to roll it out.
George Bush + Linux = "I will not let information get in the way of the fight against Windows"
How Would You Handle a $1,000,000 Coding Error?
Frankly, I can't believe anyone would pay $1M for a coding error. Hell, the guys I work with make coding errors all the time, and practically for free!
(That's free, as in beer.)
They're always hiring. And if you screw up a burger, it only costs the company about $0.17.
You insufferable ass -- you just slashdotted Illinois.
May we never see th
As long as I keep checking in my code as someone else, I won't have to.
Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
Or, just tell them Service Pack 1 is comming soon...
Answer Key:
X = Will accept any date 1975-Present.
Z = *.*
Y = Will accept any product made in the history of Microsoft. The Fabric of Space-Time is also an acceptable answer.
That gives new meaning to /.
Unfortunately, I can't find the orignal source, so here's my versions:
:)
A high level minister of the USSR is on his way out and comes to his replacement to offer advice. He hands him two letters and tells the man "If you ever get in a situation that you cannot figure out how to get out of, open the first letter. If you ever get in another, open the second letter."
Well time passes and the new minister discoveres himself in a position from which there is no escape, so he opens the first letter. It says: "Blame everything on me." He does as it says and blames everything on his predicessor, and all is well. Some time later, he is again stuck with no means out so he opens the second letter. It says: "Get a pen, sit down, and write two letters."
So I guess it just depends on which letter applies to you
In all seriousness I'm not sure what to do in a situation like that. My level of responsibility doesn't afford me the ability to make mistakes of that magnitude.
Works everytime:
http://www.sanecomputers.com/articles/humor4.htm
1. Make a dopey "error" that costs a million. Get mentioned on Slashdot. 2. Make heroic effort to get them back up and running. Get recognized for brilliant skills. 3. Write book about the whole affair. Get book mentioned on Slashdot. 4. Profit!
The difference between spam and poop is that you don't have to dig through septic tanks looking for real food. -- Me
Bad news: We missed printing half of our papers.
Good news: Rainforest saved.
paintball
Do as the BOFh would do! :-p
With a shotgun.
But there is another kind of evil that we must fear most... and that is the indifference of good men.
You might not get worked up, but can you imagine the front page come Sunday?
W.A. RETIREES LEFT WITHOUT NEWSPAPER
Had nothing to do at 5 a.m.
...as Communications Minister in the Australian government any day now
insecurity asks the wrong question irritation gives the wrong answer
$1,000,000 coding error? Pshaw. Windows is a multi-billion dollar coding error.
I worked for an Internet company that had over 100000 products for sale in a database for over 24000 customers. One day, someone accidentally through in a DELETE FROM products WHERE nID > 00000 instead of 100000.
Noone fessed up, but the guy who was red as a damn chili with sweat beading down his face *might* have been the guy.
P.S.
Backup was 1.5 months old.
Only victims make excuses
... as many places, you're not allowed to fire someone for alcoholism or mistakes made as a result thereof, without first offering a rehab program...
"Why the hell didn't you see this bug?!"
"You smell funny!" *puke*
start looking in the help-wanted ads right away. Go get a newspaper and... Oh wait.
He'd have included an EULA with a "I'm not responsible for anything yadda yadda" at the end. Yes, even for inhouse software. It's not like anyone has to read it, you only have to include in it "by installing the software you agree with this".
---- Take the Space Quiz!
seppuku
/dev/null missing??? OK, I know I spend more time on Windows than Linux and this is probably a simple question, but how the F&*K do you lose something that isn't there?
Karma? Hey I just call it as I see it.
I cost the Times $1,000,000 and all I got was this lousy T-Shirt
Tell them you got the code from SCO..
I bet I know why....
WTF? Over?
Blame Vinay.
take the blame for the mistake. If you are the programmer and it was a programming error, the fault clearly lies with the QA people who didn't catch it. If you are the sysadmin or the QA guy, whatever happened was clearly a problem with management settting unrealistic timelines or expectations. If you are a middle manager the problem is definitely your inadequate budget.
Now before I get modded down, I be to remind whoever might read this that what I am saying is FACT. - bogaboga
Unfortunately, the insurance has a deductible of $1,000,000.00.
I do not deploy Linux. Ever.