Slashdot Mirror
Failed Win XP Upgrade Wipes Out UK Government Agency
Lurker McLurker writes "The BBC and the Register report that the UK Government's Department for Work and Pensions attempted to upgrade seven PCs from Windows 2000 to Windows XP, and ended up with BSODs on over 60,000 machines. I wonder if the National Health Service is regretting awarding Microsoft a £500 million contract now." The Guardian also has a good story.
LOL! Someone, please mod this up :-D
Unfortunately faxyourmp does not work for all MPs - it certainly does not work for my MP (one of Blair's babes). But then again, she has never acknowledged a single email or letter either (probably doesn't have a clue what I'm on about).
Anyway, I rather suspect EDS has our govt. in it's back pocket. Just about everything they touch get totally fcuk'd up - but they continue to be given £billions.
Did he inhale?
And for the record... the article is not going to have favorable things to say about the free ipod experience. Maybe it'll make you feel better, but you've contributed to that sentiment. Once it is done, I'll be changing my sig/home url to the article.
Sheesh! Really... get a grip!
Diplomacy is the art of saying, "Nice doggie!" until you can find a rock.
If Fax Your MP doesn't work out, how about a more traditional way to influence your government? Fix Your MP
If you are seriously writing a article on free ipod crap why don't you link to a page that explains a bit about your project. Otherwise you're not different from the 12 year old kids you are internet begging for ipods (I'm assuming that your older than 12, could be a bad assumption).
Good idea. I'll have to get that up as work allows.
Will you give away the ipods you get, or will you keep them? With Xmas coming up there are a lot of poor childern out there who are going to get any much else other than AOL and Live linux CDs.....
That assumes that one gets multiple ipods from the deal. Point is, you don't. That's one of the "negative" reasons behind the offer scheme.
Or are you writting about how the free-ipod fad is causing a lot of REALLY ANNOYING internet begging. "I want an ipod, please give up your privacy so I can have an ipod". Please note that "I want a free-ipod so I write bad things about free-ipods, please give your privacy so I can an ipod" is in no way any different.
That's basically what I've surmised. You believe that I've started my article with a bias, but that wasn't the case; I really wanted to see how people would react to this sort of thing. It is interesting because the response really has been mixed. There are those who think it is cool/interesting to sign-up for offers they were interested in already just to get "free stuff" (albeit not free, because they sell your info to marketing houses). And there are those who spit venom on anyone trying this.
What I'd really like to know is why people are so venomous about it instead of trying to educate those who are participating in what has become an annoying trend. Seems to me that while what I started writing originally was about the marketing phenomenon, it has been slowly transforming itself into a piece about intolerance on the internet: we don't see other people as real people. And that really hits both sides of this issue with the iPod. People who "want one" don't think about if they're annoying other people or what the consequences really are (in terms of privacy/annoyance) to those they get to sign-up. On the other side are those people who'd rather just swear, call names, and flame. The ironic thing is that by doing those things, they're trying to make the problem go away but don't actually do anything to contribute to helping; it just vents feelings of frustration and annoyance.
From where is all that frustration coming? I can't imagine it is just ONE offer ONE time. It has to be a build-up of some sort of abuse internet users generally feel... but what is it? Are we sick of marketing pervading our living spaces? Is it frustration with the economy? Is it that the anonimity and ease of the internet tempts some dark part of human nature too readily? I dunno... and I'd like to find out.
I think I've gotten all I'd care to get out of the link test.
I'm still trying to figure out if the uptick in aggressively negative response was because I switched it from the obvious URL to the "tinyurl.com" one or if people's patience is just wearing thin over this whole marketing thing.
And as for donating all those iPods, there were some people who signed up, but almost nobody "completed" an offer... there is no iPod to donate.
Diplomacy is the art of saying, "Nice doggie!" until you can find a rock.
I've got a knack for Slashdot humor.
and oxymorons too, evidently.
I for one welcome our NT chimera overlords.
Take off every sig. For great justice.