Televisions were a common candidate for percussive maintenance, but it could help computers too. My old BBC Micro often wouldn't power up without a good whack on the top left (PSU).
I miss thumpable electronics. "Try turning it off and on again" just isn't the same.
This actually did work, as long as you didn't get "over enthusiastic".
Sockets, connectors and inter-board connections can build up microscopic layers of corrosion, if they do not have sufficient pressure between the contacts. Or even with pressure, if they are dis-similar metals. It is so thin that it is not usually visible, but it is enough to stop low-voltage current flow. However, it is also thin enough that shock or vibration can move the contacts and wipe them clean.
Automobiles are designed assuming the connectors will be vibrated this way, that is why storing your car for a while can cause lots of electrical problems. They go away when the car is driven. Or sometimes just when it is towed, which can be confusing.
It can still work, if that is the problem. In particular, moving cable connectors just a little can restore operation. But connectors are better now, so it is not as common. 8-)
... However, the safest method for repairing this requires an x-ray machine, as there is no other way to safely check the solder joints.
If you can catch light reflections off of the solder joint, then you can see the cracks with a stereo magnifier. I use the ones with a strap around your head, and a flashlight so I can move both viewer and source. Takes a while, particularly if you don't know which chip has the problem. But the x-ray shot is hard to see, too.
If you can narrow it down to a reasonable number of suspect joints, then use a low range ohm meter to check connections. You need a range low enough it can show the semiconductors in the chips as high resistance, and you need small probes with very sharp tips. And that stereo magnifier... 8-)
I think you are actually talking about bureaucracy, which the military has as much as other organizations. Bureaucracy kills people, in the military or outside it.
The military must have creativity, because the high command can't be at the site of the action. The people there must be creative and do what needs to be done, or it all falls apart. And if the leaders get killed, then the people left must be even -more- creative. But military people must work as part of a team, or people really get killed.
If you don't like being part of a team and always coordinating what you do with others, then maybe you should not be working in software, either. 8-)
I think many of you are missing the point, on both sides.
A person or company has the right to refuse to sell their product to people who misuse it. If the Auto manufacturers want to sell their new cars only to dealerships who can service them, that is (and should be) allowed.
The problem is state laws that say the Auto manufacturers can prevent Other manufacturers from selling other products. That is not good and is probably unconstitutional.
It really has nothing to do with the difficulty of maintanance. 8-)
Every consequence is delayed. Except for maybe some effects of quantum entanglement. (grin) What delay do you suppose is the cutoff for something to not be correlated?
Actually, no.
Repetitive events may not have a beginning or end, within the data gathering period. It is quite common to not be able to tell which is "first". In that test condition, the result can "come before" the cause, at least mathemetically. Or on the display screens. It's called "phase reset", and probably other things in other tech dialects.
And most of the questions discussed on slashdot are repetitive events...
The article seems practical, though. The cause and effect both have noise. The noise from the cause is transferred to the effect. So, the effect has much more noise.
Of course, the normal troubleshooting technique is to inject artificial noise. As in: Touch it with a square wave, and see if it comes out the speakers! 8-)
But that wasn't the claim. The claim was that Iraq had a program and was building new weapons. They claimed that Iraq was dodging the UN weapon inspectors by giving them the US made munitions and keeping their new program in trailer based mobile facilities....
There was at least one of those "trailer based mobile facilities." found later, I saw photos of it. I think there were also others. They were not operable at the time they were found, but I would not expect them to be.
And don't forget that Irag dropped chemicals on at least one Kurd city and killed most of the people there, so the munitions actually worked.
Also, the Democrat politicians were just as convinced as the Republican politicians and the UN, it was not until later that they complained. I was listening to both... 8-)
By that logic, why don't they sell games cheaper in the west to people on lower incomes?
They -do-. It's called "sales" or "old game special", or "Steam sale".
All of this happens already, for hundreds of years. I'm a Tech, but I still know that much business!
Besides, having the same price all over and at all times just means some people can't play the game. Why do that, when allowing a download is only $.02 extra in electricity?
And no, someone selling the game for $.02 somewhere does -not- mean that the value of your game becomes that. Value is not constant, and is what you want it to be. Value is entirely imaginary, until you either buy or sell the item. Then it is very real, until the deal is done. Then it becomes imaginary again.
Also, it will make people accustomed to the pop-up by giving so many false positives. So much that, when it actually matters and they are sending information, they'll just ignore it because it comes up 10 times per day anyway.
This is the real problem. I have seen people ignore the most raucus pop-up warnings, because they were accustomed to them and assumed they were false posives. Any app that pops up too much alarm will harm all of the secure sites.
So the very polite and courteous email I received from the Cuban Foreign Office back after Hurricane Katrina will no longer be quite the unique bit of memorabilia after all?
Lest we forget, Cuba offered to send doctors and other medical assistance to help the suffering residents in New Orleans after Katrina did its thing.. and the US State Department was hardly even polite with their refusal....
So I emailed the Cuban Foreign Office to apologize:-)...
I remember hearing about that occurrance. I am glad that you sent your email, I thought our people should have been more polite. 8-)
And, your reply email is still unique, no matter what...
... Lastly, the wonderful beaches and hotels will be overrun. Cuba is so close to the U.S. that development will explode and tourism will skyrocket. The 'pristine' aspect of Cuba will quickly disappear in a morass of tawdry tourist traps....
You mean Cuba will return to what it was before Castro? 8-) Lets hope not...
BMWs are for the middle class wannabe rich fuckers.
What's the difference between a BMW and a porcupine? With the porcupine, the pricks are on the outside.
BMWs are for people that drive the car -themselves-. The prics don't drive. Hell, you can still get a BMW with a -manual- transmission, doesn't that tell you something? 8-)
But the 25120 WOM chip was the only one I know of that was in the actual company catalog, has an actual copyright and the data sheet could be ordered from the company!
And it actually created "buzz" and sales for the company (for other chips).
One guy I knew, insisted for years that it was real... 8-P
And when you reached capacity on your mainframe you did what? Magically create a new mainframe in seconds?...
He -is- talking about the "Cloud", it just wasn't connected to the clients by a TCP/IP network. The Mainframes (plural) were -not- under the control of the user, they were "out there somewhere", just like today. And with the security and failure risks just like today.
It's true, most of what newcomers think is new is actually very old. Or at least you better hope so, because those are the ones that work. But a new idea "here and there" can help a lot, fast networks are really nice. 8-)
No matter what the new technology is, and no matter how fantastic it is, it's not going to replace C/C++ for systems-level work, and Python and Perl aren't going anywhere. Truly successful technologies have long tails.
Why not mention Fortran and Cobol why'll you're at it? Python and Perl were the newest hotness decades after Fortran and Cobol were no longer newsworthy.
I think that "newsworthy" is the key word here. The news media and the internet forums seem to live by shouting "new" at everyone.
Besides, there are still "fanboys" for Fortran and Cobol around! And I heard a rumor that someone has an Object capable Fortran, but I don't know if it's true... 8-)
... I think a lot of it is driven by people who either don't have the experience or simply can't handle the current tech and so see anything different as a chance to avoid being found out.
Actually, that's probably a lot of the reason for problems, in techs -or- management.
People entering a situation where they know little have a tendency to do things to invalidate the existing knowledge, so that they are on the same level as everyone else. This can be particularly bad with new managers and can destroy companies. Beware, you might not even be aware that you are doing this! 8-P
Also, an appalling number of people only know one thing, and have no idea that they could learn other things. In the software field, I am talking about the programmers that are "fanboys" for one language and don't know any other. Often this is a "new" language taught by a vendor, that is not useful for all (any?) jobs.
Real programmers know more than one language and more than one computer system. If you don't, it might be a good thing to "study up" on. Even if it is only one of the single-board "toys" you can get for around $35. 8-)
Slashdot Mirror
Televisions were a common candidate for percussive maintenance, but it could help computers too. My old BBC Micro often wouldn't power up without a good whack on the top left (PSU).
I miss thumpable electronics. "Try turning it off and on again" just isn't the same.
This actually did work, as long as you didn't get "over enthusiastic".
Sockets, connectors and inter-board connections can build up microscopic layers of corrosion, if they do not have sufficient pressure between the contacts. Or even with pressure, if they are dis-similar metals. It is so thin that it is not usually visible, but it is enough to stop low-voltage current flow. However, it is also thin enough that shock or vibration can move the contacts and wipe them clean.
Automobiles are designed assuming the connectors will be vibrated this way, that is why storing your car for a while can cause lots of electrical problems. They go away when the car is driven. Or sometimes just when it is towed, which can be confusing.
It can still work, if that is the problem. In particular, moving cable connectors just a little can restore operation. But connectors are better now, so it is not as common. 8-)
... However, the safest method for repairing this requires an x-ray machine, as there is no other way to safely check the solder joints.
If you can catch light reflections off of the solder joint, then you can see the cracks with a stereo magnifier. I use the ones with a strap around your head, and a flashlight so I can move both viewer and source. Takes a while, particularly if you don't know which chip has the problem. But the x-ray shot is hard to see, too.
If you can narrow it down to a reasonable number of suspect joints, then use a low range ohm meter to check connections. You need a range low enough it can show the semiconductors in the chips as high resistance, and you need small probes with very sharp tips. And that stereo magnifier... 8-)
If you have fuzzy toast, you probably should've thrown the bread out.
I just spilled my coffee! 8-o
What ever happened to using "coffee warning"?
I think you are actually talking about bureaucracy, which the military has as much as other organizations. Bureaucracy kills people, in the military or outside it.
The military must have creativity, because the high command can't be at the site of the action. The people there must be creative and do what needs to be done, or it all falls apart. And if the leaders get killed, then the people left must be even -more- creative. But military people must work as part of a team, or people really get killed.
If you don't like being part of a team and always coordinating what you do with others, then maybe you should not be working in software, either. 8-)
It's not that the gas is too thin for a Bussard Ramjet, that just changes the light-off speed.
The problem is that sweeping-in the gas creates drag that is proportional to speed, so you get a maximum speed that is too low.
I think many of you are missing the point, on both sides.
A person or company has the right to refuse to sell their product to people who misuse it. If the Auto manufacturers want to sell their new cars only to dealerships who can service them, that is (and should be) allowed.
The problem is state laws that say the Auto manufacturers can prevent Other manufacturers from selling other products. That is not good and is probably unconstitutional.
It really has nothing to do with the difficulty of maintanance. 8-)
I'm so happy about this news, I'm gonna shove a cat through 2 slits to see what happens.
That answer is easy! Cat scratches and blood dripping from your arms. Been there done that long ago, sort of. 8-)
Newtonian physics looks kind of logical. It's completely wrong, but plenty of decisions are based on it. Despite that we know is wrong
It's not *completely* wrong.
In fact back then when it was discovered, it was experimentally proven to work within the parameters which were tested.
Um ... You cannot successfully argue a point with someone who uses binary logic consisting of a single digit.
Interesting post, though. 8-)
Which direction in time does cause/effect flow? The world may never know.
Time flows in all directions, but you only see one direction. That direction depends on which direction -you- are from the "big bang".
Every consequence is delayed. Except for maybe some effects of quantum entanglement. (grin)
What delay do you suppose is the cutoff for something to not be correlated?
Actually, no.
Repetitive events may not have a beginning or end, within the data gathering period. It is quite common to not be able to tell which is "first". In that test condition, the result can "come before" the cause, at least mathemetically. Or on the display screens. It's called "phase reset", and probably other things in other tech dialects.
And most of the questions discussed on slashdot are repetitive events...
The article seems practical, though. The cause and effect both have noise. The noise from the cause is transferred to the effect. So, the effect has much more noise.
Of course, the normal troubleshooting technique is to inject artificial noise. As in: Touch it with a square wave, and see if it comes out the speakers! 8-)
But that wasn't the claim. The claim was that Iraq had a program and was building new weapons. They claimed that Iraq was dodging the UN weapon inspectors by giving them the US made munitions and keeping their new program in trailer based mobile facilities. ...
There was at least one of those "trailer based mobile facilities." found later, I saw photos of it. I think there were also others.
They were not operable at the time they were found, but I would not expect them to be.
And don't forget that Irag dropped chemicals on at least one Kurd city and killed most of the people there, so the munitions actually worked.
Also, the Democrat politicians were just as convinced as the Republican politicians and the UN, it was not until later that they complained.
I was listening to both... 8-)
By that logic, why don't they sell games cheaper in the west to people on lower incomes?
They -do-. It's called "sales" or "old game special", or "Steam sale".
All of this happens already, for hundreds of years. I'm a Tech, but I still know that much business!
Besides, having the same price all over and at all times just means some people can't play the game. Why do that, when allowing a download is only $.02 extra in electricity?
And no, someone selling the game for $.02 somewhere does -not- mean that the value of your game becomes that. Value is not constant, and is what you want it to be. Value is entirely imaginary, until you either buy or sell the item. Then it is very real, until the deal is done. Then it becomes imaginary again.
Is that enough to "blow you mind"? 8-)
We all complain about CEOs that know nothing about the tech their products use.
Now we hear about a CEO that knows tech, and they get dumped on!!
What do we want? ... Or is the dumping just hired Google psychwar mercinaries? 8-P
You *do* realize that he was playing buzzword bingo. Not that I disagree...the only way to make that better is if it involved bacon somehow...
"And, it has a cover made entirely of Bacon, at extra cost!"
Wow, I think you guys covered every buzzword that I have heard recently... 8-)
Also, it will make people accustomed to the pop-up by giving so many false positives. So much that, when it actually matters and they are sending information, they'll just ignore it because it comes up 10 times per day anyway.
This is the real problem. I have seen people ignore the most raucus pop-up warnings, because they were accustomed to them and assumed they were false posives. Any app that pops up too much alarm will harm all of the secure sites.
So the very polite and courteous email I received from the Cuban Foreign Office back after Hurricane Katrina will no longer be quite the unique bit of memorabilia after all?
Lest we forget, Cuba offered to send doctors and other medical assistance to help the suffering residents in New Orleans after Katrina did its thing .. and the US State Department was hardly even polite with their refusal. ...
So I emailed the Cuban Foreign Office to apologize :-) ...
I remember hearing about that occurrance. I am glad that you sent your email, I thought our people should have been more polite. 8-)
And, your reply email is still unique, no matter what...
... Lastly, the wonderful beaches and hotels will be overrun. Cuba is so close to the U.S. that development will explode and tourism will skyrocket. The 'pristine' aspect of Cuba will quickly disappear in a morass of tawdry tourist traps. ...
You mean Cuba will return to what it was before Castro? 8-)
Lets hope not...
BMWs are for the middle class wannabe rich fuckers.
What's the difference between a BMW and a porcupine?
With the porcupine, the pricks are on the outside.
BMWs are for people that drive the car -themselves-. The prics don't drive.
Hell, you can still get a BMW with a -manual- transmission, doesn't that tell you something? 8-)
Those others are great fun. 8-)
But the 25120 WOM chip was the only one I know of that was in the actual company catalog, has an actual copyright and the data sheet could be ordered from the company!
And it actually created "buzz" and sales for the company (for other chips).
One guy I knew, insisted for years that it was real... 8-P
This is why I still use DOS.
Some places do, particularly for machine controls.
And strangely enough, they never get Viruses or Trojans!
It was called "Time sharing".
And when you reached capacity on your mainframe you did what? Magically create a new mainframe in seconds? ...
He -is- talking about the "Cloud", it just wasn't connected to the clients by a TCP/IP network. The Mainframes (plural) were -not- under the control of the user, they were "out there somewhere", just like today. And with the security and failure risks just like today.
It's true, most of what newcomers think is new is actually very old. Or at least you better hope so, because those are the ones that work.
But a new idea "here and there" can help a lot, fast networks are really nice. 8-)
No matter what the new technology is, and no matter how fantastic it is, it's not going to replace C/C++ for systems-level work, and Python and Perl aren't going anywhere. Truly successful technologies have long tails.
Why not mention Fortran and Cobol why'll you're at it? Python and Perl were the newest hotness decades after Fortran and Cobol were no longer newsworthy.
I think that "newsworthy" is the key word here. The news media and the internet forums seem to live by shouting "new" at everyone.
Besides, there are still "fanboys" for Fortran and Cobol around! And I heard a rumor that someone has an Object capable Fortran, but I don't know if it's true... 8-)
I'm going to assume that "Bug Data" was intentional. I'm using that one.
Ha! ... Me, too! 8-)
... I think a lot of it is driven by people who either don't have the experience or simply can't handle the current tech and so see anything different as a chance to avoid being found out.
Actually, that's probably a lot of the reason for problems, in techs -or- management.
People entering a situation where they know little have a tendency to do things to invalidate the existing knowledge, so that they are on the same level as everyone else. This can be particularly bad with new managers and can destroy companies. Beware, you might not even be aware that you are doing this! 8-P
Also, an appalling number of people only know one thing, and have no idea that they could learn other things. In the software field, I am talking about the programmers that are "fanboys" for one language and don't know any other. Often this is a "new" language taught by a vendor, that is not useful for all (any?) jobs.
Real programmers know more than one language and more than one computer system. If you don't, it might be a good thing to "study up" on. Even if it is only one of the single-board "toys" you can get for around $35. 8-)
What's so IT-specific about this maxim, that it warrants being on Slashdot? A slow news day?
I think the news is that it is being told to the IT Managers, which is news all by it's self!
The problem seems to be worse in IT, since the managers often know less about the work than in other fields.