Ummmm...sure. In 1994 efficiency in resource usage was still a pretty important thing if I remember right. Even then, in a competition you program towards specs and specs only. Allowing faults in specs to influence who wins is akin to taking the point values of each team, roll a die for each of them, and multiply this by their respective scores.
One shouldn't be docked points for following the spirit, rules and the specs of something like this.
Not just sarcasm. Imagine the manipulation/social engineering/flattery possible through this. And with some minor amount of care it won't sound hollow, trite or excessive, as ass-kissing directly tends to.
I agree completely. I've borrowed the NASA idea of triple redundancy since I got here. If the DART doesn't show up - take the bus. If the bus doesn't show up - have enough cash for a cab. Then, allowing for the idea that taxis might not be nearby: Use the time on foot as a basis when planning anything.
There's something wrong when every store in the capital of an industrialized, western nation has a bouncer.
I remember the same, when I actually trusted ATMs and banks...
After a brief five-year stint in North-Dakota, where time stood still in happy-land, I ended up in Dublin. I read an article about how Windows had made its way into the ATM-business, thinking "uh-oh-mf-cs-sob"...given my past experiences with this OS-king-of-userfriendliness.
Yesterday, I put my Norwegian super-VISA-bank-card into an Ulster Bank ATM and it stole it! It just swallowed the card, proceeding to say something like: "System down, please use another cashpoint."
So, I call Norway, to ensure there isn't a problem with the actual card. It takes me quite a bit of time before I actually managed to call Ulster bank's customer service line. When I get through, I explain the situation (I had to rephrase 'the ATM stole my card' into 'swallowed it' before I could be assisted).
So the customer service rep states that he can't help me. I ask if there's anyone with any authority that can help me get the card back (it takes me a while to get a new one from Norway). He says: "Sorry, Sir. The ATM in question not being directly attached physically to a bank, a contractor does that job for us. Your card will be destroyed when the ATM is serviced."
I state something to the extent of Ulster bank being poorly organized. The little turd on the other end of the line proceeds to tell me: "I'm sorry, but we took the network down for a few minutes. You must have inserted the card just at that moment."
If I find out this particular ATM is Windows-operated, I will hunt down Mr. Gates, roll him in tar and feathers and chase him out of town with a stick. In the meantime I will file a complaint with Ulster Bank for taking away my sole source of cash until next pay-day.
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Ummmm...sure. In 1994 efficiency in resource usage was still a pretty important thing if I remember right. Even then, in a competition you program towards specs and specs only. Allowing faults in specs to influence who wins is akin to taking the point values of each team, roll a die for each of them, and multiply this by their respective scores.
One shouldn't be docked points for following the spirit, rules and the specs of something like this.
Not just sarcasm. Imagine the manipulation/social engineering/flattery possible through this. And with some minor amount of care it won't sound hollow, trite or excessive, as ass-kissing directly tends to.
Yes. And pray it's not a Novell server.
I can again sleep. Justice has been served in the post-moral world.
The final word was heard from Ulster Bank today. I've ordered a new card from my Norwegian bank.
I ain't puttin' nothin' of mine into any of their ATMs again either.
except - perhaps - a welding flame
Oh, reading through this comment: Before the affectation of the cognitively superior is put into words: Ain't is a word.
(As in: "I ain't convinced that English is defined by its dictionaries alone.")
Doubt me?
I see the Americans have finally learned the fine art of understatement
I agree completely. I've borrowed the NASA idea of triple redundancy since I got here. If the DART doesn't show up - take the bus. If the bus doesn't show up - have enough cash for a cab. Then, allowing for the idea that taxis might not be nearby: Use the time on foot as a basis when planning anything.
There's something wrong when every store in the capital of an industrialized, western nation has a bouncer.
But the pubs can be nice.
You're right, Kjella. Period.
I remember the same, when I actually trusted ATMs and banks...
After a brief five-year stint in North-Dakota, where time stood still in happy-land, I ended up in Dublin. I read an article about how Windows had made its way into the ATM-business, thinking "uh-oh-mf-cs-sob"...given my past experiences with this OS-king-of-userfriendliness.
Yesterday, I put my Norwegian super-VISA-bank-card into an Ulster Bank ATM and it stole it! It just swallowed the card, proceeding to say something like: "System down, please use another cashpoint."
So, I call Norway, to ensure there isn't a problem with the actual card. It takes me quite a bit of time before I actually managed to call Ulster bank's customer service line. When I get through, I explain the situation (I had to rephrase 'the ATM stole my card' into 'swallowed it' before I could be assisted).
So the customer service rep states that he can't help me. I ask if there's anyone with any authority that can help me get the card back (it takes me a while to get a new one from Norway). He says: "Sorry, Sir. The ATM in question not being directly attached physically to a bank, a contractor does that job for us. Your card will be destroyed when the ATM is serviced."
I state something to the extent of Ulster bank being poorly organized. The little turd on the other end of the line proceeds to tell me: "I'm sorry, but we took the network down for a few minutes. You must have inserted the card just at that moment."
If I find out this particular ATM is Windows-operated, I will hunt down Mr. Gates, roll him in tar and feathers and chase him out of town with a stick. In the meantime I will file a complaint with Ulster Bank for taking away my sole source of cash until next pay-day.