let's have your embarrassing IT related stories then... :)
05 May 2006, 01:26 PM
#1
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,290
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
let's have your embarrassing IT related stories then... :)
My first job, technical phone based support for a company that wrote and supplied estimating software for builders and architects.
i was trying to do an upgrade over the phone of this company's apricot (remember those pcs?) network.
talking a bloke thru upgrading the software on the fileserver,
rah rah
"ok"
change directory to c:\rah rah.
"ok, done that"
del *.*
"yup"
dir
"nothing there"
great
reboot
"it's saying Insert System Disk"
(thinks) ******
you need to contact your machine supplier to rectify this problem. bye.
i can't believe i got away with that
i was trying to do an upgrade over the phone of this company's apricot (remember those pcs?) network.
talking a bloke thru upgrading the software on the fileserver,
rah rah
"ok"
change directory to c:\rah rah.
"ok, done that"
del *.*
"yup"
dir
"nothing there"
great
reboot
"it's saying Insert System Disk"
(thinks) ******
you need to contact your machine supplier to rectify this problem. bye.
i can't believe i got away with that
05 May 2006, 01:52 PM
#2
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Nov 1998
Posts: 11,905
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hello
Someone I worked with unplugged the power for a major banks central computer system whilst trying to repair a printer in the computer room.
Not funny really, as our company got sued and he got fired.
Steve
Someone I worked with unplugged the power for a major banks central computer system whilst trying to repair a printer in the computer room.
Not funny really, as our company got sued and he got fired.
Steve
05 May 2006, 02:13 PM
#3
Scooby Regular
Originally Posted by boxst
Someone I worked with unplugged the power for a major banks central computer system whilst trying to repair a printer in the computer room.
I once deleted an entire /16 of reverse DNS, fortunately it being held in RCS I could get it back
One of my junior admins once deleted /etc/passwd on a server that was in Telehouse then logged out, so I put him on a train
05 May 2006, 02:30 PM
#4
Working for NatWest IT at Goodmans Fields years ago when BT cut through the main line outside the main datacentre near Stone in Staffordshire, that was fun 
A couple of weeks later the whole ATM network went down with a Windows NT 3.51 divide by zero error 
Seeing c:\ prompts on the cashpoints!
A few years later I was working for a web cafe chain and I was escorting a pre-configured Compaq DL380 server out to a cafe in Barcelona, a big 5u server weighing more than me! UPS didnt deliver the sodding server until 2pm, Spanish Customs had taken all the bloody boards and drives out of the thing and put them back in the wrong way round so I lost 1/2 the raid. Spent the following week in a room with no air-con (2nd week of August) just off Las Ramblas roasting away rebuilding the bloody thing!
A couple of weeks later the whole ATM network went down with a Windows NT 3.51 divide by zero error Seeing c:\ prompts on the cashpoints!A few years later I was working for a web cafe chain and I was escorting a pre-configured Compaq DL380 server out to a cafe in Barcelona, a big 5u server weighing more than me! UPS didnt deliver the sodding server until 2pm, Spanish Customs had taken all the bloody boards and drives out of the thing and put them back in the wrong way round so I lost 1/2 the raid. Spent the following week in a room with no air-con (2nd week of August) just off Las Ramblas roasting away rebuilding the bloody thing!
05 May 2006, 02:52 PM
#5
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: The Great White North
Posts: 25,080
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Was on site at a clients to train staff in our software. I noticed that they were not running the latest version, so asked them if it was ok to update the server setup. All three nodded quite happily. So off I go and update.
Whilst training I happen to notice an odd error popping up on the client workstations we've been using. I simply say I'll look into it later.
After the training I have a look and take some debug logs and say I'll run through them back in the office to trace things.
Once back at the office a few hours later it transpires that the server I had been told was ok to update was the live server, and the issue I'd seen in what I thought was isolation was happening on all client computers, which at the time was around 1000 machines.
Due to their setup we'd need to get them an updated component which would need to be installed on all client computers. This is where they started to complain, as that would mean overtime, etc, and we were going to have to pay for it.
We offered a few solutions to them, such as emailing all users with the updated app and telling them to run it. We'd done the same thing with another client, actually the other client suggested the idea. Anyway, this and any other plan we came up with was a no-go for them.
Then both my Directors stepped in and told the chap that we would not be coming on-site to rectify the issue, nor would we be paying for overtime for their staff to address it. They pointed out that three staff members were asked if it was safe to upgrade the server, and they said it was, thus I was not really at fault for frying a live system as their staff should have known better
Some of our end users have dropped the odd clanger as well. The biggest so far was one who had decided to use our software distribution component. I had, the previous day, ran through things with them about how it worked and been very very expicit about the "perfect mirror" option, and why you want to be ever so careful you don't set it on a disk object in the distribution set if the disk object is empty, unless you really want to wipe out the drive. They say they understand completely.
Next day I get a call from the client, they want to run through how to get the distribution out to all (aprox 300) client computers. I tell them what to do. Of they go, restoring nicely and very quickly. I point out that a reboot after installing the items he's chosen to distribute would be a wise move, tell him we can do that remotley, and he's happy. So we select the machines, tell them to reboot, and they do.
He then says that the machines are not booting, that they have a folder with a question mark on screen. I ask how many, he says about 30, as he's in a lab with 30 machines, I tell him to check the other labs. He then gets a call saying that all the machines have rebooted, he says that is fine, they are meant to, he's then told all the machines are not booting. oops!
As you can guess, he had not been careful enough and had wiped out the entire drive on all of his 300 machines.
Whilst training I happen to notice an odd error popping up on the client workstations we've been using. I simply say I'll look into it later.
After the training I have a look and take some debug logs and say I'll run through them back in the office to trace things.
Once back at the office a few hours later it transpires that the server I had been told was ok to update was the live server, and the issue I'd seen in what I thought was isolation was happening on all client computers, which at the time was around 1000 machines.
Due to their setup we'd need to get them an updated component which would need to be installed on all client computers. This is where they started to complain, as that would mean overtime, etc, and we were going to have to pay for it.
We offered a few solutions to them, such as emailing all users with the updated app and telling them to run it. We'd done the same thing with another client, actually the other client suggested the idea. Anyway, this and any other plan we came up with was a no-go for them.
Then both my Directors stepped in and told the chap that we would not be coming on-site to rectify the issue, nor would we be paying for overtime for their staff to address it. They pointed out that three staff members were asked if it was safe to upgrade the server, and they said it was, thus I was not really at fault for frying a live system as their staff should have known better
Some of our end users have dropped the odd clanger as well. The biggest so far was one who had decided to use our software distribution component. I had, the previous day, ran through things with them about how it worked and been very very expicit about the "perfect mirror" option, and why you want to be ever so careful you don't set it on a disk object in the distribution set if the disk object is empty, unless you really want to wipe out the drive. They say they understand completely.
Next day I get a call from the client, they want to run through how to get the distribution out to all (aprox 300) client computers. I tell them what to do. Of they go, restoring nicely and very quickly. I point out that a reboot after installing the items he's chosen to distribute would be a wise move, tell him we can do that remotley, and he's happy. So we select the machines, tell them to reboot, and they do.
He then says that the machines are not booting, that they have a folder with a question mark on screen. I ask how many, he says about 30, as he's in a lab with 30 machines, I tell him to check the other labs. He then gets a call saying that all the machines have rebooted, he says that is fine, they are meant to, he's then told all the machines are not booting. oops!
As you can guess, he had not been careful enough and had wiped out the entire drive on all of his 300 machines.
05 May 2006, 04:53 PM
#7
Scooby Senior
Not emabarassing, more a sad story.
School teacher turns up one morning and switches on a PC, screen goes blank, flashing cursor, moves to the next computer same thing, turns on all of the computers - about 30 odd, same thing. Turns out they were infected with the CIH virus and he'd turned them on on the trigger date wiping the bios. Result 30 new motherboards and no IT lessons for a while.
School teacher turns up one morning and switches on a PC, screen goes blank, flashing cursor, moves to the next computer same thing, turns on all of the computers - about 30 odd, same thing. Turns out they were infected with the CIH virus and he'd turned them on on the trigger date wiping the bios. Result 30 new motherboards and no IT lessons for a while.
Trending Topics
05 May 2006, 06:53 PM
#9
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Potters Bar
Posts: 2,924
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Long time ago in one of my first jobs I was managing a very large and well known major city firm for one of the senior account managers.
Thsi was in the old day or 3.5" disk and IBM ATS. We get a call form the trnaing mamager who had rented 20 mahcines for a traning course at this big company. Apparently they have a bit of a problem with one of the floppy drives on one of the mahcines and really started going into one, flying off the handle saying we'd supplied dud kit blah blah.
So as it was one of our best accounts we got one of the engineers to jump into a car and get straight down there.
About half an hour later the engineer calls up barely able to speak. At first I thought the woman had gone mad and tried to strangle him but when he was able to speak he explained that the trnaing manager, who was training people on IT stuff BTW had managed to put the floppy disk in sideways and upside down and rammed it in so hard that it was wedge in the drive. Amazingly she'd not done it one one mahcine but over half of them before she worked out there was a problem !!!!
Not embaressing for me but apparently she went the brightest shade of red ever seen !
AllanB
Thsi was in the old day or 3.5" disk and IBM ATS. We get a call form the trnaing mamager who had rented 20 mahcines for a traning course at this big company. Apparently they have a bit of a problem with one of the floppy drives on one of the mahcines and really started going into one, flying off the handle saying we'd supplied dud kit blah blah.
So as it was one of our best accounts we got one of the engineers to jump into a car and get straight down there.
About half an hour later the engineer calls up barely able to speak. At first I thought the woman had gone mad and tried to strangle him but when he was able to speak he explained that the trnaing manager, who was training people on IT stuff BTW had managed to put the floppy disk in sideways and upside down and rammed it in so hard that it was wedge in the drive. Amazingly she'd not done it one one mahcine but over half of them before she worked out there was a problem !!!!
Not embaressing for me but apparently she went the brightest shade of red ever seen !
AllanB
05 May 2006, 07:08 PM
#10
I was mucking about on a w/station connected to a novell server - I was testing a new version of something. Anyway, I'd mapped a drive to the volume/directory where my test stuff was and was flicking back and forth at the command prompt G: J: G: J: etc. Phone went, I answered it, dealt with it then went back to what I had been about to do which was to delete the test folders on J:
deltree *.*
Phone goes again - "systems gone down!"
I'd not checked before I deleted and wiped out everyhing in g:
You know that really really dodgy sinking feeling you get sometimes?
Thank **** for Salvage.nlm
deltree *.*
Phone goes again - "systems gone down!"
I'd not checked before I deleted and wiped out everyhing in g: You know that really really dodgy sinking feeling you get sometimes?
Thank **** for Salvage.nlm
05 May 2006, 07:18 PM
#11
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: At the diesel pump...
Posts: 8,677
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My first introduction to severs and mainframes.
Got a phone call off our IT unit asking for a favour, "we just need you to nip down to the server and do something for us". Ok no problem there, get down to the sever, ring the guy back and get told to type "down" at the command promt then press enter. Being an IT newbie to this stuff and him being an IT bod, I did as I was told.
Having done it, I out of curiosity asked what I'd just done, to which I was told, "thats just taken the sever down and offline"..
1 small problem, they had failed to notify everyone in the south east of the country who worked for us that we were doing this!!!!!!!!!!!
Got a phone call off our IT unit asking for a favour, "we just need you to nip down to the server and do something for us". Ok no problem there, get down to the sever, ring the guy back and get told to type "down" at the command promt then press enter. Being an IT newbie to this stuff and him being an IT bod, I did as I was told.
Having done it, I out of curiosity asked what I'd just done, to which I was told, "thats just taken the sever down and offline"..
1 small problem, they had failed to notify everyone in the south east of the country who worked for us that we were doing this!!!!!!!!!!!
05 May 2006, 07:41 PM
#13
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 9,781
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A fair few years ago, I forgot to remove some debugging Javascript before go-live on from a large insurer's public website. Someone phoned in asking what an alert box saying 'Haha not a real error' meant. The rest of them were so incompetent there anyway that I just pissed myself laughing when I found out. Didn't go down too well.
05 May 2006, 08:51 PM
#14
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: The Great White North
Posts: 25,080
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by TopBanana
A fair few years ago, I forgot to remove some debugging Javascript before go-live on from a large insurer's public website. Someone phoned in asking what an alert box saying 'Haha not a real error' meant. The rest of them were so incompetent there anyway that I just pissed myself laughing when I found out. Didn't go down too well.
On a somewhat releated note, the Vatican Schools use that software, so in an amusing way you could say the catholic church does endorse the use of protection
05 May 2006, 08:52 PM
#15
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: use the Marauder's Map to find out.
Posts: 2,041
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Installing a new printer at a Government scientific research site 15-ish years ago. There wasn't much space in the computer room and I was working in a rather tight corner. People start coming in to the computer room to ask if there was a problem with the DEC VAX.
I still maintain that putting the big red emergency switch at **** height in the corner I was working in made it their fault.
I still maintain that putting the big red emergency switch at **** height in the corner I was working in made it their fault.
05 May 2006, 09:30 PM
#16
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Runway two seven right.
Posts: 6,652
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not me, but I was the user on the end if it. 15 months ago, IT demanded they have our UNIX server that we monitor flights out of LHR installed in their server room, as it "would be safer" there. Mid-April this year, the system crashes, all 6 users, inc me, are unable to see radar tracks. Its like this for 7 days. I'm constantly telling IT the server is down. They tell me its the comms box that collects the NATS data, and supplier is looking into it. Stalemate. Supplier agrees with IT, and asks IT to "reboot the comms box" They reboot the comms box, system still faulty. Supplier flies over from Holland, walks in the server room, and pulls about 40 network cables off the UNIX server keyboard. The keyboard buffer was full, and it had locked the system. Oh, and the IT "guru" had rebooted the UNIX server, not the comms PC. He rebooted it by pulling the mains lead out! 
My questions for IT.
1. How, exactly, is our server safer in your hands?
2. Why did your specialist reboot the server, when he was asked to reboot the comms PC?
3. Can you specialist not read, each box is labelled "Server" and "Comms box"
4. Did your specialist not think anything was wrong with 45 network cables on a live server keyboard?
IT response to questions. Deafening silence.
My questions for IT.
1. How, exactly, is our server safer in your hands?
2. Why did your specialist reboot the server, when he was asked to reboot the comms PC?
3. Can you specialist not read, each box is labelled "Server" and "Comms box"
4. Did your specialist not think anything was wrong with 45 network cables on a live server keyboard?
IT response to questions. Deafening silence.
05 May 2006, 11:40 PM
#17
Scooby Regular
Used to work for a major games manufacturer on the helpline. Got a call which went something like this.
Me: how can I help
customer: i've bought this game for my husbands birthday and i'm trying to install it before he comes home and I cant proceed any further.
Me: what have you done so far
cust: well I put in the first disk and followed the instructions and it ran through and then asked for the second disk
me: and you got an error
cust: no I put the second disk in and then it asked for the third and then the fourth.
me: so whats the problem?
cust: well the fourth disc wont fit, there is no more room left for it to go in
me: you mean you've run out of disk space?
cust: no I physically cant get any more disks to fit into the drive, there is no more room
Apparently, she'd bought the 5.25 inch disk version of the game which came on 8 disks and had put the first on in, as per the instructions, then the second and third but not removed the first and second.
The installer would check all the data from the disks, even if it errored and then give an error at the end!
Luckily, she managed to get all the disks out and they all still worked and I managed to get the game installed for her.
Must have been an expensive phone call, as she rang from israel!
I've also had a few people ring up with computer problems and the phone is in a different room to the PC. So you get this, "hold on, i'll give it a try" conversation.
We had one bloke who managed to get the game working and completely forgot about the phone as he started to play the game. He realised 4 hours later.
and put the phone back on the hook, we even tried shouting down the phone to get his attention!
mike
Me: how can I help
customer: i've bought this game for my husbands birthday and i'm trying to install it before he comes home and I cant proceed any further.
Me: what have you done so far
cust: well I put in the first disk and followed the instructions and it ran through and then asked for the second disk
me: and you got an error
cust: no I put the second disk in and then it asked for the third and then the fourth.
me: so whats the problem?
cust: well the fourth disc wont fit, there is no more room left for it to go in
me: you mean you've run out of disk space?
cust: no I physically cant get any more disks to fit into the drive, there is no more room
Apparently, she'd bought the 5.25 inch disk version of the game which came on 8 disks and had put the first on in, as per the instructions, then the second and third but not removed the first and second.
The installer would check all the data from the disks, even if it errored and then give an error at the end!
Luckily, she managed to get all the disks out and they all still worked and I managed to get the game installed for her.
Must have been an expensive phone call, as she rang from israel!
I've also had a few people ring up with computer problems and the phone is in a different room to the PC. So you get this, "hold on, i'll give it a try" conversation.
We had one bloke who managed to get the game working and completely forgot about the phone as he started to play the game. He realised 4 hours later.
and put the phone back on the hook, we even tried shouting down the phone to get his attention!mike
20 May 2006, 06:47 PM
#18
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 774
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
first IT job about 9 years ago working on helpdesk for a major blue-chip IT company.
customer turns up with laptop that wasnt booting properly, told him to leave it with me and went to work.
Plugged the power cable in to the mains before popping the laptop on the desk, at which point the end of the power cable brushed across the parallel port, sparking nicely, and frying the laptop.
told him it was a h/w fault, he believed me!!
customer turns up with laptop that wasnt booting properly, told him to leave it with me and went to work.
Plugged the power cable in to the mains before popping the laptop on the desk, at which point the end of the power cable brushed across the parallel port, sparking nicely, and frying the laptop.
told him it was a h/w fault, he believed me!!
20 May 2006, 09:25 PM
#19
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Southampton
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Fire alarm installer working in server room dropped a false-floor tile and severed fire alarm sensor wire, shut down the whole site computer system and Freon'ed himself into the bargain - don't think he was allowed back!
20 May 2006, 09:26 PM
#20
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 5,848
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In my early days doing hardware....
Replacing a fuser unit on a Laserjet II, using my special long screwdriver to reach the screws...
Goes well at one side, moves to the other side , unscrews the first one successfully...
Go for the second one noticing that the flimsy plastic bit covering the connection to the halogen lamp is missing...
"Oh, I'll be careful then" I say.
BANG! Big blue flash, every electrical device (including the lights) in the building goes off (Big building, two floors and several hundred seats). Heads appear above cubicles Dilbert style.
Ooops.
Lessons learnt - the power switch on a Laserjet II does not isolate all circuits and earthing the high voltage supply to the lamp through a screwdriver to the chassis will cause a massive arc and leave a spot weld mark on the screwdriver.
Also - at this point it's important to look as puzzled as everyone else and point out you were doing your timesheet and was nowhere near anything remotely electrical...
Replacing a fuser unit on a Laserjet II, using my special long screwdriver to reach the screws...
Goes well at one side, moves to the other side , unscrews the first one successfully...
Go for the second one noticing that the flimsy plastic bit covering the connection to the halogen lamp is missing...
"Oh, I'll be careful then" I say.
BANG! Big blue flash, every electrical device (including the lights) in the building goes off (Big building, two floors and several hundred seats). Heads appear above cubicles Dilbert style.
Ooops.
Lessons learnt - the power switch on a Laserjet II does not isolate all circuits and earthing the high voltage supply to the lamp through a screwdriver to the chassis will cause a massive arc and leave a spot weld mark on the screwdriver.
Also - at this point it's important to look as puzzled as everyone else and point out you were doing your timesheet and was nowhere near anything remotely electrical...
21 May 2006, 10:43 AM
#21
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: There on the stair
Posts: 10,208
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
More funny than embarrassing... but at the time
Managing Director (of large British Airline based in the Midlands...) has a p.c. at his house that his wife uses for her own business (self run company) which is covered by IT.
The printer (an ORIGINAL HP Laserjet) is printing 'dirty' copies, so I'm asked to go out and take a look at it. Make the arrangement with his wife (sounds like a lovely lady) and go out to visit.
Get there, and this house is STUNNING. Huge great place, her 'office' is bigger than any living room I've seen and has the deepest WHITE **** pile carpet ever, you could lose small people in there!
MD's wife goes off to get me a cup of tea at this point...
So, anyway - the printer, ancient, dirty, kept on a shelf below the desk and about 6 inches off the carpet (the deep, white carpet), I try a few things, run a few print jobs off... confirm that there is a problem. So then I open up the toner loading panel on the side and pull out the cartridge.
There was this soft whumph noise.
About a 2 inch deep pile of micro-fine toner has just dropped onto the carpet.
I'm sat there looking at this stuff, a black mountain of toner on this pristine white carpet. Now what? Did I tell her my name? Damn. Yes. Can't pretend to be someone else. Murder? Where could I hide the body? In the damn carpet, she's not a big woman....
I can hear her rattling around in the kitchen and shout out
"I think I've found the problem!"
She is totally unfazed by this huge great clod of toner on her carpet.... "Oh, don't worry about that" she says "It's an old thing anyway, we'll just hoover it up"
"Ummmmm.... Do that and you'll have a black house"
"?"
"Well, this toner is so fine it'll go straight through the filter on your hoover and all you'll do is send it airborne through the house"
So, what I had to do was wedge the hoover in the window, run the hose to the carpet (just reached) turn the hoover on and watch the amazing black cloud of toner as it got jetted outside.
I eventually took the damn printer outside and gave it a severe cleaning with the hoover and compressed air can I had. Got it all working in the end, but by 'eck when I got back and told the department head what had happened....
Managing Director (of large British Airline based in the Midlands...) has a p.c. at his house that his wife uses for her own business (self run company) which is covered by IT.
The printer (an ORIGINAL HP Laserjet) is printing 'dirty' copies, so I'm asked to go out and take a look at it. Make the arrangement with his wife (sounds like a lovely lady) and go out to visit.
Get there, and this house is STUNNING. Huge great place, her 'office' is bigger than any living room I've seen and has the deepest WHITE **** pile carpet ever, you could lose small people in there!
MD's wife goes off to get me a cup of tea at this point...
So, anyway - the printer, ancient, dirty, kept on a shelf below the desk and about 6 inches off the carpet (the deep, white carpet), I try a few things, run a few print jobs off... confirm that there is a problem. So then I open up the toner loading panel on the side and pull out the cartridge.
There was this soft whumph noise.
About a 2 inch deep pile of micro-fine toner has just dropped onto the carpet.
I'm sat there looking at this stuff, a black mountain of toner on this pristine white carpet. Now what? Did I tell her my name? Damn. Yes. Can't pretend to be someone else. Murder? Where could I hide the body? In the damn carpet, she's not a big woman....
I can hear her rattling around in the kitchen and shout out
"I think I've found the problem!"
She is totally unfazed by this huge great clod of toner on her carpet.... "Oh, don't worry about that" she says "It's an old thing anyway, we'll just hoover it up"
"Ummmmm.... Do that and you'll have a black house"
"?"
"Well, this toner is so fine it'll go straight through the filter on your hoover and all you'll do is send it airborne through the house"
So, what I had to do was wedge the hoover in the window, run the hose to the carpet (just reached) turn the hoover on and watch the amazing black cloud of toner as it got jetted outside.
I eventually took the damn printer outside and gave it a severe cleaning with the hoover and compressed air can I had. Got it all working in the end, but by 'eck when I got back and told the department head what had happened....
21 May 2006, 12:11 PM
#22
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,581
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Working on a customer site migrating them from an ancient Novell/Lotus Notes 3 setup up to NT 4 and Lotus 5.something. Quite late into the project, all the major upgrades on and working, all staff successfully migrated onto the new system. Just putting the final patches onto the file server when it popped up with the usual "You need to reboot" dialogue box. There was an "OK" button, but no "Cancel" or "Reboot later" option. Not wanting to leave the window there for someone else to click on and thus down the entire operation, I went to click on the "X" to close the window. At the last second, I realised the folly in this and decided to be clever and kill the process from Task Manager.
Cue "System rebooting" messages and a knock at the server room door...
Cue "System rebooting" messages and a knock at the server room door...
21 May 2006, 12:29 PM
#23
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 114
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was creating an email marketing campaign that would be sent out to 120,000 people in our customer database, the email contains some personalisation data which is pulled from the database. One of the fields that is personalised is the name field. So when you receive the email it will say:
"Dear Mr Bloggs"
Whilst I was testing this I had just hardcoded my own name in there.
With everything else going off in the office that day I ended up sending an email to 120,000 people saying my own name!
Cue random phone calls from the IT department asking if the email I had just sent out was a test email or the live version haha and phone calls from customers asking why they had got an email with somebody elses name in it!
"Dear Mr Bloggs"
Whilst I was testing this I had just hardcoded my own name in there.
With everything else going off in the office that day I ended up sending an email to 120,000 people saying my own name!
Cue random phone calls from the IT department asking if the email I had just sent out was a test email or the live version haha and phone calls from customers asking why they had got an email with somebody elses name in it!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
