BG John Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 As a very amateur programmer, I had to change the systems I wrote for my business, and the accounting software (written by proper programmers!) I sold, and used to provide a service to my clients, needed to be updated. As others have said, it only went smoothly because the industry did a lot of work to prepare for it. Otherwise my clients would have been in big trouble with the tax man, and wouldn't have had accurate management accounts. I would probably have been out of business too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 #DoB Nov 9th if you make cakes. Isn't that the date some big buildings fell down across the pond when a plane crashed into them? (9/11) PS I'm happy to receive cakes on both 2nd November and February 11th Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Same with me. Since nothing happened because literal swarms of people worked to correct the shortcoming, those outside the industry see it as the great y2k hoax. People seldom realise the sheer number of legacy systems still being used in large and even small companies. My current client alone internally supports over 3000 individual applications, platforms, and systems. That is just one business. Many of those have been running since the 80s and even earlier on mainframes. I think the problem comes from the media, who decided that the bug would cause nuclear power stations to meltdown, aircraft to fall out of the sky and so on at the stroke of midnight. When this didn't happen, and their bog standard out of the box PCs running Word 95 still worked, they then decided the whole thing was a scam. The reality (people not being able to book hospital appointments, cans of food being rejected by stock control systems because their best before date appeared to be in 1900, and so on) was all a bit too boring. I remember the CATE timetable system being switched off because it wasn't W2K compliant, and it was cheaper to move all the users over to using Railplanner. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derekstuart Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Much of his work has been classed as comedy (especially Hitch Hiker) but it was far more than that. Douglas Adams observed and understood the nature of everything around him, both on the micro and the macro level. His understanding of politics and economics and their application in reality- and their ultimate inevitable conclusion- are quite profound. Certainly both the planet Magrathea and the people of Golgrafincham were representative of two very substantial concerns he could see in the real world. I had the honour of meeting him at an Open University lecture some years ago. It's a shame he's taking so many years off dead for tax reasons. Excuse the o/t. Linking these two ideas, one important and one rather trivial, is intended by the writer to be humorous. Many people find the books by Douglas Adams very funny Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyID Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Isn't it so much nicer to write the month in words (or abbreviated words), then it doesn't matter if you write June the 12th, or 15th of May. Ed #DoB Nov 9th if you make cakes. I tend to do that to avoid any confusion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 47137 Posted February 29, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 29, 2016 It's actually an intelligence test which you have obviously failed. If an American asked you to meet him in an English restaurant at 9:00am on 3/5/2016 when would you turn up? I rest my case What restaurant opens at 9am? - Richard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 It's a custom add on, and us such is non-editable I guess that takes us all the way back to the first answer you received. 6 lines of code is far easier to edit that the several thousand lines in IPB. As for web code validation, sure I would agree that nearly every website fails - but then there are fails and really BIG FAILS. (PS. I hope you didn't pay for the "add-on") Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I made no changes to computer hardware or software and passed seamlessly from 1999 to 2000. As anticipated the IT industry have claimed the credit for solving the "problem" . And I can never prove there was no problem to begin with. To be fair there were a lot of IBM Cobol-based business applications that needed to be upgraded, but I don't think there was much of an issue with consumer applications. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grovenor Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 What restaurant opens at 9am? - Richard. American ones, they love having breakfast out. Regards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Certainly both the planet Magrathea and the people of Golgrafincham were representative of two very substantial concerns he could see in the real world. Not to mention Frogstar World B (even if exaggerated for humourous effect) and many others. I had the honour of meeting him at an Open University lecture some years ago. It's a shame he's taking so many years off dead for tax reasons. He is sadly missed, but his work lives on. Being subjected to the US Presidential election coverage every day, I am inclined to think of this: “The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them. To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.” Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derekstuart Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Oz, I was trying to think what he meant when he described Frogstar B. The most hellishly imaginable place in the world and then I realised he was talking about Luton on a Sunday afternoon. Or any time of any day. What do you think he was referring to and do you think we need to get some perspective? Yes his work will live on. In fact right now the chancellor/shadow chancellor (to maintain political neutrality) are planning to burn down a few major deciduous rain forests to save Sterling. Meanwhile I am off to get both of them some lemon scented napkins for their next G8 journey. I may be back in 5 and a half million years. I don't care who is President of the United States as long as he has a cat named 'The Lord' and lives outside the asylum. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Walters Posted February 29, 2016 Author Share Posted February 29, 2016 I guess that takes us all the way back to the first answer you received. 6 lines of code is far easier to edit that the several thousand lines in IPB. As for web code validation, sure I would agree that nearly every website fails - but then there are fails and really BIG FAILS. (PS. I hope you didn't pay for the "add-on") Wordpress is totally free, as are the add ons Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Oz, I was trying to think what he meant when he described Frogstar B. The most hellishly imaginable place in the world and then I realised he was talking about Luton on a Sunday afternoon. Or any time of any day. What do you think he was referring to and do you think we need to get some perspective?As much as I love the idea of the infinite perspective vortex - the notion of connectedness - that the universe could be extrapolated from a small piece of fairy cake (even as farce) and particularly the idea that "the one thing one cannot have is a sense of proportion" it wasn't the total perspective vortex or the delayed lemon scented napkins I was thinking about. It was the shoe-event horizon as a metaphor for rampant consumerism. Even though THHGTTG is written with a 1970s sensibility, the only really dated reference is that you have to replace the expression 'digital watches' with 'smart watches' and it's still as fresh as a daisy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Colin_McLeod Posted February 29, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 29, 2016 What restaurant opens at 9am? - Richard. Another intelligence test perhaps Richard. What the OP might call his "deliberate mistake" to see if anyone noticed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted February 29, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 29, 2016 We all make spolling mistooks... as is proven by your magazine on monthly basis To make spelling mistakes is unfortunate, to repeatedly make grammatical errors is careless. Oh, and Andy, once you've sorted out this date business, would you mind turning your hand to the Australians who will insist that 4/237 is the correct way to give a cricket score. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derekstuart Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Good point about the shoe-horizon, Oz. I had forgotten that being on the same planet- it has been a long time since i read the book (though there are some audio cd copies on ebay, I bought a modern recording by mistake. It was rubbish.) Just please no one talk to me about the re-make film. I watched that once and that turned out to be two times too many. As much as I love the idea of the infinite perspective vortex - the notion of connectedness - that the universe could be extrapolated from a small piece of fairy cake (even as farce) and particularly the idea that "the one thing one cannot have is a sense of proportion" it wasn't the total perspective vortex or the delayed lemon scented napkins I was thinking about.It was the shoe-event horizon as a metaphor for rampant consumerism. Even though THHGTTG is written with a 1970s sensibility, the only really dated reference is that you have to replace the expression 'digital watches' with 'smart watches' and it's still as fresh as a daisy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Just please no one talk to me about the re-make film. I watched that once and that turned out to be two times too many. I made the mistake of watching it a second time, to see if it got better. Anyone want to buy a DVD? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianusa Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 American ones, they love having breakfast out. Regards Sadly its not the English full variety but unless things have improved, sometimes when on holiday back home, its hard to find a decent breakfast if you don't know where to go. Who wants to travel a few thousand miles and eat at McDonalds? Although I don't know what this has to do about dates! Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clearwater Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 In central London, more restaurants and pubs than not seem to be open for breakfast. I've found it convenient to meet friends for breakfast rather than in the evenings on occasion as well as for business meetings. I suppose if you're paying a high rent for a place, the marginal extra cost of opening in the morning is negligible compared to the extra revenue David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 What restaurant opens at 9am?I was tempted to suggest a place for those who've already done six impossible things this morning, but in the interest of a self-imposed limit of too many HHGTTG references I'll refrain. American ones, they love having breakfast out.Yes, and as a sort of American, I find that I like it too. Sadly its not the English full variety but unless things have improved, sometimes when on holiday back home, its hard to find a decent breakfast if you don't know where to go. Who wants to travel a few thousand miles and eat at McDonalds? Although I don't know what this has to do about dates!Indeed so Brian. It is a shame that there aren't places in the temperate colonies that offer a full English breakfast. Some places occasionally come close, even if the bacon is different. Your final observation makes me wonder, where can one find a restaurant that serves dates with breakfast? I suggest that by going off topic we may be giving this thread the respect it deserves. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I would have tried to correct my post by saying " a restaurant that serves dates for breakfast" but I shan't go there either! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derekstuart Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Cheap replacement beer mat? A mirror? A frisbee? A reminder that no matter how bad a film might be it is never as bad as HH2? I made the mistake of watching it a second time, to see if it got better. Anyone want to buy a DVD? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyID Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I would have tried to correct my post by saying " a restaurant that serves dates for breakfast" but I shan't go there either! We don't run a restaurant, but my wife does make granola, and she does put dates in it. I trust this is helpful information. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railsquid Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 We don't run a restaurant, but my wife does make granola, and she does put dates in it. I trust this is helpful information. Taking the opportunity to research "granola" and how it differs from traditional British muesli, I learnt of the concept "Muesli belt malnutrition" and will be sure to work it into future conversations. Meanwhile here in Japan it's the third month of Heisei 28, but doing the maths and watching the news, one wonders how long it will be until the next era change. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nevadablue Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Why would one need a calendar on a railroad model website? or a model railroad website, or a website for model railroads... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.