Comments on: When things stop working, the solution isn’t always obvious http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/ Web development and Internet trends Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:41:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Robert Nyman http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-165396 Robert Nyman Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:08:44 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-165396 Goulven, Scotch brite?! Oh, man, that's just terrible! Goulven,

Scotch brite?! Oh, man, that’s just terrible!

]]> By: Goulven http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-165393 Goulven Wed, 19 Dec 2007 21:51:12 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-165393 We had the same power outage every morning problem at work and it took us a while finding the why as well... Another company I worked at had another issue. Terrible scratches appeared mysteriously on our monitors... The cleaning people scoured them with scotch brite. Ugh! We had the same power outage every morning problem at work and it took us a while finding the why as well…

Another company I worked at had another issue. Terrible scratches appeared mysteriously on our monitors… The cleaning people scoured them with scotch brite. Ugh!

]]> By: Steven Clark http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-162508 Steven Clark Sat, 15 Dec 2007 06:47:48 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-162508 its very often hard to track down errors because our human mind initially sees the obvious cause as the reason... actually getting into the proper open mind to accept that which is not obvious, and sometimes illogical or even preposterous, is a true skill of the problem solver. its very often hard to track down errors because our human mind initially sees the obvious cause as the reason… actually getting into the proper open mind to accept that which is not obvious, and sometimes illogical or even preposterous, is a true skill of the problem solver.

]]> By: Robert Nyman http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-162263 Robert Nyman Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:26:24 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-162263 Thanks, guys! Ceriak, Dave, I have heard variations on this theme before too. Not unlikely that it does happen in some places, though. In this case I can only retell the story, and I do hope it's true, because it's cute and funny. :-) Steven, Yes, I've heard that story before, and it is indeed a great one! Sometimes unusual measure helps us finding the true problems. Thanks, guys!

Ceriak, Dave,

I have heard variations on this theme before too. Not unlikely that it does happen in some places, though. In this case I can only retell the story, and I do hope it’s true, because it’s cute and funny. :-)

Steven,

Yes, I’ve heard that story before, and it is indeed a great one! Sometimes unusual measure helps us finding the true problems.

]]> By: Andreas http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-162099 Andreas Fri, 14 Dec 2007 14:54:58 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-162099 Hehe top notch, specially the cleaning lady. Hehe top notch, specially the cleaning lady.

]]> By: Dave http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-162062 Dave Fri, 14 Dec 2007 13:42:45 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-162062 I actually heard that same story (the cleaner with the vacuum cleaner) but it was in ICU at a hospital ... but instead of servers going down, people who were on life support machines were mysteriously dying! :-( I actually heard that same story (the cleaner with the vacuum cleaner) but it was in ICU at a hospital … but instead of servers going down, people who were on life support machines were mysteriously dying! :-(

]]> By: Steven Clark http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-161723 Steven Clark Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:19:56 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-161723 In software engineering one of the first stories told involves a true story of an american guy who brought a new car. After a month he began complaining that every time he brought vanilla ice cream his car wouldnt start... Eventually they sent out an engineer who stayed for a week. The family ritual was that every day after dinner the family voted on the flavour of today's ice cream for dessert. The dad would then get in the car and get the ice cream and drive straight home. But every time it was vanilla the car would not start. No it wasn't the flavour. The engineer eventually realised the vanilla ice cream was near the front door. It took about 1 minute longer to buy other flavours. The car actually had a fault which meant that in a certain timeframe the car wouldn't start. So I guess the lesson is that the cause of problems may not be directly apparent, as you say. Ice cream doesn't stall new cars :) In software engineering one of the first stories told involves a true story of an american guy who brought a new car. After a month he began complaining that every time he brought vanilla ice cream his car wouldnt start…

Eventually they sent out an engineer who stayed for a week.

The family ritual was that every day after dinner the family voted on the flavour of today’s ice cream for dessert. The dad would then get in the car and get the ice cream and drive straight home. But every time it was vanilla the car would not start.

No it wasn’t the flavour.

The engineer eventually realised the vanilla ice cream was near the front door. It took about 1 minute longer to buy other flavours. The car actually had a fault which meant that in a certain timeframe the car wouldn’t start.

So I guess the lesson is that the cause of problems may not be directly apparent, as you say. Ice cream doesn’t stall new cars :)

]]> By: Ceriak http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-161604 Ceriak Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:47:26 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-161604 The cursed bed, where every patient carried in in the night, found dead in the morning – I have heard exactly the same story, but it was not a server room, but an intensive care unit in the USA… The cursed bed, where every patient carried in in the night, found dead in the morning – I have heard exactly the same story, but it was not a server room, but an intensive care unit in the USA…

]]> By: Scott Powers http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-161601 Scott Powers Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:41:46 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-161601 haha... love the second one mate. haha… love the second one mate.

]]> By: Deborah http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-161589 Deborah Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:20:00 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-161589 Loved the stories! Loved the stories!

]]> By: Johan http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-161487 Johan Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:12:14 +0000 http://www.robertnyman.com/2007/12/13/when-things-stop-working-the-solution-isnt-always-obvious/#comment-161487 Hahaha priceless Hahaha priceless

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