Computer Karma: Could that be true? [Archive]

ivanze

09-11-2008, 03:43 PM

I know people the minute they touch a computer that is working ok, it starts to have problems. Nothing works for them. It must be bad energies or people that keeps with bad mood. :confused:

DiscreetFX

09-11-2008, 04:32 PM

Could just be Vista.

:D

ivanze

09-11-2008, 04:44 PM

:)
I remember this even happened long time ago with an Amiga/Toaster machine. Eveything worked ok till the owner of the company came to use the computer.

Jim_C

09-11-2008, 04:49 PM

I 'usually' have pretty good computer karma, but today I spent about 4 hours setting up a new wireless network based project, testing, retesting, retesting, retesting, everything worked flawlessly.

The boss came in to see it and upon first attempt 'No wireless networks found'!!!!!

I told him to forget this ever happened and to come back later.

ack!

Matt

09-11-2008, 04:57 PM

There is some truth in this actually, I've noticed that people who don't know much about computers have more issues, certainly true among my friends.

Doing things like leaving loads of applications open and then complaining their computer is slow or keeps crashing.

Hopper

09-11-2008, 06:30 PM

shrox

09-11-2008, 07:53 PM

I used to be that way, back when people actually wore grounding braclets. It was a metal watchband with a wire you would clip to a ground object. I think computers are better insulated now, hasn't been a problem for a long time now.

paulhart

09-11-2008, 07:59 PM

Funny, true story... As a child, my mother could walk into the kitchen, and push the button on the toaster and have it "spark" or not work. My father would walk in and ask, " What did you do?" "Nothing," would be the reply. He would hold it in his hands look at the connection, maybe make an adjustment, "talk" to it a bit, and it would work fine. She was noted for always causing mechanical and electrical device to malfunction, he was noted for being able to "listen" to an engine or device and "just fix it" without too much effort. I tended to get his "genes" in this aspect, and computers respond to me even if they were acting poorly for my companion. One of my sibs got the other side, keep them away from mechanical problems, oddly, their partner is someone who is "tuned in" so it all balances out in their system also.
Paul

Hopper

09-11-2008, 08:43 PM

I used to be that way, back when people actually wore grounding braclets.
Oh they still do indeed. Sun Microsystems still packages them with every piece of hardware they sell. Reach into a rack without one in our datacenter and you'd probably be escorted out. I don't think I've ever actually used one for PC's though.

ivanze

09-11-2008, 09:49 PM

I have the opposite problem, which isn't necessarily a good one. I get folks with system/server problems and as soon as I show up - poof - the problem is gone until I leave. I have a sneaky suspicion that most computers know I'm going to beat them into submission or gut them on the spot if they act up... Somehow.... they know..

This happens to me a lot, too. Some friends call me to fix a computer that is not working okay and the moment I get there it works fine. Sometimes I tell them if they want a photo of me to post it in front of the computer. :D

T-Light

09-11-2008, 09:52 PM

ivanze -
I remember this even happened long time ago with an Amiga/Toaster machine.
I've had some weird things happen, even recently (Vista + UAC = extreme perversion )

Many years ago I was coding a 2D adventure game, several months in I came across the most bizarre bug, when you broke it down it was as if the joystick 'KNEW' which direction you were going to take before you made the move.

I tried to explain it to friends at the time as though they jumped into their car with a piece of music in their heads and their tape player starts playing it.

Utterly impossible.

Never did get to the bottom of that one.

T-Light

09-11-2008, 10:05 PM

edit -
Should add I was a machine coder at the time, it wasn't a c complier thing or an amiga low level 'triblol' thing, it was just plain disturbing.

colkai

09-12-2008, 04:44 AM

I know people the minute they touch a computer that is working ok, it starts to have problems. Nothing works for them. It must be bad energies or people that keeps with bad mood. :confused:

The only time my computer REALLY plays up is when I have planned to do a specific task in a given timeframe. That inevitably means I spend the time fixing the computer. Any other time, it behaves just fine, most infuriating! :p

DiscreetFX

09-13-2008, 03:13 PM

neverko your continued off hand comments about our products are interesting. You have never bought any so don't really know anything about the full products. Since our products are made using the current version of LightWave 3D by animators that frequent these forums your attempt at insulting us only harms LW and your fellow animators. I'm not sure why you have taken it upon yourself to be a free Vista sales rep, or maybe they pay you?

DiscreetFX

09-13-2008, 03:59 PM

Interesting lesson from you to us I guess. The difference is we purchased Vista and really tried to like it. XP has given us many years of faithful service and we thought it would be the same with Vista.

JBT27

09-13-2008, 04:05 PM

edit -
Should add I was a machine coder at the time, it wasn't a c complier thing or an amiga low level 'triblol' thing, it was just plain disturbing.

Maybe you stumbled on some fundamental of AI that even now no-one has officially figured out :D

I may have this a bit awry, but years ago I heard a piece on the radio about a research project at some uni where AI and language was being investigated, so presumably it was attempts at the computer actually having a conversation. I recall the guy saying that some way into the project they all got very freaked because the software was, essentially, starting to figure through and tell jokes - they had no idea how that happened, but ultimately had to terminate the project because of it.

I think I'd have let it run and see what it did next.....

Julian.

faulknermano

09-13-2008, 11:59 PM

computers behave better when i'm around. i believe it's because you need to have respect for them. i dont think it's karma, but more of an intuition thing. and i think computers have feelings, too. ;)

DiscreetFX

09-14-2008, 12:28 AM

neverko since we are on the subject of hard working software developers and images that companies project for themselves how do think all the programmers feel that were put out of a job because MS copied their ideas and or put their employers out of business with monopolistic business practices? Do you think it is fair that because MS has billions of dollars in the bank it can use some to buy TrueSpace and then give it away for free? Does that help LW3D sales or is it ethical? It is called tieing, here buy our OS and get our 3D animation software for free.

Ernest

09-14-2008, 02:03 PM

Actually, it has been documented:
http://blog.syracuse.com/news/2008/02/computers_go_haywire_around_ri.html

DiscreetFX

09-14-2008, 02:38 PM

neverko we are not looking to be bought out by MS if that is what you hinting at. We would turn down any offer from them. We are kind of thinking you might have been bought out by MS a long time ago though based on your continued defense of them. As far as you thinking we should not open our mouth about MS, we are in good company actually.

http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/04/eric-schmidt-tr.html

http://ru.youtube.com/watch?v=ssX4RL24HT4&eurl=http://technorati.com/videos/youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DssX4RL24HT4

Something I guess you don't know, MS hates yes men that blindly agree with everything they do, they respect critics a lot more.

DiscreetFX

09-14-2008, 04:15 PM

What don't you agree with that MS does.

Captain Obvious

09-15-2008, 05:33 AM

Nangleator

09-15-2008, 09:36 AM

No, that's just superstition.

If it quacks like a duck...

I've accomplished many 'proximity fixes,' in which someone has a terrible problem with their PC, and when I arrive, the problem disappears before my eyes.

I've also know that PowerPoint and some printers are aware of deadlines and time constraints. It is a solid fact that PowerPoint will do something it's never done before when an anxious exec is dictating edits to his presentation while his audience is taking their seats on the other side of the curtain.

I've been working PowerPoint behind the curtain when the speaker called for the next slide and it came up all in Symbol font. I stepped back a slide, and that slide was in Symbol font. The entire presentation had switched its font during slideshow view. Ever see that before? It happened because that executive was in front of a new audience and he was important and I looked like a schlub.

PowerPoint has motives.

beverins

09-15-2008, 09:54 AM

If it quacks like a duck...

I've been working PowerPoint behind the curtain when the speaker called for the next slide and it came up all in Symbol font. I stepped back a slide, and that slide was in Symbol font. The entire presentation had switched its font during slideshow view. Ever see that before? It happened because that executive was in front of a new audience and he was important and I looked like a schlub.

PowerPoint has motives.

Powerpoint did that to me, but instead of changing the font, it FLATTENED IT to a thin line. I had to retype it instead of just changing the attributes of the font.... because what Powerpoint had done appeared to actually be impossible for the software to do. Or, at least, I didn't know how to set it back to default.

Nangleator

09-15-2008, 10:02 AM

Wow, I was lucky in comparison.

In my situation, the presentation was embedded in another. I asked the projectionist to take me off the screen, I escaped out of the embedded presentation, then got back in, and everything was fine again.

The people who knew I wasn't responsible for the problem were amazed at how quickly I fixed it.

DiscreetFX

09-15-2008, 03:34 PM

A few things. But I have no intention to discuss anything with you or start any major discussion on those matters here.

We suspected as much.

mosconariz

09-15-2008, 04:13 PM

ivanze -

I've had some weird things happen, even recently (Vista + UAC = extreme perversion )

Many years ago I was coding a 2D adventure game, several months in I came across the most bizarre bug, when you broke it down it was as if the joystick 'KNEW' which direction you were going to take before you made the move.

I tried to explain it to friends at the time as though they jumped into their car with a piece of music in their heads and their tape player starts playing it.

Utterly impossible.

Never did get to the bottom of that one.

Wow, that code was the telepathy code! you should have developed it further and now you'll be rich!! LOL

DiscreetFX

09-15-2008, 07:04 PM

@neverko

But you are more than happy to talk bad about our products even though you don't own them and have never used them. We bought Vista and used it. Feedback from customers about bad Vista experiences will make Windows 7 a better product. Isn't that the end goal that MS and customers both want? Should we all just pretend that Vista is a dream and no one has any problems with it? Wouldn't that just hurt Windows 7 development and then we will have the same situation in 2010?

Captain Obvious

09-16-2008, 06:48 PM

If it quacks like a duck...

I've accomplished many 'proximity fixes,' in which someone has a terrible problem with their PC, and when I arrive, the problem disappears before my eyes.

I've also know that PowerPoint and some printers are aware of deadlines and time constraints. It is a solid fact that PowerPoint will do something it's never done before when an anxious exec is dictating edits to his presentation while his audience is taking their seats on the other side of the curtain.

I've been working PowerPoint behind the curtain when the speaker called for the next slide and it came up all in Symbol font. I stepped back a slide, and that slide was in Symbol font. The entire presentation had switched its font during slideshow view. Ever see that before? It happened because that executive was in front of a new audience and he was important and I looked like a schlub.

PowerPoint has motives.
Correlation does not imply causation.

faulknermano

09-16-2008, 09:14 PM

Correlation does not imply causation.

that is true, in strict principle (depending or whether not 'imply' can be taken to mean 'mean', or be taken to mean 'points to the possibility of'). and yet, in the practise of real life, we do attribute cause by correlating it an effect - especially if the correlation is intuitive (we intuit it to be connected) and/or if occurs frequently - even though we may not necessarily know the inner-workings of the cause. software-bug-hunting, given an example so as to not stray off-topic, is an activity that relies heavily on correlation (though not exclusively) to get to the cause.