runyan@ihlpl.UUCP (Runyan) (03/18/86)
My best friend, Dan use to work for a computer store as a techincian. He was called into a bank that had an AT that twice a day would crash. They had called in the whole board of directors and administrators, to discuss what kind of alternate solutions they could come up with. After about an hour of discussing all the possiblilities, one little elderly man to the side spoke up. 'I'm not very techinically oriented, but could the Xray machine in the next room have anything to due with the problem.' Dan simply burst out laughing, while all the stuff shirts sat and stared. It seems they xray all the incoming mail, and the xray machine was behind a plaster wall from the computer (no shielding at all). The mail of course came twice a day, which happened to correspond to the times it crashed. Keep up the good horror stories. Mike Runyan ihnp4!ihlpl!runyan ********************************************************************** Almost everything I know I learned by listening to myself, when I was talking about things I knew nothing about. -Gracie Allen **********************************************************************
mrgofor@mmm.UUCP (MKR) (03/21/86)
In article <706@ihlpl.UUCP> runyan@ihlpl.UUCP (Runyan) writes: >My best friend, Dan use to work for a computer store as a techincian. >He was called into a bank that had an AT that twice a day would crash. >They had called in the whole board of directors and administrators, >to discuss what kind of alternate solutions they could come up with. >After about an hour of discussing all the possiblilities, one little >elderly man to the side spoke up. 'I'm not very techinically oriented, >but could the Xray machine in the next room have anything to due with >the problem.' Dan simply burst out laughing, while all the stuff >shirts sat and stared. It seems they xray all the incoming mail, and >the xray machine was behind a plaster wall from the computer (no >shielding at all). The mail of course came twice a day, which happened >to correspond to the times it crashed. > >Keep up the good horror stories. > >Mike Runyan Why would the X-ray machine make the computer crash? If there were x-rays getting through, I would think the medical problems would be big enough that the bank had better hire a good lawyer to prepare for the computer operators' lawsuits. -- --MKR "The majority of the stupid is invincible and guaranteed for all time. The terror of their tyranny, however, is alleviated by their lack of consistency." - Albert Einstein
jin@hropus.UUCP (Bear) (03/27/86)
> > ... xray machine was behind a plaster wall from the computer (no > >shielding at all). The mail of course came twice a day, which happened > >to correspond to the times it crashed. > > > Why would the X-ray machine make the computer crash? If there were > x-rays getting through, I would think the medical problems would be big > enough that the bank had better hire a good lawyer to prepare for the > computer operators' lawsuits. > The x-rays emitted by the machine would not (normally) cause the computer failure. The magnetic flux created by the step-up transformers will wreck havoc with MOS and magnetic media. My ATM card had to be replaced almost monthly when I worked near an x-ray machine. -- Jerry Natowitz ihnp4!houxm!hropus!jin (official) ihnp4!opus!jin (temporary) Institute for the Study of Non-existent Phenomena
tainter@ihlpg.UUCP (Tainter) (03/27/86)
> In article <706@ihlpl.UUCP> runyan@ihlpl.UUCP (Runyan) writes: > >My best friend, Dan use to work for a computer store as a techincian. > >He was called into a bank that had an AT that twice a day would crash. > >They had called in the whole board of directors and administrators, > >to discuss what kind of alternate solutions they could come up with. > >After about an hour of discussing all the possiblilities, one little > >elderly man to the side spoke up. 'I'm not very techinically oriented, > >but could the Xray machine in the next room have anything to due with > >the problem.' Dan simply burst out laughing, while all the stuff > >shirts sat and stared. It seems they xray all the incoming mail, and > >the xray machine was behind a plaster wall from the computer (no > >shielding at all). The mail of course came twice a day, which happened > >to correspond to the times it crashed. > > > >Keep up the good horror stories. > > > >Mike Runyan > > Why would the X-ray machine make the computer crash? If there were > x-rays getting through, I would think the medical problems would be big > enough that the bank had better hire a good lawyer to prepare for the > computer operators' lawsuits. > --MKR The legal 'safe' level of x-ray leakage from such a device is quite high enough to disturb bits in memories. Not to mention power surges from such a device. The comp op probably has no case. --j.a.tainter