Timothy Murphy tim@birdsnest.maths.tcd.ie wrote:
When I run xpdf I get the message "Warning: Attempt to remove nonexistent passive grab". The program seems to run in spite of this. I googled for the message, with a number of hits, but none had any suggestion of a solution, or a cause. Developers who introduce warning messages like this should be sentenced to read the complete works of Kim Jong Il.
Oh, come on. I remember a fellow getting the message "Error in source deck." from a programming class way back when (?? ALGOL on in an IBM System/370 ??).
Now that's a utterly useless error message.
Cheers, Dave
David G. Miller wrote:
Oh, come on. I remember a fellow getting the message "Error in source deck." from a programming class way back when (?? ALGOL on in an IBM System/370 ??).
Now that's a utterly useless error message.
My favorite error message came from the telephone company's computer system.
"We're sorry. Your call cannot be completed as dialed. You must first dial a 1 for the call to be completed.".
Ahhhh, if you knew I had to dial 1 then why not just tell me and then complete the call for me?
Ed Greshko wrote:
David G. Miller wrote:
Oh, come on. I remember a fellow getting the message "Error in source deck." from a programming class way back when (?? ALGOL on in an IBM System/370 ??).
Now that's a utterly useless error message.
My favorite error message came from the telephone company's computer system.
"We're sorry. Your call cannot be completed as dialed. You must first dial a 1 for the call to be completed.".
Ahhhh, if you knew I had to dial 1 then why not just tell me and then complete the call for me?
Because that would convert a call which the original dialler would not know was a toll call into a toll call, without getting confirmation.
Mike
Mike McCarty wrote:
Ed Greshko wrote:
David G. Miller wrote:
Oh, come on. I remember a fellow getting the message "Error in source deck." from a programming class way back when (?? ALGOL on in an IBM System/370 ??).
Now that's a utterly useless error message.
My favorite error message came from the telephone company's computer system.
"We're sorry. Your call cannot be completed as dialed. You must first dial a 1 for the call to be completed.".
Ahhhh, if you knew I had to dial 1 then why not just tell me and then complete the call for me?
Because that would convert a call which the original dialler would not know was a toll call into a toll call, without getting confirmation.
Actually, it didn't. This was back when I lived in NJ and area codes were added and changed. My area code was 201 but changed to 908. Then next town over remained at 201 and no tolls were added.
And even if that were the case, the announcement provided no warning so it was useless in more than one respect.
I would hate to put some rationality into what is otherwise a great discussion, but have any of you tried to create a system of any size with useful (that is useful to every user) error messages. It is pretty tough.
This is one of the reasons as Fred Brooks comments in his book "The Mythical Man-Month" it takes 9 times as long to create a software system that can be used by people in general than a system that only your use. -- ======================================================================= It seems that more and more mathematicians are using a new, high level language named "research student". ======================================================================= Aaron Konstam telephone: (210) 656-0355 e-mail: akonstam@sbcglobal.net
Aaron Konstam wrote:
I would hate to put some rationality into what is otherwise a great discussion, but have any of you tried to create a system of any size with useful (that is useful to every user) error messages. It is pretty tough.
This is one of the reasons as Fred Brooks comments in his book "The Mythical Man-Month" it takes 9 times as long to create a software system that can be used by people in general than a system that only your use.
From an old fortune cookie file:
"Steinbach's Guideline for Systems Programming: Never test for an error condition you don't know how to handle."
Aaron Konstam wrote:
I would hate to put some rationality into what is otherwise a great discussion, but have any of you tried to create a system of any size with useful (that is useful to every user) error messages. It is pretty tough.
This is one of the reasons as Fred Brooks comments in his book "The Mythical Man-Month" it takes 9 times as long to create a software system that can be used by people in general than a system that only your use.
Wonderful book.
I recall one time when I created a debugger which could be used over a network to debug massively parallel processors (MIMD loosely coupled). I put in the code for the protocol I designed with no back out, no recovery, just presume all messages get there, etc. I got it working in about a week. My company wanted to ship it!
I did a quick estimate, and came up with two months to make the thing actually usable. I had a very Very VERY hard time getting management to understand why I couldn't just package it up and ship it.
I'm sure some of them thought I wasted two months fooling around.
Mike
check engine light on the dash has to be the worst
On 5/1/07, Mike McCarty Mike.McCarty@sbcglobal.net wrote:
Aaron Konstam wrote:
I would hate to put some rationality into what is otherwise a great discussion, but have any of you tried to create a system of any size with useful (that is useful to every user) error messages. It is pretty tough.
This is one of the reasons as Fred Brooks comments in his book "The Mythical Man-Month" it takes 9 times as long to create a software system that can be used by people in general than a system that only your use.
Wonderful book.
I recall one time when I created a debugger which could be used over a network to debug massively parallel processors (MIMD loosely coupled). I put in the code for the protocol I designed with no back out, no recovery, just presume all messages get there, etc. I got it working in about a week. My company wanted to ship it!
I did a quick estimate, and came up with two months to make the thing actually usable. I had a very Very VERY hard time getting management to understand why I couldn't just package it up and ship it.
I'm sure some of them thought I wasted two months fooling around.
Mike
p="p=%c%s%c;main(){printf(p,34,p,34);}";main(){printf(p,34,p,34);} Oppose globalization and One World Governments like the UN. This message made from 100% recycled bits. You have found the bank of Larn. I can explain it for you, but I can't understand it for you. I speak only for myself, and I am unanimous in that!
-- fedora-list mailing list fedora-list@redhat.com To unsubscribe: https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-list
On Sun, 2007-04-29 at 19:50 -0600, David G. Miller wrote:
Timothy Murphy tim@birdsnest.maths.tcd.ie wrote:
When I run xpdf I get the message "Warning: Attempt to remove nonexistent passive grab". The program seems to run in spite of this. I googled for the message, with a number of hits, but none had any suggestion of a solution, or a cause. Developers who introduce warning messages like this should be sentenced to read the complete works of Kim Jong Il.
Oh, come on. I remember a fellow getting the message "Error in source deck." from a programming class way back when (?? ALGOL on in an IBM System/370 ??).
Now that's a utterly useless error message.
That is fascinating. How did you represent an up arrow in EBCDIC? Not to mention the other non-EBCDIC symbols in Algol. Has anyone ever used a C compiler on a 370. It is a riot. -- ======================================================================= Whoever tells a lie cannot be pure in heart -- and only the pure in heart can make a good soup. -- Ludwig Van Beethoven ======================================================================= Aaron Konstam telephone: (210) 656-0355 e-mail: akonstam@sbcglobal.net
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Aaron Konstam -
Bazooka Joe -
David G. Miller (aka DaveAtFraud) -
Ed Greshko -
Les Mikesell -
Mike McCarty