[Nottingham] From USENET: [All Of Our Systems Are Down]

[The Lost Packet]

Spotted this just now, I think it says it all for the state of this 
country and one of the most important underlying causes...

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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: All Of Our Systems Are Down
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:57:32 +0000
From: Homer <usenet@******.org>
Organisation: ******.org
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy

I hear this a lot these days, in fact I hear it with alarming frequency:

    "All of our systems are down"

Yesterday, I heard it from the HM Revenue & Customs (formerly the Inland
Revenue).

    "All of our systems are down"

I heard it from Acer Warranty Support some time ago, when my Laptop went
in for repair.

    "All of our systems are down"

I heard it from Daxons, when I called to cancel my Mother's account (she
passed away).

    "All of our systems are down"

I heard it from Tesco, when I called to complain about missing items (in
my groceries order).

    "All of our systems are down"

So what /are/ these "systems", and why are they "down"?

They are CRM and PBAX "systems" running on commodity PCs, and since 90%+
of all commodity PCs supposedly run Microsoft Windows, then there's 90%+
chance that these "systems" are running Windows. Given the frequency the
"systems are down", I'd say it's more like a 100% chance.

This is like a plague sweeping through UK businesses, leaving a trail of
dead systems in its wake. Given the severity of the problem, it is quite
incredible how the UK manages to function at /all/.

So what is it?

A virus?

Hackers?

Terrorists?

Anarchists?

No.

    "All of our systems are down"

Yes they are. They really are. And in more ways than one.


All of our systems are down ... because they run Windows.

-- 
K.

</>

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