Comment On Pop-up Potpourri: Tax Time Edition

LOL.

"If you obtained this copy [..] on loan [...] you are using an illegal or unlicensed copy"

The publishers of TaxCut need to look up the term "fair use". There's nothing illegal about borrowing software, much as there is nothing illegal about borrowing a book.

All your tests are belong to us....

njbartlett:

"If you obtained this copy [..] on loan [...] you are using an illegal or unlicensed copy"

The publishers of TaxCut need to look up the term "fair use". There's nothing illegal about borrowing software, much as there is nothing illegal about borrowing a book.

Many EULAs specifically prohibit that sort of thing.  Wether or not it'd hold up in court is another question entirely.

Whoever authored the Mobile Master requester must be a follower of the true/false/file not found philosophy. I take it the 'Y' means you can use the keyboard for an affirmative answer?

BTW, I just noticed the WTF posts (the main ones, by Alex) have a 'Report' link - can we use this when we thing the WTFs aren't up to par? [;)]

Alex Papadimoulis:

Both J.R. and I appreciate that QuickTime is honest about it's more rediculous restrictions ...

 

I bet there were a series of WTF-worthy conversations leading up to this...

Programmer 1, Management 0

Cooper:

All your tests are belong to us....

All your bugs are belong to us.

njbartlett:

The publishers of TaxCut need to look up the
term "fair use". There's nothing illegal about borrowing software, much
as there is nothing illegal about borrowing a book.

You're making a lot of assumptions there.

It looks like it's "Bink Converter", not actual Quicktime software from Apple.

Still funny though.

The disk space popup is a bit misleading. Windows has a "feature" when quotas are turned on such that the free space is actually the remaining quota space you have. If you set the quota less than the current amount of data, you get some fun negative stuff. Also, the windows disk defrag reports you have >100% disk usage.

I wonder if turbo tax asked this question instead of using some other for of authentication to put their numbers up higher verse turbotax. I wonder how much more they would make when they get to say "#1 Tax Software of 2006"!!

 

I used taxcut this year and was suprised at the question, I wonder what they would do if they found out you lied?

Personally I am a little dismayed at seeing my favorite anti-virus software show up here. 

It definitely lowers my respect for AVG.  :(

Hey, the Bink programmer is funny and managed to spell ridiculous correctly.  Two thumbs up.

Do you really want to mess with accountants and auditors?



Maybe the program automatically locks the computer and sends an email to the authorities or something.  :-P

Actually, the filname length restriction may be with Windows.   I think there is a 255 character limit to the filename, including the full path.  I've been bit by this when trying to delete files, and it comes back saying the filename is too long.

I finally registered just because I had to put this in my sig line...

The Nokia Mobile Master thing is an example of someone who knows so
little about design user interfaces that he/she is utterly lost. 
"Should I have hyperlinks?  Should I have buttons?  I keep
changing my mind."



Here's an easy answer:  NEVER PUT HYPERLINKS in anything other
than a hypertext document (meaning, for the most part, web pages).



I'm looking at the last few screenshots (from "Jernej") and I'm
puzzled.  I've never used a non-English version of Windows, so
maybe there are things I don't understand.  Why are the buttons at
the bottom of each dialog localized while the rest of each dialog is
not?  Did Microsoft do a half-assed job of localization?

DaveE1:

I finally registered just because I had to put this in my sig line...

That is better than this one:

"Yes, this is mispelled"

Anonymous:

The disk space popup is a bit misleading. Windows has a "feature" when quotas are turned on such that the free space is actually the remaining quota space you have. If you set the quota less than the current amount of data, you get some fun negative stuff. Also, the windows disk defrag reports you have >100% disk usage.

Given the title of the volume, it may be less misleading even than that.  The disk appears to be a CD-R formatted with UDF.  UDF means you can add and delete files from a Write-Once medium, so where the original capacity may have been big (that's a little big even for a CD-R, though), the total of free space plus space in use by files does not equal the original (blank) capacity, because some bits are dead bits, belonging to files that have been updated or deleted.

RE: The Disk Popup

The funny thing is that the only digit wrong is the first 9. There is a discrepancy of EXACTLY 400,000,000 bytes (yes, I actually added it)

WeatherGod:

Do you really want to mess with accountants and auditors?

Maybe the program automatically locks the computer and sends an email to the authorities or something.  :-P

Nah. It runs just the same, lets you do your taxes, file online, the whole bit ...

Except it lies on your deductions and then sends an anonymous tip to the IRS ...

Anonymous:

Anonymous:

The disk space popup is a bit misleading. Windows has a "feature" when quotas are turned on such that the free space is actually the remaining quota space you have. If you set the quota less than the current amount of data, you get some fun negative stuff. Also, the windows disk defrag reports you have >100% disk usage.

Given the title of the volume, it may be less misleading even than that.  The disk appears to be a CD-R formatted with UDF.  UDF means you can add and delete files from a Write-Once medium, so where the original capacity may have been big (that's a little big even for a CD-R, though), the total of free space plus space in use by files does not equal the original (blank) capacity, because some bits are dead bits, belonging to files that have been updated or deleted.

Actually, looks like it's a CD-RW. (The larger-than-CD-sized capacity could be down to DirectCD's compression feature; I know it has one, but I've never used it since it's non-standard and can't be read with other software. Of course, that doesn't explain why the numbers don't add up...)

damn, i wish my cd/dvd burner worked at 2 terabytes per second

Another WTF is you didn't spell ridiculous right even when it is spelled correctly right there in the dialog box. Yes I am being annoying, but this one is particularly egregious.

 

It would be cool if the TaxCut mimiced (mimicked?) the unregistered WinZip by changing the question every time you ran it.



Are you using a legally licensed version?

Are you using an illegally licensed version?

Are you using a legally unlicensed version?

Aren't you disusing an illegally unlicensed nonversion?

etc.



(Possibly with a "You are in a maze of twisty little tax codes, all alike" thrown in at random.)

"Test cannot be started because it already does not exist."

Reminds me of line from My Three Sons in the 60's:

Chip: What's that I don't smell?
Ernie: Dinner, not cooking.

 

 

The Nokia Mobile Master thing is an example of someone who knows so
little about design user interfaces that he/she is utterly lost. 
"Should I have hyperlinks?  Should I have buttons?  I keep
changing my mind."



Here's an easy answer:  NEVER PUT HYPERLINKS in anything other
than a hypertext document (meaning, for the most part, web pages).

Uh, what hyperlinks? The underlined Y is a mangled keyboard shortcut.

notromda:

Actually, the filname length restriction may be with Windows.   I think there is a 255 character limit to the filename, including the full path.  I've been bit by this when trying to delete files, and it comes back saying the filename is too long.

As long as its not in a root directory, the workaround is to move everything out of the folder its in and then delete that folder.

rbriem:

WeatherGod:

Do you really want to mess with accountants and auditors?

Maybe the program automatically locks the computer and sends an email to the authorities or something.  :-P

Nah. It runs just the same, lets you do your taxes, file online, the whole bit ...

Except it lies on your deductions and then sends an anonymous tip to the IRS ...

Revenge is sweet, but vigilantism is more profitable, and these are accountants afterall. I was thinking instead it would include a form to direct deposit your refund... into their account, thereby recouping their loses, plus a small penalty.

--Rank

Now if only the WTF posters could learn the difference between whose and who's. :(

bullseye:

Alex Papadimoulis:

Both J.R. and I appreciate that QuickTime is honest about it's more rediculous restrictions ...

 

I bet there were a series of WTF-worthy conversations leading up to this...

Programmer 1, Management 0

I was thinking it was more likely some lowly contractor tech writer.

Writer: This is ridiculous. Fixed it. Didn't you say your lead programmer is brilliant?

Manager: No, I said 'brillant.' Just write it. It's not your job to submit bugs.

--RA

Alex Papadimoulis:

When it comes to Digital Rights Management, some software requires that you enter a license key code from the CD case to verify that you own it. Other software verifies the license with Internet Activation. TaxCut's License Verification program, as Kyle Trauberman noticed, just asks nicely ...

This reminds me of "You must be 18 to enter this website.  Please enter your age into the box below then press Continue."

mkb:

The Nokia Mobile Master thing is an example of someone who knows so
little about design user interfaces that he/she is utterly lost. 
"Should I have hyperlinks?  Should I have buttons?  I keep
changing my mind."



Here's an easy answer:  NEVER PUT HYPERLINKS in anything other
than a hypertext document (meaning, for the most part, web pages).

Uh, what hyperlinks? The underlined Y is a mangled keyboard shortcut.

Then maybe I don't understand what I'm seeing in the screenshot. 
I don't see a border around "Yes, Nokia phone" so I have assumed it's
not a button.  I also assumed it's some sort of interactive
object, something the user can click on.  Embedded text, which
when clicked on triggers an action, kind of defines a hyperlink in my
mind.



Or is "Yes, Nokia phone" just more message box text which can't be
activated at all?  That would be an even more impressive WTF.

makomk:

Anonymous:

Anonymous:

The disk space popup is a bit misleading. Windows has a "feature" when quotas are turned on such that the free space is actually the remaining quota space you have. If you set the quota less than the current amount of data, you get some fun negative stuff. Also, the windows disk defrag reports you have >100% disk usage.

Given the title of the volume, it may be less misleading even than that.  The disk appears to be a CD-R formatted with UDF.  UDF means you can add and delete files from a Write-Once medium, so where the original capacity may have been big (that's a little big even for a CD-R, though), the total of free space plus space in use by files does not equal the original (blank) capacity, because some bits are dead bits, belonging to files that have been updated or deleted.

Actually, looks like it's a CD-RW. (The larger-than-CD-sized capacity could be down to DirectCD's compression feature; I know it has one, but I've never used it since it's non-standard and can't be read with other software. Of course, that doesn't explain why the numbers don't add up...)

This actually reminds of a time I had to manually edit a partition table once.  I managed to get it such that you'd get two different answer on the partition size depending on where in windows you looks.  (One said 2 GB, the other 10 GB).  Amazingly, it allowed the use of all 10 GBs with no known problems...

Rank Amateur:

bullseye:

Alex Papadimoulis:

Both J.R. and I appreciate that QuickTime is honest about it's more rediculous restrictions ...

 

I bet there were a series of WTF-worthy conversations leading up to this...

Programmer 1, Management 0

I was thinking it was more likely some lowly contractor tech writer.

Writer: This is ridiculous. Fixed it. Didn't you say your lead programmer is brilliant?

Manager: No, I said 'brillant.' Just write it. It's not your job to submit bugs.

--RA

This brings to mind an existing software product (very specialized voice-server application) where the defaults for login are:

Administrative

with a password of

Default

 

It seems there was a specification document written that stated, "...shall have an Administrative login with a Default password" and the developer (to whom English was not a primary language) took the spec quite literally!![:|]

 

VGR:

mkb:

The Nokia Mobile Master thing is an example of someone who knows so
little about design user interfaces that he/she is utterly lost. 
"Should I have hyperlinks?  Should I have buttons?  I keep
changing my mind."



Here's an easy answer:  NEVER PUT HYPERLINKS in anything other
than a hypertext document (meaning, for the most part, web pages).

Uh, what hyperlinks? The underlined Y is a mangled keyboard shortcut.

Then maybe I don't understand what I'm seeing in the screenshot. 
I don't see a border around "Yes, Nokia phone" so I have assumed it's
not a button.  I also assumed it's some sort of interactive
object, something the user can click on.  Embedded text, which
when clicked on triggers an action, kind of defines a hyperlink in my
mind.



Or is "Yes, Nokia phone" just more message box text which can't be
activated at all?  That would be an even more impressive WTF.

XP has accessibilty keyboard shortcut markers off by default, but I hope if you've done any ui programming you'd know what they are. To temporarily enable them, open any system dialog and press alt. For instance, system control panel tabs. (With other applications, it's a crapshoot whether they exist at all.) You can use alt+key to instantly jump to (or enable, or check off) an option very quickly that way.

Anonymous:

The disk space popup is a bit misleading.
Windows has a "feature" when quotas are turned on such that the free
space is actually the remaining quota space you have. If you set the
quota less than the current amount of data, you get some fun negative
stuff. Also, the windows disk defrag reports you have >100% disk
usage.

 

actually it is not from windows, first one is from directcd from
adaptec, and second odd space dialog is from nokia mobile phone
manager.



@VGR

the first two screenshoots are from localised version of windows 98.

microsoft did not do half-assed localization in windows 98, even kernel
stuff was translated and all dos utilities were also, but when you
mixed it with english shell plugins like adaptec' directcd pictured
there the dialog buttons were localised but the program was not.

 

Oh and btw, localised versions of windows xp for a change ARE terrible
half-assed jobs, for example half of icons is wrongly sized (something
like 30 * 38 pixels stretched instead 32*32 pixels) and half of stuff
isnt translated such as some control panel stuff.

 

foxyshadis:

VGR:

Then maybe I don't understand what I'm seeing in the screenshot. 
I don't see a border around "Yes, Nokia phone" so I have assumed it's
not a button.  I also assumed it's some sort of interactive
object, something the user can click on.  Embedded text, which
when clicked on triggers an action, kind of defines a hyperlink in my
mind.



Or is "Yes, Nokia phone" just more message box text which can't be
activated at all?  That would be an even more impressive WTF.

XP
has accessibilty keyboard shortcut markers off by default, but I hope
if you've done any ui programming you'd know what they are. To
temporarily enable them, open any system dialog and press alt. For
instance, system control panel tabs. (With other applications, it's a
crapshoot whether they exist at all.) You can use alt+key to instantly
jump to (or enable, or check off) an option very quickly that way.

Yes, I know what keyboard mnemonics are.  I also know that there
is no point to having a label with a keyboard mnemonic for a button,
since buttons can have their own mnemonics on them.  So what does
Alt-Y actually do?  What control does Alt-Y activate?

VGR:

Or is "Yes, Nokia phone" just more message box text which can't be
activated at all?  That would be an even more impressive WTF.

Yes, clearly:


void displayMessageBox(int flagsForDefaultPredefinedButtons, char* title, char* text1, char* text2, char* buttonLabel1, ...);



...
   int dialogFlags = CANCEL_BUTTON;
   ...
   displayMessageBox(dialogFlags|NO_BUTTON, "Mobile Master", "Do you use a Nokia phone?", "Yes, Nokia Phone", "No Nokia Phone", NULL);

Question: Do you have a Nokia phone?
Answers:
- No, I have a Nokia phone.
- Yes, I have a Nokia phone.

VGR:

I'm looking at the last few screenshots (from "Jernej") and I'm
puzzled.  I've never used a non-English version of Windows, so
maybe there are things I don't understand.  Why are the buttons at
the bottom of each dialog localized while the rest of each dialog is
not?  Did Microsoft do a half-assed job of localization?

Looks like a non-localized app running on a localized version of Windows.

ParkinT:

Rank Amateur:

bullseye:

[

I bet there were a series of WTF-worthy conversations leading up to this...

Programmer 1, Management 0

I was thinking it was more likely some lowly contractor tech writer.

Writer: This is ridiculous. Fixed it. Didn't you say your lead programmer is brilliant?

Manager: No, I said 'brillant.' Just write it. It's not your job to submit bugs.

--RA

This brings to mind an existing software product (very specialized voice-server application) where the defaults for login are:

Administrative

with a password of

Default

It seems there was a specification document written that stated, "...shall have an Administrative login with a Default password" and the developer (to whom English was not a primary language) took the spec quite literally!![:|]

...and I'm sure that password was hardcoded.

And here I thought the superuser's password was always "override".

--Rank

Is it just me, or does anybody else think that VGR has no idea what he is talking about.

Add a question mark to that, please?

cypher35:

damn, i wish my cd/dvd burner worked at 2 terabytes per second

should be gigs, no?

Anonymous:

cypher35:

damn, i wish my cd/dvd burner worked at 2 terabytes per second

should be gigs, no?

whoops, I've been drinking again

Bravo!!

This made me actually laugh. Uncontrollable laughter. Not surprisingly, no body else in the office really got it.

Ah, OUAC... That whole thing is a WTF (as anyone who is applying to university in Ontario would know)
At least none of the problems I had with it were that ridiculous. Unlike the broken CAPTCHA on this forum.


PS: I hope all of the original post isn't included here... Sorry if it is.

"Quicktime couldn't open this file, probably because it was a long filename or used unusual characters."



The true WTF here is Windows letting you create a file with such a name that you can't manipulate it anymore.



And here's a related one, right from the Freepascal FAQ page:

Free Pascal installation hints

• Do not install the compiler in a directory which contains spaces
  in its name, since some of the compiler tools do not like these

I've seen a lot of shareware having the same odd requirement. What's
the big idea? If the OS can handle it, how come a program can't?

Anonymous:

Anonymous:

cypher35:

damn, i wish my cd/dvd burner worked at 2 terabytes per second

should be gigs, no?

whoops, I've been drinking again

Hopefully, not nearly as much as I have :)  Then again ... I might be so much happier at that rate ... and the "Roll Up The Rim" ... contest has left me short of a WinneBagel (*).

* - Maybe it's an inside joke.  Clarification to follow from a dozen others over the next couple days.  And if they leave me hanging, then maybe I'll have to "justify myself".