SoylentNews

Ask Soylent: Test Data Stories

posted by n1 on Thursday June 26 2014, @11:18AM   
from the and-now-for-some-light-relief dept.

lhsi writes:

A recent apology was made by the BBC after it accidentally sent out test data to a large number of subscribers to their News app.

Does anyone have any interesting/amusing stories of test data accidentally being used outside of testing?

• Mutant Marsupials Take Up Arms Against Air Force Mutant Marsupials Take Up Arms Against Air Force (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 26 2014, @02:03PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 26 2014, @02:03PM (#60321)

  This one is only slightly apocryphal: [snopes.com]

  The reuse of some object-oriented code has caused tactical headaches for Australia's armed forces. As virtual reality simulators assume larger roles in helicopter combat training, programmers have gone to great lengths to increase the realism of the their scenarios, including detailed landscapes and — in the case of the Northern Territory's Operation Phoenix -- herds of kangaroos (since groups of disturbed animals might well give away a helicopters position).

  The head of the Defense Science and Technology Organization's Land Operations/Simulations division reportedly instructed developers to model the local marsupials' movements and reaction to helicopters.

  Being efficient programmers, they just re-appropriated some code originally used to model infantry detachments reactions under the same stimuli, changed the mapped icon from a soldier to a kangaroo, and increased the figures' speed of movement.

  Eager to demonstrate their flying skills for some visiting American pilots, the hotshot Aussies "buzzed" the virtual kangaroos in low flight during a simulation. The kangaroos scattered, as predicted, and the Americans nodded appreciatively ... and then did a double-take as the kangaroos reappeared from behind a hill and launched a barrage of stinger missiles at the hapless helicopter. (Apparently the programmers had forgotten the remove "that" part of the infantry coding).

  The lesson? Objects are defined with certain attributes, and any new object defined in terms of the old one inherits all the attributes. The embarrassed programmers had learned to be careful when reusing object-oriented code, and the Yanks left with the utmost respect for the Australian wildlife.

  Simulator supervisors report that pilots from that point onwards have strictly avoided kangaroos, just as they were meant to.

  Starting Score:	0		points
  Moderation		+2
  Funny=2, Total=2
  Extra 'Funny' Modifier		0
  Total Score:		2

• Not to be taken seriously... (Score: 3, Informative) by rts008 on Thursday June 26 2014, @02:30PM

  by rts008 (3001) on Thursday June 26 2014, @02:30PM (#60337)

  LOL!!
  Is there anything in Oz that won't kill you? Ninja Kangaroos [sky.com], Drop bears, the worlds deadliest well, everything,(except some of the beer)!

  I mentioned that I wanted to visit 'the Outback' to my insurance agent once...when the paramedics shortly thereafter arrived, they had to subdue him with a large dose of elephant tranquilizer.
  I was quite impressed by the experience...it turns out the elephant tranquilizer is actually pretty good! ;-)

  Parent