The movie isn’t real (part 2)
This a story from a co-worker. He’s older and has been in the computer industry since the era of huge IBM mainframes(early 70’s). The guy, “Bit”, was working on a huge new mainframe that was just built with a shiny new building constructed around it. It’s main purpose was to show off the company’s technology. This was opening day and Murphy’s laws would rule.
The press were invited for the grand unveiling of the huge computer mainframe, this meant cameras and interviews all around. The event was high profile and management was VERY nervous, should anything go wrong heads would roll and careers -terminated-. Of course 30 minutes before the opening in front of a nationwide audience, everything crashes. The big bright shiny new system was now an expensive paper weight. No processing, no data, nothing! In the ensuing panic in walks the ‘Cool Kat’, the hero of this tale.
Now Cool Kat was known as a hero, the ace up your sleeve, the guy you call when the chips are down, the best. In the past no matter the problem he could fix it in some creative way no one thought of. And he never broke sweat about anything. Now in these days it took mainframes a few hours to boot up and actually become functional, useful machines. As soon as he walks in, Cool Kat is assaulted with panicked voices crying about the system crash and how everyone should polish off their resumes because of the impending embarrassment for the company. Cool Kat does not even flinch for a second and tells everyone to calm down he’s got it handled. Just before the opening with TV cameras and other press ready to interview him and see the system in action, Cool Kat gets on the huge machine and <i>minutes</i> later the system is up and running like nothing ever happened. Lights blink, the tape reels spin, there are a few beeps and noises. The whole hour goes by without a single incident, the media is impressed and go on to give glowing reports about the amazing working of the machine.
Shortly after the press leave, Cool Kat is asked how he fixed a machine that takes hours to boot in minutes. He lets everyone know that he never fixed it, all he did was put it into a test mode that tests all lights, sounds, and motors.
Bit let me know that no one in the press was ever the wiser about the deception. In other words they thought the faked presentation, the “movie”, was real.
(by the way I laughed ALOT at the end of the story)
Always get someone who can see a trick to evaluate a demo for you. Part 3 will talk about a trick that’s not so amusing.
Until next time