Computers down = Screeching halt to all life?

[DisMN]

I understand the computers were down all through the Disney system today. Sounds like business came to a near screeching halt because of it.

Does this trend disturb anyone else? The fact that we depend on computers to the point where nothing functions without them?
I would think there could be a whole market for people trained to troubleshoot and keep a company working/running during an outage like this.......no?

Thoughts?

.

 

[SplshMtn99]

Where I used to work, people would just sit there if computers were down. It was an insurance agency, believe me, there was still PLENTY of paperwork that could be done. I would always find something for them to do.

Maybe it was because I was there in 1999 when we went 5 WEEKS with no computers due to someone's really bad screw up in trying to get us all new computers & updated software without knowing what they were doing.

 

[bicker]

It doesn't disturb me, because I have a very strong confidence that when computers go down that they can be restored to service readily.

The reality is that much of what we do, even down to providing a vacation paradise for tens of thousands of people each day, simply cannot be done in a cost effective manner without computers. Computers make much of what we do today possible. So it isn't a matter of reliance on computers for what we have built -- it is a matter of computers being the foundation for what we build. Other possible foundations (like people) are either just as likely to, or more likely to, fail, and of course would be more costly and therefore less sustainable for large endeavors.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

My inn backs everything up in terms of hotel reservations with a paper reservation as well as a computer reservation so should the computers fail we can check people in and check people out with paper and then run all of the credit cards when the computers come back in.
It is also possible for us to function in the restaurant without computers but service would be slowed down a bit.
When computers have gone down in the past, I have always found other things to do.

 

[Buckalew11]

Maybe they were down because today is the 16th and they were updating with fall AP codes and rates since old code was good through today & good til 9/30. That'll be my wish anyway!!

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

We got an email last week that power was going to be shut off at the mall part of our complex at work. We were panicking because there really isn't anything more than paper filing that can be done without our computers. Turns out the email failed to mention that our part of the property was not included in the mall that was undergoing an upgrade in service.

 

[noodleknitter]

Yes it does bother me. Too many business have made the computer their only means of transacting business. There are too many eggs in that basket as far as I am concerned. It isn't smart.

 

[bicker]

Well, it depends on what you mean by "smart". I think people are being "smart" by factoring both the cost of relying on computers and the cost of not relying on computers. Based on the probabilities, though, the computation indicates a benefit from doing the former rather than the latter.

 

[noodleknitter]

Maybe. But when you have tellers that can't make change without a computers input, and orders that cannot be made or fulfilled w/out the puter, you have the potential for a disaster if something happens to that system.

Systems like food, gas and water systems are all run by computers. That means a loss of computer connection due to extended power outage, or whatever, conceivably shuts down life as we know it.

When you have all of your information on the computers, you are also a hacker's dream. My personal information was stolen for the university I attended. They figured it out 8 months later, at which point they also discovered the health center's info had been stolen too. That included everything. All confidentiality was out the window.

 

[bicker]

when you have tellers that can't make change without a computers input

Computer reliance allows for necessary financial control. So we lose a bit, and we gain a lot.

orders that cannot be made or fulfilled w/out the puter

So Johnny cannot slide extra stuff to his buddies. Again, we lose a bit, and we gain a lot.

Systems like food, gas and water systems are all run by computers.

Systems that could never efficiently and effectively serve our needs without them. How much more do you want to pay for things, as would be necessary if we went back to the manual ways of supporting these systems? How much of our standard of living are you willing to sacrifice?

When you have all of your information on the computers, you are also a hacker's dream.

And an embezzeler's or corrupt corporate manager's nightmare. Again, we lose a bit, and we gain a lot.

 

[Sparx]

It does not bother me at all. Probably because I've grown up with computers in my home, and we just bought a new one. we have 6 now. I am a student, but my higschool nearly came to a screaching halt yesterday during the first lunch period because the computers went down and they couldn't get the kids lunch. They kept delaying the period and delaying it. I spent like an hour and a half in 5th period (I go to lunch during this class and it is only supposed to be 50 minutes long)

we're a technological world. We don't need computers to survive, but we need them to get 2000 kids lunch and we need them to work cash registers. We need them to make the rides run and make our cars work.

I don't understand why people are disturbed by wdw screaching to a halt when their servers went down.

 

[ducklite]

I understand the computers were down all through the Disney system today. Sounds like business came to a near screeching halt because of it.

Does this trend disturb anyone else? The fact that we depend on computers to the point where nothing functions without them?
I would think there could be a whole market for people trained to troubleshoot and keep a company working/running during an outage like this.......no?

Thoughts?

.

It wouldn't be cost effective, as most outages are corrected in less time than it would take to move people into place. Most companies CAN work without computer systems for a limited time, it just slows transactions down.

The system went down where I work for a few hours last week. I just switched from my desktop to my laptop and ran locally, working on a press release and a flyer. Both could have been done without a computer, although the computer makes life a lot simpler.

Anne

 

[noodleknitter]

Computer reliance allows for necessary financial control. So we lose a bit, and we gain a lot.

So Johnny cannot slide extra stuff to his buddies. Again, we lose a bit, and we gain a lot.

Systems that could never efficiently and effectively serve our needs without them. How much more do you want to pay for things, as would be necessary if we went back to the manual ways of supporting these systems? How much of our standard of living are you willing to sacrifice?

And an embezzeler's or corrupt corporate manager's nightmare. Again, we lose a bit, and we gain a lot.

So says the man whose info wasn't stolen.

I have never seen informations stating that there is less theft, etc., with computers doing all of the work. Does it exist? The grocery still screws up the prices but now the people working there don't have the common sense to think for themselves.

What I do see is that at the University where DH works there is always money for technology, bigger, better, brighter and faster. Even when it is far from necessary. People put such confidence in what is primarily a tool, not the whole shebang. There were hiring freezes last year, but they still received all of the grants they applied for including the ridiculous ones. It is great job security, but is based on an inaccurate belief system.

I lived the life before computers, and as much as I enjoy mine, I do not believe them to be the cure-all you have stated.

 

[ChrisFL]

heh, ever been to a fast food place with the registers down and the cashier needs to make change? If they cant find a calculator I'll be there all day waiting until they try to understand basic math. sad.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I love the look of horror I get from people when the computer is down, they complain, "What do I do now?", and I say, "Pick up a book."

"I haven't read a book since I was in high school and I'm NOT going to start now!"

Yeah, there's something of which to be proud...

 

[bicker]

I lived the life before computers, and as much as I enjoy mine, I do not believe them to be the cure-all you have stated.

The population of the United States has doubled since then, for example. Sheer volume prevents us from going back in time to a simpler age, when we didn't have as much access to information to realize just how bad it was everywhere. The cashiers wouldn't have any more ability to think for themselves without computers; we'd just accept the inconsistency because we wouldn't be used to the perfect replication of service facilitated by computers. Computers have spoiled us, cultivated higher expectations than we ever had when we were growing up (without computers).

 

[noodleknitter]

I see what you are saying, but I disagree. I think that computers have decreased our expectations of people. We assume that nothing can be accomplished without them. Children are taught to use spellcheck and calculators rather than being given the skills of spelling and math. People assume that they will always have access to money and gas, and food, so, in general, they don't plan past the next couple of days. The systems go down for more than a couple of days, however and chaos exists.

I still think that it is foolish to have all of our eggs in a technicalogical basket. Disney being down for a few hours...no big deal. The NYSE being down for days...huge deal.

 

[bicker]

Children are now taught to think for themselves, seeing patterns and making logical conclusions, instead of having to spend so much of their education focusing on rote memorization. People have much better tools than ever before to plan for their future, and understand the impact of various decisions on their financial security.

The reality is that chaos will always exist whenever any major aspect of society breaks down. My grandparents relayed to me the panic of the stock market crash of 1932. People panicking is nothing new.