"Computer is down-nothing works " We are computer junkies.

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

SF VIP
Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
Eddy, my master stylist's business lost computer connection on Sunday. Nothing was working in the shop. You forget how intertwined with computers we are. They couldn't open their cash register, make appts. etc. It wasn't all that long ago when we went from embossing your credit card on a bunch of credit card copies to tapping near the screen. Now, when the computer connection is severed, we're lost.
 

Have you ever been in a big grocery store when the system or power goes out? Nothing functions.

I don’t know what the leeway is for no power, but they have to dispose of all the refrigerated or frozen foods. They have to keep the stores closed until all these items are trashed. What a loss.
 
My first two years of college I had an afternoon job as a bank teller. We used electric teller machines at our stations but when the power failed we pulled a crank handle from our drawer, inserted it into a hole in the side of the machine and carried on taking care of customers. Not so convenient in these computer based days.
 

Last edited:
It seems to me that there are multiple ways for businesses to prepare themselves for the
inevitable power failures that all of America face from time to time. And some of those
solutions have been around since the "computer age", that is the 1980s.

But businesses, large and small, have decided not to prepare for such things... and everyone
suffers. And our solution will be what it ever was and will remain to be so, sit around and point
fingers until some other problem pops up that we can complain about.

Oh, well... this is the life (reality) that we live in.
 
In journalism school they made us learn how to do everything by hand, including counting headlines by hand (which is incredibly not-fun), doing manual paste-up, etc., before they turned us loose on the high-tech computer options just for this reason. I'm not sure if my program still does that.

My apartment building just mandated electronic, Wi-Fi based locks and thermostats, but in instances of a power failure or loss of Internet connection I worry we're all going to be up a creek without the proverbial paddle. I was perfectly happy just using a key.
 
Jules said:
I don’t know what the leeway is for no power, but they have to dispose of all the refrigerated or frozen foods. They have to keep the stores closed until all these items are trashed. What a loss.
Click to expand...
One would think it might be cost effective for the store to install a generator with an automatic transfer switch to run just their refrigerated/frozen food equipment for the duration of a power outage. :unsure: Other businesses (and even private homes) do such things.
 
Two weeks ago our whole town lost internet. I couldn't find out what to do at home because that meant my TV was down, too. Walmart and Kroger were "cash only" so we grabbed our cash stash and went to Kroger, kind of hoping we could help out some young family who needed groceries but nobody was there.
 
Last edited:
fuzzybuddy said:
Eddy, my master stylist's business lost computer connection on Sunday. Nothing was working in the shop. You forget how intertwined with computers we are. They couldn't open their cash register, make appts. etc. It wasn't all that long ago when we went from embossing your credit card on a bunch of credit card copies to tapping near the screen. Now, when the computer connection is severed, we're lost.
Click to expand...
My barber does everything by computer, except cut my hair. I make the appointment, choose my barber out of the four working and pay the bill all online.
 
I'm reminded of the picture of when the EBT went down at a Walmart in a Southern state. They're also was another time when it the EBT card system glitched where you could have say a $300 amount yet you could spend $3,000 and the store shelves were stripped like piranha.
 

Attachments

  • images (1).jpeg
    images (1).jpeg
    13.7 KB · Views: 4
Ted01 said:
But businesses, large and small, have decided not to prepare for such things... and everyone
suffers.
Click to expand...
Are you just assuming that or do you know it? When I worked on IRS tax payment systems, they had all sorts of failsafe/fail over capabilities. Even if the rest of the world disintegrates, the tax man will still know what we owe. :eek:
 
Well, ya' gotta love the Tax man's resourcefulness!! 😅

Um, yeah, I sorta' know it... but you're right that I ought to keep from using grandiose language
that might imply it pertains to every single business out there. Sorry for that. And thanks for pointing it out!

But like you, I have seen exceptions like the IRS systems. Many of the DoD contractors that I worked
at used some measure of backup power supply/source for emergencies. Generally speaking, things
that would maintain the electrical integrity of primary systems... computer, data storage, security & safety, etc.

I've also have personally seen/lived through entire counties deal with power outages due to natural disasters
like the last hurricane that moved up the East Coast... NC really got hammered in that one. Here in SC, we fared
a little better, but many of the local businesses fumbled their way the outages for days & weeks even. There was a
lot of lost product, lost revenue, inability to restock and/or maintain inventory with the ability to actually know their
own inventory on hand (w/o a recounting) or reorder from their own warehouses because of computers being down
and the warehouse having the same logistical issues.

So, yeah... some assumptions; some first-hand/experiential knowledge.
The technology is "there" but businesses aren't using it.
Why do you suppose that is?
 
Yeah now when the registers go down that's it until IT can fix them.

At work when the Meditech program goes down we have no bed board so nursing has to follow downtime protocol using paper files and white boards. Cleaning staff has to go to each floor and check the physical bed boards to look for dirty rooms.

It's my understanding if you're in an electric car and it's battery gets drained you can get trapped in the car. They need to do something to make those car computers safer. Can you imagine getting stuck in your car when it's 100 degrees out or in the winter when it's below zero?
 
debodun said:
For the few times there's no electricity, I think it precludes getting a generator.
Click to expand...
Yes it is hard to know how much to prep for when there hasn't been a lot of need in the past. Apparently the only time the power was out here in recent years was when a small plane accidentally crashed into a power line.

Still, it might be reassuring to have at least a big power bank that could power a fan, computer, small microwave (except I'd have to buy that also), etc. I think they sell similar to the one pictured below that can even power a refrigerator for a day or two. And some have solar panels tho I guess it takes a couple days of good sun to recharge, and in a condo that would be awkward.

I was looking at this on Amazon, it says twenty thousand sold in the last month so sounds popular...
1752952586432.png
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top