YASID: minor computer error ruins life

[D.F. Manno]

I am taking the liberty of referring this TV Tropes request because I
remember reading the story in question, and now it's bothering me that I
can't ID it.

> It's a short story. I read it in the 1980s, but I think it dates back
> further, to when computers were a new thing.
>
> It's a science fiction story set in a future where all records have been
> computerized. The protagonist is the victim of some small error (a false
> overdue notice from the library, something like that), and when they try to
> get it corrected, things get worse and worse until their entire life gets
> destroyed (and maybe they wind up dead?). And the whole time to people in
> charge of the computer system insist that of course it's more reliable than
> human record-keepers and never makes any mistakes.

Thanks for any help.

--
D.F. Manno | dfm...@mail.com
GOP delenda est!

[Robert A. Woodward]

In article <dfmanno-6A1518...@news.albasani.net>,

Appears to be "Computers Don't Argue" by Gordon R. Dickson

--
Robert Woodward <robe...@drizzle.com>
<http://robertaw.drizzlehosting.com>

[Greg Goss]

There was another one where he ended up getting DECLARED dead. So
whenever he tried some crime, the arrest robots would show up, do a
biometric reading of who they were arresting, and freeze while he
walked away.
--
We are geeks. Resistance is voltage over current.

[pete...@gmail.com]

Then there's Terry Gilliam's movie, 'Brazil'.

pt

[Gutless Umbrella Carrying Sissy]

"D.F. Manno" <dfm...@mail.com> wrote in
news:dfmanno-6A1518...@news.albasani.net:

>> And the whole time to people in
>> charge of the computer system insist that of course it's more
>> reliable than human record-keepers and never makes any
>> mistakes.

A popular meme that completely breaks my suspension of disbelief. "If
computer never make mistakes, why is there a multi-billion dollar a
year industry to fix them?"

--
Terry Austin

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.

[leif...@dimnakorr.com]

Gutless Umbrella Carrying Sissy <taus...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> A popular meme that completely breaks my suspension of disbelief. "If
> computer never make mistakes, why is there a multi-billion dollar a
> year industry to fix them?"
>

The six stages of bug:

1. That can't happen.

2. That doesn't happen on my machine.

3. That shouldn't happen.

4. Why does that happen?

5. Oh! I see.

6. Gee. How did that ever work at all?

(From some long-lost post.)

--
Leif Roar Moldskred

[Don Bruder]

In article <crcd97...@mid.individual.net>,

That one smells suspiciously like something Varley would do, but I can't
quite put my finger on it...

--
Security provided by Mssrs Smith and/or Wesson. Brought to you by the letter Q

[Don Bruder]

In article <sP-dnZC-AqjLgczI...@giganews.com>,

leif...@dimnakorr.com wrote:

> Gutless Umbrella Carrying Sissy <taus...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > A popular meme that completely breaks my suspension of disbelief. "If
> > computer never make mistakes, why is there a multi-billion dollar a
> > year industry to fix them?"
> >
>
> The six stages of bug:
>
> 1. That can't happen.
>
> 2. That doesn't happen on my machine.
>
> 3. That shouldn't happen.
>
> 4. Why does that happen?
>
> 5. Oh! I see.
>
> 6. Gee. How did that ever work at all?
>

7. Bug? That's not a bug - it's a feature!

> (From some long-lost post.)

--

[Greg Goss]

Don Bruder <dak...@sonic.net> wrote:

> Greg Goss <go...@gossg.org> wrote:

>> There was another one where he ended up getting DECLARED dead. So
>> whenever he tried some crime, the arrest robots would show up, do a
>> biometric reading of who they were arresting, and freeze while he
>> walked away.
>
>That one smells suspiciously like something Varley would do, but I can't
>quite put my finger on it...

It was in a collection of explicitly Canadian stories by Canadian
authors. I think that the author was "Robert" something.

(I know that one of Varley's short stories sounded exactly like a back
alley off Granville, but I don't remember if it was explicitly
Vancouver. (viewpoint character meets a street girl hanging off an
expensive powered exoskeleton in an urban alley. Don't remember the
rest of the story.)

[Lawrence Watt-Evans]

On Mon, 11 May 2015 23:48:19 -0600, Greg Goss <go...@gossg.org> wrote:

>Don Bruder <dak...@sonic.net> wrote:
>> Greg Goss <go...@gossg.org> wrote:
>
>>> There was another one where he ended up getting DECLARED dead. So
>>> whenever he tried some crime, the arrest robots would show up, do a
>>> biometric reading of who they were arresting, and freeze while he
>>> walked away.
>>
>>That one smells suspiciously like something Varley would do, but I can't
>>quite put my finger on it...
>
>It was in a collection of explicitly Canadian stories by Canadian
>authors. I think that the author was "Robert" something.

Canadian + Robert = Sawyer, to a high degree of probability.




--
My webpage is at http://www.watt-evans.com

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com

[Mike M]

Sounds like a Sheckley to me but I don't recall this one precisely

--
So much universe, and so little time. - Sir Terry Pratchett

[Lawrence Watt-Evans]

On 12 May 2015 07:15:00 GMT, Mike M <mi...@xenocyte.com> wrote:

>Greg Goss <go...@gossg.org> wrote:
>> Don Bruder <dak...@sonic.net> wrote:
>>> Greg Goss <go...@gossg.org> wrote:
>>
>>>> There was another one where he ended up getting DECLARED dead. So
>>>> whenever he tried some crime, the arrest robots would show up, do a
>>>> biometric reading of who they were arresting, and freeze while he
>>>> walked away.
>>>
>>> That one smells suspiciously like something Varley would do, but I can't
>>> quite put my finger on it...
>>
>> It was in a collection of explicitly Canadian stories by Canadian
>> authors. I think that the author was "Robert" something.
>>
>> (I know that one of Varley's short stories sounded exactly like a back
>> alley off Granville, but I don't remember if it was explicitly
>> Vancouver. (viewpoint character meets a street girl hanging off an
>> expensive powered exoskeleton in an urban alley. Don't remember the
>> rest of the story.)
>
>Sounds like a Sheckley to me but I don't recall this one precisely

Sheckley wasn't Canadian.

[Mike M]

Mike M <mi...@xenocyte.com> wrote:
> Greg Goss <go...@gossg.org> wrote:
>> Don Bruder <dak...@sonic.net> wrote:
>>> Greg Goss <go...@gossg.org> wrote:
>>
>>>> There was another one where he ended up getting DECLARED dead. So
>>>> whenever he tried some crime, the arrest robots would show up, do a
>>>> biometric reading of who they were arresting, and freeze while he
>>>> walked away.
>>>
>>> That one smells suspiciously like something Varley would do, but I can't
>>> quite put my finger on it...
>>
>> It was in a collection of explicitly Canadian stories by Canadian
>> authors. I think that the author was "Robert" something.
>>
>> (I know that one of Varley's short stories sounded exactly like a back
>> alley off Granville, but I don't remember if it was explicitly
>> Vancouver. (viewpoint character meets a street girl hanging off an
>> expensive powered exoskeleton in an urban alley. Don't remember the
>> rest of the story.)
>
> Sounds like a Sheckley to me but I don't recall this one precisely

Nm, missed the "Canadian" requirement.

[D.F. Manno]

In article <robertaw-74DA22...@news.individual.net>,

That's it. Thanks.

[art...@yahoo.com]

On Monday, May 11, 2015 at 4:30:18 PM UTC-4, pete...@gmail.com wrote:
.
>
> Then there's Terry Gilliam's movie, 'Brazil'.

So that's your re-Buttle?

(Or was it Tuttle?)

[synthi...@yahoo.com]

We are actually getting this now. My gas and/or other utilities have been turned off more than once, including during very cold winters, when society used to think such was a gross crime, due to new non-human billing systems weak writing, where they failed to understand not every customer is living in a 1960's sit-com house with a mommy, daddy, and 2.4 children.

[Greg Goss]

Lawrence Watt-Evans <l...@sff.net> wrote:

>On Mon, 11 May 2015 23:48:19 -0600, Greg Goss <go...@gossg.org> wrote:
>
>>Don Bruder <dak...@sonic.net> wrote:
>>> Greg Goss <go...@gossg.org> wrote:
>>
>>>> There was another one where he ended up getting DECLARED dead. So
>>>> whenever he tried some crime, the arrest robots would show up, do a
>>>> biometric reading of who they were arresting, and freeze while he
>>>> walked away.
>>>
>>>That one smells suspiciously like something Varley would do, but I can't
>>>quite put my finger on it...
>>
>>It was in a collection of explicitly Canadian stories by Canadian
>>authors. I think that the author was "Robert" something.
>
>Canadian + Robert = Sawyer, to a high degree of probability.

Much older. I don't remember seeing Sawyer before the mid-twokays.

[Moriarty]

Really? He won the Nebula best novel award in 1995 which is when I first noticed him.

-Moriarty

[Lawrence Watt-Evans]

Ah, I didn't see a date mentioned -- but in fact, Sawyer was active
(and had a Hugo nomination or two) in the 1990s.

[William December Starr]

In article <XnsA4978F10E9F...@69.16.179.42>,
Gutless Umbrella Carrying Sissy <taus...@gmail.com> said:

> "D.F. Manno" <dfm...@mail.com> wrote

>
>>> And the whole time to people in charge of the computer system
>>> insist that of course it's more reliable than human
>>> record-keepers and never makes any mistakes.
>
> A popular meme that completely breaks my suspension of
> disbelief. "If computer never make mistakes, why is there a
> multi-billion dollar a year industry to fix them?"

You've got to know that the story was published in 1965, when IBM
mainframes roamed the land and computers -- and their keepers --
still had this Mystique about them with just about everybody who
didn't have direct, personal cause to know better.

Also, they blew up when you asked them illogical questions.

-- wds

[Gutless Umbrella Carrying Sissy]

wds...@panix.com (William December Starr) wrote in news:mjuqt0$dmk$1
@panix2.panix.com:

I had a roommate who was in the business in the 70s, when computer
people still word pointed hats with stars and moons. There was a lead
programmer that nobody at the company ever met in person. Interviewed
by phone, only came in in the middle of the night, paid by mailing
his check. Nobody thought twice about it at the time, because
programmers were weird, even by IT standards.