Technology gone awry

I get an email tonight from a colleague.  It’s verbatim below with some explanations as noted. (I had lasik surgery in 2000 in Stockholm – mine went with no problems …)

Hi Guys,

[Her} lasik surgery is complete and she is fine, but it did not all go smoothly.

The first machine slices a flap into your cornea. It attaches to your eyeball so you cannot see or move it.   The first eye cut went fine.  When they hit the ‘Go Laser’ button on the second eye, the system threw an error, popped up a red critical error message and thankfully stopped.

Of course the software first said the LASER CUTTING then crapped out.  They could not get it to recover.  They called GSS [Global Support Services].  GSS told them they would call the Dr. back.  They did and told them to reboot!!!

Meanwhile, [she] is lying on the table, nervous, and just waiting – nurse holding her hand.  (I got to watch everything from the other side of a glass wall.)

I asked a lot of questions….Like did it complete a POST!!!  I don’t want some 19yr visual basic programmer telling the Dr to reboot and then stick my wife under it without some system check out.

All completed without further incident.  She was never in danger because the laser was stopped before it screwed up something tender.

In the prep meeting I even asked them about service intervals, when serviced and had it been used after service… all ‘yes’ and very recently.

But let this be another lesson for you, don’t [...] let me attend your lasik surgery, cause crap happens when I’m around.  Or maybe you DO want me around ‘cause IF crap happens I always come out not smelling like it.

So, the motto is, all code has bugs.  Not normally a problem, except when the machine with bugs is slicing your eye open!