First reported by RiverCoolCool on his blog: http://rivercoolcool.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!D6F05428A2B8CB48!1570.entry
Then by Gizmondo: http://gizmodo.com/5035456/blue-screen-of-death-strikes-birds-nest-during-opening-ceremonies-torch-lighting
Now it's at the Register: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/13/olympics_blue_screen_death/
But what's genuinely amusing about this is the comments that are coming up, they range from the obvious to the really quite odd.
There are the standard comments lambasting Microsoft, but I think these should be disregarded; basically because they are boring in the extreme and especially given how interesting some of the other comments are.
Comments at the Register can be found here: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/13/olympics_blue_screen_death/comments/
The comments seem to be breaking down into a number of camps:
- The "Are they genuine?" camp
There's the camp that are questioning if the images themselves are real, or if they've been "photoshop"ed. - The "Is it a hooky copy of MS Windows?" camp
Plenty of people seem to be questioning if these are valid versions of Windows. Now this is just disingenuous; by implication (and directly, sadly, such as "it is in China after all") it is being insinuated that this is what should be expected of China. I think this is pretty base, and hope it receives the contempt it deserves. - The "Is it a Hardware error?" camp
This group state that it's a hard ware error that no OS could have responded to. Many add that at least you get this specific H/W error message with Windows. - The "Have Microsoft done this on purpose ?" camp
Now really this is like coming home to find that the life has turned into Bizarro World. Some of these conspiracy theorists note that one of the blogs in question is "supported" by Microsoft, others suggest that it is a ploy to get people to upgrade and move from XP to Vista.
Frankly what's so very wrong with the idea that the pictures are genuine, that it is a valid copy of Windows, that there hasn't been a hardware error, and that, just perhaps, software goes wrong occasionally?
It just takes a little application of Ockham's Razor to see the truth here.
If I had expected so many people are intereted in these photos, I would shot more "proof" that night:P At first I posted them on my blog just to share some fun with my friends; even now to me they are nothing but funny, related with no deception and no OS war. BTW, thanks for reminding me of Ockham's Razor. Recently I'm reading The Problems of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell; When he discussed about idealism, I feel his analysis method is something like this principle:)
Posted by rivercoolcool on August 15, 2008 at 05:35 PM GMT #
I thought the photos you'd took were funny of themselves too; all the other rubbish being said was plainly just that.
Yes, I find Ockham's Razor useful too, along with Nietzsche's Hammer. One to slice the other to bash. A whole set of Philosophical utensils.
Haven't read Russell's 'The Problems of Philosophy', although I might give it a try soon. Especially as I found two online versions of the text (1 and 2 below) and a freely downloadable audio version (3 below) too:
1) http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/5827
2) http://www.ditext.com/russell/russell.html
3) http://librivox.org/the-problems-of-philosophy-by-bertrand-russell/
Posted by Wayne Horkan on August 16, 2008 at 01:37 AM GMT #
HTML Syntax: NOT allowed
Posted by oh-shi! on August 18, 2008 at 03:32 PM GMT #
This is not first time BSOD appear in China in such a high profile manner.
It happen in May 2007, with millions of chinese affected.
http://www.cio.in/news/viewArticle/ARTICLEID=7156
Posted by Nobody on August 23, 2008 at 05:06 AM GMT #