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Programming Errors
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Subject: Programming Errors
Author: Alan Arndt <[email protected]> at internet
Date: 11/19/96 1:50 PM
>From New Scientist, 28 August 93, Feedback column:
"The National Westminster Bank admitted last month that it keeps personal
information about its customers, such as their political affiliation on
computer. But now Computer Weekly reveals that a financial institution,
sadly unnamed, has gone one better and moved into the realm of personal
abuse. The institution decided to mailshot 2000 of its richest customers,
inviting them to buy extra services. One of its computer programmers wrote
a program to search through its databases and select its customers
automatically. He tested the program with an imaginary customer called Rich
Bastard. Unfortunately, an error resulted in all 2000 letters being
addressed "Dear Rich Bastard". The luckless programmer was subsequently
sacked."