Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[Specmaster]

I rather like the self checkouts. They don't throw all your shit through as fast as possible then stare at you like you've just punched a baby to make you go away quicker.

I tend not to use them unless I'm really in a hurry and have only a few items. On the few occasions I have used them, they seem to have a habit of going wrong and flash their red lights to summon a supervisor to and sort it out    also of course each one of those things is actually taking someone's job away from them. It might not be a highly paid job, but it was helping to feed a family somewhere.

Most of our supermarkets have these installed and more going in all the time, even in stores like Lidl and Aldi 

[nfmax]

I rather like the self checkouts. They don't throw all your shit through as fast as possible then stare at you like you've just punched a baby to make you go away quicker.

I tend not to use them unless I'm really in a hurry and have only a few items. On the few occasions I have used them, they seem to have a habit of going wrong and flash their red lights to summon a supervisor to and sort it out    also of course each one of those things is actually taking someone's job away from them. It might not be a highly paid job, but it was helping to feed a family somewhere.

Most of our supermarkets have these installed and more going in all the time, even in stores like Lidl and Aldi 

There's always a staff member hanging round to help, though, isn't there? Effectively, they allow one staff member to operate more than one checkout at a time. As you say, they are taking someone's job away from them.

[bd139]

Time are changing. The machines we create, including the software I create, replaces people. Time we adjusted society to get used to the notion that not everyone will have regular jobs and will need to lead a comfortable life still. This is difficult because of stigma around “scroungers” and unemployment after the press rampage for the last 40 years or so. Neither are a crime. Being forced into labour or starve in 2021 notably is a crime in my eyes.

I’m a proponent of basic income for all and taxation to pay for it.

[med6753]

I don't mind using the self checkouts if I have a few items as long as they are designed to be user friendly. Those in my local grocer and home center work well. The ones in Walmart are a nightmare. (Trips to Walmart are a perhaps a once or twice a year event if absolutely necessary)

And the checkout staff at my local grocery are friendly and always smiling. And chatty. Except one gal who seems to be a little moody. I avoid her if I can.

And while the use of automation at the check out has reduced the number of staff I've actually seen an increase in employment at my local grocery because they have pickup service. Numerous individuals filling those orders for pickup.

   

[nfmax]

Of course, back in the day, the local shops delivered stuff anyway, as nobody had cars (e.g. Jack Jones the Butcher's van). In a way, we are just returning to that way of trading.

[bd139]

Yep. Nothing wrong with that either. Also delivery drivers get paid a lot more than the actual supermarket checkout staff do.

Interestingly perhaps, our supermarket delivery vans here are mostly electric now as well.

[capt bullshot]

Some tschilpies (looks like sea swallows) at the pond where I am currently trying to shed fat.

That reminds me of a holiday trip to northern Germany (Nordstrand) some years ago:
During a visit at the Eidersperrwerk, I could watch them breeding from quite nearby. There were warnings signs beware of the Seeschwalben, because they tend to attack people.

[xrunner]

Agilent E4411B Firmware Saga

The short of it -

Good news - the E4411B isn't bricked.

Bad News - nothing happened. At all.

It won't act on the 1st disk, which is the ESALOADR, which is the firmware loading program. The instructions were to insert the 1st floppy (with ESALOADR) with the machine off, then turn it on. It's supposed to automagically run the loader. It doesn't. The floppy light comes on for a while, but nothing happens. But it does that with a blank floppy disk as well. There is nothing to set up in any menu prior to this.

I checked the operation of the drive and it's working OK i.e. it reads and writes other types of files. It has also worked fine in the past saving screen shots.

I formatted all the floppies freshly on my PC as directed (not a quick format). I carefully copied all the files to each disk as instructed. I re-read the instructions many times - am I acting too smart so as to subconsciously skip a step? Nope.

The instructions are included if you are so inclined as to take a read and give advice. Don't tell me to drink heavily - I already did that.

[nfmax]

An interesting discussion is starting up over at https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/computerized-test-equipment-network-or-not-virus-safeguard-issue/ - I'm sure @bd139 may have some gems of wisdom to contribute 

[BU508A]

What, if you format the first disk with the LOADR on it, so that it is bootable?
Not sure, perhaps it was format a: /mbr

[mnementh]

Yep. Nothing wrong with that either. Also delivery drivers get paid a lot more than the actual supermarket checkout staff do.

Interestingly perhaps, our supermarket delivery vans here are mostly electric now as well.

Yeah, unless you drive for Uber, etc. Then you make just enuf to pay for the car you're driving the wheels off of while they take your profit margin. 

mnem
 

[tggzzz]

Of course, back in the day, the local shops delivered stuff anyway, as nobody had cars (e.g. Jack Jones the Butcher's van). In a way, we are just returning to that way of trading.

Ditto w.r.t. "mail order catalogues" such as (I believe) Sears-Roebuck.

[mansaxel]

Time are changing. The machines we create, including the software I create, replaces people. Time we adjusted society to get used to the notion that not everyone will have regular jobs and will need to lead a comfortable life still. This is difficult because of stigma around “scroungers” and unemployment after the press rampage for the last 40 years or so. Neither are a crime. Being forced into labour or starve in 2021 notably is a crime in my eyes.

I’m a proponent of basic income for all and taxation to pay for it.

The work of the self checkout supervisor looks like more varied and interesting than sitting in a traditional checkout.  I'm all for it. In Sweden the big chains have self-scanning at the shelf; you check out a barcode scanning handheld computer at the entrance (using your loyalty card), then pack your bags en route through the store. At the exit, you hand back the computer, swipe the loyalty card and pay. Faster, no queueing, and since I usually carry an insulated bag for refrigerated/frozen products, I can stuff such goods directly into it, preserving their temperature better.

Lidl also have started doing this, but their checkout is more traditional, and it weighs the bag shelves to make sure there's no fraud. Much fiddly. The big chains are better in my experience.

We need to keep people happy, not force them into soul-deadening jobs as a pretext for paying them.

[mnementh]

I rather like the self checkouts. They don't throw all your shit through as fast as possible then stare at you like you've just punched a baby to make you go away quicker.

Then your businesses aren't hiring well or training at all. The crews at all the local Supermarkets are over chatty (can be a minor fail even with a few ) in my experience and there is nothing thrown anywhere. So either you or the businesses staff you go to are so jaded and fail completely at basic politeness and interaction skills.

I have spent most of the last two decades until a few years ago hiring and only rarely firing (two) people for up front Customer service jobs in small Business. If the staff cant be pleasant and engaging to the customers then they don't get hired. One fired for being incompetent after six months of trying and the other staff had had it with them too and the other threatened another member of staff so I frog marched them to the door on the spot.

Yeah, that's what we're saying; this is pretty much a given. Ever since they made human beings into a euphemism with "Human Resources" instead of a "Personnel" Department...

It's just another byproduct of the race to the bottom over here. The chains have gotten so used to paying a stagnant minimum wage that hasn't kept up with inflation for half a century or less they literally have revolving door policy WRT checkout personnel. I can't remember the last time I saw someone whose actual job was "bagger"; tho I did that job myself with pride as a youth, and got quite good at it. Knowing how to bag odd-shaped stuff so that soft fruits & veggies don't get bruised, or not putting the ham on top of the apple pie... or chips... or bread... that is a lost skill. Nobody gives a fuck.

And how can you expect these employees to GAF? Not when they're thrown on a register with at most an hour or two of "training", paid minimum wage that barely covers gas and their uniform, expected to do cleaning staff's job as well and bag while they're cashing you out.... oh, and keep up a certain IPM through the laser no matter whether the customer is hemming and hawing over that package of baking potatoes or is just plain old & slow at getting stuff out of the cart and you have to do it for them...

You get out of an employee exactly what you put into them. Yes, there will always be a certain contingent of slackers and incompetents... but we breed the marketplace for precisely that kind of employee with the current "people are expendable, the bottom line isn't" mentality.

It doesn't take much investment in your people to make a huge difference in employee loyalty. I've seen it firsthand myself in more than a few venues.

But first, you have to see them as people.

mnem
 

[med6753]

Yep. Nothing wrong with that either. Also delivery drivers get paid a lot more than the actual supermarket checkout staff do.

Interestingly perhaps, our supermarket delivery vans here are mostly electric now as well.

Yeah, unless you drive for Uber, etc. Then you make just enuf to pay for the car you're driving the wheels off of while they take your profit margin. 

mnem
 

Well, in order for a grocery chain to have pickup/delivery service that demands they have an excellent and user friendly inventory system so customers can easily select their items. That means they must have highly skilled and well paid IT professionals to manage it. And as new features are added I'm sure more employment will be gained. So maybe, just maybe, these large corporations that you always profess to be evil aren't so bad after all. 

[mnementh]

Where did you get the idea we needed all that?

We've had grocery delivery for centuries. Didn't have IT but for the last few decades. Difference was we actually didn't mind paying people a living wage to manage the paperwork and do the picking, that's all.

And WTF does any of that have to do with Uber not paying their drivers a living wage?

mnem
 

[bd139]

Might want to check out Ocado here...

[med6753]

Unless I've been living under a rock for the past 67 years I've never seen any local grocery chain offer delivery. And what inventory system they did have was far from accurate. And going back further was on pieces of paper.

You just don't want to consider my point, which is nothing new. 

[mnementh]

Might want to check out Ocado here...

Yay... another mega whose sole existence is to develop bots so that other megas leave fewer and fewer crumbs for ordinary people to make a living off of. 

mnem
 

[bd139]

Yeah that's the point of technology. To free us from slavery. You're demanding slavery back there.

See my comment about basic income earlier. The future is going to be different. There's not enough jobs for everyone. And that should be fine. But you've bought into the stigma around it.

Edit: really there's plenty to go round but it's not going around because lots of people are me me me me me and hoarding it. Unfortunately those buggers are in control and have got a pretty good marketing thing going against socialism...

[beanflying]

Zoom Zoom 10X fed past a 0.5X and some of the manual extra zoomzoom dialed in so I guess the new soldering Microscope is a worker  Now I need to try and make sense of the camera lies and bad descriptions on Aliexpress I guess

Leaning toward one of these after a quick look (already have the basic mount tube) 38MP of half truths

[mnementh]

Unless I've been living under a rock for the past 67 years I've never seen any local grocery chain offer delivery. And what inventory system they did have was far from accurate. And going back further was on pieces of paper.

You just don't want to consider my point, which is nothing new.

Maybe you have. Or maybe you just never shopped at those grocery stores...? I dunno.

mnem
 

[beanflying]

Yep. Nothing wrong with that either. Also delivery drivers get paid a lot more than the actual supermarket checkout staff do.

Interestingly perhaps, our supermarket delivery vans here are mostly electric now as well.

Yeah, unless you drive for Uber, etc. Then you make just enuf to pay for the car you're driving the wheels off of while they take your profit margin. 

mnem
 

Well, in order for a grocery chain to have pickup/delivery service that demands they have an excellent and user friendly inventory system so customers can easily select their items. That means they must have highly skilled and well paid IT professionals to manage it. And as new features are added I'm sure more employment will be gained. So maybe, just maybe, these large corporations that you always profess to be evil aren't so bad after all. 

Both the major chains in Oz have a very well arranged system https://www.woolworths.com.au/ is my venue of choice. Even though I choose to go buy my own I use the site for my shopping list then check it off the phone in store as I add it to the Cart. They offer home delivery more or less free and will also pick and pack to the curb.

The others complete dissing the jobs of others in customer service is completely a crock of shit! Your 'assumption' that they are not happy shows how out of touch you are. 

[med6753]

Unless I've been living under a rock for the past 67 years I've never seen any local grocery chain offer delivery. And what inventory system they did have was far from accurate. And going back further was on pieces of paper.

You just don't want to consider my point, which is nothing new.

Maybe you have. Or maybe you just never shopped at those grocery stores...? I dunno.

mnem
 

Rather than consider opposing points to your so called facts you simply hone in on living under a rock. Perhaps you should go back under yours.   

[mnementh]

Yeah that's the point of technology. To free us from slavery. You're demanding slavery back there.

See my comment about basic income earlier. The future is going to be different. There's not enough jobs for everyone. And that should be fine. But you've bought into the stigma around it.

No, quite the opposite. I understand that most people have a fundamental desire to be productive at something. The problem is the age-old one of those who have not being willing to pay a living wage for work they believe is "beneath them".

We used to have actual supply & demand applicable to skills. Now we have only menial labor getting paid less than poverty wages and you can't get out of that unless you're willing to mortgage your entire life for ultra-specialized skills that may or may not even have value by the time you're finished getting that education/training.

The problem is not the machines replacing people; it's the machine that makes people into machines or worse, cogs in a machine that may or may not keep working for a lifetime. med's employment with IBM is the perfect example. Highly specialized knowledge, that was made obsolete by the machine and not given even a chance to retrain for the new knowledge.

We don't need more machines replacing people and free money. We need to flip the pyramid scheme we've turned our economy into upside-down, so that it benefits the many rather than the few again. This half-century experiment with supply-side economics is an abject failure by any metric.

Everybody is good at something. There is more than enough work that needs to be done to keep people doing it, and in most cases, better than a one-size-fits-all machine that doesn't really fit anything, which is the way the corporate business model always pushes things.

We just need to get away from the idea that it's okay to allow the big machine to collect all the money for the benefit of the very few while not paying a living wage to anybody but a select few who are willing & able to sell their souls to that machine.

mnem