TV-PGMarch 26, 1998: Microsoft, whose latest version of Office for the Mac may contain a cream pie in the face for some users, is losing its subtlety as the years drag on. Meanwhile, a cult leader admits he's wrong and recants, as your friendly neighboorhood AtAT staff begins to reach the hallucinatory stage of sleep deprivation...
But First, A Word From Our Sponsors
 

From the writer/creator of AtAT, a Pandemic Dad Joke taken WAYYYYYY too far


 
Fish in a Barrel (3/26/98)
SceneLink
 

Since we're so tired, we're going for the easy conspiracy theory today-- hope you don't mind. It would trouble us to think that our viewers thought any less of us for going for the easy topic; namely, the way that Microsoft Office 98 seems to enjoy sparking the occasional System Folder deletion, just to keep users on their toes. When we first read about this at MacFixit, we thought it had to be a one-time fluke, but several MacFixit readers are corroborating the tale.

Now, to be fair, this spontaneous trashing of the System Folder isn't actually caused by simply running the Office applications like Word or Excel, so it's not like Office 98 is a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off at an unspecified "happy time." (At least, there's no evidence to that effect. Yet.) What actually triggered the System Folder deletion was the running of the "Remove Office 98" application on the Office CD-ROM. (Granted, that's not quite as inocuous-sounding as it could be, but it certainly doesn't sound like it should remove Office 98 by rendering your system disk unbootable.) According to Microsoft tech support, the "vanishing System Folder" rears its ugly head when a particular library file mysteriously finds its way out of the Office folder and into the System Folder. Microsoft contends that the only way this could happen is if a user manually moves the file there, but several MacFixit readers say that's not the case.

Either way, in our weakened state we find it difficult to muster our usual level of trust. That's why we're skeptical that Microsoft actually wrote software that assumes that whatever folder holding that particular library file must be the Office folder, so it should just go ahead and delete it. Think about it-- if they really wrote software that poorly by accident, would they be the biggest software company in the world today? We claim it's all a plot, driven by evil ulterior motives no mere mortal could comprehend-- and just because we've been up for thirty-six straight hours doesn't mean they're not all out to get us.


 
SceneLink (570)
Change of Pace (3/26/98)
SceneLink
 

And secondly on today's abbreviated episode, we're going waaaaay off topic to mention that cult in Garland, TX who believed that God was going to interrupt our earthly television broadcasts last Tuesday so he could tell us all that he was returning to earth in a week or so. When we first heard that this prediction had been made we weren't aware that the holy broadcast was scheduled for midnight and only on channel 18 through the country; thinking that God might pre-empt Buffy the Vampire Slayer, we panicked until we found out that Buffy was a rerun anyway. (Nobody messes with New Tuesday on the WB.)

Anyway, the prediction failed to come true, which comes as a great shock to a few very optimistic people, and as no big whoop to the rest of us. So why our interest? Because according to a Reuters article, the cult leader, Hon-Ming Chen, said something that we can only regard as a huge breath of fresh air: "Since God's appearance on television has not been realized, you can take what we have preached as nonsence. I would rather you don't believe what I say any more." Wow. When's the last time you heard a cult leader say that?

Actually, now that we think about it, it's not that far off topic. We Mac folk are used to being branded as a freakish cult waiting for the wildly improbable to happen any minute now. (Whether or not you find that insulting depends largely on how long you've been waiting for the wildly improbable to happen; with Apple finally returning to profitability, the jeers are easier to take these days.) Plus, Mac the Knife linked to the story, so it must be relevant. Right. I think it's probably time we started thinking about getting some rest...


 
SceneLink (571)
← Previous Episode
Next Episode →
Vote Early, Vote Often!
Why did you tune in to this '90s relic of a soap opera?
Nostalgia is the next best thing to feeling alive
My name is Rip Van Winkle and I just woke up; what did I miss?
I'm trying to pretend the last 20 years never happened
I mean, if it worked for Friends, why not?
I came here looking for a receptacle in which to place the cremated remains of my deceased Java applets (think about it)

(1233 votes)

As an Amazon Associate, AtAT earns from qualifying purchases

DISCLAIMER: AtAT was not a news site any more than Inside Edition was a "real" news show. We made Dawson's Creek look like 60 Minutes. We engaged in rampant guesswork, wild speculation, and pure fabrication for the entertainment of our viewers. Sure, everything here was "inspired by actual events," but so was Amityville II: The Possession. So lighten up.

Site best viewed with a sense of humor. AtAT is not responsible for lost or stolen articles. Keep hands inside car at all times. The drinking of beverages while watching AtAT is strongly discouraged; AtAT is not responsible for damage, discomfort, or staining caused by spit-takes or "nosers."

Everything you see here that isn't attributed to other parties is copyright ©,1997-2024 J. Miller and may not be reproduced or rebroadcast without his explicit consent (or possibly the express written consent of Major League Baseball, but we doubt it).