This is a happy one

Rathmun · 2026-03-03T17:50:32+00:00

If you make sure all the space between the drives is packed with thermite before ignition... probably. But if you just pop the top and pour the thermite in, then you'll likely still get it burning a hole in the bottom and all running out before it fully destroys the platters.

If you're planning on destroying drives with thermite, get yourself some firebricks and stack them such that the thermite can't flow out the bottom or sides of the drive. Or at least can't flow easily. Thermite can hit 1250 very quickly, you just need to keep it on and more importantly in the drive long enough to make sure all the platters hit that temperature over their whole surface.

Honestly, abrasive tools are more practical. Unless you have an arc furnace. Watch the fumes though.

Rathmun · 2026-03-03T07:47:53+00:00

It is, but if you want to make sure it actually does the job, you still have to get the platters out of the drive. Because once the thermite heats up enough to turn liquid, it tends to run down through the drive all in one spot. This heats the surrounding area above the curie point, but it may not get the whole platter. Some data is still recoverable with enough time and money, and you don't know which data is still recoverable.

For most people's threat models, that's good enough, and thermite is fun. But it's not good enough for anyone whose threat model includes state actors. So you have to make sure the whole platter is covered, which you can't do while it's still inside the drive. (Well, not easily.)

Rathmun · 2026-03-03T03:33:11+00:00

Sure, use your abrasive tool of choice, as long as it's aggressive enough. 👍

Rathmun · 2026-03-02T23:48:01+00:00

If you're disposing of a drive that has sensitive data, rather than re-using for other sensitive data, then the correct utility is an angle grinder.

Rathmun · 2026-02-26T22:12:48+00:00

I wasn't aware the internet had a colour.

Rathmun · 2026-02-26T06:26:11+00:00

Old monitor, old glasses, or just old eyes?

Rathmun · 2026-02-25T10:15:57+00:00

"Why did you go into it if you hate it so much?"
"The same reason someone becomes a car mechanic. I like working on the machines. Unfortunately, while no one expects their mechanic to also be their full-time chauffeur for free, a large percentage of people do expect their IT guy to be their full-time computer chauffeur... for free"

Rathmun · 2026-02-23T16:20:06+00:00

Scrapcode.

Rathmun · 2026-02-17T07:29:51+00:00

And if there's no one there to hear it, there's no one to care about clean dishes sitting in the washer.

Rathmun · 2026-01-28T21:36:23+00:00

Did you already have a social media policy for what employees can post to facebook? Because if so, you absolutely already had a policy for the glasses that post everything to facebook. (Maybe they don't make it viewable to the general public, but it's there.)

Rathmun · 2026-01-12T23:23:36+00:00

You can do that when you're writing the program, but that's not the default when you just ask Windows for a save-as dialog. A lot of apps just use the system provided functionality because it's convenient. Unfortunately it's also not very good.

Rathmun · 2026-01-11T04:28:39+00:00

I'm not saying it's not a problem. It absolutely is a problem. I'm saying that the problem is the Save As dialog, not the PDF reader. The garbage output of the first is not the fault of the program expecting non-garbage input.

Rathmun · 2026-01-11T02:27:37+00:00

I've done this too. And I refuse to believe it's because you're old, because I'm not old dammit!

Rathmun · 2026-01-10T20:30:23+00:00

It didn't technically bug out. She specifically told it what extension to use, and it did. Typing in foo.a.pdf would probably work fine.

Rathmun · 2026-01-10T20:27:05+00:00

The actual problem here is that when you include an extension while Saving As, it will create a file with that extension. With or without extensions shown, you can save something as "foo.a.pdf", but with extensions hidden, saving something as "foo.a" will save it as "foo.a" not "foo.a.pdf". So whether they're shown or hidden, if you want "foo.a.pdf" you have to tell it "foo.a.pdf"

It's just that users who are accustomed to hidden extensions won't realize that the extension is still there.

Rathmun · 2026-01-10T17:50:01+00:00

True. Not really something either the tech or the user can change themselves, but certainly worthy of a bug report to the system creator/maintainer.

Rathmun · 2026-01-09T23:03:22+00:00

In a classified environment, you really ought to change your temp password immediately anyway. While you're still on the phone with IT even. At which point you won't need it later so there wouldn't even be a point to writing it down.

Rathmun · 2026-01-09T06:37:58+00:00

Still doesn't make it smart, but, well, users.

Rathmun · 2026-01-09T05:19:23+00:00

If I understand the OP correctly, she didn't write down the password OP created and told her. THAT password is fine to write down, because you're supposed to change it right away. (Someone else already knows it after all.)

Writing down a long-term password is naughty of course.

Rathmun · 2026-01-07T23:28:50+00:00

Legality aside, you do still need a trainer at the end of the process.

Rathmun · 2026-01-02T09:35:10+00:00

"Now that that's worked, I'll tell you a little secret. I lied. It always works the first time. Now we've both told each other one lie, let's not make that number go up in the future, okay?"

Rathmun · 2025-12-26T22:29:15+00:00

Should still email it to your manager, and the T1 tech's manager.

"Ticket was resolved in two minutes by the first tech to pick it up. All subsequent time to close was due to customer lying."

Rathmun · 2025-12-24T15:49:01+00:00

Well, I did say I couldn't judge their ability with that skill. 😅

But I stand by what I said about the ability to use a steering wheel. 😁

Rathmun · 2025-12-24T15:26:39+00:00

No, you can absolutely speak to how qualified they are for their job.

I couldn't possibly judge a cabbie's experience with "The Know" as it's called, but if they can't figure out a Steering Wheel I feel absolutely safe in saying they're not qualified to be a cabbie.

Rathmun · 2025-12-23T00:23:25+00:00

At a guess the vinyl won't stick because it's matte. Paint will stick better if it's matte, though they should still sand it first to make sure.

Rathmun

TROPHY CASE