Congratulations?

[ander2255]

When I used Mobysaurus's "Check For Updates Now" feature today, I couldn't help noticing that it said:

No Updates Found
Congratulations! You are already running the Latest Version of this program.

My dictionary says that "congratulate" means "to express sympathetic pleasure to on account of success or good fortune."

So, what exactly is the "good fortune" the message refers to? That you don't have to download a newer version of Mobysaurus? What's the big deal about that? Isn't it a more or less brainless process?

Besides—and I can't speak for everyone—but I actually enjoy updating programs. I live in the suburbs, where nothing ever happens. It's quite exciting to get to do something like updating a program. When I don't get to update a program, I'm disappointed. So seeing this "congratulatory" message is nothing more than an ironic reminder of my lackluster existence.

Anyway, I thought I should explain that, in case it made sense to anyone else. And now, more coffee.

[40hz]

Wow. That has to be one of the most unusual first posts I've ever read.

So...umm..congratulations on your first post here at DC!

[mouser]

I love it.  Great post ander 

Actually i agree with you 100%.  Finding out that there is no update available for Mobysaurus is not a cause for celebration.
A more appropriate messagebox would be: "Our deepest consolations and condolences.. There is still no update available for Mobysaurus."

[jgpaiva]

Besides—and I can't speak for everyone—but I actually enjoy updating programs. I live in the suburbs, where nothing ever happens. It's quite exciting to get to do something like updating a program.

Solution: start posting at DC more often!
Then you'll have the anticipation of expecting replies to your topic, and the pleasure of reading them

[Josh]

Unless they are from mouser, then he will probably expect to cry.

[Darwin]

I agree with anders about the congratulations upon receiving notification that there is no update to Mobysaurus (or other programs - DOpus springs to mind) and join everyone else in "congratulating" him on his first post 

[40hz]

I can appreciate the observation about the suburbs since I live in Fairfield County, CT - arguably the brurbiest of all the burbs on the east coast. It's beautiful, affluent - and boring.

I got kicked out of a Chamber of Commerce meeting once for proposing the following motto for our region:

Fairfield County: It's a nice place to live, but you wouldn't want to visit there.

[Paul Keith]

Congratulations! I could tell it really bothered you that much. 

P.S. I'm not too bothered by it. My theory is that the person was thinking of an antivirus program when he was making it. When you deal with putting that many words in, those can start to look like virus definitions. Easy mistake to make.

[Josh]

Congratulations anderson, you have reached the level of mouser (I.E., his naming application with a + sign in it, or the word ROBOT in it). Now that is something to congratulate someone about. You have accomplished something great now

[ander2255]

Thanks for your replies, and for taking this topic so seriously, or at least acting that way.

mouser > Actually i agree with you 100%.  Finding out that there is no update available for Mobysaurus is not a cause for celebration... A more appropriate messagebox would be: "Our deepest consolations and condolences..."

Now that's more like it. Clearly, Mobysaurus's authors are too modest. They don't appreciate how this no-update business affects us.

When there's no update, I find it makes me sad, anguished, anxious, ashen, ashy, badly off, beggarly, bitter, blackish, bleak, blue, cheerless, cheesy, cinereous, comfortless, crummy, dark, darkish, darksome, dejected, depressed, desolate, Quaker-colored...

(That's right, "Quaker-colored". Just run MS and look up "sad". "creamy" is in there, too... Maybe it's an association between cream and Quaker Oats.)

jgpaiva > Solution: start posting at DC more often!

I've tried that. I'm doing it now. Still no update, though... How many posts must one, er, post, before it prompts an update? Is there a standard number, or does it depend on the quality or subject matter of the posts, or what one is wearing (what you're wearing, I mean, not what one of the posts is wearing), and so on?

Would it hasten things along if I went outside and opened and closed my automatic garage door a few times? You wouldn't think it would, but when I've done that before, lots of things have happened: Jehovah's Witnesses suddenly appearing, extra-interesting junk mail arriving, neighbors yelling (this was at 3 a.m.)... You never know.

BTW, considering that you have to press a button to get the door to do anything, why do they call it "automatic"? Shouldn't it be "semi-automatic" or "motorized" or something? What were these people thinking back in the '50s, besides how they were going to grab a martini, put on their funny chef aprons, and fire up the barbeque as soon as they got home? I realize this is a different topic.

jgpaiva > Fairfield County: It's a nice place to live, but you wouldn't want to visit there.

That's good. If I ever travel near Fairfield County, I'll have to remember what you said and live there rather than visiting. Maybe I can find a bench at the bus depot that is close enough to an AC outlet to plug in my coffeemaker.

You reminded me of how fond I am of standing in our frontyard and saying to passers-by, "If you lived here, you'd be home by now—but you don't, so ha." I've managed to reduce our property value by 20%. You can imagine the tax savings.

Paul Keith > My theory is that the person was thinking of an antivirus program when he was making it. When you deal with putting that many words in, those can start to look like virus definitions.

You must be on to something! That would explain why Mobysaurus shows so many words that seem completely unrelated to the word you entered. It must be some kind of word-generating virus. Let's start another topic about this and see how many words we can type about it.

Having said all that, MS is still a dang useful program. I write computer documentation, so I must often come up with lots of words that have nothing to do with the topic at hand. MS is great for this.

In any case, let's congratulate ourselves on creating an entire forum topic that's as useful as anything you'll hear a U.S. presidential candidate say. More useful, actually, when you consider that you don't have to listen to brass band music.

Congratulatorily, A.

[Darwin]

You reminded me of how fond I am of standing in our frontyard and saying to passers-by, "If you lived here, you'd be home by now—but you don't, so ha." I've managed to reduce our property values 20%. You can imagine the tax savings.

I'll have to remember that one, good tip 

[allen]

I have to agree, I'm always disappointed when I hit the update option on an application and find that I'm already running the latest version. . . what I really want to see is "Congratulations, you're out of date. There's an exciting new update awaiting your undivided attention!"

[jgpaiva]

"Congratulations, you're out of date. There's an exciting new update awaiting your undivided attention!"

"... that will fix half the stuff and break the other half"
At least, that's how it'd be if GridMove had that messange

jgpaiva > Solution: start posting at DC more often!

I've tried that. I'm doing it now. Still no update, though... How many posts do you think one must, er, post, before it prompts an update? Is there a standard number, or does it depend on the quality or subject matter of the posts, what one is wearing, etc.?

Actually, I meant "post at DC" as a way to cure the boredom of suburbs. Contributing to a community is always fun. And besides, little surprises (like the one you made us with this topic ) are always waiting around the corner!

[ander2255]

[blush]

[Curt]

This is the most entertaining thread I have read in a very long time! 

[mahesh2k]

This is great post that reminds me why there are no updates of Mobysaurus

[mouser]

wordzilla really wants someone to rewrite mobysaurus.. i've talked with a few people and made some progress but nothing major so far.