Line #5 Website/TheDailyWTF


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/daily_wtf.png]]
2	[[http://thedailywtf.com/ The Daily WTF]], also known as ''Worse Than Failure'' for a time, is a blog dedicated to all 'Curious Perversions In Information Technology'.
3
4	One May 2004 evening, Alex Papadimoulis felt quite fed up with the [[DarthWiki/IdiotProgramming shoddily programmed system]] he had to work on. So fed up, in fact, he posted an example of such broken code on his personal blog. And another example the next day, and then two days after that. His readers, mostly fellow programmers and system analysts, promptly commented on his entries about the glaringly ineffectual pieces of code ''they'' had to work on, cracked some laughs, and jokingly encouraged Papadimoulis to shift the focus of his blog towards these programming disaster areas.
5
6	A few days later, thedailywtf.com was registered. To this date, it is still [[LongRunners updated daily]], and [[AsLongAsThereIsEvil as long as there are bad programmers]], will likely continue to do so.
7
8	Each daily update is selected among the submissions sent by readers to the website. Those that make the cut usually strike a balance between outlandishness, believability, and poor quality (of the code or management that made it happen), and then listed under one of fomur major categories:
9
10	* '''[[HeroicBSOD CodeSOD]]/Code Snippet Of The Day''': The format of submission that started everything. It focuses on a piece of code that is JustForFun/{{egregious}}ly nonfunctional, unnecessarily obscure, implementing features that [[ReinventingTheWheel already come with the standard libraries]], making suboptimal checks, leaking resources like mad, or otherwise blatantly flawed. Bonus points when the submitter finds out that the code is referenced (or god forbid, ''copypasted'') across the entire application, or is the brainchild of some underqualified contractor or [[{{Nepotism}} the CEO's cousin]].
11	* '''Feature Article''': A more free form category that catalogues short stories about the (mis)management of the IT firms where the submitters happen to work. While the focus is on the workplace environment, the entries often dip into code fragments that are the cause or the effect of such bad business practices.
12	* '''Error'd''': A picture based entry that depicts unintentionally funny error messages found in unsuspecting places.
13	* '''[[InhumanResources Tales From The Interview]]''': ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. The writer attends a job interview where something is ''way off''. [[PerspectiveFlip Alternatively]], the submitter, who is in charge of human resources, has to interview someone who is obviously unfit for the job opening without looking impolite. HilarityEnsues.
14	----
15	!! The Daily WTF contains examples of:
16
17	* AccentuateTheNegative: Some entries are at first glance actually well written code, fitting design patterns and naming conventions. It's just ''that one line'' that causes all hell to break loose.
18	* AirQuotes: On the forum, when regular quotes are not enough, users surround words with tiny screenshots of [[Film/AustinPowers Dr Evil]] making air quotes.
19	* TheAllegedComputer: A few stories are about these.
20	* AscendedMeme: [[http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/What_Is_Truth_0x3f_.aspx Yes, No, FILE_NOT_FOUND]], which is a RunningGag on the comment section, often finds its way into the body of the entries. Makes sense considering that most stories are submitted by these same people or "anonymized" by the same editing staff.
21	* {{Bowdlerise}}: The temporary denomination ''Worse Than Failure'' in 2007. The decision was greatly criticized for a while and eventually removed, leaving the ambiguous WTF. ''Worse Than Failure'' still sees some use, such as part of the full name of the OMGWTF competition (see below). Also, the associated blog post [[https://thedailywtf.com/articles/What_Could_Possibly_Be_Worse_Than_Failure_0x3f_ What Could Possibly Be Worse Than Failure?]] still warrants a read, the problems it discusses still pervasive to this day.
22	* BrandX: "[[Film/OfficeSpace Initech]]" is used as a generic company name.
23	* BrownNote: To the most knowledgeable readers.
24	* CrazyPrepared: Some programmers are fond of making impossible and redundant checks, such as making sure that 1 is not equal to 0, or assigning a variable several times just to be sure.
25	* CripplingOverspecialization: There are several stories focused on "MUMPS" a proprietary programming language (poorly) designed for accessing medical databases. "[[https://thedailywtf.com/articles/a_case_of_the_mumps A Case of the MUMPS]]" had a programmer realize that they spent two years working on a language which made them unemployable anywhere else; so they quit and hoped to get an entry-level position at a place that used a sensible language.
26	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: It's good to have debug logs. But then it becomes necessary to make sure the debug log is working, so we set up a logger for the status of the logger. Then we just have to set up a logger for the logger's logger, and...
27	* TheDilbertPrinciple: Some of the bleakest entries. [[http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/The-Speed-of-Code.aspx The Speed Of Code]] is a classic example.
28	* ExpertConsultant: The site has a lot of articles pertaining to the work of "Highly Paid Consultants". Most often they provide some software without the proper means to maintain it, which means the company then needs to either hire them again or [[https://thedailywtf.com/articles/The_Call_of_Codethulhu resort to extreme measures.]]
29	* DarthWiki/IdiotProgramming
30	* ForWantOfANail: Computer systems become critical, especially in hyper-specialized settings such as aircraft maintenance. Thus someone [[http://thedailywtf.com/articles/The_Mystery_of_the_Missing_Screw_ needing a screw for an aircraft]] gets stuck when the database freezes, and has to contact a developer to fix the issue.
31	* FunWithAcronyms: '''O'''lympiad of '''M'''isguided '''G'''eeks at '''W'''orse '''T'''han '''F'''ailure.
32	* InsaneTrollLogic: It is a common occurrence that whoever writes code worthy of a [=CodeSOD=] has a very flawed and individual grasp on the programming language they are working on, thus when confronted they will claim that such code is perfectly functional.
33	* LetsSeeYouDoBetter: Inverted in both senses; The Daily WTF hosts the [[FunWithAcronyms OMGWTF]] coding challenges for trivial tasks (such as a ''hello world'' program). The objective is making the code as obscure, complicated and buggy as possible.
34	* NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup: Many problems occur due to lack of backups on company-critical functions, as well as Highly Paid Consultants leaving with the [[strike:plans]] source code. One company suffered a Death by Delete, having placed everything on a single server, and then an employee's typo accidentally deleted their entire website.
35	* PasswordSlotMachine: Once had [[http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Passwords!__Get_Your_Free_Passwords_Here!.aspx one example]] of a password system coded like this.
36	* PointyHairedBoss: Ever-present and getting in the way of the solution.
37	* RevengeOfTheSequel: "Payback's Payback" and "The Son of ITAPPMONROBOT".
38	* SelfReferentialHumor: Many Error'd entries.
39	-->''Error: insufficient memory for error message"
40	* SpidersAreScary: [[http://thedailywtf.com/articles/Its-the-Only-Way-to-be-Sure When they infest a weighbridge.]]
41	* TemporaryNameChange: See Bowdlerise above.
42	* TerribleIntervieweesMontage: Reading a lot of Tales From The Interview will give this effect.
43	* ViewersAreGeniuses: Most of the readers are at least familiar with information technologies, so it's justified that the consequences of such bad code are left as a guess to the reader. In fact, a common pastime on the comments section is attempting to fix the broken code.
44	* WhatWereYouThinking
45	----

Context Website / TheDailyWTF