via: @memes@wetdry.world
https://wetdry.world/@memes/112717700557038278
the sqlite codebase is a gem.
tldr; mcaffee made a shit ton of sqlite files in the temp folder causing people to call the sqlite devs phone angrily. now they name all files etilqs to prevent this.
Text from the screenshot:
2006-10-31: The default prefix used to be "sqlite_". But then Mcafee started using SQLite in their anti-virus product and it started putting files with the "sqlite" name in the c:/temp folder. This annoyed many windows users. Those users would then do a Google search for "sqlite", find the telephone numbers of the developers and call to wake them up at night and complain. For this reason, the default name prefix is changed to be "sqlite" spelled backwards. So the temp files are still identified, but anybody smart enough to figure out the code is also likely smart enough to know that calling the developer will not help get rid of the file.
Code found at: https://github.com/sqlite/sqlite/blob/master/src/os.h#L65 (The line numbers in the screenshot and the code don't match up)
Hm. The first hit on DuckDuckGo is a single entry for a guy and all it says is Contact the Business Inquiries.
You would think a better solution to this problem would be to put a message on that page stating that if you’re a McAfee user looking for information about SQLite files in your temp folder, to call the McAfee support line.
But hey what do I know, right?
Did you just expect people that call random devs at random times to actually read any information on a website?
If that information said something like “McAfee users concerned about temp files, call (800) 123-4567”, then yes. Did I suggest anything more than that? No. 🙄
Lol you never worked customer service or hell desk have you?
The kinds of people who need this message, you would have lost the second you said "temp files"
Well these people making these calls are finding the temp folder
Irrelevant, these people will find their way into folders they have no business in and no idea what it's doing and break shit
It's a big reason MS started hiding the windows folder after Win 98 (maybe 95)
How is that irrelevant? The folder is literally called Temp. Doesn’t matter anything else. You said, and I quote, “The kinds of people who need this message, you would have lost the second you said “temp files”.”
Obviously not sure, given where the files were located. 🤦♂️
And of course they didn’t know what the files were for; probably why they went searching for it, and eventually found the contact info for Richard Hipp.
Me thinks you just want to shit on people for no other reason than to make yourself feel superior to them. 👏 Congrats!
Assuming that they went out to look for it, and didn't just poke google with ("sqlite hacked my computer") until they found a phone number.
If they had gotten the phone number for a company called Super Queasy Lite and Easy/SQLitE instead of the developers, the company might well have received the calls instead.
and how in the world did they know to type the word "sqlite" in. Dude, the files are in the temp folder. The only way they know the name "sqlite" is if they literally visited the folder and looked there.
Error message? McAfee can't write to the drive because it's full of photos of their grandchildren and dogs, so it clicks up "can't write to c:\temp\sqlite_arcane_computer_magic.log: Disk is full", and it goes from there?
Brilliant.
You do realize that these people were looking up contact info from a company they found because they were … wait for it … looking at files inside the temp folder … otherwise known as … are you sitting down? You really should sit for this … temp files!
Imaging that. 😳 🤣
By the way, I worked technical support for my local dialup ISP, Adobe, Best Buy (before they were called Geek Squad), and OnStar.
But sure, what you said… 😉
The point OP is making is that those people would not put 2 and 2 together to understand that the files they were looking at are called temp files, just because that's the folder they found them in. They may not even remember the name of the folder, only that it contains a bunch of files with a prefix they're now googling.
Not sure why I'm bothering explaining this to you, the way you responded makes you look absolutely insufferable, but maybe someone else who comes across this will find it useful.
Yup, you found the developer. That's his phone number.
It's not exactly a new change either. In 2006 people weren't going to the specific page from duckduckgo, they were probably finding the sqlite homepage, and then tracking down the contact info.
20 years later it's probably better to maintain consistency with the prefix than to change it even if it's weird.
Update the site with mcafees phone number and only have the real one behind a click through you have to read
So, sure that might work. More likely they forgot this bit is even here on account of it being 20 years old.
Also, never doubt the persistence of a sufficiently motivated and impatient user. I don't think needing to read something has ever stopped one.
You can literally put animated flaming text and people will click right past.
During my time in a call center people would often call for invoices or messages they received. Most of my work there was reading the thing together with them. Nothing more was necessary, I just read alound their itemized invoice that they had received and it would solve their problem.
Click through pop-ups are even worse in this regard. I myself usually just automatically click No before I understand what just happened.
I worked for a developer at a Web hosting company for a while. I really wish my story about flaming text wasn't true, and that the words weren't "permanent unrecoverable data loss", and the audience wasn't internal support technicians.
Gotta have a way to delete a vps, and there's only so much you can do to get someone to check that they have the right one.
The way I understand the users didn't necessarily realize McAfee is responsible, just that a bunch of sqlite files appeared in temp so they might not connect the dots here anyway. Or even know McAfee is installed considering their shady practices.
Fair point about not knowing McAfee if involved. But at the same time, it beats having your dev getting phone calls at all hours because McAfee’s devs were to lazy to ready the source file and learn how to change the freaking prefix of the file.