This Week's Winning Bit of Stupidity

[mbarrick]

I had a "lead developer" telling me that their application wouldn't work in a frame because if the address bar wasn't visible in the browser the application wouldn't work because it couldn't "see" the parameters in the URL. He meant "see" literally.

In a way I almost envy the guy. He lives in a magical world where servers have mysterious powers to visually read off URLs from the browsers address bar. That must be why MSIE shows the URL in pop-up windows even if the address bar is disabled (and you can have one guess what platform and technology this magician works with).

I asked him to explain how the GET request changes if the address bar isn't there. He said, "I don't want to argue with you."

The worst thing is the developer in question (or questionable developer, as the case may be) has lied to my client and I'm afraid he has convinced them that it was my fault and my only defence, sadly, it trying to give a technical explanation to someone is not in the least technically inclined.

I keep running into this scenario and I feel like I am defending evolution in Tennessee. It is depressing.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_darkpixie_/]

I always find its easiest to sit the computer illiterate in front of one and show them just what it all means, talking in computer baby talk all the while. Works every time.

[skinjob007.livejournal.com]

"...and I feel like I am defending evolution in Tennessee."

Wham-O!

[gothiousrex.livejournal.com]

ok the description confuses me a bit...

the app would or wonldn't work in a frame if it could or could not see the URL?

umm the GET request has absolutely no bearing on whether or not the address bar object is visual or not...and thereby showing it or not
the URL will still be pulled

are you fricking kidding me?
this guy's a lead developer?

I don't even work as a programmer and I know this
I picked up skills reading about it in my spare time and taking a few programming courses.

no wonder guys like me can't get programming jobs when the supposedly trained guys are retards like this guy...

my god what would an un-trained guy (like me) be like???

the Horror! the Horror!

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

I had a typo in the first line - I had written "would" when I meant "wouldn't". Regardless, you get the nature of the lack of understanding involved.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_disdain_/]

I bet he also thinks the internet is a series of tubes :-P