programmer's lot

[Andy Wilson]

[forwards deleted]

>>From New Scientist, 28 august 93, Feedback column:
>>
>>"The National Westminster Bank admitted last month that it keeps
>> personal information about its customers-such as their political
>> affiliation-on computer. But now Computer Weekly reveals that a
>> financial institution, sadly unnamed, has gone one better and moved
>> into the realm of personal abuse.
>>  The institution decided to mailshot 2000 of its richest customers,
>> inviting them to buy extra services. One of its computer programmers
>> wrote a program to search through its databases and select its
>> customers automatically. He tested the program with an imaginary
>> customer called Rich Bastard.
>> Unfortunately, an error resulted in all 2000 letters being addressed
>> "Dear Rich Bastard". The luckless programmer was subsequently sacked."