via: @[email protected]
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?
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.