Detanglers

boomzilla

http://www.wsj.com/articles/knitters-with-hopelessly-knotted-yarn-call-detanglers-for-help-1450751172

This article reminds me of taking over problems other devs have that they can't figure out and are frustrated with. Often with technology that I'm only somewhat familiar with, so I have to not only learn they were up to but how any of it works to begin with.

The most acclaimed project in the group’s tangled history is known to knitters as “the Stash Disaster of Epic Proportion.” In 2011, a Sacramento, Calif., knitter was cataloging her entire stash of yarn in her backyard—only to leave it out during a rainstorm. She tossed the 30 to 50 balls of soaking-wet yarn into the dryer, producing further chaos.

More than a dozen volunteers stepped up, “drooling over the delicious detangling it promises,” as one member put it. The project, about the size of a lamb, was carried in a bedsheet to places such as a library and a park, where detanglers picked at it together. It also made its way to the homes of several detanglers.

blakeyrat

@boomzilla said:

She tossed the 30 to 50 balls of soaking-wet yarn into the dryer, producing further chaos.

If they detangled it, wouldn't they know for sure how many balls there were?

CALLING FOUL!

EDIT: also this thread reminded me of the dreadfully boring conversation in The Starfighters about corn detasselers.

boomzilla

@blakeyrat said:

If they detangled it, wouldn't they know for sure how many balls there were?

The exact numbers have faded into the mists of legend...

loopback0

Coming up to Christmas just gone, Tesco (a UK supermarket chain for anyone not aware) launched a Christmas light untangling service.

http://www.tesco-careers.com/JobDetails/90949.aspx

**About The Job**
This November, Tesco is launching the UK s first Christmas light untangling service in one of our Wrexham stores and is looking for an enthusiastic individual to fulfil the role of a Tesco Christmas Light Untangler to help customers prepare for the festive season.
This new position will offer you the chance to show that Every little helps by running the unique in-store service with a friendly, flexible approach and making a genuine difference to the little things that matter to our customers this Christmas.

Main Responsibilities

Your roles and responsiblities will include:

Man and managing the Christmas Lights Untangling stand

Taking time to listen and help out wherever you can: Every little helps

Check lights and bulbs for signs of breakage / broken bulbs and report findings to the customer

Handle customers Christmas lights carefully to keep everything in tip-top condition

Talking to colleagues, sharing your enthusiasm and helping to create team spirit

Getting to know your customers, greet them with a smile and serve them with pride.

Give a brilliant customer experience, making sure you deliver only the best service and put a smile on customers faces

Successfully untangle customers Christmas lights neatly, quickly and efficiently and in an orderly fashion

Abide by our Health and Safety policies

Always be there on time and properly presented

Be passionate and knowledgeable about the service you are offering

Ideal Candidate

You ll be someone who gets on with people and is ready to roll up your sleeves and do what s needed to give our customers great service.
We ll be depending on you, as the face of Tesco, to put our customers at the heart of everything you do:

Be passionate about Christmas

Be able to untangle 3 metres of Christmas lights in under three minutes

Have the energy and drive to be your best and exceed expectations

Be friendly, enthusiastic and approachable

Have strong communications skills

Be persistent and patient

blakeyrat

@loopback0 said:

This new position will offer you the chance to show that Every little helps by running the unique in-store service with a friendly, flexible approach and making a genuine difference to the little things that matter to our customers this Christmas.

? The fuck? Is that an editing mistake, or does "Every little" with a capital E actually mean something in UK-land?

xaade

Dear Sir:

I have been requested by the Nigerian National Yarn Company to contact you for assistance in resolving a matter. The Nigerian National Yarn Company has recently concluded a large number of contracts for tangled yarn in the sub-Sahara region. The contracts have immediately produced mass yarn spaghetti bowls equaling 40,000 tonnes. The Nigerian National Yarn Company is desirous of yarn exploration in other parts of the world, however, because of categorization regulations of the Nigerian Government, it is unable to move these tangled yarn masses to another region.

You assistance is requested as a non-Nigerian citizen to assist the Nigerian National Yarn Company, and also the Central Fabric of Nigeria, in moving these tangled yarn masses out of Nigeria. If the yarn material can be transferred to your name, in your United States apartment, then you can forward the detangled yarn balls as directed by the Nigerian National Yarn Company. In exchange for your accommodating services, the Nigerian National Yarn Company would agree to allow you to retain 10%, or 30-50 balls of this amount.

However, to be a legitimate transferee of these yarns according to Nigerian law, you must presently be a depositor of at least US$100,000 in a Nigerian bank which is regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

If it will be possible for you to assist us, we would be most grateful. We suggest that you meet with us in person in Lagos, and that during your visit I introduce you to the representatives of the Nigerian National Yarn Company, as well as with certain officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Please call me at your earliest convenience at 18-467-4975. Time is of the essence in this matter; very quickly the Nigerian Government will realize that the Central Yarn Bank is maintaining this amount on deposit, and attempt to levy certain depository taxes on it.

Yours truly,

Prince Alyusi Islassis

PleegWat

@loopback0 said:

* Man and managing the Christmas Lights Untangling stand

Microagression!

loopback0

"Every little helps" is the Tesco slogan.

Capitalising it the same way in that sentence like they did does look silly.

loopback0

@PleegWat said:

@loopback0 said:
* Man and managing the Christmas Lights Untangling stand

Microagression!

Yeah, clearly they mean "Manning"

blakeyrat

Every little WHAT helps?

Remember that next time some Brit says that Americans speak weird.

ydna

I'm dealing with a "Stash Disaster of Epic Proportion" at work, except it's Atlassian Stash and the horrendous tangled mess people have made of the git repositories hosted in it.