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Car dealerships revert to pens and paper after cyberattacks on software provider

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Re: Car dealerships revert to pens and paper after cyberattacks on software provider

#221

Post by rvba »

lolinder wrote: post #214

I'm reminded of the opening line of the second Mistborn novel: > I write these words in steel, for anything not set in metal cannot be trusted. The digital world feels increasingly dangerous and ephemeral. If I have something written with ink on paper I have certain guarantees: I know that it's accessible even if the power is completely out. I know that it won't randomly get deleted if my hard drive suddenly dies. I…

I was recently looking at a 15 year old manual for an appliance. It had a sales recepit attached. Despite being put inside some papers, in a plastic case and then in a binder (kept in the closet)... the recepit just evaporated. The print is nearly invisible.

Is that done on purpose?

Re: Car dealerships revert to pens and paper after cyberattacks on software provider

#222

Post by ars »

rvba wrote: post #221
lolinder wrote: post #214

I'm reminded of the opening line of the second Mistborn novel: > I write these words in steel, for anything not set in metal cannot be trusted. The digital world feels increasingly dangerous and ephemeral. If I have something written with ink on paper I have certain guarantees: I know that it's accessible even if the power is completely out. I know that it won't randomly get deleted if my hard drive suddenly dies. I…

I was recently looking at a 15 year old manual for an appliance. It had a sales recepit attached. Despite being put inside some papers, in a plastic case and then in a binder (kept in the closet)... the recepit just evaporated. The print is nearly invisible. Is that done on purpose?

It's thermal printing, they heat the paper to turn it black, but if you store it somewhere warm the chemical reaction can reverse.

Re: Car dealerships revert to pens and paper after cyberattacks on software provider

#223

Post by animex »

rvba wrote: post #221
lolinder wrote: post #214

I'm reminded of the opening line of the second Mistborn novel: > I write these words in steel, for anything not set in metal cannot be trusted. The digital world feels increasingly dangerous and ephemeral. If I have something written with ink on paper I have certain guarantees: I know that it's accessible even if the power is completely out. I know that it won't randomly get deleted if my hard drive suddenly dies. I…

I was recently looking at a 15 year old manual for an appliance. It had a sales recepit attached. Despite being put inside some papers, in a plastic case and then in a binder (kept in the closet)... the recepit just evaporated. The print is nearly invisible. Is that done on purpose?

Many of these thermal and carbon transfer receipt printers have poor ink/print life. I doubt it was done on purpose as most of these systems are sold by 3rd parties to retailers. I'm sure the issue has been raised but then they willing thought to themselves, yeah actually this benefits us, let's just "pretend to ignore" the issue.

More modern retailers are offering receipt-email options which is the option I choose if available, that way I have a "permanent" record of the transaction. I recently did some old taxes from 7 years ago and this feature was invaluable as most online portals no longer offered the records.

Re: Car dealerships revert to pens and paper after cyberattacks on software provider

#224

Post by j_4 »

rvba wrote: post #221
lolinder wrote: post #214

I'm reminded of the opening line of the second Mistborn novel: > I write these words in steel, for anything not set in metal cannot be trusted. The digital world feels increasingly dangerous and ephemeral. If I have something written with ink on paper I have certain guarantees: I know that it's accessible even if the power is completely out. I know that it won't randomly get deleted if my hard drive suddenly dies. I…

I was recently looking at a 15 year old manual for an appliance. It had a sales recepit attached. Despite being put inside some papers, in a plastic case and then in a binder (kept in the closet)... the recepit just evaporated. The print is nearly invisible. Is that done on purpose?

Not likely. It's just a technical limitation of thermal paper. That's the trade-off for cheap, tiny form factor, fast, and low maintenance printing.

Re: Car dealerships revert to pens and paper after cyberattacks on software provider

#225

Post by sofixa »

MangoCoffee wrote: post #93
n4r9 wrote: post #13

This is what happens when a single player (CDK Global) has massive market share (90% when measured by number of vehicles sold [0] --- EDIT: this is actually the combined market share of CDK + Reynolds, who have a non-compete agreement ---). The entire industry becomes fragile to product issues and/or malicious attacks. Anti-trust is important. [0] https://casetext.com/case/loop-llc-v-cdk-global-llc-in-re-de...

why didn't Silicon Valley try to disrupt this market?

What would the value add or differentiator be? If you try to go with cheaper, the incumbents will take note and adjust their prices accordingly (it's software, prices are much more flexible than physical stuff).

Re: Car dealerships revert to pens and paper after cyberattacks on software provider

#226

Post by Animats »

The AP article is terrible. It's basically CDK's press release.

There's more useful stuff on Reddit.[1][2][3]

- Some dealerships can still sell cars. Some can't.

- Parts and service are in worse shape than new vehicle sales because their inventory info is in the CDK system.

- The process by which new cars and parts are ordered and delivered to dealers is down.

- Many dealerships can sell what's on the lot and do repairs with parts in inventory, but the supply chain has stopped.

[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/partscounter/comments/1dmbmy7/the_c...

[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/serviceadvisors/comments/1djisf5/cd...

[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/askcarsales/comments/1dkf0xv/how_pr...

Re: Car dealerships revert to pens and paper after cyberattacks on software provider

#227

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

afh1 wrote: post #213

I like old doctors who still use pen and paper for medical history. I don't like the idea of my medical records being stored online. Unfortunately this is the exception and not the rule nowadays. The same goes for imagery, X-Rays aside I don't remember any exam that didn't go straight into an online system.

Neither of these are feasible:

1. There are legal incentives (in the US at least) for doctors to use electronic health records, EHR. Providers that don't use EHR are penalized for it when it comes to Medicare/Medicaid.

2. Imaging PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) allow radiologists to read images from multiple different facilities from one location, including smaller/rural hospitals, and at all times. The alternative is to require physical staffing by radiologists at every single location, which is obviously much less efficient.

I agree there are tons of issues with the quality of cybersecurity, especially in the health system, but saying "I just want it all on paper" is throwing out the baby with the bathwater, not to mention basically impossible at this point.

Re: Car dealerships revert to pens and paper after cyberattacks on software provider

#228

Post by mrWiz »

rvba wrote: post #221
lolinder wrote: post #214

I'm reminded of the opening line of the second Mistborn novel: > I write these words in steel, for anything not set in metal cannot be trusted. The digital world feels increasingly dangerous and ephemeral. If I have something written with ink on paper I have certain guarantees: I know that it's accessible even if the power is completely out. I know that it won't randomly get deleted if my hard drive suddenly dies. I…

I was recently looking at a 15 year old manual for an appliance. It had a sales recepit attached. Despite being put inside some papers, in a plastic case and then in a binder (kept in the closet)... the recepit just evaporated. The print is nearly invisible. Is that done on purpose?

Receipts are commonly printed on thermal transfer spools to avoid the maintenance needed for printing with ink but this process is not as durable as using ink. Decide for yourself if this decision is made due to cost or a conspiracy.

Re: Car dealerships revert to pens and paper after cyberattacks on software provider

#230

Post by immibis »

tejohnso wrote: post #140
PaywallBuster wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> direct manufacturer auto sales are prohibited in many states by franchise laws requiring that new cars be sold only by independent dealers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_US_dealership_disputes not a monopoly per se, but "forced demand"

Doesn't just about everyone hate dealing with a dealership? Shouldn't it be very easy to vote to fix that in a democracy?

The percentage of people who want a law to pass is negatively correlated with the chance of it passing.
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