Live data from Hacker News

14,000 draft notices sent to men born in 1800s

marinecorpstimes.com

31–36 of 36 posts

Re: 14,000 draft notices sent to men born in 1800s

#31

Gov tech is always fun. I just remember when I had to do it I tried to register sometime late at night (2am-ish?) and was surprised to see that their system had crazy amounts of planned downtime per week. It took a few days before I remembered to do it when it was accepting registrations. Found wayback link: It is not operational when system maintenance is scheduled from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. U.S. Central Time Tuesday thr…

At first glance, I'm gobsmacked at the idea of an electronic system that hovers around 90% planned uptime, but then again, of all the services I might wish to demonstrate a total lack of efficiency, the selective service would probably be my first choice.

Even now, to look at the website, it seems like it might be running on some server dating back to covered wagon times. Here's to hoping it stays that way.

Re: 14,000 draft notices sent to men born in 1800s

#32

Gov tech is always fun. I just remember when I had to do it I tried to register sometime late at night (2am-ish?) and was surprised to see that their system had crazy amounts of planned downtime per week. It took a few days before I remembered to do it when it was accepting registrations. Found wayback link: It is not operational when system maintenance is scheduled from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. U.S. Central Time Tuesday thr…

At first glance, I'm gobsmacked at the idea of an electronic system that hovers around 90% planned uptime, but then again, of all the services I might wish to demonstrate a total lack of efficiency, the selective service would probably be my first choice. Even now, to look at the website, it seems like it might be running on some server dating back to covered wagon times. Here's to hoping it stays that way.

Slightly related, but Companies House, the UK's official registry of incorporated businesses, used to close up the database search function on its website every day at, ISTR, 5:30pm, then open it again the next morning. This would have been in the late 90s/early 2000s.

Re: 14,000 draft notices sent to men born in 1800s

#34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right. It's essentially a ceremonial piece of paperwork, dating from a more militarized time (USSR etc) when un-computerized governments didn't have many other ways to keep track of its citizens. Nowadays, no human being really cares if you register anymore, because there's no draft, and if there ever needed to be, they could require registration again and track down the delinquents using computers. So it'll probably…

There are some consequences for not registering (can't get federal government jobs, can't get federal student aid) so it's not quite true that no one cares.

Well, yes, the bureaucracy always cares. But I said human beings. :)

Re: 14,000 draft notices sent to men born in 1800s

#35
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The notice was for the recipients to register, which all American men must do when they turn 18.

"must" is pretty loose, if you don't fill the slip out nothing happens

Nothing usually happens. Officially, you can be prosecuted and sent to jail.

Re: 14,000 draft notices sent to men born in 1800s

#36
post #11

The glitch, it turns out, originated with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation during a transfer of nearly 400,000 records to the Selective Service No drivers license, no problems.

More like No ID, no problems. Except no ID is its own problem.

from experience, this isnt true.
Post reply on HN