back to article The Register disappears up its own fundament with a Y2K prank to make a BOFH's grinchy heart swell with pride

Welcome to Y2K, The Register's stagger through the events of two decades ago, some of which are perhaps a little closer to home than we'd thought. Today's Y2K shenanigans come from a reader we will call "Jim", who had the thankless task of upgrading the Solaris servers for an Australian telco. More than 3,000 of the things …

  1. Huw D

    If he was the BOFH's boss, how come he's still alive? ;)

    1. Paul Stimpson

      He clearly learned quickly, carried a set of window keys with him and habitually re-locked every window he passed.

      Happy New Year

      1. Psmo

        And steered clear of the server room, sub-ground floors and staircases.

        And lifts.

        And doors.

        I guess he was one of those that was alternately meat-shield and co-conspirator rather than a subject for dummy-mode experiments.

        1. Joe W Silver badge

          There once was a BOFHified boss in the stories. (link? Go and browse the archive yourself, lazy sods ;p)

        2. Charlie Clark Silver badge

          Presumably, he was also smart enough to engineer his very own kill switch,

        3. Paul Stimpson

          or "Jim" is working at a level of brilliance that has surpassed Simon's expectations...

          Jim could have been working from home all this time and never come into the office, hence his survival. What if the bosses that had "unfortunate accidents" were out of work actors that Jim hired to pretend to be him and he's been playing the BOFH all along?

          Time for a revenge "field trip" ?

    2. hittitezombie

      He is the 'real' boss, Beelzebub, known to his friends as Jim.

      1. Huw D

        On a slight tangent I have a friend whose surname is Squirrell. He gets so pissed off with people wrting it as Squirrel that he announces his name as "Squirrell - Double L".

        So he quickly became DoubleLzebub.

      2. Caver_Dave Silver badge
        Coat

        Boss names

        I once had a boss called Jo Bubb. She wondered why we called her Bielza and not Jo !

        1. hplasm
          Devil

          Re: Boss names

          We had an over-bubbly lady called Barbera.

          "Call me Barbie!!" She insisted.

          She got called Klaus...

          1. Robert Carnegie Silver badge
            Joke

            Re: Boss names

            Not Hannah...

      3. chivo243 Silver badge

        It must be global... I have a friend, Jim, we call him "Bub", never underestimate Jim.. or overestimate either for that matter... Uncle Charlie, can you attest? Can I get an Amen?

      4. Criggie
        Devil

        Beelzeboss ?

    3. Vulch

      Even the BOFH was a PFY once.

      1. Psmo

        Possibly a BFY (baby-faced youth).

    4. chivo243 Silver badge
      Happy

      The same reason the PFY hasn't offed the BOFH. There is a chain going back generations, an unspoken bond that keeps us all on the path forward.

      1. Ogi
        Mushroom

        There is a chain going back generations, an unspoken bond that keeps us all on the path forward.

        Always there are two - A master and an apprentice.

        (As we are going for misquotes). Also, happy new year all! See you on the other side! Icon... cos big fireworks :-D

      2. TRT Silver badge

        CHAIN "bofh"

        *OPT 2,1

      3. ridley

        For it has been said for every Rick there is a Morty

    5. Ordinary Donkey

      All we know is that he was alive at the time he related the story.

      After all, the BOFH knows where he is now...

    6. rskurat

      Had all the carpets removed

  2. Inventor of the Marmite Laser Silver badge
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      There is no karma, grasshopper, only the illusion of karma. If you have no illusions, you can defenestrate the PHB and destroy the evidence, as it will not affect your rebirth.

      1. Inventor of the Marmite Laser Silver badge

        Thank you, Gobstopper. I am enlightened.

  3. Will Godfrey Silver badge
    Pint

    Priceless

    So that means you were the one who started the BOFH on his way.

  4. Khaptain Silver badge

    1st PHB

    How does it feel to be the original PHB?

    1. chivo243 Silver badge

      Re: 1st PHB

      +1 but we have entered into the age of the BHB... Bezos would be up there, Jobs, Ballmer? Zucker the B ?? You didn't seriously believe that is his hair? Do you??

    2. PerlyKing
      Headmaster

      Re: 1st PHB

      Technically speaking the first PHB is Dilbert's boss.

  5. Hazmoid

    The original PHB

    I must admit that I had my own BOFH who stepped up to become the PHB and took me along for the ride.

    Many of the IT Directors have come from a background of BOFHdom so it is important to take that into account before shooting them down.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    PFY's Evolve in to BOFH

    I had a PFY once who was ready to evolve, when I moved on he took over my role and had his own PFY's to train, it is believed his last boss moved to Australia. Little did the new team I joined know I was a BOFH and would build a small team of PFY before I left there, causing something of a battle to claim the BOFH position resulting in 2 dead. Sometimes you do find bosses who were BOFH and retained that view, like my current boss, which makes things difficult for the survival of his boss and explains why no one has seen his previous boss in a long time. My new PFY starts shortly, although he is not aware what training awaits him...

    1. 's water music

      Re: PFY's Evolve in to BOFH

      ...it is believed his last boss moved to Australia...

      That's the story any self-respecting BOFH tells

    2. Psmo

      Re: PFY's Evolve in to BOFH

      My new PFY starts shortly

      Perhaps greater stature awaits?

  7. GrumpyKiwi

    Connections everywhere

    Ex-wife used to work at a NZ university associated with degrees in gumboot wearing (Wellington boots for the Brits) alongside a certain Simon...

  8. paulc
    Mushroom

    new event coming up... 2038

    Unix clock roll-over...

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2038_problem

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