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Sun 15 Jun, 2003 10:32 am
In Japan, they have replaced the impersonal and unhelpful Microsoft error messages with Haiku poetry messages.
Haiku poetry has strict construction rules: each poem has only 17 syllables - 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, 5 in the third. They are used to communicate a timeless message, often achieving a wistful,yearning and powerful insight through extreme brevity.
Here are some actual error messages from Japan. Aren't these better than "Your computer has performed an illegal operation"?
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The Web site you seek
Cannot be located, but
Countless more exist.
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Chaos reigns within.
Reflect, repent, and reboot.
Order shall return.
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Program aborting
Close all that you have worked on.
You ask far too much.
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Yesterday it worked.
Today it is not working.
Windows is like that.
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Your file was so big.
It might be very useful.
But now it is gone.
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Stay the patient course.
Of little worth is your ire.
The network is down.
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A crash reduces
Your expensive computer
To a simple stone.
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Three things are certain
Death, taxes and lost data.
Guess which has occurred.
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You step in the stream,
But the water has moved on.
This page is not here.
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Out of memory.
We wish to hold the whole sky,
But we never will.
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Having been erased,
The document you're seeking
Must now be retyped.
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Serious error.
All shortcuts have disappeared.
Screen. Mind. Both are blank.
I believe they're haiku -- I don't believe they're actually used in Japan as error messages... I've seen these flying around in my email for quite a while and they've been announced as humor, not reality...
Haiku
Yes, I agree that these are probably not used in Japan - I very much doubt that they are perfect haiku translations, but I agree that they are marvellous. So who cares where they came from - enjoy!