Just spent an initially frustrating but ultimately rewarding hour or so sorting out an error in the eyeontheplace web application. Basically, on logging in, there was an obscure error. Of course, it was pretty urgent that it was sorted out, because it was preventing anyone from logging in and seeing the live view at the cameras, although the problem did not affect recording of images.
Anyway, it was quite a challenge to solve. It’s not my idea of a good time, delving into program scripts that have worked quite happily for years, trying to find the problem. I narrowed it down to a line of script that was supposed to send an advisory email (an email is sent to admin whenever someone logs in or tries to log in). The attempted email sending was giving the error.
in computing, as in life, you need to understand that whatever you do has consequence, and you had better understand what they are!
In the end, it turned out that I myself had caused the problem! I had reset the password on the email account that’s used to send emails from the system, without thinking of the consequences. Once I realised what had happened, I got it sorted out in minutes!
The moral of the tale is this: when you work in computing, as in life, you need to understand that whatever you do has consequence, and you had better understand what they are!
Also, especially in computing, things don’t usually just “break” on their own. There is a cause behind a sudden error. And often that cause is something that was done very, very recently. If you lose your keys, you think “When did I last have them and where have I been since?” In computing, if you get an error, you think “When did it last work and what have I done since?”
Not too different!
All I need now is to follow my own “words of wisdom”!