German Basketball Team Loses In Close Match With A Microsoft Windows Update

from the boom-shakalakah! dept

Fri, Mar 27th 2015 12:28pm — Timothy Geigner

Windows: the still-dominant operating system is the 800 lbs. gorilla, so one fully expects to see tons of insult-darts shot at the thing to try and tranquilize it. And, in the age of technology fan-boy-ism, some techie folks are big on drawing lines in the sand and loudly proclaiming the superiority of one piece of software over another. But, still, when your German basketball team faces relegation into a lower class of league because a windows laptop crashed and then ran an update just before game time, you can kind of understand if they're pissed off about it.

The March 13 match between the Chemnitz Niners and the Paderborn Baskets was set to begin normally, when Paderborn (the host) connected its laptop to the scoreboard in the 90 minutes leading up to the game. In an interview with the German newspaper, Die Zeit (Google Translate), Patrick Seidel, the general manager of Paderborn Baskets said that at 6:00pm, an hour and a half before the scheduled start time, the laptop was connected "as usual."

"But as both teams warmed up, the computer crashed," he said. "When we booted it again at 7:20pm, it started automatically downloading updates. But we did not initiate anything."

After all the updates were installed, Paderborn was ready to start the game at 7:55pm.

Oops. Paderborn ended up winning the game, but Chemnitz filed a protest, arguing that the delay in starting the game constituted a violation and that Paderborn ought be penalized. The league agreed, taking a point in the standings away from Paderborn, which lowered its rankings such that it now faced relegation. Relegation, for you Americans who aren't Premier League Soccer fans, is a shift in which leagues a team plays in based on the year's performance. For Paderborn, this will mean not even being able to play at the championship level next year, instead being forced to play in the lower "ProB" league.

Seidel is pissed, of course.

"You can’t blame Chemnitz," Siedel added. "But as an athlete and a man, let me of course tell you something else. We beat Chemnitz twice in sportsmanlike, tight games. Therefore, this entire issue has nothing to do with sports."

Nope, just a Windows update costing you a potential championship next year. N00bs.

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Filed Under: basketball, chemnitz niners, paderborn baskets, updates, windows

42 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2015 @ 12:47pm

Why?
Sorry, I'm not into sports so I don't know this. Why do the teams need to connect laptops to the scoreboard?
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2015 @ 12:48pm

1. Why was the computer hooked the Internet?

2. Why did it take that long to update?

3. Why were automatic updates turned on on a critical system?
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2015 @ 12:52pm

Really?
This is an awful lot of technopanic for a site called tech dirt.

Windows isn't the problem, IT management is. These are complex systems that need to be maintained, just because it's software doesn't change that.

If a team doesn't change the oil on their bus for 100k miles and it breaks down who do you blame? Similarly, leaving a windows machine on the internet, with automatic updates on, etc. is a failure to maintain THEIR equipment.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2015 @ 12:54pm

Re: Why?
One assumes this is how the home team operates the score board.
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John Fenderson (profile), 27 Mar 2015 @ 12:55pm

Autoupdates are bad
This is yet another example of why I recommend making sure that autoupdating is always disabled. For everything, not just Windows. Updating carries a risk with it, and at the very least you want to do it when you are sure that downtime won't hurt you.
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Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 27 Mar 2015 @ 12:55pm

Re: Why?
I would guess that the scoreboard is computer controlled, possibly not really a scoreboard but a giant monitor depending on how fancy.

As to why it's a laptop and not a dedicated PC, probably the same reason as lots of other things: Money. Spent too much on the computer controlled scoreboard, didn't have enough left over for the computer.
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John Fenderson (profile), 27 Mar 2015 @ 12:57pm

Re:
"Why did it take that long to update?"

That didn't strike me as an unusual amount of time, really. It's only a little more than the amount of time a Windows update usually takes for me.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2015 @ 12:59pm

Re: Why?
The scoreboard is just a dumb display, and needs a computer to drive it.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2015 @ 1:19pm

So let me get this straight...
The whole game and apparently the end of the world hung on this one laptop? So if it was so important why was it again that they didn't have one on standby? Computers crash, sometimes complete and totally.
Besides should it not have been fully updated before the game? Are they complaining about automatic updates? well that is quite easy to manage... TURN IT OFF!
This is not (mis)use of technology or a Microsoft problem... this is simply a local IT problem with a bunch of stupidity in the mix.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2015 @ 1:23pm

In as much as both teams were delayed the same amount, I'm not sure why the team with the computer that delayed the game should be penalized. Did it cause an unfair advantage somehow? I could maybe see some *administrative* penalty, but a ranking penalty? Really?
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aldestrawk (profile), 27 Mar 2015 @ 1:31pm

Re: Autoupdates are bad
Absolutely! The trouble is Microsoft encourages auto-update, particularly when it is a home computer and not managed by an IT department. The first thing I do with a new computer, or new software be it the OS, a browser, or random application program is to check for and disable any auto-updates. On the other hand, if auto-update didn't exist then there are a lot of folk who would never think to update and leave themselves vulnerable.
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aldestrawk (profile), 27 Mar 2015 @ 1:32pm

Chemnitz? Ach bitte, es ist Karl Marx Stadt.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2015 @ 1:52pm

Re: Re: Autoupdates are bad
Lack of a common software manager also encourages auto updates, as it is all too easy to overlook a program when doing manual updates.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2015 @ 1:53pm

Response to: Anonymous Coward on Mar 27th, 2015 @ 12:48pm
Because Windows has a habit of changing the automatic update settings back without your permission.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2015 @ 1:59pm

Re: Re:
Why didn't they turn it on to allow updates earlier. The updates would have dropped on the 10th, patch tuesday, and the 13th was a friday.
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Joel Coehoorn, 27 Mar 2015 @ 2:13pm

"But we did not initiate anything."
Exactly. You didn't do anything, in spite of numerous warnings that you needed to.

Windows has repeated, escalating warnings that an automatic reboot is coming. The warnings start days in advance, and include such gems as "Windows will restart in 2 days".

Now the extra hour an a half seems like a long time for updates. It normally only takes a few minutes. You what makes it take longer? Not updating for a very long time, so that you have multiple cycles worth of updates to install at once. In other words, they've been ignoring this issue for *long time*.

Keeping your system patches is the single most important thing you should do with your computer to prevent malware infections. It's more important even than anti-virus software or firewalls. The only other thing that comes close is not running as administrator.

Whoever was running this should have known better.
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Joel Coehoorn, 27 Mar 2015 @ 2:16pm

Re: Autoupdates are bad
Disabled? Really?

Keeping a system patched and up to date is the single most important thing a user should with their computer to keep it malware-free. More important even than firewalls or anti-virus software.

Granted that new patches can sometimes cause issues, but without automatic updates, most users would be hopelessly out of date.

What I'd really like to see is a setting that lets you tell Windows how long after an update is released to wait for queuing it for install. Let me set my machine to lag 2 weeks behind the initial release, so other suckers find the bad updates.
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John Fenderson (profile), 27 Mar 2015 @ 2:23pm

Re: Re: Autoupdates are bad
"Keeping a system patched and up to date is the single most important thing a user should with their computer to keep it malware-free. More important even than firewalls or anti-virus software."

I disagree with this as a blanket statement. For certain things this can be true, but for many (maybe most) things it is not. Especially these days, when companies insist on combining security updates with other types.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't update. I'm saying that you shouldn't have it happen automatically. Most platforms that allow autoupdates also provides a mechanism to alert you when an update is available, but doesn't start doing it automatically. Windows included. I argue that's a reasonable compromise.
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Jeremy2020 (profile), 27 Mar 2015 @ 2:26pm

I fail to see how this is the fault of the operating system. It performed updates per the parameters set for it.

This is totally an operator error.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2015 @ 2:32pm

Sportsmanship is lacking here.
I've seen games, both pro and amateur, delayed for various reasons. NEVER, not even once, was the host team or arena penalized for the delay.

The issues with the computer and auto-update may be valid, but that's no reason to penalize the host team. Even secondary schools have alternate means if their scoreboards fail.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2015 @ 2:40pm

Re: So let me get this straight...
Windows Computers crash,
FTFY.

The simple fact is that Windows requires reboots far more often than Linux, either because of a crash or merely to install updates.
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aldestrawk (profile), 27 Mar 2015 @ 2:53pm

Re: Re: Re: Autoupdates are bad
I use Secunia's PSI to indicate updates for a lot of common software. I keep a list of things that may need updating that are not covered by this.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2015 @ 3:38pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Autoupdates are bad
I use synaptic, which covers all installed software, and a large amount of software that can be installed; but then I do not use Windows.
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Richard (profile), 27 Mar 2015 @ 3:42pm

Re: Re: Autoupdates are bad
Keeping a system patched and up to date is the single most important thing a user should with their computer to keep it malware-free. More important even than firewalls or anti-virus software.

No the single most important thing to keep a computer malware free is not to connect it to the internet. I can see no reason to connect a scoreboard computer to the internet. Treat it as a dumb device and leave it with the s/w that it came with - if it ain't broke...
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Rekrul, 27 Mar 2015 @ 4:21pm

Re:
1. Why was the computer hooked the Internet?

Because computers, like all electronic devices today are required to be hooked up the internet to function! It's a law!
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2015 @ 5:54pm

I was once on a stealth mission in Paderborn Village, so this is especially troubling.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2015 @ 9:07pm

This is poor sportsmanship using a pointless technicality to screw over an opponent.
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jim, 28 Mar 2015 @ 6:18am

phew
A few of you must be unfamiliar with ms updates. Or have never worked with either 8.1 or 10 in the new systems. In 7 you can take or leave the updates. Choose the ones for your system, but not in 8.1 or newer. They will update, and download all updates at startup. If there is a hickup, and there is a reboot needed they will freeze till you reboot. During the reboot more updates rechecking the just acquired and installed updates occurs.and where the last update and reboot occur, are logged. You have no options, you only get to look at the optional updates. And good luck with slower systems, some of the update will only download on n/ac networks. One of my travel machines, could not update on a hotel network. Couldn't figure that one out, until I paired it with a phone. Durn.
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nasch (profile), 28 Mar 2015 @ 8:18am

Re:
For 1 and 3, probably because it was operated by people who don't know a great deal about computers. It wouldn't occur to most people to turn off wifi or automatic updates. Many wouldn't even know how.
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nasch (profile), 28 Mar 2015 @ 8:24am

Re: Re: So let me get this straight...
Windows Computers crash,

FTFY.

His original statement was correct. Computers crash, including ones running Linux.
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DOlz (profile), 28 Mar 2015 @ 2:09pm

Re: Re:
Tell me about it. I was hauled off to jail last week because my toaster wasn’t internet enabled. I just hope they don’t find out about my coffee pot.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Mar 2015 @ 6:22pm

Re: phew
Really? Dang. Glad I stayed the heck away from that free "upgrade" from 7 to 10. I knew it was going to be bad, but I seriously wasn't expecting "mandatory updates locking out user input" bad.
Seems like I picked a good time to start trying to figure out Linux. I've already got the basics down. ("Terminal Emulator" for DOS prompt, "mv"/"cp"/"rm" for move/copy/del, use "sudo apt-get update" then "sudo apt-get install [name]" to install software, etc.)
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Whatever (profile), 29 Mar 2015 @ 4:04am

Re:
Hi everyone... my 2nd comment of the year.

I agree. Why was the computer connected to the internet at all? Why was it not updated already? Had it not been used for a while? What would they have done if the laptop had not booted at all? Cancel the game?

Not sure why they needed to be net connected. Not sure why they haven't already done the updates. Not sure why auto updates would not be set to "manual" or "ask before installing".

Needless technopanic. These people sound technically not real competent, and in the end they are exactly the types that need auto updates to keep them from running software that is easily breached.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Mar 2015 @ 6:11pm

Re: phew
Choose the ones for your system, but not in 8.1 or newer.

Someone is lying to you.
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Anonymous Coward, 29 Mar 2015 @ 8:54pm

Re: Re:
This is your fourth comment of the year.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2015 @ 6:59am

Re: Re: Re:
You expected a copyright nut to be honest with numbers?
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John Fenderson (profile), 30 Mar 2015 @ 8:07am

Re: Re: Re: So let me get this straight...
"Computers crash, including ones running Linux."

True. Although in all fairness, the last time I had a Linux machine crash was about three years ago. The last time I had a Windows machine crash was yesterday, even though I operate more Linux than Windows machines.
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Jeremy2020 (profile), 30 Mar 2015 @ 9:19am

Re: phew
Windows 10 is not released. Why would someone who is not familiar with operating computers have it installed?
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nasch (profile), 30 Mar 2015 @ 10:21am

Re: Re: Re: Re: So let me get this straight...
I would certainly not argue that Linux machines crash anywhere near as often as Windows. :-)
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Apr 2015 @ 11:38am

Micro$hit ain't reliable.
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Techie007, 6 Apr 2015 @ 7:28pm

Corrections
Guys, I see too many comments about "Why was the computer connected to the Internet" or "Why weren't the updates already installed".

Let me tell you why. The computer may not have even been connected to the Internet at that time. The updates may have been downloaded Wednesday or Thursday, or even the previous week! Many users have their laptops set to go to Standby or Hibernate when the lid is closed. That machine may not have been rebooted for a days. I have seen many machines where the auto reboot function either didn't work or was disabled, and the user hadn't rebooted for months.
Then I get the machine to fix something, and in the process of working on it, I reboot it and promptly have to wait 30 minutes for just as many updates to install. It's completely ridiculous. One Windows 8.1 business laptop I worked on recently had over 2 GB of updates pending install. You can't tell it to stop, and you're not supposed to turn it off. And if you do, it just boots into installing updates all over again, or even worse, reverting changes or Startup Repair.

Automatic updates are strongly recommended to be left on so that known security vulnerabilities can be patched ASAP. Some security programs will change the setting back if you disable updates.
This is no joke. This is the sick state of affairs. I have always quipped about a computer suddenly rebooting during a presentation to install updates, or taking forever to boot right before a presentation as it configures updates. Finally it happened to somebody important. Will somebody please sue Microsoft for us all?
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Nikhil, 1 Jun 2015 @ 6:19am

Windows 10 ISO
You can download WIndows 10 build 10130 ISO from http://mywindows10guide.com/windows-10-latest-build-iso-free-download/
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