Tech support please...Anyone seen this before?

[trinitywolf]

I got this in an e-mail from one of my collegues. I am well known as the snake guy here so when someone see's this kind of thing they send it my way. My question is: can anyone verify it's authenticity? I really can't say this kind of thing would be impossible, and cpu's do get warm, so that's plausible. Anyway, here goes.

READ STORY BEFORE LOOKING AT THE PICTURES

This is a true story

A Lady went out to a local computer store to buy a computer that her
family wanted her to get so she can e-mail them. The sales person told her
that they would deliver the computer, set it up and give her some pointers
on using it, if she had any problems later all she had to do was call
their Technical Support" they would talk her through it over the phone or
come back to her house to find the problem. The sales person asked her if
she wanted to purchase 2 years in house warranty, the woman said yes.

A few months went by, she was getting good sending and receiving mail and
checking the other web sites with only one call to tech support until one
day. She called tech support.

SUPPORT: "hello, technical support how can I help you?
LADY: last night my computer started making a lot of hissing noise at me
so I shut it down, this morning when I turned it on the computer started
hissing and cracking, then started smoking and a bad smell, then nothing.
SUPPORT: I will have a technician come over first thing this morning, just
leave the computer just like it is so they can find the problem and fix it
or change it out with another computer. Give me your address and phone
number and the technician will be there just as soon as they can.
When the technician got there, the lady showed the technician where the
computer was, said what happened to it, this is what the technician found
wrong. Take a look at the pictures... you won't believe your eyes!!!





[addsig]

[Stormyva]

I have seen that one before.... it has been floating around the net for a while. I dont know the validity of it though.
[addsig]

[dlamphere]

I can tell you that CPU power supply fans (where it is stuck) turn very fast and hard once started if you stick your finger in it it will hurt. But they don't turn at all if you put your finger in first and then turn it on. I would not think that it could have made it 1/2 way out before getting stuck. Thats just my .02 I could be wrong. Did anyone decide what kind of snake it would have been?
[addsig]

[eddie]

I've seen these floating around for a while now..
I can't recall whether the story was proven fake or not NOR if anyone actually identified the species of snake.

But looking at it from a point of view that I haven't seen yet, I will say staged photos.

Why, you ask?

Simple.
The story states it was the familys first computer and that it was a couple of months old at the 'supposed' time of the snake incident.

The PC in the pictures is just WAY TOO CLEAN, if ya ask me, to have been anything other than a just built/delivered box.
Other clues - a technician, dis-assembling a PC while wearing jewelry?
The concrete floor.. it really is the flooring of choice for home offices...

They took it to the garage before dis-assembly?
Doubtful as pretty much NO home garages have the slab poured with expansion joints.
(too easy for oils & other car drippings to penetrate and ruin the concrete)

So in other words, looks like some fun for someone, with an idea that makes people get scared or in awe, of what can get into their PCs.
(highly unlikely.. as there isn't anywhere for the snake to get into it, especially while running..)
[addsig]

[trinitywolf]

Yeah...I don't think the fan is what "allegedly" killed it. They do sting a bit if you get hit by one, but I don't think he could get that much through before getting hit. I would say the damage to the scales could be from removal. What I think got him was electricity. Poor little guy probably got zapped. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img]
[addsig]

[telefrag]

Im guessing that its a Red Bellied Blacksnake (Austrailia)
my other clue is that its a 230v powersupply, which I think is what they use there.
[addsig]

[hisba]

from what I know this is true, we discussed it at one of the local reptile meetings.
There was a short article posted about it in our newsletter too, I'll see if I can find it.
[addsig]

[najaboy]

The story itself is an urban legend, added to the photo sequence as an afterthought. Independent of the intentionally vague tale, the photos are real.
[addsig]