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[Beep boop, does not compute.] Computers and their software are only as smart as the people who program them. And even then, no programmer is perfect: there might be a small error in the code, a pesky bug, or an unexpected glitch that makes the software do what it’s not supposed to. The results can be hilarious and might get you chuckling whether you’re a coding tech veteran or you cheekily press your PC’s ‘off’ button when prompted to ‘press any button to continue.’

Our team here at Bored Panda loves humor and thinks that it’s one of the most powerful tools in anyone’s arsenal when life gets dark, dangerous, and depressing. So we’ve surfed all over the net to bring you these glorious software fails that would make even ‘The Matrix’ glitch out. Scroll down and remember to upvote the pics you liked the most, dear Pandas. Tell us all about the worst software chaos that you’ve personally seen in the comment section at the bottom of this list.

And if you’re hungry for some more digital laughter, take a peek at our previous article about software hilarity right here.

Steven Wooding, a member of the Institute of Physics in the UK and part of the Omni Calculator Project, who created the fun and useful Weird Units Converter, explained to Bored Panda how he approaches software bugs and glitches.

"I'm a physicist, so I like to use the scientific method when debugging troublesome code. If it's a bug that a user has reported, the first job is to reproduce the bug yourself. If you can't, then maybe there's a problem with something outside your control," he explained to us his approach. "Once you've reproduced it, develop a hypothesis as to why the software is behaving incorrectly and test it. Once you have a proven theory, it's time to fix the bug, then try again to see if the issue is resolved. You have to be careful, though, as the fix might introduce another bug. Having a standard set of tests will help catch such errors."

#1

Guess I’ll Be Living Unhealthy

Guess I’ll Be Living Unhealthy

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Sum Guy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hahahaha... that is a great excuse to get that bucket of chicken wings

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Physicist Steven, who is part of the Omni Calculator Project, agreed with Bored Panda that computers are only as smart as the people who programmed them.

"A computer will do precisely what you tell it to do. No computer language yet developed will get the gist of what you want it to do and correct all your mistakes. That's why bugs are very easy to make and very frustrating learning to program," he said. Alas! A program that could interpret what we're trying to do would be a godsend and might get even more people into coding.

According to Steven, there should be a way to fix things, as long as you know that the problem lies with your code. At this point, patience and diligence are key.

"You just have to preserve with it until it's fixed. This may mean stepping through the code one line at a time, seeing how values change, just before the bug strikes. If the values are not what you expect, track back through the code to see how those values were derived to help find the bug. There is a great feeling of accomplishment once you've squashed a bug."

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#4

Quite A Nice Run I Had This Evening

Quite A Nice Run I Had This Evening

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#6

Generosity Is Not Their Specialty

Generosity Is Not Their Specialty

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Very recently, Bored Panda had a good long chat about the programming world with software engineer and all-around creative Andrew Eckel. He explained that when someone’s pushed to learn a new programming language, it can lead to a lot of growth.

"My undergrad program was taught in C++, but where I went to grad school, they used Java. To catch up, I wound up taking graduate-level classes and the freshman intro class in the same semester. My fellow students in the freshman class wondered how I suddenly became their TA in the following semester," he gave an example from his own life.

#7

My Sim Slept While Carrying A Plate

My Sim Slept While Carrying A Plate

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#8

This Planetarium's Computer Crashed

This Planetarium's Computer Crashed

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Alditekim
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Blue planet of death? I heard there were some indications of life there.

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#9

But I Forgot My Face At Home

But I Forgot My Face At Home

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According to the software engineer, coding leaves a lot of room for creativity. He said that for anyone to say that programming isn’t creative is "like saying using a sewing machine isn't creative.”

He said: ”It's creative if you make something creative with it! It's a craft that can be done both artfully and in the service of creating great art. Or you can program a garage door opener with it."

Andrew added, jokingly: "If people say it isn't creative, you won't hear them over the sound of your garage door closing."

#10

A Few Years Ago, Zooming Out Made Everything Become Disappointment Lake

A Few Years Ago, Zooming Out Made Everything Become Disappointment Lake

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#12

No, I Don't Think That's A Jam Bun

No, I Don't Think That's A Jam Bun

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Meanwhile, sometime before that, Andrew said that debugging can actually be fun. Programming, as a whole, is very rewarding once the coder manages to figure out the puzzle in front of them.

"The best moment for any programmer is seeing something you built work for the first time. It seems almost too good to be true, when something goes from an idea to a bunch of lines of code, to something that actually works and is helpful," the programming expert said.

#13

Tried Taking A Wide Angle Selfie, Spawned A Twin

Tried Taking A Wide Angle Selfie, Spawned A Twin

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"You don't even need to invent anything to experience this thrill. Often it's just a matter of taking a well-known algorithm and applying it to a new situation,” he added.

“There are many great teachers out there who can teach about algorithms and the thought process of how to apply them—people who can take something that has the potential to be really dry and make it fun and interesting," Andrew noted that teaching programming is the same as teaching anything else: a lot depends on the teacher, not just the subject.

#16

Work Training Is Going Well

Work Training Is Going Well

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#17

So This Just Happened

So This Just Happened

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kristina law
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When you have pressed every number for every option and finally get through to a real live human being after being on hold for 3 hours.....click

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#18

This Bus

This Bus

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•porcelain•doll•
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

not related but look how a whole a$$ water bottle is fitting in his pockets but women can't even fit phones :(

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He stressed the fact that programmers have to learn to enjoy their daily lives that won’t be chock full of huge wins and breakthroughs.

"Those 'eureka' moments don't happen every day, but the day-to-day fun in programming is debugging. I know that sounds crazy because if you're debugging it usually means the code you wrote doesn't work! But everyone I work with feels this way. The more confusing and strange the program's behavior is, the more fun it is to unravel the mystery, find the cause, and fix it. It's like a puzzle."

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#21

2020 Didn't End In Romania

2020 Didn't End In Romania

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Aaron Genest, a manager with Siemens Technology, previously explained to Bored Panda what mindset we should have when considering the future of technology and making predictions.

"I'd argue that most people underestimate the timelines necessary to produce the technological goods on which we rely and the investment made to allow them to exist. By looking 'upstream' in that investment space, we can have a pretty good idea of what whole industries are betting on," he said.

#22

My Child's BMI Is Apparently Infinite

My Child's BMI Is Apparently Infinite

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NsG
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh, like the guy who was called early for his vaccine because the NHS had input his height at 6.2cm (instead of 6' 2"). Making him essentially the world's fattest Borrower

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#24

Just My Casual Morning Run

Just My Casual Morning Run

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Alditekim
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Can you pick up something for me at the bermuda triangle during your next run?

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"For instance, it takes almost two years to develop and produce a computer chip and get it to market for a phone, and five years to get something into a new kind of car. So if we want to have a sense for what, for instance, the gadgets in our cars will look like in 2026, we just need to look at what the car manufacturers are asking their suppliers to design today,” Aaron said.

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The tech expert pointed out that technologies like 5G or various chips that receive billions of dollars of investments will likely stick around in the future. At least, long enough for the companies that invested into them to get their money’s worth.

#25

Left The PC On Overnight For An Automatic Update, Returned To This

Left The PC On Overnight For An Automatic Update, Returned To This

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#26

Woke Up To This, Panicked

Woke Up To This, Panicked

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As such, when making predictions about the future of tech, prognosticators look ‘upstream’ at recent and not-so-recent industry trends instead of relying “on some crystal ball they hide in their robes." That means that if you want to know what the future looks like, you'd best take a good long look at the present and past. Though, in either case, one thing's for sure: the future is bound to have plenty of hilarious glitches, as well. There's no getting rid of software bugs for good, no matter how advanced society might be.

#30

My PC Started Crashing All Around And My Mouse Cursor Started Duplicating So I Drew A House With It

My PC Started Crashing All Around And My Mouse Cursor Started Duplicating So I Drew A House With It

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#31

This Weather Reporter Got Caught In An On-Air Graphics Error That "Multiplied" Her Across The Screen. Earth, Wind, And A Chance Of Scattered Showers

This Weather Reporter Got Caught In An On-Air Graphics Error That "Multiplied" Her Across The Screen. Earth, Wind, And A Chance Of Scattered Showers

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#34

French Is Such A Romantic Language

French Is Such A Romantic Language

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Shelp
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Etymology expert here: this word comes from Latin (QV&#xXXVII). It also exists in Spanish (quy#j27), in Italian (ch&#x29) and in Portuguese (que#x27ão)

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#36

A Comforting Sign Before Watching A Horror Movie At My Local Cinema

A Comforting Sign Before Watching A Horror Movie At My Local Cinema

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Sue Lynn Chan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nope! Turn your head around and walk straight, and don’t forget to pass by the church

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#37

Let's Get Some Food At?

Let's Get Some Food At?

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#38

Yes, I Got Successfully $0

Yes, I Got Successfully $0

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#42

Well, Kudos To The Devs

Well, Kudos To The Devs

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#43

My Package Had A Meltdown

My Package Had A Meltdown

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#44

Guess I’ll Open The Window For A Bit Of Fresh Air

Guess I’ll Open The Window For A Bit Of Fresh Air

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#45

I'm Not An Expert In Chess But This Doesn't Seem Fair

I'm Not An Expert In Chess But This Doesn't Seem Fair

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#47

All Of My Shortcuts Have Been Tainted With Assassin's Creed Syndicate Icons

All Of My Shortcuts Have Been Tainted With Assassin's Creed Syndicate Icons

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#49

Portal Between Lithuania And Poland

Portal Between Lithuania And Poland

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#50

"Where Are We Going To Again?"

"Where Are We Going To Again?"

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Fat Harry
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even better with the text below which I think (my German is VERY rusty) says "Now we have it in black on white" (i.e. clearly and unambiguously)

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Note: this post originally had 130 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.