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Once, while working at a large grocery store, we lost power. The emergency lights came on, but all the cash registers stopped working. One of the managers ran t

Once, while working at a large grocery store, we lost power. The emergency lights came on, but all the cash registers stopped working. One of the managers ran to the back of the store and returned with hand cranks that fit into the side of the cash registers. It was darker, but sales did not stop. The time required to re-train the cashiers was negligible. This cyber attack will probably result in a doubling down of the same technology that put them into this position. Perhaps, in addition, they should look for a lower tech fall back approach.

ethbr0 5y ago
A key point is remembering the reason for computerization & automation is efficiency. The difference between less (manual) & more (computerized) efficiency is probably less important than the difference between stopping & continuing operations, in exceptional times. Waffle House and Home Depot (among others) are pretty good at internalizing this, and have processes for running on shoestrings, but still running, until normal support can be restored.
reader_mode 5y ago
How do you process cards with hand cranks ? Also these days I think you're legally required to use some sort of government fiscalisation service where each receipt is uploaded as issued or something like that.
- yissp 5y ago
  I've seen businesses in the US use these things during power outages. https://www.possupply.com/model-4850-flatbed-credit-card-imprinter https://www.possupply.com/model-4850-flatbed-credit-card-imp...
  - ghaff 5y ago
    Most of my cards aren't embossed at this point. They'd have to write the information by hand.
- ratww 5y ago
  There are small handheld readers for cards with chip/RFID + PIN. I've started seeing some being used here (EU) in such emergencies. They're pretty cheap, I even have one myself.
bjourne 5y ago
That wouldn't work as 98% of all Swedish customers pay with their debit and credit cards and don't have any cash on them.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- brisad 5y ago
  Well, perhaps they should just bring the cash then. I find it incredible naive to just do away with cash in society.
  - robin_reala 5y ago
    It’s already effectively been done away with, and it would be a multi-year societal change to bring it back. I’ve been living in Sweden for four years, and I think that’s about the same number of times I’ve even seen a coin or note.
    - ghaff 5y ago
      It's far more common in the US and I certainly see it on a regular basis. But, personally, I'll go months without using it and if I'm driving somewhere I'll have some cash in the car but don't usually carry it on my person.
  - AtNightWeCode 5y ago
    That train has left the station a long time ago. In Sweden, debit cards are the most common payment method at stores. Most legit companies don't want cash. It just exposes a lot of people for the risk of being robbed.
    - peakaboo 5y ago
      The official reason is that they want to control crime. The unofficial reason is that they want to be able to track everything people do with money.
skinkestek 5y ago
In Norway the CEO(? I don't know his exact title) of the countrys national bank gas demanded that everyone keep supporting cash for the foreseeable future or face fines. I find that to be a smart move.
- kwhitefoot 5y ago
  Not everyone is paying attention. I went past a shop in Tønsberg last week that had a sign saying that they do not accept cash. Quite a few buses here in Norway do not accept cash at the moment in order to reduce the driver's risk risk of catching COVID.
  - skinkestek 5y ago
    I know. It will be interesting to see if he manage to continue his hard line after the pandemic. I really hope so.
  - eitland 5y ago
    Is it ok if I ask if you live near Tønsberg? If not, just pretend you didn't see this message :-)
    - kwhitefoot 5y ago
      Of course, you may always ask anything. But I won't promise to always answer. In this case the answer is that I live in Drammen. May I ask why you want to know, and what you will do with this information?
      - eitland 5y ago
        > May I ask why you want to know, and what you will do with this information? Sure. The reason I asked was that I just want to get a feeling for who all you folks are. Also since I live in Horten it would have been the closest one I knew except people at work. As for what I want to do with the information I guess it depended on the answer, but probably nothing. If there was a place to meet HNers near home or work I'd probably visit it once a year or something (depending on how it turned out the first time).

ethbr0 5y ago

A key point is remembering the reason for computerization & automation is efficiency. The difference between less (manual) & more (computerized) efficiency is probably less important than the difference between stopping & continuing operations, in exceptional times. Waffle House and Home Depot (among others) are pretty good at internalizing this, and have processes for running on shoestrings, but still running, until normal support can be restored.

reader_mode 5y ago

How do you process cards with hand cranks ? Also these days I think you're legally required to use some sort of government fiscalisation service where each receipt is uploaded as issued or something like that.

yissp 5y ago
I've seen businesses in the US use these things during power outages. https://www.possupply.com/model-4850-flatbed-credit-card-imprinter https://www.possupply.com/model-4850-flatbed-credit-card-imp...
- ghaff 5y ago
  Most of my cards aren't embossed at this point. They'd have to write the information by hand.
ratww 5y ago
There are small handheld readers for cards with chip/RFID + PIN. I've started seeing some being used here (EU) in such emergencies. They're pretty cheap, I even have one myself.

bjourne 5y ago

That wouldn't work as 98% of all Swedish customers pay with their debit and credit cards and don't have any cash on them.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
brisad 5y ago
Well, perhaps they should just bring the cash then. I find it incredible naive to just do away with cash in society.
- robin_reala 5y ago
  It’s already effectively been done away with, and it would be a multi-year societal change to bring it back. I’ve been living in Sweden for four years, and I think that’s about the same number of times I’ve even seen a coin or note.
  - ghaff 5y ago
    It's far more common in the US and I certainly see it on a regular basis. But, personally, I'll go months without using it and if I'm driving somewhere I'll have some cash in the car but don't usually carry it on my person.
- AtNightWeCode 5y ago
  That train has left the station a long time ago. In Sweden, debit cards are the most common payment method at stores. Most legit companies don't want cash. It just exposes a lot of people for the risk of being robbed.
  - peakaboo 5y ago
    The official reason is that they want to control crime. The unofficial reason is that they want to be able to track everything people do with money.

skinkestek 5y ago

In Norway the CEO(? I don't know his exact title) of the countrys national bank gas demanded that everyone keep supporting cash for the foreseeable future or face fines. I find that to be a smart move.

kwhitefoot 5y ago
Not everyone is paying attention. I went past a shop in Tønsberg last week that had a sign saying that they do not accept cash. Quite a few buses here in Norway do not accept cash at the moment in order to reduce the driver's risk risk of catching COVID.
- skinkestek 5y ago
  I know. It will be interesting to see if he manage to continue his hard line after the pandemic. I really hope so.
- eitland 5y ago
  Is it ok if I ask if you live near Tønsberg? If not, just pretend you didn't see this message :-)
  - kwhitefoot 5y ago
    Of course, you may always ask anything. But I won't promise to always answer. In this case the answer is that I live in Drammen. May I ask why you want to know, and what you will do with this information?
    - eitland 5y ago
      > May I ask why you want to know, and what you will do with this information? Sure. The reason I asked was that I just want to get a feeling for who all you folks are. Also since I live in Horten it would have been the closest one I knew except people at work. As for what I want to do with the information I guess it depended on the answer, but probably nothing. If there was a place to meet HNers near home or work I'd probably visit it once a year or something (depending on how it turned out the first time).