This is 100% fault of the hotel, not of Microsoft. It’s unacceptable that the communications regarding such a dangerous thing totally rely on email, without any backup or double check.
Seems like if the system can send an email it should be able to, like, illuminate a red light somewhere or something, if what it’s doing can create an actual safety risk.
> Due to the (Microsoft) disruption, no emails were received, as the company informed WDR on Saturday. As a result, no one was aware that the sauna area's maintenance safety system had already issued an email alert. This was because the automatic dosing system had pumped too much chlorine into the pool.
Apparently the alarm system sent its alarms via email.
"As a result, no one was aware that the sauna area's maintenance safety system had already issued an email alert. This was because the automatic dosing system had pumped too much chlorine into the pool."
We're in an era where alarms go out via email, major policy changes are announced on Truth Social, and war is declared on X/Twitter.
This is 100% fault of the hotel, not of Microsoft. It’s unacceptable that the communications regarding such a dangerous thing totally rely on email, without any backup or double check.
Seems like if the system can send an email it should be able to, like, illuminate a red light somewhere or something, if what it’s doing can create an actual safety risk.
https://www1-wdr-de.translate.goog/nrw/rheinland/rhein-erft-...
> 15 guests injured at Phantasialand
> Due to the (Microsoft) disruption, no emails were received, as the company informed WDR on Saturday. As a result, no one was aware that the sauna area's maintenance safety system had already issued an email alert. This was because the automatic dosing system had pumped too much chlorine into the pool.
I know it’s fun to blame Microsoft for things, but that is a poor and dangerous design.
Anything that could result in that sort of harm should have a more resilient and redundant architecture.
Perhaps as a proximal cause, but not a root cause.
Core services must be as minimal and stable as possible, with safe fallbacks and never be part of a huge internet smart device big tech clusterfuck.
Employee finds pool water has dangerous amounts of chlorine, yet instead of locking the door to the pool they just send an email into the void?
This is an automated system almost certainly. It monitors the chemistry and sends alerts if things fall out of range.
Whoever made email safety critical was not thinking... What a dumb design decision
Apparently the alarm system sent its alarms via email.
"As a result, no one was aware that the sauna area's maintenance safety system had already issued an email alert. This was because the automatic dosing system had pumped too much chlorine into the pool."
We're in an era where alarms go out via email, major policy changes are announced on Truth Social, and war is declared on X/Twitter.