Stupid stupid packagers

[guppiecat]

For various reasons, I have been housebound of late and unable to go to zoos.

So, instead of Zoo photos, you get house photos!



Our first example of stupidity is a box of large envelopes that I purchased a long time ago. I picked them because they were 40% recycled and were the size I need. Once I got them home, I found two other special features. Let's see if you can see them:



See it? No? How about a closeup?



Apparently, the envelopes provide security because they are brown. All this time, we've been investing in fences, scanning technologies, training users and generally irritating a large number of travelers. The solution, apparently, would be to just paint our borders brown!

Also, you'll notice that we didn't start hearing all these reports of computer security problems until the computers stopped being brown, and that you never have a problem with a computer until you take it out of it's brown cardboard box. When will people learn that it's not about auditable processes and allocation of resources... it's about the colour!

Oh, the other feature is that the envelopes are apparently also radioactive (see the glow?). I'm guessing that's so that you get security against anti-brown technologies.

---

Here's the other photo, of a mouse that came with a recent computer purchase. I'll give you two establishing shots (top and bottom), see if you can find the problem:





No? How about now?



Huh?

Now, I'm not sure here, but it looks as though one is supposed to open the package by cutting the mouse cable. Maybe you're supposed to cut at the dotted line (which would make logical sense), but then why does the arrow point directly at the cable?

I'm no hardware expert, but I'm pretty sure that's not how one is supposed to get a wireless mouse.

The instruction should read "rip packaging apart with teeth, plug in mouse". It would be both more accurate and more satisfying.

Comments

[winterwren.livejournal.com]

giggle

[leiacat.livejournal.com]

The brown color does provide security of sorts - it protects your mailing from nosy mailroom interns who might from sheer boredom hold up a white envelope to the light to see what's inside.

[guppiecat]

Yes, I am sure that that is what they intended.

However, to me, this is the difference between "tamper resistant" and "tamper evident" packaging. The envelope, on its own, does nothing to prevent the attacker from determining its contents.

Instead, the security provision is that it makes it clear if the attacker opened the envelope and viewed or altered the contents. However, it does this poorly:
* The glue isn't terribly good, so steaming open the envelope is quite possible.
* It would not be difficult to open the envelope, read the contents, and put them in a new envelope for delivery.

This isn't a horrible thing, as envelopes aren't really expected to provide a high level of security (except for the clay ones in ancient times). Their primary purpose is to envelop their contents and protect them accidental damage during delivery (discretionary control, I suppose).

However, the marketing speak of "brown colour provides security" was too funny for me to let it go. I'm pondering adding "security paint" to my list of tongue-in-cheek security products.

[sunruner.livejournal.com]

I would have suggested them making it another color... the "40% post consumer waste" and the color just bring to mind another type of waste than they mean.

[diefldrmas.livejournal.com]

Guppie,

On my office wall is a screwdriver from dell it states that it is a refurbished static senative device and I should handle with care. Can you figure out the reason it is still in its packaging hanging on my wall very prominently.

Maus

[guppiecat]

I can't decide if it is because they refurbished a screwdriver or because the screwdriver is somehow sensitive to static.