don't do that then!

2 definitions found

don't do that then! - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  Don't do that then!
  
     <humour> (From an old doctor's office joke about a patient
     with a trivial complaint) A stock response to a user
     complaint.  "When I type control-S, the whole system comes to
     a halt for thirty seconds."  "Well don't do that then!"
  
     [Jargon File]
  
     (1998-12-13)
  

don't do that then! - Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003) :

  Don't do that then!
   imp.
  
     [from an old doctor's office joke about a patient with a trivial
     complaint] Stock response to a user complaint. "When I type
  control-S,
     the whole system comes to a halt for thirty seconds." "Don't do that,
     then!" (or "So don't do that!"). Compare RTFM.
  
     Here's a classic example of "Don't do that then!" from Neal
     Stephenson's In The Beginning Was The Command Line. A friend of his
     built a network with a load of Macs and a few high-powered database
     servers. He found that from time to time the whole network would lock
     up for no apparent reason. The problem was eventually tracked down to
     MacOS's cooperative multitasking: when a user held down the mouse
     button for too long, the network stack wouldn't get a chance to
  run...