Sunday 26 June 2011

Luck Of The Draw

You cannot help but feel sorry for the people who are victims of the recent US Green Card fiasco. 

In yet another example of a 'computer error' 22,000 people around the world were mistakenly informed last month that they had won the immigration lottery.

50,000 people a year get a chance to win permanent residence in the U.S. and a ticket to the American Dream when they enter the Green Card lottery

The technical glitch means that the lottery will be re-run according to the State Department.  The computer had made a 'unilteral decision' to select 90% of the winners from the first two days of the application window instead of the full 30-day registration period.

Take the example of poor Mr Kuate from Africa who sold off some of his family land to pay for his application fees and medical examination on the basis that he had been accepted, or another man who rushed out and proposed to his girl friend on the basis that they would be able to start a new life together in the USA.

There hasn't been a satisfactory explanation as to why the computer developed its glitch; perhaps human error with the programming was to blame?

Or maybe there is a more bizarre reason such as recent changes to the US power grid which apparently can make your clocks run 20 minutes fast.
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