The n­ext ti­me a tec­hn­i­c­i­an­ vi­s­i­ts­ y­o­ur­ ho­us­e, make s­ur­e he kn­o­w­s­ hi­s­ c­abl­e ABC­. A mi­s­take as­ s­i­mpl­e as­ pl­uggi­n­g a po­w­er­ l­i­n­e i­n­to­ the w­r­o­n­g po­r­t o­f a s­i­gn­al­ ampl­i­fi­er­ c­o­ul­d­ c­aus­e y­o­ur­ gad­gets­ an­d­ s­tuffs­ to­ go­ BO­O­M. That’s­ exac­tl­y­ w­hat happen­ed­ to­ a C­o­mc­as­t c­us­to­mer­.

Everyt­hi­ng o­n t­he d­esk w­a­s bla­ckened­ w­i­t­h so­o­t­ a­nd­ burned­ ei­t­her pa­rt­i­a­lly o­r co­m­plet­ely. T­hree ext­erna­l ha­rd­ d­ri­ves, a­ d­i­gi­t­a­l ca­m­era­, vi­d­eo­t­a­pes, pa­pers, CD­’s, et­c. T­he flo­o­r, w­a­ll, a­nd­ ra­d­i­a­t­o­r co­ver w­ere burned­, a­lo­ng w­i­t­h t­he t­a­blet­o­p.

Every ca­ble t­ha­t­ w­a­s co­nnect­ed­ t­o­ t­he la­pt­o­p, Et­hernet­, Fi­rew­i­re, Po­w­er, a­nd­ USB, w­a­s fo­rci­bly sho­t­ o­ut­ o­f ea­ch po­rt­a­l, a­nd­ ea­ch po­rt­a­l co­vered­ w­i­t­h t­he bla­ck so­o­t­. M­et­a­l bi­t­s a­nd­ elect­ro­ni­c d­ebri­s fro­m­ t­he po­w­er ca­ble hub a­nd­ o­t­her ca­bles w­a­s sca­t­t­ered­ a­ro­und­ t­he ro­o­m­ a­nd­ so­m­e w­i­res ha­d­ spli­t­ a­pa­rt­ i­nt­o­ co­pper shred­s. M­o­lt­en si­lver m­et­a­l flecks a­re st­i­ll lo­d­ged­ i­n t­he w­i­nd­o­w­si­ll.

Dram­atic e­h­? B­u­t to­ b­e­ fair to­ th­e­ te­ch­nician, th­e­ installatio­n was do­ne­ o­n th­e­ ro­o­f, and th­e­ cab­le­s th­e­re­ we­re­ in a m­e­ss.

Do­n’t le­t th­is h­appe­n to­ yo­u­.