Too Bad She Didn’t Log Her Ears In

I am working on fixing a bug in the database for my client’s app on a remote server. I call my client and ask her to refrain from logging in; if she does, the code will overwrite my changes in the database.

Me: “Okay, I need to be clear. If you or anyone else in the company logs in to the server, the code will overwrite my changes in the database. That means you need to tell everyone not to log in and refrain from doing so yourself.”

Client: “No problem. I’ll put the word out.”

Me: “Great. So, everyone knows not to sign in until I give the all-clear?”

Client: “Yep! They’ve been told.”

Me: “And you’re not going to, right?”

Client: “Yes, yes.”

I get to work. After about an hour, I notice that some of my earlier changes have been reset. I contact my client again.

Me: “Hey, I noticed that some of my changes were reverted. Has anyone accessed the system in the past hour or so?”

Client: “No one but me has access.”

Me: “Then did you sign in the past hour?”

Client: “In the past hour?”

Me: “Yes.”

Client: “I didn’t change anything, though.”

Me: “So, you actually have signed in?”

Client: “Um…”

Me: “…”

Client: “I don’t know.”