Format C: IT technician makes $38 billion mistake.

An IT technician is Alaska made a big mistake.

While doing some computer maintenance on the Alaska State computer that maintains the permanent royalty fund, he formatted the disk drive during a route maintenance check.

He then inadvertently formatted the backup drive.

“No worries, we have tape backup, right?”

Much to his horror, the backup tapes were unreadable.

The fund, which pays about 1,100 yearly to each Alaska citizen, is synonymous with the states biggest perk. It has a worth of $38 billion, so it was no small mistake.

It took many months and $250,000 to reconstruct and scan the 800,000 applications stored in 300 cardboard boxes.

We all make mistakes at work. None of us are perfect. They could be something small, like a missed deadline or wrong figure. If you are in health care, a mistake could kill. A mistake at a construction job could lead to serious injury.

I think about some of my screw-ups in various jobs over the years. Some of have been pretty big flubs that cost my company money, time, and public image. While short of a $38 billion dollar mistake, I’ve had my share.

My reaction to errors on the job have ranged the full gamut — from cover-up to full disclosure.
A Red Letter Christian is a believer who carries the words of Christ everywhere he or she goes — even when they are embarrassed, shamed, and flat out wrong.

What is your reaction when you’ve been wrong? Did you act in a Christ-like manner?