Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2009 December 14

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December 14

Online Keygen and Legitimate CD Keys

When one illegally downloads a videogame from the internet, one usually needs a cd-key generator to provide a working cd key to play the game. Since these keygens generate cd keys randomly, what are the chances that it generates one that is found inside the box of a legitimately purchased game? What can the legitimate purchaser do in such a case? Acceptable (talk) 02:14, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

It would depend on the specific key algorithm (how many valid keys are there?) and the number of copies sold (how many valid keys are on the market?). The legitimate purchaser usually has little recourse, but my understanding is that game makers generally don't start locking out CD keys until unusually high numbers of duplicates (something like 20, not 2) are seen. — Lomn 02:33, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Beware of these, by the way — it is not true that all keygens generate CD keys randomly. At least one that I'm personally aware of would claim to produce Half-Life keys (from Sierra, not Valve) and it came with about a dozen valid keys that it would cough up in rotation; but it was malware and would report data on your hard disk back to the bad guys. Tempshill (talk) 02:56, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Keygens are not used for games using online activation. Most keygens simply make keys which satisfy the internal algorithm of the game or application but almost definitely won't be recognised as a valid key by the company and are therefore obviously not going to match a legitimate purchased key. Whether the company has a list of valid keys or simply uses a different or additional algorithm for verification I'm not sure, ultimately it doesn't matter. When online activiation is used, it's usually necessary to break this or use some loophole (e.g. phone activation). As should be obvious, keygens are also of no use for people who wish to play online when the game verifies the key with some central server (nearly all do) they need cracked servers at a minimum. However the issue you discuss can come up. While in many countries returning games and other copyrighted media is not possible even if the store usually allows returns without question it is of course possible to steal a key by looking in the box in store when no one is watching if it isn't sealed. In such cases the options would likely including complaining to the product support of the game who may issue a new key with a purchase receipt or other evidence (although some charge for this now I believe) or returning it to the place of purchase (in many countries they will be required to replace or refund you since the product is obviously defective if the key is in use and you can't play because of that and the product support is demanding you pay them money). When it comes to online activation, many games/products allow a number of simultaneous activiations, usually at least 3 so it may not be noticed. However if it's necessary to create an account then that obviously will be noticed. And playing simulatenously is not allowed so if you're trying to play online for example where the key would be checked every time you play it is likely you'd encounter it if the person plays online. Nil Einne (talk) 03:44, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Riddle about Cornell University

Hello, the following riddle is related to Cornell University. Can anyone help me solve it?

1. 4142 = F in A and S

2. 3221 = S are F

3. 2013 = Y of G

4. 1865 = Y of F

5. 142 = GC at CU

6. 60 = A of PS

7. 37 = D in WB

8. 26 = D of G

9. 13 = N we L

10. 11 = S on C

11. 10 = RH in NC

12. 7 = S until G

13. 1 = FC

128.253.97.15 (talk) 04:41, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Guessing that these are all numbers of something at Cornell, so 1. 4142 = F in A and S could be 4,142 Freshmen in Arts and Sciences. 218.25.32.210 (talk) 05:25, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

According to our article, there are only a bit over 3000 freshmen in total in the entire university. Acceptable (talk) 05:40, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

In that case, #2 could be "3221 students are freshmen". 3 might be "year of graduation" in which case this is probably specific to one freshmen class (last year's I guess?). 5 presumably is something "at Cornell University". I don't see anything that might relate to dangerously precipitous hills, so I am unable to help further... Adam Bishop (talk) 07:03, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

1865 = Y of F = Year of foundation.Richard Avery (talk) 07:10, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

That seems to be the case, yes. Also, the 2013 Entering Class Profile says there are 4142 undergraduate students in Arts and Sciences, although that doesn't solve was the F is. Adam Bishop (talk) 07:11, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

For 6, how about "age of President Skorton"? He's 60. And for 11, are there "10 residence houses in North Campus"? And 12, "seven semesters until graduation"? Adam Bishop (talk) 08:33, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

5. 142 = GC at CU would be 142 Graduating Classes at Cornell University (which is consistent with the Year of Foundation being 1865). 10. 11 = S on C 11 Sororities on campus ? --Xuxl (talk) 15:48, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Seems to be, according to this. Adam Bishop (talk) 21:24, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Could it be 3221 = S are F means "3221 students are female? I have no idea what the male:female ratio is at Cornell, but at some schools it can be a bit out of whack. It could also mean something like "foreign-born" or something. --Jayron32 22:16, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

#13 could be Freshman Class = #1! -- KathrynLybarger (talk) 02:09, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

According to this document (linked above by Adam), 3221 students (in 2013 class) are fulltime. -- KathrynLybarger (talk) 02:21, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

surgical procedures without anaesthesia

term used for surgical procedures perform without anaesthesia —Preceding unsigned comment added by Surendrajones (talk • contribs) 06:35, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Short term, preferably. --Dweller (talk) 13:06, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

"Painful" would be another good term. DJ Clayworth (talk) 14:49, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Do you mean procedures that are routinely carried out unanaesthetised (such as injections, which are defined as "minor operations" by the UK's NHS - I recently had one), or procedures that normally employ anaesthasia but due to circumstances have to be carried out without it? 87.81.230.195 (talk) 18:14, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Do you mean "local" rather than "general" anaesthesia? 75.41.110.200 (talk) 23:31, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Not anesthetized. Sentient. Bus stop (talk) 23:37, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

There are quite a few brain-related surgical operations which are done with a local anaesthetic. Craniotomy, for example. The local anaesthetic is needed to get through skin & skull - but the brain itself can be operated on without pain being inflicted. I can't think of a single term for that kind of operation though. SteveBaker (talk) 04:08, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

Many surgeries use sedation or local pain killers rather than true anesthetics. Some dental work (such as fillings) can be done without any novocaine, although it can hurt some. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:59, 16 December 2009 (UTC)

See bite the bullet. Nyttend (talk) 07:15, 16 December 2009 (UTC)

Waterless hand sanitizer

Whats in some of them that makes your hands sticky?Accdude92 (talk to me!) (sign) 14:12, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Check the ingredients list and if it has glycerine in, your hands will be sticky after use. --TammyMoet (talk) 15:05, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

In general, alcohol-based hand sanitizers (or any alcohol rubbed on the skin) have a tendency to dry your hands, due to the alcohol helping the water in the skin to evaporate. To combat this, all commercial hand sanitizers have moisturizers (like glycerine) in them. If your particular brand doesn't have glycerine in it, the moisturizer it does have may be to blame. -- 128.104.112.87 (talk) 16:03, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Why is glycerine sticky though?Accdude92 (talk to me!) (sign) 20:14, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

This might have been better placed on the Science desk. Dismas|^(talk) 20:56, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

A better question to ask might be whether these products really work or not. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:45, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

They work, but usually not as well as soap and water. --Tango (talk) 01:23, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

Access to soap and water also makes alcohol-based hand sanitizers unnecessary. DOR (HK) (talk) 06:26, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

True, but in my experience of such sanitizer provision, in Doctors' and Dentists' reception or waiting areas for use before entering and after leaving the treatment areas, installing in situ full-blown handwashing facilities would be physically impractical, while directing patients to use the existing facilities, besides increasing contamination risks, would cause bottlenecks and delays. A quick on-the-spot squirt and hand rub with no drying needed is convenient and quick. 87.81.230.195 (talk) 14:02, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

Indeed. These kinds of hand sanitisers are used when either soap and water is unavailable/impractical or people would be unlikely to use it. Persuading someone to wash their hands whenever they enter a doctor's surgery would be difficult, persuading them to spend a couple of seconds cleaning their hands with alcohol is easy. --Tango (talk) 16:28, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

Faroe Islands tunnels/civil engineering.

What are the main civil engineering companies, or company, in the faroe islands? I mean for instance who builds the most tunnels? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.74.72.115 (talk) 16:11, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Well you learn something every day. I thought this was a joke but look at List of tunnels of the Faroe Islands. Wow! All paid for by the generous Danish tax-payers apparently[1]. Google suggests this lot [2] are connected with the Sandoy tunnel project - sorry I don't speak Danish. Alansplodge (talk) 22:33, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Propaganda

While a child in South africa a remember waatching short television shows, one I remember concerned a narative of a girl that goes out to eat with her friedn and because this long term friend kept licking their lips, had bloodshot eyes and needed to disapear the the bathroom on a regular basis, she was to asume that her friend was on drugs and she should report them to the police forthwith. Another was a guy who got a job in a fastfood resteraunt, his friend came in and asked for free food, becuase he did this he lost his job, and was charged with theft. The moral of the story is that he should not have given his friend a free burger and should have reported his friend to the police. A third was of a boy telling of how he became a drug addict, his friends father started by buying them beer, and later progressed to giving them all sorts of drugs, and telling them that it was cool to do these things. Once again he should have reported his friends father to the police as soon as he had tried to give them beer. Where can I find these, what other examples were there, and any other info that can be given. Thanks. Another was of a guy who had a bad relationship with his father until he almost lost a thumb while working on a car, his father was there to help, moral unknown. Thanks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.172.59.90 (talk) 19:31, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

See Public service announcement for this general type of advertisement. --Jayron32 19:54, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

In the US in the 1940s-1960s short films seeking to train youth into good or healthful behavior and for sex education were made and shown in schools. Today they are considered funny. Maybe the tv shows, which sounded longer than 1 minute public service announcements, had a similar origin as material for schools, and were used on the TV as filler or as time counted toward educational programming. Edison (talk) 20:05, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

See social guidance film. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 20:51, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Maybe also after school special. Adam Bishop (talk) 20:52, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

Let's remember that South Africa was a bit different to the US and Europe - 'Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd compared television with atom bombs and poison gas, claiming that "they are modern things, but that does not mean they are desirable. The government has to watch for any dangers to the people, both spiritual and physical"'. TV was banned in SA until 1976. See Television_in_South_Africa. Alansplodge (talk) 22:40, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

My guess would be that at least part of the reason they banned TV was for the same reason that countries like China control internet access - to prevent the people from seeing stuff that could undermine their authority. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 08:59, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

My guess is it was the only reason. Alansplodge (talk) 10:43, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

So, ironically, they weren't allowed to watch the lily-white Andy Griffith Show first run, but they were able to get the integrated show Sanford and Son in its final season or two; and Good Times, where a black kid talked about dynamite. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:57, 16 December 2009 (UTC)

Apparently they did get S&S [3]. Don't know about Good Times Nil Einne (talk) 13:10, 16 December 2009 (UTC)

The public service announcement genre is likely to be oriented towards individual and societal well-being by warning against risky behavior or harmful practices, thus appealing to one's health and safety without necessarily involving informing the authorities about others' wrongdoings. -- Deborahjay (talk) 08:35, 15 December 2009 (UTC)