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November 11

Capital letters in non-Latin, non-Cyrillic passwords

Many alphabets not developed in Europe lack the concept of letter case, which of course is useful for passwords by doubling the number of letter-character options; for example, English has 52 letter "options" when composing a password, while Hebrew has only 37 even if you use niqqud. How has this lack been addressed in non-Latin, non-Cyrillic alphabetical computing environments — is it ignored in all situations, simply resulting in fewer possible passwords, or have some programmers devised alternate mechanisms for complicating passwords that aren't generally employed in Latin or Cyrillic computing environments? Nyttend (talk) 13:16, 11 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I cannot answer the question directly, but I will note that there are multiple languages covered by Unicode that do not use an alphabet or a syllabary, most notably Standard Chinese. In that language at least, character input methods such as Shuangpin involve typing a roman transliteration (Pinyin). I presume, based on unreliable sources such as this thread, that the computer systems take the Pinyin input as the password, not the Unicode code points of the characters themselves. This may also be of interest. Tigraan^{Click here to contact me} 13:55, 11 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know about more modern systems, but Windows XP had no problem with Unicode characters in user passwords. Once my computer somehow booted with the English keyboard setup and I had to look up Alt codes for some of the characters in my password (a real pain before the age of ubiquitous smartphones and Internet connections). 93.142.69.105 (talk) 20:56, 11 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Hmm, that's interesting. I'd thought about Chinese, but I ignored it because I figured that it was on the opposite end of the spectrum: you can use any Unicode-compatible character you want, so the number of permutations for a given number of glyphs is immensely larger than with the same number of glyphs in any alphabetical system. I didn't count on Latin inputs for anything that doesn't display as Latin. Nyttend (talk) 02:57, 12 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

November 12

Google Books problem

Hello everybody, I am wondering how come I don't get any proper results for this since I've put the relevant term in quotes, but I don't get any corresponding hits...--Herfrid (talk) 17:16, 12 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Why do you think that any "proper" results exist? Ruslik_Zero 18:08, 12 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Clicking on your link I get "About 234,000 results".--Shantavira|^{feed me} 10:32, 13 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

None of those results look relevant though. (They are often to do with 'government as employer', or sometimes church or university. And they are nearly all from before Google even existed.) Well at least the first 10 aren't for me, which makes me think none are. As RuslikZero said, the most likely explanation is simply that non exist and Google is trying to be helpful so doesn't treat the quotes as meaning it must only return stuff with the exact phrase Google as employer (as it does nowadays). I would note in most contexts 'google as an employer' would be a more likely phrase anyway although it still doesn't find anything. Nil Einne (talk)

I currently get 229,000 on both "google as employer" and "as employer". Maybe many users start a search with "google" thinking it's a command to use Google, and Google therefore ignores it. But that is just speculation. To google has become a verb: wikt:google#Verb 2. PrimeHunter (talk) 14:00, 13 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

But the phrase still works on a normal Google search. (I get 16 without an and 72 with.) However I guess you're right, this result is somewhat different. If you try "microsoft as employer" it will expand the search to more than Google Books (and say so). If you try "mosque as employer" it will ignore the quotes, and say so. But if you try "google is an american company" it will find some results,some of which seem to match Google. Well most lack useful snippets and and I only looked at about 3 which had a similar phrase and 1 which did not seem to mention Google at all, I don't think all matched the exact phrase as some had stuff like multinational or Google, Inc although I'm not convinced this is unique to Google since it's the sort of thing which happens with generally Google searches all the time. and it's a bit surprising that "google is evil" doesn't seem to find anything, and even more surprising that "google was founded" which makes me think in some cases it's perhaps not finding things even though it should. (And actually "use google to find" also possible didn't work.) And weirdly "google dominates" ignores the quotes and says so but then weirdly the second result seems to have "google dominates not only", although at least the first few results do look like they have Google. (Well this is what happened the first time, the second time it did the expand search to more than Books but still keep the quotes thing. You can probably see somewhat similar results to mine by trying Google dominates without the quotes.) So possibly there is something special about the way Google is treated sometimes so I'm not sure that either phrase is really not present anywhere in Google Books results. Nil Einne (talk) 09:35, 14 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Try putting a + before google as in +google as an employer. Dmcq (talk) 14:10, 13 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

That hasn't worked for a very long time [1]. Nil Einne (talk) 09:35, 14 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry I see it is a search within Google Books not a general search. Yes I guess there aren't many books which have the text 'google as an employer' in them so it is just trying as best it can. Try Google Scholar instead if the normal google results just aren't up to what you want. Dmcq (talk) 12:08, 14 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks everybody so far! @Nil Einne: I'm sorry, but some of your comments I didn't quite get: What exactly do you mean by "and says so" here? And what about the phrase "but then weirdly the second result seems to have "google dominates not only", although at least the first few results do look like they have Google" — what are "first few results" and "have Google" exactly referring to if only, as you say, the second one contains the negated form? I'm afraid, your post is a bit confusing there...--Herfrid (talk) 16:40, 14 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

"and says so" - I mean Google tells you that it has done so. When it's a simple case of ignoring the quotes because no results are found, Google will generally tell you in the form 'No results found for "i like kittens but not cats who woof". Results for i like kittens but not cats who woof (without quotes):' (in English, if your Google is in German it will probably say something similar in German)

"but then weirdly the second result seems to have "google dominates not only", although at least the first few results do look like they have Google" - The second result for me for the Google Books search 'google dominates' (without quotes) has the phrase "google dominates not only" (longer obviously, I didn't see much point copying the whole thing although perhaps I should have copied at least one word before). This shows up in the snippet view. Which mean it actually does have the phrase "google dominates". So although Google Books suggests there are no results for "google dominates", it seems it does actually have at least one, it just isn't being picked up for some reason. The other first few results besides the second one may not have the exact phrase "google dominates" but for me the first few results do seem to have google somewhere in the book meaning in this case google isn't being ignored in the search. This compares to a number of other searches where google just seems to be ignored, as it doesn't look like it's in any of the results or at least not the first few. As indicated, I'm not sure about your search, or even "Google as an employer" but there are some examples I found where I personally think it very unlikely there are no results including for the exact phrase (and definitely something close). In other words, they do exist, the search just isn't finding them. I do not (as I suspect most people when doing quick tests like this) look at the results beyond the first few in most cases so am not sure all 40 results have Google somewhere in the book.

Nil Einne (talk) 17:29, 14 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

November 13

Reinstalling Windows 7

How does one reinstall Windows 7 from a backup DVD (which one had previously made from the Windows 7 already installed on the hard drive) to a brand-new, completely blank hard drive? Is it a matter of "just insert the DVD and follow the directions", or does one have to memorize the steps? (Note: My hard drive has NOT failed yet -- I had a new one installed just a few months ago -- I am asking this in order to be able to reinstall Windows 7 on my own when this second hard drive, inevitably, will also fail a few years from now.) 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:0:0:0:EA04 (talk) 10:26, 13 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Take a look here: https://www.wikihow.com/Install-Windows-7-(Beginners) . You probably do not have to remember the steps, as there are menus, but you can decide beforehand which disk you want to install etc. Another good thing is to make sure you have your license key. If it is not handy, say on a disk sticker, look it up from your working installation and record it. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 01:30, 14 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

You mean look it up from Control Panel > System, as I just did? 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:0:0:0:EA04 (talk) 02:04, 14 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think that works, I use Belarc Advisor to retrieve the license key. It is encrypted in the registry. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 12:31, 14 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

~~How exactly DO you do this? Where does it show the license key?~~ Never mind, I just found the product key -- my only question is, how can I tell whether this is my key or the manufacturer's, and does it actually matter when installing from a DVD which I make myself? (The OS on my computer was NOT an original installation -- it was a reinstallation onto a replacement HD made by the Geek Squad from a DVD-ROM which was marked "Intended for installation of Windows 7 using OEM tools".) 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:0:0:0:EA04 (talk) 02:22, 15 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

You install the program, run it, and then it makes a file called:C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Belarc/BelarcAdvisor/System/tmp/(your-pc-name).html and displays it in a browser window. Section #licenses has the keys. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 02:29, 15 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

November 14

Why is colour scanning more expensive than b+w?

If I use a commercial scanning company, they charge more for oclour than for black-and-white. Is this just profiteering? Surely it's the same piece of equipment and it costs just as much/ little to use. Amisom (talk) 07:32, 14 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

This is a philosophy of pricing. Today CCDs and CMOS picture sensors include color, but storing the color information is up to 3 times the amount of memory. Only high speed equipment uses separate RGB channels. Mass scanning of documents may require a more expensive high speed machine. Printing the scan in color really increases the costs of ink or toner. --Hans Haase (有问题吗) 12:41, 14 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Automated download of Google Drive files

Hi, I've been sent a long list of musical training files in Google Drive, over 50 links in the format https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5IxHKz1ru_qZDItWEl6VGUyUFk/view

If I visit that page I can download an MP3, however is there a tool that will let me download the MP3s en messe or do I really need to click on every single link and download its file individually? Thanks for your time and help — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.19.236.182 (talk) 07:33, 14 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

The downthemall add-on for firefox should do it. Other download managers are available. Henry ^Flower 09:34, 14 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

But random download managers won't necessarily download the files successfully since they aren't simple file links. The manager will need to understand Google Drive enough to know how to get the file instead of just getting the htm file that the link serves. (This includes your browser, if you right click or whatever to force download the above link, you'll just get a htm file.) Even worse if you need to be logged in to Google Drive to download the files although the comments of the OP make me think you shouldn't have to. For example, Free Download Manager 3.9.7 build 1638 (the latest Lite version [2]) will just download a HTML file with the above link. Jdownloader 2 unsurprisingly does get the MP3 file and would be one option. Nil Einne (talk) 09:47, 14 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

What level of permission

What level of permission do you have to get for an image to be counted as having been released into the public domain? I found a facebook post where someone had uploaded a set of photos to a museum’s page and said that they were free to be used. Does this mean they are now suitable for upload to Wikipedia? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Tesandjo (talk • contribs) 12:12, 14 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

@Tesandjo: I would ask at Wikipedia:Media copyright questions, but here is some preliminary analysis.

You need the person who holds copyright to the photographs (assuming there is a single such person) to unequivocally state that they release the photographs in the public domain. While a Facebook post is probably a suitable place to make such a statement, the situation you describe might fail on multiple counts:

Does the person really hold the copyrights?
Does the statement unequivocally release under a PD (or at least Wikipedia-compatible CC license)? "Anyone, you can reuse the photographs" is probably not enough (you could argue that "anyone" refers actually only to the people in a particular FB group, or that that permission is intended to be revokable, etc.)

This sounds like a tricky question, so I encourage you to seek clarification (cf. above, at Wikipedia:Media copyright questions). Tigraan^{Click here to contact me} 15:30, 14 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Part of the reason this is tricky is because in English the phrase "free to use" could mean "no charge to use", or it could mean "no restrictions on use". ApLundell (talk) 18:39, 14 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

As a quick additionto Tigraan's excellent comment, I should point out you also need to consider any copyright over whatever is being depicted in the photo. Permissions from the copyright holder of the photo can't overide any copyright limitations over whatever is depicted and it's fairly likely any copyright holder of what's depicted belongs to someone other than the photographer (and probably the museum for that matter). While many museums depict things too old to have any copyright this is far from always the case. So if it's something which potentially has copyright, e.g. a 2D artwork (e.g. painting, mosaic, drawing, photo), 3D artwork (e.g. sculpture, architectural elements of the building, wax work, statue) you need to consider whether local law surrounding freedom of panorama means there are no copyright concerns or whether there could be. As Tigraan has said, for comments on any specific case, you should seek feedback in a suitable place. (Note in the particular case of 2D artwork, if the artwork itself is old enough to be in the public domain, and the photo is simply trying to accurately depict the artwork, the foundation has rejected any copyright that may exist outside the US, and US court rules have found there is no copyright under US law. So in that limited case, you don't generally have to worry about the photographers copyright. See Commons:When to use the PD-Art tag for some details.) Nil Einne (talk) 08:16, 15 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

November 15

OTG Virus checker

Which android AV software is curently recomended best for checking viruses on a flash/pen drive via OTG cable? 123.108.246.90 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 17:27, 15 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Programming with Autocomplete: Keyboard Shortcuts?

Most of the programming editors I use (e.g. Visual Studio, Eclipse) have an autocomplete feature to automatically balance quotes, parenthesis, and other grouping characters. For example, if I want to store the string "hello, world" in the variable hello, I start typing (in Python):

hello = "

At that point, the editor will automatically insert the closing quote marks, like so:

hello = ""

This is nice, but when I'm creating a Python list of strings, it makes me move the cursor past the closing quote marks with the arrow keys, which is inconvenient. For example, to type the list:

countries = ["US","CAN","US","US"]

I need to type <">,<US>,<right arrow>,<,>,<">,<CAN>,<right arrow>,<,> and so on...

I want to know if there is a key combination that will automatically move the cursor past the closing quote marks after I type each item, or if there is another way to avoid using the arrow keys (which are inconveniently placed on my keyboard), without having to turn autocomplete off. Thanks! OldTimeNESter (talk) 20:17, 15 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

It depends on the editor. In mine (Kate), when I type ", it throws in a ". As I type, the trailing " moves over. If I type ", the cursor moves to the right of the closing ", allowing me to type a comma and then a ", which will start a new pair. 209.149.113.5 (talk) 19:45, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Why has no one created a page for serial entrepreneur Samuel Petuhov?

Recently a Samuel Petuhov has popped out into the technology scene and everyone has been looking for informaton about him, but his life is pretty much have been privatized His family is also very wealthy 200 - 300 billion according to Google. — Preceding unsigned comment added by ZSYRE (talk • contribs) 20:47, 15 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Before a page is made, we need WP:Reliable sources to base the content on. If there are no sources there is no article. You can consider the possibility of Hoax. Graeme Bartlett (talk) 00:36, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Help me with chromebook issue

My chromebook suddenly stopped showing the bookmark star, and I can't use Ctrl+d to bookmark either, and this is a problem. Please help! I am using the latest version of the operating system but it is a managed chromebook and I can't powerwash it. Bardic Wizard (talk) 21:52, 15 November 2017 (UTC) It's back so never mind. Bardic Wizard (talk) 19:45, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Struggling Software Developer Needs Career Advice

I'm a software developer with 20 years of experience. But lately, I've been having problems at work. I'm at a senior position, but have been having difficulties getting some tasks done. I'm wondering if there is something wrong with me.I'm going to the doctor tomorrow to see why I'm having trouble focusing. In any case, I'm worried that I might lose my job. I sort of wish I was a junior developer so not as much would be expected of me.

So, here's my question: Can anyone think of a computer-related field that is not as demanding mentally? AnonComputerGuy (talk) 23:32, 15 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Become a manager. In most companies that I work with, you will do nothing more than go to meetings and plug tasks into an integrated management system. 209.149.113.5 (talk) 19:43, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Based on my experience, I'd suggest software sales. My brother-in-law and I both graduated in 1979, on the same day, from the same uni computing degree course. (He was my future brother-in-law then). He was never much of a programmer and ended up in sales. (He looks good in a suit, where-as I don't). 38 years later, both close to retirement, he's still in sales and quite well off financially, and I'm still a broke programmer. However, I've only been out of work for brief periods; ploughing the legacy furrow has been my life and it's not too mentally taxing. --TrogWoolley (talk) 11:24, 17 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

November 16

why did windows restart?

Hi, I just seem to have had a windows reboot, and don't know what caused it. There would appear to have been an update, acc to the update history. But I can't be sure because there's no timestamp on the update, just a date. Does anyone know where I can find a log file of restarts?? Or some other thing that will tell me exactly why my computer restarted? Cheers, IBE (talk) 01:37, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

@It's Been Emotional: That will depend on which Windows version you are running. Here's a link I found for Windows 10: [3] RudolfRed (talk) 01:52, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, I meant to say, Windows 10, sorry there. Will check link in due course, though currently I'm occupied, just quickly saving anyone else the hassle of not knowing which version. IBE (talk) 03:28, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Windows 7 key

If you find the Windows 7 key using Belarc Advisor, how can you tell whether it's your key or the manufacturer's key? And does it actually matter, if you're reinstalling Windows from a backup DVD you made yourself onto a new, blank hard drive? 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:0:0:0:EA04 (talk) 02:15, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

App

I possess more than 83 app on my phone, What is the best solution: 1) Should I keep all my android apps on? 2) Should I only keep useful apps on? 3) Shiuld I use apps when necessity arrives than "Force stop" them? 123.108.244.151 (talk) 10:08, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Apps running in the background use up memory and slightly increase battery consumption (see below). Get rid of the ones that you never use, and ~~force stop~~ (see below) the others when you will not need them for a while. Dbfirs 15:39, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

This is a myth.[4][5] (probably spread by people with more familiarity with desktop OSes.)

On Android and iOS, with only a few exceptions, only the currently focused app is "running" in any meaningful way.

It's true that they're "using" memory, but the way memory management works on those devices makes that a good thing. The OS is empowered to kill any backgrounded app at any time if it needs the memory. So the only side-effect of leaving an app in memory is that if you switch back to it (before the OS decides to re-use that memory) it will load faster.

(This is very different than the memory management on a desktop. On a desktop, it's bad if an unused app is using RAM, because the OS isn't allowed to kill it.)

It's true that there are "services" that run in the background constantly. (If you install an email app, for example, it will have both an app which acts as I've just described, and a service which will run in the background and check your email regularly.) In most cases, force-stopping a service will just waste your battery because the OS will re-start it automatically moments later, and the start-up procedure will usually be more intensive than whatever it was doing just sitting there. This effect can be especially bad if you install one of those apps that automatically kills services. Those can drain your battery real fast because your phone will spend a lot of resources repeatedly restarting and killing the same services. [6]

If there are services that are draining your battery you should uninstall those services. Force Stopping them when you're not using them will usually make things worse. ApLundell (talk) 21:42, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I withdraw the "force stop" suggestion. According to the linked article, stopping "Background App Refresh" works better. Dbfirs 22:01, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Battery life of a Smart phone

Recomendation desired to keep it extremely healthy. What are your experiences and what do you suggest? 123.108.244.151 (talk) 10:08, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Charge the phone to 55%, turn it off, put it in the fridge and leave it there for 2 years. After 2 years, take it out and leave it out for a few days. Then plug it in and if the charge status is under 35%, charge it to 55% again then turn it back off, back in the fridge and repeat every 2 years. Nil Einne (talk) 15:26, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

That is, of course, the extreme example of how to prolong the battery life. Most people will wish to use the phone occasionally, and not keep it in the fridge, so a compromise would be to turn off all services and applications that you are not actually using (Wi-Fi, GPS, updates) and close down applications as soon as you no longer need them. Keep the phone as cool as possible. (Others will add other suggestions) Dbfirs 15:36, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Turning off features you're not using is a good idea.

"Closing down" applications after use has no positive effect, and sometimes makes the problem worse, as I've described above. ApLundell (talk) 21:44, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Good points, though you are assuming that the applications stay dormant when not being actively used. Wi-Fi, GPS, and updates still drain the battery. Dbfirs 21:48, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

In general, just closing the part of the app you can see will not fix that. ("updates" generally come from services connected to apps, not the apps themselves.) But you're right that there are exceptions. Anything that lives in your status area like an MP3 player or a navigation app, will continue to consume resources even when it's not he active app. ApLundell (talk) 22:05, 16 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

November 17

errorlevel

How do I view the current errorlevel in MS-DOS 6.22?

ECHO %ERRORLEVEL% doesn't seem to work. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 110.77.173.30 (talk) 07:55, 17 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

According to this page, you have to use conditional statements or loops to determine the error level in MS-DOS.—Best Dog Ever (talk) 08:20, 17 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Only works in scripting due DOS prompts overwrites the ERRORLEVEL. So use in BATch files only. --Hans Haase (有问题吗) 09:56, 17 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Try this (it is the program startup line in a .BAT file):

yourprogram.exe -v %1

Akld guy (talk) 05:05, 18 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

November 18

Windows 7 backup -- part 3

If you want to perform a clean reinstall of Windows 7 onto a brand new, completely blank hard drive, is it better to do so from the installation DVD supplied by Microsoft, or from system image DVDs (at least 3 and maybe more) which you have made yourself? (I have both of these.) 2601:646:8E01:7E0B:5917:3E80:D859:DF69 (talk) 11:05, 18 November 2017 (UTC)[reply]

@@ Line 181: / Line 181: @@
 = November 18 =
+== Windows 7 backup -- part 3 ==
+If you want to perform a clean reinstall of Windows 7 onto a brand new, completely blank hard drive, is it better to do so from the installation DVD supplied by Microsoft, or from system image DVDs (at least 3 and maybe more) which you have made yourself?  (I have both of these.) [[Special:Contributions/2601:646:8E01:7E0B:5917:3E80:D859:DF69|2601:646:8E01:7E0B:5917:3E80:D859:DF69]] ([[User talk:2601:646:8E01:7E0B:5917:3E80:D859:DF69|talk]]) 11:05, 18 November 2017 (UTC)