Revision as of 15:47, 17 January 2012

January 13

Split files unrecognized

So I downloaded a movie and it was 10.1 GB, mkv format. The original opens fine using VLC and quicktime. I wanted to split it into smaller parts so I downloaded an application, "pif splitter". I successfully split the file into ten parts. The parts are each named name001.mkv, name002.mkv and so on. However when I try to open any of those with VLC I get an error message: "No suitable decoder module. VLC does not support the audio or video format "undf"". When I try to open any of them with Quicktime I get the message "...is not in a format that Quicktime understands". I though "okay, this splitter didn't work right let me try another." So then I downloaded "split@concat". That program likewise successfully split the original into ten parts. However, I am getting the same error messages when I try to open them. So I guess even though it's keeping mkv in the name it's not actually keeping the format? Something else? Can anyone explain what I'm doing wrong or what I can do?--108.46.103.88 (talk) 01:44, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

The purpose of a file splitter is to allow you to move the file to different media, which may have size limitations (eg, some file systems have a 4 GB file size limit; single-sided DVDs only take 4.something GBs). You might use such media in the process of copying your big file to another computer. To actually use the file, you need to rejoin the pieces back to a single file again. Each program to split a file will come with a method to rejoin the results.-gadfium 01:52, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

To split a video so that the chunks can be opened separately, you'll need an MKV-specific tool. Google:MKV splitter. NeonMerlin 01:59, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

Thank you NeonMerlin. That's very helpful. Gadfium there must be other people whose reasons for splitting is otherwise. Me, I want to burn to dvd but standard disks won't allow files of large sizes.--108.46.103.88 (talk) 02:40, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

Ya, as merlin said I think the MKV format doesn't deal well with arbitrary splits. Other containers seem to handle it. Depending on your uses, different formats might be more appropriate. Shadowjams (talk) 07:34, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

Quantum OpenCL?

How does the performance of a classical computer simulating a quantum computer tend to compare with that of a classical algorithm solving the same problem? Would it be practical for a quantum programming language to converge with OpenCL to help make quantum and classical computers interchangeable to the programmer? NeonMerlin 01:49, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

Let me start with saying I don't know anything about OpenCL. However, a classical computer simulating a quantum computer would still be doing classical computation and, thus, would be running a classical algorithm. Are you asking, perhaps, how classical algorithms that attempt to be "quantum" compare to one's that don't? From the phrasing of your question and that you seem to be asking if programming languages can make quantum and classical computation interchangeable on a single device, but quantum computation is quantum computation because of the physics of the device, not any abstract elements of the programming language. Or do you mean to ask if OpenCL could be used to program in parallel a quantum and classical device? It looks like you are crossing the roles of algorithms and physics in your question, is there some specific thing you are considering that might help to clarify this? Phoenixia1177 (talk) 10:15, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

I think the question is just whether quantum algorithms running in a quantum-on-classical emulator perform as well as classical algorithms. I'm not sure, but I think the answer is a strong no for known algorithms (which includes known emulation algorithms). For example, the quantum part of Shor's algorithm involves finding the period of a mod N with a QFT, where N is the number to be factored, and I don't think a classical emulation will do better than O(N) on this, making the algorithm worse than trial division. But it could be that the "real" answer is yes, with as-yet-undiscovered quantum and emulation algorithms. -- BenRG (talk) 18:34, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

Quantum computing is not "pin-for-pin" interchangeable with parallel computing. OpenCL doesn't seem to be the optimal language set for the best expression of quantum algorithms. Nimur (talk) 18:31, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

Can you blackout jan 18 to protest the SOPA act?

i love wikipedia, actually one of my friends father met with one of the fouders, my friend is kiran sonty from boyton beach florida, anyways, this site has so much information and i think it will really have a big effect on people if they seen this site closed down, reddit is huge but wikipedia is bigger, it will be much appreciated and it would be so cool to see that real people control the internet, pelase consider — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.61.66.210 (talk) 18:22, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

That would be a clear-cut case of breaking Misplaced Pages to make a point. I do not believe there would be traction in the Misplaced Pages community to intentionally disrupt Misplaced Pages in order to make a political point, irrespective of the validity of the point, even if the stance has (hypothetically) widespread consensus approval among Misplaced Pages contributors. Nimur (talk) 18:29, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

Not actually so clear cut. As Nil Einne mentions, there's a consensus to "blackout" wiki on the 18th... and before you freak out, "blackout" means providing a clickthrough. I almost consider that less annoying than the annual fundraising banners. Shadowjams (talk) 23:11, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

Please explain using an embarrassingly obvious use case. Does this mean If I'm already on a Misplaced Pages article page and click on a wikilink to stick, it won't work, but if I type in my browser www.wikipedia.org/Stick it will, and if I type 'stick' in the search box on the English Misplaced Pages homepage, it will work? 69.243.220.115 (talk) 15:47, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

I believe that most Misplaced Pages users would strongly disagree with any attempt to take down an international resource because one country is discussing a law that is very similar to ones already in force in Denmark, Finland, Ireland and Italy. -- kainaw™ 18:34, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

I believe that none of us really know what "most Misplaced Pages users" would think about this. The US is a big player in the content-generation and web-hosting market, much less the place where Misplaced Pages's servers are hosted. --Mr.98 (talk) 02:44, 14 January 2012 (UTC)

This is under active consideration and debate at Misplaced Pages:SOPA initiative/Action. -- Finlay McWalterჷTalk 21:34, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

This is semi OT but note that it currently appears consensus is leading to a click thruable blackout for US users and a banner for non USs. If you want your opinion heard, I suggest you make your views heard soon the current plan is that this will be decided in 2 days to be implemented on the 18th. It is semi supported by the foundation. Nil Einne (talk) 21:59, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

One thing that's needed, even here, is to tell non-US users what SOPA is. I've seen it mentioned a few times now and made a point of finding out a little about it, but non-Americans generally haven't heard of it. This is definitely a time when American editors need to broaden their own perspective if they want broader support. HiLo48 (talk) 02:51, 14 January 2012 (UTC)

Actually I think most Americans don't have any idea what it is either. That's one of the points of the proposed action Nil Einne (talk) 17:01, 14 January 2012 (UTC)

Even most US Wikieditors. The page above has only hundreds of watchers. Jim.henderson (talk) 17:07, 14 January 2012 (UTC)

The issue is potential censorship by the American government. Surely there's a way to get that word into any title we use to decribe this action. HiLo48 (talk) 21:52, 14 January 2012 (UTC)

I think that's the point of the blackout. In any case, it now seems a full global blackout is likely, if the foundation can implement it. I would suggest people keep a local copy of Misplaced Pages:Mirrors and forks if they feel they may need it. I would not suggest they rely on Google cache since Google updates Misplaced Pages fast. I have no idea how they will handle the blackout, but still seems a bad idea to rely on them. Nil Einne (talk) (sorry forgot to sign)

Hi guys. The discussion here does seem to forget that the Italians blacked their Misplaced Pages out. Did it work? I think it achieved their goals. (It had to do with some stuff Berlusconi was doing I think). Can someone comment further? 80.98.112.4 (talk) 18:25, 15 January 2012 (UTC)

No. The Italian blackout did nothing except piss off a bunch of Misplaced Pages users. Some claimed they would never use Misplaced Pages again. I am of the same opinion. I really don't give a shit of some teenagers might lose access to some website to trade stolen music and videos. I do give a shit when those teenagers become assholes and decide that if they don't get what they want then they can take Misplaced Pages away from me. I believe that this is a direct result of telling every kid he or she is special. They are not special. They are assholes who are acting like immature brats who cry, "If you don't do what I want, I'm taking my game and I'm going home." -- kainaw™ 23:26, 16 January 2012 (UTC)

Really? I don't see it as clear cut as that at all. I know this is not a soapbox, but in fact it sounds like you are the one with the indignant reaction: access to wikipedia is not a human right (yet ;) ), it's free and run by volunteers, getting "pissed off" and claiming you'll never use it again because you can't access it for ONE DAY is, well, make up your own minds. I don't mean anything personal of course. Vespine (talk) 02:10, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

If the blackout happens it will be with the approval and active involvement of Jimmy Wales and the Wikimedia Foundation. It's not a bunch of editors blanking the pages. Many people oppose SOPA for the wrong reasons, but when isn't that true? You should always be suspicious of bills that claim to protect you from a currently fashionable bugaboo. -- BenRG (talk) 06:57, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

My reaction is that I spent nearly 8 years contributing to this with plenty of money and time. This is now a non-free political baby toy for a select few idiots. So, I want my donations back. I want my money back. I want my content back. Further, I do not support this in any way. Instead of contributing security fixes, I will spend my time developing hacking and vandalism tools. Previously, the tools I've found have been written by those who obviously didn't understand how Mediawiki works. I've worked on the code a lot and understand it very well. So, I believe I can make major contributions into continuing this blackout as long as possible. -- kainaw™ 14:12, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

Finding names of Flash files/Associated flash content

Hi! I'm trying to archive a website, http://ttmfilm.com/final1.swf , so I can archive information about a film.

• Using the original link http://ttmfilm.com/final1.swf - When I click the "Film" and then the "University of times a dog" (sic) I receive the content related to the film.
• So I archived the file at http://www.webcitation.org/64fi9Rq2q - When I load this file and I click the "Film" and then the "University of times a dog" (sic) the browser says "waiting for www.webcitation.org..." - and then the content never loads. I suspect there is another file that is loaded, that had not been archived, but I am not sure how to get the name of it. I tried using Mozilla Firefox's (2.0.0.20) "Tools -> Page Info -> Media" to get the name of any new files, but I only see the links to the original file.

How do I find the names of the files of the associated content, so I can archive them? Thanks WhisperToMe (talk) 23:27, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

I made a permanent mirror for you (sourcefiles). To answer your question: use a Flash decompiler. You owe me your first-born child. Von Restorff (talk) 08:32, 14 January 2012 (UTC)

I really do. Thank you so much! WhisperToMe (talk) 08:37, 14 January 2012 (UTC)

BTW how do I get a flash decompiler? WhisperToMe (talk) 08:38, 14 January 2012 (UTC)

You are very welcome of course. Sothink SWF Decompiler has a 30 day free trail. Lemme know when the kid is born. Von Restorff (talk) 08:39, 14 January 2012 (UTC)

You will be the first to know ;) ;) WhisperToMe (talk) 16:43, 14 January 2012 (UTC)

That would be kinda cool since I am not a female. Von Restorff (talk) 16:44, 14 January 2012 (UTC)

As always, wikipedia has a helpful article for situations like this: Gender identity Can I be God-farther?--Aspro (talk) 23:01, 14 January 2012 (UTC)