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# 2012 Olympics money saving idea

No need for big expensive stadiums
(I helped save b3ta! 2 Can Chunder Word to your mums, I came to prod bums, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 11:55, archived)
# get this on Dragon's Den asap!
adn they can also generate the power to run the lights too!
(I helped save b3ta! Griffin Saver Something, something, 2006, something., Mon 27 Apr 2009, 11:56, archived)
# It would be much more entertaining this way.
They could slowly increase the speed. Anyone who couldn't keep up would fall off the back, preferably into a pit of spikes.
(I helped save b3ta! 2 Can Chunder Word to your mums, I came to prod bums, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 12:02, archived)
# Sucks to be the guy that can't keep up.
That is exactly the first thing I thought of when I saw the pic.
(MrPlankton, Tue 28 Apr 2009, 5:46, archived)
# oooooh
Bit racist?
(fume troll, Tue 28 Apr 2009, 17:32, archived)
# hahahaha
this is superbly done. woo
(I helped save b3ta! drbroon abloooobloobloo, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 11:56, archived)
# this is awesome :)
(I helped save b3ta! The Great Architect is still waiting for his account to be deleted on, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 11:56, archived)
# 12 billions to make that!
(waxdart hello., Mon 27 Apr 2009, 11:57, archived)
#
BREAD NOT CARNIVALS!
(I helped save b3ta! Prof UnderCover evitable, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 11:57, archived)
# ... which doesn't seem to exist any more... or I'm confused in the head
anyway - I agree; the money set aside for the Olympics should be redistributed as international aid.
(I helped save b3ta! Prof UnderCover evitable, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 12:02, archived)
# Bread and circuses? ("panem et circenses" -- Juvenal)
(wikipedia), but you might have been thinking of something else...
(I helped save b3ta! Bee Nice |-|, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 14:04, archived)
# *waits for it to malfunction*
*waits*
*waits*
*waits*
(Mrs Trellis GIN, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 11:58, archived)
# :)
(waxdart hello., Mon 27 Apr 2009, 11:58, archived)
# Very clever.
(I helped save b3ta! zeltergiset, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 11:58, archived)
# Wonderful!
(I helped save b3ta! J Peasemould Gruntfuttock Alpha Mike Foxtrot, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 11:59, archived)
# That's just crazy enough to work. Quick, phone up Sebastian Coe
and call him a cunt
(I helped save b3ta! Colonel Dracula Two manky hookers and a racist dwarf, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 11:59, archived)
# That's SIR cnut to you!


(I helped save b3ta! Sir Aunty Grampa Dave the Hat - enjoying a post-meridian muncheon - Ta! Cannaoogim!?, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 12:01, archived)
# Hahaha
(I helped save b3ta! BleachedEgo draw a cdc then get back to your teen porn.Pricks, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 12:01, archived)
# Haha!
Excellent work :D
(I helped save b3ta! Fishcat Difficult difficult lemon difficult., Mon 27 Apr 2009, 12:00, archived)
# :D
brilliant
(I helped save b3ta! HappyToast Groat froth, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 12:01, archived)
# I like the thought
that if one of them didn't run fast enough they'd fall off the back
(Safety Hamster What happens in the future, stays in the future, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 12:02, archived)
# haha!
Needs a big brake for comedy flying-athlete purposes :)
(I helped save b3ta! i_yam_bucket doo wah diddy diddy wah wah diddy doo, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 12:02, archived)
# yes!
(I helped save b3ta! Bloop Fri 16 Jul, 22:10, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 12:03, archived)
# ace!
(I helped save b3ta! GrandmaOfShoes, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 12:04, archived)
# hahaha excellent
tj: anyone good at PHP? I need a function to generate 5 (say) random unique numbers
(I helped save b3ta! Mighty Nibus who dares gins | @nibus, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 12:07, archived)
# 25
163
988
10333
1236500983

Done
(Mrs Trellis GIN, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 12:09, archived)
# cor
ta

*breaks website*
(I helped save b3ta! Mighty Nibus who dares gins | @nibus, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 12:09, archived)
# that's Numberwang!
(I helped save b3ta! Griffin Saver Something, something, 2006, something., Mon 27 Apr 2009, 13:00, archived)
# Feel free to change rand() to the random function of your choice.
$numbers = array();
while (count($numbers) < 5) $numbers[rand()] = count($numbers);
$numbers = array_flip($numbers);
(I helped save b3ta! benryves Now I'm radioactive! That can't be good!, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 13:28, archived)
# clevar
(as long as range of my_rand >> 5, and don't even think of using it to generate a big permutation :-)

EDIT: Haaang onn... I don't think that works? What if rand() does return the same result twice: you'll get two entries in $numbers with the same value (of count), and then array_flip will choose the later one, and count($numbers) will now be 4. Surely?

I think you want:

$numbers = array();
while (count($numbers) < 5) $numbers[rand()] = 1;
$numbers = array_keys($numbers);

(But I've never written a line of PHP in my life before, so it's your risk :-) *gazzes Mighty Nibus & benryves*
(I helped save b3ta! Bee Nice |-|, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 14:16, archived)
# Sorry,
you're correct. If using the count() method to set the array value using a random key you'd need to remove the old value first in case of duplicates, which sort of defeats the point of the exercise.
I forgot about array_keys(), your method should work.
(I helped save b3ta! benryves Now I'm radioactive! That can't be good!, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 19:08, archived)
# Oh no, another bug:
Nibus, do you wish to treat the chosen values as an ordered sequence, or as a set? If you treat them a sequence, the code snippet is probably still wrong:

The definition of array_keys (http://uk.php.net/function.array-keys) does not specify the order in which it lists the keys.

It is perfectly legal, and (imho) quite likely, for the implementation to always return the keys in some particular order (for example: in numerical order of their hash-values). This would mean that if the five chosen numbers were (say) 32, 55, 12, 10, 65, then they would ONLY EVER be returned in that order. You would simply never ever see 55, 12, 10, 65, 32. In other words: not very random! They might even be sorted numerically. They might be sorted on some platforms, and not on others. It might change when you upgrade to a new version of PHP. Awoooga! Awooga! Don't go there.

I'll have a go at a new code snippet...
...Here:
<?php
  $have = array();
  $sequence = array();
  while (count($sequence) < 5) {
    // pick a number
    r = rand() % 1000;  // (1000, or whatever upper limit)
    if (! array_key_exists(r, $have)) {
      // it's new, so remember we have it, and add to sequence
      $have[r] = 1;
      $sequence[count($sequence)] = r;
    }
  }	
  // your sequence is now stored in $sequence[0] to $sequence[4]
?>

Fun this, isn't it!
*gazzes MN and br again*
"The late Roger Needham once remarked that ‘optimisation is the process of
taking something that works and replacing it with something that almost works,
but is cheaper’." ["Optimised to fail: Card readers for online banking"]
(I helped save b3ta! Bee Nice |-|, Tue 28 Apr 2009, 11:31, archived)
# That makes sense (though you'd need $r instead of r)!
That said, rand()%$max is generally unwise as it skews the distribution. (rand()/getrandmax())*$max won't skew the distribution. PHP also provides a rand($min, $max) overload - I'm not sure which method that uses, but it's probably easier to use that!
(I helped save b3ta! benryves Now I'm radioactive! That can't be good!, Tue 28 Apr 2009, 14:13, archived)
# Gaaaahhhh!!! The more I look, the worse it gets!
PHP:rand() says:  "On some platforms (such as Windows), getrandmax() is only 32768."
WHAT??!!! That's like helpfully including free exploding poisoned razor blades with the programming language you ordered!

"... consider using mt_rand() instead."
It depends what you want the pseudo-randomness for, but if patterning will have a serious bad effect, you might want to use mt_rand() instead. Don't forget to think about how it is seeded, too!
(I helped save b3ta! Bee Nice |-|, Tue 28 Apr 2009, 14:33, archived)
# hahahaha
(I helped save b3ta! Barry the Time Sprout one of your 5-a-day, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 12:35, archived)
# Grand!
(I helped save b3ta! - D - SharkTrousers, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 12:35, archived)
# marvellous
(I helped save b3ta! mutated monty, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 12:54, archived)
# Pfft
Fab!
(I helped save b3ta! benryves Now I'm radioactive! That can't be good!, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 13:26, archived)
# fantastic
and really well done......wooooooooo:)
(I helped save b3ta! Elvis impersonator, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 14:17, archived)
# patent it, and you're on the fast track for the big money
*cough*
(I helped save b3ta! Zhmei HEY B3TA I WAS ON YOUR DINGY ISLAND AT LAST!1!, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 15:08, archived)
# SPANG
(I helped save b3ta! 2 Can Chunder Word to your mums, I came to prod bums, Tue 28 Apr 2009, 17:54, archived)
# I wonder if it would work with pole vaulting.
WOOOOOOO!
(I helped save b3ta! cowcat Bituminous squeegee, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 16:30, archived)
# And
fit an alternator to the end to help with the energy crisis.
I reckon that's a winner.
(I helped save b3ta! social hand grenade I was a lurker before you were a lurker, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 17:36, archived)
# ha ha ha
it looks like they're running on bacon :D
(It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday!It's my b3taday! SkUG >_O i got a couple of stitches in my eyeball... ow, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 19:58, archived)
# Hahaha,
they should stop it suddenly, and whoever flys furthest, wins.
(I helped save b3ta! Lord Kronos Go Team Pachyderm, Mon 27 Apr 2009, 20:57, archived)
# superb work :D
(Paper 'n Pencil Thirst is excellent, even better than I hoped, Tue 28 Apr 2009, 0:43, archived)
# last one to fall off wins!
have a big pool of gunge behind aswell

Mr Blooby and Noel Edmunds could present the whole thing.

Ace.
(I helped save b3ta! Obz Click, ting, stamps, Tue 28 Apr 2009, 12:46, archived)