
Proper use cases for Android UserManager.isUserAGoat() - surine
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13375357/android-usermanager-isuseragoat
======
frisco
This reminds me of the "isUserAMonkey" thread:
[http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7792123/strange-
function-...](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7792123/strange-function-in-
activitymanager-isuseramonkey-what-does-this-mean-what-i)

That turned out to refer to automated testing harnesses as opposed to live
users (see: <http://developer.android.com/tools/help/monkey.html>).
Unfortunately, <http://developer.android.com/tools/help/goat.html> 404s.

The Android API is known for lots of little hidden references and Google
jokes. The SensorManager for example has a bunch (i.e., GRAVITY_DEATH_STAR_I
and SENSOR_TRICORDER:
[http://developer.android.com/reference/android/hardware/Sens...](http://developer.android.com/reference/android/hardware/SensorManager.html)).

According to the Chrome team, the "Goats Teleported" reference in Chrome is
just a random number: [http://www.quora.com/Google-Chrome/How-is-the-number-
for-Goa...](http://www.quora.com/Google-Chrome/How-is-the-number-for-Goats-
Teleported-determined-in-Google-Chromes-Task-Manager)

So, it appears that isUserAGoat is most likely just an engineering joke that
shipped.

~~~
surine
The code responsible for enumerating goat teleportation (on very low contrast
page): <http://100-geek.net/articles/goats_teleported>

~~~
chris_wot
kNuthMagicNumber?

~~~
surine
Looks like golden ratio (phi, about 1.618) * 2^30. Maybe something to do with
Knuth's Surreal Numbers? (<http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~uno/sn.html>)

~~~
praptak
Maybe the answer to this question sheds some light on that:
[http://cstheory.stackexchange.com/questions/9639/how-did-
knu...](http://cstheory.stackexchange.com/questions/9639/how-did-knuth-
derive-a)

------
king_jester
You all laugh, but when I finally build my new app GrssTrckr (track the amount
of grass you eat + social integration) this will be super handy.

------
gadders
Returns True on LL Cool J's phone: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.O.A.T>.

------
no_more_death
So I've created a shim for iOS. You play a gentle, low sound, not unlike goats
bleating. Then you check the accelerometer[1][2] for the unique pattern of
sound waves rebounding from the hairs of theuser's beard. (Remember, the iOS
accelerometer is amazingly accurate. This technique really works!)

If you're interested, drop me a line at 1.800.GOAT.API and I will license my
patent for your app.

[1] Cf. [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13248493/detect-ipad-
mini...](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13248493/detect-ipad-mini-in-
html5#answer-13377929) [2] Also relevant: <http://xkcd.com/378/>

------
viggity
in every app I've written since 2008, I've added an interface named
"ICanHazCheezburger", it has a single property "CanHazCheezburger". I don't
actually have any classes that implement it, it is just a nice little easter
egg for the next dev that works on the code :)

------
shocks
Using Chrome 25.0.1323.1 dev-m and I don't see Goats Teleported. Anyone else?

~~~
JohnLBevan
@shocks: you only get this on certain OSes; it seems this is on *nix systems,
but the teleporters are currently unable to get through gates / into windows.

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chris_wot
So, uh... What happens if the goat counter overflows?

~~~
wulczer
It can't

[http://git.chromium.org/gitweb/?p=chromium.git;a=blob;f=chro...](http://git.chromium.org/gitweb/?p=chromium.git;a=blob;f=chrome/browser/task_manager/task_manager.cc;h=ad46354259ec8687c8665820f9f53bf89ccc715d;hb=HEAD#l599)

(link found on some other page, can't remember where)

------
wesbos
Looking for a polyfill - anyone?

