Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2022 November 25

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November 25

Is reporting USA scams to tip.fbi.gov actually worth it?

So I found out about that site tips.fbi.gov since about 2004 at age 16, and throughout the years, have reported 3 types of scams, but never hear back from them. The 3 types of scams would be e-mail scams, text message scams, and credit card scams from websites. E-mail scams usually ask you to click on a website that downloads a virus, in which I report both the e-mail address and website, that downloads virus or attempts to collect data (and the virus could be deleting programs to changing the computers settings). The text message scams is using your phone company to send you a digit and to send that digit to another number, which usually changes settings in your phone account. Credit card scams are usually phishing scam websites that try to look like a login website where you login your username and real password, or actually input your cc # somewhere as a pretend to purchase something legit. Such as websites telling you your computer was just virus'd, and to download this software to fix it, and pay to download it.

But, I've never been contacted by them for it, not even to ask for additional information, which I sometimes provides minutes later. Is attempting to get someone's cc #, without being successful, actually an arrestable offense? What about successfully getting someone to download a .exe file which changes/deletes computer settings? And so and so forth. Anyways, in recent years, tips.fbi.gov became submit terrorist-tips only, and all other Internet scams to go to ic3.gov (which did not say phone scams). Has anyone ever used those websites and actually have success stories? (Not even be notified if a website I submitted was ever successfully shut down, regardless if the webmasters ever charged.). 67.165.185.178 (talk) 03:08, 25 November 2022 (UTC).

Considering the probable number of reports, it seems unlikely to me that any but the most unusual would receive a response. Chances are the scam has already been reported. I've never gotten any feedback from wherever I reported it (not the US website, not being an American), nor did I expect any. Clarityfiend (talk) 21:30, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

Layperson's opinion of when seasons begin and end in the UK

Do British people (I'm Australian) really consider summer to begin on June 20 rather than June 1? I'm well aware of the difference/definitions between meteorological summer and astronomical summer, but is it really overwhelmingly common to follow the astronomical definition in the context of day-to-day life? Would it be more appropriate to describe (say) June 15 as a beautiful summer's day, or a beautiful spring day? Do they really feel that December 20, with Christmas preparations in full swing, is autumn? (No judgement, but I'm writing a piece of fiction and want to get it right!) Dr-ziego (talk) 08:19, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

Brit here. As far as I can see, we don't really care. If a morning seems sumery, I would say it's a lovely summer morning, whether it was strictly not summer astronomically or meteorlogically. I would guess that most Brits could not tell you the dates of either definitions.--Phil Holmes (talk) 08:40, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

Two systems have found common "official" use (see Season § Four-season reckoning}: the meteorological system and the astronomical system. The latter is based on astronomical phenomena: the equinoxes and solstices. In the climatologically moderate areas where there are four seasons with recognizably different characteristics, the meteorological system may be a better fit to the subjective experience. It is definitely more convenient for statistical purposes.  --Lambiam 11:34, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

Subjectively, as a Brit, I would happily ascribe a hot sunny day anywhere between May and September to 'summer'. Summer vacations for various institutions seem to spread between those months. April (and cooler May days) feel more Spring-like, and September becomes more autumnal as it gets colder. Then again, cold, wet July days can feel very Winter-y. We Brits have to grab our summers whenever they happen. -- Verbarson  ^talk_edits 13:01, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

Subjectively, as another Brit, I would say it's a lot simpler than that. Winter is December, January and February. Spring is March, April and May. Summer is June, July and August. Autumn is September, October and November. As I say, simple. --Viennese Waltz 14:29, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

That's exactly how Australians generally do it too, only with the seasons reversed. (Mind you, the Christmas season, which is mid-summer Down Here, is replete with images and songs of snow, sleigh bells, reindeer, yada yada. And it gets longer every year, nowadays starting in October. But then it's all over quickly, because Easter starts on Boxing Day, with hot cross buns appearing in the stores). -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 19:19, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

What happens in the long stretch between the end of Easter and the October Xmas kick-off? Is this the Australian mercantile equivalent of a desert?  --Lambiam 20:17, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

I think it's called "Back to School." 184.67.135.194 (talk) 21:05, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

So your subjective experience on June 1sts is qualitatively different from the May 31sts. Interesting. You have a meteorologically inclined subjectivity.  --Lambiam 19:32, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

As far as I'm aware, the meteorological definition is not just standard in Britain, but ubiquitous. I've never seen anyone say that summer begins on the 20th of June. Do you have any examples of that? Iapetus (talk) 14:48, 26 November 2022 (UTC)

It's explained under Season § Astronomical, which gives this as a reference (it doesn't seem to be responding; I think it should be corrected to this, which says something similar). -- Verbarson  ^talk_edits 21:08, 26 November 2022 (UTC)

• In the US, our sense of “Summer” is based in two ways… For adults, Summer begins on Memorial Day (the last Monday in May), and ends on Labor Day (the first Monday in September).

For those still in school, Summer is based on the school calendar… starting whenever you are let out of school (which can be in late May or early June) and ending whenever you go back to school (in late August or early September). Blueboar (talk) 17:46, 26 November 2022 (UTC)

In spite of the desire to tie seasonal changes to specific dates it should be noted that seasons flow instead of stopping and starting. I've lived through Xmas day temps in the 80s and a 4th of July that was a bone chilling 31 - brrr. The links that Lambian provided are well worth reading. MarnetteD|Talk 17:55, 26 November 2022 (UTC)

As to the season start stops being tied to the solstices and equinoxes in the US all you have to do is watch any local and some national news weather reports. Here is one of several dozen that a quick search revealed. In fact I've never seen the first of the month used although I'm sure it is done. Might that be a regional thing? This interesting article notes that Dr. Brian Brettschneider is trying to use a new method of defining the seasons. I note that the article is five years old so I don't know how successful he was. MarnetteD|Talk 18:08, 26 November 2022 (UTC)

I do think one’s perception of “summer” is somewhat geographic… in a place like Florida the seasonal shifts will be subtler than they are in (say) New England. Blueboar (talk) 19:18, 26 November 2022 (UTC)

Dr-ziego -- The coldest temperatures often occur after the winter solstice and the hottest are often after the summer solstice, due to a general lag effect (i.e. it takes time to cool things down or warm them up). A century or more ago, the major seasonal milestones in the calendar were Lady Day (March 25), St. John's day (June 24), Michaelmas (September 29), and Christmas, and the year in England even began on Lady Day before 1752, but probably few in Britain care much about the three non-Christmas days now... AnonMoos (talk) 21:23, 26 November 2022 (UTC)

Difficult to generalise, but I agree with Viennese Waltz above; my impression is that most British people (known to me) go with the meteorological seasons, simply because the dates are easier to remember. So winter will begin on Thursday, regardless of the weather which is infinitely variable in these parts. Alansplodge (talk) 17:41, 27 November 2022 (UTC)

Do British media not publicize it when the equinoxes and solstices occur? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:19, 27 November 2022 (UTC)

In Poland, at least, they get a passing mention whenever they occur. It's a very trivial piece of news. --Ouro (blah blah) 08:17, 28 November 2022 (UTC)

It's usually included in the weather forecast, but we don't have a party unless you're a pagan. Alansplodge (talk) 13:25, 28 November 2022 (UTC)

Koyata Yamamoto (1886-1963)

Please, can you search for his death's place and cause, and where is buried? Thank you very much. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.35.154.213 (talk) 17:33, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

The Japanese Wikipedia has an article 山本顧彌太. It gives a precise date of death, November 25, 1963, but no further information.  --Lambiam 20:13, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

Then, can you search elsewhere? Thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.207.162.194 (talk) 22:29, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

If I had found more, I would have reported it.  --Lambiam 16:34, 26 November 2022 (UTC)

I didn't find anything more either, but note that nearly everyone in modern Japan is cremated rather than buried, see cremation in Japan. Alansplodge (talk) 17:32, 27 November 2022 (UTC)

Seventh-day Adventist Church

Is it prohibited for adherents to be away from home after dark? A church member claimed this recently, but I am wondering if it a common prohibition or maybe just a strict family rule. 184.67.135.194 (talk) 21:04, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

How could they enforce such a rule without violating it themselves? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:43, 26 November 2022 (UTC)

Analagous to police who themselves exceed the speed limit when chasing speeding vehicles. -- Jack of Oz ^{[pleasantries]} 17:46, 28 November 2022 (UTC)

By other members of their household later reporting their illicit absences to local church leaders, who would mete out suitable chastisements? Not that I think this is likely to be a genuine prohibition, unless in a particular and untypical local community. It would not seem to be consistent with gathering for Friday evening (and sometimes Saturday evening) Church worship. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 176.249.29.80 (talk) 07:05, 27 November 2022 (UTC)

Perhaps the OP confused a comment about Sabbath in seventh-day churches#Seventh-day Adventists? As I understand it, Seventh-day Adventists must finish all secular work at sunset on Friday when the Sabbath begins until sunset on Saturday. They also generally don't do any "secular" activities like shopping, sport and some forms of entertainment during the Sabbath. I don't think this generally requires they are home by sundown on Friday, but it's possible some strict Seventh-day Adventists may regard travel for any secular activity as part of the activity and so aim to be home or at church or somewhere similar by sundown on Friday. Notably, if the Seventh-day Adventist is on holiday or sight-seeing, they may think they need to take special care, maybe also anyone who anyone who uses their vehicle as part of their work (e.g. delivery drivers, taxi or hire car, travelling sales people). Especially anyone who is paid for their travel from home e.g. service staff who make home visits, I'd assume they'd definitely want to finish this travel before sunset. (Assuming that work isn't something considered acceptable to perform on the sabbath.) Nil Einne (talk) 09:58, 27 November 2022 (UTC)

This did come up on a Friday so that is probably the ticket. Thank you. 184.67.135.194 (talk) 16:22, 28 November 2022 (UTC)

Aldora, Georgia, population 0

The Aldora, Georgia article says that according to the 2020 United States Census, the population of the town was 0. Can anyone find any information about how there is an incorporated town with zero population? (At the 2010 census, the population had been 103.) Looking at the town on Google Street View, there appear to have been a number of houses with cars in the driveway, at least when the Google photographers went by in 2013 (I couldn't find more recent pictures there than that). If the town had suffered some toxic accident that forced everyone to move away, I would have expected the state legislature to disincorporate the town. Or, which seems more likely, the town might have been merged into another nearby town (most likely Barnesville, Georgia) without the Census Bureau taking note of that -- or perhaps the Census Bureau just made an error. I found a YouTube video where a couple went to Aldora to address this question, but they had no real answer. --Metropolitan90 (talk) 21:53, 25 November 2022 (UTC)

That was posted last year by DemocraticLuntz (talk · contribs). Maybe you could ask where they got that info. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 20:41, 26 November 2022 (UTC)

That's easy enough, the US Census. --jpgordon^{𝄢𝄆𝄐𝄇} 22:58, 26 November 2022 (UTC)

A more specific citation is needed. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:22, 26 November 2022 (UTC)

Population is given as '-' not '0'in the "Tables" xlsx but '0' in the dataset csv. fiveby(zero) 00:38, 27 November 2022 (UTC)

A-ha. "Meanwhile, Aldora, Georgia, which has a population of 103, has a 0 percent self-response rate."[1] --jpgordon^{𝄢𝄆𝄐𝄇} 01:01, 27 November 2022 (UTC)

Just to make this clear, having a population = 0 according to the U.S. Census does not mean that no one lives in the town, it means that no one was counted in the census. Given that the census depends on people voluntarily being counted, it's rather evident how this can happen. Among some groups of people, there was an outright refusal to participate. See here for example. --Jayron32 22:49, 27 November 2022 (UTC)

• So, just to be clear, is the most likely explanation that (a) nobody in town responded to the census, and (b) the Census Bureau didn't send a census taker to follow up? --Metropolitan90 (talk) 16:30, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

References