# What is this code-pattern in Schlock Mercenary? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 25, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-code-pattern-in-schlock-mercenary/537327 "2010-04-25T19:57:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-code-pattern-in-schlock-mercenary/537327/1 "2010-04-25T19:57:06Z")
One of the current plot elements in the webcomic _Schlock Mercenary_ is that nefarious individuals have managed to disable a security camera system by showing it a particular pattern. In [a strip from a few days ago](http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20100420.html), we get a good look at it. As I understand, many smartphones use code-patterns like that: You can point your phone camera at it, and it’ll automatically take you to a webpage, or something of the sort. Does this one do anything, and if so, what? ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-code-pattern-in-schlock-mercenary/537327/2 "2010-04-25T20:09:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Warning: Unknown: open\_basedir restriction in effect. File(/usr/share/apache2/error/404.html) is not within the allowed path(s): (/var/www/clients/client1/web1/web:/var/www/clients/client1/web1/tmp:/usr/share/php5) in Unknown on line 0 > > Warning: Unknown: failed to open stream: Operation not permitted in Unknown on line 0 > > Fatal error: Unknown: Failed opening required ‘/usr/share/apache2/error/404.html’ (include\_path=‘.:/usr/share/php:/usr/share/pear’) in Unknown on line 0 That’s an awesome code alright. Even my browser puked looking at it! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-code-pattern-in-schlock-mercenary/537327/3 "2010-04-25T20:49:55Z")
Oops, looks like I had an unpaired quote mark in my link. [This should work](http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20100420.html) ---
**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-code-pattern-in-schlock-mercenary/537327/4 "2010-04-26T03:15:38Z")
Looks like it supposed to be a 2D barcode. Something like this: > **[QR code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code)** > > A QR code (short for "quick-response code") is a type of two-dimensional matrix barcode, invented in 1994, by Japanese company Denso Wave for labelling automobile parts. A barcode is a machine-readable optical image that contains information specific to the labelled item. In practice, QR codes contain data for a locator, an identifier, and web tracking. To efficiently store data, QR codes use four standardized modes of encoding (i) numeric, (ii) alphanumeric, (iii) byte or binary, and (iv) A Q... ---
**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-code-pattern-in-schlock-mercenary/537327/5 "2010-04-26T03:22:03Z")
Oops, looks like I misunderstood. You know that’s a barcode, and are wondering if it encodes any real data or command? That I don’t know. I’ve got a reader at the office, and I can try to see if it reads tomorrow. Although I’m not positive my reader has that symbology built in. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-code-pattern-in-schlock-mercenary/537327/6 "2010-04-26T16:21:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Oops, looks like I misunderstood. You know that’s a barcode, and are wondering if it encodes any real data or command? Yes, exactly. ---
**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-code-pattern-in-schlock-mercenary/537327/7 "2010-04-26T17:11:23Z")
Unfortunately, I wound up not going in to the office today, so I don’t have access to my scanner. It will be tomorrow at the earliest before I do. Anybody else got a scanner and want to try and get a read from this? ---
**Author:** ![zoltar7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b38774/32.png) [@zoltar7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoltar7)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-code-pattern-in-schlock-mercenary/537327/8 "2010-04-26T19:41:05Z")
UID=“ADMIN” PASS=“DEFAULT” CMD=“sleep, 600sec, noprompt, fnord” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-code-pattern-in-schlock-mercenary/537327/9 "2010-04-26T20:24:05Z")
Here I was hoping for something more Easter-eggy, like a link to a secret webpage. But it looks like he played it (mostly) straight (except for the fnord)-- That’s the sort of command that might plausibly actually disable the cameras (Legs was complaining a few strips ago about them leaving the credentials set to the default). Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![yastobaal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/258eb7/32.png) [@yastobaal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yastobaal)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-code-pattern-in-schlock-mercenary/537327/10 "2010-04-26T22:06:29Z")
There was another one in the same story that had a similar code but slightly different. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-code-pattern-in-schlock-mercenary/537327/11 "2010-04-26T23:30:48Z")
We saw it [about a month earlier](http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20100322.html), but it wasn’t as clear, and I’m not seeing any differences with the naked eye. ---
**Author:** ![yastobaal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/258eb7/32.png) [@yastobaal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yastobaal)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-code-pattern-in-schlock-mercenary/537327/12 "2010-04-27T08:43:51Z")
From here: [http://zoo.nightstar.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=18551&sid=647910d2fc853d5dbe19d27e1cbb5187](http://zoo.nightstar.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=18551&sid=647910d2fc853d5dbe19d27e1cbb5187) First code: UID=ADMIN PASS=DEFAULT CMD=SLEEP [600sec noprompt fnord] Second code: UID=“ADMIN” PASS=“DEFAULT” CMD=“sleep, 600sec, noprompt, fnord” ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-code-pattern-in-schlock-mercenary/537327/13 "2010-04-27T11:12:47Z")
So can anyone decode this or not? I’m getting a little concerned here… ---
**Author:** ![yastobaal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/258eb7/32.png) [@yastobaal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yastobaal)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-code-pattern-in-schlock-mercenary/537327/14 "2010-05-02T05:56:37Z")
[Today’s](http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20100502.html) code: fnord UID=\*\*\*\*\* PASS=\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* CMD=“overwrite daylog, prev 28800 sec, sleep, 6000sec, noprompt” fnord ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-code-pattern-in-schlock-mercenary/537327/15 "2010-05-02T06:01:21Z")
You know what’s really annoying? I just checked for this thread to see if anyone knew the new one, but didn’t see it on the first page, and in the time it took me to go to the second page of the forum, **yastobaal** went and bumped it back to the first.