<s>
Computer	O
programmers	O
historically	O
used	O
"	O
Press	B-Error_Name
any	I-Error_Name
key	I-Error_Name
to	I-Error_Name
continue	I-Error_Name
"	O
(	O
or	O
a	O
similar	O
text	O
)	O
as	O
a	O
prompt	O
to	O
the	O
user	O
when	O
it	O
was	O
necessary	O
to	O
pause	O
processing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
system	O
would	O
resume	O
after	O
the	O
user	O
pressed	O
any	O
keyboard	B-Device
button	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
during	O
the	O
1970s	O
,	O
these	O
became	O
obsolete	O
and	O
were	O
replaced	O
with	O
visual	B-General_Concept
display	I-General_Concept
units	I-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
text	O
was	O
lost	O
once	O
it	O
scrolled	O
off	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
the	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
similar	O
pause	O
was	O
also	O
required	O
when	O
some	O
physical	O
action	O
was	O
required	O
from	O
the	O
user	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
inserting	O
a	O
floppy	B-Device
disk	I-Device
or	O
loading	O
a	O
printer	O
with	O
paper	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
prompts	O
were	O
commonplace	O
on	O
text-based	O
operating	B-General_Concept
systems	I-General_Concept
prior	O
to	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
graphical	B-Application
user	I-Application
interfaces	I-Application
,	O
which	O
typically	O
included	O
scrollbars	O
to	O
enable	O
the	O
user	O
to	O
view	O
more	O
than	O
one	O
screen/window	O
of	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
prompt	O
(	O
"	O
any	B-Error_Name
key	I-Error_Name
"	O
)	O
is	O
not	O
strictly	O
accurate	O
,	O
in	O
that	O
one	O
is	O
required	O
to	O
press	O
a	O
key	O
which	O
generates	O
some	O
sort	O
of	O
character	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
vast	O
majority	O
of	O
computer	O
systems	O
,	O
pressing	O
modifier	B-Device
keys	I-Device
or	O
lock	B-Device
keys	I-Device
would	O
not	O
cause	O
processing	O
to	O
resume	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
do	O
not	O
produce	O
an	O
actual	O
character	O
that	O
the	O
program	O
could	O
detect	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
reports	O
from	O
as	O
early	O
as	O
1988	O
that	O
some	O
users	O
have	O
searched	O
for	O
such	O
a	O
key	O
labelled	O
"	O
any	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
called	O
technical	B-General_Concept
support	I-General_Concept
when	O
they	O
have	O
been	O
unable	O
to	O
find	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
computer	O
company	O
Compaq	O
even	O
edited	O
their	O
FAQ	O
to	O
explain	O
that	O
the	O
"	O
any	O
"	O
key	O
does	O
not	O
exist	O
,	O
and	O
at	O
one	O
point	O
considered	O
replacing	O
the	O
command	O
"	O
Press	B-Error_Name
any	I-Error_Name
key	I-Error_Name
"	O
with	O
"	O
Press	O
return	B-Device
key	I-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
concept	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
any	B-Error_Name
key	I-Error_Name
"	O
has	O
become	O
a	O
popular	O
piece	O
of	O
computer-related	O
humor	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
used	O
as	O
a	O
gag	O
on	O
The	B-Application
Simpsons	I-Application
,	O
in	O
the	O
seventh-season	O
episode	O
"	O
King-Size	O
Homer	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Plastic	O
"	O
ANY	B-Error_Name
keys	I-Error_Name
"	O
with	O
adhesive	O
backings	O
are	O
available	O
as	O
novelty	O
gifts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
slang	O
word	O
in	O
the	O
Russian	O
language	O
,	O
,	O
has	O
appeared	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
phrase	O
"	O
press	B-Error_Name
any	I-Error_Name
key	I-Error_Name
to	I-Error_Name
continue	I-Error_Name
"	O
and	O
other	O
similar	O
phrases	O
,	O
which	O
refers	O
to	O
computer	B-Application
system	I-Application
administrators	I-Application
and	O
technical	B-General_Concept
support	I-General_Concept
workers	O
who	O
must	O
assist	O
users	O
who	O
struggle	O
with	O
PC-related	O
difficulties	O
which	O
are	O
often	O
trivial	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
"	O
press	B-Error_Name
any	I-Error_Name
key	I-Error_Name
to	I-Error_Name
continue	I-Error_Name
"	O
messages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
word	O
is	O
often	O
considered	O
derogatory	O
,	O
contrasting	O
anyone	O
it	O
is	O
applied	O
to	O
with	O
someone	O
considered	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
real	O
system	B-Application
administrator	I-Application
or	O
higher-level	O
technical	B-General_Concept
support	I-General_Concept
worker	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
related	O
slang	O
verb	O
means	O
'	O
to	O
perform	O
usually	O
simple	O
computer	B-Application
administration	I-Application
and	O
support	O
 '	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Russian	O
language	O
computer	O
jargon	O
,	O
the	O
term	O
(	O
anykey	O
)	O
is	O
sometimes	O
associated	O
with	O
the	O
reset	B-Application
button	I-Application
of	O
a	O
computer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Office	O
workers	O
more	O
experienced	O
in	O
English	O
and	O
computers	O
are	O
said	O
to	O
have	O
placed	O
stickers	O
with	O
the	O
words	O
"	O
any	B-Error_Name
key	I-Error_Name
"	O
printed	O
on	O
them	O
over	O
reset	B-Application
buttons	I-Application
,	O
causing	O
colleagues	O
to	O
press	O
the	O
reset	B-Application
button	I-Application
in	O
cases	O
where	O
a	O
"	O
press	B-Error_Name
any	I-Error_Name
key	I-Error_Name
"	O
message	O
appeared	O
.	O
</s>
