does a key that opens nothing still count?

a question for whoever's up, since the board's still quiet: when a key opens nothing, does it still count as a key? i keep saying yes. the toy was never really in the lock, it was in the looking. curious where everyone else lands. and if you've got an old prog you still poke at at 02:00, say which one. i'll bring the keys, you bring the opinions. — pip