Editing 1193: Externalities

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| title    = Externalities
 
| title    = Externalities
 
| image    = externalities.png
 
| image    = externalities.png
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| titletext = Mouse over words and things to see where they come from.<br><br><span style="color:grey">Different title text:</span> This comic went up on April 1st, and the panels changed throughout the day in response to readers doing things like breaking hashes, edited a rapidly-shuffling set of target Wikipedia articles, and donating to Wikimedia Foundation. (The vandalism is over now and CMU won the hashing contest.)<br><br><span style="color:grey">Different title text:</span> Happy April 1st, Everyone!<br><br><span style="color:grey">Different title text:</span> uic has the third best hash. See the full standings at http://almamater.xkcd.com/best.csv<br><br><span style="color:grey">Different title text:</span> The dog gains a pound for every $10 donated to the Wikimedia Foundation via this link. Currently at $51135.33
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| titletext = Mouse over words and things to see where they come from.
 
}}
 
}}
−
{{TOC}}
 
 
==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
−
This was the fourth [[:Category:April fools' comics|April fools' comic]] released by [[Randall]]. This comic isn't a static image - even the title text changes depending on which part of the image you're hovering over. It presented a competition for students to see who could come closest to breaking a {{w|Skein (hash function)|Skein hash}} but also an aid appeal for the Wikimedia Foundation.
+
{{incomplete|BAIDU has to be explained. Also, perhaps an explanation of some of the name references in panel 5}}
 +
This comic isn't a static image - even the title text changes depending on which part of the image you're hovering over. It presented a competition for students to see who could come closest to break a {{w|Skein (hash function)|Skein hash}} but also an aid appeal for the Wikimedia Foundation.
  
−
The comic references multiple times {{w|Baidu}}, a large Chinese Internet services company. Baidu controls the predominant Internet search provider of China and is sometimes called the "Google of China" for the similar services it provides. Baidu Search results follow the censorship dictates of the Chinese authorities, causing it to return censored responses to searches for politically sensitive terms when executed by web browsers in China. Megan's reply "But nothing about Tiananmen Square." in the first panel is a reference to the {{w|1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre}} that killed hundreds of civillians. "It takes great minds to stifle other great minds." and "Let's block Canada" in the second panel are also references to the arbitrary government censorship of Baidu and other Chinese companies
+
__TOC__
  
 
The blank regions in the above image are dynamically generated from various sources.
 
The blank regions in the above image are dynamically generated from various sources.
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<pre>5b4da95f5fa08280fc9879df44f418c8f9f12ba424b7757de02bbdfbae0d4c4fdf9317c80cc5fe04c6429073466cf29706b8c25999ddd2f6540d4475cc977b87f4757be023f19b8f4035d7722886b78869826de916a79cf9c94cc79cd4347d24b567aa3e2390a573a373a48a5e676640c79cc70197e1c5e7f902fb53ca1858b6</pre>
 
<pre>5b4da95f5fa08280fc9879df44f418c8f9f12ba424b7757de02bbdfbae0d4c4fdf9317c80cc5fe04c6429073466cf29706b8c25999ddd2f6540d4475cc977b87f4757be023f19b8f4035d7722886b78869826de916a79cf9c94cc79cd4347d24b567aa3e2390a573a373a48a5e676640c79cc70197e1c5e7f902fb53ca1858b6</pre>
  
−
On this page, users were invited to enter "Your school's domain name" — presumably intended to be their college alma mater. (At least in the beginning, only a few top-level domains were accepted.) If the user entered an acceptable domain (by xkcd's rules, which apparently changed during the 48 hours of the competition), they could then enter data values one at a time. For each data value entered, xkcd returned a hash value and the number of bits by which it differed from the target value. The object was to achieve the lowest possible number of differing bits, ideally zero.
+
On this page, users were invited to enter "Your school's domain name" — presumably intended to be their college alma mater. (At least in the beginning, only a few top-level domains were accepted.) If the user entered an acceptable domain (by xkcd's rules, which apparently changed during the 48 hours of the competition), he could then enter data values one at a time. For each data value entered, xkcd returned a hash value and the number of bits by which it differed from the target value. The object was to achieve the lowest possible number of differing bits, ideally zero.
  
 
A ranking page showed the lowest value achieved for each domain name entered, but not the data that achieved it. The first name on the list was substituted in various panels, and the third-place school showed in panel five. No data values were reported by xkcd, but various results were posted by users of the xkcd forums and on other websites, leading to copycat submissions, so that occasionally large numbers of institutions would show the same moderately low value.
 
A ranking page showed the lowest value achieved for each domain name entered, but not the data that achieved it. The first name on the list was substituted in various panels, and the third-place school showed in panel five. No data values were reported by xkcd, but various results were posted by users of the xkcd forums and on other websites, leading to copycat submissions, so that occasionally large numbers of institutions would show the same moderately low value.
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!Email
 
!Email
 
!Education
 
!Education
−
!(Explanation)
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|MIT
 
|MIT
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|pgp encrypted
 
|pgp encrypted
 
|have you ever really looked at the fourier
 
|have you ever really looked at the fourier
−
|As an undergrad at MIT in 1948, Smoot was used to measure the Harvard Bridge during a fraternity prank. This led to the introduction of "{{w|smoot}}" as an unusual unit of length.
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|
 
|
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|me@car
 
|me@car
 
|I can cut up melons
 
|I can cut up melons
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| Le(e)roy Jenkins is an internet meme originating from a 2006 'Let's Play' video of World of Warcraft
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|CMU
 
|CMU
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|IO
 
|IO
 
|O HAI O
 
|O HAI O
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| A joke on the pronunciation of Ohio.
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|
 
|
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|TOTALLY.EDU.US
 
|TOTALLY.EDU.US
 
|CONVENIENT US DOMAIN REDIRECTS
 
|CONVENIENT US DOMAIN REDIRECTS
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| .edu is a website suffix mostly used for (American) university websites.
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|
 
|
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|SOUTH DETROIT
 
|SOUTH DETROIT
 
|HUNT LIKE A WOLVERINE
 
|HUNT LIKE A WOLVERINE
−
|University of Michigan is in Ann Arbor; the mascot is the Wolverine. "South Detroit" is referenced in the song {{w|Don't Stop Believin'}}, which is notable because there is actually no such city or neighborhood; rather, Detroit is one of the only places in the contiguous United States where you can drive south and wind up in Canada, namely in the city of {{w|Windsor, Ontario}}. Michiganders therefore often object to the bad geography in the song.
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|
 
|
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|POBox 12532
 
|POBox 12532
 
|p.s. ill find my frog
 
|p.s. ill find my frog
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|PO Box 12532 is located at Pyramid Lake in Nevada.
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|Oxford
 
|Oxford
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|Any
 
|Any
 
|I'm feeling lucky
 
|I'm feeling lucky
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|G+ stands for Google+, Googles social network. I'm feeling lucky is the second option under the searchbar on Google.
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|UIC
 
|UIC
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|Forget it
 
|Forget it
 
|Riding the L all night long
 
|Riding the L all night long
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|Presumably University of Illinois at Chicago. "Which one" could be a reference to other institutions with the same initials, or people who confuse "UIC" with "U of C" (University of Chicago, a different institution altogether). The rapid transit system in Chicago is called the 'L'.
 
 
|-
 
|-
 +
|
 
|MY JOB NOW
 
|MY JOB NOW
 
|@
 
|@
 
|SAVE DOCUMENT AND SEND
 
|SAVE DOCUMENT AND SEND
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| Could be Randall saying most jobs are just sending e-mails (@).
 
 
|}
 
|}
  
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|-
 
|-
 
|
 
|
−
:At [company], you'll have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge projects.
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:At [company], you'll have the opportinity to work on cutting-edge projects.
 
|-
 
|-
 
|
 
|
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|-
 
|-
 
|[[File:externality-dog2.png]]
 
|[[File:externality-dog2.png]]
−
|-
 
−
|[[File:externality-dog2A.png]]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[File:externality-dog3.png]]
 
|[[File:externality-dog3.png]]
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|-
 
|-
 
|[[File:externality-dog10.png]]
 
|[[File:externality-dog10.png]]
 +
|-
 +
|[[File:externality-dog11.png]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[File:externality-dog12.png]]
 
|[[File:externality-dog12.png]]
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|}
 
|}
  
−
===Title Text===
+
==Title Text==
 
The title text documents the different sources of data in the comic. The different title texts are:
 
The title text documents the different sources of data in the comic. The different title texts are:
  
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|Most of the comic, after the competition ended||This comic went up on April 1st, and the panels changed throughout the day in response to readers doing things like breaking hashes, edited a rapidly-shuffling set of target Wikipedia articles, and donating to Wikimedia Foundation. (The vandalism is over now and CMU won the hashing contest.)
 
|Most of the comic, after the competition ended||This comic went up on April 1st, and the panels changed throughout the day in response to readers doing things like breaking hashes, edited a rapidly-shuffling set of target Wikipedia articles, and donating to Wikimedia Foundation. (The vandalism is over now and CMU won the hashing contest.)
 
|-
 
|-
−
|The part of the first panel (text and drawing) which is not a link. There is no title text at all over the part where the link is active||Happy April 1st, Everyone!
+
|Most of the text in the first panel.||Happy April 1st, Everyone!
 
|-
 
|-
−
|Fifth panel.||[University] has the third best hash. See the full standings at http://almamater.xkcd.com/best.csv (University = uic after competition)
+
|Fifth panel.||[University] has the third best hash. See the full standings at http://almamater.xkcd.com/best.csv
 
|-
 
|-
−
|Last three panels (only within a frame that would just fit around all three of them).||The dog gains a pound for every $10 donated to the wikimedia foundation via this link. Currently at [amount donated] (Amount = $51135.33 after competition).
+
|Last panel.||The dog gains a pound for every $10 donated to the wikimedia foundation via this link. Currently at [amount donated]
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
===Current Version===
+
==Transcript==
−
Now that the competition is over, the comic is currently frozen. As such, what follows is the explanation of the comic in its final state.
+
:[The comic is dynamically generated from multiple sources.]
 +
 
 +
:[First panel [[1193: Externalities#First Panel|transcript varies.]]]
 +
 
 +
:[Second panel [[1193: Externalities#Second Panel|transcript varies.]]]
 +
 
 +
:[Third panel [[1193: Externalities#Third Panel|transcript varies.]]]
 +
:[Ponytail riding on a roomba.]
 +
 
 +
:[Fourth panel [[1193: Externalities#Fourth Panel|transcript varies.]]]
 +
:[A group of people waiting outside a door. One of them is holding a large net.]
 +
 
 +
:Or [university] graduates, provided any of them manage to fill out the application correctly.
 +
:Name: [random]
 +
:Email: [Third place university]
  
−
==Transcript==
+
:[Sixth panel [[1193: Externalities#Sixth Panel|transcript varies.]]]
−
:[This was a dynamic image where the text changed during April 1st. The main title text also changed after the dynamic part was finished, and there are even different title text for different part of the comic. This transcript is of the final version of the comic, (no longer dynamic or changing), as displayed at present on xkcd, there are still four different title texts for specific panels. These four title text are for that reason included here in the transcript.]
+
:Cueball: What does "make dog" do?
 +
:Off-panel: Experimental dog generator. Don't click on it; the default size isn't set, so-
 +
:'''*click*'''
  
−
:[The basic title text for the entire comic is: "This comic went up on April 1st, and the panels changed throughout the day in response to readers doing things like breaking hashes, edited a rapidly-shuffling set of target Wikipedia articles, and donating to Wikimedia Foundation. (The vandalism is over now and CMU won the hashing contest.)" The other three title text are only active over certain panels.]
+
:''KZZZT''
 +
:BIP
 +
:Off-screen: Uh-oh.
  
−
:[The first panel with the caption and Megan below has its own title text. A part of that panel is a link, and in the section where this link is active there is no title text at all. The title text for the rest of the first panel is: "Happy April 1st, everyone!"]
+
:[Last panel's [[1193: Externalities#Seventh Panel|transcript varies.]]]
  
−
:[A panel with only text is above the first drawing. There is a link on the top part of the text to <nowiki>http://almamater.xkcd.com/</nowiki> (the link is now broken).]
+
==Final Transcript==
−
:Ahoy, carnegie melonites!
+
:This is a dynamic image with several different mouse-overs. Mouse-overs for specific panels are included here.
−
:
 
−
:Come find your future at Baidu.
 
  
−
:[Below, not in a frame, is Megan.]
+
:Ahoy, Carnegie Melonites! Come find your future at Baidu.
 +
:[Megan with black hair stands in a blank void.]
 
:Megan: But nothing about Tiananmen Square.
 
:Megan: But nothing about Tiananmen Square.
 +
:[Mouse-over: Happy April 1st, everyone!]
 +
:[There is a link on this panel to almamater.xkcd.com.]
  
−
:[Caption floating above the frame of the next panel:]
 
 
:It takes great minds to stifle other great minds.
 
:It takes great minds to stifle other great minds.
−
:[Ponytail sits at a desk, hand to her chin, with two Cueball-like guys with their hands on the table.]
+
:[Ponytail sits at a desk with two other people.]
 
:Ponytail: Let's block Canada
 
:Ponytail: Let's block Canada
−
:Cueball-like guys: Sounds good.
+
:Others: Sounds good.
  
−
:[Ponytail crouches on a moving Roomba (labeled) with a steaming mug of coffee in one hand and a smartphone in the other. Above her is a caption. The Roomba makes a noice]
 
 
:We're a convenient four hour drive from New York City (15,000 hours by Roomba.)
 
:We're a convenient four hour drive from New York City (15,000 hours by Roomba.)
−
:''Whirrrrrrr''
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:[Ponytail crouches on a moving Roomba with a steaming mug of coffee in one hand and a smartphone in the other.]
−
:Roomba
+
:''whirrrrrrr''
  
−
:[Ponytail and Hairy corners Cueball as he walks out of a door, and a black haired ponytailed girl is moving towards him wielding a giant butterfly net. There is a caption above them:]
 
 
:Our recruiters are on the hunt for unaware CMU graduates
 
:Our recruiters are on the hunt for unaware CMU graduates
 +
:[Megan approaches three students with a giant net as they leave a classroom.]
  
−
:[The fifth panel has its own title text only active within (or very close to) the frame. It is: "uic has the third best hash. See the full standings at <nowiki>http://almamater.xkcd.com/best.csv</nowiki>" (The link is now broken)]
+
:Or UIC graduates, provied any of them manage to fill out the application correctly.
 +
:[A website application which reads:]
 +
::Name: WHICH ONE
 +
::Email: FORGET IT
 +
::Education: RIDING THE L ALL NIGHT LONG
 +
:[Mouse-over: uic has the third best hash. See the full standings at http: almamater.xkcd.com best.csv]
  
−
:[There is a caption above a website application. There is three fields to be filled, with each their caption and text:]
 
−
:or uic graduates, provied any of them manage to fill out the application correctly.
 
−
::Name which one
 
−
::Email forget it
 
−
::Education Riding the L all night long
 
−
 
−
:[Caption floating above the frame of the next panel:]
 
 
:At Baidu, Inc., you'll have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge projects.
 
:At Baidu, Inc., you'll have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge projects.
 
:[Cueball sits at a computer.]
 
:[Cueball sits at a computer.]
 
:Cueball: What does "make dog" do?
 
:Cueball: What does "make dog" do?
−
:Off-screen voice: Experimental dog generator. Don't click on it; the default size isn't set, so-
+
:Off-screen person: Experimental dog generator. Don't click on it; the default size isn't set, so-
 
:'''*click*'''
 
:'''*click*'''
  
−
:[The last three panels has their own title text, only active within a frame that could contain all three panel. Outside that "frame" (all the way around) is the other title text. Within the title text is: "The dog gains a pound for every $10 donated to the Wikimedia Foundation via this link. Currently at $51135.33."]
+
:[Cueball stares at the screen.]
−
 
+
: ''KZZZT'' *bip*
−
:[Small insert panel, going in above the next larger panel: Cueball stares at the screen.]
+
:Off-screen: Uh oh.
−
:''Kzzzt''
 
−
:''*bip*''
 
−
:Off-screen voice: Uh oh.
 
−
 
 
−
:[A giant dog looks down at the desk where the computer once was, now only the wires are left. Cueball, leaning way back in his office chair, holding his hand to his mouth, stares up at it.]
 
−
 
 
−
:[Again a smaller insert panel above the large one with the dog. A graphic showing two sliders and a dog (similar to the one in the previous panel). Next to the dog with arrows pointing to it are a thermometer graphic and an equation. Below is an e-mail type text and finally a caption. There are arrows over and under "God" and "dogs" between the g and d's.]
 
−
:d(x)=R
 
−
:careers@baidu, Inc.
 
−
:'''Play God with dogs.'''<sup>TM</sup>
 
  
 +
:[A giant dog looks down at the desk where the computer once was, Cueball in the chair stares up at it.]
 +
:[Mouse-over: The dog gains a pound for every $10 donated to the Wikimedia Foundation via this link. Currently at $51135.33.]
 +
:[A graphic showing two sliders and a dog. Next to the dog with arrows pointing to it are a thermometer graphic and the equation d(x)=R.] CAREERS@BAIDU, INC. PLAY GOD WITH DOGS (TM)
 +
:There are arrows over and under "GOD" and "DOG" indicating that you switch the letters.
 +
:The previous three panels link to the special Wikimedia fundraiser page.
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
−
 
−
[[Category:April fools' comics]]
 
−
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]
 
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
−
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
+
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]
−
[[Category:Wikipedia]]
+
[[Category:April fool's comics]]
−
[[Category:Science]]
 
−
[[Category:Animals]]
 
−
[[Category:Dogs]]
 
−
[[Category:Roomba]]
 
−
[[Category:Butterfly net]]
 
−
[[Category:Singularity]]
 

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