Editing 1997: Business Update
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | This comic shows a meeting at | + | {{incomplete|Created by a CRABONID DRONE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
+ | This comic shows a meeting at Beret Guy's business (as seen in [[:Category:Beret Guy's Business|these other comics]]). As usual, those in the business demonstrate a misuse of business terminology and take strange happenings within the business in stride. | ||
− | Though maintaining a semblance of business-savviness through the use of many corporate buzzwords, it becomes clear that what is normally metaphorical in a usual boardroom meeting is here | + | Though maintaining a semblance of business-savviness through the use of many corporate buzzwords, it becomes clear that what is normally metaphorical in a usual boardroom meeting is here quite likely meant literally. The Quarterly Reports, described as "looking good," may be literally physically attractive (rather than recording successful business dealings). Knowing Beret Guy, it seems likely that the office is full of coins or dollar bills, and not simply economically well-off. Stocks (pillory?) are being manufactured. Individual customers are experiencing physical growth, though most businesses would be more concerned with a growth in the number of customers supporting the business. Assets liquidated in a thermostat glitch were literally melted; the kitchen sink producing original content was not generating unique ideas, but leaking at the faucet (or possibly flooding from the sewer). It is also worth noting that the "largest source of revenue" may not be producing much if any revenue at all; it can still be the biggest if there are no others. On the other hand, past experience with Beret Guy's business would indicate that this company is [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1032:_Networking making plenty of money], though they aren't necessarily sure [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1493:_Meeting how]. |
− | + | Transmuting lead into gold was a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation#Alchemy goal of alchemists] for many centuries. It is actually [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation now possible to accomplish transmutation of lead into gold, and gold into lead, via nuclear transmutation]. (Via modern nuclear methods, it is actually [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation#Modern_physics far easier to turn gold into lead than the reverse.]) While the expense far exceeds the value of the gold produced by such methods, it seems plausible that, given Beret Guy's [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1772:_Startup_Opportunity surpassing strangeness], his company may be successfully and cheaply transmuting large quantities of lead into gold and back again. Since gold is worth much more than lead in today's market, the first transmutation could indeed result in major profit, while the reverse would obviously result in major losses. | |
− | + | In the last panel, "the girl from ''The Ring''" refers to Sadako Yamamura, the antagonist of the ''Ring'' series by Koji Suzuki, who has been referenced several times in xkcd in the past. Beret Guy claims she has made several appearances in their video conferences, which may be possible if someone has hacked their video feed to play footage from the 2002 movie. However, some of Beret Guy's employees then proceed to remark that she has made contributions to the meetings in question, implying that the image of Yamamura is not only alive but sentient and communicating with the employees. Rather than ponder how this is possible, they simply suggest hiring her, showing that Beret Guy's sheer eccentricity has affected his employees to the point that a digital spectre would not be an abnormal employee. | |
− | + | The title text refers to the May 25 deadline to implement the European Union's {{w|GDPR|General Data Protection Regulation}}; this comic focuses on a business meeting about what the company is doing to prepare for it. The regulation is about the handling of personal information, so customers sending them theirs might be a problem. For some inexplicable reason Beret Guy is exempt because he is royalty of some kind (even though such exemption is not part of GDPR); on the other hand if customers are willingly sending him information without his requesting it he may be exempt because it is freedom of expression and information by his customers and is not his responsibility as such. | |
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− | The title text refers to the May 25 deadline to implement the European Union's {{w|GDPR|General Data Protection Regulation | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | :[Beret Guy, Ponytail, Hairy, Hairbun and Megan sit around a table, left to right. Beret Guy and Megan are sitting on chairs at the ends. All others are behind the table with no visible chairs. All characters face Beret Guy | + | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
+ | :[Beret Guy, Ponytail, Hairy, Hairbun and Megan sit around a table, left to right. Beret Guy and Megan are sitting on chairs at the ends. All others are behind the table with no visible chairs. All characters face Beret Guy] | ||
:Beret Guy: Quarterly reports are looking good. | :Beret Guy: Quarterly reports are looking good. | ||
:Beret Guy: Our office is full of cash, we're producing stocks faster than ever before, and our customers are experiencing rapid growth. | :Beret Guy: Our office is full of cash, we're producing stocks faster than ever before, and our customers are experiencing rapid growth. | ||
− | :Beret Guy: Any | + | :Beret Guy: Any Updates? |
− | :[Closeup on Ponytail, facing left | + | :[Closeup on Ponytail, facing left] |
:Ponytail: Bad news: many of our assets were liquidated this morning due to a thermostat glitch. | :Ponytail: Bad news: many of our assets were liquidated this morning due to a thermostat glitch. | ||
:Ponytail: Good news: the sink in the kitchen has stopped producing original content. | :Ponytail: Good news: the sink in the kitchen has stopped producing original content. | ||
− | :[Same as panel one, but characters are facing Megan | + | :[Same as panel one, but characters are facing Megan] |
:Beret Guy: How are our finances? | :Beret Guy: How are our finances? | ||
:Megan: Our biggest source of revenue is our ongoing project to transmute lead into gold. | :Megan: Our biggest source of revenue is our ongoing project to transmute lead into gold. | ||
:Megan: Our biggest expense is our project to transmute it back. | :Megan: Our biggest expense is our project to transmute it back. | ||
− | :[Closeup on Beret Guy, facing right, offset to the left of the panel. Two characters speak from off-panel right | + | :[Closeup on Beret Guy, facing right, offset to the left of the panel. Two characters speak from off-panel right] |
:Beret Guy: Lastly, any luck getting the girl from ''The Ring'' to stop showing up in our video conferences? | :Beret Guy: Lastly, any luck getting the girl from ''The Ring'' to stop showing up in our video conferences? | ||
− | : | + | :From Right 1: No, but honestly, she's made some good contributions. |
− | : | + | :From Right 2: Yeah, I think we should hire her. |
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]] | ||
[[Category:Beret Guy's Business]] | [[Category:Beret Guy's Business]] | ||
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