Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
Jump to: navigation, search
(Explaining)
(Latest comic: Cutting a little whitespace and references, cruft from an older time.)
(108 intermediate revisions by 8 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
''Welcome to the Explain XKCD wiki''
+
__NOTOC__{{DISPLAYTITLE:explain xkcd}}
 +
<center>
  
__TOC__
+
<font size=5px>''Welcome to the '''explain [[xkcd]]''' wiki!''</font><br>
 +
We have an explanation for all [[:Category:All comics|'''{{#expr:{{PAGESINCAT:All comics|R}}-1}}''' xkcd comics]],
 +
<!-- Note: the -1 in the calculation above is to discount "comic" 404,
 +
    which is not really a comic, even though we've categorised it so. -->
 +
and only {{PAGESINCAT:Incomplete explanations|R}}
 +
({{#expr: {{PAGESINCAT:Incomplete explanations|R}} / {{LATESTCOMIC}} * 100 round 0}}%) [[:Category:Incomplete explanations|are incomplete]]. Help us finish them!
 +
</center>
 +
== Latest comic ==
 +
<div style="border:1px solid grey; background:#eee; padding:1em;">
 +
<span style="float:right;">[[{{LATESTCOMIC}}|'''Go to this comic explanation''']]</span>
 +
<br clear="right">
 +
{{:{{LATESTCOMIC}}}}</div>
  
== Welcome ==
+
<small>''Is this out of date? {{Purge|Clicking here will fix that}}.''</small>
Please sign up for an account and contribute to the Explain XKCD wiki!  We need explanations for comics, characters, themes, memes and everything in between.  If it is referenced in an XKCD comic, it should be in here.
 
 
XKCD [http://www.xkcd.com]
 
  
If you need help with the wiki syntax, Mediawiki has a great wealth of information to help you the syntax right.
+
== New here? ==
Navigation. [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Navigation]
+
<div style="float:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em">{{Special:ContributionScores/10/7/nosort,notools}}<div style="font-size:0.85em; width:25em; font-style:italic">[[Special:ContributionScores|Lots of people]] contribute to make this wiki a success. Many of the recent contributors, listed above, have [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special%3AContributions&contribs=newbie just joined]. You can do it too! Create your account [[Special:UserLogin/signup|here]].</div></div>
Editing. [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Editing_pages]
 
  
== Getting started ==
+
You can read a brief introduction about this wiki at [[explain xkcd]]. Feel free to [[Special:UserLogin/signup|sign up for an account]] and contribute to the wiki! We need explanations for [[:Category:Incomplete explanations|comics]], [[:Category:Characters|characters]], [[:Category:Comics by topic|themes]] and [[:Category:Meta|everything in between]]. If it is referenced in an [[xkcd]] web comic, it should be here.
For new comic pages:
 
  
1. Every registered user can upload images.
+
* If you're new to wiki editing, see [[mw:Help:Editing pages|how to edit wiki pages]]. There's also a handy {{w|Help:Cheatsheet|wikicode cheatsheet}}.
  
2. Put the comic number, the date it was posted and a link to the comic above the photo.
+
* Discussion about the wiki itself happens at the [[explain xkcd:Community portal|Community portal]].
  
3. Put the image text below the photo.
+
* You can browse the comics from [[List of all comics]] or by navigating the category tree at [[:Category:Comics]].
  
4. Explain away below that.
+
* There are incomplete explanations listed [[:Category:Incomplete explanations|here]]. Feel free to help out by expanding them!
  
If you are setting up a new page for a new (or old) comic, please make sure you also redirect the comic number to that page as well.
+
* We sell advertising space to pay for our server costs. To learn more, go [[explain xkcd:Advertise Here|here]].
  
The syntax for redirects is:
+
== Rules ==
 
 
<nowiki>#REDIRECT [[pagename]]</nowiki>
 
 
 
For example, on the page for 1045 is:
 
  
<nowiki>#REDIRECT [[Constraints]]</nowiki>
+
Don't be a jerk.
  
That allows the users of the site to search via the comic number or the name of the comic.
+
There are a lot of comics that don't have set-in-stone explanations; feel free to put multiple interpretations in the wiki page for each comic.
  
== Rules ==
+
If you want to talk about a specific comic, use its discussion page.
Don't be a jerk.  There are a lot of comics that don't have set in stone explanations, feel free to put multiple interpretations in the wiki page for each comic.
 
  
If you want to talk about a specific comic, the Discussion page is perfect for that.
+
Please only submit material directly related to (and helping everyone better understand) xkcd... and of course ''only'' submit material that can legally be posted (and freely edited).  Off-topic or other inappropriate content is subject to removal or modification at admin discretion, and users who repeatedly post such content will be blocked.
  
If you have a message for an admin, feel free to leave a message on their personal discussion page.
+
If you need assistance from an [[explain xkcd:Administrators|admin]], post a message to the [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Admin requests|Admin requests]] board.
  
The Admins are:
+
[[Category:Root category]]
[[Explain XKCD:Administrators]]
 

Revision as of 09:15, 8 February 2016

Welcome to the explain xkcd wiki!
We have an explanation for all 2921 xkcd comics, and only 6 (0%) are incomplete. Help us finish them!

Latest comic

Go to this comic explanation

Eclipse Path Maps
Okay, this eclipse will only be visible from the Arctic in February 2063, when the sun is below the horizon, BUT if we get lucky and a gigantic chasm opens in the Earth in just the right spot...
Title text: Okay, this eclipse will only be visible from the Arctic in February 2063, when the sun is below the horizon, BUT if we get lucky and a gigantic chasm opens in the Earth in just the right spot...

Explanation

Ambox notice.png This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: Created by a TORNADO CAPITAL OF THE WORLD - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.

A total solar eclipse occurred on April 8, 2024 in North America, ten days before this comic. This comic comments on the fact that most solar eclipses happen on territories not easily reachable by humans, or do happen near easy to reach places, but with weather conditions that make viewing the eclipse less appealing, like cloudy skies, mentioned previously in 2915: Eclipse Clouds and 2917: Types of Eclipse Photo, fog, a short period of totality or tornadoes. Tornadoes are a recurring subject on xkcd.

This map shows only one ideal location for seeing an eclipse within a path of totality. However, having 40,000,000 visitors per 6 square miles would equal 2.57 people per square meter, which isn't very much space available per person.

The title text mentions the solar eclipse of February 2063, but this annular eclipse will traverse through the Indian Ocean rather than close to the Arctic. This eclipse would supposedly happen when the Sun would be below the horizon, making it impossible to observe from the surface of Earth. It then jokingly suggests that a giant chasm could open up, making viewing easier.

Transcript

Ambox notice.png This transcript is incomplete. Please help editing it! Thanks.
Every eclipse path map
[A grey band representing the totality path of an eclipse travels along the map across several labels. Labels along the path from top to bottom:]
Zone where totality lasts 1-2 seconds
[On water] Bay of shifting ice
[On water] Shipwreck cove
[On land] Desert so harsh they train Mars astronauts there
[On water] Sea of rocky crags and maelstorms
[In square brackets] State department travel advisory
[On an island] Isle of perpetual fog
[On small part of a peninsula] Nice, scenic, accessible area (6 square miles, 40,000,000 visitors expected)
[On land] Tornado capital of the world
[On land] Area where the eclipse will be low in the sky, behind the tornadoes


Is this out of date? Clicking here will fix that.

New here?

Last 7 days (Top 10)

Lots of people contribute to make this wiki a success. Many of the recent contributors, listed above, have just joined. You can do it too! Create your account here.

You can read a brief introduction about this wiki at explain xkcd. Feel free to sign up for an account and contribute to the wiki! We need explanations for comics, characters, themes and everything in between. If it is referenced in an xkcd web comic, it should be here.

  • There are incomplete explanations listed here. Feel free to help out by expanding them!
  • We sell advertising space to pay for our server costs. To learn more, go here.

Rules

Don't be a jerk.

There are a lot of comics that don't have set-in-stone explanations; feel free to put multiple interpretations in the wiki page for each comic.

If you want to talk about a specific comic, use its discussion page.

Please only submit material directly related to (and helping everyone better understand) xkcd... and of course only submit material that can legally be posted (and freely edited). Off-topic or other inappropriate content is subject to removal or modification at admin discretion, and users who repeatedly post such content will be blocked.

If you need assistance from an admin, post a message to the Admin requests board.