explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1975: Right Click

2018-04-02T03:32:56Z

108.162.221.149: update with minimize effect

{{comic
| number = 1975
| date = April 1, 2018
| title = Right Click
| image = right_click.png
| titletext = "Right-click or long press (where supported) to save!"
}}
<div class="toclimit-3" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px;">__TOC__</div>
'''NOTE: The above is the first panel of an interactive comic.'''<br>
To experience the interactive content, click [https://www.xkcd.com/1975/ here].<br>
==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Please add an explanation table of all functions This is an April Fools comic, so it'll take a while to get organized and much longer to fill out. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In an additional fool it introduces the [https://uni.xkcd.com/ Unix XKCD] as a reference to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telenet Telenet]. <br>

===Table - Main Context Menu===

{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
! # !! Menu Item !! Explanation !! Sub-Menu Items
|-
! 1
| '''File'''
| Needs Explanation
|Close> Closes menu, does nothing.
Open: A:\, C:\, / (See more below)

Find: Where, When, How, (not usable) What, Why

|-
! 2
| '''Edit'''
| Enables a mode allowing the user to draw on the webpage. Pressing Esc asks "Aw, that looks nice though. Really delete?" and the page returns to normal if OK is clicked.
| None
|-
! 3
| '''System'''
| Needs Explanation
|Shut Down> Changes the only menu option to "Power on", then once that is used, system returns to normal.

/ (See below)
|-
! 4
| '''View'''
| Needs Explanation
|Cascade>Links to [http://wiki.xkcd.com/geohashing/Mt._St._Helens,_Washington]

Tile> Links to [[245: Floor Tiles]]

Minimize> Changes pointer to a smaller pointer.

Full Screen> Enters full screen.
|-
! 5
| '''Utilities'''
| Needs Explanation
|Park drives> Nothing.

Check space usage> (cannot click) Space usage: -Dark matter -Hydrogen -Helium -Scattered clumps of heavier elements -Stars -Rocks -Some space probes -Earth

Spell check> English (links to [[1069: Alphabet]]) and Colors (links to [https://blog.xkcd.com/2010/05/03/color-survey-results/])

Train AI> links to [[1838: Machine Learning]]

Identify song> opens a long word-by-word menu for song lyrics.

Advanced> several Unix commands, including that random string that breaks it for whatever reason.

'); DROP TABLE Menus;-- links to [[327: Exploits of a Mom]]
|-
! 6
| '''Games'''
| Needs Explanation
| Twenty Questions> A Twenty Questions interface that gets really confusing.

Rock Paper Scissors> A Rock Paper Scissors game where the computer always matches your move.

D&D> A complex Dungeons and Dragons interface.

ADVENT.EXE> A text-based game. If played correctly, you can win, unlocking 'Save'>'Save image' from the beginning menu, which links to [https://xkcd.com/1975/v6xso1_right_click_save.png]

Hoverboard> Links to [[1608: Hoverboard]].

Mornington Crescent> This appears to be a list of locations in London surrounding Mornington Crescent. There are several nearby Subway stations sharing the names but not all stations on the map exist in this directory. Someone more familiar with the area may be able to discern a pattern.
|-
! 7
| '''Help'''
| Contains various submenus, all of which, barring Credits, loop back recursively to this menu:
|Tutorial
Support

Manual

Troubleshooting

FAQ

Guide

Q&A

User forums

--------------

Credits
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[Empty frame with Cueball slightly right of center.]

[Caption]

Editor's Note: Today's comic is optimized for local viewing. To see the full version, just save a copy of the image!

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1559: Driving

2015-08-03T14:18:38Z

108.162.221.149:

They're probably in California, seeing as that's the only place self-driving cars are actually on the road. [[User:Wmss|Wmss]] ([[User talk:Wmss|talk]]) 09:46, 3 August 2015 (UTC)

If there are self-driving cars, what about self-filling cars? So these cars are able to make long distances without the driver's interaction. Maybe he is sleeping. [[User:GeorgDerReisende|GeorgDerReisende]] ([[User talk:GeorgDerReisende|talk]]) 10:47, 3 August 2015 (UTC)

Should've used hitchBOT instead of a rock. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.82|108.162.216.82]] 12:46, 3 August 2015 (UTC)

I disagree with the part of the explanation that claims that the comic must take place in the continental US. The title text doesn't specify "exactly two" border crossings; it merely implies that there is more than one. That could be anywhere in mainland (or attached-to-the-mainland-by-bridge) North America, north of the Darien Gap, except for most of Canada (from most of the population centers of Ontario, Google Maps wants to route through Michigan, for a total of three border crossings). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.149|108.162.221.149]] 14:18, 3 August 2015 (UTC)

1553: Public Key

2015-07-20T15:21:00Z

108.162.221.149: Additional explanation idea

{{comic
| number = 1553
| date = July 20, 2015
| title = Public Key
| image = public_key.png
| titletext = I guess I should be signing stuff, but I've never been sure what to sign. Maybe if I post my private key, I can crowdsource my decisions about what to sign.
}}

{{Incomplete| first draft}}
==Explanation==

In [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public-key_cryptography Public-key cryptography], two keys are generated for a user. The public key can be used to encrypt messages, but not decrypt them. The private key is necessary for decryption.

The public key is designed to be shared. People share their public keys so anybody can send them an encrypted message. Cueball has been following this rule. However, nobody wants to send him encrypted messages. Cueball contemplates sharing his private key, which would allow anyone to decrypt his messages. This change would defeat the whole purpose of encryption, and it would not solve Cueball's problem.

This may also allude to the fact that people are more likely to be interested in something designated as "private"--the allure of the "forbidden."

The title text refers to another feature of Public-key cryptography: messages can be "signed" with the private key. These messages can be read by anyone, but readers with the public key can verify that the owner of the private key wrote (or at least signed) the message. If Cueball published his private key, anybody could sign anything as him. Once again, this would defeat the purpose of encryption.

[[Crowdsourcing]] is the term used for delegating work or tasks to a largely volunteered set of people on the internet -- similar to {{w|outsourcing}}, but to a group of people over whom you have little or no control, typically by finding random people on the internet. {{w|Crowdsourcing}} decisions of what to buy, what contracts to enter and how to spend you money may not be the wisest decision.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}

[In the first panel, Cueball is sitting in a chair and is using a laptop.]

Cueball: I've been posting my public key for 15 years now, but no one has ever asked me for it or used it for anything as far as I can tell.

[Two panels with Cueball thinking silently.]

Cueball: Maybe I should try posting my ''private'' key instead.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Cryptography]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

Talk:869: Server Attention Span

2015-04-01T19:00:32Z

108.162.221.149:

Note that REAL HTTP/1.0 conversation is started by browser: First browser say everything, then server responds and close the connection. HTTP/1.1 conversation allows the browser to make another query in the same connection, but that's only to avoid the work on reopening connection, server is supposed to interpret this new query in same way as if it would be new connection. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 09:15, 15 February 2013 (UTC)

Yes, proper HTTP implementations are stateless. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.117|108.162.246.117]] 19:55, 18 January 2014 (UTC)

It seems that the server is vertical at the start, but horizontal in the following panels. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.162|141.101.98.162]] 22:28, 25 February 2015 (UTC)
No, the server is horizontal, in the middle of a vertical rack. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.149|108.162.221.149]] 19:00, 1 April 2015 (UTC)

226: Swingset

2015-03-06T20:50:56Z

108.162.221.149: removed incomplete sentence.

{{comic
| number = 226
| date = February 21, 2007
| title = Swingset
| image = swingset.png
| titletext = Someone bring me a pocket fan so I can drift around the yard.
}}

==Explanation==
In the opening panel of this comic an unknown woman sees [[Cueball]] sitting on a swing set. She tells him that during his swing he becomes weightless. Cueball then imagines that at the peak of his swing he is able to become permanently weightless, floating above the ground without any support.

When on a swing or other [http://www.learner.org/interactives/parkphysics/pendulum.html pendulum ride], there is a moment between swinging forwards/backwards and swinging back down again when, the forces of gravity, friction, air resistance, etc., brings the velocity of the swing to zero. At this moment, there is no acceleration toward the pivot of the swing (since the centripetal acceleration is proportional to the square of the speed). So the swinger experiences no centrifugal force. Of course gravity still acts on the person, but if the swing is horizontal at that point, then the there is no reaction force, so for one moment the swinger is in free-fall and experiences {{w|weightlessness}}.

In the title text Cueball asks for a pocket fan, believing he could fly around the garden using this small device perhaps as a propeller.

==Transcript==
:[Woman talking to Cueball on swing-set.]
:Woman: You know, at the peak of a big swing, you become weightless.
:[Thought bubble from Cueball.]
:[Cueball swings higher and higher. At the peak of a big swing he shoves off the swing. Cueball remains hovering in the air.]
:Cueball: Hey guys. Come check this out.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Physics]]