explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1965: Background Apps

2018-03-09T16:58:41Z

108.162.238.95: /* Meaning of "" banner */

Okay, so I've never edited before, but I found an article from a year and a half ago [https://www.wired.com/2016/03/closing-apps-save-battery-makes-things-worse/ here] that relates to closing apps and batteries. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.211.244|172.68.211.244]] 16:22, 9 March 2018 (UTC)

== Meaning of "<marquee>" banner ==
It may be that the "<marquee>" banner is not a blank template but rather a reference to the obsolete HTML tag (https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/marquee).
* You're absolutely right, except that "deprecated" is only half the story: it was never a W3C-compliant tag to start with (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquee_element). And, given the nature of plane-pulled banners, it's also very obviously a reference to the similarity of behavior. Plus, it also meshes with the title-text, since that also delves into HTML both by talking about the Div tag and by the fact that the plane-pulled marquee tag is also un-closed. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.95|108.162.238.95]] 16:58, 9 March 2018 (UTC)

1965: Background Apps

2018-03-09T16:49:45Z

108.162.238.95: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1965
| date = March 9, 2018
| title = Background Apps
| image = background_apps.png
| titletext = My plane banner company gets business by flying around with a banner showing a <div> tag, waiting for a web developer to get frustrated enough to order a matching </div>.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Written by a pilot - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
A person goes to the trouble of renting a banner plane just to dispense some trivial advice. Then a second person goes to the same amount of trouble just to make a judgmental statement against the first person, seemingly unaware that they themselves are chartering a plane for an equally (if not more) inane reason. The first person rents yet another plane just to apologize to the second person and explain their actions.

In the punchline, the second person rents another plane to respond to the first person's response, being no less smug or hypocritical than before. Meanwhile, four more people have chartered planes:
* One to urge the first two people to have their conversation somewhere private
* Another to comment on how surprisingly cheap the banners are to rent
* A third just to show off their own banner
* A fourth displaying the HTML "Marquee" tag, a non-standard tag that many web organizations advise against using, which is used to cause a message to scroll across the web page, much as the plane is flying across the sky.

The title text is spoken by a plane banner company owner, who uses the insidious tactic of flying around with a banner of an unmatched HTML, just to compel obsessive people into renting banner space to make it syntactically correct.

The theme of the mis/use of airplanes and banners has previously been explored in [[1355: Airplane Message]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[A small airplane is flying across the panel from left to right. It is trailing a large banner that reads:]
:Airplane 1: People! Closing background apps when you're not using them makes your phone battery drain ''faster'', not slower! Stop it!

[After a pause, a second, similar airplane flies by from right to left, also trailing a banner.]
:Airplane 2: What kind of person charters a plane to give unsolicited tech advice to strangers?

[Another pause, then the first airplane returns.]
:Airplane 1: OK, fair. Sorry. I guess I'm just angry about other stuff and it's coming out here.

[The second airplane returns immediately, this time with four other small airplanes of various types flying by beneath it.]
:Airplane 2: No worries. Just maybe spend as much time reflecting on your own motivation for correcting people as you have on theirs for closing apps.
:Airplane 3: Can you two please have this conversation somewhere else?
:Airplane 4: Wow, these banners are surprisingly cheap to rent.
:Airplane 5: Haha, I got one, too!
:Airplane 6: <marquee>

{{comic discussion}}

1965: Background Apps

2018-03-09T16:45:21Z

108.162.238.95: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1965
| date = March 9, 2018
| title = Background Apps
| image = background_apps.png
| titletext = My plane banner company gets business by flying around with a banner showing a <div> tag, waiting for a web developer to get frustrated enough to order a matching </div>.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Written by a pilot - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
A person goes to the trouble of renting a banner plane just to dispense some trivial advice. Then a second person goes to the same amount of trouble just to make a judgmental statement against the first person, seemingly unaware that they themselves are chartering a plane for an equally (if not more) inane reason. The first person rents yet another plane just to apologize to the second person and explain their actions.

In the punchline, the second person rents another plane to respond to the first person's response, being no less smug or hypocritical than before. Meanwhile, four more people have chartered planes:
* One to urge the first two people to have their conversation somewhere private
* Another to comment on how surprisingly cheap the banners are to rent
* A third just to show off their own banner
* A fourth displaying the HTML "Marquee" tag, a non-standard tag that many web organizations advise against using, which is used to cause a message to scroll across the web page, much as the plane is flying across the viewer's field of view.

The title text is spoken by a plane banner company owner, who uses the insidious tactic of flying around with a banner of an unmatched HTML, just to compel obsessive people into renting banner space to make it syntactically correct.

The theme of the mis/use of airplanes and banners has previously been explored in [[1355: Airplane Message]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[A small airplane is flying across the panel from left to right. It is trailing a large banner that reads:]
:Airplane 1: People! Closing background apps when you're not using them makes your phone battery drain ''faster'', not slower! Stop it!

[After a pause, a second, similar airplane flies by from right to left, also trailing a banner.]
:Airplane 2: What kind of person charters a plane to give unsolicited tech advice to strangers?

[Another pause, then the first airplane returns.]
:Airplane 1: OK, fair. Sorry. I guess I'm just angry about other stuff and it's coming out here.

[The second airplane returns immediately, this time with four other small airplanes of various types flying by beneath it.]
:Airplane 2: No worries. Just maybe spend as much time reflecting on your own motivation for correcting people as you have on theirs for closing apps.
:Airplane 3: Can you two please have this conversation somewhere else?
:Airplane 4: Wow, these banners are surprisingly cheap to rent.
:Airplane 5: Haha, I got one, too!
:Airplane 6: <marquee>

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1955: Robots

2018-02-16T11:46:22Z

108.162.238.95:

The door handle is a lever, which is relatively easy to open. A doorknob would be harder.
[[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 06:04, 14 February 2018 (UTC)

Apparently, a lot of the YouTube comments reference "black mirror" a lot. Can someone explain this to someone out of the loop?
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.183|162.158.62.183]] 06:22, 14 February 2018 (UTC)Jury76
: {{w|Black Mirror}} is a British science fiction anthology television series created by Charlie Brooker, with Brooker and Annabel Jones serving as the programme showrunners. It examines modern society, particularly with regard to the unanticipated consequences of new technologies. Episodes are standalone, usually set in an alternative present or the near future, often with a dark and satirical tone, though some are more experimental and lighter. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 08:26, 14 February 2018 (UTC)

: refering to this episode: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metalhead_(Black_Mirror)[[Special:Contributions/172.68.253.23|172.68.253.23]] 08:57, 14 February 2018 (UTC)

Added a (very basic) explanation of the comic. [[User:Herobrine|Herobrine]] ([[User talk:Herobrine|talk]]) 07:27, 14 February 2018 (UTC)

I don't think that the title text is a trope reference. If robots are, indeed, a threat, it will be because various corporate teams have spent a lot of money to develop and build them. Basically, the only mad scientist with the resources to do this would be Elon Musk, who is clearly on record with his concerns about such a possibility. [[User:Schnitz|Schnitz]] ([[User talk:Schnitz|talk]]) 19:26, 14 February 2018 (UTC)

Why does the last panel start with "So"? It that some American grammar thing? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.70|198.41.238.70]] 20:36, 14 February 2018 (UTC)

: So why do you suggest this is American? (See what I did there?) Anyway, read more on this usage here: http://www.dictionary.com/e/sentence-initial-so/
: It goes into detail on the many ways "so" is used to start a sentence. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 22:18, 14 February 2018 (UTC)
:: So "so-so" ''so'' describes the American Randall's grammar. (See what I did there? Answered your question, of course.) [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.70|198.41.238.70]] 08:21, 15 February 2018 (UTC)
:: I think I answered yours too - I don't believe that usage is limited to American english, even though Randall is indeed American. (Note: moved 2nd half of my earlier post above your reply.) [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 18:16, 15 February 2018 (UTC)

One of my favourite cartoons: "Knowing how it could change the lives of canines everywhere, the dog scientists struggled diligently to understand the Doorknob Principle." -- _The Far Side_
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.220|108.162.216.220]] 05:42, 15 February 2018 (UTC) Gene Wirchenko genew@telus.net

When seeing the moment where the dog-bot opens the door, somehow I can't help but think of the scene in the 2005 Doctor Who reboot where Christopher Eccleston's Doctor and Rose are facing the Daleks for the first time, and they go up the stairs. The lack of Daleks' ability to navigate stairs was a longstanding joke in the original series. Then, the Dalek says "ELEVATE!" and the pursuit resumes... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.95|108.162.238.95]] 11:46, 16 February 2018 (UTC)

1954: Impostor Syndrome

2018-02-12T15:20:24Z

108.162.238.95: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1954
| date = February 12, 2018
| title = Impostor Syndrome
| image = impostor_syndrome.png
| titletext = It's actually worst in people who study the Dunning–Kruger effect. We tried to organize a conference on it, but the only people who would agree to give the keynote were random undergrads.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an IMPOSTOR - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Impostor_syndrome|Impostor syndrome}} is a common psychological phenomenon where successful individuals are unable to internalize their success and fear being exposed as a "fraud" or "impostor." Events and accomplishments that would seem to be evidence of competence, skill, intelligence, and so forth, are instead viewed (by the person) as luck, timing, and the ability to appear more confident/competent than they actually are. Wikipedia suggests that seventy percent of people experience this at one time or another.

Dr. Adams is introduced by Megan as "the world's top expert in ..." Dr. Adams herself almost certainly recognizes that a large part of her success is due to the opportunities she had (for example, she probably had good mentoring as a graduate student and as a postdoc), plus some luck and good timing (perhaps she wrote a paper that received much more impact than she feels it merited). She has also met other experts in her field and knows (from the outside) how intelligent, hard-working, and brilliantly creative they are. She begins to tell Megan and Cueball about how much better they are than she is, then suddenly realizes that she is (from the outside) every bit as intelligent, hard-working, and brilliantly creative. She herself is realizing that she is experiencing impostor syndrome.

The {{w|Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect|Dunning–Kruger effect}} is a cognitive bias where people who are less intellectually capable are more likely to inflate their level of expertise in a given subject, while those that actually are highly intelligent (and especially experts on the topic at hand) are likely to downplay their level of expertise. The cognitive bias is caused by the fact that people of low metacognitive ability lack the intellectual tools to validly assess their competence. While this effect primarily refers to cognitive ability, it is also sometimes used to refer to people who are competent in one area (and thus not lacking metacognitive skills) believing that their abilities grant them unusually-high aptitude in another area.

In practice, more expertise still largely correlates to a higher confidence in one's expertise -- that is to say that competence remains positively correlated with the perception of competence -- but the lack of the appropriate cognitive skills means that perception starts at a higher level and increases at a slower rate. However, in popular usage, the Dunning–Kruger effect is used to claim that a negative correlation exists, and that non-experts will claim expertise and confidence at a higher overall level than actual experts.

In the title-text, a conference for the Dunning–Kruger effect was having trouble, presumably because the actual researchers were downplaying their knowledge and expertise to the point where they refused to be the keynote speaker, while the random undergrads, who lack experience in the topic, feel sufficiently confident in their knowledge of it to give the keynote. This more closely matches both the secondary usage (as undergrads are unlikely to lack metacognitive skills, but may inflate their understanding) and the popular usage (as the confidence is inverse to the actual competence) than the primary and in-practice observance made in the original research.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[Cueball is addressed by Megan and another woman.]<br />
Megan: This is Dr. Adams. She's a social psychologist and the world's top expert on imposter syndrome.<br />
Dr. Adams: Haha, don't be silly! There are lots of scholars who have made more significant…<br />
Dr. Adams: … Oh my God.

{{comic discussion}}

824: Guest Week: Bill Amend (FoxTrot)

2017-11-20T02:18:56Z

108.162.238.95: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 824
| date = November 24, 2010
| title = Guest Week: Bill Amend (FoxTrot)
| image = guest_week_bill_amend_foxtrot.png
| titletext = Guest comic by Bill Amend of FoxTrot, an inspiration to all us nerdy-physics-majors-turned-cartoonists, of which there are an oddly large number.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Bill Amend}}, author of the newspaper comic {{w|FoxTrot}}, draws for [[Randall]] in this special '[[:Category:Guest Week|Guest Week]]' edition of [[xkcd]]. In the first two panels, we see {{w|List_of_FoxTrot_characters#Jason_Fox|Jason Fox}}, a geeky 10-year-old from Amend's strip. Jason asks to draw comics for Randall. When Randall refuses, he uses the sudo command, used in {{w|POSIX}} systems to perform an action as an administrator/super user. This forces Randall to agree. This is a reference to the very popular comic [[149: Sandwich]], which has now become a geek culture catch-phrase.

In the first comic, [[Cueball]] is making a pun on the word {{Wiktionary|attractive}}. In the first context it means a person is "good looking" or "beautiful" which the (presumably) female character attributes to her hair. In Cueball's context, it means that he is feeling an increased gravitational pull from the woman, due to her increase in mass (see {{w|Gravitation}}). This setup is also very typical of the Jason Fox character, who, ostensibly ten, is supposed to be too young to like girls.

{{w|Werner Heisenberg}} postulated in 1927, his eponymous {{w|Uncertainty principle|Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle}}, which roughly states that in {{w|quantum mechanics}} one cannot know both the position and momentum of a particle. The joke is that (presumably) Elisabeth Heisenberg does not know the position of her keys, because she knows too much about their (the keys') momentum. (This is also the subject of [[1473: Location Sharing]].)

In many {{w|parliament}}ary and {{w|congress}}ional halls it is customary, when calling an issue to vote to have the people who want the issue at hand to be passed to say out loud that they agree. The customary response to this is to say "aye." The dissenters are then asked. Their response would be "nay" or "no". Then the volume (by rough {{w|decibel}}s) of the assenters and dissenters are weighed. If it is close, a more formal vote may be called. "Aye" is pronounced the same way as the letter "i" and "''i''" is the mathematical value of the square root of negative one, which can be used to represent an {{w|imaginary number}}.

The title text of this comic draws attention to the fact that there are a number of notable people who have become famous as cartoonists, but also hold degrees in physics or have a strong interest in physics. This might seem unusual, because the average person might see physics and art as incompatible, and this is why Randall writes "an oddly large number." These people include:
* Randall Munroe, the writer of xkcd, has a degree in physics from Christopher Newport University.
* Bill Amend, the creator of [http://www.foxtrot.com/ Foxtrot], majored in physics at Amherst College.
* Zach Weiner, who writes the webcomic [http://www.smbc-comics.com/ Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal], majored in physics at San Jose State University.
* Henry Reich is the creator of the web video series [http://www.youtube.com/user/minutephysics MinutePhysics], and studied physics and mathematics at Grinnell College.
* Paul G. Hewitt is a physicist and [http://www.conceptualphysics.com/ author of physics textbooks]. His textbooks contain a number of cartoons, drawn by Hewitt himself, to help illustrate physics concepts.
* Aaron Diaz writes the webcomic [http://dresdencodak.com/ Dresden Codak], and majored in physics (among several other things) before dropping out. His comics frequently reference ideas and experiments in physics.
* Larry Gonick is a cartoonist who has published [http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/search-results?contributor=larry-gonick a number of educational comic books], including The Cartoon Guide to Physics.
* Bud Grace, the creator of the comic [http://piranhaclubcomics.com/ Piranha Club] (previously known as Ernie) holds a PhD in nuclear physics. He has been making the comic since 1988.

''Guest Week'' was a series of five comics written by five other comic authors. They were released over five consecutive days (Monday-Friday); not over the usual Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule.<br>
The five comics are:
*[[822: Guest Week: Jeph Jacques (Questionable Content)]]
*[[823: Guest Week: David Troupes (Buttercup Festival)]]
*[[824: Guest Week: Bill Amend (FoxTrot)]]
*[[825: Guest Week: Jeffrey Rowland (Overcompensating)]]
*[[826: Guest Week: Zach Weiner (SMBC)]]

==Transcript==
:[Jason from FoxTrot is sitting at an artist's desk with a pencil, holding a phone.]
:Jason: Hi, Mr. Munroe? I have a great idea! Let me draw some strips for you!
:Mr. Munroe, through the telephone: Fat chance, kid.

:[Zoom in to Jason.]
:Jason: Sudo let me draw some strips for you.

:[There follow three strips. These will be separated by double new lines.]

:[Cueball and Ponytail are looking at each other.]
:Cueball: I find you more attractive than usual.
:Ponytail: You do? Is it my new haircut?

:[Zoom in to Cueball.]
:Cueball: Actually, I think it's all the weight you've been putting on. Your gravitational pull is pretty severe.

:[Cueball is now alone in the panel.]
:Cueball: Just sayin'.

:[Two people are in a living room. The woman is looking through a chest of drawers.]
:At home with the Heisenbergs
:Mrs. Heisenberg: I can't find my car keys.
:Mr. Heisenberg: You probably know too much about their momentum.

:[Cueball is standing on a stage, holding up a hammer. A crowd is in front of the stage.]
:Why mathematicians should run for Congress
:Cueball: All those in favor of the bill say "aye."
:Congressman #1: Aye.
:Congresswoman #2: Aye.
:Congress–Mathematician: √-1

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Guest Week]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Linux]]
[[Category:Puns]]

Talk:1406: Universal Converter Box

2017-11-17T14:30:58Z

108.162.238.95: “Genderless” is incorrect!

“Genderless” ... or hermaphrodite?
The Token Ring adapter, as drawn, looks to have both male and female components, so it is absolutely Not genderless, but serves as both, hence Hermes & Aphrodite.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.95|108.162.238.95]] 14:30, 17 November 2017 (UTC)

Would like to see what a gender changer for the petrol pump looks like... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 04:37, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

: It’s a funnel. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.129|108.162.216.129]] 04:45, 11 August 2014 (UTC)
:: Or maybe some sort of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siphon#Practical_requirements straw] [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.203|108.162.249.203]] 10:27, 25 August 2014 (UTC)

:: Im more intereted in understanding how the conversion between 87, 91 and 93 octane and Diesel is taking place -- some mini refinery most be included [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 07:34, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

::: No need for a mini refinery if you simply have 4 feed lines multiplexed through a valve.[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 18:57, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

::::You only need three behind the valve: 87, 93, and K-2 Kerosene. Kerosene is run straight-through, 87 and 93 are connected to the valve, then there are three lines in front of the valve: 87 and 93 are blended to produce 91 AKI. (in TX, we have fuel oil #2)

: I guess those folks still using their ADB keyboards are out of luck.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.129|108.162.216.129]] 04:45, 11 August 2014 (UTC)
:: Not true. ADB uses the same connector as S-Video, so they would be covered. [[User:Sayno2quat|Sayno2quat]] ([[User talk:Sayno2quat|talk]]) 13:39, 12 August 2014 (UTC)

Oh god... there are quite a few blank spots on that gas pump, and we all know what Randall likes to do with [http://what-if.xkcd.com/35/ tape]. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.211|173.245.56.211]] 04:55, 11 August 2014 (UTC)
::If true, one of these (88 AKI) dispenses a light red/pink fuel--it's leaded gasoline! \ {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.136}}

Where's the old Mac DIN based serial port? I've got a Color Classic I'd like to resurrect! (No, seriously. It's got a math program on it that I paid about one <i>fifteenth </i> of what they're going for today!) [[User:ExternalMonolog|ExternalMonolog]] ([[User talk:ExternalMonolog|talk]]) 05:21, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

Probably related: [http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/21b3ob/walking_through_my_local_electronic_store_i_found/ HDMI — garden hose adapter] for pouring sh*t from the TV directly on your lawn. {{unsigned ip|141.101.75.19}}

The above garden hose comment reminds me of the classic Three Stooges film in which they are bungling plumbers who get confused and connect the electric wires to the pipes with impossible but hilarious results -- for instance a TV shows Niagara Falls then suddenly water comes gushing out of it.

[[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.99|173.245.52.99]] 03:12, 12 August 2014 (UTC)

:: The original Ethernet used a fat coaxial cable known as "Garden Hose". There were no hubs or switches, each station had a 'stinger' tap clamped to the coax. I used such a setup in the 1970s. [[User:Jim E|Jim E]] ([[User talk:Jim E|talk]]) 15:54, 11 August 2014 (UTC)
::: And did I miss BNC connectors? BNC (co-ax, resistance-terminated, or sometimes looped integrated either by a stinger-clamp of some kind or (on balance, better) T-adapters between any number of shorter-length cables) was what I grew up with, with all its attendent foibles and influence on the distribution diagram (usually an ring-with-gap around the office, rather than a star topology, IME). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.13|141.101.98.13]] 22:17, 12 August 2014 (UTC)

I hate the fact that I can think of multiple standards that are not covered here. A gazillion DIN connectors, mini HDMI, RS232, Canon/XLR,... All the AC power adapters just on their own will weigh more than 22.7 kilograms. And seriously, how are we meant to connect our coaxial network cable to an iPhone2 with this? --[[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 06:04, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

:: +1 [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 07:30, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

I'm just a little pissed that all those plugs and it still doesn't include an Australian 240v power plug... sigh. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.219|108.162.250.219]] 06:09, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

:: There are no power adapters in this afaik -- the title text talks about DC adapters, but they come in a separate bag [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 07:30, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

::: I can see just one. I think it's the American plug, but I'm not sure (not familiar with what it looks like). It's got a removable ground pin. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.217|108.162.249.217]] 14:01, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

:::: Absolutely right, not sure how I missed that [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 15:14, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

While we're mentioning things Randall forgot, we have eSATA, 9-pin serial, there are at least three types of firewire, Multiple SCSI interface sizes, TRRS audio/mic connectors, 1/4" inch audio connectors, XLR, varous RF connectors, and a ton of power connectors. {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.210}}

:: The STA and SCSI are mostly internal connections which users rarely had to worry about [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 07:30, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

:::But there is external SCSI as well. Which sometimes needed to be manually numbered using DIP switches and properly terminated. --[[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 00:12, 12 August 2014 (UTC)

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the magsafe 4 connector was the 'hair connector' from the avatar movie. That would really be the ultimate self-connecting magsafe successor. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.78|141.101.104.78]] 08:05, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

Many of the video cables in this comic actually are compatible: DVI is backwards-compatible with VGA, HDMI is (mostly) compatible with DVI, S-video is compatible with composite RCA, and SCART is compatible with VGA in addition to supporting both types of composite. Might want to note that somewhere in the article. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.195|108.162.219.195]] 08:20, 11 August 2014 (UTC)
: Display Port? --[[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 00:12, 12 August 2014 (UTC)
:: I noticed too that it was missing. Not a bargain then, what a ripoff! :-) [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.151|199.27.128.151]] 17:34, 12 August 2014 (UTC)
:::It's covered by Thunderbolt, which is backwards-compatible with DP. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.92.214|141.101.92.214]] 03:42, 16 August 2014 (UTC)

The male/female adapters has me wondering slightly... Does the kit come with adapters for the fuel and the power plug? Might make for a light generator. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.75|108.162.215.75]] 08:26, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

I was mildly sad to see that the token ring was not accompanied by a Tolkien ring. —[[User:TobyBartels|TobyBartels]] ([[User talk:TobyBartels|talk]]) 08:58, 11 August 2014 (UTC)
:+1 --[[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 00:12, 12 August 2014 (UTC)

'''Some more "missing" items, and I'm wondering if we need to add all our suggestions in a single list to the main article.''' -- BigMal // [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.209|108.162.216.209]] 12:08, 11 August 2014 (UTC)
:IBM PC keyboard DIN
:IBM PC joystick
:Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)
:GPIB/HPIB (RS-485?) -- for electronics lab equipment (power supplies, desktop DMM, oscilloscope -- before USB and Ethernet)
:BNC (compostie video or analog signals)
:12V DC automotive power (old "cigarette lighter" port)
:Off-Board Diagnostic Connector (ODBC II -- automotive per SAE).
:Deutsch triangular SAE J1939/CAN connectors and "H1939" circular 9-pin Service Tool connector
:Other kinds of plumbing, inspired by the fuel pump -- US garden hose, various sizes of US NPT (National Pipe Thread?), various sizes of US "compression" thread
:and Pneumatic too -- all four of the most common pneumatic tool quick disconnects plus Schrader valve fitting (US standard for pneumatic tires) {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.209}}
:Does JTAG counts too? Also, I vote against adding this to the main article. [[Special:Contributions/188.114.99.189|188.114.99.189]] 23:58, 22 November 2015 (UTC)

According to Wikipedia, the 1st and 2nd gen MagSafe connectors in this image are swapped: What Randall labeled as MagSafe 1 is actually MagSafe 2 and vice-versa. [[User:Mezgrman|Mezgrman]] ([[User talk:Mezgrman|talk]]) 10:31, 11 August 2014 (UTC)
:No, this isn't talking about generations, it's talking about actual connections. The ''MagSafe'' adapter was first developed with what Apple calls the "T" style form factor, then was aesthetically updated to the "L" style, which is labeled as "MagSafe" in the comic. The two form factors were interchangeable due to the actual connection and power flow being identical. ''MagSafe 2'' has returned to the "T" style, and was introduced with the Retina Display and newer MacBook Air models, and has a longer, thinner profile that is NOT interchangeable with regular MagSafe adapters, though a small adapter is available. [http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1713 MagSafe Troubleshooting] [http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2346 Identifying Power Adapters] --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.57|108.162.245.57]] 00:22, 12 August 2014 (UTC)

Do any of these connectors interface with the Raspberry Pi's GPIO? (Wow, it took me surprisingly long to find the name of that.) If not, can we add that to the list? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.41|108.162.216.41]] 13:57, 11 August 2014 (UTC)
:The Floppy, IDE and SCSI IDC connectors will fit (but only using 2x13 pins of the 2x17/20/25 pins). So, no - none of these will interface directly with the Raspberry Pi. [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 15:53, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

The one gender changer that bag won't have is the one for Token Ring... of all the adapters this thing can handle, I believe the Token Ring one is the only one without a gender -- one Token Ring plug plugs into another, or into the wall socket, etc. without needing to worry about whether you have a male connector or a female one. Though I guess the Bluetooth Dongle and string also don't need adapters, pe se... [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 14:28, 11 August 2014 (UTC)
:One Token Ring to rule them all? --[[User:DivePeak|DivePeak]] ([[User talk:DivePeak|talk]]) 00:08, 12 August 2014 (UTC)
:Nah, it'd prolly come with a block with two token ring plugs. A genderless gender switcher. A wireless extension cable. [[User:BenAgain|BenAgain]] ([[User talk:BenAgain|talk]]) 12:49, 12 August 2014 (UTC)

;Is the Magsafe 4 a reference to the connectors for hands and things from the movie A.I.?

I think that the Magsafe 4 is supposed to look like those fancy auto-moving connectors from A.I. Artificial Intelligence.
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.142|199.27.133.142]] 15:50, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

The Magsafe 4 could also be a reference to the Na'vi tendril/braid from Avatar. {{unsigned ip|108.162.238.156}}

I wonder where the 30-pin and the Lightning plug that Apple loves so much is. I could see if the 30-pin is hiding int the Floppy or something, but nowhere is the Lightning plug. What gives? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.71|199.27.128.71]] 19:47, 11 August 2014 (UTC

;Universal Business Adapter

There might be a hidden reference to a famous [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIOqOxI0K_I IBM TV Ad] from, dunno, late 90's or so, in this. I read somewhere that the joke was lost to some viewers and IBM actually put resources into developing an "universal adapter" for business clients due to the demand. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.203|141.101.80.203]] 19:15, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

; Diesel .v. petrol nozzles

"A standard diesel nozzle is a bit thicker than a standard petrol nozzle so you cannot tank diesel into a petrol car but if this nozzle has the petrol nozzle diameter you are still able to tank with it into a diesel car."

This statement may be true in some countries, but not here in the UK, for standard pumps for
use with normal cars, vans, etc. That said, we also have separate, high speed, pump nozzles for lorries (=trucks :-) ) which are quite a bit larger than the standard petrol/diesel nozzle. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.214|141.101.98.214]] 08:16, 12 August 2014 (UTC)
: It is true in UK as well, the sizes are the same all over the world as it is standardized by SAE. Although there are large nozzles for trucks (usually 1 1/3" or 1 1/2"; also they don't stop filling automatically), even the one for cars is a bit larger than the petrol one (diesel has 15/16" diameter, petrol 13/16"). If you have a petrol-running car, you can easily check this :-) Interestingly, there used to be 15/16" nozzle for petrol as well but that was used for leaded only. And yes, the smaller size was introduced to avoid tanking leaded petrol into an unleaded-only car (Patent US4034784), not to avoid tanking diesel. [[User:Sten|'''S<small>TEN</small>''']] <small>([[User talk:Sten|talk]])</small> 23:15, 12 August 2014 (UTC)

Also, he's missing a lot of fiber/fibre connections (think FDDI, Fibre Channel, ST, LC, MT, SC, MIC, ESCON, TOSLINK, etc. :-)! He's missing whatever weird connectors were/are used for T-1 feeds. Also, is that parallel port DB-25 or Centronics 36? Note that SCSI has been seen to go over Centronics 36, DB-25, a 50-pin ribbon connector, 68 or 80 pin ribbon connectors that were shaped like a DB connector to key them, Fibre Channel (mentioned before), and SAS. Does the kit come with terminators? Better yet, for some SCSI drives, does it come with those little fiddly 8 or 9 pin terminating resistor packs that slid into plugs on the drive? Also, I wonder if you can run whatever weird protocol that 3270 terminals used over that F-connector and use this adapter like an IRMA board between an iPhone and a raw mainframe feed (no Microsoft SNA Server required). [[Special:Contributions/199.27.129.17|199.27.129.17]] 13:44, 12 August 2014 (UTC) Toby Ovod-Everett

:: Hoo boy, IRMA board, that takes me back. Plainly Randall felt the need to stop at some point. [[User:Jim E|Jim E]] ([[User talk:Jim E|talk]]) 15:51, 12 August 2014 (UTC)

Clearly it's missing the [http://xkcd.com/1293/ soup adapter]. {{unsigned ip|173.245.48.214}}

I've never seen the magsafe connectors but I thought the MAGSAFE 4 picture was a joke about a magnet so strong that the cord ripped off of the connector, leaving the connector on the still safe protected unit. [[User:ExternalMonolog|ExternalMonolog]] ([[User talk:ExternalMonolog|talk]]) 07:01, 13 August 2014 (UTC)

Missing all the electric car plugs including Tesla superchargers {{unsigned ip|141.101.64.101}}

""male" connector is plug, "female" connector is socket" is not quite correct. The gender of a connector is referring to the contacts, not the connector itself. For an example of a male socket look at the socket for the PSU on your PC (in fact, some power supplies have both a male and a female socket which allows you to power the PC and monitor using a single outlet). {{unsigned ip|108.162.250.222}}

I figured it out: the string is to distract the bobcat that might have inadvertently been included. [[User:Dr Pepper|Dr Pepper]] ([[User talk:Dr Pepper|talk]]) Dr Pepper

Did anyone point out that internal floppy/IDE/SCSII are a different pitch than 2.5 IDE so a compound connector would be unpossible. I wanna say 0.1" vs 0.15" off the top of my head. BTW there's an awesome pic out there somewhere with just about every connector you're likely to see on it. Huge though. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.7|108.162.242.7]] 19:11, 7 November 2014 (UTC)
:This comic is a joke and not really correct on all the connectors. Explaining all of them is just unimpossible (G.DubbleYou. Bush). Just keep smiling... --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 23:04, 7 November 2014 (UTC)

Anyone notice how the round MagSafe 3 connector is eerily similar to the Apple Watch's charger? 26 November 2014[[Special:Contributions/173.245.62.87|173.245.62.87]] 06:18, 26 November 2014 (UTC)

Did anyone notice that RS-232 serial port is missing? FAIL! {{unsigned ip|141.101.103.218}}

Also missing 20 ma. serial current loop. [[User:G1l1t1|G1l1t1]] ([[User talk:G1l1t1|talk]]) 18:44, 19 October 2016 (UTC)

DisplayPort? SP-DIF? [[User:Whoop whoop pull up|Whoop whoop pull up]] ([[User talk:Whoop whoop pull up|talk]]) 16:09, 28 April 2017 (UTC)

1889: xkcd Phone 6

2017-09-13T16:01:29Z

108.162.238.95:

{{comic
| number = 1889
| date = September 13, 2017
| title = xkcd Phone 6
| image = xkcd_phone_6.png
| titletext = We understand your privacy concerns; be assured that our phones will never store or transmit images of your face.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|All features need an explanation, the version number war and title text as well. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This is the sixth entry in the ongoing [[:Category:xkcd Phones|xkcd Phone series]].

===List of features===

; Front camera (centered for eye contact during video chat)

: Front camera is a common feature of smartphones. The camera lens is located on the same side of the phone's case as the main screen, therefore it is possible to capture the image of the user's face looking at the screen and display the interlocutor's face on the screen simultaneously, enabling video chat. However, as the camera is usually located above the screen, a user looking at the displayed image of the other person directs his or her eyes at the center of the screen and not at the camera's lens. This is very visible on the other end of the chat as if the person talking was looking down and not in the interlocutor's face which is an uncomfortable situation for most people. For this reason, professionals involved in movie or TV making like actors or reporters are trained to look straight into the camera's lens while talking which creates impression of looking straight at the viewer's face. During a video chat, however, looking into the lens of an above-screen camera does not allow one to see the interlocutor's face clearly because it is then in the peripheral field of vision.

: To solve this conundrum, Randall proposes locating the camera lens right in the middle of the screen. Therefore the user looking at the screen to see the other persons' face would be also looking at the lens, creating an impression of a straight look on the other end of the chat. This is absurd since the lens would then take place of some of the center pixels of the screen, not allowing to display the center part of the captured image of the other person's face (like eyes, nose and lips) which is most important for nonverbal communication. Such location of the camera lens would also likely interfere with touch screen function. It will make other applications on the phone difficult to use, since virtually no user interface is designed to accommodate for a blind spot in the center.

; Full-width rear camera

:

; CDC partnership - phone automatically administers seasonal flu vaccine to cheek every year

: U.S. {{w|Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}} is a government agency tasked with addressing public health concerns such as infectious diseases, including seasonal flu. A common way of limiting spread of an infectious disease is {{w|Vaccine|vaccination}}, which most often involves administering a specially prepared medicine via an {{w|intramuscular injection}}. This features implies that the phone would automatically perform such an injection once a year, by shooting a needle out of a small aperture while the user is holding it to his or her cheek during a call.

; 12-function

: Most smartphones can be used for more than 12 different things.{{Citation needed}}

; Dishwasher safe

: Usually a feature of plastic containers or fancy dishes. Unlikely to appear on a smartphone, though potentially useful if you need to clean your screen.

; GPS transmitter
Many smartphones have a receiver for the Global Positioning System, which allows a phone to compute its position based on signals from the constellation of GPS satellites. However, a device with a "GPS transmitter" would broadcast signals that would interfere with the GPS receivers of all devices nearby
:

; 3-G acceleration

: Usually, a phone is 3g compatible if it uses a certain standard for data transmission. However, 3-G acceleration implies the phone can accelerate at a rate or 3 times the acceleration of gravity, or approximately 30m/s^2.

; Portable, solar-heated

: Portability is pretty much the entire point of using a *mobile* phone, so advertising portability is rather pointless. Solar *power* charging could be a very useful feature on a phone, but solar *heating* usually applies to plumbing, where a water tank is heated by the sun and used to supply hot water to taps. Technically, as the sun heats up everything on the earth, the phone is in fact solar heated.

;Pore-cleaning strip

; Maximum strength

:

; Never needs sharpening

: Phones do not need to be sharpened in the first place.{{Citation needed}} This is a feature more likely to apply to a mechanical pencil, which does have the advantage of never needing to be sharpened as opposed to a normal pencil.

; Can survive up to 30 minutes out of water

:This is a play on the common IP-rating of water resistance, which is typically rated for submersion to a rated depth for 30 minutes. A phone which could only be used or carried for 30 minutes and then needed to be immersed in water would be rather inconvenient.

; Exclusive Audubon Society app identifies birds and lets you control their flight

:

; Extra screen

:Because of the center camera, an additional section of screen was added.

; Wireless charging port

:Wireless charging has no wires, and needs no port.

; Safe for ages 6 – 8 months, 10 months, 18 months – 3 years, and 12 years and older

:

; Screen goes past the edge

:An over-exaggerated version of the "edge to edge" displays in recent generations of smartphones

; High thread count CPU

:High thread count typically applies to bedding, not CPU threads.

; Shroud of Turin-style facial transfer unlock

:The Shroud of Turin apparently displays an image of the face of Jesus, appearing as if it was transferred to the cloth. Presumably, to unlock this phone, the user must press their face against it.

; Fonts developed by NASA

:

; Includes applicator

:

; Burns clean coal

: There is a push for clean energy production as a result of increased awareness of global warming. While it may be useful for a phone to be able to produce its own energy, coal is by definition not a clean energy source because it produces carbon dioxide. The phone is not stated to have a vent for the CO2 to escape, which would technically make the coal "clean" as it is not entering the atmosphere. However, the gas is instead trapped inside the phone, which will quickly ruin it through a combination of heat and pressure.

; Pre-seasoned

:Pre-seasoned typically refers to cast iron cookware which is ready to use out of the box, as opposed to needing to season it with oil and heat. It can also refer to packaged meats which are ready to cook without needing to be seasoned with herbs and spices.

; Broad-spectrum SPF 30

:The xkcd phone somehow gives an SPF 30 level of skin protection from the sun.

; College-ruled

:College-ruled is a style of notebook paper having narrower lines in order to fit more text per page.

; Sterile packaging

:

; Radium backlight

The discovery of the phosphorescent element radium sparked a brief fad in which some watch makers painted watch faces or hands with the substance so the time could be read at night. However, it was eventually realized that regular exposure to radium could result in radiation poisoning, particularly for the workers assembling and painting the watches. A radium-based backlight would therefore be both potentially dangerous (especially for an object carried on one's person much of the time) but also largely useless, as the phosphorescence of radium is rather dim compared to conventional phone back lights.

; 4K pixels (50x80)

:This refers to having 4,000 pixels in the screen, rather than a screen width of ~4000 pixels.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A smartphone is shown, the screen is slightly wider than the case, in the middle is a photo lens, and at the right bottom a small extra part is added to the screen.]
:[On top a bracket ranges nearly over the entire width of the case. The text reads:]
:Full-width rear camera
:[The label at the photo lens is:]
:Front camera (centered for eye contact during video chat)
:[The label on the extra part says:]
:Extra screen
:[At the bottom below the case a label reads:]
:Wireless charging port

:[The labels left to the phone are:]
:4k pixels (50x80)
:Radium backlight
:Sterile packaging
:College-ruled
:Broad spectrum SPF 30
:Pre-seasoned
:Burns clean coal
:Includes applicator
:Fonts developed by NASA
:Shroud of turn-style facial transfer unlock
:High thread count CPU
:Screen goes past the edge
:Safe for ages 6-8 months, 10 months, 18 months-3 years, and 12 years and older

:[The labels right to the phone are:]
:CDC partnership: Phone automatically administers seasonal flu vaccine to check every year
:12-function
:Dishwasher safe
:GPS transmitter
:3-G acceleration
:Portable, solar-heated
:Pore-cleaning strip
:Maximum strength
:Never needs sharpening
:Can survive up to 30 minutes out of water
:Exclusive Audubon Society app identifies birds and lets you control their flight

:[Text below the phone:]
:Introducing
:'''The XKCD PHONE 6, VIII, 10, X, 26, and 1876'''
:We didn't start this nonconsecutive version number war, but we will not lose it.™®©º
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:xkcd Phones]]

Talk:1887: Two Down, One to Go

2017-09-11T13:01:23Z

108.162.238.95:

Worth noting that the Orionids are the last major shower of the year: https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/orionid.html {{unsigned ip|108.162.246.215}}

Venus is sometimes visible during the day. A daylight supernova need not be the second brightest object in the night sky.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.159|162.158.62.159]] 13:30, 8 September 2017 (UTC)
:The Moon is also sometimes visible during the day. SN 1006 and SN 1054 were brighter than Venus at maximum brightness but still dimmer than the Moon. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 14:02, 8 September 2017 (UTC)

Randall is likely talking about the expected replenishment of the Leonids http://www.imo.net/50-years-ago-the-1966-leonid-meteor-storm/ [[Special:Contributions/172.68.65.18|172.68.65.18]] 14:55, 8 September 2017 (UTC)

Aurora viewing in "perhaps parts of Maine"? Maine's northern limit is ~47.5 degrees. Most of the US/Canada border is at 49 degrees, which is still too far south for good aurora views, but being in Seattle gets you closer to the pole than Maine. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.160|108.162.216.160]] 18:59, 8 September 2017 (UTC)
: Auroras are centered on the Earth's geomagnetic poles, not the geographic poles. The geomagnetic pole is currently on Ellesmere Island and is closer to Portland, ME than Seattle, WA. The closest spot in the contiguous US to the geomagnetic north pole might be in northern Maine, Isle Royale, MI or the Northwest angle, depending on exactly which epoch is used for the location of the pole.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.159|162.158.62.159]] 00:22, 9 September 2017 (UTC)

Could Randal's mention of a supernova be interpreted to mean that our sun goes supernova and since that's the last thing he sees, he jsut closes off his bucket list? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.58|108.162.221.58]] 22:55, 8 September 2017 (UTC)
:Nice idea, and fits with Randall's sense of humor, but he knows that while it is possible that a nearby star will go supernova in his lifetime (though unlikely) our sun will never go supernova because it is too small. And the odds of our sun going nova anytime soon are meaningfully zero (on the same order of magnitude of the odds that every atom that makes up the clothing you are wearing suddenly quantum tunneling two feet to your left). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.124|162.158.78.124]] 14:54, 9 September 2017 (UTC)

I always have to share my favorite song about Romance and Science: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V_g_QxzUco Judith Edelman: Magnetic]. Read the lyrics at one of the first comments, "...Will the aurora borealis give us one last show?". --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:31, 9 September 2017 (UTC)

Total Solar Eclipse: (16 times) check, Aurora (both northern and southern) check, Meteor Storm (1966) check, Naked eye visible supernova (SN 1987A) check, Transit of Venus: (2004 & 2012) check, Comet impact into a planet (Jupiter) check, Volcanic eruption (Mt. St. Helens, Kilauea, Mt. Erebus, etc.) check, Tsunami (Marshall Islands) check, Major Earthquake (Turkey, China, US) check, Hurricane (US, Virgin Islands, etc.) check, Tornado (several close up on the state of NM) check, Earth Poles, (North Geographic Pole, South Geographic Pole. North Magnetic, South Magnetic) check, World records (1980 and 1990 record book) check, .. still hoping to go into outer space, still hoping to see a naked eye Supernova in our galaxy, plus and a few other cool things: nevertheless, I'm well satisfied with my life so far. [[User:Chongo|Chongo]] ([[User talk:Chongo|talk]]) 09:08, 10 September 2017 (UTC)

FYI: There was no total solar eclipse in 2014, 2011, 2007, 2005, 2004, ... [[User:Chongo|Chongo]] ([[User talk:Chongo|talk]]) 09:26, 10 September 2017 (UTC)

I'm not the only one who can see 'Wave of Hurricanes' right? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.83|108.162.238.83]] 12:27, 11 September 2017 (UTC)
:Someone changed the image on this site. xkcd.com still shows the original with "Meteor Storm". If I knew how to fix this, I would. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.95|108.162.238.95]]

Talk:1874: Geologic Faults

2017-08-10T04:48:32Z

108.162.238.95: Chip bag faults could lead to being consumed

Faults are not necessarily caused on plate boundaries - they can happen anywhere. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.146.16|162.158.146.16]] 04:41, 10 August 2017 (UTC)

Totally missed an opportunity for a Lego Fault.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.251|108.162.212.251]] 13:43, 9 August 2017 (UTC)
::Both LEGO and BRIO in the same comic would have been too many toys. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.196|162.158.134.196]] 14:38, 9 August 2017 (UTC)

The alt text reminds me of how Earthquakes are depicted in movies, where a massive rift opens up in the Earth. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.10|162.158.75.10]] 13:48, 9 August 2017 (UTC)

I was totally expecting the Amigara Fault in there [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.112|108.162.216.112]] 14:10, 9 August 2017 (UTC)

Probably only for Germans, but the comedian Otto Waalkes invented that soap bar long ago in the seventies: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKOcmLiujAI Keili]. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 16:01, 9 August 2017 (UTC)

No seg fault to the left or right of the image? Unfortunate. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.78.16|172.68.78.16]] 16:56, 9 August 2017 (UTC)

Your fault: 💔 [[User:SilverMagpie|SilverMagpie]] ([[User talk:SilverMagpie|talk]]) 19:24, 9 August 2017 (UTC)

Well, the "taffy fault" is named as a joke, it is quite similar to "rift faults". These are several normal faults going on at the same time at both sides of a valley. The "soap fault" is not impossible.

Another terrifying thing about living near a bag-of-chips fault is that usually the things near the tears in chip bags get eaten. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.95|108.162.238.95]] 04:48, 10 August 2017 (UTC)

Talk:1864: City Nicknames

2017-07-18T09:23:30Z

108.162.238.95:

Another reference for "The High City" as Denver could be the fact that Colorado has legalized marijuana, making it a place people go to get "high". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.95|108.162.238.95]] 09:23, 18 July 2017 (UTC)

I think "Castleopolis" is much more likely to be a reference to The Phantom Tollbooth (which I'm sure xkcd has referenced at least once before) than a *very* small town in Michigan. As I suggested in the table, The Phantom Tollbooth has castles and cities named Digitopolis and Dictionopolis, so this seems like the more likely reference to me. All open to interpretation of course! [[User:Erronius|Erronius]] ([[User talk:Erronius|talk]]) 23:52, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

For some reason I'm reminded of [https://xkcd.com/1759/ this comic]. [[User:OldCorps|OldCorps]] ([[User talk:OldCorps|talk]]) 11:41, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

"Urban Orb" may refer to Boston, aka "The Hub". {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.220}}

Los Vegas may be sin city, but I'm pretty sure that Las Vegas is quickly becoming Skin City [[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 13:01, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

My only guess as to "The Walled Garden": In the video game series ''{{w|Mass Effect}}'', the name of the homeworld of the Quarian species, [http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Rannoch Rannoch], translates to "walled garden". Not something I really associated with xkcd, admittedly. [[User:PvOberstein|PvOberstein]] ([[User talk:PvOberstein|talk]]) 13:19, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

A guess at "Hamtown" instead of Hamburg would be "Hogtown", a common nickname for Toronto, Canada {{unsigned|Harebenj}}

The Mobius Strip is also a district in the fictional [http://perplexcitywiki.com/wiki/Mobius_Strip Perplex City]. I'm sure I've seen it used in some cyberpunk-ish novel as well, but can't identify it off the top of my head. - [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.76|141.101.98.76]] 13:46, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

Well Folk might be a variation on Wee Folk. [[User:Thaledison|Thaledison]] ([[User talk:Thaledison|talk]]) 13:48, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

"Horse Rotary" could be referring to a traffic roundabout, which are called "rotaries" in some countries. [[User:Kbseah|Kbseah]] ([[User talk:Kbseah|talk]]) 14:02, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

Some of these make me wonder if it might be easier to interpret if you connect adjacent ones. Seems to be easy to make the names of some real people/places/things by taking words from a pair of adjacent nicknames.
For Example: The Urban Orb - City of Angles - The Big Wheel - Bird City USA - City of Seven Crowns - Hilltopia
Could become: (...) - The Urban Angle - City of Wheels - Big Bird - Crown City - City of Seven Hills - (...)
All of which seem to be Things That Exist™. Maybe I'm overthinking it :S - [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.76|141.101.98.76]] 14:39, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

No, I don't think you are overthinking this. If you just try and make random word associations you get interesting combinations. If New Orleans can be called the "Big Easy" and Chicago can be called "Chi (Shy) Town" then why not the "Big Shy" to the "Shy Easy", like Black Hat is just spouting out random words associated with city monikers (demonyms) you get a pretty humorous connection [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 17:14, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

Game of Thrones is based on the book series ''A '''Song''' of Ice and Fire'', not '''''Land''' of Ice and Fire''. Correction made in description. [[User:OldCorps|OldCorps]] ([[User talk:OldCorps|talk]]) 17:01, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

From my perspective from USA there is nothing more inherently funny than the names given to people in British cities. That someone from Liverpool is called a Liverpudlian makes me laugh every time I hear it. But then again the town I grew up is was referred to with the pejorative "Dreary Erie, the Mistake on the Lake" [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 17:14, 17 July 2017 (UTC)
:Be proud though, not many cities can claim to have [https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/63#.WWz0m4TythE set a river on fire]. [[User:OldCorps|OldCorps]] ([[User talk:OldCorps|talk]]) 17:39, 17 July 2017 (UTC)
:Agreed! Cleveland Rocks! Burn on, Cuyahoga, burn on. And a song to commemorate it [http://www.metrolyrics.com/burn-on-lyrics-randy-newman.html] [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.88|108.162.219.88]] 18:08, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

Random reader here... It may be familiarity bias since I'm from St. Louis, but this is the third (or fourth) comic to my memory that highlights St. Louis when it seems like any random city could have sufficed (I'm thinking of [[1321: Cold]], [[1368: One Of The]], and maybe [[1243: Snare]]) and I don't recall any other city getting name-dropped so often (at least outside of major metropolises). Have I just not paid attention as much when other cities are mentioned, or is the repeated use of St. Louis something worth including as trivia on these three/four articles? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.63|162.158.62.63]] 17:36, 17 July 2017 (UTC)
:Boston (New England) beat St. Louis in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XXXVI Super Bowl XXXVI] and Randall just wants to keep rubbing it in maybe? [[User:OldCorps|OldCorps]] ([[User talk:OldCorps|talk]]) 17:42, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

''The Auditors ... wanted to simplify the universe by destroying it.'' Not so. They merely wanted to destroy humans and humanity, which are unnecessarily complicated from their point of view. To quote George Carlin: The planet is fine. The '''people''' are fucked.--[[Special:Contributions/172.68.154.70|172.68.154.70]] 18:52, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

Space Moose - [https://www.hackcanada.com/canadian/zines/spacemoose/rumple.gif Rumpleshithead]. NSFW, I guess, if you work somewhere stupid. :-D {{unsigned ip|162.158.63.34}}

"The Kissing Kingdoms" Could be a reference to "The Kissing Kings," a common nickname for the two kings that are in the middle together in standard Bicycle new deck order. [[User:Dragonfiremalus|Dragonfiremalus]] ([[User talk:Dragonfiremalus|talk]]) 19:51, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

"The Land of Trains and Fog" is obviously Britain (or some portion thereof), famous for fogs/rain, and where much of early railroading was developed. There is a quotation about this someplace, (I think Rowland Emett referenced it in one of his cartoons). I just haven't been able to dig up the source. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.70|108.162.245.70]] 22:51, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

The names in this kind of remind of towns names in Dwarf Fortress. Just randomly combined words.

"The City of Seven Crowns" also makes me think of the Seven Kingdoms (ASOIAF/GOT). Admittedly that may be because I watched the season 7 premiere last night.

1854: Refresh Types

2017-06-25T04:32:16Z

108.162.238.95: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1854
| date = June 23, 2017
| title = Refresh Types
| image = refresh_types.png
| titletext = The hardest refresh requires both a Mac keyboard and a Windows keyboard as a security measure, like how missile launch systems require two keys to be turned at once.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic [[Randall]] presents five different levels of refresh operations for web applications. The first three (''soft refresh'', ''normal refresh'', and ''hard refresh'') are common operations to keep the content in the browser retrieved from the server up to date. The other two (''harder refresh'' and ''hardest refresh'') are fictional operations to perform ''refresh'' operations on remote resources. The terms are probably adopted from {{w|Reboot (computing)|soft}} and {{w|Hardware reset|hard reset}} operations used to restart broken computers or e.g. smartphones.

=== Soft refresh ===
''Soft refresh'' refers to an operation in a web page that requests new information without reloading the entire page. The given example, {{w|Gmail}}, includes a feature that allows users to poll new emails and show it in the inbox interface. It is a command using {{w|JavaScript}} and {{w|Ajax (programming)|Ajax}} to load new contents from the server in the background and only update necessary components of the page. Since modern web applications do this also automatically in short time intervals those buttons are mostly unnecessary. In Gmail a user will see a new message instantly.
Many pages -- like the main page at xkcd.com -- don't have a refresh button, so a soft refresh is not available. If the page has been opened before a new comic release, a normal refresh is required.

=== Normal refresh ===
The ''normal refresh'' is a browser operation that reloads the complete web page, text and other content that has changed since the original load will be updated. The operation can be triggered by refresh buttons in browsers, though it also can be requested using the common keyboard commands as listed by Randall.

=== Hard refresh ===
What Randall calls ''hard refresh'' is a less common browser operation forcing the browser to re-download every part of the webpage, ignoring any cached content. Caching is a common way of decreasing webpage load times. Browsers save resources such as images or {{w|Cascading Style Sheets|CSS stylesheets}} on the first visit on a webpage and use the local copy on subsequent visits. It allows them to decrease amount of transfer needed to show the webpage, but prevents showing changes made to the resources (for example a web developer changing the stylesheet). In those cases the ''hard refresh'' ensures that each part of the website is downloaded in its newest form.

If there is a {{w|Proxy server|Web-Proxy}} or a Cloud-Cache (like used for this wiki) in between the browser and the Web-Server this type of refreshing may not work. In this case, unless a purge link is available, the user has to wait until the cache entry is expired and a new request to the web server is done. A Web-developer may try to avoid this behaviour by including special meta-tags in the HTML header to suppress caching, but not all proxies or clouds follow these instructions.

=== Harder refresh ===
''Harder refresh'' is a joke that extends the existing naming scheme. The joke is that if a ''hard refresh'' resets the browser display and cache, a ''harder refresh'' should reset the source of the data by cycling power in the data center. Assuming no damage was done, this would reset the memory on the server, erasing any information that had not been written to disk, and setting the server to the state it was in at launch. This would cause considerable downtime, and would be unlikely to help the user at all.

In {{w|Orchestration (computing)|orchestrated}} environment it may indirectly cause some virtual machines in the {{w|Cloud computing|cloud}} to be rebooted and assigned to an other web server needing more workload. But a growing workload is caused by hundreds or thousands additional requests and not just a single key combination from one browser. And rebooting an actual physical server upon a web page request is not possible, unless there is a software or operating system bug that will cause exactly this.

The ''harder refresh'' uses six keys, including the non-standard '[https://askubuntu.com/questions/19558/what-are-the-meta-super-and-hyper-keys HYPER]' key, a feature of the {{w|Space cadet keyboard}}.

=== Hardest refresh ===
The fifth option, ''hardest refresh'', moves beyond resetting the source of the data and resets the entire internet back to {{w|ARPANET}}, an early military network which was a forerunner to the modern internet. The implications of this are not made clear, but it should be noted that it wouldn't help to fix any problems a user is experiencing in-browser, as {{w|HTTP}}, the protocol by which web pages are sent, was not developed until late 1990, the year ARPANET was decommissioned.

The ''hardest refresh'' shortcut uses fifteen keys, including non-standard ones such as Ø and ⏏. (The former is a key found on Norwegian and Danish keyboards, the latter is the "eject" key found on Mac keyboards and some laptops.) The shortcut makes amusing comparisons about a shortcut that includes not only the F5 function key, but also the keys for the letter "F" and the digit "5", as well as the similarity in appearance between O, 0, and Ø.

The title text suggests that the inclusion of both the {{w|Windows key}} and {{w|Command key}} in the ''hardest refresh'' shortcut is a security measure akin to the {{w|Two-man rule}}, as it would require two keyboards to enter.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon. No table is the preferred version, just describe what's in the picture including the special keys.}}
:{| class=wikitable
! Refresh Type
! Example Shortcuts
! Effect
|-
| Soft Refresh
| Gmail <span style="border: 1px solid black">REFRESH</span> Button
| Requests update within JavaScript
|-
| Normal Refresh
| F5, CTRL-R, ⌘R
|Refreshes page
|-
|Hard Refresh
| CTRL-F5, CTRL-⇧, ⌘⇧R
| Refreshes page including cached files
|-
|Harder Refresh
| CTRL-⇧-HYPER-ESC-R-F5
| Remotely cycles power to datacenter
|-
|Hardest Refresh
| CTRL-⌘<span title="Windows key logo">⊞</span>⇧#-R-F5-F-5-ESC-O-0-Ø-⏏-SCROLL LOCK
| Internet starts over from ARPANET
|}

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Internet]]

Talk:1000: 1000 Comics/1000 characters

2017-04-23T01:44:04Z

108.162.238.95:

If you find any missing errors in the table please correct them or if it is a big operation please send a personal comment to me, maybe my original table can be mended easily? (well this is written before the table is even begun ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:53, 21 July 2016 (UTC)

I thought it was pretty clear that 127 was supposed to be Cloud with his spiky hair and huge Buster Sword? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.114|108.162.246.114]] 19:32, 7 October 2016 (UTC)

Definitely agreed on 127 being Cloud. We know Randall is a Final Fantasy fan, and Cloud has a pretty iconic look that is well represented here. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.10|108.162.216.10]] 18:50, 4 January 2017 (UTC)borntowander

Wouldn't Occam's Razor suggest that a character with a gray hairbun is still Hairbun (though the person is evidently older)? [[User:Bitsofstring|Bitsofstring]] ([[User talk:Bitsofstring|talk]]) 20:35, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

Is this page really necessary? It seems like a big project with not much meaning. [[User:RamenChef|RamenChef]] ([[User talk:RamenChef|talk]]) 14:51, 20 March 2017 (UTC)

Is there a reason that there isn't a column for pictures of each mini-comic? It is pretty inconvenient to have to switch between the section page and this page.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.95|108.162.238.95]]

Talk:244: Tabletop Roleplaying

2017-04-21T22:21:45Z

108.162.238.95:

Maybe could have a link to [[969: Delta-P]] put in at an appropriate juncture in the explanation? [[Special:Contributions/178.98.31.27|178.98.31.27]] 03:42, 21 June 2013 (UTC)

Check out https://www.google.com/#q=recursion[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.202|108.162.219.202]] 03:52, 3 January 2014 (UTC)

I may be missing something, but why are the teleportation rings given a dimension "each about two feet in diameter" in the explanation? There isn't anything in the comic. If there is a reason, please elaborate.--[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 16:02, 1 September 2014 (UTC)
:Perhaps it's in reference to the apparent size of Portal gun holes? I'm not sure, anyone else have any ideas? [[User:Leafy Greens|Leafy Greens]] ([[User talk:Leafy Greens|talk]]) 02:29, 16 November 2014 (UTC)

I got Nerd sniped by the portal gun idea, and how it breaks the physics laws. If you placed one on the bottom of a lake, after an hydroelectric dam, and the other on the top of the dam, you'd have an infinite supply of energy, as you filled the dam forever and ever. A truly infinite supply, not like a star that takes billions of years to extinguish. That has to brake the laws of thermodynamics and entropy at some point.
Aligning both portals in a vaccuum on earth's gravity would allow infinite time under 1g acceleration for anything dropped between portals. Hitting the speed of light would take 1 year, give or take (if you followed Newtonian cinematics), at which point my brain BSODs on this thought experiment. It suggests that the portal consumes an infinite amount of energy to remain open and cannot exist on this universe. Otherwise, we just discovered a moto-continuum and a source for infinite energy. Edit: this comment makes sense on the Delta-P page (969), so you should follow it. [[User:Gonemad79|Gonemad79]] ([[User talk:Gonemad79|talk]]) 20:02, 17 September 2015 (UTC)

Presumably, teleportation rings do not create energy. Therefore, if the two rings are at different elevation, items put into the higher one will come out shooting from the lower one (converting the liberated potential energy into kinetic energy -- as normal falling would). Conversely, items put into the lower ring will have to be pushed very hard to make them come out through the higher one (equivalent to the pushing required to lift the passed object to the higher elevation). Hence, placing one deep in the ocean (and the other above sea level) won't cause anything dramatic to happen. The deep water will be held back by gravity and not push out through the ring. [[User:Danshoham|Mountain Hikes]] ([[User talk:Danshoham|talk]]) 04:02, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Wait... What if you somehow put one of the teleportation rings through the other? What would happen then? [[User:Vince7778|Vince7778]] ([[User talk:Vince7778|talk]]) 23:01, 17 January 2017 (UTC)
:If this follows the mechanics of Portal, then all rings must be strictly the same size and one ring won't ever be able to pass through another. [[User:Zowayix|Zowayix]] ([[User talk:Zowayix|talk]]) 03:29, 7 April 2017 (UTC)

A different problem with breaking physics in D and D occurs because a turn lasts six seconds and passing an object doesn't end a turn, if on your turn you hire people to pass objects in a circle, you could make that object move as many rotations as you want in just six seconds, meaning that you could have it accelerate infinitely in just six seconds! YAY LOOPHOLES! (You could also end that turn by throwing it at something, like a monster..... YAY LOOPHOLES!)[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.95|108.162.238.95]]

Talk:120: Dating Service

2017-03-07T02:47:05Z

108.162.238.95: /* Trivia */ new section

"Other similar activities include piña coladas and getting caught in the rain." This wiki is supposed to explain odd references, not make more of them! -[[User:Oxguy3|Oxguy3]] ([[User talk:Oxguy3|talk]]) 05:18, 11 July 2013 (UTC)
:It's now at trivia where it should belong to. I also did add a link to the lyrics.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 13:37, 11 July 2013 (UTC)
:: I don't really see why we need it at all, but it's fine there and I won't take it away. --[[User:Quicksilver|Quicksilver]] ([[User talk:Quicksilver|talk]]) 04:19, 25 August 2013 (UTC)

I rewrote the explanation and title text. hopefully this is sufficient. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.152|173.245.56.152]] 03:45, 20 November 2014 (UTC)

He used this in his bio in the Thing Explainer. 08:48 AM, 11 March 2016 (UTC)

== Trivia ==

This was also used in the "about the author" bio of his book ''The Thing Explainer'', however the picture was a cueball and this is a hairy.

1801: Decision Paralysis

2017-02-21T01:38:40Z

108.162.238.95:

{{comic
| number = 1801
| date = February 20, 2017
| title = Decision Paralysis
| image = decision_paralysis.png
| titletext = Good point--making no decision is itself a decision. So that's a THIRD option I have to research!
}}

==Explanation==

This comic illustrates a common problem in the internet era, where, with the wealth of knowledge available to us at all times, one puts undue weight on otherwise arbitrary decisions.

This is taken to a comedic extreme by showing how [[Cueball]] is unable to make a critical, time sensitive choice without putting hours of research in to justify it. Any benefit to researching the imminent decision of "which car will get us to our destination fastest" will be more than offset by the time it takes to make that decision. And thus in this situation it will be wholly worthless, as the bomb mentioned by [[Megan]], as the reason to steal a car, will likely have detonated even before they get to their base.

In the caption below the comic [[Randall]] gives the reader one of his recurring [[:Category:Protip|protips]]. In the tip he states that he has the same problems with choosing as Cueball, although it seems unlikely he has ever had such a pressing situation to test his ability to choose. But Randall's tip tells the reader that he can be defeated by giving him two very similar options (like two fast cars to choose from) as long as he has unlimited internet access and thus no problems researching his decision indefinitely. The time Randall waste on this needless research would enable his opponent to defeat him by making a quick choice, no matter if it was the best.

This is not the first time that Randall has made a comic that tells his readers how to trick him (or his friends) like in [[1121: Identity]], where he notes how to get his password from a friend.

The title text continues this absurdity by bringing a third option to the table, the choice of inaction, a choice here that seems unacceptable, but the time spent mentioning (and researching it) simply adds to that already spent researching the two cars. Of course this option ensures that they are not killed when the bomb explodes, because they will not be anywhere close to the base. That might make it the only reasonable choice left after wasting so much time pondering which car to steal.

The difference in time/effort needed to steal either car is likely presumed to be insignificant to this scenario.

Supposing both of them know how to drive (and steal) a car, the best option in this situation is to leave the phone in the pocket and steal both cars, and see who gets there first to defuse the bomb. This would both ensure one of them reaches the base as quick as possible and at the same time resolve the problem of which car would be best for the problem. Of course that would also have defused the joke...

In [[1445: Efficiency]] Randall describes why he is so inefficient and in [[309: Shopping Teams]] two nerds out shopping has to choose between two similar objects and ends up in a similar situation, though without a deadly deadline.

[[356: Nerd Sniping]] portray a situation where a scientist forgets everything around him when presented with an interesting problem. However, here it is the solution to a math problem, not a choice between two similar options that "snipes" the scientist.

The problem of choosing between cars with different accelerations and top speeds is the center of the car customization mechanic introduced in the seventh installment of the Mario Kart series. It is known that Randall has played some version of [[:Category:Mario Kart|Mario Kart]].

Although presented as joke, this is a very real problem in electronics design. ''{{w|Buridan’s principle}}'' by none other than {{w|Leslie Lamport}} [http://research.microsoft.com/users/lamport/pubs/buridan.pdf states]:
:A discrete decision based upon an input having a continuous range of values cannot be made within a bounded length of time.

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Cueball are standing next to two sporting cars. Megan points excitedly at the cars and Cueball looks at a smartphone in his hand.]
:Megan: There! If we steal one of those cars, we can get to the base and defuse the bomb!
:Cueball: Hmm, the one on the left accelerates faster but has a lower top speed.
:Cueball: Ooh, the right one has good traction control. Are the roads wet?

:[Caption below the frame:]
:Protip: If you ever need to defeat me, just give me two very similar options and unlimited internet access.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Protip]]