explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

225: Open Source

2014-01-01T11:04:42Z

108.162.248.18:

{{comic
| number = 225
| date = February 19, 2007
| title = Open Source
| image = open source.png
| titletext = Later we'll dress up like Big Oil thugs and jump Ralph Nader.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Richard Stallman}} is famous for beginning the {{w|GNU Project}} and is outspoken on the topic of {{w|Open Source software}} and {{w|Free software}}. So much so that he has garnered dislike from traditionalists who believe that software source code is a trade secret. While this dislike may not be at the level of hiring ninjas to remove him from the world, it is strong.

{{w|GPL}} refers to the 'GNU General Public License', which covers all GNU software. It stipulates software is copyrighted, provided with full source code, and everyone is free to modify, disseminate and even sell software provided they also provide full source code and retain all copyright notices. This makes all software derived from GPL software also GPL, even if 'derived' means 'borrowed a couple of lines of code from'. Many people consider this to make GNU software behave like a {{w|viral license|'license virus'}}.

The wording "For a GNU dawn!" is pronounced "For a g'new dawn!".

{{w|Eric S. Raymond}} is a famous {{w|Hacker (programmer subculture)|hacker}} who has been an unofficial spokesperson for Open Source movement. The plan to prank Eric Raymond next is a bad one: he is an experienced martial artist and gun enthusiast.

{{w|Linus Torvalds}} is the creator of the {{w|Linux kernel}}, an Open Source operating system kernel inspired by {{w|Unix}}.

{{w|Ralph Nader}} is a famous consumer rights advocate, most famous for the 1965 book {{w|Unsafe at Any Speed}} and for running for US President in 2000.

==Transcript==
:[Richard Stallman is sleeping on a bed.]
:[Suddenly, two ninjas jump through the skylight.]
:Ninja 1: Richard Stallman! Your viral open source licenses have grown too powerful.
:Ninja 2: The GPL must be stopped.
:Ninja 1: At the source.
:Ninja 2: You.

:[Richard Stallman wakes up immediately, and pulls his katana out of its sheath from under his bed.]
:Richard Stallman: Hah! Microsoft lackeys! So it has come to this!
:Richard Stallman: A night of blood I've long awaited. But be this my death or yours, free software will carry on! For a GNU dawn! For freedom!
:Richard Stallman: ...hey, where are you going?

:[The ninjas step out the window.]
:Ninja 1: Man, you're right, that never gets old.
:Ninja 2: Let's do Eric S. Raymond next.
:Ninja 1: Or Linus Torvalds. I hear he sleeps with nunchucks.

==Trivia==
*Because of this comic Stallman has been given a katana by fans of xkcd. [http://blog.xkcd.com/2007/04/19/life-imitates-xkcd-part-ii-richard-stallman/]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Richard Stallman]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]

Talk:1292: Pi vs. Tau

2013-11-18T08:56:44Z

108.162.248.18:

I started an explanation. Hopefully others will help improve it, as I don't think it's quite adequate. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.174|199.27.130.174]] 05:32, 18 November 2013 (UTC)

The comic currently shows the symbol π (pi) in all three cases, but it should have the symbol τ (tau) in the rightmost case. I'm sure there is a compromise symbol "pau" too. Maybe with a deformed left leg? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.97.4|141.101.97.4]] 07:07, 18 November 2013 (UTC)

WolframAlpha gives
<pre>
4.5545743763144164456766617143366171162404440766665105335330776311513504520604364524762740226212061363100001776216741750712622557020442741544760057441760026766230424023460366047331305225241275347777145543054127636365666430221066167347236617261603127725745513663702031155234027041040155322217227723576660045156156303357534162372112340027743775672417274565277274565735325624457113522164166560115654407251403563246444122664066521461311773474046032763760765740133706761276420415672577471077133607673035331070364705651055376634161405567176532346433567731715723623721267302576735154761375545411215522177775706407470673020025353246535120744232706060324711633457720155013202527060250466252665661576165164140301645132275526153126363575631176312270212441433434206352313125326760006365710744276056412434626534152021052065172556442150110056601034116570607064550553636566432544260105637423220411372664024454234201642615033200331506013362432026775605543212342336511350621361642654426372425415023071413764173735461042064323757413414533013..._8</pre> which does indeed have four 666 sequences. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.254|141.101.99.254]] 08:06, 18 November 2013 (UTC)

Wrote the transcript, not sure if I explained the visual well enough, so I left the incomplete tag if someone else has a better idea. Should suffice for understanding however, considering the content [[Special:Contributions/108.162.248.18|108.162.248.18]] 08:55, 18 November 2013 (UTC)

Talk:1292: Pi vs. Tau

2013-11-18T08:55:52Z

108.162.248.18:

I started an explanation. Hopefully others will help improve it, as I don't think it's quite adequate. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.174|199.27.130.174]] 05:32, 18 November 2013 (UTC)

The comic currently shows the symbol π (pi) in all three cases, but it should have the symbol τ (tau) in the rightmost case. I'm sure there is a compromise symbol "pau" too. Maybe with a deformed left leg? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.97.4|141.101.97.4]] 07:07, 18 November 2013 (UTC)

WolframAlpha gives
<pre>
4.5545743763144164456766617143366171162404440766665105335330776311513504520604364524762740226212061363100001776216741750712622557020442741544760057441760026766230424023460366047331305225241275347777145543054127636365666430221066167347236617261603127725745513663702031155234027041040155322217227723576660045156156303357534162372112340027743775672417274565277274565735325624457113522164166560115654407251403563246444122664066521461311773474046032763760765740133706761276420415672577471077133607673035331070364705651055376634161405567176532346433567731715723623721267302576735154761375545411215522177775706407470673020025353246535120744232706060324711633457720155013202527060250466252665661576165164140301645132275526153126363575631176312270212441433434206352313125326760006365710744276056412434626534152021052065172556442150110056601034116570607064550553636566432544260105637423220411372664024454234201642615033200331506013362432026775605543212342336511350621361642654426372425415023071413764173735461042064323757413414533013..._8</pre> which does indeed have four 666 sequences. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.254|141.101.99.254]] 08:06, 18 November 2013 (UTC)

Wrote the transcript, not sure if I explained the visual well enough, so I left the incomplete tag if someone else has a better idea. Should suffice for understanding however. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.248.18|108.162.248.18]] 08:55, 18 November 2013 (UTC)

1292: Pi vs. Tau

2013-11-18T08:50:06Z

108.162.248.18:

{{comic
| number = 1292
| date = November 17, 2013
| title = Pi vs. Tau
| image = pi vs tau.png
| titletext = Conveniently approximated as e+2, Pau is commonly known as the Devil's Ratio (because in the octal expansion, '666' appears four times in the first 200 digits while no other run of 3+ digits appears more than once.)
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}

This is yet another of Randall's compromise comics. Many mathematicians argue as to whether to use pi, which is the ratio between a circle's diameter and its circumference, or tau, which is the ratio between a circle's radius and its circumference. Randall is suggesting using pau, which is a portmanteau between pi and tau, and is a number situated halfway between pi and tau. This number would be effectively useless, as there are currently no commonly used formulas that involve 1.5 pi or 0.75 tau.

The title text for the comic is also incorrect. The first 200 digits of 'pau' in octal are:
<pre>
4.5545743763144164432362345144750501224254715730156503147633545270030431677126116550546747570313312523403514716576464333172731124310201076447270723624573721640220437652155065544220143116155742515634462
</pre>
The sequence '666' does not occur at all. Both '2362' and '4376' occur twice, while both '362' and '431' occur three times. 39 other 3 digit sequences occur twice.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
:(Pi, crossed out) (1.5 pi, 'Pau') (2 pi, 'Tau', also crossed out)
:A compromise solution to the Pi/Tau dispute
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Math]]