explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2208: Drone Fishing

2019-09-28T05:33:14Z

162.158.114.58: /* Trivia */ for f***'s sake, cut out these simple grammar/spelling errors!

{{comic
| number = 2208
| date = September 27, 2019
| title = Drone Fishing
| image = drone_fishing.png
| titletext = Today's consumers who order their drones off the internet don't know the joy of going out in nature and returning with a drone that you caught yourself, whose angry owners you fought off with your own two hands.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a LINE-CAUGHT DRONE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Another comic in the [[:Category:My Hobby|My Hobby]] series.

This comic is a parody of the traditional activity of fishing for fish. Typically, a person who is fishing will sit as [[Cueball]] does in this comic, by some body of water and wait for a fish to bite their cast line. However, some fisherman will use a kite to allow them to cast their line further in the water, and this is called "{{w|Kite fishing}}". But it is also possible to use drones for this, as in "[https://youtu.be/8sdUZqOoAq4 drone fishing]".

[[Randall]], however, is interpreting "Drone fishing" not as fishing ''with'' drones but as fishing ''for'' drones ("drone fishing" as in "lobster fishing"). In fact, what Cueball (or Randall) is doing, is kite fishing for drones, by flying a kite with fishhooks attached over some drone enthusiasts in hopes of snagging their drones. This is quite likely illegal, especially if Cueball were to "reel" the caught drone in. It seems like he has already caught two that lies in front of his feet. All the drones are of the {{w|quadcopter}} type, as they are called in [[1630: Quadcopter]].

The title text parodies a common line about fishing, about the "joy of going out in nature", catching fish, and the struggle of reeling in large fish. However, instead of being about fishing, Randall has replaced the line to be about catching drones, and fighting off their owners. Considering that the two drone owners beneath his kite are children, [[Science Girl]] and a Cueball like kid, clearly smaller than Cueball/Randall in the chair, this should not be so tough in the pictured case.

Both [[:Category:Drones|drones]] and [[:Category:Kites|kites]] are recurring themes in xkcd, see more in the [[#Trivia|trivia section]].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is seated in a leaning chair, with a tackle box behind it and two drones lying on the ground in front of him. He is holding a fishing rod from which he is flying a kite on a long string. The kite is high up in the air and far away from Cueball. On the long string there are three smaller lines dangling below the string closer to the kite that to Cueball. Each line has six hooks evenly spread out, from a bit beneath the string to the end of the lines. Three quadcopter type drones are in the air nearby, with Science Girl and a Cueball-like kid standing right beneath the kite holding remote-controls for their respective drones. They are facing each other, the Cueball-like kid looking up, whereas Science Girl seems to be looking at the drone right in front of her, between and just above the kids. It has just begun to rise up as shown by lines beneath it. The two other drones are on either side of the kite line, both flying towards the hooks. Whoever controls the third drone must be off panel, and it is not clear which of those two the kid is controlling. The only text is a caption below the panel:]
:My Hobby: Drone Fishing

==Trivia==
*Recently drones have taken over from kites in xkcd, as this is the 10th drone related comics since the last one with a kite.
**At the time of the last kite comic, [[1756: I'm With Her]] there where 10 kites comics vs. 6 drone comics.
***Now it is 11 kite vs. 16 drone comics. Times are changing.
**This is only the second time the two are in the same comic, but in [[1608: Hoverboard]] the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/a/ae/1608_0970x1077y_Kite_and_weird_bug.png kite] and the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/7c/1608_0950x1084y_Quadcopters_over_lava_lake_right.png drones] were not in the same part of the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/c/cf/1608_full_tiny.png huge image].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]]

[[Category:My Hobby]]
[[Category:Kites]]
[[Category:Drones]]

Template talk:comic

2018-09-19T11:40:46Z

162.158.114.58: /* HTTPS again */ new section

==First and last?==
How about adding links to [[1]] and [[{{LATESTCOMIC}}|LATESTCOMIC]] (with graphics matching xkcd's |> and <| perhaps)? [[User:J-beda|J-beda]] ([[User talk:J-beda|talk]]) 13:11, 8 September 2012 (UTC)

==Imagesize==
Can we kill imagesize, please? We almost never use it, and we have alternatives, like using the smaller "thumbnails" that you click through on the xkcd site as the images that we store. It'll let us link the image to the xkcd site too. [[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]][[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>(talk)</tt>]] 01:29, 27 November 2012 (UTC)

:Have faith that eventually the image bug will be resolved! It probably won't but we can all dream. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]_a ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 02:27, 27 November 2012 (UTC)

::I just had a massive brainwave. We don't actually need to include imagesize if we're going to leave it empty. Since it's a named option we can specify any order of options, and omit those we don't need to use. I'm going to edit {{tl|create}} (if I can figure it out to not include imagesize so it will just be an advanced user's option. Hopefully that will make you smile, in these dull days of spam fighting. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]_a ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 22:15, 5 December 2012 (UTC)
==Radiation et al==
I had some spare time today so I went and made a modified version of this template that can handle undefined numbers such as in [[Radiation]]. Only catch is that it needs two other variables to be defined to keep the link valid... But I think that's a fair compromise to take another page off the incomplete explanations category. It could also allow for the addition of pages about the not-so-subtle jokes etc. in the what if series. The updated versions are over at [[User:Pixali/comictemplate/|a page in my userspace]] and [[User_talk:Pixali/comictemplate/|its talk page]]. [[User:Pixali|Pixali]] 02:07, 4 March 2015 (UTC)

== Broken? ==

On unnumbered comics, this template displays "<nowiki>[[Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character "{".|Next >]]</nowiki>". {{User:17jiangz1/signature|07:54, 27 August 2015}}
:A user someplace made a workaround in a seperate template. I'll find it later. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 08:03, 27 August 2015 (UTC)
:{{done}} - It was because [[0]] was created, so the logic that #ifexist:0 should be false failed. I changed it to default to -2 when number is not present, which will work as long as no one creates [[-1]]! [[User:Markhurd|Mark Hurd]] ([[User talk:Markhurd|talk]]) 11:13, 14 September 2015 (UTC)

== Use https? ==

XKCD has supported https for a while, it might be a good idea to switch the generated links to https.

[[User:Kenzierocks|Kenzierocks]] ([[User talk:Kenzierocks|talk]]) 17:38, 20 October 2016 (UTC) kenzierocks
:Done. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 18:00, 20 October 2016 (UTC)

:: And [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:comic&diff=135097&oldid=128889 reverted], apparently – why? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.40|162.158.114.40]] 15:29, 7 January 2018 (UTC)

== The template field called "titletext" ==

=== Bad choice for the "displayed name" of this ["titletext"] field ===

As a general rule, I DO like the idea of using the same character string, that is the name of a certain field in a given template, as the "displayed name" -- that is, what the user [[sees]] when the '''value''' of that field is being displayed.

'''However,''' in this case, the field that is [now] called the "titletext" field, is an exception to that general rule.

The "titletext" field is used to show (and maybe also to help "explain"?) the contents of a little pop-up with some "caption" or other text, that appears when one "hovers" his [[mouse]] over a certain XKCD cartoon.

I do not know why the field name "titletext" was chosen.

Some might even want to suggest, changing the spelling of the field name "titletext".

That might be ("also") an interesting debate ... but that is outside the scope of "[[my]]" comment today.

[[IMHO]] the character string "titletext" -- or even "title text" [two words] -- would '''NOT''' be a good choice for the "display name" of the field that is used for the contents of that little pop-up with some text that appears (it "pops up") when one "hovers" his [[mouse]] over a certain XKCD cartoon.

True, it does usually contain some ["caption" or other]'''"text";''' so, the [[second half]] of that field name is not [absolutely] a misnomer. But ... the [[first]] half of that field name '''is''' a misnomer. It is NOT [anything LIKE] a "title"!

=== A "title" IS *** [[SHORT]] *** ! ===

The *** [[title]] *** of a book (or magazine article) is '''NOT''' something that requires more BYTES to represent (or display) it, than the entire book or magazine article. It is SHORT.

This field (called "titletext") might '''''sometimes''''' be short ... but not very often. For the most recent XKCD I looked at, it (the pop-up "upon mouse hovering" text) contained MORE text than the entire XKCD cartoon over which my mouse was "hovering" when it [the value of this field] was being displayed as a pop-up. (''Including'' [[dialog]], "if any".)

So, I don't know what the "displayed name" of this ["titletext"] field should be. Nominations would be welcomed. But, IMHO, I do not vote for displaying it as [something like] "title text". IMHO, that is worse than [just] "unhelpful" ... it is actually '''confusing'''.

Any comments? Thanks! [[User:Mike Schwartz|Mike Schwartz]] ([[User talk:Mike Schwartz|talk]]) 19:02, 13 April 2017 (UTC)

== HTTPS again ==

The template could link to the HTTPS version of xkcd. It seems like this was requested before, but reverted.

Also, while you're at it, the "www." in the link is superfluous and could also be removed.

-- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.58|162.158.114.58]] 11:40, 19 September 2018 (UTC)

2008: Irony Definition

2018-06-28T09:55:33Z

162.158.114.58: Much Better Explaination, no more Quoteations or arguments about Irony. (I did not read the existing text it was that boring.)

{{comic
| number = 2008
| date = June 18, 2018
| title = Irony Definition
| image = irony_definition.png
| titletext = Can you stop glaring at me like that? It makes me feel really ironic.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete| the prose is terrible and unnecessary for this wiki, this does not fit the standards of our explanations, most of it is quotes from another place. It is not our job to exhaustively present the arguments around the uses of the word ironic, merely to give as much information as is needed to understand the comic. - Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Blackhat is deliberately using his ignorance of language to mock cue-ball By stating the that it is "ironic" that he is using the word "Irony" without knowing what it means, but is still the happy one. This is both the grammatically correct use of the word "Ironic" and arguably it's self an ironic situation.

Cue-ball is depicted as annoyed, however it is unclear if it is because of the over use of the hard to define concept of irony being abused, or the meta level of this joke.

The title text is contradictory in tone, clearly using "ironic" incorrectly, suggesting that the panel is infact a snapshot of a much longer conversation where Blackhat has been consistently abusing the word in an attempt to annoy cue-ball

==Transcript==
:[Black Hat and Cueball are walking together, with Black Hat walking behind Cueball with his arms out and palms up. Cueball is visibly upset, as evidenced by the squiggle floating above his head and his balled up fists.]
:Black Hat: It's ironic how '''''you''''' know the definition of irony, yet '''''I'm''''' the one in this conversation who's happy.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

2011: Newton's Trajectories

2018-06-28T09:42:43Z

162.158.114.58: Fix some issues from my last edit (sorry)

{{comic
| number = 2011
| date = June 25, 2018
| title = Newton's Trajectories
| image = newtons_trajectories.png
| titletext = With just one extra line, he could have anticipated the 2003 film The Core, but some things are too audacious for even the greatest visionaries.
}}

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

[[Image:1669780A-D3EE-43E7-BD94-DD34B224BFF4.gif|thumb]]

The comic shows the Earth, with three apparent rockets on separate trajectories. One is released with sufficient velocity to attain a stable orbit, while the other two fall towards the Earth. This is a slight modification of {{w|Newton's cannonball}}, a thought experiment demonstrating the planetary effects of gravity.

Here, Newton's cannonball is used both to observe humanity’s technological future (interplanetary travel, availability of advanced technology to the masses, and constant scientific improvement; or nuclear desolation and the extinction of our species) and to underscore that argument by pointing out the inherent metaphor in the experiment: the cannonball can only escape the atmosphere by achieving high velocity (i.e. escape velocity). Similarly, Randall’s technological utopia will only deliver us from nuclear extinction if it happens quickly; otherwise, mankind will destroy itself. Of course, that threat only exists because of a triumph of technological progress, the {{w|Manhattan Project}}, but again, technology is a means to an end.

Another shallower way to interpret this comic is that the red text is a result of the failed rocket being seen as a nuclear attack by some other worldly country, triggering a nuclear war that will end civilization as we know it.

The phrase "slip the bonds of Earth" comes from the sonnet "[http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/highflig.htm High Flight]" written in 1941 by John Gillespie Magee Jr., an American pilot in the Second World War. Portions of this poem appear on the headstones of many interred in Arlington National Cemetery, particularly aviators and astronauts; it was also quoted in [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/28/how-ronald-reagan-explained-the-challenger-disaster-to-the-world-its-all-part-of-taking-a-chance/?utm_term=.0553e0d1d468 President Reagan's speech] after the Challenger disaster.

The title text alludes to the unfortunate film ''{{w|The Core}}'', involving drilling to the center of the Earth to restart the stopped rotation of the magnetic core. The line is ostensibly aimed at the center of the Earth. Apparently, not even Newton could predict such a disastrous movie. Or movies.

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

[Panel Consists of a shaded sphere, with a rocket launched from its north pole. Several trajectories are plotted around the sphere.]
:[Trajectory 1 (Black) shows a successful circular orbit. With label:]
:Humans slip the bonds of Earth to travel the stars

:[Trajectory 2 (Red) shows a ballistic arc that crashes into the sphere after a significant distance. With label:]
:Civilization ends in fire

:[Trajectory 3 (Red) shows much shorter ballistic arc. No Label]

[Caption:] In retrospect, Newton's little cannonball drawing does a surprisingly good job illustrating the range of possible futures of our species.

{{comic discussion}}

2011: Newton's Trajectories

2018-06-28T09:39:55Z

162.158.114.58: Filled in better transcript

{{comic
| number = 2011
| date = June 25, 2018
| title = Newton's Trajectories
| image = newtons_trajectories.png
| titletext = With just one extra line, he could have anticipated the 2003 film The Core, but some things are too audacious for even the greatest visionaries.
}}

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

[[Image:1669780A-D3EE-43E7-BD94-DD34B224BFF4.gif|thumb]]

The comic shows the Earth, with three apparent rockets on separate trajectories. One is released with sufficient velocity to attain a stable orbit, while the other two fall towards the Earth. This is a slight modification of {{w|Newton's cannonball}}, a thought experiment demonstrating the planetary effects of gravity.

Here, Newton's cannonball is used both to observe humanity’s technological future (interplanetary travel, availability of advanced technology to the masses, and constant scientific improvement; or nuclear desolation and the extinction of our species) and to underscore that argument by pointing out the inherent metaphor in the experiment: the cannonball can only escape the atmosphere by achieving high velocity (i.e. escape velocity). Similarly, Randall’s technological utopia will only deliver us from nuclear extinction if it happens quickly; otherwise, mankind will destroy itself. Of course, that threat only exists because of a triumph of technological progress, the {{w|Manhattan Project}}, but again, technology is a means to an end.

Another shallower way to interpret this comic is that the red text is a result of the failed rocket being seen as a nuclear attack by some other worldly country, triggering a nuclear war that will end civilization as we know it.

The phrase "slip the bonds of Earth" comes from the sonnet "[http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/highflig.htm High Flight]" written in 1941 by John Gillespie Magee Jr., an American pilot in the Second World War. Portions of this poem appear on the headstones of many interred in Arlington National Cemetery, particularly aviators and astronauts; it was also quoted in [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/28/how-ronald-reagan-explained-the-challenger-disaster-to-the-world-its-all-part-of-taking-a-chance/?utm_term=.0553e0d1d468 President Reagan's speech] after the Challenger disaster.

The title text alludes to the unfortunate film ''{{w|The Core}}'', involving drilling to the center of the Earth to restart the stopped rotation of the magnetic core. The line is ostensibly aimed at the center of the Earth. Apparently, not even Newton could predict such a disastrous movie. Or movies.

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

[Panel Consists of a shaded sphere, with a rocket launched from its north pole. Several trajectories are plotted around the sphere.]
:[Trajectory 1 (Black) shows a successful circular orbit. With label:]
:Humans slip the bonds of Earth to travel the stars

:[Trajectory 2 (Red) shows a ballistic arc that crashes into the sphere after a significant distance. With label:]
:Civilization ends in fire

:[Trajectory 3 (Red) shows much shorter ballistic arc. No Lable]
:Civilization ends in fire

:[Caption:] In retrospect, Newton's little cannonball drawing does a surprisingly good job illustrating the range of possible futures of our species.

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1967: Violin Plots

2018-03-26T23:51:55Z

162.158.114.58: add link to related tweet

Wow, a new low for Randall. [[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.70|198.41.238.70]] 10:44, 14 March 2018 (UTC)
:For someone from the other side of the globe this looks like a new high... (posted after I could stop laughing)[[Special:Contributions/172.68.51.10|172.68.51.10]] 11:12, 14 March 2018 (UTC)
::Yes it has been way too long since he last made one of these :D See for instance [[136: Science Fair]], and of course alle these categories: [[:Category:Penis|Penis]], [[:Category:Fleshlights|Fleshlights]] and generally just [[:Category:Sex|Sex]].--[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:21, 14 March 2018 (UTC)
:So you're saying... Randall went down on this one? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.121|162.158.154.121]] 02:59, 15 March 2018 (UTC)

Wonder if Friday's comic (or maybe already a tomorrow Thursday release) will be about the as of today late {{w|Stephen Hawking}}? I hope so considering Randall's earlier [[:Category:Tribute|Tributes]]. Just got a Facebook reminder yesterday that it was three years ago the he posted this comic (and I posted it on Facebook): [[1498: Terry Pratchett]]. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:24, 14 March 2018 (UTC)
:I thought Wednesday's comic would be the tribute... Wonder what Friday's comic will be like. [[User:Herobrine|Herobrine]] ([[User talk:Herobrine|talk]]) 12:31, 15 March 2018 (UTC)
::He {{w|Stephen_Hawking#Death|died early Wednesday morning in the UK}}, so he would have had to be quick about it. I think he has a script that automatically post a comic, if he doesn't stop it. I'm in UK+1 time zone (Europe) and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1967:_Violin_Plots&action=history here] I can see that the comic was released no later than 05:25, 14 March 2018‎, so that is probably before Stephen died... Or at least while Randall was sleeping and had not heard of his death... Still waiting to see... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:57, 15 March 2018 (UTC)
:::While we wait: [[799: Stephen Hawking]]... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 22:28, 15 March 2018 (UTC)
::::No [[:Category:Tribute|Tribute]]?... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 00:27, 17 March 2018 (UTC)

Is it a coincidence that the Pi day comic refers to Pie Charts? Probably [[User:Kev|Kev]] ([[User talk:Kev|talk]]) 14:32, 14 March 2018 (UTC)
:Maybe, but Randall is acutely aware of anything Pi... Just saw that a video on this topic: [[1292: Pi vs. Tau]] was released yesterday on pi-day and that it referred to the Pi vs. Tau comic with an image of it: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcPTiiiYDs8 How pi was almost 6.283185...] --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:00, 15 March 2018 (UTC)

I agree with the interpretation of the title text. However, I wonder if we should point out this is not in fact true about violin plots and is just a pun in the comic. What does everyone else think? [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 11:48, 15 March 2018 (UTC)

The "incomplete" tag mentions that there isn't anything on Wikipedia called a "line plot". However, line plots do in fact exist. However, they don't seem to have any correspondence to the type of chart on display. https://www.mathplanet.com/education/algebra-2/equations-and-inequalities/line-plots-and-stem-and-leaf-plots [[Special:Contributions/162.158.142.70|162.158.142.70]] 18:29, 15 March 2018 (UTC)
:I have now removed the incomplete "incomplete tag" Seems like a finished explanation to me. It is definitely nothing to do with line as there are not lines between the points. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:44, 16 March 2018 (UTC)

Sex and violins! (I was strongly tempted to shop one of these plots on a porn pic,
doubting the suggestivity. I'm against genital beauty operations, but with a viola
like this, you should consider it...) [[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.10|172.68.110.10]] 13:43, 16 March 2018 (UTC)

I just found [https://twitter.com/naomicaselli/status/973601256609599488 this tweet], published one day before this comic… --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.58|162.158.114.58]] 23:51, 26 March 2018 (UTC)