explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

126: Red Spiders Cometh

2013-06-08T01:39:24Z

169.233.51.42:

{{comic
| number = 126
| date = July 10, 2006
| title = Red Spiders Cometh
| image = red_spiders_cometh.jpg
| titletext = Uh-oh.
}}

== Explanation ==
The fourth in the series of sketches involving [[:Category:Red Spiders|Red spiders]], the titular spiders are overlooking a small city. The alt text implies things won't end well, and possibly that [[47: Counter-Red Spiders|the counter-offensive had failed]].

The full series of [[:Category:Red Spiders|Red spiders]]:
*[[8: Red spiders]]
*[[43: Red Spiders 2]]
*[[47: Counter-Red Spiders]]
*[[126: Red Spiders Cometh]]
*[[427: Bad Timing]]

== Transcript ==
:[Many red spiders, standing on and hanging from blocks, hover ominously over a small city, ready to attack.]
{{Comic discussion}}
[[Category:Red Spiders|0126]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

126: Red Spiders Cometh

2013-06-08T01:38:20Z

169.233.51.42:

{{comic
| number = 126
| date = July 10, 2006
| title = Red Spiders Cometh
| image = red_spiders_cometh.jpg
| titletext = Uh-oh.
}}

== Explanation ==
The fourth in the series of sketches involving [[Category:Red Spiders|Red spiders]], the titular spiders are overlooking a small city. The alt text implies things won't end well, and possibly that [[47: Counter-Red Spiders|the counter-offensive had failed]].

The full series of [[:Category:Red Spiders|Red spiders]]:
*[[8: Red spiders]]
*[[43: Red Spiders 2]]
*[[47: Counter-Red Spiders]]
*[[126: Red Spiders Cometh]]
*[[427: Bad Timing]]

== Transcript ==
:[Many red spiders, standing on and hanging from blocks, hover ominously over a small city, ready to attack.]
{{Comic discussion}}
[[Category:Red Spiders|0126]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

43: Red Spiders 2

2013-06-08T01:34:44Z

169.233.51.42:

{{comic
| number = 43
| date = December 2, 2005
| title = Red Spiders 2
| image = red_spiders_2.jpg
| titletext = This was actually drawn years before Red Spiders
}}

==Explanation==
This is the second-published comic containing [[:Category:Red Spiders|red spiders]]. Like its predecessor, it is more of a sketch than a comic. The titular spiders appear to be ascending -- or possibly building -- a structure.

According to the title text, it was drawn years before [[:8: Red spiders|the previous Red spiders]].

The full series of [[:Category:Red Spiders|Red spiders]]:
*[[8: Red spiders]]
*[[43: Red Spiders 2]]
*[[47: Counter-Red Spiders]]
*[[126: Red Spiders Cometh]]
*[[427: Bad Timing]]

==Transcript==
:[Red spiders, with round appendages at the end of each of their six legs, are seen navigating an environment of blocks and other geometric constructions. One spider appears to be holding a block down for another spider to climb onto to help it up, or they might be lifting the block together.]

==Trivia==
*Original quote from [[Randall]]: "And lo, they still have six legs."
*Original comment from [[Randall]]: "This is the original that inspired the other one. It's my favorite of the two."
*This is the fortieth comic originally posted to livejournal. The previous was [[38: Apple Jacks]]. The next was [[39: Bowl]].

{{Comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Red Spiders|0043]]

43: Red Spiders 2

2013-06-08T01:32:37Z

169.233.51.42:

{{comic
| number = 43
| date = December 2, 2005
| title = Red Spiders 2
| image = red_spiders_2.jpg
| titletext = This was actually drawn years before Red Spiders
}}

==Explanation==
This is the second-published comic containing [[:Category:Red Spiders|red spiders]]. Like its predecessor, it is more of a sketch than a comic. The titular spiders appear to be ascending -- or possibly building -- a structure.

According to the title text, it was drawn years before [[:8: Red spiders|the previous Red spiders]].

==Transcript==
:[Red spiders, with round appendages at the end of each of their six legs, are seen navigating an environment of blocks and other geometric constructions. One spider appears to be holding a block down for another spider to climb onto to help it up, or they might be lifting the block together.]

==Trivia==
*Original quote from [[Randall]]: "And lo, they still have six legs."
*Original comment from [[Randall]]: "This is the original that inspired the other one. It's my favorite of the two."
*This is the fortieth comic originally posted to livejournal. The previous was [[38: Apple Jacks]]. The next was [[39: Bowl]].

{{Comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Red Spiders|0043]]

4: Landscape (sketch)

2013-06-08T01:23:30Z

169.233.51.42: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 4
| date = September 30, 2005
| title = 4: Landscape (sketch)
| image = landscape_cropped_(1).jpg
| titletext = There's a river flowing through the ocean
}}

==Explanation==
Like many of Randall's early sketches, there's not much to explain. As the title implies, it's a landscape of a coastal region featuring small islands, clouds, a sunset, and apparently a "river flowing through the ocean" as mentioned by the alt text.

==Transcript==
:[A sketch of a landscape with sun on the horizon.]

== Trivia ==
*This was the second comic originally posted on livejournal. The previous was [[7: Girl sleeping (Sketch -- 11th grade Spanish class)]]. The next was [[3: Island (sketch)]]. View archive [http://liveweb.archive.org/web/20060529063441/http://xkcd-drawings.livejournal.com/ here].
*Original [[Randall]] quote: "Don't ask me why there's a river running through the ocean. Please."
*Original title: "Landscape"

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal]]

306: Orphaned Projects

2013-06-07T21:58:43Z

169.233.51.42: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 306
| date = August 22, 2007
| title = Orphaned Projects
| image = orphaned_projects.png
| titletext = His date works for Red Hat, who hired a coach for her, too. She advised her to 'rent lots of movies like Hitch. Guys love those.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
Some companies/foundations, while not needing these developers can greatly benefit from a community-maintained projects. In the comic, one of the devs is "helped" by Debian leaders with a "dating coach" that would only give him bad advice. Men can sometimes have the tendency of using criticism (even if constructive) to demonstrate their intelligence in order to impress/help a girl.

{{w|Debian}} is a {{w|GNU/Linux}} distribution (but also ships {{w|GNU Hurd}} and {{w|BSD}} versions). {{w|Red Hat}} is the company behind {{w|Fedora Linux}} and {{w|RHEL}}.

{{w|Hitch (film)}} is a {{w|romantic comedy}} in which {{w|Will Smith}} plays a "dating coach", which helps men to have successful dates with women.

The comic is about orphaned Linux projects, because volunteer FOSS developers will often leave their projects aside whenever something of greater importance to them requires more time (like dating relationships, tiredness, sickness etc).

The title text goes on to say that, similarly, the girl is also a volunteer developer. Red Hat hires a "dating coach" to persuade her to watch romantic comedy movies with Cueball; romantic comedies are almost universally hated by men.

==Transcript==
:[Voices are coming from behind a door with a sign that reads "Debian Linux HQ".]
:First voice: Problem: One of the volunteer developers has a date this weekend. Dates lead to romance, romance leads to orphaned projects.
:Second voice: What's the plan?
:First voice: We're hiring him a relationship coach. He's like Will Smith in "Hitch," but he only gives bad advice.
:[Black Hat is talking to Cueball, who is standing in from of a mirror.]
:Black Hat: Okay, remember: The key to conversation is constructive criticism.
:Black Hat: You need to show you're smart enough to solve her problems.
:Cueball: Makes sense.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]

313: Insomnia

2013-06-07T21:49:38Z

169.233.51.42: Created page with "{{comic | number = 313 | date = September 7, 2007 | title = Insomnia | image = insomnia.png | titletext = Crap, I have levitation class at 25:131. Better set t..."

{{comic
| number = 313
| date = September 7, 2007
| title = Insomnia
| image = insomnia.png
| titletext = Crap, I have levitation class at 25:131. Better set the alarm to 'cinnamon'.
}}

==Explanation==
Simply put, the narrator's insomnia, combined with small bright lights in an otherwise pitch-black room, is causing him to hallucinate. Furthermore, the narrator is well aware he will be unable to distinguish the hallucinations from reality.

A clock can never read "72 minutes" as there are only 60 minutes in an hour. While a clock can read "13 hours" if it is set to military time, the thirteenth hour obviously does not occur immediately after the fourth hour.

The alt-text shows the narrator has indeed "succumbed" to his visions, and is assigning gibberish values -- an alarm clock with a "cinnamon" setting, the time of day "25 hours and 131 minutes" -- to an otherwise normal monologue.

==Transcript==
:''[digital clock reads "4:31"]''
:Laying awake at night
:I realize how many little lights there are in my room
:The alarm clock is the brightest
:''[digital clock now reads "4:32"]''
:Can't sleep
:Alone with those glowing red numbers
:Time slows
:Does time even exist here?
:''[clock reads "4:33"]
:Thoughts churning in on themselves
:The madness can't be far away
:''[clock suddenly reads "13:72"]''
:Ah yes
:There it is

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics from September]]
[[Category:Comics from 2007]]

458: Regrets

2013-06-07T21:00:21Z

169.233.51.42: grr, finicky url

{{comic
| number = 458
| date = August 4, 2008
| title = Regrets
| image = regrets.png
| titletext = And nothing for 'I'm glad I saw Epic Movie.'
}}

==Explanation==
The comic is a bar graph that shows more people regret having ''not'' pursued/kissed a love interest than regret ''having'' pursued/kissed one.

The alt text refers to the Friedberg and Seltzer movie ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Movie Epic Movie]'', a "comedy" movie that received overwhelmingly negative reception, and is widely considered one of the worst movies ever made.

==Transcript==
Bar graph: Number of Google results for "I _____ have kissed her" (or him)

*Shouldn't = 1,213
*Should = 10,230

{{comic discussion}}

458: Regrets

2013-06-07T20:59:35Z

169.233.51.42: whoops, bad url

{{comic
| number = 458
| date = August 4, 2008
| title = Regrets
| image = regrets.png
| titletext = And nothing for 'I'm glad I saw Epic Movie.'
}}

==Explanation==
The comic is a bar graph that shows more people regret having ''not'' pursued/kissed a love interest than regret ''having'' pursued/kissed one.

The alt text refers to the Friedberg and Seltzer movie ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Movie | Epic Movie]'', a "comedy" movie that received overwhelmingly negative reception, and is widely considered one of the worst movies ever made.

==Transcript==
Bar graph: Number of Google results for "I _____ have kissed her" (or him)

*Shouldn't = 1,213
*Should = 10,230

{{comic discussion}}

458: Regrets

2013-06-07T20:57:55Z

169.233.51.42: Well, my first time here. I hope I didn't royally screw up

{{comic
| number = 458
| date = August 4, 2008
| title = Regrets
| image = regrets.png
| titletext = And nothing for 'I'm glad I saw Epic Movie.'
}}

==Explanation==
The comic is a bar graph that shows more people regret having ''not'' pursued/kissed a love interest than regret ''having'' pursued/kissed one.

The alt text refers to the Friedberg and Seltzer movie ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Movie| Epic Movie]'', a "comedy" movie that received overwhelmingly negative reception, and is widely considered one of the worst movies ever made.

==Transcript==
Bar graph: Number of Google results for "I _____ have kissed her" (or him)

*Shouldn't = 1,213
*Should = 10,230

{{comic discussion}}