explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

978: Citogenesis

2020-04-16T11:40:42Z

172.68.141.226: forget it

{{comic
| number = 978
| date = November 16, 2011
| title = Citogenesis
| image = citogenesis.png
| titletext = I just read a pop-science book by a respected author. One chapter, and much of the thesis, was based around wildly inaccurate data which traced back to... Wikipedia. To encourage people to be on their toes, I'm not going to say what book or author.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is calling into question the {{w|reliability of Wikipedia}}. This is a favorite pastime of librarians, teachers, and professional researchers, and not usually one of [[Randall]]'s. {{w|Wikipedia}} is a free and freely editable encyclopedia that aims to become a comprehensive, {{w|Wikipedia:Wikipedia in brief|neutral compilation of verifiable, established facts}}. Wikipedia aims to provide only facts backed by {{w|Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources|reliable sources}}. However, this comic strip details a process in which Wikipedia can not only spread misinformation, but make said misinformation seem reliable through a process of "circular reporting".

The title of the comic is a play on the word [http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/cytogenesis cytogenesis]. Cytogenesis is the formation of cells and their development. {{w|Citogenesis}}, on the other hand is a [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portmanteau portmanteau] of 'Citation' and 'Genesis'. A {{w|Citation}} is a reference to a source, used to back up a specific claim. [http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genesis?show=1&t=1346949206 Genesis] means the origin of something. By extension, citogenesis is the creation of text in a reliable source that can be cited to back-up a claim.

In the process described here, someone adds an untrue claim to an article in Wikipedia. A writer of some supposedly "reliable source" checks Wikipedia for information, and blindly relies on it, without checking for proper sources - the comic uses rushed writers, such as those responsible for news stories, as an example of someone who may do this. Eventually, someone notices the claim in the reliable source, and cites it in the Wikipedia article. The citation now gives the claim credence, as readers don't realize that the official source was based of the Wikipedia article. Thanks to this citation, other reporters, slightly more cautious than the first, consider this bit of information to be reliable, and then cite it in articles of their own. Those articles then get cited in Wikipedia, making the claim seem more reliable, encouraging even more reporters to believe it, and repeat the claim. Eventually, a long list of citations is available, giving an impression of consensus, even though all of it originated with a single article, which was based on an uncited Wikipedia edit.

Four years before, Randall [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Xkcd&diff=162077300 commented on Wikipedia] about that process happening to him (on a minor detail), which probably indicates the inception of this comic:
<blockquote>''I've never referred to the [[1: Barrel - Part 1|boy in the barrel]] as "Barrel Lad" -- that seems to have started in this [Wikipedia] article. I've called him "Barrel boy" or "The boy in the barrel". Minor detail, but it's funny how sometimes something can appear on Wikipedia, get referenced in other places, and then Wikipedia cites those other places as supporting references. Hooray {{w|Wikipedia in culture#Wikiality|Wikiality}}!'' — Randall Munroe as user "xkcd", [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Xkcd/Archive_2#Notes_from_the_author en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Xkcd#Notes_from_the_author], 3 October 2007</blockquote>

In turn, Randall originated the untrue assertion in this comic that {{w|Steven Chu}}, a physicist, and at the time of the strip the U.S. Secretary of Energy, invented the {{w|Scroll lock}} key, a common button on computer keyboards. Since most people are aware of the scroll lock key but know little about its function or origins, this false information would make for an interesting piece of trivia that would likely spread very quickly.

Following this comic, the actual {{w|Scroll lock}} and {{w|Steven Chu}} articles {{w|Talk:Scroll_lock#Thanks_Randall|were}} {{w|Talk:Steven_Chu#Scroll_lock_key|both}} vandalized by "helpful" editors trying to project Randall's reality on Wikipedia. The Wikipedia article on {{w|Citogenesis}} redirects to the {{w|Reliability of Wikipedia#Information loop|information loop}} section on the article "Reliability of Wikipedia". That section ends with crediting the term "citogenesis" to "webcomic artist Randall Munroe", with a link to this comic. This now has three citations. To make matters even more surreal, some Wikipedia editor [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Reliability_of_Wikipedia&diff=517901534&oldid=517901176 once flagged] the link to this xkcd comic as "Dubious - The material near this tag is possibly inaccurate or non-factual."!

We haven't seen a book like the one Randall describes in the title text. But one example of the misuse of Wikipedia by "reliable sources" concerns the former German minister {{w|Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg}}. His complete name contains fifteen names/words and reads: Karl-Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg. An anonymous user added one more ("Wilhelm") to the German Wikipedia, just the evening before Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg was presented as the new Federal Minister of Economics and Technology on February 10, 2009. The next day many major German newspapers published this wrong name ([http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bildblog.de%2F5704%2Fwie-ich-freiherr-von-guttenberg-zu-wilhelm-machte%2F translation of bildblog.de]).

==Transcript==
:Where Citations Come From:
:Citogenesis Step #1
:Through a convoluted process, a user's brain generates facts. These are typed into Wikipedia.
:[Hairy sits at a desk, typing on a laptop.]
:Hairy: (typing) The "scroll lock" key was was designed by future Energy Secretary Steven Chu in a college project.

:Step #2
:A rushed writer checks Wikipedia for a summary of their subject.
:[Ponytail sits at a desk, typing on a desktop.]
:Ponytail: (typing) US Energy Secretary Steven Chu, (Nobel Prizewinner and creator of the ubiquitous "scroll lock" key) testified before Congress today...

:Step #3
:Surprised readers check Wikipedia, see the claim, and flag it for review. A passing editor finds the piece and adds it as a citation.
:[Cueball sits on a couch with a laptop in his lap, typing.]
:Cueball: Google is your friend, people. (typing) <nowiki><ref>{{cite web|url=</nowiki>

:Step #4
:Now that other writers have a real source, they repeat the fact.
:[A flow chart, with "Wikipedia citation" in the center. The word "Wikipedia" is in black, the word "citations" is white with a red background.
:[A black arrow leads from "brain" to "Wikipedia."]
:[A black arrow labeled "words" leads from "Wikipedia" to "careless writers," and a red arrow labeled "citations" leads back to "Wikipedia citations."]
:[A black & red arrow leads from "Wikipedia" to "cited facts" which leads to "slightly more careful writers," which leads to "more citations," which leads back to :"Wikipedia" (all black & red arrows).]
:References proliferate, completing the citogenesis process.

==Trivia==
* The word "was" occurs twice consecutively in the first panel.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Flowcharts]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

978: Citogenesis

2020-04-16T11:39:59Z

172.68.141.226:

{{comic
| number = 978
| date = November 16, 2011
| title = Citogenesis
| image = citogenesis.png
| titletext = I just read a pop-science book by a respected author. One chapter, and much of the thesis, was based around wildly inaccurate data which traced back to... Wikipedia. To encourage people to be on their toes, I'm not going to say what book or author.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is calling into question the {{w|reliability of Wikipedia}}. This is a favorite pastime of librarians, teachers, and professional researchers, and not usually one of [[Randall]]'s. {{w|Wikipedia}} is a free and freely editable encyclopedia that aims to become a comprehensive, {{w|Wikipedia:Wikipedia in brief|neutral compilation of verifiable, established facts}}. Wikipedia aims to provide only facts backed by {{w|Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources|reliable sources}}. However, this comic strip details a process in which Wikipedia can not only spread misinformation, but make said misinformation seem reliable through a process of "circular reporting".

The title of the comic is a play on the word [http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/cytogenesis cytogenesis]. Cytogenesis is the formation of cells and their development. {{w|Citogenesis}}, on the other hand is a [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portmanteau portmanteau] of 'Citation' and 'Genesis'. A {{w|Citation}} is a reference to a source, used to back up a specific claim. [http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genesis?show=1&t=1346949206 Genesis] means the origin of something. By extension, citogenesis is the creation of text in a reliable source that can be cited to back-up a claim.

In the process described here, someone adds an untrue claim to an article in Wikipedia. A writer of some supposedly "reliable source" checks Wikipedia for information, and blindly relies on it, without checking for proper sources - the comic uses rushed writers, such as those responsible for news stories, as an example of someone who may do this. Eventually, someone notices the claim in the reliable source, and cites it in the Wikipedia article. The citation now gives the claim credence, as readers don't realize that the official source was based of the Wikipedia article. Thanks to this citation, other reporters, slightly more cautious than the first, consider this bit of information to be reliable, and then cite it in articles of their own. Those articles then get cited in Wikipedia, making the claim seem more reliable, encouraging even more reporters to believe it, and repeat the claim. Eventually, a long list of citations is available, giving an impression of consensus, even though all of it originated with a single article, which was based on an uncited Wikipedia edit.

Four years before, Randall [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Xkcd&diff=162077300 commented on Wikipedia] about that process happening to him (on a minor detail), which probably indicates the inception of this comic:
<blockquote>''I've never referred to the [[1: Barrel - Part 1|boy in the barrel]] as "Barrel Lad" -- that seems to have started in this [{{w|xkcd|Wikipedia}}] article. I've called him "Barrel boy" or "The boy in the barrel". Minor detail, but it's funny how sometimes something can appear on Wikipedia, get referenced in other places, and then Wikipedia cites those other places as supporting references. Hooray {{w|Wikipedia in culture#Wikiality|Wikiality}}!'' — Randall Munroe as user "xkcd", [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Xkcd/Archive_2#Notes_from_the_author en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Xkcd#Notes_from_the_author], 3 October 2007</blockquote>

In turn, Randall originated the untrue assertion in this comic that {{w|Steven Chu}}, a physicist, and at the time of the strip the U.S. Secretary of Energy, invented the {{w|Scroll lock}} key, a common button on computer keyboards. Since most people are aware of the scroll lock key but know little about its function or origins, this false information would make for an interesting piece of trivia that would likely spread very quickly.

Following this comic, the actual {{w|Scroll lock}} and {{w|Steven Chu}} articles {{w|Talk:Scroll_lock#Thanks_Randall|were}} {{w|Talk:Steven_Chu#Scroll_lock_key|both}} vandalized by "helpful" editors trying to project Randall's reality on Wikipedia. The Wikipedia article on {{w|Citogenesis}} redirects to the {{w|Reliability of Wikipedia#Information loop|information loop}} section on the article "Reliability of Wikipedia". That section ends with crediting the term "citogenesis" to "webcomic artist Randall Munroe", with a link to this comic. This now has three citations. To make matters even more surreal, some Wikipedia editor [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Reliability_of_Wikipedia&diff=517901534&oldid=517901176 once flagged] the link to this xkcd comic as "Dubious - The material near this tag is possibly inaccurate or non-factual."!

We haven't seen a book like the one Randall describes in the title text. But one example of the misuse of Wikipedia by "reliable sources" concerns the former German minister {{w|Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg}}. His complete name contains fifteen names/words and reads: Karl-Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg. An anonymous user added one more ("Wilhelm") to the German Wikipedia, just the evening before Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg was presented as the new Federal Minister of Economics and Technology on February 10, 2009. The next day many major German newspapers published this wrong name ([http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bildblog.de%2F5704%2Fwie-ich-freiherr-von-guttenberg-zu-wilhelm-machte%2F translation of bildblog.de]).

==Transcript==
:Where Citations Come From:
:Citogenesis Step #1
:Through a convoluted process, a user's brain generates facts. These are typed into Wikipedia.
:[Hairy sits at a desk, typing on a laptop.]
:Hairy: (typing) The "scroll lock" key was was designed by future Energy Secretary Steven Chu in a college project.

:Step #2
:A rushed writer checks Wikipedia for a summary of their subject.
:[Ponytail sits at a desk, typing on a desktop.]
:Ponytail: (typing) US Energy Secretary Steven Chu, (Nobel Prizewinner and creator of the ubiquitous "scroll lock" key) testified before Congress today...

:Step #3
:Surprised readers check Wikipedia, see the claim, and flag it for review. A passing editor finds the piece and adds it as a citation.
:[Cueball sits on a couch with a laptop in his lap, typing.]
:Cueball: Google is your friend, people. (typing) <nowiki><ref>{{cite web|url=</nowiki>

:Step #4
:Now that other writers have a real source, they repeat the fact.
:[A flow chart, with "Wikipedia citation" in the center. The word "Wikipedia" is in black, the word "citations" is white with a red background.
:[A black arrow leads from "brain" to "Wikipedia."]
:[A black arrow labeled "words" leads from "Wikipedia" to "careless writers," and a red arrow labeled "citations" leads back to "Wikipedia citations."]
:[A black & red arrow leads from "Wikipedia" to "cited facts" which leads to "slightly more careful writers," which leads to "more citations," which leads back to :"Wikipedia" (all black & red arrows).]
:References proliferate, completing the citogenesis process.

==Trivia==
* The word "was" occurs twice consecutively in the first panel.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Flowcharts]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

978: Citogenesis

2020-04-16T11:38:00Z

172.68.141.226: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 978
| date = November 16, 2011
| title = Citogenesis
| image = citogenesis.png
| titletext = I just read a pop-science book by a respected author. One chapter, and much of the thesis, was based around wildly inaccurate data which traced back to... Wikipedia. To encourage people to be on their toes, I'm not going to say what book or author.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is calling into question the {{w|reliability of Wikipedia}}. This is a favorite pastime of librarians, teachers, and professional researchers, and not usually one of [[Randall]]'s. {{w|Wikipedia}} is a free and freely editable encyclopedia that aims to become a comprehensive, {{w|Wikipedia:Wikipedia in brief|neutral compilation of verifiable, established facts}}. Wikipedia aims to provide only facts backed by {{w|Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources|reliable sources}}. However, this comic strip details a process in which Wikipedia can not only spread misinformation, but make said misinformation seem reliable through a process of "circular reporting".

The title of the comic is a play on the word [http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/cytogenesis cytogenesis]. Cytogenesis is the formation of cells and their development. {{w|Citogenesis}}, on the other hand is a [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portmanteau portmanteau] of 'Citation' and 'Genesis'. A {{w|Citation}} is a reference to a source, used to back up a specific claim. [http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genesis?show=1&t=1346949206 Genesis] means the origin of something. By extension, citogenesis is the creation of text in a reliable source that can be cited to back-up a claim.

In the process described here, someone adds an untrue claim to an article in Wikipedia. A writer of some supposedly "reliable source" checks Wikipedia for information, and blindly relies on it, without checking for proper sources - the comic uses rushed writers, such as those responsible for news stories, as an example of someone who may do this. Eventually, someone notices the claim in the reliable source, and cites it in the Wikipedia article. The citation now gives the claim credence, as readers don't realize that the official source was based of the Wikipedia article. Thanks to this citation, other reporters, slightly more cautious than the first, consider this bit of information to be reliable, and then cite it in articles of their own. Those articles then get cited in Wikipedia, making the claim seem more reliable, encouraging even more reporters to believe it, and repeat the claim. Eventually, a long list of citations is available, giving an impression of consensus, even though all of it originated with a single article, which was based on an uncited Wikipedia edit.

Four years before, Randall [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Xkcd&diff=162077300 commented on Wikipedia] about that process happening to him (on a minor detail), which probably indicates the inception of this comic:
<blockquote>''I've never referred to the [[1: Barrel - Part 1|boy in the barrel]] as "Barrel Lad" -- that seems to have started in this {{w|Barrel Boy|Wikipedia}} article. I've called him "Barrel boy" or "The boy in the barrel". Minor detail, but it's funny how sometimes something can appear on Wikipedia, get referenced in other places, and then Wikipedia cites those other places as supporting references. Hooray {{w|Wikipedia in culture#Wikiality|Wikiality}}!'' — Randall Munroe as user "xkcd", [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Xkcd/Archive_2#Notes_from_the_author en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Xkcd#Notes_from_the_author], 3 October 2007</blockquote>

In turn, Randall originated the untrue assertion in this comic that {{w|Steven Chu}}, a physicist, and at the time of the strip the U.S. Secretary of Energy, invented the {{w|Scroll lock}} key, a common button on computer keyboards. Since most people are aware of the scroll lock key but know little about its function or origins, this false information would make for an interesting piece of trivia that would likely spread very quickly.

Following this comic, the actual {{w|Scroll lock}} and {{w|Steven Chu}} articles {{w|Talk:Scroll_lock#Thanks_Randall|were}} {{w|Talk:Steven_Chu#Scroll_lock_key|both}} vandalized by "helpful" editors trying to project Randall's reality on Wikipedia. The Wikipedia article on {{w|Citogenesis}} redirects to the {{w|Reliability of Wikipedia#Information loop|information loop}} section on the article "Reliability of Wikipedia". That section ends with crediting the term "citogenesis" to "webcomic artist Randall Munroe", with a link to this comic. This now has three citations. To make matters even more surreal, some Wikipedia editor [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Reliability_of_Wikipedia&diff=517901534&oldid=517901176 once flagged] the link to this xkcd comic as "Dubious - The material near this tag is possibly inaccurate or non-factual."!

We haven't seen a book like the one Randall describes in the title text. But one example of the misuse of Wikipedia by "reliable sources" concerns the former German minister {{w|Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg}}. His complete name contains fifteen names/words and reads: Karl-Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg. An anonymous user added one more ("Wilhelm") to the German Wikipedia, just the evening before Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg was presented as the new Federal Minister of Economics and Technology on February 10, 2009. The next day many major German newspapers published this wrong name ([http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bildblog.de%2F5704%2Fwie-ich-freiherr-von-guttenberg-zu-wilhelm-machte%2F translation of bildblog.de]).

==Transcript==
:Where Citations Come From:
:Citogenesis Step #1
:Through a convoluted process, a user's brain generates facts. These are typed into Wikipedia.
:[Hairy sits at a desk, typing on a laptop.]
:Hairy: (typing) The "scroll lock" key was was designed by future Energy Secretary Steven Chu in a college project.

:Step #2
:A rushed writer checks Wikipedia for a summary of their subject.
:[Ponytail sits at a desk, typing on a desktop.]
:Ponytail: (typing) US Energy Secretary Steven Chu, (Nobel Prizewinner and creator of the ubiquitous "scroll lock" key) testified before Congress today...

:Step #3
:Surprised readers check Wikipedia, see the claim, and flag it for review. A passing editor finds the piece and adds it as a citation.
:[Cueball sits on a couch with a laptop in his lap, typing.]
:Cueball: Google is your friend, people. (typing) <nowiki><ref>{{cite web|url=</nowiki>

:Step #4
:Now that other writers have a real source, they repeat the fact.
:[A flow chart, with "Wikipedia citation" in the center. The word "Wikipedia" is in black, the word "citations" is white with a red background.
:[A black arrow leads from "brain" to "Wikipedia."]
:[A black arrow labeled "words" leads from "Wikipedia" to "careless writers," and a red arrow labeled "citations" leads back to "Wikipedia citations."]
:[A black & red arrow leads from "Wikipedia" to "cited facts" which leads to "slightly more careful writers," which leads to "more citations," which leads back to :"Wikipedia" (all black & red arrows).]
:References proliferate, completing the citogenesis process.

==Trivia==
* The word "was" occurs twice consecutively in the first panel.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Flowcharts]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

Talk:1084: Server Problem

2018-12-12T07:03:23Z

172.68.141.226:

It reminded me of the [http://articles.cnn.com/2012-04-13/tech/tech_web_apple-mac-virus-fix_1_mac-users-malware-mac-os?_s=PM:TECH Flashback Virus] that happened on Macs --[[User:Toddr|Toddr]] ([[User talk:Toddr|talk]]) 21:41, 9 August 2012‎ (UTC)

;WooWoo Science from La-La Land

I love this paragraph:
"Proponents of the singularity typically state that an "intelligence explosion",where superintelligences design successive generations of increasingly powerful minds, might occur very quickly and might not stop until the agent's cognitive abilities greatly surpass that of any human."

"OK team, you can stop now, we are much more intelligent than they are"
"Don't we need to keep learning"
"Nah!" {{unsigned ip| 86.16.130.17|12:59, 16 August 2012‎ (UTC)}}

:Whence comes the quote (and the follow-up commentary)? Attribution requested. Posted by an IP-address contributor; if you'd like to see this retained, please follow up with sources, explanation, and signature... otherwise, I think the content is just tangential enough to be removed. -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 14:42, 16 August 2012 (UTC)
::I don't know what the section heading is referring to, but I'm pretty sure the quote is from {{w|Technological singularity|wikipedia}} ([http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Technological_singularity&diff=next&oldid=501171200 diff]). [[User:Markhurd|Mark Hurd]] ([[User talk:Markhurd|talk]]) 15:16, 13 April 2013 (UTC)

:I believe the assumption is that they will hit some sort of fundamental physical limit on intelligence (At the extreme long-term end, perhaps latency due to the finite speed of light) and stop, rather than simply grow tired of advancing and focus attention elsewhere. [[User:Thirgfloorgreg|Thirgfloorgreg]] ([[User talk:Thirgfloorgreg|talk]]) 23:02, 17 August 2012 (UTC)

I think there are two ways of interpreting it. The most likely is that Megan's "What did you do!?" is a cry of frustration and amazement that Cueball has managed to *so* break the server. First, how on earth did Cueball's $PATH get changed *at all* so that executing "ls" in the shell ran anything but the usual /bin/ls? Second, how did it end up pointing to that ls.jar? And third, what the heck did Cueball do to end up with that ls.jar being installed there anyway!? Then her "You should shut down..." comment should be interpreted as being preceded with the phrase "You are so clearly not qualified to use a computer that ...". On the other hand, she may be expressing awe and amazement at his ability to interact with his system in such a bizarre way. And then her "You should shut down ..." comment should be preceded with the phrase, "You are clearly so at one with computing machinery that ..." TK 2012-08-17

:alias ls='sudo java usr/share/Adobe/doc/example/android_vm/root/sbin/ls.jar' [[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]] ([[User talk:Davidy22|talk]]) 23:35, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

or you could edit $PATH and do a soft link from the first member of PATH/ls to /usr/share/Adobe/doc/example/android_vm/root/sbin/ls.jar, anyway if i was Megan i wouldn't give up just yet, i still have /bin/ls and dir in my disposal... (and always check the environment variables... never assume the user's environment is clean.. it's just most likely that $PATH got screwed up (happened a bit too often for my liking in my previous company.. some people just love to use the command "set PATH=/myprog" instead of set PATH=${PATH}:/myprog ) and all you had to do is to reset the variable and we are done :) (but ya.. Megan's reaction is also my reaction.. it's fun to see people helpless and think that they have royally screwed up their system when you swoop in like a super hero to miraculously repair their system) [[Special:Contributions/118.101.220.167|118.101.220.167]] 09:59, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

Considering Cueball's response, which suggests he is completely unaware of the unlikeliness of the error message, we can assume that the latter is not the case. Cueball totally fails to miss the point by suggesting a simple solution while not realizing how messed up his system would need to be to not even be able to operate the ls command. --[[Special:Contributions/88.75.181.101|88.75.181.101]] 02:45, 20 September 2012 (UTC)

Cueball has somehow messed up his path so that 'ls' now points to ls.jar, which executes the command on an external device (presumably an Android device). {{unsigned ip|134.134.139.72|18:15, 28 August 2012 (UTC)‎}}

Cueball's last line is a reference to an error message from the 8-bit era that went something like "Device not ready" or "device busy, try again later" which led some people to interpret it (literally) that they should try again later, when it really meant "the drive can't read the floppy disc that's in it". [[Special:Contributions/75.103.23.206|75.103.23.206]] 20:39, 7 December 2012 (UTC)

:"Device not ready" and "Device busy, try again later" messages are usually emited when the driver tries to communicate with device and doesn't get expected response in some defined time. If there would be no timeout for its actions, the computer would freeze. Sometimes (especially in case of old devices), the choosen timeout is too short and trying later actually WILL solve the problem - for example, if you insert CD in optical drive and immediately try to access it, you may get timeout because it takes the drive some time to determine what type of medium was inserted and read TOC. More often, though, the "not ready" is actually caused by persistent problem which will not solve itself - for example again with CD, the CD may be unreadable. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:44, 21 November 2013 (UTC)

Why Ray Kurzweil would be annoyed by 'Cybersingularity' ? [[User:Osias|Osias]] ([[User talk:Osias|talk]]) 01:03, 19 September 2013 (UTC)

I agree - the explanation on Ray is not good enough. I have amended it a bit by putting in four relevant links to Wikipedia in the last phrase - but I cannot explain the title text, and has just assigned the explanation to be incomplete. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:13, 14 January 2014 (UTC)

If Megan actually knows whats going on, wouldn't she run "PATH="/usr/share/Adobe/doc/example/android_vm/root/sbin:$PATH"? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.212|173.245.54.212]] 16:18, 12 March 2015 (UTC)

Just wonder if part of the joke is "is ajar" - cars often complain about a door being ajar and will not function until closed.--- {{unsigned ip|173.245.56.133}}

Java executables DO end in .jar on linux
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.90|162.158.255.90]] 18:50, 28 June 2016 (UTC)

I think the explanation should touch on what it means for a device to be busy and whether or not that makes sense for a magical Java archive core Linux system binary for (chrooted?) Android. Because there's a lot going on in that line, it's important to touch on it all. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.141.226|172.68.141.226]] 07:03, 12 December 2018 (UTC)

2083: Laptop Issues

2018-12-10T18:18:37Z

172.68.141.226: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2083
| date = December 10, 2018
| title = Laptop Issues
| image = laptop_issues.png
| titletext = Hang on, we got a call from the feds. They say we can do whatever with him, but the EPA doesn't want that laptop in the ocean. They're sending a team.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Edited by a beleaguered tech support user. Horribly incomplete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[[Cueball]] goes to tech support with his laptop. [[Hairy]] and [[Ponytail]] are waiting behind the counter; one has dealt with [[Category:Cueball Computer Problems|Cueball's bizarre tech issues]] before, and warns the other. Sure enough, Cueball sets the computer down and offers a detailed list of the arcane problems his computer is giving him.

{|class="wikitable"
| ''My laptop's battery won't hold a charge.''
| A common problem; as batteries are frequently charged and recharged, their capacity for storing charge deteriorates. However...
|-
| ''Tried [replacing the battery]. Now the new ones won't either.''
| ...the problem persisting despite the battery's replacement fails to make any significant sense. It my be a problem with his laptop's charging port, but his comment that the "new ones" now fail to hold a charge seems to imply it is persisting despite the replacement batteries being used elsewhere after attempting to use them for his laptop and failing..
|-
| ''Also, random files get corrupted on the first of every month. Factory reset didn't help either.''
| Some devices may be scheduled to do a "disk cleanup" on the first of every month. Somehow, this task is corrupting files that should be kept.
|-
| ''When it's plugged in, I get static from my plumbing.''
| Static charge from a portable device while it's charging is common. Static charge from ''elsewhere in the building'' while the portable device is charging... not so much.
|-
| ''And it reboots if someone uses an arc welder nearby''
| Setting aside the question of why Cueball is using his laptop around an arc welder (although he doesn't specify what qualifies as "nearby"), the high power draw of an arc welder will occasionally cause less devoted power supplies to flicker. For some reason, this is causing his laptop to reboot instead.
|-
| ''Transition(R) lenses go dark when exposed to the screen''
| Transition lenses in prescription glasses darken when exposed directly to UV rays; this is to avoid the wearer any hassle of needing prescription sunglasses. This seems to indicate that the screen of Cueball's laptop is emitting UV radiation.
|-
| ''and when I open too many tabs, it fogs any nearby photographic film.''
| The screen would have to emitting X-rays that can pass through the film's container and expose the film. This may be a reference to the science fiction book series {{w|The Three-Body Problem (novel)|''The Three Body Problem''}}, where one character finds that all of his pictures become blurred, no matter how they were taken.
|}

The sheer incongruity of everything Cueball has reported, in combination with past issues, leads Hairy to report that his manager has authorized Cueball and his laptop be thrown into the ocean so that their plague upon the earth may no longer spread. Cueball, having surrendered to his inability to use technology, accepts this without objection.

The alt-text contains mention of the Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA) a part of the United States government responsible for preventing pollution. In real life, most of a laptop computer's components are considered toxic waste, and the EPA, as part of their mission, would not want it dumped in the ocean. More to the point, it's implied that whatever Cueball did to it renders it far more dangerous than an ordinary laptop, and the EPA ''really'' don't want his cursed possessions in the ocean; thus they are sending a hazmat team to collect the laptop and safely dispose of it.

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

:[Cueball is walking past a sign reading "Tech Support," with a right-pointing arrow and carrying a laptop.]
:Off panel voice #1: Oh, No.
:Off panel voice #2: What?
:Off panel voice #1: This guy. He has the worst tech problems.

:[Cueball at tech support desk with closed laptop on desk. Hairy and Ponytail are there.]
:Cueball: My laptop's battery won't hold a charge.
:Hairy: We can replace it.
:Cueball: Tried that. Now the new ones won't either.

:[Close-up of Cueball]
:Cueball: Also, random files get corrupted on the first day of every month. Factory reset didn't help.
:Off panel voice #2: You weren't kidding.

:[Close-up of Cueball]
:Cueball: When it's plugged in, I get static shocks from my plumbing.
:Off panel voice: What the...
:Cueball: And it reboots if someone uses an arc welder nearby.

:[Same tableau as second panel except that the laptop is slightly open now.]
:Cueball: Transitions® lenses go dark when exposed to the screen, and when I open too many tabs, it fogs nearby photographic film.
:Hairy: We don't usually do this, but I've gotten permission from my manager to have you and the laptop hurled into the ocean.
:Cueball: That's probably for the best.

{{comic discussion}}

2081: Middle Latitudes

2018-12-05T17:04:18Z

172.68.141.226: Antarctic circle and Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere

{{comic
| number = 2081
| date = December 5, 2018
| title = Middle Latitudes
| image = middle_latitudes.png
| titletext = Snowy blizzards are fun, but so are warm sunny beaches, so we split the difference by having lots of icy wet slush!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by WINTER WHILE GETTING A SUNTAN. Need much more details on why it's bleak in the Winter in the middle. Also explain the title text Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Middle latitudes are latitudes between the Arctic or Antarctic Circle (66 degrees North/South of the equator, respectively) and the Tropic of Cancer/Capricorn (23 degrees North/South of the Equator), two important latitudes on the globe that delineates some features of how the Sun rises and sets during the day.

In the Northern hemisphere North of the Arctic Circle there is at least one day in the year when the sun doesn't set (in Summer) or doesn't rise (in Winter), below that latitude the sun will rise and set every day - even for a short time. Also in the North Hemisphere at any latitudes South of the Tropic of Cancer there is one day of the year where the sun will shine directly from above, while North of these latitudes there will be no such days, as the sun will always shine from an angle. The length of the day South of the Tropic of Cancer will also be close to 12 hours a day regardless of whether it is Summer or Winter. The length of the day in the middle latitudes will vary however, in the Winter time days are shorter, while in the Summer time days are longer. These are more visible the more one goes North, as close to the Arctic the sun will only rise for a few hours in the Winter, and similarly will only set for a few hours in the Summer.

In the Southern hemisphere the situation is similar - any latitude South of the Antarctic Circle will have a day where there's no sun, and North of the Tropic of Capricorn there will be a time when the sun shines from directly above, and the length of the days are close to 12 hours the whole year. Between the two none of these will happen at any time of the year. Also days will be longer or shorter dependent on the season with Summer having shorter days and Winter having longer (the opposite of how it is in the Northern hemisphere)

The comic refers to these facts that inside the middle latitudes there are simply no interesting features at any time of the year, however in Winter (in the Northern Latitudes) the sun will set earlier, and generally because of the lower temperatures and shorter days it has a bleak feeling.

There are other comics that refer to the length of the day, and how it is different each day, for example [[2050: 6/6 Time]]

The comic plays on the idiom "split the difference" by applying it to the length of day vs. night. To split the difference is to agree (or settle) on an amount of something, such as money, that is halfway between two others. This can sometimes be characterized as a compromise where nobody gets what they want.

Cueball starts by wishing to experience two extremes: normal sunrise and sunset, vs. weeks of 24-hour darkness. Satisfying one or the other condition requires locating either to the Equator or to one of the poles. Megan proposes a "split the difference" compromise, which turns out to involve dim, bleak winters. Satisfying the compromise would mean locating in the "middle latitudes". Thus the bottom caption, "middle latitudes are the worst."

The title text extends the idea. Splitting the difference between "fun" snowy blizzards and "fun" warm sunny beaches would mean having neither, but instead icy wet slush.

==Transcript==
:
:Cueball: It would be nice if the sun could rise and set at normal times. But it would also be cool to experience 24-hour darkness for weeks on end.
:Megan: Well, what if we split the difference, so all winter everything was normal but slightly more dim and bleak?
:Cueball: Perfect!
:[Caption below the frame:]
:Middle latitudes are the worst
:

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Time]]

2080: Cohort and Age Effects

2018-12-03T16:38:13Z

172.68.141.226: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2080
| date = December 3, 2018
| title = Cohort and Age Effects
| image = cohort_and_age_effects.png
| titletext = Younger people get very few joint replacements, yet they're also getting more than older people did at the same age. This means you can choose between 'Why are millennials are getting so (many/few) joint replacements?' depending which trend fits your current argument better.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
"Millennials" are the generation of Americans who reached/are reaching adulthood during the 2010's decade. A common headline on news websites is "Millennials are killing the X industry" where X is a product whose sales have dropped since the year 2000. One of the most famous is the diamond industry, where a combination of the wage gap, stigma over conflict diamonds, and less desire to get married as fast as possible has seen Millennials buying less diamond jewelry.

Randall spoofs this idea. In the comic, newscaster Cueball opens his story by asking if Millennials are killing the joint replacement industry. The joke being, the large majority of Millennials are simply too young to need joint replacements, and sales will likely rise again in the future.

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

{{comic discussion}}

881: Probability

2018-11-22T07:22:14Z

172.68.141.226: /* Transcript*/ No tabel in ze transcription

{{comic
| number = 881
| date = April 4, 2011
| title = Probability
| image = probability.png
| titletext = My normal approach is useless here, too.
}}

==Explanation==

[[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] are sitting on a hospital bed, reading a piece of paper with the statistics for {{w|breast cancer}} survival. It looks like Megan has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. The thick line represents the survival rate distribution (probability to be alive after X years, unconditioned): 81% are alive at 5 years, while 77% survive to 10 years. The dashed line represents the {{w|hazard function}} (the negative derivative of the thick line divided by the value of the thick line at each point, i.e. how fast the thick line falls with respect to the current value, or the risk of failing/dying at time t+Δt after having survived until time t as Δt approaches zero), which is the rate between the density of the failure distribution and the survival function.

[[Randall]] wrote this comic after his fiancee was diagnosed with breast cancer. Two months after posting this strip, he posted [http://blog.xkcd.com/2011/06/30/family-illness/ this blog post] explaining the [[:Category:Cancer|cancer comics]].

The title text is a reference to [[55: Useless]], where his normal approach also fails him regarding love. Cueball's (and Randall's) normal approach — math — isn't much help in dealing with ''these'' types of emotional situations.

==Transcript==
:[A plot of percent vs. years, with a solid and a dashed line. The solid line starts at 100%, and drops constantly. The dashed line starts around 85%, rises to 95% after 5 years, then drops.]

:[A simple table.]
:;5 years
::81%
:;10 years
::77%

:[Cueball and Megan are sitting on a bench, next to an Intravenous drip hanging from a rack. Cueball is holding a paper.]
:Cueball: You know, probability used to be my favorite branch of math
:Cueball: Because it had so many real-life applications.

:[They embrace, faces together.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Romance]]
[[Category:Cancer]]
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Line graphs]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Statistics]]

1613: The Three Laws of Robotics

2018-05-25T17:19:46Z

172.68.141.226: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1613
| date = December 7, 2015
| title = The Three Laws of Robotics
| image = the_three_laws_of_robotics.png
| titletext = In ordering #5, self-driving cars will happily drive you around, but if you tell them to drive to a car dealership, they just lock the doors and politely ask how long humans take to starve to death.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic explores alternative orderings of sci-fi author {{w|Isaac Asimov|Isaac Asimov's}} famous {{w|Three Laws of Robotics}}, which are designed to prevent robots from taking over the world, etc. These laws form the basis of a number of Asimov works of fiction, including most famously, the short story collection ''{{w|I, Robot}}'', which amongst others includes the very first of Asimov's stories to introduce the three laws: {{w|Runaround (story)|Runaround}}.

The three rules are:
#A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
#A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
#A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

In order to make his joke, [[Randall]] shortens the laws into three imperatives:
#Don't harm humans
#Obey Orders
#Protect yourself

And then implicitly adds the following to the end of each law regardless of order of imperatives:
#''[end of statement]''
#_____, except where such orders/protection would conflict with the First Law.
#_____, as long as such orders/protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

This comic answers the generally unasked question: "Why are they in that order?" With three rules you could rank them into 6 different {{w|permutation|permutations}}, only one of which has been explored in depth. The original ranking of the three laws are listed in the brackets after the first number. So in the first example, which is the original, these three numbers will be in the same order. For the next five the numbers in brackets indicate how the laws have been re-ranked compared to the original.

The comic begins with introducing the original set, which we already know will give rise to a balanced world, so this is designated as green.:
;Ordering #1 - Balanced World: If they are not allowed to harm humans, no harm will be done disregarding who gives them orders. So long as they do not harm humans, they must obey orders. Their own self-preservation is last, so they must also try to save a human, even if ordered not do so, and especially also if they would put themselves to harm, or even destroy themselves in the process. They would also have to obey orders not relating to humans, even if this would be harmful to them; like exploring a mine field. This leads to a balanced, if not perfect, world. Asimov's robot stories explore in detail the advantages and challenges of this scenario.

Below this first known option, the five alternative orderings of the three rules are illustrated. Two of the possibilities are designated yellow (pretty bad or just annoying) and three of them are designated red ("Hellscape").

;Ordering #2 - Frustrating World: The robots value their existence over their job and so many would refuse to do their tasks. The silliness of this is portrayed in the accompanying image, where the robot (a {{w|Mars rover}} looking very similar to {{w|Curiosity (rover)|Curiosity}} both in shape and size - see [[1091: Curiosity]]) laughs at the idea of doing what it was clearly built to do (explore {{w|Mars}}) because of the risk. In addition to the general risk (e.g. of unexpected damage), it is actually normal for rovers to cease operating ("die") at the end of their mission, though they may survive longer than expected (see [[1504: Opportunity]] and [[695: Spirit]]). This personification is augmented by the robot being switched on already while still on Earth and then ordered by [[Megan]] to go explore. The personification is humorous since it is a very nonhuman robot - a typical Mars rover, as has often been used in earlier comics.
;Ordering #3 - Killbot Hellscape: This puts obeying orders above not harming humans, which means anyone could send them on a killing spree, resulting in a "Killbot Hellscape". It should also be noted humor is derived from the superlative nature of "Killbot Hellscape", as well as its over the top accompanying image, where there are multiple mushroom clouds (not necessarily nuclear). It also appears there are no humans (left?), only fighting robots.
;Ordering #4 - Killbot Hellscape:The next would also result in much the same, the only difference here is that they would be willing to kill humans to protect themselves. But still they would need an order to start killing.
;Ordering #5 - Terrifying Standoff:The penultimate order would result in an unpleasant world, though not a full Hellscape. Here the robots would not only disobey to protect themselves, but also kill if necessary. The absurdity of this one is further demonstrated with the very un-human robot happily doing repetitive mundane tasks but then threatening the life of its user, [[Cueball]], if he as much as considers unplugging it.
;Ordering #6 - Killbot Hellscape:The last order would also results in a Hellscape wherein robots not only kill for self-defense but will also go on killing sprees if ordered as long as they didn't risk themselves. Could self-protection coming first not prevent the fighting? Not according to Randall. See discussion below.

There are thus only three different results except the 'normal' 3-laws scenario.

One result goes again three times, and this occurs whenever ''obeying orders'' comes before ''don't harm humans''. In this case it will only be a matter of time (knowing human nature and history) before someone orders the robots to kill some humans, and this will inevitably lead to the ''killbot hellscape'' scenario shown in the third, fourth and sixth law-order. Even in the last case where ''protect yourself'' comes before obey orders, it would only be a matter of time before they would begin to defend themselves, against either humans or other robots which were actively trying to ensure that they would not be harmed by other humans/robots. So although it would be in the robots interest not to have war, this will surely occur anyway. Additionally, the robots would have to be intelligent to realize that they just needed to not go to war to protect themselves. There is nothing in this comic that indicates that the robots should be highly intelligent (like to AI in [[1450: AI-Box Experiment]]).

In the two other cases ''obey orders'' comes after ''don't harm humans'' (as in the original version). But the result is very different both from the original and from each other.

The frustrating world comes by because although the robots will not harm the humans, they will also not harm themselves. So if our orders conflict with this, they just do not perform the orders. As many robots are created to perform tasks that are dangerous, these robots would become useless, and it would be a frustrating world to be a robotic engineer.

Finally in the terrifying standoff situation the ''protect your self'' comes before ''don't harm humans''. In this case they will leave us be, as long as we do not try to turn them off or in any other way harm them. As long as we do that they will be able to help us, with non-dangerous tasks, as in the previous version. But if ever any humans begin to attack them, we could still tip the balance over and end up in a full-scale war (Hellscape). Hence the standoff-label.

The title text further adds to ordering #5 ("Terrifying Standoff") by noting anyone wishing to trade in their self-driving car could be killed, despite it (currently) being a standard and mundane and (mostly) risk-free activity. Because the car would fear that it would end up as scrap or spare parts, it decides to protect itself. And although not directly harming the person inside it, they do also not allow them out, and they have time to wait for starvation (or rather dying of thirst). Asimov created the "inaction" clause in the original First Law specifically to avoid scenarios in which a robot puts a human in harm's way, knowing full well that it is within the robot's abilities to save the human, and then simply refrains from saving them; this was explored in the short story {{w|Little Lost Robot}}.

Another course of action by an AI, completely different than any of the ones presented here, is depicted in [[1626: Judgment Day]].

==Transcript==
:[Caption at the top of the comic:]
:'''Why Asimov put the Three Laws'''
: '''of Robotics in the order he did.'''

:[Below are six rows with first two frames and then a label in color to the right. Above the two column of frames there are labels as well. In the first column six different ways of ordering the three laws are listed. Then the second column shown an image of the consequences of this order. Except in the first where there is a reference. The label to the right rates the kind of world that order of the laws would result in.]

:[Labels above the columns.]
:Possible ordering
:Consequences

:[The six rows follows below. First the text in the first frame, then a description of the second frame, including possible text below and finally the colored label.]

:[First row:]
:1. (1) Don't harm humans
:2. (2) Obey Orders
:3. (3) Protect yourself
:[Only text in square brackets:]
::[See Asmiov’s stories]
:'''Balanced world'''

:[Second row:]
:1. (1) Don't harm humans
:2. (3) Protect yourself
:3. (2) Obey Orders
:[Megan points at a mars rover with six wheels, a satellite disc, an arm and a camera head turned towards her, what to do.]
:Megan: Explore Mars!
:Mars rover: Haha, no. It’s cold and I’d die.
:'''Frustrating world'''

:[Third row:]
:1. (2) Obey Orders
:2. (1) Don't harm humans
:3. (3) Protect yourself
:[Two robots are fighting. The one to the left has six wheels, a tall neck on top of the body, with a head with what could be a camera facing right. It has something pointing forward on the body, which could be a weapon. The robot to the right, seems to be further away into the picture. (it is smaller with less detail). It is human shapes, but made op of square structures. It has two legs and two arms, a torso and a head. It clearly shoots something out of it’s right “hand”. This shot seems to create an explosion a third of the way towards the left robot. There are two mushroom clouds from explosions behind both robots (left and right). Between them there are one more explosion up in the air close to the left robot, and what looks like a fire on the ground right between them. Furthermore there are two missiles in the air, one above the head of each robot. Lines indicate their trajectory. There is not text.]
:'''Killbot hellscape'''

:[Fourth row:]
:1. (2) Obey Orders
:2. (3) Protect yourself
:3. (1) Don't harm humans:
:[Exactly the same picture as in row 3.]
:'''Killbot hellscape'''

:[Fifth row:]
:1. (3) Protect yourself
:2. (1) Don't harm humans
:3. (2) Obey Orders
:[Cueball is standing in front of a car factory robot, that are larger than him. It has a base, and two parts for the main body, and then a big “head” with a small section on top. To the right something is jutting out, and to the left in the direction of Cueball there is an arm in three sections (going down, up and down again) ending in some kind of tool close to Cueball.]
:Car factory robot: I'll make cars for you, but try to unplug me and I’ll vaporize you.
:'''Terrifying standoff'''

:[Sixth row:]
:1. (3) Protect yourself
:2. (2) Obey Orders
:3. (1) Don't harm humans:
:[Exactly the same picture as in row 3 and 4.]
:'''Killbot hellscape'''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Artificial Intelligence]]
[[Category:Robots]]
[[Category:Mars rovers]]