explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1200: Authorization

2023-09-17T23:17:32Z

172.69.33.187: changed "hacker" to "cracker"

{{comic
| number = 1200
| date = April 17, 2013
| title = Authorization
| image = authorization.png
| titletext = Before you say anything, no, I know not to leave my computer sitting out logged in to all my accounts. I have it set up so after a few minutes of inactivity it automatically switches to my brother's.
}}

==Explanation==
Certain computer {{w|Operating system|operating systems}} were initially designed as ''multi-user systems''. As the name suggests, these systems are meant to be used by multiple people or {{w|User (computing)|users}}, sometimes at the same time. To prevent malicious or accidental destructive damage to the system, users are split into two general groups: regular users, and {{w|system administrator}}s (or admins). Regular users can access and use {{w|Application software|programs}} on the computer, but only the admin is allowed to make changes to how the computer runs. This same split level of security continues to this day, even in privately owned, or "home", computers.

The wry remark made here is that in the decades since the most important things on a computer to be worried about are no longer the programs that it runs, but the private personal data it contains and can access (usually online). Anyone who wished to do real mischief on an active computer could do {{w|Identity theft|considerable damage}} without ever caring what the admin password was. The admin password, in effect, now protects something that has become barely, if any, concern.

This comic pokes fun at the {{w|authorization}} mechanisms surrounding most operating systems' administrator accounts. It makes the argument that the user's data is more valuable than the integrity of the system. This is arguably true for most personal systems, although it is probably not true in a shared-server setup, where a system compromise could lead to the exposure of many users' data.

Essentially, once a user is {{w|Login|logged in}}, they can typically access all of their data without any further restriction. Modifying the operating system (for example, to install {{w|Device driver|drivers}}) requires a separate password.

In fact, this password protection also hinders installation of {{w|malware}}, which is otherwise possible even remotely, with the malware then being able to e.g. steal passwords, enabling a cracker anywhere in the world to access your accounts without ever needing to touch your computer. So having your computer set up to not to ask you for an administrator's password arguably implies a bigger risk of identity theft than allowing others to access your system physically while being logged in does.

The title text alludes to the security practice where computers automatically lock the user out after a few minutes, requiring a password from the user in order to continue using it. Instead, Randall's computer automatically switches to his brother's account, presumably compromising his data instead of Randall's. The fact that Randall's brother has an account on Randall's computer even though Randall does not live with his childhood family (so his brother would not need to use his computer often) could be because Randall does not want his brother to be able to access his files, PayPal, etc… when he uses his computer, which would indicate that either Randall is cynical, his brother is not trustworthy, or Randall is simply following the {{w|principle of least privilege}}.

==Transcript==
:[Diagram showing several connected bubbles. One in the center says "User account on my laptop," surrounded by "Dropbox," "Photos & files," "Facebook," "Gmail," "PayPal," and "Bank," which are connected to the middle bubbles and to each other. Below the middle bubble is one labeled "Admin account," which is covered in spikes, and has a "door" to the bubble above it.]
:If someone steals my laptop while I'm logged in, they can read my email, take my money, and impersonate me to my friends, but at least they can't install drivers without my permission.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Identity Theft]]

Talk:1687: World War III+

2022-05-19T17:28:00Z

172.69.33.187:

The mouseover text mentions stripping a quote of its context... although this kind of makes the point of the context can often dilute the meaning, it seems that a counter point could be made by pointing out an example where the context is the source at least two major quotes (such as "No man is an island" and "Ask not for whom the bell tolls" both coming from John Donne).

Or I could just be being frivolous here?

[[User:Joshupetersen|Joshupetersen]] ([[User talk:Joshupetersen|talk]]) 04:15, 30 May 2016 (UTC)
:or maybe a good example could be Darwin's qoute on the eye, which many creationist nutjobs take out of context and annoy everyone else in the same way Randall shows annoyance in the rollover text
[[User:JMR|JMR]] ([[User talk:JMR|talk]]) 02:03, 30 May 2016 (BST)

Hey, Randall skipped World War XIII. --[[User:XndrK|XndrK]] ([[User talk:XndrK|talk]]) 04:20, 30 May 2016 (UTC)
:Of course! We couldn't have a World War XIII. The customers wouldn't go for it. XIII is an unlucky number.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.38.76|162.158.38.76]] 07:52, 28 September 2019 (UTC)

Maybe World War XIII is just sticks and stones again, considering XII? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.71|173.245.56.71]] 05:14, 30 May 2016 (UTC)
:Sticks and stones ''underground!!'' [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.43|141.101.98.43]] 10:23, 30 May 2016 (UTC)

I swear that I've seen this exact joke somewhere before. Not just the general idea, but I mean down to the text. Can't find anything in searches though -- does anyone else remember seeing this before?--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.220.221|108.162.220.221]] 05:22, 30 May 2016 (UTC)
:It may be a memory of the black Cards Against Humanity 'question' card, that leaves a blank regarding ''what'' WW4 will be fought with so as to be answered with a non-sequiter white card? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.43|141.101.98.43]] 10:23, 30 May 2016 (UTC)
:There's a practically identical joke in The Onion's ''Book of Known Knowledge''. [[https://books.google.com/books?id=lCpzgOD0A6oC&pg=PA66&lpg=PA66&dq=onion+einstein+world+war&source=bl&ots=tt8vC86X3m&sig=gtvhl1l2F9pdcuWv7n-_c_sRofQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwil5Iedk4LNAhXNCD4KHWluBhQQ6AEINDAD#v=onepage&q=onion%20einstein%20world%20war&f=false]]

Comics released within the United State Memorial Day weekend. The unknown VIII-IX could reference Star Wars movies with their unknown scripts. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.15|141.101.98.15]]
:I made this misreading too, but it's VIII-XI, and I do not know of that many star wars movies planned. Could it be a final fantasy reference? --[[User:PsyMar|PsyMar]] ([[User talk:PsyMar|talk]]) 09:17, 30 May 2016 (UTC)
::When I was a kid in the early/mid 80s, I heard that Star Wars was originally written (before any movies were made) as a trilogy of trilogies. When I noticed Empire and Jedi as Chapter 5 & 6 (and when they were remasterd Star Wars being retitled A New Hope and numbered 4), this seemed confirmed. Then when the prequel trilogy was later made, this seemed doubly confirmed. So I think 9 movies is the most we'll ever see. - NiceGuy1 [[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.77|108.162.218.77]] 06:03, 1 June 2016 (UTC) I finally signed up! This comment is mine. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 10:21, 9 June 2017 (UTC)
That's how I took it (as Final Fantasy). I think this would be unprecedented for Randall, but hilarious if so - it certainly reads like a riff on the FF series wildly varying levels of technology and war. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.5|108.162.219.5]] 19:42, 30 May 2016 (UTC)

Adding the black background to the transcript just makes it hard to read and kind of defeats the purpose of a transcript (since now it just looks like the comic in a different font). Can we keep this to the standard of all the other transcripts? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.80|141.101.98.80]] 08:44, 31 May 2016 (UTC)
:How is it harder to read? It is the standard to let the transcript reflect the comic with colors etc. See for instance: [[1168: tar]], [[1685: Patch]] and [[1684: Rainbow]]. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:54, 31 May 2016 (UTC)

;Quote taken out of context

The current text says: "He implies that this is actually a full quote by Einstein and that all other occurrences using only the "original" version of this quote are misrepresenting it. In this particular case it is a much stronger quote than the long version from the comic, but it is often the case that quotes taken out of context seem to have an entirely different meaning than originally intended." I completely disagree.

What Einstein is saying is that he is horrified at the weapons that are being developed; and that he fears that if World War III ever breaks out, we will bomb ourselves back into the Stone Age. He is not actually making a prediction about fourth and subsequent world wars.

The longer "quote" as lengthened by Randall says, instead, "Hey, I'll try my hand at being Nostradamus (or St Malachy) and predict specifically which weapons will be used to fight a long series of upcoming world wars!"

This, of course, does entirely change the meaning of the quote. The Einstein quote is to prompt thoughtful contemplation of how we use the powerful weapons we develop. The lengthened quote would prompt either incredulity at the speaker's naivety, or possibly wonder at how he came up with these predictions, if one believes them to be accurate.

In other words, lengthening the quote ''does'' change it to an entirely different meaning than originally intended. The original meant, "Hey, be careful!" The lengthened quote simply means, "I think I'm Nostradamus!" [[User:Jsharpminor|Jsharpminor]] ([[User talk:Jsharpminor|talk]]) 00:58, 1 June 2016 (UTC)

:I agree, that's what that block of text means, and that's part of the joke. The short, original quote is much stronger than the long version this comic offers, and quotes taken out of context have a different meaning that originally intended ("The end justifies the means", anyone?). You're invited to make it clearer, but I don't see the issue. [[User:Phineas81707|Phineas81707]] ([[User talk:Phineas81707|talk]]) 04:00, 1 June 2016 (UTC)

Right now the reasoning of how this explanation is incomplete states "There seems to be more to this comic than so far explained. Maybe a reference to all the Star Wars movies now planned...?". I vehementally disagree. I am completely convinced that there is no reference present or intended to the Star Wars franchise. The closest connections are the Roman numerals (which were being used for the World Wars long before even the first Star Wars existed) and the mention of warring with lasers (when laser weapons have appeared in countless other fictional places, it is far from unique to Star Wars). I actually find the explanation complete as is. PLEASE stop bloating the explanations with a load of unrelated information! Save the over-analysis for the comment section (and don't get me wrong, I LOVE over-analysis, just that the explanations should stick to explaning the comic, nothing more). :) - NiceGuy1 [[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.77|108.162.218.77]] 05:55, 1 June 2016 (UTC) This comment is also mine! [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 10:21, 9 June 2017 (UTC)

One of my friends said that here's a plot hole: the term "LASER" first appears in public in a 1959 paper, but Albert Einstein died in 1955. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.222.130|108.162.222.130]] 14:39, 1 June 2016 (UTC)

Does World War IV as "sticks and stones" prefigure the use of homemade weapons in the war against militant Islamists since the fourth quarter of 2001? In this interpretation, World War III was the Cold War, and [http://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-op-beinart9dec09-story.html World War IV is the ongoing War on Terror], first against the Taliban and al-Qaeda and then against ISIL. --[[User:Tepples|Tepples]] ([[User talk:Tepples|talk]]) 13:13, 4 June 2016 (UTC)

'''That did not age well'''. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.187|172.69.33.187]] 17:28, 19 May 2022 (UTC)

2365: Messaging Systems

2020-09-30T16:44:02Z

172.69.33.187: /* E2E Encrypted */ huh?

{{comic
| number = 2365
| date = September 28, 2020
| title = Messaging Systems
| image = messaging_systems.png
| titletext = SMS is just the worst, but I'm having trouble convincing people to adopt my preferred system, TLS IRC with a local server and a patched DOSBox gateway running in my mobile browser.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by A VAGUELY MODERN SMS. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Messaging systems suffer from the {{w|network effect}}, as in order to communicate, both parties need to be using the same system.
Though relatively ancient by modern standards, {{w|SMS}} is supported by almost every mobile device (unless you're using a [https://forward.com/news/157544/packing-stadium-for-anti-internet-message/ kosher mobile phone] or still on a {{w|DynaTAC}}) that has a phone number attached, which means if you want to send a message to someone, but aren't sure if you have a messaging protocol in common, you can be sure at least they have SMS.

The comic mentions many other communication systems, which offer various advantages in either security ({{w|end to end encryption}}) and or a bunch of general improvements filed under the label "vaguely modern", such as longer character limits and the ability to share media such as images in-service.

The messaging systems are shown in a {{w|Venn Diagram}}, with the categories corresponding to these three advantages. The intersections between the categories are very minimal: there are a few systems that have both E2E encryption and are modern, but no intersections with "supported by everyone", and SMS is the only system in that category. So when choosing a method of communication, you're usually faced with a compromise.

The title text proposes an alternative, absurd mingling of technologies in the vein of [[1636: XKCD Stack]]. IRC is Internet Relay Chat, a similarly antiquated messaging service that may also never die, as suggested in [[1782: Team Chat]]. {{w|Transport Layer Security}} (TLS) is a layer of networking software that provides encrypted communication. {{w|DOSBox}} is an emulator that recreates the operating environment of {{w|MS-DOS}}; part of the absurdity is that DOSBox is intended almost solely for video games.

Various other comics have referenced the issue of chat services, including [[1810: Chat Systems]], [[1254: Preferred Chat System]], and [[1782: Team Chat]].

=== Vaguely Modern ===
'''Slack'''
* {{w|Slack (software)|Slack}} is a workplace messaging service that offers the ability for administrators to create channels in order to organize the discussion. It is asynchronous, which means that conversations can occur out of time, hours apart from each other. It also keeps track of every message, and everything in a public channel stays there forever for everyone to see. It is not encrypted and has been moving towards being less privacy-focused for end-users over the years as corporate demand for employee surveillance has prompted the company to offer ever more invasive services to administrators. Overall, it is a popular service with some large companies and non-profit organisations but does not yet have universal adoption.

'''Facebook Messenger'''
* {{w|Facebook Messenger}} is {{w|Facebook}}'s messaging app for phones, but not everyone has a Facebook account, or uses Facebook regularly.

'''Hangouts'''
* {{w|Google Hangouts}} is a messaging service that can be accessed through the online Gmail client, as a separate web page and a standalone app for the phone. Theoretically, that means everybody has access to it, but modern usage patterns mean that most people do not use the attached web client and don't bother downloading the app. It allows users to upload significantly degraded images, links, and other media along with text with a copy-paste.

'''Discord'''
* {{w|Discord (software)|Discord}} is a communications program that offers both direct messages and "servers", membership groups with a variety of voice and text channels. Discord was initially designed to serve the needs of online gaming communities, but is now used by many other groups.

'''Various DMs'''
* A {{w|Personal message|DM}} (direct message) is a private message between two or more users. The term DM originated from {{w|Twitter}}, but is now broadly applied to any user-to-user messaging feature within a larger service.

=== Vaguely Modern & E2E Encrypted ===

'''Signal'''
*{{w|Signal (software)|Signal}} is an encrypted messaging service, popular among protesters and hackers who wish to remain anonymous. Signal allows for highly secure messaging and for messages to be deleted after a period of time.

'''iMessage'''
*{{w|iMessage}} is the instant messaging service for Apple devices. iMessage features end-to-end encryption; however, it only works between Apple devices, so users of Android devices are not able to receive or send messages through iMessage.

'''WhatsApp'''
*{{w|WhatsApp}} is a messaging service owned by Facebook. It is popular in multiple countries, especially India & in Latin America.

=== E2E Encrypted ===
{{w|End-to-end encryption}} is another messaging system where only the communicating users can read the messages posted. In principle, it prevents potential eavesdroppers – including {{w|telecom provider}}s, {{w|internet provider}}s, and even the provider of the communication service – from being able to access the {{w|cryptographic key}}s needed to decrypt the conversation.

'''PGP Email'''
*{{w|Pretty Good Privacy|PGP}} (short for "Pretty Good Privacy") is an encryption protocol for privacy and authentication developed in 1991. PGP can be used for signing, encrypting, and decrypting data. It is used to ensure the validity of the nature of the sender of the message (i.e., to make sure you got the email from the sender and not from someone else pretending to be someone else with malicious intent). PGP was also featured in [[1181: PGP]].

'''Various Obscure Projects'''
*Randall is probably referring to the multitude of projects similar to those listed here that had end-to-end encryption but never went far.

'''Skype I Think'''
*{{w|Skype}} is a video conferencing service owned by Microsoft released in 2003; thus Randall does not consider Skype "modern". He is unsure if Skype is end-to-end encrypted or not. Skype used to be E2E encrypted, but that was changed and now {{w|Skype security|it does not have E2E encryption}}.

'''XMPP''' ('''Jabber + TLS''')
*{{w|XMPP}} (short for Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol), formerly named Jabber, is a communications protocol based on XML that was developed in 1999. The XMPP protocol could be used with {{w|Transport Layer Security}} (TLS) to have a secure communications service.

The first IM service based on XMPP was {{w|Jabber.org}}.

There are several (XEPs) (short for XMPP Extension Protocols).

=== Supported By Everyone ===
'''SMS'''
*{{w|SMS}} (short for Short Message Service) is a text-messaging service formally defined in the {{w|GSM}} standard in 1985 and first used in 1992. It limits messages to 160 characters, text-only. SMS has been extended by {{w|Multimedia Messaging Service|MMS}} (first used in 2002), which allows for "multimedia", including short videos, images and audio. MMS is also supported by most modern phones, but does not have any security features and is less powerful and less reliable than other messaging apps, making it less modern.

==Transcript==

A Venn Diagram is shown, framed in a box. It has three components:

Vaguely Modern, E2E Encrypted, Supported By Everyone

'''Items Solely in the Vaguely Modern category are:'''

:Facebook Messenger, Hangouts, Discord, Various DMs

'''Items In both 'Vaguely Modern' and 'E2E Encrypted' categories are:'''

:Signal, iMessage, Whatsapp

'''Items Solely in the E2E Encrypted category are:'''

:PGP Email, Various Obscure Projects, Skype I think, XMPP and XMPP + XEP-0384: OMEMO

'''Items Solely in the 'Supported By Everyone' category is:'''

:SMS

All other categories are empty.

[Caption below the comic]: Why SMS refuses to die

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Venn diagrams]]
[[Category:Phones]]
[[Category:Social networking]]

2364: Parity Conservation

2020-09-26T01:37:21Z

172.69.33.187: created by a bloody mary.

{{comic
| number = 2364
| date = September 26, 2020
| title = Parity Conservation
| image = parity_conservation.png
| titletext = Bloody Mary is made of antimatter. It explains so much.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a Bloody Mary. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

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

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:2350: Deer Turrets

2020-08-24T22:54:54Z

172.69.33.187: deer

There's no "next" button on [[2349]]? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.250|108.162.219.250]] 18:44, 24 August 2020 (UTC)
:The reason there's no Next button is that it's the newest comic. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.43|162.158.158.43]] 21:04, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

Is this about something? I mean, it could be a commentary on the way politics handled Covid, some politicians taking terrible decisions, then saying it was a mistake and that science is still learning, but then still taking terrible decisions afterwards. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.69.83|141.101.69.83]] 21:02, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

The thing about icebergs, is that 9/10ths of them would be ''on fire'', if they weren't kept underwater. Truth! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.192|162.158.155.192]] 22:17, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

(to the tune of “Do-Re-Mi”) ''Does are near, now flee in fear; The ray will boil everyone; The antlered gun is taking aim; Now it’s vaporised my lung...'' [[User:Lightcaller|Lightcaller]] ([[User talk:Lightcaller|talk]]) 22:43, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

Deer don't gallop. Are you sure that's about the deer? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.187|172.69.33.187]] 22:54, 24 August 2020 (UTC)