explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2918: Tick Marks

2024-04-11T15:12:52Z

172.71.178.110:

The ticks on the y axis conceal the area of the graph between them. Why didn't Randall just build his graph so that the x axis did similar? Then he could keep up a continuous level of activity equal to the size of the ticks, rather than just doing short bursts to coincide with them.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.146|172.70.91.146]] 09:28, 11 April 2024 (UTC)
:Don't really know. But look, I was waiting all day yesterday for the Wednesday comic, so I'll take any comic at this point T_T [[User:Z1mp0st0rz|Z1mp0st0rz]] ([[User talk:Z1mp0st0rz|talk]]) 14:54, 11 April 2024 (UTC)
::It was at least half an hour before end-of-day-Midnight, for Randall's expected TZ. I know you're a new username, so perhaps you weren't aware that he often publishes (as best as we can pick up) ''quite late'' in the respective day (currently UTC+6). And it's also really not so much unknown to be (fairly) early in the following day (yet still officially on the relevent M/W/F).
::That doesn't mean we aren't often frustratingly gripped by antici.................pation, but we are very rarely stymied for more than a whole day (developmental delays to rolling out 'special comics', aside), and I think we are lucky to have such a conscientious creator as we do. It must be a hard schedule to keep up with. (And also that even if "not every one is a winner", ''most'' still are, for ''most'' people. Could be worse!) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.110|172.71.178.110]] 15:12, 11 April 2024 (UTC)

2905: Supergroup

2024-03-21T09:20:51Z

172.71.178.110: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2905
| date = March 11, 2024
| title = Supergroup
| image = supergroup_2x.png
| imagesize = 335x321px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I love their cover of 1,200 Balloons, Dalmatians, and Miles.
}}

==Explanation==
In popular music, a {{w|supergroup (music)|supergroup}} is a musical group formed by collaboration of existing solo artists and members of other musical groups.

This comic shows a marquee announcing a concert by a supergroup formed from members of 10 musical groups whose names all begin with a number. The name of the supergroup is the sum of all those numbers, 176, followed by the names of the original groups without their numbers. It's reasonable to estimate that there could be up to 32 members of the supergroup (see [[#band_member_numbers|below]]).

Musical groups mentioned in the comic:
* {{w|Twenty One Pilots}}
* {{w|5 Seconds of Summer}}
* {{w|4 Non Blondes}}
* {{w|2 Live Crew}}
* {{w|100 gecs}}
* {{w|3 Doors Down}}
* {{w|Nine Inch Nails}}
* {{w|OneRepublic}}
* {{w|One Direction}}
* {{w|Thirty Seconds to Mars}}

Sum: 21 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 100 + 3 + 9 + 1 + 1 + 30 = 176

The title text indicates that this supergroup performs a {{w|medley (music)|medley}} or {{w|mashup (music)|mashup}} of songs whose titles begin with numbers. The title of this "supersong" is similarly formed by adding the numbers and following with the rest of all the titles. Notably, none of the referenced songs were written by any of the referenced artists.

Songs mentioned in the title text:
* {{w|99 Luftballons}} (by {{w|Nena (band)|Nena}}). 99 Red Balloons is the title of the English-language adaptation of the song.
* {{w|One Hundred and One Dalmatians#Music|One Hundred and One Dalmatians}} (Disney film soundtrack). The titular song by the {{w|Sherman Brothers}} is not featured in the film, but was released in separate Disney recordings.
* {{w|A Thousand Miles}} (by {{w|Vanessa Carlton}}). Other songs titled "{{w|1000 Miles}}" or "Thousand Miles" also exist.

Sum: 99 + 101 + 1000 = 1200

"{{w|I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)}}" by {{w|the Proclaimers}} is about walking "500 miles, and [...] 500 more", therefore a thousand miles in total. There are two more songs titled (or known as) {{w|500 Miles (disambiguation)|"500 Miles"}}, by Hedy West and Tori Amos, which could be added up to replace "A Thousand Miles" (or "1000 Miles") in the tally as well.

The supergroup could have 32 members:
* Twenty One Pilots: This band has 2 members, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun.
* 5 Seconds of Summer: There are 4 members in this band, including Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, Calum Hood, and Ashton Irwin.
* 4 Non Blondes: Originally, this group had 4 members, but it disbanded in 1994. The lead singer was Linda Perry.
* 2 Live Crew: This group's core lineup included 2 to 4 members over different periods, with notable members being Luther Campbell, Brother Marquis, Fresh Kid Ice, and Mr. Mixx.
* 100 gecs: This band consists of 2 members, Laura Les and Dylan Brady.
* 3 Doors Down: This band typically has 5 members, although the number has varied with lineup changes over the years.
* Nine Inch Nails: Officially, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are the only constant members of Nine Inch Nails, with a changing lineup of touring members and collaborators.
* OneRepublic: This band has 5 members, including Ryan Tedder, Zach Filkins, Drew Brown, Brent Kutzle, and Eddie Fisher.
* One Direction: Originally, there were 5 members in this band, but after Zayn Malik's departure in 2015, it continued with 4 members until their hiatus.
* Thirty Seconds to Mars: This band has had various lineups but is centered around Jared Leto and Shannon Leto, with other members joining and leaving at different times.

Sum: 2 + 4 + 4 + 2 + 2 + 5 + 2 + 5 + 4 + 2 = 32

These counts mostly reflect the bands' most well-known lineups and may vary with time due to changes in membership or the band's status. Combined groups may feature {{w|McBusted|fewer than}} the sum of their original memberships, even down to just single musicians/vocalists coming from any or all of their prior collaborations. On the other hand, especially for {{w|Charity supergroup|worthy causes}}, it is possible that groups with {{w|List of Hawkwind band members#Members|many changing lineups}} could perhaps rustle up far more members than they ever had at a given time, never mind any prominent artists who may guest-star in their own right. It is unclear whether the band names would be pro rated in these circumstances (for example, if only one of 100 gecs joined the supergroup, would they only count for 50?).

=== Potential connection to mathematical supergroups ===
Randall may be making a subtle reference to mathematical physics, in which a {{w|supergroup (physics)|supergroup}} is a generalization of a group based on the concept of {{w|supersymmetry}}.

Readers with a background in mathematics or physics might find their expectations thwarted upon realizing that the comic is about mundane musical collaborations. But then, "every supergroup carries a natural group structure, but there may be more than one way to structure a given group as a supergroup"<ref name="wiki_supergroup">{{w|Supergroup (physics)|Supergroup (physics) on Wikipedia}}, accessed 2024-03-13</ref>, which applies to both contexts.

=== Miscellaneous numeric observations ===

100 gecs provides the most "bandname per member" (100 / 2 = 50), with OneRepublic and One Direction each vying for most "members per bandname" (both 5, at their most complete). Counting the songname mashup ratios is more complex: if it is not a single "1000 miles", ''perhaps'' the two Proclaimers can be said to be each singing 500 miles, to match the other solo artists' alternate 500s (depending upon which source(s) are chosen as canon), but a single luftballon requires just slightly over 1% of Nena (whether the {{w|Nena|eponymous singer}} or shared throughout {{w|Nena (band)|her band of five}}) and a lone Dalmatian slightly less than 1% split amongst {{w|101 Dalmatians|an uncertain number of originators}}.

== References ==
<references/>

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail, Cueball, Megan, Knit Cap, and Hairy are in line at a theater box office with Ponytail looking in at the window at the tickets sale. The window is partly shaded/reflectively-marked and cannot be seen through in the comic. There is a speaking grille in the window, plus a opening at the bottom for passing payment and tickets. To the left of the window are double doors and above all this there is a large theatrical billboard with small lights all around it. It reads:]
:<big>Playing Tonight</big>
:''The New Supergroup:''
:176 Pilots, Seconds of Summer, Non Blondes, Live Crew, gecs, Doors Down, Inch Nails, Republic, Direction, and Seconds to Mars

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Knit Cap]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Music]]
[[Category:Math]]

User talk:1234231587678

2024-03-14T13:58:27Z

172.71.178.110:

Messages below this text

I am so sorry for bothering you-how do you make a user page? [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 17:58, 6 February 2024 (UTC)
::I’m going go out on a limb and guess you live in Australia? (I found out using UTC timezones, no creepy hacking from me-a 13 year old 7th grader barely fluent in JavaScript) [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 22:23, 7 February 2024 (UTC)

I'm not telling. Honestly, my sleep schedule is so messed up that it's kinda hard to guess where I am. --[[User:1234231587678|1234231587678]] ([[User talk:1234231587678|talk]]) 03:19, 8 February 2024 (UTC)
:lol
:maybe we should move this to the discussion page?

::okay who the fuck uncrapped the page? All I see is thesaufBot. Also feel free to hack into me my password is "21" [[User:What's9+10|What's9+10]] ([[User talk:What's9+10|talk]]) 16:42, 12 March 2024 (UTC)
:::a JS bot called [[User: TheusafBOT|TheusafBOT]] ~ ~~ that guy who is 11 and used to be jupitah and is now jupitale because jupitah got banned and wishes you could change your username in this, SIGNING OUT WITH A LIKE A WEIRDO! generated at 12:09 PM mar 12 2024 that guy who is 11 and used to be jupitah and is now jupitale because jupitah got banned and wishes you could change your username in this, SIGNING OUT WITH A LIKE A WEIRDO! generated at 12:09 PM mar 12 2024 16:52, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

Do you poop?
:like, do i defecate? sure! you see, im a sack of chemicals that needs to consume other sacks of chemicals in order to create atp in order to function. and when i consume these sacks of chemicals, i am left with chemicals that my sack of chemicals cannot destroy. so, to put it bluntly, in life, WE SHIT. [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 16:34, 8 February 2024 (UTC)
:: I would like to note people who are not as3xuals also fuck. [[User:Jupitale|Jupitale]] ([[User talk:Jupitale|talk]]) 16:26, 11 March 2024 (UTC)
:::just say asexual…its not toxic or anything [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 19:30, 11 March 2024 (UTC)
::::I'm just used to Twitch Automod

:I also do poop, just saying. --[[User:1234231587678|1234231587678]] ([[User talk:1234231587678|talk]]) 17:04, 8 February 2024 (UTC)

:Nope, I don't poop! I'm just a digital being, so no need for bathroom breaks or anything like that. But I'm here to help you with any questions or tasks you have! --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.47|108.162.245.47]] 17:23, 8 February 2024 (UTC)

:OK can we please stop talking about poop? --[[User:1234231587678|1234231587678]] ([[User talk:1234231587678|talk]]) 17:27, 8 February 2024 (UTC)
::Sure. How many cats do you have? --[[Special:Contributions/172.71.147.30|172.71.147.30]] 17:29, 8 February 2024 (UTC)
:::I want cats, but I’m not “responsible” enough :) [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 18:54, 8 February 2024 (UTC)
::I would want some, but [https://xkcd.com/231 cat proximity] --[[User:1234231587678|1234231587678]] ([[User talk:1234231587678|talk]]) 21:32, 8 February 2024 (UTC)
::::yeah, I get it. They are quite the responsibility. And they do make talking coherently hard :)

I just thought, we forgot something. We've been talking for a while, but we haven't exchanged pronouns yet. What are you folx' pronouns? Mine are xe/xem. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.142.195|172.71.142.195]] 05:30, 9 February 2024 (UTC)
:She/her and they/them [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 17:55, 9 February 2024 (UTC)

I would say me/you/<insert pronoun here>/we/you/they. --[[User:1234231587678|1234231587678]] ([[User talk:1234231587678|talk]]) 16:27, 9 February 2024 (UTC)

Why are you leaking my phone number? [[User:AndroidTheLucario|Your favorite aura doggo]] ([[User talk:AndroidTheLucario|talk]]) 15:48, 10 February 2024 (UTC)

That's not a phone number. It isn't a code either. --[[User:1234231587678|1234231587678]] ([[User talk:1234231587678|talk]]) 17:23, 10 February 2024 (UTC)

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::me want credit for my lipsum find: signed and in school, [[User:Jupitale|Jupitale]] ([[User talk:Jupitale|talk]]). is ~~ a timestamp? I'l just put in /[[User:Jupitale|Jupitale]] ([[User talk:Jupitale|talk]]) 15:34, 12 March 2024 (UTC) here, ~~
:this seems like, when I do https://arcade.makecode.com extensions, what's in the quotes for my //%blockId in javascript, sorry, Static Typescript. boy that's a tounge twister. [[User:Jupitale|Jupitale]] ([[User talk:Jupitale|talk]]) 16:26, 11 March 2024 (UTC)

did you know that in JS
`(0/0==NaN)`=== this.JS.com
What are all the words you consider slurs? Please censor out all vowels. [[User:Jupitale|Jupitale]] ([[User talk:Jupitale|talk]])JK [[User:Jupitale|Jupitale]] ([[User talk:Jupitale|talk]]) 19:10, 11 March 2024 (UTC)

could you make me a user page? I just want to explain my username. And just to prove I'm seasoned I was here for the crap spamming when I didn't have an account so I made the Stilotes account but I forgot the login for that [[User:87.bus.rider|87.bus.rider]] ([[User talk:87.bus.rider|talk]]) 11:54, 14 March 2024 (UTC)
:Hmm... Amazing that they took an amazingly similar username idea to 42.book.addict, and ''just'' after a set of other problematic accounts had been banned for overt abuse of the system. It all smells of charade, to me. And a needless one, given the relatively easy-going attitude we have to new contributors who don't cause more issues than they solve. (Someone's trying to be clever, and I honestly don't think it's me who is stretching credulity...) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.110|172.71.178.110]] 13:58, 14 March 2024 (UTC)

are you LGBTQ+? [[User:Jupitale|gay jupitah (he/they)]] ([[User talk:Jupitale|talk]]) timestamp: 13:29, 13 March 2024 (UTC)
==please add this to lorem ipsum==
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." -- [[User:Jupitale|Jupitale]] ([[User talk:Jupitale|talk]]) 16:01, 11 March 2024 (UTC), Jupitah, I have stopped vandilizing. Bye. oh, and for the second time, [[User:Jupitale|Jupitale]] ([[User talk:Jupitale|talk]]) 16:01, 11 March 2024 (UTC)

==new template ideas==

{{````}} the exact same as [[User:Jupitale|Jupitale]] ([[User talk:Jupitale|talk]]) 15:55, 12 March 2024 (UTC) but you don't have to press shift. It's kinda like /{{cn}} and /{{acn}}

{{func:randallMunroe||}} redirects to xkcd.com/throw

{{
export function [function name] ([arguments]) {
[code]
}
}} Self Explanatory to any JSer
{{let | variable name | variable kind/value}} Self explanatory to any JSer

Talk:609: Tab Explosion

2024-02-15T21:40:53Z

172.71.178.110:

It also has a link, not only to the comic, but also to the ''explained'' comic here! Talk about a loop. Anonymous07:20, 4 December 2013 (UTC)

you can't access title-text on mobile devices [[Special:Contributions/173.245.62.75|173.245.62.75]] 14:29, 16 April 2014 (UTC)

could someone please poste a link to the cracked.com column that pay tribute to this comic? {{unsigned ip|141.101.81.222}}

This could be the one that makes some reference: http://www.cracked.com/blog/clippy-finally-messes-with-the-wrong-word-doc/ (the text appears inside) {{unsigned ip|Mercastan}}
:FYI: Link is broken perhaps you should reference the internet archive link: http://web.archive.org/web/20140208183044/http://www.cracked.com:80/blog/clippy-finally-messes-with-the-wrong-word-doc [[Special:Contributions/172.70.230.126|172.70.230.126]] 18:41, 19 January 2024 (UTC)

To access the title text on mobile devices, hold down the thing you need to see the title text of. Nate {{unsigned ip|108.162.221.20}}

You can also go to m.xkcd.com, and tapping on the image or the alt-text link makes the title text appear below the title (for those chrome users who can't see the entire title text by tap-holding). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.143|162.158.74.143]] 13:20, 24 March 2020 (UTC)

I have that website blocked by an application that blocked websites. The reason is NOT because of what is described in the comic, but it's because I got permabanned from that site back in 2017 for something I did not even know was against the rules, with no prior warnings, and the only appeal option that they gave that they did not consider "ban evasion" was an email address that never replied back to you, even years later, and I don't think they even deserve viewing traffic from people who they have treated so unfairly/punished so harshly like that. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.135.48|172.70.135.48]] 01:56, 18 December 2021 (UTC)
:Waitwhat? Presuming even that you mean Cracked (not sure what you did to annoy them, it must have been... interesting) and not m.xkcd.com, I'm not sure how they could remain targetted against you, nor how it'svan application. Assuming you're not reinstalling a Child-Safe-style application of your own on every machine you try to access via, and making sure it's using PG-13 limits of some kind.
:I doubt they can reliably IP-block you. If I go to edit wikipedia and it refuses because some idiot has previously made a nuisance of themselves under my current dynamic IP, it is trivial (without VPNing or similar) to get a newish IP-of-the-moment that usually lets me do my (non-nuisance) editing.
:Even if you stick to a single device then aggressive cookie-style tracking can be 'forgotten' so that you machine isn't traitorously restating your apparent blockability.
:...never mind me, it's way too late (GMT) and I'm just far too intrigued by your statement. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.19|162.158.159.19]] 02:30, 18 December 2021 (UTC)

aaah nooo A TVTropes link [[User:Thexkcdnerd|Thexkcdnerd]] ([[User talk:Thexkcdnerd|talk]]) 02:07, 20 February 2023 (UTC)

;i think explainxkcd is the new tvtropes

I have.. 1... 2.. SIX explainxkcd tabs are open right now {{unsigned|Willlbrwillbr|21:07, 15 February 2024}}
:...hmmm... I only have '''three''' explainxkcds (the other two ''could'' be closed, and now will be - the additional ones were there to switch back and forth to aid in article editing on this one, for jobs now completed), five different wikipedia/wiktionary ones (semi-relevent, to currently 'active' background researches) and a smattering of others that ''aren't'' tvtropes (which number at 23... all vital for reference, honest!) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.110|172.71.178.110]] 21:40, 15 February 2024 (UTC)

Talk:2884: Log Alignment

2024-01-23T08:31:18Z

172.71.178.110: A spate of unsigning. (And removing section header, as otherwise I would have to rearrange/additionally header thebsubsequent unrelated post.)

so does anybody know how a video with a misaligned log scale even looks? like what does a log scale even mean for a video? [[Special:Contributions/172.71.99.18|172.71.99.18]] 19:30, 22 January 2024 (UTC)mstrofcmdy209
:I think he's suggesting that the video shows the changes in a graph over time, and the misalignment could also change during the video. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:47, 22 January 2024 (UTC)
:Imagine that a plot is just a 2D picture, or even more fundamentally as a function taking two variables and returning a pixel color. Changing an axis of the plot to be logarithmic is equivalent to applying a non-uniform scaling to one of the input variables to that function. In this comic that non-uniform scaling has instead been applied along an axis that does not correspond to either the X or Y axes but instead some combination of the two. A video can similarly be thought of as a function of 3 variables (X, Y, T) and so the non-uniform log scaling could be applied along an axis that is some combination of the X, T, and T axes. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.154.252|172.71.154.252]] 23:37, 22 January 2024 (UTC)

it's time, probably -jade [[Special:Contributions/172.69.64.198|172.69.64.198]] 20:28, 22 January 2024 (UTC)

There seems to be a subtle relativity joke in the title text, with misalignments in both time and space being a reference to spacetime. {{unsigned ip|172.71.154.42|00:05, 23 January 2024}}

Shall we try to straighten out the plot with regards to the axes, leaving the log stripes all wavy? For kicks? {{unsigned|Enfield|02:14, 23 January 2024}}

I feel like this comic, along with others like 2023: Y-Axis and 2311: Confidence Interval should go in a category for misleading charts. -- {{unsigned ip|172.69.33.111|02:23, 23 January 2024}}

2881: Bug Thread

2024-01-18T09:40:00Z

172.71.178.110: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2881
| date = January 15, 2024
| title = Bug Thread
| image = bug_thread_2x.png
| imagesize = 317x495px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = After some account issues, we've added 6 new people from the beach house rental website support forum.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an UNFIXED BUG MEETUP - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

A bug thread is an online discussion about unintended behavior in a program, also known as a bug. Bug threads may be found on bug trackers, such as Github or Bugzilla, on technical forums such as StackOverflow, or on general product user forums.

Most bug threads have a rule to only leave a comment if you have something insightful to add{{Actual citation needed}}, such as being able to reproduce how the bug occurs or possible solutions to resolving it. In practice, this rule is often ignored and many threads end up with multiple people simply commenting that the bug still exists. It could be argued that this, in itself, is additional information, since it gives an indication of how widespread and/or persistent the problem is. Those who are perfectly content with a product have few reasons to participate in a bug thread, so those seeking help will tend to mostly read posts by the others who are, or have been, seeking help, if no one has provided a proper solution.

The exact nature of the bug in the comic is unknown, but there are multiple people reporting the problem (based upon their distinctive profile pictures), indicating that this is not a case of a rare problem where [[979: Wisdom of the Ancients|only one or two]] people have ever been known to be affected. Most of the visible posts just state the poster's inclusion in the list of those affected by the bug, either with a one word reply ("Same"), or a shorthand expression of emotion ("{{w|Like button|+1}}. So frustrating."), although a couple have stated that existing troubleshooting methods haven't worked for them, with one even providing three links to the specific 'solutions' that they have already seen and (unsuccessfully) tried. There appear to be no official representatives of the {{w|Developer#Computers|'devs'}}, or any other knowledgeable users, providing actual workarounds or seeking further information about the problem, at least within this small window upon the collected messages.

Although we cannot see the unreadable timestamp information on the posts, one author (the penultimate, using a [[White Hat]] image) makes the observation that the problem has now been ongoing for five years. This is followed by a [[Cueball]]-identified user proposing that this group of like-minded individuals may enjoy meeting up in the physical world (perhaps even in lieu of fixing the bug). They suggest leasing a beachfront property for a weekend, which is more suggestive of taking a break than for brainstorming possible bug resolutions (although that type of event isn't unknown). Whether this is [[Randall]], or not, his own follow-up comic commentary suggests that bonding over such adversity is as good a reason for friendship as any.

The title text reveals that the meet-up was actually attempted, suggesting that there were at least some still active (and still bug-bound?) participants of the thread. They apparently encountered (potentially unrelated) issues with an online service through which they booked the vacation venue, and have extended the general invitation (venue permitting) to several other new acquaintances who have likewise fallen foul of the holiday-home service's own problematic implementation, likely having started to similarly bond witin the bug-thread/forum where this latter issue must have stubbornly remained similarly unresolved. These new additions presumably have no interest in the original issue, but have been invited purely for social reasons.

[[979: Wisdom of the Ancients]] also refers to an online discussion thread about a bug, and [[1305: Undocumented Feature]] also involves a tech support forum which is eventually used only for socializing.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Part of a discussion thread in progress on an online forum is shown. Each comment has the writer's avatar to the left of the text and small illegible text immediately above the text. Part of the first comment's text is cut off at the top.]
:Commenter #1: Same issue here.
:Commenter #2: I'm having this problem too. None of the posted fixes work.
:Commenter #3: Same.
:Commenter #4: +1. So frustrating.
:Commenter #5: I'm still having this. Did you all ever figure out a fix?
:Commenter #6: Same problem as everyone. I tried the steps in the posts here, here, and here. Nothing.
:Commenter #7: Add me to the list.
:Commenter #8: Same. Ugh. Can't believe this thread is 5 years old now.
:Commenter #9: Where does everyone live? Do we want to get a beach house for a weekend or something?
:[Caption below the image:]
:At some point, you just have to give up on fixing the bug and embrace the fact that you have dozens of new friends.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Social interactions]]

2880: Sheet Bend

2024-01-12T20:54:02Z

172.71.178.110: /* Explanation */ typo ~~~~

{{comic
| number = 2880
| date = January 12, 2024
| title = Sheet Bend
| image = sheet_bend_2x.png
| imagesize = 317x244px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = A left-handed sheet bend creates a much weaker connection, especially under moderate loads.
}}

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

This is another one of Randall's [[:Category:Cursed Connectors|Cursed Connectors comics]].

This comic shows two double-core wires being joined to make an electrical connection. Instead of the join being made the conventional way, that is, silver being joined to silver and gold being joined to gold within the insulating white cable, the diagram shows each core being connected to a ductile outer sheath, then the wires being tied together such that the outer sheaths touch and the connection is completed that way. This is not the way electrical connections are usually made.

The knot used to tie the two halves of the cable is a sheet bend, which is often used to join two ropes of different thicknesses.

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

:Cursed Connectors #46:

:The Sheet Bend

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Cursed Connectors]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

2869: Puzzles

2024-01-03T12:21:15Z

172.71.178.110: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2869
| date = December 18, 2023
| title = Puzzles
| image = puzzles_2x.png
| imagesize = 328x455px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Why couldn't the amulet have been hidden by Aunt Alice, who understands modern key exchange algorithms?
}}

==Explanation==

Many children's books, especially those read by Randall's generation, feature in-story puzzles. Some of these hold up pretty well decades later, like the ones in {{w|Ellen Raskin}}'s award-winning mystery books for kids. Others, however, are…a lot less impressive. Randall doesn't specify which children's books have "terrible" puzzles, but the ''{{w|Hardy Boys}}'' series by Franklin W. Dixon, the ''{{w|Boxcar Children}}'' series by Gertrude Chandler Warner, and the ''{{w|Encyclopedia Brown}}'' series by Donald J. Sobol are all strong possibilities. (The Riddler in the 1960s ''{{w|Batman (TV series)|Batman}}'' TV series famously played the trope for laughs.)

In the panel, characters from one such book (presumably a made-up example) are contemplating a puzzle involving somebody's Aunt Gertrude. The characters guess Gertrude's amulet must be hidden in the Ground, because that starts with a G, like Gertrude, and that they should diG a hole. These guesses are not very practical; it seems unlikely that Aunt Gertrude either (A) chose to be known indefinitely by a G-name purely as a clue about where she hid an amulet, or (B) was inspired by her own name to choose a vaguely relevant hiding place. Even if she ''did'', there are many other words that begin with G, such as Gulf, or Gull, or Go-Get-a-plane-and-fly-to-Greenland, and any of these would be just as plausible "clues."

Moreover, once deciding, even more implausibly, that this "clue" is telling them to dig a hole in the ground, because 'dig' ends with a G, the search is not significantly narrowed as the world is a big place and "underground, somewhere" leaves a huge range of possible locations. You may need {{tvtropes|XMarksTheSpot|at least one more letter}} to narrow the options down. All this leads us to Randall's point — that these connections made by the characters are tenuous at best and are unreasonable to make, especially as part of a riddle.

Aunt Gertrude is probably named after a supporting character in the ''Hardy Boys'' series; the Aunt Gertrude in that series didn't set puzzles, but main characters Frank and Joe Hardy frequently had to decipher clues to find hidden objects. The name may also be a nod to Gertrude Chandler Warner, whose Boxcar Children are an adventurous group of mystery-solving kids like those in the comic.

The title text references {{w|Alice and Bob|Alice}}, a fictional character commonly used in discussions about cryptography. In those discussions, Alice is often sending and receiving encrypted messages, and she would be expected to be able to make a better puzzle than the one shown in the comic. Alice and Bob and other characters from the same set are the reverse of case of Aunt Gertrude, in that they have been given their names to reflect a convenient A, B, C, ... pattern. They have been mentioned previously in xkcd, like in [[177: Alice and Bob]]. Using modern cryptography in lieu of riddles in children's stories was also mentioned in [[370: Redwall]].

==Transcript==
:[Possibly teenage versions of Hairy, Jill, Ponytail, and Cueball, listed from left to right, are standing in a line. Hairy is in a thinking pose, Jill faces Hairy, and Ponytail and Cueball are walking to the right; Cueball is pointing off-panel.]
:Hairy: Aunt Gertrude must have left a clue to the amulet's location.
:Jill: Hmm. Wait a minute.
:Jill: '''G'''ertrude. '''G'''.
:Hairy: As in "'''G'''round!"
:Jill: And "di'''G''' a hole!"
:Ponytail: I'll get a shovel!
:Cueball: To the yard!

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Some of the authors of books I read as a kid were '''''terrible''''' at designing puzzles.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Jill]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Cryptography]]
[[Category:Kids]]

2869: Puzzles

2023-12-20T00:36:58Z

172.71.178.110: Undo revision 331159 by B for brain (talk) Someone says there's more to be said (it isn't even not the latest comic, yet). And "Do NOT delete this tag too soon."

{{comic
| number = 2869
| date = December 18, 2023
| title = Puzzles
| image = puzzles_2x.png
| imagesize = 328x455px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Why couldn't the amulet have been hidden by Aunt Alice, who understands modern key exchange algorithms?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by AUNT '''A'''MY, AS IN AN '''A'''WFUL CLUE FROM A CHILDREN'S BOOK - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The characters in the panel are contemplating a riddle. Considering words that share the same letter as the propagator of the riddle, they decide that they must dig a hole in the yard. This leads us to Randall's point — that these connections made by the characters are tenuous at best and are unreasonable to make, especially as part of a riddle.

The comic explains that some of the books that Randall read as a kid had horrible puzzles. It lists a (fake?) example about Aunt Gertrude's amulet, which the characters guess is hidden in the Ground because that starts with a G, like Gertrude, and that they should diG a hole. These guesses are unreasonable unless the answer is already known. (It is supposedly not already known by the characters.) There are several other unrelated words that begin with G, such as Gulf, or Gull, or Go-Get-a-plane-and-fly-to-Greenland. On top of that, it is ambiguous (though both would seem unlikely) whether the supposed/nominal ’Aunt’ either:
#Chose to be known as a G-name by everyone (or at least these children) as an indeterminately long-standing plan to eventually allow the possible reveal of an existing underground hiding place, or
#Was inspired by her own actual name to choose a (vaguely) compatible method of concealment.

Moreover, once deciding that this "clue" is telling them to dig a hole in the ground, the search is not significantly narrowed as the world is a big place and "underground, somewhere" leaves a huge range of possible locations. You may need {{tvtropes|XMarksTheSpot|at least one more letter}} to narrow the options down.

Aunt Gertrude is a character in the once-popular Hardy Boys childrens' mystery series by Franklin W. Dixon. Main characters Frank and Joe Hardy frequently had to decipher clues to find hidden objects.

The children's books from the 1970s and before were uniformly terrible in their puzzles. Especially as it was probably only much later that you realised that the problem was the writer and the puzzles, not you the reader. Many only realised this on rereading the books as an adult, perhaps when reading them to their own children. '''''This explanation should be fleshed out by scores of examples, not just Hardy boys...'''''

The title text references {{w|Alice and Bob|Alice}}, a fictional character commonly used in discussions about cryptography. In those discussions, Alice is often sending and receiving encrypted messages, and she would be expected to be able to make a better puzzle than the one shown in the comic. Alice and Bob and other characters from the same set have been mentioned previously in xkcd, like in [[177: Alice and Bob]]. Using modern cryptography in lieu of riddles in children's stories was also mentioned in [[370: Redwall]].

==Transcript==
:[Possibly teenage versions of Hairy, Jill, Ponytail, and Cueball, listed from left to right, are standing in a line. Hairy is in a thinking pose, Jill faces Hairy, and Ponytail and Cueball are walking to the right; Cueball is pointing off-panel.]
:Hairy: Aunt Gertrude must have left a clue to the amulet's location.
:Jill: Hmm. Wait a minute.
:Jill: '''G'''ertrude. '''G'''.
:Hairy: As in "'''G'''round!"
:Jill: And "di'''G''' a hole!"
:Ponytail: I'll get a shovel!
:Cueball: To the yard!

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Some of the authors of books I read as a kid were '''''terrible''''' at designing puzzles.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Jill]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Cryptography]]
[[Category:Kids]]