explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:782: Desecration

2015-05-20T03:21:02Z

173.245.52.92: adding a note about how odd it is they realize what this means but only after they commit said crimes.

Oh god, I thought the tombstones were just there for decoration! I didn't think there'd actually be ''people'' buried under them! '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 02:33, 24 April 2013 (UTC)

(Personally I think the real explanation is something of a "Hot Apple Pie may be hot!" nature. While they apparently have no problem with unburrying indian bones from the ground, the realisation that they were in an ''indian burial ground'' (surprise, surprise!) causes them concern. Just like the (semi-mythical?) people who don't realise hot things are... hot. [[Special:Contributions/178.98.77.240|178.98.77.240]] 00:20, 4 May 2013 (UTC) )

Is it too unsafe to assume that because the standard, typically drawn stick figure is referred to as Rob, that the character in most of these strips is named Rob and not Cueball? As I understand it, Cueball was made up on this site and not by Randall. --[[Special:Contributions/98.203.241.55|98.203.241.55]] 22:12, 22 May 2013 (UTC)
: Rob Cueball?

[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 17:15, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

I think this is a truth in fiction so to speak. In many story lines there's moments where, "You remember that time we broke all those spiritual laws? Well it appears that [G]od(s) is angry." A secular example, anyone thinking to themselves, "Seriously officer, I only had three or four drinks, and I had to get home." "Well, now you are DUI." *gasp* "Really?!??! Oh no!" [[User:Cflare|Cflare]] ([[User talk:Cflare|talk]]) 17:58, 7 August 2014 (UTC)

Another interesting thing here is that Cueball instantly understands the association between curses and desecrating Indian burial grounds despite being stupid enough not to know A. you shouldn't mess with burial places and whatnot in the first place, and B. that the site of buried Indians is, by definition, and Indian burial ground. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.92|173.245.52.92]] 03:21, 20 May 2015 (UTC)

1043: Ablogalypse

2015-04-23T19:03:00Z

173.245.52.92: /* Explanation */ Pointing out that this actually came to pass at the date predicted ~~~~

{{comic
| number = 1043
| date = April 16, 2012
| title = Ablogalypse
| image = ablogalypse.png
| titletext = Plus the reaction in the Tumblverse is always 'repeatedly get hit by a dog and fall down the stairs'.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic plays with the [http://www.google.com/trends/?q=blog,tumblr,wordpress,livejournal Google trends for the terms "blog", "tumblr", "wordpress", and "livejournal"].

*{{w|Blog}}: a website with opinions and comments
*{{w|Tumblr}}: a "micro-blogging" site, which has taken off due to the prevalence of animated gifs and funny photos.
*{{w|WordPress}}: a type of blog software.
*{{w|LiveJournal}}: a sort of personal blog site that hasn't been very popular since 2004-2005. [[Randall]] published [[:Category:Comics posted on livejournal|his first comics]] there.

As you can see in the caption and then the title text, there is no way that newscasters will reference the "Tumblrverse" because all the reactions will be filled with animated gifs of a person in [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-Zph323Dos a raptor suit falling over] or [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/yes-this-is-dog a dog answering a phone].

This actually came to pass, with the change over occurring between October and November 2012, as can be seen using the link above.

==Transcript==
:[A line graph with four lines, each representing 'Google Trends Search Volume' of different search terms over time from prior to 2005 to just after 2012. A blue line represents "blog," which trends gradually but significantly upwards from well before 2005 until it reaches a peak between 2008-2009, and starts to very slowly descend to today. A red line represents "Tumblr", which is at zero until it slowly starts to trend upward in early 2010, and then sharply increases in late 2010 and through 2011 and 2012. As of the date of this comic, 'blog' still beats 'Tumblr' in terms of search volume, but a dotted line projection of the trend shows that on October 12, 2012, the two lines will cross. A yellow line represents 'Wordpress,' which has very low volume until a very small and gradual increase in 2007, which gradually increases to this day but doesn't come close to meeting the volume of either 'blog' or 'Tumblr'. A green line represents 'LiveJournal,' which started out prior to 2005 at around the level 'Wordpress' is at now, but declined through 2005 and 2006 until it has plateaued until virtually nothing.]
:In about six months, the word "Tumblr" will eclipse "blog" in Google popularity.
:I doubt TV anchors will start talking about "reactions in the Tumblverse," but then again, I still can't believe we got them to say "blogosphere."

==Trivia==
*Randall's forecast wasn't far off: [http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=blog%2C%20tumblr&date=1%2F2011%2037m&cmpt=q "tumblr" surpassed "blog"] in November 2012.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

Talk:149: Sandwich

2015-01-14T06:47:12Z

173.245.52.92:

Note that it is more effective to write "sudo !!" to redo the last command but with sudo added to it. {{unsigned|Agge.se}}

:Using <code>sudo !!</code> outputs the previous command with sudo into your bash (other shells as well) history, so to bash what you said was "sudo make me a sandwich" not "sudo !!". [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 16:46, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

<code>sudo</code> requires '''user''' password, not admin password, but you need to be in <code>sudoers</code> file. --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 12:14, 15 December 2012 (UTC)

:How many people will know the difference? In a typical Ubuntu-family install with only one human user, root doesn't ''have'' a password, but the one user who does is a sudoer (and has to use <code>sudo</code> or <code>su</code> to act as root, rather than doing so starting at login). [[User:Promethean|Promethean]] ([[User talk:Promethean|talk]]) 06:08, 30 August 2013 (UTC)

"the user first must type their password" This is not accurate. It is the default, but many domains disable that requirement.
[[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.92|173.245.52.92]] 06:47, 14 January 2015 (UTC)

I believe the original comic actually read "Sudo bang bang" instead of "Sudo make me a sandwich". Here's a link to what I think is a copy of the [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/15137461/what-is-sudo-bang-bang original]. I'm not sure which of the two is actually the original. {{unsigned ip|‎99.95.158.248}}
:The words "bang bang" (particularly the first B) look a bit fuzzy/pixelated compared to the rest of the text, which gives me the feeling that it was edited from this one, which is the original. [[User:Zowayix|Zowayix]] ([[User talk:Zowayix|talk]]) 23:03, 23 January 2014 (UTC)
::If you click on the image (on the Stack Overflow link), it leads you to http://justinsomnia.org/2006/09/sudo-bang-bang/, which says: 'This just occurred to me' [comic] 'Original comic from xkcd by Randall Munroe', implying it was indeed edited. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.14|141.101.99.14]] 20:42, 11 August 2014 (UTC)

Comment: This conversation is an easter egg in Google Now on Android tablet. Using voice search to say "make me a sandwich" will give the reply "what? make it yourself", adding "sudo" will get the response "ok". I assume the Google now implementation came later and is based on xkcd. {{unsigned ip|141.101.99.27}}

1401: New

2014-12-12T00:35:20Z

173.245.52.92: /* Canon */

{{comic
| number = 1401
| date = July 30, 2014
| title = New
| image = new.png
| titletext = The nice thing about headcannnons is that it's really easy to get other people to believe in them.
}}

==Explanation==
This strip uses a play on the {{w|homophone|homophonic}} relationship between "canon", as a literary term, and "{{w|cannon}}", a projectile weapon.

In this strip, [[Black Hat]] starts to introduce a "new headcannnon". [[Cueball]], thinking Black Hat means "headcanon", inquires what Black Hat's new idea is. Instead of the expected idea or theory about a fictional universe, Black Hat removes his hat to reveal a tiny literal cannon on his head which blows away Cueball and his computer desk.

While headcanon may often be ignored or dismissed as non-canon or a personal theory, a headcannon would be far harder to ignore, as it is a physical object which has a notable (and in this case violent) impact on the real world.

In the title text Randall makes the spellings of these two words indistinguishable by using three consecutive "n"s to spell "headcannnon". Therefore the title text is deliberately vague. It could be interpreted that it is easy to convince people that you have a cannon on your head, that it is easy to make people believe in a self invented headcanons, or both. Since you are choosing your own interpretation of this title text, the joke is that you are creating your own headcanon.

This comic also shows Cueball being once again distracted from his work in a manner similar to [[1388: Subduction License]].

===Canon===
A "''{{w|Canon_(fiction)|canon}}''" describes a set of works that are collectively recognized by the comunity as having authenticity. Generally, works created or authorized by the original or creator(s) are considered canonical. Not all original content is considered canon and not all canon is original content. Sometimes creators will rewrite the canon (re-con) and make things that were previously canonical non canonical. For example the origins of a character can be rewritten, thus invalidating the portions of the works that speak to the old origins. Other times creators will incorporate non original content and therefore incorporate the canon of these borrowed works.

===Headcanon===
"''Headcanon''" is created when consumer of these works develop their own ideas about a fictional universe that are not part of the canon. This form of pseudo-"canon" exists only in the mind of the fan watching or reading the material. The fan with headcanon experiences the material with additional backstory that is never specifically stated in cannon. Some examples of headcanon involve relationships between characters, abilities, backstories, events following the conclusion of the work, etc. which the author or creator has not explained or included. For example a consumer may ''read between the lines'' and assume that there was a previous romantic relationship between two characters where none ever existed.

==Transcript==
:[Black Hat walks in.]
:Black Hat: New headcannon:

:[Cueball is sitting at his desk, using his computer.]
:Cueball: Yeah?

:[Black Hat lifts his hat, revealing his "headcannon": a tiny cannon on the top of his head. The headcannon fires and blows up Cueball's desk, the explosion throwing Cueball backwards.]
:Headcannon: '''BOOM'''
:Cueball: AUGH!

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