explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1221: Nomenclature

2015-04-05T02:11:09Z

199.27.128.89: Updated transcription to correct characters appearing

{{comic
| number = 1221
| date = June 5, 2013
| title = Nomenclature
| image = nomenclature.png
| titletext = [shouted, from the field] 'Aunt Beast hit a pop fly to second! Dive for it, Mrs Whatsit!'
}}

==Explanation==
Nomenclature can be defined as the devising or choosing of names for things. Here [[Randall]] connects three pop culture references that each contain one or more instances of ambiguous nomenclature based on pronouns: the "{{w|Who's on First?}}" skit, the "{{w|Doctor Who}}" television series, and the novel "{{w|A Wrinkle in Time}}" by Madeleine L'Engle.

The comic references the famous "{{w|Who's on First?}}" skit by the American comedy duo {{w|Abbott and Costello}} in the 1930s. This [http://youtu.be/airT-m9LcoY video] is one of the original performances. Costello is the shorter character, with a round brimmed hat and baseball bat, while Abbott is taller and wearing a baseball cap. This reflects the [http://www.ramsheadgroup.com/files/2013/04/abbott-and-costello-whos-on-first.jpg most common image] associated with the skit. In the routine, Costello is confused by the nicknames the {{w|Baseball|ball}} players go by. The man playing first base goes by the name "Who", the man on second base goes by "What", and the one on third calls himself "I Don't Know". Costello asks "Who's on first?", inquiring the name of the first-baseman, and Abbott replies "that's right", affirming that the first-baseman's name is Who. Both parties become confused within a matter of seconds.

{{w|Doctor (Doctor Who)|The Doctor}} from the long-running British television series ''{{w|Doctor Who}}'' is often referred to as "Doctor Who" by people who [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IAmNotShazam think the series' name and his name are the same] (although it should be noted that the name "Doctor Who" is not entirely incorrect, the character [https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSipAqHqoHH-Ma04kMV_d0rmCVD7p6co_iItlcmSXfOqt6BiCmGDQ was referred to as such in the end credits for several seasons]). In-universe, he often introduces himself as "The Doctor" which elicits the response "[http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/The_%22Doctor_Who%3F%22_running_joke Doctor who?]". His response to this question is "Just 'The Doctor'". Megan appears to have interrupted the "Who's on First?" skit to make this point: The Doctor is on first.

The title text references the Madeleine L'Engle novel ''{{w|A Wrinkle in Time}}'', which has characters with similarly ambiguous names. The book's {{w|A Wrinkle in Time#Mrs Whatsit|Mrs. Whatsit}} appears to be on second base. "Aunt Beast" is a minor character in the novel from the planet of Ixchel.
And they are playing a real baseball game. "Aunt Beast" is the batter and hits the ball in the air towards second base while "Mrs. Whatsit" (presumably playing second base, in place of What) is being encouraged to dive to catch the ball before it hits the ground, to get the batter out.

==Transcript==
:[Megan is talking to Abbott and Costello.]
:Megan: You're both confused.
:Megan: He's just "The Doctor".

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Doctor Who]]

1238: Enlightenment

2015-02-22T01:28:33Z

199.27.128.89: fixed repeated word

{{comic
| number = 1238
| date = July 15, 2013
| title = Enlightenment
| image = enlightenment.png
| titletext = But the rules of writing are like magic spells. If you never acquire them, then not using them says nothing.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is a reference to a scene from {{w|Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace}} in which {{w|Yoda}} expresses doubt in a young {{w|Anakin Skywalker|Anakin}}'s potential to join the {{w|Jedi}} order. Yoda delivers a speech similar to the one that [[Ponytail]] gives here, except that the end of the sequence he presents is {{w|Dark side (Star Wars)|the dark side}}. Yoda is ultimately correct; Anakin's fears lead him to join the dark side so that he may keep his loved ones from dying; this is at the expense of the stability of the galaxy, however, and his actions are in vain, as {{w|Padmé Amidala|his wife}} dies nonetheless. The circle on the ground is also taken from the ''Star Wars'' scene, and [[Cueball]] is presumably in the {{w|Mace Windu}} role.

Here, [[Randall]] compares Anakin's decision to join the dark side to the propensity of many Internet commenters to correct others on their spelling and grammar, and to the extreme prevalence of criticism over commendation or confirmation. Randall's point is that correcting people, like joining the dark side, ultimately stems from insecurity.

Ponytail and Cueball challenge [[Megan]] to type the sentence "I heard you're idea's and their definately good", which contains four {{w|Commonly misspelled words|common misspellings}} (''{{w|wikt:you're|you''''re'''}}'' instead of ''{{w|wikt:your|you'''r'''}}'', ''{{w|possessive|idea'''''''s}}'' instead of ''{{w|wikt:ideas|ideas}}'' [see {{w|greengrocers' apostrophe}}], ''{{w|wikt:their|the'''ir'''}}'' instead of ''{{w|wikt:they're|the'''y're'''}}'', and ''{{w|wikt:definately|defin'''a'''tely}}'' instead of ''{{w|wikt:definitely|defin'''i'''tely}}'').
Regarding the content, this sentence is one that is highly unlikely to be ever read in an internet argument, as almost every time people still have things they claim to know better about.
Megan thus can't bring herself to typing this sentence, having spent so much time judging others for their trivial errors, even when they're saying helpful things like the sentence in question. Instead, she smashes the computer and runs away — demonstrating the sort of anger that [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Grammar%20Nazi "Grammar Nazis"] and internet wiseacres like her can feel about punctuation and spelling errors, and about content-related errors respectively. Cueball and Ponytail remark on this, both failing to use {{w|apostrophe}}s.

The title text specifically refers to {{w|Terry Pratchett}}'s novel {{w|Equal Rites}}, in which the characters discover that the most powerful magic is not using magic — with the distinction that not using magic because you don't know how is not the same as choosing to refrain from using magic when you do know how. Randall is comparing this with use or misuse of the rules of English: not even knowing the rules is not admirable, whereas knowing the rules but choosing to disregard them is.

==Transcript==
:[The two Internet Bodhisattvas Ponytail and Cueball lecture Megan encircled by a wheel placed upon the ground.]
:Ponytail: To achieve '''internet enlightenment''', you must free yourself from insecurity.
:Megan: But insecurity keeps me humble!
:Ponytail: No. Insecurity leads to conceit. Conceit leads to judgment. Judgment leads to being an asshole.
:[A laptop is placed on a stand in front of Megan.]
:Megan: I'm ready. How do I begin?
:Ponytail: Type this sentence.
:[White text on black background.]
:I heard you're idea's and their definately good.
:[The laptop has been smashed to the floor. The circle, once full of hope and excitement, is now full of despair and no Megan.]
:Ponytail: She wasnt ready.
:Cueball: Its a difficult road.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Star Wars]]

1427: iOS Keyboard

2014-12-11T03:14:07Z

199.27.128.89: Undo revision 80009 by 141.101.88.222 (talk)

{{comic
| number = 1427
| date = September 29, 2014
| title = iOS Keyboard
| image = ios_keyboard.png
| titletext = More actual results: 'Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You [are the best. The best thing ever]', 'Revenge is a dish best served [by a group of people in my room]', and 'They may take our lives, but they'll never take our [money].'
}}

==Explanation==
It looks like [[Randall]] has been playing with his Apple device after installing the recently released {{w|iOS 8}} update. The comic is referencing the autocomplete function on the iOS virtual keyboard (aka [[1031: s/keyboard/leopard/|leopard]]). A comparable feature is also available on other operating systems, like Android. When the phrase, for example, "Revenge is a dish best served" is typed, the keyboard will suggest “by” followed by “a” then “group” and so on.

The following movies are referenced:

{|class="wikitable"
!Movie
!Character & Situation
!Full Quote
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0026631/quotes Sherlock Holmes]
|Sherlock Holmes explaining his deductions to his assistant, Watson
|"Elementary, my dear Watson." (paraphrased in several movies, never actually used {{w|Sherlock_Holmes#.22Elementary.2C_my_dear_Watson.22|in the books}})
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086250/quotes Scarface (1983)]
|Scarface is holding an M16, defending his house from Sosa's gunmen, shouting to attackers.
|"You wanna fuck with me? Okay. You wanna play rough? Okay. Say hello to my little friend!"
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/quotes The Wizard of Oz (1939)]
|Dorothy with her dog, Toto, in munchkin land.
|"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0000007/quotes James Bond]
|Bond introducing himself, while holding trademark martini.
|"Bond, James Bond." (nothing follows).
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379786/quotes Serenity (2005)]
|Wash, at the controls of Serenity.
|"I am a leaf on the wind - watch how I soar."
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089218/quotes The Goonies (1985)]
|Mikey standing at the pool in the wishing well, encouraging his troop of misfits to continue on their journey.
|"Goonies never say die!"
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120737/quotes The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)]
|Aragorn, Legolas & Gimli pledge allegiance to protect the ring bearer on their mission to destroy the ring.
|Aragorn: "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword." Legolas: "And you have my bow." Gimli: "And *my* axe."
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093779/quotes The Princess Bride (1987)]
|Inigo Montoya facing the six fingered man, the man he swore a vendetta against for killing his dad.
|"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084726/ Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982)]
|Khan paraphrasing Shakespeare to justify his vengeance.
|{{w|Revenge#Proverbs|"Revenge is a dish best served cold"}} (e.g. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084726/quotes Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982)]: Khan: "...do you know the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold?")
|-
|[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112573/quotes Braveheart (1995)]
|Wallace rallying his Scottish army before a seemingly hopeless battle against the British.
|"They may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM!"
|}

An older comic [[1068: Swiftkey]] is also about keyboard predictions, but without any preceding text (by the Swiftkey keyboard application instead of the iOS 8 keyboard).

==Transcript==
:'''Movie quotes'''
:[Top picture shows a line typed on an iPhone.]
:Elementary, my dear
:[Then the next line shows the words suggested by the virtual keyboard.]
:Friend | Lord | Friends
:[Below are the visible part of keyboard. In the second line only the top of the letters can be seen.]
:QWERTYUIOP
:ASDFGHJKL
:[Below is a new sub heading above six pictures arranged in two rows.]
:According to iOS 8 keyboard predictions
:[For each of the six pictures a part of the text is black, and the other part is light grey. Below the black text is written in bold letters.]
:[Picture 1: Cueball stands with a machine gun.]
:Cueball: '''Say hello to my little''' sister and my mom and my dad and my friends
:[Picture 2: A girl stands next to her dog with a basket.]
:Girl: '''Toto, I've a feeling we're not''' going to the gym today
:[Picture 3: Bond talks to Megan.]
:James Bond: '''Bond, James Bond''' yields
:[Picture 4: A pilot operates his plane and talks to Cueball behind him.]
:Pilot: '''I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch''' me play the piano
:[Picture 5: A guy with dark hair stands behind a jagged edge.]
:Goonie: '''Goonies never say''' anything
:[Picture 6: A dwarf with long beard and helmet stands with an axe.]
:Off panel left: '''You have my sword.'''
:Off panel right: '''And my bow.'''
:Dwarf: '''And my''' dad

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Firefly]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Smartphones]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

Talk:1458: Small Moon

2014-12-10T06:50:43Z

199.27.128.89:

Probably another dig at the Pluto "dwarf planet" controversy?[[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.109|199.27.133.109]] 06:38, 10 December 2014 (UTC)

This is too good. I laughed for about 2 straight minutes.. :D [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.89|199.27.128.89]] 06:50, 10 December 2014 (UTC)

1405: Meteor

2014-08-08T05:10:16Z

199.27.128.89: Pedantically corrected spelling.

{{comic
| number = 1405
| date = August 8, 2014
| title = Meteor
| image = meteor.png
| titletext = No, only LAVA is called 'magma' while underground. Any other object underground is called 'lava'.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

The word pedantic means gratuitously exacting in ones speech. It is usually a pejorative term used to refer to someone who is overly fussy. For example, if one were to say "The sky is blue" and someone were to correct you telling you it is actually every color but blue because of light refraction and it's apparent blueness is a mere illusion, while true, that would be pedantic. However, in science pedantry is important so things may be classified and we have a unified definition of when things are very similar.

In cosmology, there are different classifications of bodies: asteroids, comets, meteors, meteorites, meteoroids, and so forth. Each of these has a very specific definition to distinguish between them. For the purpose of this comic we will only explore two: meteor and meteorite. A meteor is a body that enters earths orbit. Many which enter the earths atmosphere do not survive entry. Thus it is only a meteorite if it is found intact on the ground.

Cueball attempts to correct (another Cueball?) by telling him it is not a meteor he found. We expect him to say it is a meteorite, but the joke comes when he calls it magma, which is completely different. Lava is liquid rock which has been ejected from a volcano. Magma on the other hand is still under earths crust and has yet to be ejected. Cueball not only misappropriates the cosmological terms, but assigns the wrong word to the geological correction he attempts to give.

The title text gives patently incorrect information and it is the opposite of what is being said.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
First Cueball: Check it out -- I got a piece if a meteor!
Second Cueball: ''Actually'', it's only called that while falling. Once it lands, it's called ''Magma''
My hobby: Mixing Pedantic Terms

{{comic discussion}}

1318: Actually

2014-01-17T17:24:39Z

199.27.128.89: /* Explanation */ Not to be picky, but "nitpick" is the thing done.The one who does it is a "nitpicker".

{{comic
| number = 1318
| date = January 17, 2014
| title = Actually
| image = actually.png
| titletext = Protip: You can win every exchange just by being one level more precise than whoever talked last. Eventually, you'll defeat all conversational opponents and stand alone.
}}

==Explanation==
{{Incomplete|The article seems plentiful in detail, but maybe things could get a little better structured.}}
;Actually, measurements suggest it's flat.
* The picture is designed to have us thinking about a planet (presumably Earth), such that when we read the first speaker's comment, we interpret it as "The Earth is flat", which was the earliest view of the planet. (The speaker does not explicitly state their subject, however, which leads to the comic's punchline.)

;Actually, it's a sphere.
* The second speaker explains that the Earth is actually a sphere, tracking the progression of knowledge of the Earth's shape.

;Actually, it's an oblate spheroid.
* The third speaker provides further detail on the shape, that rather than being spherical, the Earth is actually an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblate_spheroid oblate spheroid]. On Earth, this occurs because a rotating body tends to bulge at the equator (where the matter experiences greater centrifugal forces - analogous to experiencing more force at the outside of a round-a-bout rather than at the centre), and is known as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equatorial_bulge equatorial bulge].
;Actually, it's a sphere defined by the EGM96 coefficients.
* A more accurate description is the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EGM96 Earth Gravitational Model 1996] which provided a detailed map of Earth's gravitational field. This therefore refines the oblate spheroid model even further.
;Actually, it's that plus local topography.
* The next speaker notes that this is still a very high level model of the planet (necessary because of the sizes involved) and that the true shape of the planet is given by the actual local topography (i.e., mountains, hills, valleys, etc.) which can be thought as overlaid on the planet wide models.
;Actually, it's embedded in a universe that's curved.
* Changing tack, the remaining speaker notes that our planet sits in a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_relativity curved space-time], where our planet's gravity, as well as all other objects, bends the space and time around them. On the largest scale, this has the potential to lead to a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shape_of_the_universe curvature] of the four dimensional space-time of the universe, hence "universe that is curved". Such a universe can either be "open" or "closed", depending on how much mass and energy there is. In a "closed" universe, if you drew a large enough triangle in space, you would find that the angles did add up to more than 180 degrees (just like if it was drawn on the surface of a balloon - in this case, the angles would add up to more than 180 degrees).<ref>An example of closed geometry is spherical geometry, where the sum of the angles of a triangle is π < A + B + C < 3π http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spherical_trigonometry</ref> In an "open" universe, the sum of the angles would be less than 180 degrees.
;Actually, measurements suggest it's flat.
* Finally, the first speaker comments again, and we now interpret this as referring not to the planet but to the universe itself - current observations suggest that the balance of matter and energy in the universe is such that the universe is, in fact, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shape_of_the_universe#Flat_universe flat] on the largest scales. (Whether this is coincidence or reflective of underlying laws is currently unknown.)
* The arguments could continue around the circle, now referring to the universe. They aren't generally applicable but going round the circle a second time suggests that some similar truth may apply at the scale of the universe, which in turn is again embedded in something else (a kind of meta-universe). The circular layout of the comics invites to continue without end, a nice example of meta-humor.
* The comic may be a reference to "[http://chem.tufts.edu/answersinscience/relativityofwrong.htm The Relativity of Wrong]," an essay by Isaac Asimov which uses the Earth's shape as a central example of the role of models in science.

The pun of the title text lies in the ambiguity of the last sentence. "Eventually, you'll defeat all conversational opponents and stand alone" can literally be interpreted as 'winning' all the debates and standing alone as a sole champion, which would seem to be a flattering thing, but the other interpretation, arguably more likely to occur, suggests that the speaker is going to drive away all conversational partners by being an insufferable nitpicker and end up alone, with no-one wanting to speak to them.

<references />

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
:[Six people are standing upon a white circle as if it were a miniature planet. Each person is facing the reader and says something to the person on their right. All texts are displayed as a near-continuous stream over their heads to form one circle that encloses the whole picture.]
:[From topmost, going clockwise.]
::Cueball: '''''Actually,''''' measurements suggest it's flat.
::Ponytail: '''''Actually,''''' it's a sphere.
::White Hat: '''''Actually,''''' it's an oblate spheroid.
::Megan: '''''Actually,''''' it's a sphere defined by the EGM96 coefficients.
::Hairy 1: '''''Actually,''''' it's that plus local topography.
::Hairy 2: '''''Actually,''''' it's embedded in a universe that's curved.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]

Talk:1314: Photos

2014-01-08T18:56:53Z

199.27.128.89:

This seems to be a reference to this video or one of many of the same ilk.
http://www.artthesystem.com/2013/12/after-i-saw-this-i-put-down-my-phone.html?m=1

Which is doing the rounds on social media sites at the moment {{unsigned|‎Gernant}}

Heard on a french radio show (Les grosses têtes) : A study made on student split in two group in an exposition : one group would photograph what they like, another one would photograph a certain set of pictures.
The study found that the ones who could photograph pictures they like, wasn't able to remember the pictures they liked.
The ones who wasn't able to photograph picture they liked, remembered it better.
I don't have link, sry, but white hat is proven right in this case. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.189|173.245.53.189]] 09:21, 8 January 2014 (UTC) Juluan

:I think BOTH have point here. Trying to document your life IS distracting, especially if you overdo it (and make a lot of selfies), on the other hand it IS possible to enjoy your life and still take pictures. Except if something happens only once and quick: in that case, if you try to take picture, you won't be able to enjoy it ... and you might fail to take the picture in correct moment anyway. I recommend video in such case :-). -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:04, 8 January 2014 (UTC)

::Agreed, both are right. If you want to take an abundance of photos, go ahead. '''However''', there are limits. If your doing so would spoil it for someone else, then limit yourself. Practice the same basic courtesy that should prevent you from talking out loud or texting during a movie. You're in a public place with other people who want to enjoy what's going on. They came to see the concert, not a sea of glowing rectangles (making a recording which will never be watched). [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.89|199.27.128.89]] 18:55, 8 January 2014 (UTC)

::I thought of that study, too... The first valid link I found was http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/is-facebook-making-us-forget-study-shows-that-taking-pictures-ruin-memories-8994917.html (of course being hampered by various variations of each of "memory" and "photograph" not being ''very'' rare in combination ( GoogleFu Golf, anyone? ;) ), but once I got there I found it was widely covered in the online media). But I'm not sure whether this inspired Randall in this case, because of (or even ''despite'') the off-kilter reinterpretation. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.223|141.101.99.223]] 18:07, 8 January 2014 (UTC)
:PS: The title text seems like obvious irony to me. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:06, 8 January 2014 (UTC)

I remember taking a few photographs of food that is WAY too fabulous in presentation. [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 16:28, 8 January 2014 (UTC)

I would prefer to know Black-Hat's opinion on the subject. --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 18:25, 8 January 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1314: Photos

2014-01-08T18:55:22Z

199.27.128.89:

This seems to be a reference to this video or one of many of the same ilk.
http://www.artthesystem.com/2013/12/after-i-saw-this-i-put-down-my-phone.html?m=1

Which is doing the rounds on social media sites at the moment {{unsigned|‎Gernant}}

Heard on a french radio show (Les grosses têtes) : A study made on student split in two group in an exposition : one group would photograph what they like, another one would photograph a certain set of pictures.
The study found that the ones who could photograph pictures they like, wasn't able to remember the pictures they liked.
The ones who wasn't able to photograph picture they liked, remembered it better.
I don't have link, sry, but white hat is proven right in this case. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.189|173.245.53.189]] 09:21, 8 January 2014 (UTC) Juluan

:I think BOTH have point here. Trying to document your life IS distracting, especially if you overdo it (and make a lot of selfies), on the other hand it IS possible to enjoy your life and still take pictures. Except if something happens only once and quick: in that case, if you try to take picture, you won't be able to enjoy it ... and you might fail to take the picture in correct moment anyway. I recommend video in such case :-). -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:04, 8 January 2014 (UTC)

::Agreed, both are right. If you want to take an abundance of photos, go ahead. '''Provided''' your doing so isn't spoiling it for someone else. Practice the same basic courtesy that should prevent you from talking out loud or texting during a movie. You're in a public place with other people who want to enjoy what's going on. They came to see the concert, not a sea of glowing rectangles (making a recording which will never be watched). [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.89|199.27.128.89]] 18:55, 8 January 2014 (UTC)

::I thought of that study, too... The first valid link I found was http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/is-facebook-making-us-forget-study-shows-that-taking-pictures-ruin-memories-8994917.html (of course being hampered by various variations of each of "memory" and "photograph" not being ''very'' rare in combination ( GoogleFu Golf, anyone? ;) ), but once I got there I found it was widely covered in the online media). But I'm not sure whether this inspired Randall in this case, because of (or even ''despite'') the off-kilter reinterpretation. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.223|141.101.99.223]] 18:07, 8 January 2014 (UTC)
:PS: The title text seems like obvious irony to me. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:06, 8 January 2014 (UTC)

I remember taking a few photographs of food that is WAY too fabulous in presentation. [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 16:28, 8 January 2014 (UTC)

I would prefer to know Black-Hat's opinion on the subject. --[[User:DanB|DanB]] ([[User talk:DanB|talk]]) 18:25, 8 January 2014 (UTC)

1306: Sigil Cycle

2013-12-20T18:18:46Z

199.27.128.89: /* Explanation */ .

{{comic
| number = 1306
| date = December 20, 2013
| title = Sigil Cycle
| image = sigil_cycle.png
| titletext = The cycle seems to be 'we need these symbols to clarify what types of things we're referring to!' followed by 'wait, it turns out words already do that.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}

In computer programming, a {{w|Sigil (computer programming)|sigil}} is a symbol attached to a variable name, showing the variable's datatype or scope, usually a prefix, as in $foo, where $ is the sigil. Sigils are meant to allow the reader of the code to see at a glance what type a given variable is without having to refer back to a declaration (which may be in a distant part of the code from the section you are reading) or to provide some level typing in languages that do not have explicit type delclarations.

;{{w|QBASIC}}
:Variables of type string end with the $ symbol. Other symbols are used (% for integers, ! for single-precision, # for double-precision and, in some versions of BASIC, & for long integers), however the usual QBASIC program will use only the $ symbol and not any of the others, as the default type if no symbol is used is double-precision and that's OK for most numeric uses.

;{{w|C++}}
:Pronounced "see plus plus." Variables are just words with regular letters. Ironically, it is the name of the language itself that includes symbols.

;{{w|bash (Unix shell)|bash}}
:This is not typically thought of as a full-featured programming language, but a Unix shell. However, the shell command syntax is rich enough to be able to write simple (and sometimes really complex) programs called shell-scripts. In this language, all variable dereferences start with the symbol $.

;{{w|Perl}}
:In Perl, variables of simple types, and references to items in arrays and hashes, start with $. Arrays start with @. Hashes start with %.

;{{w|Python (programming language)|Python}}
:Variables are just words with regular letters.

;{{w|Google}}
:In the beginning, Google was only a search engine. However, it now includes many things, in particular a social network called Google+ (pronounced "google plus").

;{{w|Twitter}}
:Twitter account IDs are identified by the leading symbol @. When an account is "mentioned" in a tweet using @, it triggers smart behavior. For example, account owners can configure Twitter to forward tweets that mention them. This feature was not present in the early days of Twitter.

;{{w|Hashtag}}s
:In 2007 Twitter users began a convention that a # sign (whose {{w|Number sign|many names}} include the "hash") can be prepended to words to mark them as keywords. Twitter could then be searched for those words. In 2009 Twitter recognized the existence of hashtags and began hyperlinking them. Some other microblogging services followed suit. Google+ eventually added hashtag support as did Facebook.

As is noted by the comic, the use of sigils to indicate types of variables varies between programming languages, from strict enforcement in languages like Perl, to their complete absence in languages like C++ (but see {{w|Hungarian Notation}}). The comic notes that the use of sigils seems to be cyclic, especially if you count things like hashtags as extensions of the pattern.

The title text describes the two competing influences responsible for the cycle: The first impulse finds sigils useful to elucidate the type of the variable, especially when variable names are not very descriptive, while the latter impulse notes that descriptive variable names are much more useful for that purpose, especially in extensible languages where the built-in types form only a small part of the type system.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
*Y axis: Odds that the words I type will start with some weird symbol
*X axis: Time
*Data labels: $QBASIC, C++, $BASH, @$PERL, PYTHON, +GOOGLE, @TWITTER, #HASHTAGS
*The line alternates between high and low, with $QBASIC starting at high, moving to C++ at low. $BASH and @$PERL are high, Python is low, and +GOOGLE, @TWITTER and #HASHTAGS are the next high.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Comics presenting a compromise]]
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Social networking]]

1306: Sigil Cycle

2013-12-20T18:15:52Z

199.27.128.89: /* Explanation */ spelling

{{comic
| number = 1306
| date = December 20, 2013
| title = Sigil Cycle
| image = sigil_cycle.png
| titletext = The cycle seems to be 'we need these symbols to clarify what types of things we're referring to!' followed by 'wait, it turns out words already do that.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}

In computer programming, a {{w|Sigil (computer programming)|sigil}} is a symbol attached to a variable name, showing the variable's datatype or scope, usually a prefix, as in $foo, where $ is the sigil. Sigils are meant to allow the reader of the code to see at a glance what type a given variable is without having to refer back to a declaration (which may be in a distant part of the code from the section you are reading) or to provide some level typing in languages that do not have explicit type delclarations.

;{{w|QBASIC}}
:Variables of type string end with the $ symbol. Other symbols are used (% for integers, ! for single-precision, # for double-precision and, in some versions of BASIC, & for long integers), however the usual QBASIC program will use only the $ symbol and not any of the others, as the default type if no symbol is used is double-precision and that's OK for most numeric uses.

;{{w|C++}}
:Pronounced "see plus plus." Variables are just words with regular letters. Ironically, it is the name of the language itself that includes symbols.

;{{w|bash (Unix shell)|bash}}
:This is not typically thought of as a full-featured programming language, but a Unix shell. However, the shell command syntax is rich enough to be able to write simple (and sometimes really complex) programs called shell-scripts. In this language, all variable dereferences start with the symbol $.

;{{w|Perl}}
:In Perl, variables of simple types, and references to items in arrays and hashes, start with $. Arrays start with @. Hashes start with %.

;{{w|Python (programming language)|Python}}
:Variables are just words with regular letters.

;{{w|Google}}
:In the beginning, Google was only a search engine. However, it now includes many things, in particular a social network called Google+ (pronounced "google plus").

;{{w|Twitter}}
:Twitter account IDs are identified by the leading symbol @. When an account is "mentioned" in a tweet using @, it triggers smart behavior. For example, account owners can configure Twitter to forward tweets that mention them. This feature was not present in the early days of Twitter.

;{{w|Hashtag}}s
:In 2007 Twitter users began a convention that a # sign (whose {{w|Number sign|many names}} include the "hash") can be prepended to words to mark them as keywords. Twitter could then be searched for those words. Only in 2009 Twitter recognized the existence of hashtags and they began being hyperlinked. Some other microblogging services followed suit. Google+ eventually added hashtag support. Facebook followed with support later.

As is noted by the comic, the use of sigils to indicate types of variables varies between programming languages, from strict enforcement in languages like Perl, to their complete absence in languages like C++ (but see {{w|Hungarian Notation}}). The comic notes that the use of sigils seems to be cyclic, especially if you count things like hashtags as extensions of the pattern.

The title text describes the two competing influences responsible for the cycle: The first impulse finds sigils useful to elucidate the type of the variable, especially when variable names are not very descriptive, while the latter impulse notes that descriptive variable names are much more useful for that purpose, especially in extensible languages where the built-in types form only a small part of the type system.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
*Y axis: Odds that the words I type will start with some weird symbol
*X axis: Time
*Data labels: $QBASIC, C++, $BASH, @$PERL, PYTHON, +GOOGLE, @TWITTER, #HASHTAGS
*The line alternates between high and low, with $QBASIC starting at high, moving to C++ at low. $BASH and @$PERL are high, Python is low, and +GOOGLE, @TWITTER and #HASHTAGS are the next high.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Comics presenting a compromise]]
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Social networking]]

1301: File Extensions

2013-12-09T17:29:39Z

199.27.128.89: /* Explanation */ no need to disparage users of MS Office, since most of us do.

{{comic
| number = 1301
| date = December 9, 2013
| title = File Extensions
| image = file_extensions.png
| titletext = I have never been lied to by data in a .txt file which has been hand-aligned.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Needs more detail}}

The form of presentation can say a lot about the content. {{w|File extension}}s are a quick way of checking the type of a file, and this comic comments on how file extensions can tell us a few things things about the contents.

* {{w|.tex}} is for {{w|TeX}} and {{w|LaTeX}} source files; it's often used by academics, especially in mathematics and the hard sciences. .tex means serious business.
* {{w|.pdf}} is a document format by Adobe, frequently used for publication — a final product, a polished work.
* {{w|.csv}} is just a bunch of data delimited by commas, probably computer-generated and containing raw data (from, say, a scientific experiment).
* {{w|.txt}} is a plain text file; it's usually programmers who use these (e.g. README files).
* {{w|.svg}} is a vector graphics format used a lot for diagrams, such as on Wikipedia.
* {{w|.xls}} and {{w|.xlsx}} are spreadsheets, used by Excel as part of the Microsoft Office bundle. Anyone with Windows could easily make one of these. Mostly these contain a mix of raw data (as with .csv) and calculations using that data. {{w|.xls}} is for Excel versions previous to 2007. {{w|.xlsx}} is for Excel versions 2007 and later.
* {{w|.doc}} is a rich-text document format, used by Word as part of the Microsoft Office bundle. Anyone with Windows could easily make one of these, which is probably why Randall doesn't trust it much.
* {{w|.png}} is a bitmap image format designed for the Internet. It is enjoying wide popularity for providing crisp, full-color images with lossless (invisible) compression.
* {{w|.ppt}} refers to a Microsoft Office Powerpoint file. Again, anyone with Windows can make one of these, but they are usually used for presentations, not documents. Thus, the information will be arranged differently, possibly to "dumb down" the content.
* {{w|.jpg}} or {{w|jpeg}} is a bitmap image format, excellent for storing photos, but not too good for most other things. This file format is prone to annoying compression artifacts; storing numerical or textual information in a JPEG file is typically a bad idea. Digital cameras use .jpg, so .jpeg means that the photo has been edited with a photo manipulation software or that the file doesn't contain a photo at all. Therefore, you can't trust the content of a .jpeg file. Further, there is also the ''possibility'' that [http://www.geek.com/news/updated2-new-virus-embeds-itself-in-jpg-images-549279/ viruses] can get embedded into jpeg files.
* {{w|.gif}} is a bitmap image format capable of short animations. It was once ''the'' Internet image file format until PNG gradually replaced it for many good reasons. It made a comeback in recent years, mostly for silly clips of cats falling into boxes. Since its the only common format for animated images, it's also the preferred format for blinking website ads that tell that you're the 100,000,000th visitor and have won a prize ([[570]] makes fun of this). It's also very popular in the online adult industry, both for content and for ads. In addition, because it can be animated, people will often make seemingly normal images that then have something pop out and startle you.

==Transcript==
:Trustworthiness of Information by File Extension
:[A bar graph charting this. No units or figures are given, but for ease of comprehension this transcript will arbitrarily designate the highest score as "+100"; subsequent scores are estimates based on the size of their bars.]
::.tex: +100
::.pdf: +89
::.csv: +85
::.txt: +67
::.svg: +65
::.xls/.xlsx: +49
::.doc: +21
::.png: +15
::.ppt: +14
::.jpg: +3
::.jpeg: -8
::.gif: -36

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Charts]]

Talk:1298: Exoplanet Neighborhood

2013-12-02T18:53:06Z

199.27.128.89:

Why the big empty circle around Earth??{{unsigned ip|108.162.231.42}}
:Because they're all far away and he wants to make the reader feel lonely. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.30|108.162.216.30]] 13:42, 2 December 2013 (UTC)
So all these other planets are close to each other, but Earth is far from them? Or does the distance between circles have no meaning besides the empty space around Earth's circle?[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.29|108.162.216.29]] 15:16, 2 December 2013 (UTC)
: Most of these planets are hypothetical (last I checked, we knew of five such planets), and the nearest to us are in Tau Ceti, only 12 ly away. I'd say the space around Earth is metaphorical. We're kind of like Samwise as he and Frodo leave the Shire; those first few miles seem like an enormous distance. [[User:Fryhole|Fryhole]] ([[User talk:Fryhole|talk]]) 18:50, 2 December 2013 (UTC)

Why New-New-America? And why not New-New-Netherlands? [[User:Quoti|Quoti]] ([[User talk:Quoti|talk]]) 15:36, 2 December 2013 (UTC)

Changed it to New-New-World, as that makes a lot more sense than New-New-America. The Americas were commonly referred to as the 'New World', and the reference alludes to 'Sailing for the new world'. [[User:Andyd273|Andyd273]] ([[User talk:Andyd273|talk]]) 15:49, 2 December 2013 (UTC)

After staring at this graph for a while, I got a sudden urge to play Osmos... [[User:Andyd273|Andyd273]] ([[User talk:Andyd273|talk]]) 16:03, 2 December 2013 (UTC)

The title seems to have changed to "Exoplanet Neighborhood" and the mouseover text to what used to be the title... [[User:Xseo|Xseo]] ([[User talk:Xseo|talk]]) 16:36, 2 December 2013 (UTC)

[http://xkcd.com/1071/ This] is very similar. It was of June 2012, so quite a bit has been discovered since then. By [http://kepler.nasa.gov/ Kepler], I think? --[[User:Irino.|Irino.]] ([[User talk:Irino.|talk]]) 17:36, 2 December 2013 (UTC)

It may just be me, but this looks like one of those colour-blindness tests (I'm r-g colour blind). I was half-looking for some hidden message or number or sumfink in the pattern of dos, but of course I'm the one that usually misses out on those things :D Can colour-typical viewers see anything odd or unexpected in the pattern of dots? Oh, also, in the explanation of the comic here, it talks about the "reddish tone" and "grey" disks ... they all look grey to me, although some are darker than others :D Note that http://xkcd.com/1071/ does NOT remind me of a colour blindness test, except in the most superficial way - a circle of dots. I think this one, 1298, does because Randall has used pastel tones. Cheers, Jon. --[[User:Jon.|Jon.]] ([[User talk:Jon.|talk]]) 16:36, 2 December 2013 (UTC)
: Nothing odd or unexpected in the pattern of dots, Jon. No hidden "color blind test"-like message. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.89|199.27.128.89]] 18:53, 2 December 2013 (UTC)

1298: Exoplanet Neighborhood

2013-12-02T18:50:26Z

199.27.128.89: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1298
| date = December 2, 2013
| title = Exoplanet Neighborhood
| image = exoplanet_neighborhood.png
| titletext = It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Why the empty space around Earth?}}
The diagram is a graphically represented prediction of properties of hypothetical nearby exoplanets (planets not in our solar system), based on the assumption that the exoplanets that are currently known have a distribution of orbits, sizes, and star types that is similar to the actual distribution. Astronomers are particularly interested in exoplanets within 60 light years of Earth which lie in a {{w|Circumstellar habitable zone|habitable zone}}; that is, a planet whose orbit is within a certain range of distance from a star such that water could exist in a liquid state. Since almost all life on Earth (which is the only place we've actually found life thus far) depends on liquid water in some way, these planets are considered the most likely to support life. The diagram categorizes exoplanets in two ways. The disc's color indicates the characteristics of the central star, with a reddish tone indicating (hypothetical) planets that orbit stars similar in characteristics to our sun, while grey indicates those that don't. The disc's size indicates the (hypothetical) exoplanet's size, with planets similar to Earth's size depicted in a slightly darker shade of either color.

It appears that the diagram is intended to cause the viewer to conclude that there are a significant number of Earth-sized planets orbiting Sun-type stars which could be habitable (and even more possibly-habitable planets around other types of stars or in other sizes).

The title text, "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!" is an allusion to the former PBS television show [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Rogers'_Neighborhood "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood"] in which the same line presents itself in the opening song, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Rogers'_Neighborhood#Regular_songs "Won't You Be My Neighbor?"].

The comic is a link to a larger version of the comic, found [http://xkcd.com/1298/large/ here].

==Transcript==
:'''OUR NEIGHBORHOOD'''
:A portrait of all habitable-zone planets within 60 light-years of Earth (constructed from statistical data on typical planet sizes and orbits)

:[The image shows many planets in different colors and a legend shows planets at different sizes.]
:Planets around sun-like stars
:Planets around other stars
:[A marker on both sides:]
:Earth-sized planets

:[Center of the image.]
:Earth
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Large drawings]]

1298: Exoplanet Neighborhood

2013-12-02T18:46:43Z

199.27.128.89: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1298
| date = December 2, 2013
| title = Exoplanet Neighborhood
| image = exoplanet_neighborhood.png
| titletext = It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Why the empty space around Earth?}}
The diagram is a graphically represented prediction of properties of hypothetical nearby exoplanets (planets not in our solar system), based on the assumption that the exoplanets that are currently known have a distribution of orbits, sizes, and star types that is similar to the actual distribution. Astronomers are particularly interested in exoplanets within 60 light years of Earth which lie in a {{w|Circumstellar habitable zone|habitable zone}}; that is, a planet whose orbit is within a certain range of distance from a star such that water could exist in a liquid state. Since almost all life on Earth (which is the only place we've actually found life thus far) depends on liquid water in some way, these planets are considered the most likely to support life. The diagram categorizes exoplanets in two ways. The disc's color indicates the characteristics of the central star, with a reddish tone indicating (hypothetical) planets that orbit stars similar in characteristics to our sun, while grey indicates those that don't. The disc's size indicates the (hypothetical) exoplanet's size, with planets similar to Earth's size depicted in a slightly darker shade of either color.

It appears that the diagram is intended to cause the viewer to conclude that there are a significant number of Earth-sized planets orbiting Sun-type stars which could be habitable (and even more possibly-habitable planets around other types of stars or in other sizes).

The former title of the comic "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!" is an allusion to the former PBS television show [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Rogers'_Neighborhood "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood"] in which the same line presents itself in the opening song, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Rogers'_Neighborhood#Regular_songs "Won't You Be My Neighbor?"].

The comic is a link to a larger version of the comic, found [http://xkcd.com/1298/large/ here].

==Transcript==
:'''OUR NEIGHBORHOOD'''
:A portrait of all habitable-zone planets within 60 light-years of Earth (constructed from statistical data on typical planet sizes and orbits)

:[The image shows many planets in different colors and a legend shows planets at different sizes.]
:Planets around sun-like stars
:Planets around other stars
:[A marker on both sides:]
:Earth-sized planets

:[Center of the image.]
:Earth
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Large drawings]]

1298: Exoplanet Neighborhood

2013-12-02T18:46:08Z

199.27.128.89: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1298
| date = December 2, 2013
| title = Exoplanet Neighborhood
| image = exoplanet_neighborhood.png
| titletext = It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Why the empty space around Earth?}}
The diagram is a graphically represented prediction of properties of hypothetical nearby exoplanets (planets not in our solar system), based on the assumption that the exoplanets that are currently known have a distribution of orbits, sizes, and star types that is similar to the actual distribution. Astronomers are particularly interested in exoplanets within 60 light years of Earth which lie in a {{w|Circumstellar habitable zone|habitable zone}}; that is, a planet whose orbit is within a certain range of distance from a star such that water could exist in a liquid state. Since almost all life on Earth (which is the only place we've actually found life thus far) depends on liquid water in some way, these planets are the most likely to support life. The diagram categorizes exoplanets in two ways. The disc's color indicates the characteristics of the central star, with a reddish tone indicating (hypothetical) planets that orbit stars similar in characteristics to our sun, while grey indicates those that don't. The disc's size indicates the (hypothetical) exoplanet's size, with planets similar to Earth's size depicted in a slightly darker shade of either color.

It appears that the diagram is intended to cause the viewer to conclude that there are a significant number of Earth-sized planets orbiting Sun-type stars which could be habitable (and even more possibly-habitable planets around other types of stars or in other sizes).

The former title of the comic "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!" is an allusion to the former PBS television show [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Rogers'_Neighborhood "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood"] in which the same line presents itself in the opening song, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Rogers'_Neighborhood#Regular_songs "Won't You Be My Neighbor?"].

The comic is a link to a larger version of the comic, found [http://xkcd.com/1298/large/ here].

==Transcript==
:'''OUR NEIGHBORHOOD'''
:A portrait of all habitable-zone planets within 60 light-years of Earth (constructed from statistical data on typical planet sizes and orbits)

:[The image shows many planets in different colors and a legend shows planets at different sizes.]
:Planets around sun-like stars
:Planets around other stars
:[A marker on both sides:]
:Earth-sized planets

:[Center of the image.]
:Earth
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Large drawings]]

1296: Git Commit

2013-11-27T17:14:30Z

199.27.128.89: /* Explanation */ )

{{comic
| number = 1296
| date = November 27, 2013
| title = Git Commit
| image = git_commit.png
| titletext = Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final
}}

==Explanation==

This comic refers to the {{w|Git (software)|Git}} source code revision control software, in which multiple users can upload source code for a shared project (sort of like {{w|Google Docs}} for coding). A {{w|wikt:commit#Noun|''commit''}} is a saved version in a Git repository; commits come with "commit messages," which are supposed to describe what the commit does (similar to the edit summaries used on {{w|MediaWiki}} sites such as ''explain xkcd'' and on [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1296:_Git_Commit&action=history this explanation]). [[Randall]], however, finds himself losing interest in the commit messages the more code he writes, and winds up just using placeholder text or jokes to himself. Presumably, this is because his separate commits are part of a large effort that can't be effectively summarized, and where there's no particular urgent need to differentiate the commits. Seeing as in this context 12 hours of coding can be considered "dragging on," it's safe to assume that the kinds of commits Randall is talking about are not for some major in-production project, nor for something that a lot of other people are working on. In both of those cases, one would be much more likely to use descriptive commit messages, since you want to flag things that are important, either from a technical standpoint (e.g. "fix the thing that's making the site not work") or for the benefit of others who want to know which commits they should be paying attention to.

The phrase "Merge branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf' into sdkjfls-final" mimics the phrasing used by Git. A ''branch'' is a specific sequence of commits which can be made in parallel to other branches of development, and later merged together. Here, we see that Randall has also gotten lazy with his branch names: "branch 'asdfasjkfdlas/alkdjf'" might be the series of two commits starting with "HERE HAVE CODE". "sdkjfls-final" could be the branch indicated by the vertical string of circles on the left, into which the other more branch is merged in commit "ADKFJSLKDFJSDKLFJ".

Most git tools show the commit history with the most recent commits first, so showing the oldest first like this would require something like the <code>--reverse</code> option

The comments go from being pretty detailed as to his thoughts and reasons for the code ("Enabled config file parsing"), to relatively uninformative summaries ("Misc bugfixes"), to completely uninformative words ("More code"), and then finally he doesn't even bother trying to come up with words, instead just hitting a key ("AAAAAAAAAAAAAA") or semi-random keys ("ADKFJSLKDFJSDKLFJ"), then goes back to typing words but words that have a bit of a craziness to them rather than having anything to do with describing the code ("My hands are typing words"). The "ADKFJSLKDFJSDKLFJ" line and similar garbage in the title text comes from having your hands on the "{{w|home row}}" on a standard {{w|QWERTY}} keyboard, then hitting "random" keys without moving your fingers from their standard home row positions. The keys you hit "randomly" will be combinations of A, S, D, and F on the left hand, and J, K, L, and ; on the right hand (although he seems to have avoided the ; key for some reason). It is common to see stuff like that when a person is required to type something -- i.e. a mandatory field -- but they have no interest in typing anything meaningful or no idea what to write, so they just hit the easiest keys to hit and call it done.

==Transcript==
{| class="wikitable"
! 
!Comment
!Date
|-
|(main)||Created main loop & timing control||14 hours ago
|-
|(main)||Enabled config file parsing||9 hours ago
|-
|(main)||Misc bugfixes||5 hours ago
|-
|(main)||Code additions/edits||4 hours ago
|-
|(main)||More code||4 hours ago
|-
|(branch)||Here have code||4 hours ago
|-
|(branch)||aaaaaaaaa||3 hours ago
|-
|(main)||adkfjslkdfjsdklfj||3 hours ago
|-
|(main)||My hands are typing words||2 hours ago
|-
|(main)||Haaaaaaaaands||2 hours ago
|}
As a project drags on, my Git commit messages get less and less informative.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]

Talk:1295: New Study

2013-11-25T17:37:14Z

199.27.128.89: Superiority complex anyone?

There was a joke in Czech Republic a few years ago: American scientists discovered, that 80% Europeans believe in everything that starts with: "American scientists discovered". {{unsigned|‎Jiří Dobrý}}

The main reason why the Browser Usage hoax was so successful is that it's very plausible. Especially regarding the old versions of Internet Explorer. How can people still be using crap like IE 6.0?
:Because 86% of people just use computers as a tool that comes as-is, without wanting to understand how it works and/or could be modified.[[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 15:11, 25 November 2013 (UTC)
:"''How can people still be using crap like IE 6.0?''" That's like asking how people could still be using crap like a single-flux nonwidget carburetor. Don't they realize that's so out of date? Answer, of course not. To the VAST majority of people aren't, and don't need to be, aware of what version of a browser they use any more than teh vast majority of people don't know (or need to) what components are under the hood of their car. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.89|199.27.128.89]] 17:37, 25 November 2013 (UTC)

Note that I find hard to believe this was created due to something happening in 2011. While related, I would assume there was some other, more recent study this reacts to. [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/10/131003-bohannon-science-spoof-open-access-peer-review-cancer/] ? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:01, 25 November 2013 (UTC)

New to editing. Trying to add this line and it isn't showing up. I believe this is the event he's referring to. <nowiki>* [http://eldeforma.com/2012/08/27/samsung-paga-multa-de-1-billon-de-dolares-a-apple-en-monedas-de-5-centavos/#axzz2lfjwKjjt Samsung pays $1bn USD fine to Apple with 20 billion 5 cent coins]: widely reported on news networks in November 2013</nowiki> [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.54|108.162.216.54]] 15:47, 25 November 2013 (UTC)Eastwood

Nevermind... figured it out. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.54|108.162.216.54]] 15:49, 25 November 2013 (UTC)Eastwood

1293: Job Interview

2013-11-20T17:14:06Z

199.27.128.89: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1293
| date = November 20, 2013
| title = Job Interview
| image = job_interview.png
| titletext = When you talk about the job experience you'll give me, why do you pronounce 'job' with a long 'o'?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete}}
Following on from [[1032: Networking|his attempts at networking]], [[Beret Guy]] conducts an interview for a programmer position (someone to "write on our computers") at his mysteriously successful company.

The comic makes fun of a virtual economy where any actual connection to goods or services vanishes. The purported "company headquarters" look suspiciously like a fast-food place, although the online soup (a take on soup.io[http://soup.io]?) makes it somewhat more nerdy.

The label is a variation on the countless humorous signs near wall outlets and faucets.

The title text makes reference to the story of [[wikipedia:Job (biblical figure)|Job]] ("Job" pronounced with a long O), who was put through some horrendous ordeals by God to test his faith. This suggests that taking the job will make the interviewee feel like Job.

==Transcript==
:[Beret Guy ushers a prospective employee into a room.]
:Beret Guy: Welcome to our company! We're headquartered right here, in this real building I found.

:[They sit down at a table carrying dishes. There is a wall outlet with a lopsided sign SOUP.]
:Interviewee: What do you...''do''?
:Beret Guy: We make stuff for phones!
:Beret Guy: Like apps and stickers.

:Beret Guy: We want to hire you to write stuff on our computers.
:Beret Guy: We can offer you a bunch of paychecks!
:Beret Guy: There are ghosts here.

:Interviewee: Are you sure this is a company?
:Beret Guy: I hope so!

:[Beret Guy plugs a cable into the wall outlet, a liquid pours into a soup bowl.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]