explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3173: Satellite Imagery

2025-11-26T21:51:45Z

2001:4C4E:1C08:2800:DC6F:548F:9B29:AAE1: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3173
| date = November 26, 2025
| title = Satellite Imagery
| image = satellite_imagery_2x.png
| imagesize = 429x526px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Every weekend I take an ATV out into the desert and spend a day tracing a faint "(C) GOOGLE 2009" watermark across the landscape.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

A big image of a desert is shown, having large squares on the left side the two conspiracy theorists claim is blocky imagery of an unknown facility, but may be a square made from colored squares much larger than the accuracy of the imagery.

In the title text Cueball aims to further confuse the remote sensing people by drawing a {{w|Watermark}} in the sand, leading people to believe the picture was taking in 2009.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[[Cueball]] and [[Ponytail]] are standing in front of a board, which is displaying a satellite image of an empty area. However, in the middle of the image there is a square area which is pixelated as if it had been redacted.]

:Cueball: Wait, when was this imagery taken? Is this censorship the work of the contractor? One of our people? '''''Foreign agents?'''''
:Ponytail: Do we know who's operating a facility at that location?
:Cueball: We can't find '''''anything'''''.

:[Caption:]
:My hobby: Setting up big colored panels in the middle of nowhere as a prank on remote sensing people.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:My Hobby]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theory]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
</noinclude>

3173: Satellite Imagery

2025-11-26T21:46:29Z

2001:4C4E:1C08:2800:DC6F:548F:9B29:AAE1:

{{comic
| number = 3173
| date = November 26, 2025
| title = Satellite Imagery
| image = satellite_imagery_2x.png
| imagesize = 429x526px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Every weekend I take an ATV out into the desert and spend a day tracing a faint "(C) GOOGLE 2009" watermark across the landscape.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

In the title text Cueball aims to further confuse the remote sensing people by drawing a {{w|Watermark}} in the sand, leading people to believe the picture was taking in 2009.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

:[[Cueball]] and [[Ponytail]] are standing in front of a board, which is displaying a satellite image of an empty area. However, in the middle of the image there is a square area which is pixelated as if it had been redacted.]

:Cueball: Wait, when was this imagery taken? Is this censorship the work of the contractor? One of our people? '''''Foreign agents?'''''
:Ponytail: Do we know who's operating a facility at that location?
:Cueball: We can't find '''''anything'''''.

:[Caption:]
:My hobby: Setting up big colored panels in the middle of nowhere as a prank on remote sensing people.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Conspiracy theory]]
</noinclude>

Talk:3173: Satellite Imagery

2025-11-26T21:44:26Z

2001:4C4E:1C08:2800:DC6F:548F:9B29:AAE1:

This is another comic in the ''My Hobby'' series, and is also about pranking conspiracy theorists. [[Special:Contributions/2001:4C4E:1C08:2800:DC6F:548F:9B29:AAE1|2001:4C4E:1C08:2800:DC6F:548F:9B29:AAE1]] 21:43, 26 November 2025 (UTC)

Talk:3173: Satellite Imagery

2025-11-26T21:43:42Z

2001:4C4E:1C08:2800:DC6F:548F:9B29:AAE1:

This is another comic in the ''My Hobby'' series. [[Special:Contributions/2001:4C4E:1C08:2800:DC6F:548F:9B29:AAE1|2001:4C4E:1C08:2800:DC6F:548F:9B29:AAE1]] 21:43, 26 November 2025 (UTC)