explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

668: Pandora

2013-04-05T14:46:14Z

217.246.74.113:

{{comic
| number = 668
| date = November 27, 2009
| title = Pandora
| image = pandora.png
| titletext = What? Oh, no, the 'Enchanted' soundtrack was just playing because Pandora's algorithms are terrible. [silence] ... (quietly) That's how you knooooooow ...
}}

==Explanation==
Pandora (also known as Pandora Internet Radio) is website which automatically plays songs of a certain genre based upon the user's previous musical selections. Unlike normal radio, it adapts itself teach individual user's preferences. While possible to skip a song in Pandora, it is not possible to choose songs. While Pandora will nearly always play music that one likes, it does not know when to play certain song over others. This results in embarrassing songs being played with equal frequency to songs which one would be comfortable listening to with others in the room. However, it feels like these embarrassing songs are played only when another person is in the room.

==Transcript==
:[There is a venn diagram of two circles. The left circle is labeled "Music You Like." The right circle is labeled "Deeply Embarrassing Music." The segment on the left is labeled "What Pandora Plays," and the intersection is labeled "What Pandora Plays If Anyone Is Around."]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Venn diagrams]]
[[Category:Music]]]

112: Baring My Heart

2013-04-05T14:43:57Z

217.246.74.113:

{{comic
| number = 112
| date = June 7, 2006
| title = Baring My Heart
| image = baring_my_heart.png
| imagesize =
| titletext = I'm just trying to explain, please don't be jealous! Man, why are all my relationships ruined by early 90's rappers?
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, [[Randall Munroe|Randall]] presents a {{w|Venn diagram}}, which is a logical diagram that illustrates the relationship between multiple sets. The diagram is usually used when sets overlap. In other words, a Venn diagram of "even numbers" and "numbers divisible by 5" would have 2, 4, 6, 8, 12…. In one circle, 5, 15, 25… in another circle, and 10, 20, 30… in the intersection of the circles (as those numbers fit into both sets).

Here we have a three-set diagram which Randall has purportedly created to explain his feelings to his love interest.

The three sets are: i) People who can always make him smile; ii) people he wants to spend the rest of his life with and iii) people who constantly show him new things to love about the world. In the union of these three sets is "you" – his love interest, all three of those statements apply to her.

Normally this might be a cute way of simply implying that he has these three feelings about her, without including any other elements in any of the sets. However, here, Randall has included one other element: {{w|Vanilla Ice}} (an early 1990s rapper) is shown to also constantly show Randall new things to love about the world, and is also someone Randall wants to spend the rest of his life with (although Vanilla Ice doesn't always make him smile).

Vanilla Ice is a Caucasian rapper who was most popular in the early 1990s with his song "{{w|Ice Ice Baby}}". He was frequently mocked as a very "white" rapper. He is obviously an unexpected name to turn up in this diagram.

Apparently Randall's love interest didn't take too well to Randall professing similar feelings for Vanilla Ice as he did for her, causing some friction in their relationship. The title text suggests that other 90s rappers have similarly affected Randall's past relationships.

==Transcript==
:[A venn diagram with three sets]
:Description of set 1: People who can always make me smile
:Description of set 2: People who constantly show me new things about the world
:Description of set 3: People I want to spend the rest of my life with
:Intersection point: YOU.
:Intersection of sets 2 and 3: Vanilla Ice
{{Comic discussion}}
[[Category:Venn diagram]]
[[Category:Romance]]
[[Category:Math]]

747: Geeks and Nerds

2013-04-05T14:38:49Z

217.246.74.113:

{{comic
| number = 747
| date = May 31, 2010
| title = Geeks and Nerds
| image = geeks and nerds.png
| titletext = The definitions I grew up with were that a geek is someone unusually into something (so you could have computer geeks, baseball geeks, theater geeks, etc) and nerds are (often awkward) science, math, or computer geeks. But definitions vary.
}}

==Explanation==
The words "geek" and "nerd" are both commonly used to describe people who are looked down upon due to being too intelligent and not socially conventional enough. Distinction between the two varies, but it commonly involves differences in range of interests, depth of interests, choice of hobbies, social capability, and so on.

The title text gives Randall's personal definitions: geeks are people passionately into something to a greater extent than casual hobbyists, while nerds are analytical logic-oriented people, often with underdeveloped social skills.

The comic makes the argument that if you care a lot about the distinction between a geek or a nerd, then you are way too invested in the result to not be both a geek and a nerd. There is also the possibility that you are a linguistics geek, but given the {{w|Disputes in English grammar|more pressing controversies linguistic geeks have to deal with}}, the strong interest one might have in the words "geek" and "nerd" is probably one only a <del>nerd</del> <ins>geek</ins> would have.

==Transcript==
:[There is a two-circle Venn diagram; the left circle is labeled "Geeks," the right "Nerds." The intersection is labeled "People with strong opinions on the distinction between geeks and nerds."]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Venn diagram]]

773: University Website

2013-04-05T14:38:46Z

217.246.74.113:

{{comic
| number = 773
| date = July 30, 2010
| title = University Website
| image = university website.png
| titletext = People go to the website because they can't wait for the next alumni magazine, right? What do you mean, you want a campus map? One of our students made one as a CS class project back in '01! You can click to zoom and everything!
}}

==Explanation==
This comic indicates that there is often a significant disparity between what a university displays on the front page of its website and what users -- particularly prospective students -- are primarily interested in finding there.

Some university administrators reportedly took this cartoon to heart. For further discussion of this cartoon, see [http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/08/04/websites Inside Higher Ed], [http://dylanwilbanks.com/blog/2010/07/30/this-is-my-truth-tell-me-yours/ DylanWilbanks.com], and [http://doteduguru.com/id5577-redesign-your-university-website-according-to-xkcd.html .eduGuru].

==Transcript==
:[A venn diagram. The left circle is labeled "Things on the front page of a university website" and contains "campus photo slideshow," "alumni in the news," "promotions for campus events," "press releases," "statement of the school's philosophy," "letter from the president," and "virtual tour."]

:[The right circle is labeled "Things people go to the site looking for" and contains "list of faculty phone numbers and emails," "campus address," "application forms," "academic calendar," "campus police phone number," "department course lists," "parking information," and "usable campus map."]

:[The only item in the overlapping section is "full name of school."]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Venn diagram]]