3113: Fix This Sign

2025-07-29T13:22:48Z

2603:800C:1200:596A:942:2A20:D4F0:EB26: /* Explanation */ sadly no, essential commands from early MS-DOS (CP/M even) reserve the use of the forward slash as a switch prefix

{{comic
| number = 3113
| date = July 9, 2025
| title = Fix This Sign
| image = fix_this_sign_2x.png
| imagesize = 448x405px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = We're building on our earlier success getting web developers to pay to change the backslashes in our displayed payment URL to forward slashes.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Could someone who knows what "Win32-to-NT path conversions" are explain it? (title text)}}

[[Randall Munroe|Randall]] has created a sign with a number of issues, such as bad kerning and alignment, that {{w|graphic designer}}s might be disturbed by. Fortunately these graphic designers can donate money to have the sign's issues fixed (which is possibly an improvement upon the situation invoked in the case of [[2598: Graphic Designers]]). [[2008: Irony Definition|Ironically]], once all the errors are fixed, the sign won't make sense any more, requesting money for fixes that have already been made.

The relative values assigned to each 'fix' are presumably proportional to at least one observer's perceived degree of issue with each 'mistake'. Given the costs of printing a sign of this size, Randall may have severely underpriced his fixes and set up his business to fail, if he intends to honour the pledges. He may be relying on there being a ''lot'' of passing graphic designers, generating multiple 'doanations' for each issue. Perhaps he will only fix them if a certain total amount of money is raised. This would be similar to the {{w|Kickstarter}} model, where people can donate at different levels and multiple people can donate at the same level, but the project will only be undertaken if a certain total amount of money is raised. If that total is not raised, nobody gets charged and the project is cancelled. One would hope the QR code would lead to a page detailing whether that's the case, what the total amount raised would need to be to be worth undertaking the fixes, or otherwise explaining how the <s>scam</s> project works. The following paid solutions to deliberate issues are advertised:

;Fix kerning ($10) :{{w|Kerning}} refers to the spacing between letters in a {{w|typeface}}, previously addressed in [[1015: Kerning]]. Kerning issues can result in letters in text appearing too far apart, as if there were a space in between, or too close, as if the letters were merged. In some instances, combinations of letters can appear like other letters. A well known example of this is the r and n merging into an m. (For example, "kerning" might appear as "keming", which is hinted at in the comic with the R and N close together, although here they are in uppercase, so this merging doesn't happen.)
:In this instance, the N and I in this word are very close together in this actual item, as a self-demonstrating issue. In the sign's title, the I and S (in "THIS") are too far apart and the S and the I (in "SIGN") are too close to each other. 

;Align columns ($20) :Here the dollar amount and the text itself do not {{w|typographic alignment|align}} in columns with the other entries, which disrupts the flow of the eye down the list, making it harder to read.

;Fix text size ($20) :The {{w|Point_(typography)|size}} of this entry is smaller than the rest of the other entries. As with the misaligned columns, such variances could be displeasing to the eye or distracting.

;Fix typo ($50) :The title of the sign says "'''Doanate''' to fix this sign!" Someone who is easily annoyed by random typos could be compelled to donate just to get the typo fixed.

;Fix centering ($50) :The content of the sign is off-center, leaving larger gaps to the left than to the right.

;Fix rotation ($100): The content of the sign slopes slightly down from left to right. For example, in the title "doanate" is higher than "sign", and the {{w|QR code}} 'graphic' is noticeably off-square.

;Title text: The title text refers to another common annoyance in a different field: that of website developers and, specifically, weblinks. {{w|URL}}s are defined to use forward slashes (/) rather than {{w|backslash}}es (\), which are used in Windows {{w|Path_(computing)|pathnames}}. Due to the widespread usage of both URLs and Windows pathnames, it is not uncommon for someone to mistakenly use backslashes in URLs, which isn't always supported. This annoyance was also discussed in [[727: Trade Expert]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[A single panel containing a large, elevated sign with Ponytail standing in front of it.]

:[Title, slightly off horizontal, more to the right than central and the character spacing is not entirely consistent/aesthetic:] <big>Doanate[sic] to fix this sign!</big>

:[To the left of the lower part of the sign there is an 'QR code', tilted slightly with a plaintext link beneath it:] https://[illegible].com

:[To the right are several dollar values, in one column, and 'fixes', in a second, some of which have their own self-demonstrating quirks.]
::[The letters "R" and "N" may be too close together:] $10 fix kerning
::[Both dollar value and fix text are shifted left of their respective columns:] $20 align columns
::[This line is in a smaller font:] <small>$20 fix text size</small>
::$50 fix typo
::$50 fix centering
::$100 fix rotation

:[Ponytail stands looking at the sign, apparently in the process of using a smartphone:] Grrr...

:[Caption below panel:] My new company's business model is based on extorting graphic designers.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Graphic designers]]

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3113: Fix This Sign