explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1269: Privacy Opinions

2013-09-25T13:37:43Z

63.85.81.254:

Sometimes I think all my burritos are imaginary. [[User:Nathkingcole|Nathkingcole]] ([[User talk:Nathkingcole|talk]]) 11:55, 25 September 2013 (UTC)Nat.

This may be pointless, but Kudos to 63.85.81.254's edit. [[User:Saibot84|Saibot84]] ([[User talk:Saibot84|talk]]) 13:13, 25 September 2013 (UTC)
:This may be offensive, but Redeemer's edit was both excellent and necessary. [[Special:Contributions/96.254.46.231|96.254.46.231]] 13:26, 25 September 2013 (UTC)
::I wouldn't call it offensive (outside the language); it's simply opinionated. Thanks Saibot84. [[Special:Contributions/63.85.81.254|63.85.81.254]] 13:37, 25 September 2013 (UTC)

I have an opinion, but I'm keeping it private for now. [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 13:24, 25 September 2013 (UTC)

One mention of the NSA, one mention of Google. I'm not sure how Randall's politics are relevant, or how he's excusing privacy concerns, and the "explanation" says a lot about the interpretation and US-centric perspective of the poster without adding to the comic. Unless it was a deliberate parody of the conspiracy panel, not appropriate, dude. (And I'm a Brit - I definitely didn't vote for any political party in the states. But hello, Echelon.) [[User:Fluppeteer|Fluppeteer]] ([[User talk:Fluppeteer|talk]]) 13:37, 25 September 2013 (UTC)

1269: Privacy Opinions

2013-09-25T13:11:27Z

63.85.81.254: /* Explanation */ Flagged explanation as opinionated

{{comic
| number = 1269
| date = September 25, 2013
| title = Privacy Opinions
| image = privacy opinions.png
| titletext = I'm the Philosopher until someone hands me a burrito.
}}

==Explanation==
===Highly Opinionated Explanation===
''This essay contains the advice or opinions of one or more explain xkcd contributors. Essays may represent widespread norms or minority viewpoints. Consider these views with discretion.''
----

Randall Munroe is ideologically and emotionally invested in the president he voted for, and wields his intellectual influence over his audience to convince them to become indifferent to human rights violations of the United States Government, summoning various apologist platitudes to do so. The title text reveals Randall is looking to redefine the concept of privacy as one particularly shameful way to absolve Barack Obama, James Clapper and Keith Alexander from responsibility.

Fight the power. Fuck the apologists.

==Transcript==
:'''Opinions on Internet Privacy'''
:The Philosopher:
::Megan: "Privacy" is an impractical way to think about data in a digital world so unlike the one in which our soci--
::Ponytail: ''' ''So bored.'' '''
:The Crypto Nut:
::Cueball: My data is safe behind six layers of symmetric and public-key algorithms.
::Friend: What data is it?
::Cueball: Mostly me emailing with people about cryptography.
:The Conspiracist:
::Cueball talks to Megan.
::Cueball: These leaks are just the tip of the iceberg. There's a warehouse in Utah where the NSA has the ''entire'' iceberg. I don't know how they got it there.
:The Nihilist:
::Megan: Joke's on them, gathering all this data on me as if anything I do means anything.
:The Exhibitionist:
::Cueball is watching a surveillance console, Ponytail stands behind him.
::Console: ''Mmmm,'' I sure hope the NSA isn't watching me bite into these juicy strawberries!! ''Oops,'' I dripped some on my shirt! Better take it off. Google, are you there? Google, this lotion feels soooo good.
::Cueball: Um.
:The Sage:
::Beret Guy and Cueball sitting at a table.
::Beret Guy: I don't know or care what data ''anyone'' has about me. Data is imaginary. This burrito is real.

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

1256: Questions

2013-08-26T13:25:07Z

63.85.81.254: /* Explanation */ Added explanation from IMDB for Arwen's Death --~~~~

{{comic
| number = 1256
| date = August 26, 2013
| title = Questions
| image = questions.png
| titletext = To whoever typed 'why is arwen dying': GOOD. FUCKING. QUESTION.
}}

==Explanation==
Google, a rather popular internet search engine, has a feature known as auto-complete that guesses at search queries before they are fully typed out. These guesses are generally made based on popular searches by other people. From time to time, a particularly strange or hilarious one may be found, as is evidenced in this comic.

All of the questions in the comic are "why" questions, so many of them are predicated on false assumptions, such as "Why are there pyramids on the moon".

Regarding the title text: in the Peter Jackson films of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy, Arwen becomes sickly for unspecified reasons as the plot advances, apparently giving Aragorn a more personal reason to fight. The only explanation given is by Elrond, who says "As Sauron's power grows, her [Arwen's] strength wanes." (This subplot is entirely absent from the original novels.)

From [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167260/faq#.2.1.21 IMDB]: <br /><blockquote>
Arwen, like her father (and brothers) is considered to be a Half-Elf, the result of a union between an Elf and a mortal human. The Half-Elven of Middle-earth get a choice, to remain immortal and return to the West (Valinor) or to become mortal and to die as humans do. Elrond chose to remain an Elf. Arwen (like her uncle Elros) chooses to become mortal in order to wed and remain with Aragorn. Elrond senses this; this is what he means when he says that Arwen is dying. It is the same as in The Last Unicorn, when the unicorn is given the form of a human woman and can feel that she is no longer immortal ("I can feel this body dying all around me"). According to Tolkien, though, after Aragorn dies in the year 120 (Fourth Age), Arwen returns to Lórien, where she dies by choice the following winter. </blockquote>

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
:Questions found in Google autocomplete
*Why do whales jump
*Why are witches green
*Why are there mirrors above beds
*Why do I say Uh
*Why is sea salt better
*Why are there trees in the middle of fields
*Why is there not a pokemon MMO
*Why is there laughing in TV shows
*Why are there doors on the freeway
*Why are there so many SVCHOST.EXE running
*Why aren't there any countries in Antarctica
*Why are there scary sounds in Minecraft
*Why is there kicking in my stomach
*Why are there two slashes after http
*Why are there celebrities
*Why do snakes exist
*Why do oysters have pearls
*Why are ducks called ducks
*Why do they call it the clap
*Why are Kyle and Cartman friends
*Why is there an arrow on Aang's Head
*Why are text messages blue
*Why are there mustaches on clothes
*Why are there mustaches on cars
*Why are there mustaches everywhere
*Why are there so many birds in Ohio
*Why is there so much rain in Ohio
*Why is Ohio weather so wierd
*Why are there male and female bikes
*Why are there bridesmaids
*Why do dying people reach up
*Why aren't there varicose arteries
*Why are old klingons different
:Beret Guy: Why are there squirrels
*Why is programming so hard
*Why is there a 0 Ohm resistor
*Why do Americans hate soccer
*Why od rhymes sound good
*Why do trees die
*Why is there no sound on CNN
*Why aren't Pokemon real
*Why aren't bullets sharp
*Why do dreams seem so real
*Why do testicles move
*Why are there psychics
*Why are hats so expensive
*Why is there caffeine in my shampoo
*Why do your boobs hurt
*Why aren't economists rick
*Why do Americans call it soccer
*Why are my ears ringing
*Why are there so many avengers
*Why are the Avengers fighting the X-Men
*Why is Wolverine not in the Avengers
*Why are there ants in my laptop
*Why is Earth tilted
*Why is space black
*Why is outer space so cold
*Why are there pyramids on the moon
*Why is NASA shutting down
*Why are there tiny spiders in my houise
*Why do spiders come inside
*Why are there huge spiders in my house
*Why are there lots of spiders in my house
*Why are there spiders in my room
*Why are there so many spiders in my room
*Why do spider bits itch
*Why is dying so scary
*Why is there no GPS in laptops
*Why do knees click
*Why aren't there E grades
*Why is isolation bad
*Why do boys like me
*Why don't boys like me
*Why is there always a Java update
*Why are there red dots on my thighs
*Why is lying good
:Cueball: Why is sex so important
*Why are there slaves in the bible
*Why do twins have different fingerprints
*Why are Americans afraid of dragons
*Why are there swarms of gnats
*Why is there phlegm
*Why are there so many crows in Rochester, MN
*Why is psychic weak to bug
*Why do children get cancer
*Why is poseidon angry with odysseus
*Why is there ice in space
:Megan: Why are there ghosts
*Why is there an owl in my backyard
*Why is there an owl outside my window
*Why is there an owl on the dollar bill
*Why do owls attack people
*Why are AK47s so expensive
*Why are there helicopters circling my house
*Why are there gods
*Why are there two spocks
*Why is Mt Vesuvius there
*Why do they say T Minus
*Why are there obelisks
*Why are wrestlers always wet
*Why are oceans becoming more acidic
*Why is Arwen dying
*Why aren't my quail laying eggs
*Why aren't my qual eggs hatching
*Why aren't there any foreign military bases in America
*Why is HTTPS crossed out in red
*Why is there a line through HTTPS
*Why is there a red line throught HTTPS on Facebook
*Why is HTTPS important
:Cueball: Why aren't my arms growing
*Why are my boobs itchy
*Why are cigarettes legal
*Why are the ducks in my pool
*Why is Jesus white
*Why is there liquid in my ear
*Why do Q Tips feel good
*Why do good people die
:Ponytail: Why aren't there guns in Harry Potter
*Why are ultrasounds important
*Why are ultrasound machines expensive
*Why is stealing wrong
:(The following are vertical.)
*Why are there weeks
*Why do I feel dizzy
*Why is YKK on all zippers
*Why are trees tall
*Why do iguanas die
*Why aren't there dinosaur ghosts
*Why are dogs afraid of fireworks
*Why is there no king in England
*Why is life so boring
*Why is there lava
*Why are there female Mr Mimes
*Why is GPS free
*Why is there Hell if God forgives

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Large drawings]]
[[Category:LOTR]]