explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3124: Grounded

2025-08-04T20:58:40Z

8Bit Cat: starting the page off

{{comic
| number = 3124
| date = August 4, 2025
| title = Grounded
| image = grounded_2x.png
| imagesize = 294x335px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = We should have you at the gate in just under two hours--two and a half if we get pulled over.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently by a COP ASKING IF THE PILOT KNOWS WHY THEY WERE PULLED OVER. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic depicts a plane that has been delayed due to unfavourable weather. The pilot and first officer have considered simply driving to the destination instead of waiting for favorable weather to fly, noting that they have considered their max taxing speed and bridge clearance heights. Driving a plane is impractical and illegal due to the size of the vehicle.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
[Plane connected to airport in picture]
This is your captain speaking. As you've probably noticed, we're still grounded due to weather
but the first officer and I have been looking at bridge clearance maps and our top taxing speed, And we have an idea.
[Voice is coming from the plane]

[Title text]
We should have you at the gate in just under two hours--two and a half if we get pulled over.
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

Talk:647: Scary

2025-08-02T02:25:21Z

8Bit Cat:

Not wishing to detract from the gravity of the 9/11 events (expounded at very great length), but the first thing we read, "...never found the ghosts head", is perhaps a lighter parody of the kind of endings that accompany "It was a dark and stormy night..." at the start. Usually in a ghost and/or a horror story (headless ghosts aside) it's usually a newly-found ''corpse'' whose head is missing. Hence there's strange imagery involved in the concept of a decapitated ghost (as opposed to a ghost of a decapitee). It ''could'' have been an interestingly compounded set of tropes, of course, but given its apparent lameness it probably wasn't. [[Special:Contributions/178.99.247.73|178.99.247.73]] 17:22, 21 May 2013 (UTC)
:They never found any traces of firemen in the ruins of the twin towers did they? No fireproof, extremely hardwearing clothing, nor axes, gas cylinders etc.? Horrific or what?
:And the layer at the top of the mounds should have contained some traces of human DNA. Right?
:That's more horrific. {{unsigned|Weatherlawyer}}

Using movies as a reference for making people feel old and scared about how fast time flies was used also in http://xkcd.com/891/ --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.31|108.162.229.31]] 12:03, 15 May 2014 (UTC)

Children born after xkcd first came out are now old enough to have this conversation.
[[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.183|173.245.56.183]] 19:12, 5 May 2015 (UTC)

: Warning: it is not a good idea to consider how much further we are from this comic, than this comic was from the events it describes. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.68.4|172.69.68.4]] 18:26, 23 September 2021 (UTC)

I was born after 9/11, yet I am old enough to read this comic.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.30|141.101.104.30]]

Two years from now, people born after the turn of the millennium will start to graduate high school. [[User:International Space Station|International Space Station]] ([[User talk:International Space Station|talk]]) 05:16, 22 April 2016 (UTC)

I just saw this comic (again) today, and also a highlighted [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blick_von_Williamsburg,_Brooklyn,_auf_Manhattan,_11._September_2001 German wikipedia article] regarding [https://www.lempertz.com/typo3temp/_processed_/csm_Lempertz-1098-156-Photography-Thomas-Hoepker-View-from-Williamsburg-B_f9b5c7e8cf.jpg a photography] of the smoke clouds. The look/stlye of the people in it (their appearing carelessnes was also discussed in the article) made it clear to me again how LONG this was ago. People looked as in "Full house" or "Friends". (Another take - not related to the photopgraphy - is, that the time between the fall of the Berlin wall, and the attack on the WTC was far less than the time since the attack.) --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 09:02, 24 January 2020 (UTC)

A comment on the actual comic instead of the passage of time ... nobody mentioned Cueball's skull imploding in the last panel? [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 11:58, 8 May 2022 (UTC)
:I read it as a furrowed forehead. Albeit that a non-linedrawing head does this with mostly just by wrinkles that emerge as the face frowns, the options for portraying this with Randall's penmanship of semi-ovoid heads (surprisingly expressive, you can get the direction and attitude from the sweep of the 'brush'!) requires something different.
:As an 'early' comic, I think it is different from how contemporary ones would do it. Some 'grizzle' lines emanating from the character's head, or floating punctuation. Perhaps even finer forehead lines on the (already more nuanced) head-space?
:Though modern Cueballs don't tend to face the 'camera' as much as this one does. With exceptions, they tend to be more in profile (however much up and down they may face, it's often more left/right than here). I have an image in mind of a "straight towards the reader" cueball head... I can't remember which comic it might have been, but it was early-to-mid era and not at all recent. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.77|172.70.162.77]] 14:26, 8 May 2022 (UTC)

I was born after this comic, yet I am old enough to read (and edit) this comic. Greetings from the future! [[User:SilverTheTerribleMathematician|SilverTheTerribleMathematician]] ([[User talk:SilverTheTerribleMathematician|talk]]) 17:52, 6 December 2022 (UTC)

I am an adult capable of purchasing alcohol and I don't remember Micheal Jackson alive.

Talk:647: Scary

2025-08-02T02:24:04Z

8Bit Cat:

Talk:647: Scary

2025-08-02T02:23:09Z

8Bit Cat: making people feel old is kinda the whole thing here.

146: Join Myspace

2025-07-06T09:35:36Z

8Bit Cat: Myspace didn't get a massive resurgence after 2019

{{comic
| number = 146
| date = August 21, 2006
| title = Join Myspace
| image = join_myspace.png
| titletext = I really shouldn't abuse that power so heavily.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic refers to the 1980s TV/comic series {{w|Care Bears|''Care Bears''}}, in which various cuddly bears in rainbow colors go on missions to save the world. The characters' ultimate weapon is the "Care Bear Stare," in which the Bears stand together and radiate light from their respective tummy symbols. These combine to form a ray of love and good cheer that could bring care and joy into the target's heart. Of course, [[Black Hat]]'s carebearstare is far more lethal.

[[Cueball]] is trying to convince Black Hat to create an account at {{w|Myspace}}, a networking site, but Black Hat isn't interested. When Black Hat gets annoyed by Cueball's persuasions, he activates his "carebearstare," thus overthrowing Cueball's request to be friends on myspace.

One possible explanation for Black Hat's odd choice of weaponry is that he is mocking Cueball. The phrase "Please? I'll friend you" sounds like an average preschooler's coaxing (along the lines of "Please? I'll be your friend!"). Therefore, Black Hat may feel that Cueball's remarks seem childish and deserve a childish backlash.

On a nostalgic note, considering the state of social media in the 2010s and 2020s, Black Hat is just really good at foreshadowing.

In the title text, Black Hat reflects that he uses his carebearstare power too much, possibly as a form of apology to Cueball.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is talking to Black Hat.]
:Cueball: Dude, you should get on MySpace.
:Black Hat: Eh, I don't think so.

:Cueball: C'mon. There's no real reason not to except snobbiness. It's the new social scene.
:Black Hat: I know. I'm just not interested.

:Cueball: Please? I'll friend you.
:Black Hat: Carebearstare.
:Cueball: What?

:[Black Hat shoots a rainbow colored ray from his chest - the Care Bear Stare. It throws Cueball to the edge of the panel, pinned to the wall.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Social networking]]

2810: How to Coil a Cable

2025-06-29T11:16:45Z

8Bit Cat:

{{comic
| number = 2810
| date = August 2, 2023
| title = How to Coil a Cable
| image = how_to_coil_a_cable_2x.png
| imagesize = 366x713px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The ideal mix for maximum competitive cable-coiling energy is one A/V tech, one rock climber, one sailor, and one topologist.
}}

==Explanation==
When long cables or ropes are stored, it's recommended that they be wrapped into neat coils. Not only does this look less messy,{{Citation needed}} but it reduces the danger that cables become entangled with themselves and with other cables nearby. However, simply wrapping the whole thing in the same direction introduces twists into the body of the cable. Over time, these twists can permanently deform and even damage the cable.

In this strip, [[Cueball]] demonstrates his method for dealing with such problematic cables: he loudly announces the problem, blaming the cable itself. Well-meaning people then immediately descend upon him, eager to share their obscure knowledge of cable-coiling technique that they claim will avoid these issues (a bit like in [[208: Regular Expressions]]). As they explain their techniques for properly coiling cables, they demonstrate on the cable in question, resulting in it becoming neatly coiled. The implication is that Cueball didn't actually learn the techniques involved, but is confident that, in the future, he can simply employ the same technique to get others to do it for him. It's also implied that loudly (and wrongly) blaming the cable is the most effective way to get help, analogous to {{w|Ward_Cunningham#Law|Cunningham's Law}}, which states that "the best way to get the right answer on the Internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer". This technique will cause some people to [[Duty Calls|compulsively correct it]], particularly those who are serious about the subject in question.

The title text specifies four groups of people who are likely to have knowledge about coiling cables, and to be serious about the 'right' way to do it.
* A/V (audio visual) technicians constantly work with multiple types of electrical and data cables, and have to store and sort them without tangling or twisting.
* Rock climbers constantly work with ropes, and their lives and safety may depend on keeping those in good condition and using them properly.
* Sailors traditionally worked on sailing ships, which operated using systems of rigging (often quite complex systems) and sailors were expected to be intimately familiar with handling knots and ropes. Even on more modern vessels, mooring ropes (at a minimum) are still likely to be, in turn, deployed and then stored away upon a working vessel at either end of a visit to a port or harbor.
* {{w|Topology|Topologists}} are mathematicians who specialize in study of spatial relations in changing shapes, and topology is sometimes referred to (somewhat facetiously) as the science of knots. The joke here is that a topologist could likely give an expert analysis in the theory of coiling and storing ropes, but may lack practical experience for doing so in real life.

The methods mentioned in step 3 are all references to actual terms and methods involved with storing rope or cable.

* The "{{w|Coiling#Over/under_cable_coiling|Over-under Method}}" is a way of coiling cable by hand, where every other loop is twisted in the opposite direction to the first. Doing this properly prevents twists, because each coil reverses the twist introduced by the previous coil.
* Figure-8, or "{{w|Coiling#Butterfly_coil|butterfly coil}}", is a method where a rope or cable is wound from a center point, making a circle in one direction, then another in the opposite direction (forming an '8' shape), then repeating until the whole thing is coiled. This prevents twists by turning the rope in both directions an equal number of times.
* "Quarter-turn" is similar to the over-under method, but rather than reversing the direction of the coils, you give the rope a quarter-twist each time you add a loop, to counter the twist introduced.
* "Flaking" involves laying the rope out loosely on a surface. This allows you to unwind any twists or tangles, as well as checking it for kinks or damage. This would often be a first step in preparing the cable.

The joke is that all of the various people involved will have their own preferred technique, and all will rush to prove their superiority of doing things their way. The net effect of this competition is that Cueball's cable ends up neatly coiled, with little effort on his part, which is exactly what he wanted.

==Transcript==
:How to Coil a Cable Properly
:[A drawing of a tangled cable appears below the title.]

:Step 1
:[Cueball is standing holding a tangled mess of cable in both hands. Each end of the cable is dragging on the ground.]
:Cueball: I need to buy a different brand of cable! This one always twists into spirals and gets tangled.

:Step 2
:[Ponytail enters the panel from the left, and White Hat enters from the right, to come to Cueball’s rescue.]
:White Hat: No! That's because of how you're coiling it!

:Step 3
:[White Hat holds and coils the cable while he, Hairy, and Ponytail attempt to explain the method behind the cable coiling. Ponytail, White Hat, and Hairy all have the same speech balloon, with many of the words replaced by scribbles to indicate that they are talking over each other and/or that Cueball can only make out a few phrases. Only the following dialogue in the word balloon is legible.]
:Ponytail / White Hat / Hairy: ...over-under method... ...figure-8... ...quarter-turn... ...flaking...

:Step 4
:[White Hat presents the well-coiled cable. A caption with an arrow points to the cable:]
:Neatly coiled!

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

178: Not Really Into Pokemon

2025-06-27T11:12:59Z

8Bit Cat:

{{comic
| number = 178
| date = October 11, 2006 {{Citation needed}}
| title = Not Really Into Pokemon
| image = not_really_into_pokemon.png
| titletext = As of this writing, Ubuntu 6.10 and Firefox 2.0 have left my computer a complete mess.
}}

==Explanation==
{{Incomplete|The release date is likely incorrect}}
''{{w|Pokémon}}'' is a popular franchise that includes 5 children's animated television shows, a {{w|collectible card game}}, and a whole series of video games. The premise is that a young "trainer" goes out to explore the world and catch Pokémon: fanciful wild creatures that come in many varieties, ranging from [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Rhydon_(Pok%C3%A9mon) armoured dinosaurs that have drills for horns] to [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Genesect_(Pok%C3%A9mon) robotic bugs that change their type depending on the items they are holding]. When the trainer comes across wild Pokémon or other trainers, they use their Pokémon to fight each other.

In this comic, [[Randall]] claims that "I'm not really into Pokémon" can serve as an all-purpose phrase of condescending dismissal. The implied insult to the thing being dismissed can include:
* Childishness. Although it does have a significant adult following, the ''Pokémon'' franchise was and is mainly targeted at children.
* Frivolousness. The essential goal of ''Pokémon'' games, summed up in the slogan "Gotta Catch 'Em All," is to catch Pokémon for the sake of having them.
* Commercialism. ''Pokémon'' is a sprawling franchise that periodically releases new iterations, which (at least to a non-fan) can seem much like more of the same, only existing to make money. At present, the ''Pokémon'' universe contains {{w|List of Pokémon|over 1,000}} different types of Pokémon.
* Absurdity. As mentioned, the names and designs of individual Pokémon can be quite fanciful; "absurd" would be a more unkind way to put it.

The example in the comic is [[Black Hat]] dismissing {{w|Ubuntu}}, an open-source computer operating system. Ubuntu may have been particularly chosen as ''specifically'' suitable for the "Pokémon dismissal" for reasons such as:
* The name "Ubuntu," which (like the names of Pokémon) can sound strange or silly. Individual Ubuntu releases also have animal-themed names (like "Hoary Hedgehog" and "Saucy Salamander").
* The name "Ubuntu" sounds like a Pokemon [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Region region.]
* Its release schedule; new Ubuntu releases come out every six months, which might (like ''Pokémon'') be unfavourably described as putting out more of the same in new packaging.
* A notion that people try Ubuntu (and other {{w|Linux distribution}}s) just for the sake of doing so, like catching all the Pokémon.

The title text refers to the complications that new software releases can have on computers, especially if either the release is an alpha or beta release, or if the computer is rather old. Randall specifically mentions {{w|Ubuntu 6.10}} and {{w|Firefox 2.0}}, both of which were officially released around two weeks ''after'' this comic was posted, so the versions causing problems were certainly pre-release editions. While Randall does not detail any specific issues, the title text may paint a picture of two computer programs fighting each other inside the computer and making a mess in the process, as if they were Pokémon.

Other comics which advocate using catch-all phrases as standard responses for any comment:
*[[174: That's What SHE Said]]
*[[1656: It Begins]]
*[[559: No Pun Intended]]
*[[1022: So It Has Come To This]]
*[[1215: Insight]]
*[[1627: Woosh]]

==Transcript==
:I have found the perfect phrase for condescendingly dismissing anything:
:Cueball: Have you seen the new Ubuntu release?
:Black Hat: Nah, I'm not really into Pokémon.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Linux]]
[[Category:Pokémon]]

178: Not Really Into Pokemon

2025-06-27T11:11:36Z

8Bit Cat:

{{comic
| number = 178
| date = October 11, 2006 {{Citation needed}}
| title = Not Really Into Pokemon
| image = not_really_into_pokemon.png
| titletext = As of this writing, Ubuntu 6.10 and Firefox 2.0 have left my computer a complete mess.
}}

{{Incomplete|The release date is likely incorrect}}

==Explanation==
''{{w|Pokémon}}'' is a popular franchise that includes 5 children's animated television shows, a {{w|collectible card game}}, and a whole series of video games. The premise is that a young "trainer" goes out to explore the world and catch Pokémon: fanciful wild creatures that come in many varieties, ranging from [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Rhydon_(Pok%C3%A9mon) armoured dinosaurs that have drills for horns] to [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Genesect_(Pok%C3%A9mon) robotic bugs that change their type depending on the items they are holding]. When the trainer comes across wild Pokémon or other trainers, they use their Pokémon to fight each other.

In this comic, [[Randall]] claims that "I'm not really into Pokémon" can serve as an all-purpose phrase of condescending dismissal. The implied insult to the thing being dismissed can include:
* Childishness. Although it does have a significant adult following, the ''Pokémon'' franchise was and is mainly targeted at children.
* Frivolousness. The essential goal of ''Pokémon'' games, summed up in the slogan "Gotta Catch 'Em All," is to catch Pokémon for the sake of having them.
* Commercialism. ''Pokémon'' is a sprawling franchise that periodically releases new iterations, which (at least to a non-fan) can seem much like more of the same, only existing to make money. At present, the ''Pokémon'' universe contains {{w|List of Pokémon|over 1,000}} different types of Pokémon.
* Absurdity. As mentioned, the names and designs of individual Pokémon can be quite fanciful; "absurd" would be a more unkind way to put it.

The example in the comic is [[Black Hat]] dismissing {{w|Ubuntu}}, an open-source computer operating system. Ubuntu may have been particularly chosen as ''specifically'' suitable for the "Pokémon dismissal" for reasons such as:
* The name "Ubuntu," which (like the names of Pokémon) can sound strange or silly. Individual Ubuntu releases also have animal-themed names (like "Hoary Hedgehog" and "Saucy Salamander").
* The name "Ubuntu" sounds like a Pokemon [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Region region.]
* Its release schedule; new Ubuntu releases come out every six months, which might (like ''Pokémon'') be unfavourably described as putting out more of the same in new packaging.
* A notion that people try Ubuntu (and other {{w|Linux distribution}}s) just for the sake of doing so, like catching all the Pokémon.

The title text refers to the complications that new software releases can have on computers, especially if either the release is an alpha or beta release, or if the computer is rather old. Randall specifically mentions {{w|Ubuntu 6.10}} and {{w|Firefox 2.0}}, both of which were officially released around two weeks ''after'' this comic was posted, so the versions causing problems were certainly pre-release editions. While Randall does not detail any specific issues, the title text may paint a picture of two computer programs fighting each other inside the computer and making a mess in the process, as if they were Pokémon.

Other comics which advocate using catch-all phrases as standard responses for any comment:
*[[174: That's What SHE Said]]
*[[1656: It Begins]]
*[[559: No Pun Intended]]
*[[1022: So It Has Come To This]]
*[[1215: Insight]]
*[[1627: Woosh]]

==Transcript==
:I have found the perfect phrase for condescendingly dismissing anything:
:Cueball: Have you seen the new Ubuntu release?
:Black Hat: Nah, I'm not really into Pokémon.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Linux]]
[[Category:Pokémon]]

Talk:178: Not Really Into Pokemon

2025-06-27T11:09:58Z

8Bit Cat: /* When was this comic released? */

The title text is probably more specifically an allusion to Missingno and other glitch Pokemon in ''Pokemon Red'' and ''Pokemon Blue''. Capturing them would make the text in the Hall of Fame render improperly. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.83|108.162.216.83]] 03:05, 29 January 2015 (UTC)
:On the other hand, it could be entirely literal and based on events of the time. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 03:30, 26 June 2015 (UTC)

It should be noted that you can't catch them all, only most of them.
[[User:NinjaWolf064|NinjaWolf064]] ([[User talk:NinjaWolf064|talk]]) 20:26, 25 April 2017 (UTC)

Ubuntu 6 with Firefox 2? Im feeling so old right now [[Special:Contributions/172.69.3.200|172.69.3.200]] 14:36, 30 April 2023 (UTC)

== Should the title have an accent? ==

The title of the page currently has "Pokemon" in it, without the accent. I seem to remember there might have been ''some'' reason that the accent couldn't be there (due to special character issues or whatnot), but we seem to have [[:Category:Pokémon]] and [[1705: Pokémon Go]] just fine, so is it worth considering again? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.232|108.162.241.232]] 23:41, 16 January 2019 (UTC)
:The reason why it should not be there is simple: on xkcd.com it doesn't have an accent either. By comparison 1705 HAS the accent on xkcd.com. Also the category should use the correct writing. However this comic does not use it in the original title. - It could be made a piece of Trivia, that the title is not reflecting the "official" (trademarked?) spelling. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:21, 17 January 2019 (UTC)
::Also, it seems that special characters in page titles mess things up. [[User:PoolloverNathan|PoolloverNathan]] ([[User talk:PoolloverNathan|talk]]) 15:22, 22 February 2021 (UTC)

== When was this comic released? ==

[[User:8Bit Cat|8Bit Cat]] ([[User talk:8Bit Cat|talk]]) 11:09, 27 June 2025 (UTC)

The date listed for the release of this comic is the 11th of October 2006. This is weird as the previous comic (177) came out on the 30th of October 2006, 19 days after. Why is this, is it an error? Comic 169 also came out on the 11th of October 2006.

[[User:8Bit Cat|8Bit Cat]] ([[User talk:8Bit Cat|talk]]) 11:09, 27 June 2025 (UTC)

I've Citation Neededed the release date.

Talk:178: Not Really Into Pokemon

2025-06-27T11:09:05Z

8Bit Cat: /* When was this comic released? */

The title text is probably more specifically an allusion to Missingno and other glitch Pokemon in ''Pokemon Red'' and ''Pokemon Blue''. Capturing them would make the text in the Hall of Fame render improperly. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.83|108.162.216.83]] 03:05, 29 January 2015 (UTC)
:On the other hand, it could be entirely literal and based on events of the time. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 03:30, 26 June 2015 (UTC)

It should be noted that you can't catch them all, only most of them.
[[User:NinjaWolf064|NinjaWolf064]] ([[User talk:NinjaWolf064|talk]]) 20:26, 25 April 2017 (UTC)

Ubuntu 6 with Firefox 2? Im feeling so old right now [[Special:Contributions/172.69.3.200|172.69.3.200]] 14:36, 30 April 2023 (UTC)

== Should the title have an accent? ==

The title of the page currently has "Pokemon" in it, without the accent. I seem to remember there might have been ''some'' reason that the accent couldn't be there (due to special character issues or whatnot), but we seem to have [[:Category:Pokémon]] and [[1705: Pokémon Go]] just fine, so is it worth considering again? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.232|108.162.241.232]] 23:41, 16 January 2019 (UTC)
:The reason why it should not be there is simple: on xkcd.com it doesn't have an accent either. By comparison 1705 HAS the accent on xkcd.com. Also the category should use the correct writing. However this comic does not use it in the original title. - It could be made a piece of Trivia, that the title is not reflecting the "official" (trademarked?) spelling. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:21, 17 January 2019 (UTC)
::Also, it seems that special characters in page titles mess things up. [[User:PoolloverNathan|PoolloverNathan]] ([[User talk:PoolloverNathan|talk]]) 15:22, 22 February 2021 (UTC)

== When was this comic released? ==

The date listed for the release of this comic is the 11th of October 2006. This is weird as the previous comic (177) came out on the 30th of October 2006, 19 days after. Why is this, is it an error? Comic 169 also came out on the 11th of October 2006.

[[User:8Bit Cat|8Bit Cat]] ([[User talk:8Bit Cat|talk]]) 11:09, 27 June 2025 (UTC)

I've Citation Neededed the release date.

178: Not Really Into Pokemon

2025-06-27T10:53:03Z

8Bit Cat: 11th of October doesn't seem likely to me.

{{comic
| number = 178
| date = October 11, 2006 {{Citation needed}}
| title = Not Really Into Pokemon
| image = not_really_into_pokemon.png
| titletext = As of this writing, Ubuntu 6.10 and Firefox 2.0 have left my computer a complete mess.
}}

==Explanation==
''{{w|Pokémon}}'' is a popular franchise that includes 5 children's animated television shows, a {{w|collectible card game}}, and a whole series of video games. The premise is that a young "trainer" goes out to explore the world and catch Pokémon: fanciful wild creatures that come in many varieties, ranging from [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Rhydon_(Pok%C3%A9mon) armoured dinosaurs that have drills for horns] to [https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Genesect_(Pok%C3%A9mon) robotic bugs that change their type depending on the items they are holding]. When the trainer comes across wild Pokémon or other trainers, they use their Pokémon to fight each other.

In this comic, [[Randall]] claims that "I'm not really into Pokémon" can serve as an all-purpose phrase of condescending dismissal. The implied insult to the thing being dismissed can include:
* Childishness. Although it does have a significant adult following, the ''Pokémon'' franchise was and is mainly targeted at children.
* Frivolousness. The essential goal of ''Pokémon'' games, summed up in the slogan "Gotta Catch 'Em All," is to catch Pokémon for the sake of having them.
* Commercialism. ''Pokémon'' is a sprawling franchise that periodically releases new iterations, which (at least to a non-fan) can seem much like more of the same, only existing to make money. At present, the ''Pokémon'' universe contains {{w|List of Pokémon|over 1,000}} different types of Pokémon.
* Absurdity. As mentioned, the names and designs of individual Pokémon can be quite fanciful; "absurd" would be a more unkind way to put it.

The example in the comic is [[Black Hat]] dismissing {{w|Ubuntu}}, an open-source computer operating system. Ubuntu may have been particularly chosen as ''specifically'' suitable for the "Pokémon dismissal" for reasons such as:
* The name "Ubuntu," which (like the names of Pokémon) can sound strange or silly. Individual Ubuntu releases also have animal-themed names (like "Hoary Hedgehog" and "Saucy Salamander").
* The name "Ubuntu" sounds like a Pokemon [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Region region.]
* Its release schedule; new Ubuntu releases come out every six months, which might (like ''Pokémon'') be unfavourably described as putting out more of the same in new packaging.
* A notion that people try Ubuntu (and other {{w|Linux distribution}}s) just for the sake of doing so, like catching all the Pokémon.

The title text refers to the complications that new software releases can have on computers, especially if either the release is an alpha or beta release, or if the computer is rather old. Randall specifically mentions {{w|Ubuntu 6.10}} and {{w|Firefox 2.0}}, both of which were officially released around two weeks ''after'' this comic was posted, so the versions causing problems were certainly pre-release editions. While Randall does not detail any specific issues, the title text may paint a picture of two computer programs fighting each other inside the computer and making a mess in the process, as if they were Pokémon.

Other comics which advocate using catch-all phrases as standard responses for any comment:
*[[174: That's What SHE Said]]
*[[1656: It Begins]]
*[[559: No Pun Intended]]
*[[1022: So It Has Come To This]]
*[[1215: Insight]]
*[[1627: Woosh]]

==Transcript==
:I have found the perfect phrase for condescendingly dismissing anything:
:Cueball: Have you seen the new Ubuntu release?
:Black Hat: Nah, I'm not really into Pokémon.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Linux]]
[[Category:Pokémon]]

Talk:178: Not Really Into Pokemon

2025-06-25T16:28:46Z

8Bit Cat: /* When was this comic released? */ new section

The title text is probably more specifically an allusion to Missingno and other glitch Pokemon in ''Pokemon Red'' and ''Pokemon Blue''. Capturing them would make the text in the Hall of Fame render improperly. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.83|108.162.216.83]] 03:05, 29 January 2015 (UTC)
:On the other hand, it could be entirely literal and based on events of the time. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.162|108.162.250.162]] 03:30, 26 June 2015 (UTC)

It should be noted that you can't catch them all, only most of them.
[[User:NinjaWolf064|NinjaWolf064]] ([[User talk:NinjaWolf064|talk]]) 20:26, 25 April 2017 (UTC)

Ubuntu 6 with Firefox 2? Im feeling so old right now [[Special:Contributions/172.69.3.200|172.69.3.200]] 14:36, 30 April 2023 (UTC)

== Should the title have an accent? ==

The title of the page currently has "Pokemon" in it, without the accent. I seem to remember there might have been ''some'' reason that the accent couldn't be there (due to special character issues or whatnot), but we seem to have [[:Category:Pokémon]] and [[1705: Pokémon Go]] just fine, so is it worth considering again? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.232|108.162.241.232]] 23:41, 16 January 2019 (UTC)
:The reason why it should not be there is simple: on xkcd.com it doesn't have an accent either. By comparison 1705 HAS the accent on xkcd.com. Also the category should use the correct writing. However this comic does not use it in the original title. - It could be made a piece of Trivia, that the title is not reflecting the "official" (trademarked?) spelling. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:21, 17 January 2019 (UTC)
::Also, it seems that special characters in page titles mess things up. [[User:PoolloverNathan|PoolloverNathan]] ([[User talk:PoolloverNathan|talk]]) 15:22, 22 February 2021 (UTC)

== When was this comic released? ==

The date listed for the release of this comic is the 11th of October 2006. This is weird as the previous comic (177) came out on the 30th of October 2006, 19 days after. Why is this, is it an error? Comic 169 also came out on the 11th of October 2006.