explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2445: Checkbox

2021-04-01T23:43:07Z

AlephNaught: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2445
| date = April 1, 2021
| title = Checkbox
| image = checkbox.gif
| titletext = Check check check ... chhecck chhecck chhecck ... check check check
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a CHECKBOX. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This is an April Fools comic that looks similar to a loading screen. The actual comic (this “loading screen”) consists of a gif of a checkbox (hence the name).

The frame is replaced with an interactive panel. In the centre is a check box, which clears itself immediately when checked. In the bottom right is a mute button, which begins muted.

Under the checkbox is a scrolling visual representation of the timing and duration of clicks in the check box, which also produce matching beeping sounds when unmuted.

By varying between brief and long presses, and brief and long intervals between presses, it is possible to enter characters in Morse Code.

The title text hints at the use of Morse Code in the comic; interpreting the "check" as a Morse Code dot and the "chhecck" as a Morse Code dash gives ...---..., which is the Morse Code for "SOS", the international distress signal. Incidentally, inputting the SOS signal gives "YOU TOO?".

The check box then begins operating by itself, producing sounds which can be decoded as Morse Code.

For the majority of inputs, the check box responds with 'WHAT'. Some keywords have special responses.

===Special Responses===
[.s are short presses, -s are long presses, and /s are spaces (just for readability)]

xkcd -> FILE NOT FOUND

[-..- -.- -.-. -..]

SOS -> YOU TOO?

[... --- ...]

HI -> HELLO! ANYBODY OUT THERE?

[.... ..]

HELLO -> HELLO TO YOU TOO!

[.... . .-.. .-.. ---]

HELP -> YES PLEASE

[.... . .-.. .--.]

WHAT -> ECHO

[.-- .... .- -]

ECHO -> ECHO

[. -.-. .... ---]

CHECK -> MATE

[-.-. .... . -.-. -.-]

E (''repeat n times'') -> E (''repeat n times'')

[.]

T (''repeat n times'') -> T (''repeat n times'')

[-]

WHO ARE YOU -> SOJOURNER

[.-- .... --- / .- .-. . / -.-- --- ..-]

SOJOURNER -> CFM

[... --- .--- --- ..- .-. -. . .-.]

CQ -> CQD DE SOJ

[-.-. --.-]

SOJOURNER -> CFM (short for Confirm)

[... --- .--- --- ..- .-. -. . .-.]

QUIET -> (turns the volume off)

[--.- ..- .. . -]

MUTE -> (turns the volume off)

[-- ..- - .]

BEEP -> (turns the volume on)

[-... . . .--.]

QRS -> (reduces playback speed)

[--.- .-. ...]

QRQ -> (increases playback speed)

[--.- .-. --.-]

QRA -> QRA SOJOURNER

[--.- .-. .-]

QRB -> QRB 264 MILLION KM

[--.- .-. -…]

QRH -> QRH 0.652 METERS

[--.- .-. ....]

QRG -> QRG PATHFINDER

[--.- .-. --.]

QRZ -> QRZ SOJOURNER

[--.- .-. --..]

QTH -> QTH ARES VALLIS

[--.- - ....]

QSL -> QSL

[--.- ... .-..]

ET -> PHONE HOME

[. -]

LS -> DID YOU MEAN DIR

DIR -> ENTER IMAGE NUMBER

(any number <=2445) -> (loads xkcd comic in new tab)

MAKE ME A SANDWICH -> NOT A CHANCE

[-- .- -.- . / -- . / .- / ... .- -. -.. .-- .. -.-. ….]

SUDO MAKE ME A SANDWICH -> NOT POSSIBLE HERE

[... ..- -.. --- / -- .- -.- . / -- . / .- / ... .- -. -.. .-- .. -.-. ....]

F -> DID YOU MEAN FORTUNE

[..-.]

<nowiki />:) -> :D

[---... -.--.-]

UWU -> OWO

[..- .-- ..-]

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Loading...
{{comic discussion}}

2445: Checkbox

2021-04-01T23:41:09Z

AlephNaught: /* Special Responses */

{{comic
| number = 2445
| date = April 1, 2021
| title = Checkbox
| image = checkbox.gif
| titletext = Check check check ... chhecck chhecck chhecck ... check check check
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a CHECKBOX. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This is an April Fools comic that looks similar to a loading screen. The actual comic (this “loading screen”) consists of a gif of a checkbox (hence the name).

The frame is replaced with an interactive panel. In the centre is a check box, which clears itself immediately when checked. In the bottom right is a mute button, which begins muted.

Under the checkbox is a scrolling visual representation of the timing and duration of clicks in the check box, which also produce matching beeping sounds when unmuted.

By varying between brief and long presses, and brief and long intervals between presses, it is possible to enter characters in Morse Code.

The title text hints at the use of Morse Code in the comic; interpreting the "check" as a Morse Code dot and the "chhecck" as a Morse Code dash gives ...---..., which is the Morse Code for "SOS", the international distress signal. Incidentally, inputting the SOS signal gives "YOU TOO?".

The check box then begins operating by itself, producing sounds which can be decoded as Morse Code.

For the majority of inputs, the check box responds with 'WHAT'. Some keywords have special responses.

===Special Responses===
[.s are short presses, -s are long presses, and /s are spaces (just for readability)]

xkcd -> FILE NOT FOUND

[-..- -.- -.-. -..]

SOS -> YOU TOO?

[... --- ...]

HI -> HELLO! ANYBODY OUT THERE?

[.... ..]

HELLO -> HELLO TO YOU TOO!

[.... . .-.. .-.. ---]

HELP -> YES PLEASE

[.... . .-.. .--.]

WHAT -> ECHO

[.-- .... .- -]

ECHO -> ECHO

[. -.-. .... ---]

CHECK -> MATE

[-.-. .... . -.-. -.-]

E (''repeat n times'') -> E (''repeat n times'')

[.]

T (''repeat n times'') -> T (''repeat n times'')

[-]

WHO ARE YOU -> SOJOURNER

[.-- .... --- / .- .-. . / -.-- --- ..-]

SOJOURNER -> CFM

[... --- .--- --- ..- .-. -. . .-.]

CQ -> CQD DE SOJ

[-.-. --.-]

SOJOURNER -> CFM (short for Confirm)

[... --- .--- --- ..- .-. -. . .-.]

QUIET -> (turns the volume off)

[--.- ..- .. . -]

MUTE -> (turns the volume off)

[-- ..- - .]

BEEP -> (turns the volume on)

[-... . . .--.]

QRS -> (reduces playback speed)

[--.- .-. ...]

QRQ -> (increases playback speed)

[--.- .-. --.-]

QRA -> QRA SOJOURNER

[--.- .-. .-]

QRB -> QRB 264 MILLION KM

[--.- .-. -…]

QRH -> QRH 0.652 METERS

[--.- .-. ....]

QRG -> QRG PATHFINDER

[--.- .-. --.]

QRZ -> QRZ SOJOURNER

[--.- .-. --..]

QTH -> QTH ARES VALLIS

[--.- - ....]

QSL -> QSL

[--.- ... .-..]

ET -> PHONE HOME

[. -]

LS -> DID YOU MEAN DIR

DIR -> ENTER IMAGE NUMBER

(any number <=2445) -> (loads xkcd comic in new tab)

MAKE ME A SANDWICH -> NOT A CHANCE

[-- .- -.- . / -- . / .- / ... .- -. -.. .-- .. -.-. ….]

SUDO MAKE ME A SANDWICH -> NOT POSSIBLE HERE

[... ..- -.. --- / -- .- -.- . / -- . / .- / ... .- -. -.. .-- .. -.-. ....]

F -> DID YOU MEAN FORTUNE

[..-.]

<nowiki />:) -> :D

[---... -.--.-]

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Loading...
{{comic discussion}}