explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3256: Nostalgia Content

2026-06-09T16:30:57Z

Clarkexckd8: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 3256
| date = June 8, 2026
| title = Nostalgia Content
| image = nostalgia_content_2x.png
| imagesize = 276x404px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Gen-Z got a chunk of the Carboniferous, and now all their memes are about how pathetic and small today's dragonflies are.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a Parataxtite. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
This comic is a joke about {{w|nostalgia content}}. In it, a database for creating nostalgia content has accidentally included some {{w|Early Devonian}} features in it. These features, while certainly being old, are far too long ago for anyone to be alive at the time, let alone remember it, hence defying the purpose.

{{w|Prototaxites}} (here, Parataxites) were huge fungi that lived during the Devonian. The armoured fish [[Cueball]] speaks of are from an ancient class known as {{w|Placodermi}}, which appeared during the {{w|Silurian}} and Devonian. Placoderms were among the first jawed fish, and the first fish clade to have pectoral fins. Devonian placoderms include Dunkleosteus, Titanichthys, Bothriolepis and Rhamphodopsis. Silurian placoderms include Xiushanosteus, Anglaspis, and Poraspis. There was also Sacabambaspis from the {{w|Ordovician}}.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[Cueball is standing, with his arms out, in front of a Prototaxite (incorrectly referred to in this comic as a "Parataxite") towering over a mossy landscape. To his right, a Tamagotchi, and milk-caps (referred to in this comic as "pogs"), appear.]
:Cueball: Who else remembers pogs? Tamagotchis? Vast forests of Parataxites towering over the mossy landscape as armored fish stir in the deep?
:[Caption below the panel:]
:Due to a database error, millennial nostalgia now includes a portion of the early Devonian.
:

==Trivia==
Cueball has incorrectly refered to the huge fungi as Parataxites. They are actually called prototaxites.
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

3256: Nostalgia Content

2026-06-09T15:51:22Z

Clarkexckd8:

{{comic
| number = 3256
| date = June 8, 2026
| title = Nostalgia Content
| image = nostalgia_content_2x.png
| imagesize = 276x404px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Gen-Z got a chunk of the Carboniferous, and now all their memes are about how pathetic and small today's dragonflies are.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a Parataxtite. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
This comic is a joke about {{w|nostalgia content}}. In it, a database for creating nostalgia content has accidentally included some Early Devonian features in it. These features, while certainly being old{{citation needed}}, are far too long ago for anyone to be alive at the time, let alone remember it, hence defying the purpose.

Prototaxites (here, Parataxites) were huge fungi that lived during the Devonian. The armoured fish Cueball speaks of are from an ancient class known as Placodermi, which appeared during the Silurian and Devonian. Placoderms were among the first jawed fish, and the first fish clade to have pectoral fins. Devonian placoderms include Dunkleosteus, Titanichthys, Bothriolepis and Rhamphodopsis. Silurian placoderms include Xiushanosteus, Anglaspis, and Poraspis. There was also Sacabambaspis from the Ordovician.
==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[Cueball is standing, with his arms out, in front of a prototaxite (incorrectly referred to in this comic as a "parataxite") towering over a mossy landscape. To his right, a Tamagotchi, and milk-caps (referred to in this comic as "pogs"), appear.]
:Cueball: Who else remembers pogs? Tamagotchis? Vast forests of Parataxites towering over the mossy landscape as armored fish stir in the deep?
:[Caption below the panel:]
:Due to a database error, millennial nostalgia now includes a portion of the early Devonian.
:

==Trivia==
Cueball has incorrectly refered to the huge fungi as Parataxites. They are actually called prototaxites.
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

3256: Nostalgia Content

2026-06-09T15:37:43Z

Clarkexckd8: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 3256
| date = June 8, 2026
| title = Nostalgia Content
| image = nostalgia_content_2x.png
| imagesize = 276x404px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Gen-Z got a chunk of the Carboniferous, and now all their memes are about how pathetic and small today's dragonflies are.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
This comic is a joke about {{w|nostalgia content}}. In it, a database for creating nostalgia content has accidentally included some Early Devonian features in it. These features, while certainly being old, are far too long ago for anyone to be alive at the time, let alone remember it, hence defying the purpose.

Prototaxites (here, Parataxites) were huge funghi that lived during the Devonian. The armoured fish Cueball speaks of are from an ancient class known as Placodermi, which appeared during the Silurian and Devonian. Placoderms were among the first jawed fish, and the first fish clade to have pectoral fins. Devonian placoderms include Dunkleosteus, Titanichthys, Bothriolepis and Rhamphodopsis. Silurian placoderms include Xiushanosteus, Anglaspis, and Poraspis. There was also Sacabambaspis from the Ordovician.
==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[Cueball is standing, with his arms out, in front of a prototaxite (incorrectly referred to in this comic as a 'parataxite') towering over a mossy landscape. To his right, a Tamagotchi, and milk-caps (referred to in this comic as "pogs"), appear.]
:Cueball: Who else remembers pogs? Tamagotchis? Vast forests of Parataxites towering over the mossy landscape as armored fish stir in the deep?
:[Caption below the panel:]
:Due to a database error, millennial nostalgia now includes a portion of the early Devonian.
:

==Trivia==
Cueball has incorrectly refered to the huge funghi as Parataxites. They are actually called prototaxites.
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

Talk:3256: Nostalgia Content

2026-06-09T14:40:10Z

Clarkexckd8:

I'm not a paleobotanist by any stretch of the imagination, but the comic contains an error. It should be `prototaxites` instead of `parataxites`. [[User:Blagae|Blagae]] ([[User talk:Blagae|talk]]) 12:57, 9 June 2026 (UTC)

Explainxkcd was down when this comic came out, which I would assume is why the explanation is blank, but I'm just glad the page is back up. [[User:RadiantRainwing|K9Dragon23, or RainWingSquares (talk)]] ([[User talk:RadiantRainwing|talk]]) 13:56, 9 June 2026 (UTC)
:So it wasn't just me! When I saw it was down I just thought it was just a problem with my computer![[User:GSLikesCats307|GSLikesCats307]] ([[User talk:GSLikesCats307|talk]]) 14:35, 9 June 2026 (UTC)

:I saw this page without any transcript and I thought "Hey, I could do that." So I did. I hope someone else edits the explanation for me, for I have very little knowledge on paleobotany. [[User:Clarkexckd8|Clarkexckd8]] ([[User talk:Clarkexckd8|talk]]) 14:39, 9 June 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3256: Nostalgia Content

2026-06-09T14:39:27Z

Clarkexckd8:

I'm not a paleobotanist by any stretch of the imagination, but the comic contains an error. It should be `prototaxites` instead of `parataxites`. [[User:Blagae|Blagae]] ([[User talk:Blagae|talk]]) 12:57, 9 June 2026 (UTC)

Explainxkcd was down when this comic came out, which I would assume is why the explanation is blank, but I'm just glad the page is back up. [[User:RadiantRainwing|K9Dragon23, or RainWingSquares (talk)]] ([[User talk:RadiantRainwing|talk]]) 13:56, 9 June 2026 (UTC)
:So it wasn't just me! When I saw it was down I just thought it was just a problem with my computer![[User:GSLikesCats307|GSLikesCats307]] ([[User talk:GSLikesCats307|talk]]) 14:35, 9 June 2026 (UTC)

:I saw this page without any transcript and I thought "Hey, I could do that." So I did. I hope someone else edits the explanation for me, for I have very little knowledge on paleobotany. [[User:Clarkexckd|Clarkexckd]] ([[User talk:Clarkexckd|talk]]) 14:39, 9 June 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3256: Nostalgia Content

2026-06-09T14:38:34Z

Clarkexckd8:

Talk:3256: Nostalgia Content

2026-06-09T14:37:15Z

Clarkexckd8:

I'm not a paleobotanist by any stretch of the imagination, but the comic contains an error. It should be `prototaxites` instead of `parataxites`. [[User:Blagae|Blagae]] ([[User talk:Blagae|talk]]) 12:57, 9 June 2026 (UTC)

Explainxkcd was down when this comic came out, which I would assume is why the explanation is blank, but I'm just glad the page is back up. [[User:RadiantRainwing|K9Dragon23, or RainWingSquares (talk)]] ([[User talk:RadiantRainwing|talk]]) 13:56, 9 June 2026 (UTC)
:So it wasn't just me! When I saw it was down I just thought it was just a problem with my computer![[User:GSLikesCats307|GSLikesCats307]] ([[User talk:GSLikesCats307|talk]]) 14:35, 9 June 2026 (UTC)

:I saw this page without any transcript and I thought "Hey, I could do that." So I did. [[User:Clarkexckd|Clarkexckd]] ([[User talk:Clarkexckd|talk]])

Talk:3256: Nostalgia Content

2026-06-09T14:36:49Z

Clarkexckd8:

I'm not a paleobotanist by any stretch of the imagination, but the comic contains an error. It should be `prototaxites` instead of `parataxites`. [[User:Blagae|Blagae]] ([[User talk:Blagae|talk]]) 12:57, 9 June 2026 (UTC)

Explainxkcd was down when this comic came out, which I would assume is why the explanation is blank, but I'm just glad the page is back up. [[User:RadiantRainwing|K9Dragon23, or RainWingSquares (talk)]] ([[User talk:RadiantRainwing|talk]]) 13:56, 9 June 2026 (UTC)
:So it wasn't just me! When I saw it was down I just thought it was just a problem with my computer![[User:GSLikesCats307|GSLikesCats307]] ([[User talk:GSLikesCats307|talk]]) 14:35, 9 June 2026 (UTC)
:I saw this page without any transcript and I thought "Hey, I could do that." So I did. [[User:Clarkexckd|Clarkexckd]] ([[User talk:Clarkexckd|talk]])

3256: Nostalgia Content

2026-06-09T13:03:46Z

Clarkexckd8: /* Transcript */