explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1358: NRO

2023-06-04T00:22:13Z

Elvenivle: Comment; characters not kids to me.

Could what if #32 be valid here? https://what-if.xkcd.com/32/ --[[User:Mralext20|Mralext20]] ([[User talk:Mralext20|talk]]) 07:30, 21 April 2014 (UTC)

: Nah. Spy satellites are usually on geosynced orbits, so they always hover over the same area of the ground, meaning no blur. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.56|108.162.219.56]] 14:17, 21 April 2014 (UTC)

:: Spy satellites are not usually in geosynchronous orbits, as this would be much too far away from earth to be of much use, Spy satelites are normally in very low polar orbits to maximize the areas they can spy on. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.65|108.162.216.65]] 22:52, 21 April 2014 (UTC)

Not only he is using the satellites, he is also using the software - probably something which will highlight recognized target on photo. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:28, 21 April 2014 (UTC)

I always thought this was a reference to the Governments Facial Recognition software they're working on. Combine that with the NSA's spy satellites and you can locate anyone anywhere. Maybe the NRO is a combination of such organizations and technologies (very very deadly) and they're testing it out using a Where's Waldo book. Not only testing the cameras on the satellite's resolution but the facial recognition software's ability to pick out a specific person in a crowd. [[User:Glitch|Glitch]] ([[User talk:Glitch|talk]]) 14:08, 21 April 2014 (UTC)

The sentence "He usually is quite hard to find, which makes it challenging." is really bothering me. I'm not sure what to do with it. I considered deleting it or shortening it, but none of those feel right. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.218|108.162.237.218]] 18:02, 21 April 2014 (UTC)

What was bothering you about it? It was a quick and dirty explanation at the time, so it doesn't matter. [[User:Fizzle|Fizzle]] ([[User talk:Fizzle|talk]]) 21:36, 22 April 2014 (UTC)
:Redundancy. "The hard thing is challenging." "The big thing was huge." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.218|108.162.237.218]] 09:42, 7 May 2014 (UTC)

Would "Government Facial Recognition" work at all via satellite? Wouldn't they do better with Governments Scalp Recognition? {{unsigned ip|108.162.245.117}}

Possible reference to xkcd.com/970? -CyanLights [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.223|108.162.238.223]] 17:46, 23 April 2014 (UTC)
:I don't see that. [[970: The Important Field]] is about private guns, but this comic is about real military items. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:53, 23 April 2014 (UTC)

similar to http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=3222#comic but SMBC goes much deeper and darker. {{unsigned ip|173.245.63.174}}

The USA murdering children from the sky is not a fit subject for humour. I find this comic repugnant. [[User:The Cat Lady|-- The Cat Lady]] ([[User talk:The Cat Lady|talk]]) 11:51, 25 October 2021 (UTC)
:Well...while there ''is'' an [https://www.nro.gov/NRO-Kids/ NRO Kids] section at the NRO's website, no child labor is mentioned in [https://xkcd.com/1358/info.0.json xkcd's official transcript]. This estimation is a bit blunt to me, considering that I've found Randall's humor to be fine and precise (I mean...it's why we have explainxkcd)...and it seems rather important to the joke to take these as adult employees of the org, with their expanded adult capabilities. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 00:22, 4 June 2023 (UTC)

Talk:1989: IMHO

2023-05-26T01:32:11Z

Elvenivle:

I have never heard anyone use it like "Humble". Probably because "in my humble opinion" sounds more condescending than anything, along with the fact that a lot of people love to state things ironically, especially nowadays; seems important to point out when you're actually being sincere sometimes because of that.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.186.12|162.158.186.12]] 19:32, 9 May 2018 (UTC)
::I use it to mean "humble", wasn't aware that there was an alternative. But then when I was a kid, V.23 was cutting edge. The use of "humble" is not condescending, it is sarcasm. For a master class, watch practically any episode of "My So-Called Life". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.16|108.162.229.16]] 22:16, 24 May 2018 (UTC)
::::IIRC, "IMO" came first, and the "H" was added precisely because "in my opinion" had a condescending tone. Seeing it interpreted the other way around is...imho...odd, but as I get older (...seeing lost histories change other meanings like this) it's getting less surprising. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 01:32, 26 May 2023 (UTC)

I mean, the dress is b&w if you have one of the forms of colorblindness. Although, what colors ''is'' it? [[User:SilverMagpie|SilverMagpie]] ([[User talk:SilverMagpie|talk]]) 16:33, 4 May 2018 (UTC)
: The gold/black part is 61522F hex and the white/blue part is 8190B2 hex. So it's brown and blue. [[User:Grabadora304|Grabadora304]] ([[User talk:Grabadora304|talk]]) 16:55, 4 May 2018 (UTC)
::So that explains the colors represented by the photo; what about the colors of the dress itself? I'd guess black & gold, based purely upon the discussions I've heard. [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 20:52, 4 May 2018 (UTC)
:::The dress was blue with black lace. And I've added the fact that Randall had made a comic because of the dress ([[1492: Dress Color]]). [[User:Herobrine|Herobrine]] ([[User talk:Herobrine|talk]]) 01:04, 5 May 2018 (UTC)
Currently adding transcript. [[User:Chbs|Chbs]] ([[User talk:Chbs|talk]]) 16:38, 4 May 2018 (UTC)
:Did top row. Feel free to format it differently. [[User:SilverMagpie|SilverMagpie]] ([[User talk:SilverMagpie|talk]]) 16:42, 4 May 2018 (UTC)
::''Screams in edit conflicts.'' [[User:Chbs|Chbs]] ([[User talk:Chbs|talk]]) 16:53, 4 May 2018 (UTC)
:::Okay, I've normalized the formatting to what seems to be the standard: uniform indent with ":".[[User:Chbs|Chbs]] ([[User talk:Chbs|talk]]) 16:57, 4 May 2018 (UTC)
:::: What about using tabs? ;D
::::[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 20:52, 4 May 2018 (UTC)

AFAIK In normal (British) usage the phrase is "In my humble opinion" and I have heard it said, when someone prefaces their contribution with IMHO it is rarely humble but is definitely an opinion. [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 16:47, 4 May 2018 (UTC)
:The weirdos reading/using it as "honest" _might_ have a problem with the relatively common "IMNSHO." [[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.41|172.68.58.41]] 14:34, 7 May 2018 (UTC)

No lie, I had a manager who used to refer to the database language as Squeal. As in a high-pitched animal sound. We had an in-house database tool called PiggySQL. [[User:Thaledison|Thaledison]] ([[User talk:Thaledison|talk]]) 17:26, 4 May 2018 (UTC)
:I've always preferred that pronunciation too. [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 20:53, 4 May 2018 (UTC)

Dammit. Now my brain will always translate "OMG" to "oh, my genitals".[[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.167|172.68.58.167]] 17:45, 4 May 2018 (UTC)Pat
:Actually I will keep this in mind. If someone OMGs me in a "discussion" on the web my response will be: Just scratch... [[Special:Contributions/172.68.51.10|172.68.51.10]] 18:08, 6 May 2018 (UTC)
::+1 And I didn't even know what "tbh" means, but then Im probably getting old. --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.100|172.68.110.100]] 10:17, 8 May 2018 (UTC)

The single space convention became the standard [[wikipedia:History_of_sentence_spacing#Movement_to_single_sentence_spacing|waaay before HTML]]. [[User:Cgrimes85|Cgrimes85]] ([[User talk:Cgrimes85|talk]]) 18:13, 4 May 2018 (UTC)
:Standard, but less readable. For printed documents (especially stories with a lot of lengthy paragraphs) I'd still strongly recommend using double spaces because it's easier for the reader to discern sentence breaks. Incidentally, I had points deducted from English papers lacking that extra space as late as 1998.
::Funny - I always interpreted the period at the end of sentences as the end of the sentence in question, discerning any dot used for abbreviations based on context... [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 19:28, 17 December 2018 (UTC)
:(By the way, that link you gave is broken:
:"Trouble Encountered ~ can't fetch document")
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 21:10, 4 May 2018 (UTC)
:: If you print documents with monospace font, using just single space is NOT the main reason it's hard to read. You should use proportional font and tool actually designed to handle printing, which include having better option than using two spaces. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 03:25, 5 May 2018 (UTC)
::: I find variable-width fonts hard to read. Fixed-width fonts are way clearer and more readable. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.63.75|172.69.63.75]] 18:45, 17 January 2020 (UTC)
:Using extra-wide space between sentences (not necessarily two spaces) goes back to the earliest days of printing, long before the invention of typewriters.     As a matter of fact, the practice of double-spacing sentences with typewriters got started by trying to mimic the printing practices of the time.     It was only in the mid-20th century (with the 1949 edition of the Chicago Manual of Style) that the recommendation became "one space", in 1969 when they stopped mentioning the earlier customs, and in the 21st century where they explicitly prohibit any alternative.     There's a [https://web.archive.org/web/20171207185025/http://www.heracliteanriver.com/?p=324 great article about this] that explains the history in great detail.     (Sadly, that blog no longer exists, but the Wayback Machine has preserved the content).     [[User:Shamino|Shamino]] ([[User talk:Shamino|talk]]) 15:44, 5 May 2018 (UTC)

Tabs vs Spaces might also be a reference to the programmer's war on how to indent code correctly. [[User:Ruffy314|Ruffy314]] ([[User talk:Ruffy314|talk]]) 19:25, 4 May 2018 (UTC)
:Agreed. I prefer " " (U+2003, A.K.A. &emsp;)
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 21:10, 4 May 2018 (UTC)
:: Did you ever manage to RUN some of those programs? :) -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 03:25, 5 May 2018 (UTC)
Maybe I'm reading too much in this, but there is a popular product called "cramp tabs" for use during and right after a period [[User:Sysin|Sysin]] ([[User talk:Sysin|talk]])
:I definitely read that as using birth control pills, given that she said she didn't have any. I'm reading this as "I don't need to worry about how frequent my periods usually are, because I'm on the pill and skip them all". That is unless the implication there was that she's bleeding every day of the cycle... And while that would explain "omg", I'm inclined to say that's not what it is, purely out of shock [[Special:Contributions/172.69.50.16|172.69.50.16]] 22:03, 3 April 2019 (UTC)Insev

I hate to be that guy, but I pronounce Giantess and Gift the same way.--[[User:Henke37|Henke37]] ([[User talk:Henke37|talk]]) 11:06, 5 May 2018 (UTC)
:LOL! (Lots of love [or lots of luck for you old-schoolers])[[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.172|162.158.255.172]] 14:12, 9 May 2018 (UTC)
:With a Dutch G perhaps? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.54|141.101.77.54]] 21:50, 20 October 2021 (UTC)
== SQL Pronunciation ==

For Microsoft's ''SQL Server'', "SQL" should be pronounced "sequel" because it's Microsoft's product, and that's how they pronounce it. I notice young I.T. people tend to try to make abbreviations into pronounceable words (acronyms) rather than go letter-by-letter (initialisms). Many older I.T. people I've met prefer initialism pronunciation. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.150.10|172.68.150.10]] 17:36, 5 May 2018 (UTC)

The term "SQL" existed long before Microsoft started playing; they do not get to change the pronunciation. I do not think that it is necessarily young IT people who prefer pronouncable words. "SCSI" being pronounced "scuzzy" has a long tradition. For myself, I usually say "S-Q-L" but have also used "squeal". I am 57. Gene Wirchenko genew@telus.net [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.220|108.162.216.220]] 01:06, 6 May 2018 (UTC)
:I'm aware SQL existed long before Microsoft got into the act. It started as SEQUEL for "Structured English Query Language". Nor did I intend to say that Microsoft dictated the pronunciation for all SQL. In the first sentence, I was only referring to their product. I use "sequel" for Microsoft's product, but mostly "ess-kew-el" for others. For some reason, my remarks as typed came out shorter than as thought. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.150.76|172.68.150.76]] 14:39, 6 May 2018 (UTC)

Is it possible the last panel is punning on menstruation?

.

ANOTHER one where talking about a debate invents the debate for me! For decades GIF was pronounced "jif" by literally everyone since they were invented, until Big Bang Theory taught me some people (including them) pronounce it wrong. Then SQL, which everyone I've ever met - including in SQL class - pronounced it as S.Q.L., by letters (my favourite was when I learned of this debate, someone saying they used another word with the letters in the right places that was odd, I think "Squeal", which I resolved to use myself, but forgot since it never comes up for me). Now IMHO? This comic is literally the first I hear of this. Another one with a clear answer and no reason for debate: It's an acronym applied to an ages old phrase, which predates all this texting / internet stuff. The saying is "In My Humble Opinion", therefore so is the acronym. That's it. Mixing it up with TBH doesn't make it correct, just like "Should of / would of" isn't correct, nor is "for all intensive purposes", or "ect", or many, many others.

As for the spaces-after-period thing, I was taught 2 in several typing courses, but quickly dropped it to one as a waste of space (I don't mean I think there's a limit to how many times we can use the space bar, I mean to keep things compact, LOL!) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 06:31, 6 May 2018 (UTC)

:For me it (gif) was the other way around. I've never heard anyone call it jif before The Big Bang Theory came around. To this day I still prefer the hard g because it stands for graphics after all. Similar to your reasoning for IMHO being "In My Humble Opinion" which I fully agree with.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.150|162.158.90.150]] 06:38, 8 March 2019 (UTC)

::I think the inventor of the GIF file format declared that it is pronounced with a soft G. Once an abbreviation becomes an acronym, there is no rule that says the letters have to be pronounced the same. For example, LASER is "La-zer", not "La-cer" (from "stimulated"). SCUBA is "scoo-ba", not "scuh-ba" (from "underwater"). Hence, the guy that coined the word is the ultimate authority of correct pronunciation. I was also taught 2 spaces after a period (early 1990s), and I kept the habit because it makes it easier to do a search-and-replace on sentence breaks to manipulate the text, or count sentences with a simple regex search (without miscounting other occurrences of period-space). [[Special:Contributions/172.68.141.46|172.68.141.46]] 16:46, 8 July 2019 (UTC)

I, too, was taught to type two spaces after a full stop. I think it had something to do with the font most typewriters used. On a web page, the HTML processor seems to remove extra spaces. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.150.76|172.68.150.76]] 14:39, 6 May 2018 (UTC)
:Yes, HTML collapses all whitespace.    Runs of whitespace characters (spaces, tabs, newlines) are all collapsed and rendered as a single space.    But there are workarounds.    One of the easiest is to use non-breaking-space characters (<TT>&nbsp;</TT>), which are not collapsed.    You can see the effect of using them in this comment.    [[User:Shamino|Shamino]] ([[User talk:Shamino|talk]]) 13:43, 7 May 2018 (UTC)
The dress is blue and gold to me. I don't know why it would be anything else. [[User:HelloWorld|HelloWorld]] ([[User talk:HelloWorld|talk]]) 18:15, 23 December 2019 (UTC)

== Tabs ==

With all the "tantalizing meat info", I wonder if "tabs" can be interpreted as ... some feminine hygienic product? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.246.65|172.70.246.65]] 19:44, 8 June 2022 (UTC)

Yes, I think the punch line is even here bigger: If you use tabs as another word for pills, you can manage to have no period if using tabs. "None. I use tabs."

1758: Astrophysics

2023-03-26T23:34:23Z

Elvenivle: /* Explanation */ (end of paragraph 4) blogspot set to "invited readers only"; changed to archive.org

{{comic
| number = 1758
| date = November 11, 2016
| title = Astrophysics
| image = astrophysics.png
| titletext = DEPARTMENT OF NEUROSCIENCE / Motto: "If I hear the phrase 'mirror neurons' I swear to God I will flip this table."
}}

==Explanation==
In physics, the theory of gravity produced by {{w|general relativity}} combined with {{w|dark matter}} are our current best model for explaining the behavior of gravity and galaxies. The evidence supporting this model is extensive. General relativity accurately predicts the orbit of planets, even precise details like the {{w|Two-body problem in general relativity#Anomalous precession of Mercury|precession of Mercury}} which Newtonian gravity couldn't fully explain. Dark matter, in turn, explains behaviors of galaxies such as their {{w|Galaxy rotation curve|rotation rates}} that were not correctly predicted with general relativity alone. Most astrophysicists believe dark matter exists, either in the form of {{w|Massive compact halo object|an unknown type of star that is too dim to see}}, or {{w|Weakly interacting massive particles|an undiscovered subatomic particle}}.

However, because the concept of dark matter posits something so pervasive yet unknown and so far undetected, it can be difficult to accept, since typically inability to detect something tends to mean non-existence of that thing. One might be reminded of {{w|Aether_(classical_element)|Aether}}, a similar theory that an undetectable substance exists in space to allow light and gravity to travel, although unlike dark matter that has been debunked. Thus, it is common to hear objections to dark matter, with a popular alternative idea being that dark matter can be explained away by a modified theory of gravity.

One such alternative theory which gets proposed regularly is {{w|modified Newtonian dynamics}} (MOND). In MOND, gravity doesn't simply follow the {{w|inverse square law}} but has more complicated behavior. Usually, the extra behavior is either to say that gravitational force can be affected by the acceleration of the particle, or that it goes from inverse-square to just inverse at large distances. It can be appealing because it's relatively simple and seemingly more logical — it just changes our understanding of Newton's law of gravitation, rather than requiring entirely new forms of matter or unknown stars to exist — and because it has some nice side-effects, such as explaining why there seems to be a limit on the density of galaxies. Unfortunately, physicists have explored this avenue and cannot reconcile it with all existing data. One famous counterexample is the {{w|Bullet Cluster}}, where two colliding galaxy clusters are ripping through each other. The mass distribution within the cluster can be inferred through gravitational lensing, and appears to show dark matter and ordinary matter being separated to a certain extent which cannot be explained with MOND. Another counterexample is MOND's incompatibility with observations of the motion of galaxies in galaxy clusters. More generally, MOND isn't compatible with general relativity — which has a huge amount of experimental data in its favor — and a MOND-compatible general relativity would be very complicated and ugly.

This comic illustrates physicists' exasperation for people who constantly try to challenge the existence of dark matter without considering all the evidence and theoretical foundation that support it. Apparently members of this department are so tired of hearing the same old ideas being repeated to them, that they have adopted a motto and even erected a sign in an attempt to clear the dissuasion. The specific impetus for this comic may be the press coverage around [https://arxiv.org/abs/1611.02269 this publication] by {{w|Erik Verlinde}} (see popular description of the paper [http://phys.org/news/2016-11-theory-gravity-dark.html here]). It was released online three days before the release of this comic and got a lot of coverage exclaiming "this will prove Einstein wrong". While Verlinde's work on {{w|entropic gravity}} is a serious theory derived from {{w|thermodynamics}} and {{w|quantum information theory}}, it is important to keep in mind that it's just a {{w|pre-print}} and hasn't been peer-reviewed or experimentally verified yet. Verlinde's theory also doesn't match all available data - it [https://web.archive.org/web/20170115045049/http://motls.blogspot.de/2010/01/erik-verlinde-why-gravity-cant-be.html disagrees with experimental results showing how particles interact with gravity]. Thus, it is still a far cry from being a contender for replacing dark matter.

The title text alludes to a similar issue faced by the Department of {{w|Neuroscience}} from popular misconceptions of {{w|Mirror neurons}}. Mirror neurons are brain cells which trigger when watching someone else do something. Experiments claim to have found mirror neurons in humans and apes, and there are theories that make mirror neurons the foundation of learning, empathy, language and consciousness itself. However, {{w|mirror neurons#Doubts concerning mirror neurons|the evidence for mirror neurons is still patchy}}, and even if they exist, it's very simplistic to try to attribute so much of human behavior to a single type of relatively simple cell. In light of this, the motto of the neuroscientists at the department rightfully reflect their frustration. [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/flipping-tables Flipping tables] is a common depiction for expressing extreme outrage. It is used here also as a pun because mirrors flip the image in front of them.

Another story of similar press coverage questioning the current established scientific theory was also mentioned two days before the release of this comic, on the YouTube channel Space Time from PBS Digital Studios in their video titled [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UNLgPIiWAg Did Dark Energy Just Disappear?]. This one was regarding the paper [http://www.nature.com/articles/srep35596 Marginal evidence for cosmic acceleration from Type Ia supernovae]. The video concluded that dark energy is still the best explanation. Note this is about the existence of dark energy rather than dark matter. The two are very distinct concepts.

Science papers with results that supposedly disprove solidly founded theories have been the subject before in [[955: Neutrinos]].

==Transcript==
:[A sign on two posts, in the grass in front of a building with windows and double doors, a window on each door, and bars facing outwards. There is a cement walk leading to the doors. On the sign is the text:]
:<big>'''Department of Astrophysics'''</big>
:'''Motto:'''
:''Yes, everybody has already had the idea, "Maybe there's no dark matter—Gravity just works differently on large scales!" It sounds good but doesn't really fit the data.''

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Cosmology]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Biology]]

Talk:2150: XKeyboarCD

2021-02-18T18:18:48Z

Elvenivle: A Python 15-solver link for interested visitors

Since this is xkcd, can someone check whether this 15 puzzle is solvable? I seem to recall that 1/2 of possible permutations fail. And this is the sort of Easter egg we have come to expect from our lord and master Randall [[User:Cyclic3|Cyclic3]] ([[User talk:Cyclic3|talk]]) 13:51, 15 May 2019 (UTC)
:Unfortunately, it’s unsolvable.
:If the 15-puzzle is laid out ''like a numpad'' with 1 in the bottom left and the hole in the top right it ''is'' solvable. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.49|162.158.154.49]] 14:23, 15 May 2019 (UTC)
::Really? I got it on my fifteen puzzle.
:It's also possible to do if you just put the blank in the upper left corner, so _123,4567,etc. Source: I just Googled and downloaded a solver with a very annoying input method (Why can't I just type the numbers?) [[User:Trlkly|Trlkly]] ([[User talk:Trlkly|talk]]) 21:06, 15 May 2019 (UTC)
:Python solver at this link [https://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-14814-post-130843.html#pid130843 Fifteen puzzle solvability, Numworks Python]: '''>>> solvable([1,8,4,12,7,0,11,3,15,6,10,9,2,5,13,14],4)''' --> '''''False''''' [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 18:18, 18 February 2021 (UTC)

"Key travel" is the vertical distance a key moves when you press it. "Unlimited key travel" would make it very hard for it to register that a key has been pressed.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.62.40|172.69.62.40]] 14:03, 15 May 2019 (UTC)
:Perhaps the XKCD Company has partnered with ExampleName.Website.
:Doesn't "unlimited key travel" mean that the key will fall out from keyboard and get lost? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 22:51, 15 May 2019 (UTC)

I don't get the title. Is "XLeoparCD" some kind of typing pun I'm missing? [[User:GreatWyrmGold|GreatWyrmGold]] ([[User talk:GreatWyrmGold|talk]]) 14:05, 15 May 2019 (UTC)
:You probably have the Substitutions filter on your computer and forgot about it. (I do too, it's great.) It's XKeyboarCD, and the capital letters spell XKCD (for if that wasn't obvious). [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.77|172.68.132.77]] 14:10, 15 May 2019 (UTC)
::I don't think Substitutions looks for words that COULD be "keyboard" if there wasn't a letter in the way, and it definitely doesn't affect text in images. It was just a joke. [[User:GreatWyrmGold|GreatWyrmGold]] ([[User talk:GreatWyrmGold|talk]]) 13:36, 17 May 2019 (UTC)

What are the supposedly 5 most useful emoji? I recognize the laughing/crying one on position two and an Octopus on position three. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.93.231|162.158.93.231]] 14:35, 15 May 2019 (UTC)
: I think it's 'racehorse' & 'beer'. [[User:nachuo|nachuo]] ([[User talk:nachuo|talk]]) 14:44, 15 May 2019 (UTC)
: The last one is 'aerial tramway'

A friend of mine loves Rubik's Cubes, so I immediately went looking for a Rubik's Cube shaped keyboard... Instead I found Rubik's Cubes with keys glued to them, but they aren't functional. Anyone know of a cube-shaped keyboard? A 3x3 is enough for letters, numbers, & most common punctuation; a 4x4 could include most important keys found on a regular QWERTY keyboard. Surely this is already a thing? I was ready to say "Shut up and take my money!"
: For the Rubik's cube keys, it looks like the "stalk" goes through the center square on the bottom face of the cube. Wouldn't that mean there are 53 keys, not 54? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.237|173.245.48.237]] 19:29, 18 May 2019 (UTC)
[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 15:20, 15 May 2019 (UTC)
: The closest thing I can find is the Twiddler or the DecaTxt. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.59.120|172.68.59.120]] 16:24, 15 May 2019 (UTC)
: Because of all of the moving parts in a functional Rubik's Cube, a working keyboard would have to have several separate wireless components, which might get expensive fast. I agree that it should be possible, but I don't think we should expect to see it in mass-production in the next five years or so. That said, someone might find an ingenious way to combine existing technologies into a similar product. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.13|108.162.242.13]] 01:25, 16 May 2019 (UTC)
:: Spent a little time thinking about this. I can see how to do it, should be pretty cheap (may be mass producible even). Surprised if somebody hasn't done it already (probably buried under all the non-functional ones). I am sure somebody will take up the challenge. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.107.25|162.158.107.25]] 21:56, 19 May 2019 (UTC)

: Back when The Matrix first came out, there was an unaffiliated website called www[dot]thematrix[dot]com (the movie used "whatisthematrix"), where the front page included a complaint that nobody from the movie even tried to buy his domain, nobody warned him, it didn't seem to occur to anybody that people would instinctively type in HIS address, and now he was flooded with visitors looking for the movie. Only other thing I remember about the site was that he had a menu CUBE. You slide the mouse over it to spin it - in literally any direction - each side had a single letter that when clicked brings you to a different page on the site. Fantastic piece of graphical scripting (PLUS functional as a click-able menu!), full 3-dimensional graphical animation... I also remember some note about "Don't ask for the code for the menu cube, just program things yourself". :) That Rubik's Cube made me think of it. I would imagine having ALL sides being buttons could be a problem (how do you put it down?), but I could imagine it being functional... 6 sides, 9 keys, so 54 keys... Alphabet is 26, numbers is 10, shift and caps lock and enter and backspace makes 40 keys, that leaves 14 keys left to cover symbols (with shift being able to double up assignments), IDK seems pretty workable. :)
: Also reminds me of an episode of The Dollhouse. Summer Glau (of Firefly and Terminator fame) guested as an intelligent tech whose nerves were severed in her arm or something, making the arm dead. She had this ball-like keyboard which I realized was so she could touch-type one-handed! Made me want that keyboard. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:00, 18 May 2019 (UTC)

: The directional arrow key would be the existing production Lenovo's red Track Point button. [https://support.lenovo.com/ca/en/solutions/ht000611] So this is close to a "real" button.
Confirmed that the numeric pad cannot be put into numerical order without removing keys and placing them in another order.
There are 28 keys on the top row which usually is the function key row. Also the Ergonomic keyboard would cause serious physical and mental pain to everyone.
[[User:Punchcard|Punchcard]] ([[User talk:Punchcard|talk]]) 22:32, 15 May 2019 (UTC)

I wonder why the galaxy emoji from https://xkcd.com/2131/ isn't shown as one of the "5 most useful emoji"?

In what dialect of English do the words “bird” and “turn” share a vowel sound? I asked three of my friends to say both words and we all pronounce the vowel sound differently (I mean, “bird” differently from “turn”; we all pronounced the individual word “bird” the same, and “turn” the same). The words “bird” and “tern” on the other hand, do seem to have the same vowel sound.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.37|173.245.54.37]] 03:27, 16 May 2019 (UTC)
:Not sure where you're from, but to me turn and tern sound alike, making them homonyms. So yes, it's apparently a dialect thing; you and your three friends obviously speak the same dialect of English because you're all from the same area of the country. You probably should expand your sample beyond your closest friends. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 04:53, 16 May 2019 (UTC)
“Bird” and “turn” share a vowel sound pretty much in a Scottish dialect - but “turn” and “tern” are very distinct. I would also suggest the expression “Unlimited key travel” is a pun on genuine travel passes (train, bus, tram) where a monthly pass will get you unlimited travel for a month. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.121|162.158.158.121]] 07:18, 16 May 2019 (UTC)

Wonder if there will be a version 2 as there was more xkcd phones... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:38, 16 May 2019 (UTC)

I don't get any sense that the rubic's cube needs to be solved in any manner to configure the keys, just that the 9 squares on each of the 6 side are functional keys that can be reconfigured, for a total of 54 additional keys. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 04:41, 17 May 2019 (UTC)
: Configuring in this case would mean putting the keys in a certain arrangement. I.E., putting the keys that you are most likely to use in a convenient place relative to each other. If you were to do that, you would have to 'solve' it to an appropriate configuration, though depending on how few or how many keys you care about the placement of, many solutions (or none!) may be possible.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.59.166|162.158.59.166]] 14:16, 17 May 2019 (UTC)

Can the ‘ergonomic’ section of the keyboard resembling a tunnel be somehow connected to {{w|Carpal tunnel syndrome|carpal tunnel syndrome}}? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.10.142|172.69.10.142]] 06:13, 17 May 2019 (UTC)

Implementing SerifLock via CapsLock is made further difficult because it keeps state and doesn't generate a character, which can be problematic. Also, many applications load and track fonts on their own - making a key-mapping an application-by-application affair. (Im)Practically for Windows users, Microsoft deprecated Application.OnKey in Word (but not in Excel) *and* the KeyBindings approach leaves out Caps Lock, requiring a low-level keyboard hook to try to accomplish this. This is unfortunately bizarrely difficult to just tack in, but would be awesomely useful for those who don't mind coding their favorite serif font to an otherwise unused key... I appreciate the comic even more now!
[[User:Chroisa|Chroisa]] ([[User talk:Chroisa|talk]]) 12:58, 17 May 2019 (UTC)

I feel the description should make mention of the fact that the 15-puzzle would presumably be lacking a '0' which is normally included in num pads.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.59.166|162.158.59.166]] 14:10, 17 May 2019 (UTC)
:On many numeric keypads the 0 is not in the same rectangular block with the digits (usually 1-9), so this could be similar. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.106.138|162.158.106.138]] 20:26, 19 May 2019 (UTC)

Had to preserve this for future readers: "Created by a LEOPARD USING AN XKEYBOARCD. Seems to be finished, could someone check it again before deleting this tag? Do NOT delete this tag too soon." [[User:HackneyedTrope|HackneyedTrope]] ([[User talk:HackneyedTrope|talk]]) 00:22, 22 May 2019 (UTC)

Isn't the spacebar more accurately described as vertical, not diagonal? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.191|162.158.79.191]] 06:49, 29 May 2019 (UTC)

The retards who write this don't know what above, below, top, bottom, and vertically mean. There are no keys on the bottom of a real keyboard. And travel has nothing to do with keys but fare or stroke does. Serif lock could refer to the section of Unicode with serifed alfabet. [[User:Lysdexia|Lysdexia]] ([[User talk:Lysdexia|talk]]) 11:23, 24 July 2019 (UTC)
:This is a wiki. You are free to improve the text if you feel that some terms are wrong, or by adding an alternative interpretation of e.g. serif lock. However you decided to instead spend your time on calling people retards, in hope that they will take your (partially deserved) critism and improve it instead. In my experience that is not a typical reaction of insulted people. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 11:59, 24 July 2019 (UTC)

Talk:2412: 1/100,000th Scale World

2021-01-15T22:40:48Z

Elvenivle: edit 2:2 Forgot to sign.

Sprites?

[[Special:Contributions/172.68.174.44|172.68.174.44]] 17:01, 15 January 2021 (UTC)

Looks like there is a form of electrical discharge that can occur above thunderstorms called a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprite_(lightning) Sprite]

It actually took me a second to realise this was a new comic, I thought Randal just added different jokes to Wednesday's for some reason. Given the title text, I wonder what projection Randall would use for this scale model... I imagine a projection similar to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Build_the_Earth#Map_projection Build the Earth's modified Airocean] would work for something like this.--[[Special:Contributions/172.69.35.85|172.69.35.85]] 17:12, 15 January 2021 (UTC)

Just for reference and to be checked, I paste here the maths to compute that the panel spans 9 degrees of a great circle:
<pre>
> 10/1e3*1e5/6371*180/pi
[1] 8.993216
</pre>
--[[User:Pere prlpz|Pere prlpz]] ([[User talk:Pere prlpz|talk]]) 19:21, 15 January 2021 (UTC)

The ISS game seems very contradictory to the other rules in this and the previous comic. Given that the ISS would be only about 1 mm wide, hitting it with a nerf dart would almost certainly destroy it. [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 19:59, 15 January 2021 (UTC)
:The world is at scale, but people and the artifacts they create don't seem to be. In particular, the wine glasses are normal size relative to the people. So the ISS may be life size, and hitting it with a dart should be trivial.

Is this a duplicate? Looks the same as [[2411: 1/10,000th Scale World]]. [[User:PvOberstein|PvOberstein]] ([[User talk:PvOberstein|talk]]) 20:24, 15 January 2021 (UTC)
:Look better, the scale is different. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.245.47|172.68.245.47]] 20:40, 15 January 2021 (UTC)

Correct me if im wrong but if you ran fast enough, could you go into orbit around earth? [[User:Donthaveusername|Donthaveusername]] ([[User talk:Donthaveusername|talk]]) 20:56, 15 January 2021 (UTC) 
:This "What If" might help: [https://what-if.xkcd.com/68/ Little Planet] ''(also, I closed your /span tag (not sure why it's there, just following etiquette/not editing your post, while trying to fix a superfluous code-block /div that the wiki was inserting)'' [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 22:40, 15 January 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2412: 1/100,000th Scale World

2021-01-15T22:39:24Z

Elvenivle: Refer to what-if + try to fix superfluous /div appearing by closing /span

Talk:2391: Life Before the Pandemic

2020-11-27T17:52:38Z

Elvenivle: Just commenting.

This reminds me of the Four Yorkshiremen from At last the 1948 show. Tell that to youngsters nwadays. [[User:Arachrah|Arachrah]] ([[User talk:Arachrah|talk]]) 15:06, 27 November 2020 (UTC)

It is actually not clear to which ongoing pandemic the comic is referring. Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_epidemics] is listing 10 epidemics currently going on. The longest ongoing one is the HIV/AIDS pandemic since 1981. It is not unlikely that the majority of humans on earth has no recollection or barely remembers the time before 1981. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.43|162.158.158.43]] 15:51, 27 November 2020 (UTC)
:You are *techinally* correct. (The best kind of correct) But, only one pandemic has made people wear masks, moved indoor activities outdoors, is referred to as THE pandemic, we -as a society- are waiting on a vaccine for, and is currently the central topic of our discourse. [[User:Argis13|Argis13]] ([[User talk:Argis13|talk]]) 15:59, 27 November 2020 (UTC)
:: The HIV/AIDS pandemic is making people wear condoms, which on some level could be compared to masks or safety nets. I believe there are some people to be found that miss the time before the 1980s restriction in their sex life.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.158|141.101.98.158]] 16:07, 27 November 2020 (UTC)

Non native speaker, here. Should the mouse-over text be understood as riding a horse in a shopping mall? That would make sense as it is as absurd as the other activities mentioned in the strip. "Mall" can have also other meanings, but riding through the National Mall in Washington DC or the Mall in London doesn't seem outrageous as all.--[[User:Pere prlpz|Pere prlpz]] ([[User talk:Pere prlpz|talk]]) 16:01, 27 November 2020 (UTC)
:You are correct, Randall means riding a horse through a shopping mall. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 16:09, 27 November 2020 (UTC)
:(Written but ECed by Nitpicking... But as I said a few things I liked, have it anyway.)
:As a term, though over here in my country it's more often called a "Shopping Centre", I would indeed assume it's collection of stores with at least one entrance-doorway (and possibly all) leading into an indoor 'street' (one of several, perhaps with multiple levels, upper ones deployed as lining balconies to provide skylight/spotlight illumination from the shared roof).
:The 'street' roadway would be designed to be pedestrian-only (or mobility scooters; but usually barring skaters, skateboarders, bicycles and all motor-vehicles except for dispensation or disobedience) and typically surfaced in polished stone slabs or ceramic tiles. Which might be one of the worst surfaces for an iron-shoed horse to try to walk on due to the low grip or friction (I think there are rubber horseshoes/overshoes available for mounts that might be ridden or led across hard surfaces like asphalt).
:I'm happily reminded of the sequence in True Lies where the horse is used to chase the motorbike - partly, and apologetically, through the hallways of a posh hotel - and I presume they had to stick to carpeted areas (or lay down and secure ones of their own) rather than the bare marble mall-like flooring for the more dynamic bits of stunt-riding involved in that.
:So, yes, a horse in a (shopping) mall would be dangerous to the shoppers, dangerous to the horse/rider and even if no iniury occured, horses being biogical it's a fair bet that the previously immaculate floors might need cleaning even if they don't need repairing. ;) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.96|162.158.159.96]] 16:35, 27 November 2020 (UTC)
Could "riding a horse in the mall" be a reference to the John Mulaney skit "there's a horse loose in the hospital"? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.70|108.162.241.70]] 16:50, 27 November 2020 (UTC)

I'm detecting just a tiny bit of sarcasm in this comic. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 17:52, 27 November 2020 (UTC)

Talk:2242: Ground vs Air

2019-12-17T20:22:49Z

Elvenivle:

Wow; it took longer than I care to admit to realize 'thick' wasn't 'viscosity'...but 'altitude'. (i.e., height/thickness re: Kynde's comment) [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 01:08, 17 December 2019 (UTC)
:Ohhhhhhhh! [[User:Sdkb|Sdkb]] ([[User talk:Sdkb|talk]]) 02:38, 17 December 2019 (UTC)
::Not altitude, but height or thickness... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:03, 17 December 2019 (UTC)
::: ^ Yes, that. Correction added; I meekly blame word choice on keyboard dead zones. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 20:22, 17 December 2019 (UTC)

A link to the article is here: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2005GL025621. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.186.192|162.158.186.192]] 01:12, 17 December 2019 (UTC)

It's probably worth mentioning in the explanation which map projection Randall chose to use for this comic from those listed in a previous comic about map projections. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 02:22, 17 December 2019 (UTC)

And by these metrics, blood is even thinner than water... {{unsignedip|162.158.107.199}}

But everything changed when the fire nation attacked [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.250|108.162.229.250]] 10:47, 17 December 2019 (UTC)

I assume ocean ridges have a very thin crust, meaning they get the ratio more towards air? I am not at all a geologist, so I ask this question, because ridges would intiutively appear to have a bigger crust, as they stand out from the ground. "That definition would, of course, have resulted in a significantly different picture where the air is thicker than the ground only inside small areas around mid-ocean ridges" should be explained by someone who knows why it is the case. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 14:26, 17 December 2019 (UTC)

Talk:2242: Ground vs Air

2019-12-17T01:08:08Z

Elvenivle:

Talk:1028: Communication

2019-08-30T02:42:20Z

Elvenivle: Mind the gap.

I can't decide if the irony that this comic didn't communicate its idea well was intentional or if I just didn't get it at first because I'm dumb... {{unsigned ip|71.240.171.146}}
:Don't worry. Not everybody can read "international," so it may be a bit hard to interpret. Really, he's just citing John R. Trimble: ''"Clear writers assume, with a pessimism born of experience, that whatever isn't plainly stated the reader will invariably misconstrue."'' In this case, after several examples of ''poor'' communication (and the consequences) the only ''clear'' communicator is [[Beret Guy]], who rather adeptly shows rather than tells [[Cueball]] of the peril. Visual [http://wordnik.com/words/prolix prolix]? Maybe. As you say, that may be the point. -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 02:44, 19 August 2012 (UTC)
:Well, it wouldn't be that you're dumb, it would be that you're "bad at reading comics" :) [[User:Jerodast|- jerodast]] ([[User talk:Jerodast|talk]]) 16:43, 21 December 2012 (UTC)

I don't believe that the holes are only one person deep. It seems as though the heads are level with the ground just to show who is falling into each hole at that moment. [[Special:Contributions/108.20.154.235|108.20.154.235]] 11:20, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

After panel 5-6, does WHG think that he actually communicated the left hole successfully to the girl, given that he does not understand her "hole!" message as a warning of the right hole? I remember that's how I read it the first time. {{unsigned ip|87.104.184.2}}

Where does the name Harry come from? Is this established usage on the wiki? Dropping it in the explanation out of nowhere is confusing. [[User:Jerodast|- jerodast]] ([[User talk:Jerodast|talk]]) 16:44, 21 December 2012 (UTC)

:Using names to refer to the characters was a tradition that was officially started back on the blog when Berg [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=770:_All_the_Girls guest authored] one of the explanations. This makes it easier for everyone to be sure they are referring to the same character, and they're also cute fan-made names. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]_a ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 17:04, 21 December 2012 (UTC)

::Sure sure, I get that, but [[Cueball]] and [[Danish]] have pages where confused users can go to understand where the name came from. "Harry" just drops out of nowhere here. Does he appear in other comics? Should we make a page for him? [[User:Jerodast|- jerodast]] ([[User talk:Jerodast|talk]]) 16:19, 22 December 2012 (UTC)

:::I don't think we call him Harry, but there are other comics where a character with a little bit of hair shows up. If he shows up in at least 3 comics you can go ahead and create the category and his character page. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]_a ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 17:04, 22 December 2012 (UTC)

::::He was of course referring to [[Hairy]] which has been clarified long time ago. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:11, 16 March 2015 (UTC)

I disagree that the moral is that the best way to teach is to show someone, I believe the moral is that teaching hasn't happened until the learner understands. If you succeed in communicating by talking, that's great, if you succeed by showing, that's great too. However, if you try to teach by talking and the other person doesn't understand, you've failed. If you try to teach by showing and the other person doesn't understand, you've also failed. I'm going to make a change to include that. If anyone objects, revert it. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 20:35, 22 August 2013 (UTC)
:I agree with you (that is a first ;-) I think you forgot to implement the change you were advocating for, and said you would make. I have tried to make it clear that it is about communication not about how you do it. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:20, 16 March 2015 (UTC)

I took the moral to be that you need to not immediately jump to what you're you're saying, rather talk a little first. [[User:Banak|Banak]] ([[User talk:Banak|talk]]) 17:00, 16 November 2013 (UTC)

I don't get what part of "there's a hole over there" is so hard to understand that you need to show them it for people not to be confused. Really, this comic must've been based on some special kind of stupid people.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.81.208|141.101.81.208]] 07:56, 4 June 2014 (UTC)

:Are you familiar with the concept of a metaphor? Did you miss the xkcd comic where Randall himself pointed out that models are imperfect representations of abstract ideas (iirc, the example in question was gravity as it relates to spacetime, "what's pulling the planet down into the grid then?") It isn't lost on me that this comment is a year old, I just... it felt like it necessitated a response. If you're getting caught up in the specifics of this being a literal situation, then it's you who has missed the point. [[User:Aepokk|Aepokk]] ([[User talk:Aepokk|talk]]) 08:55, 6 September 2015 (UTC)

:(yeah, I know this is more than three years old) Aside from what Aepokk already wrote, if I told you "Пази, рупа на путу у оном правцу", would you immediately understand what I was trying to communicate to you? [[User:BytEfLUSh|BytEfLUSh]] ([[User talk:BytEfLUSh|talk]]) 23:06, 23 October 2017 (UTC)

«It is very typical for the character Beret Guy to succeed, especially with something difficult, where White Hat fails.» I would be grateful for examples that show how this is typical. :-) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.106|162.158.150.106]] 19:26, 12 February 2017 (UTC)

I think this is an examination of communication '''gaps'''. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 02:42, 30 August 2019 (UTC)

Talk:1886: Typing Notifications

2019-07-15T23:11:34Z

Elvenivle: Comment on same idea over forms and websockets.

Sorry for the double explanation, if there was any notification that someone else had added an explanation before I was done editing (I saw an empty explanation when I started editing) I missed it. I went (mostly) back to the first explanation. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.88.172|141.101.88.172]] 17:19, 6 September 2017 (UTC)

I believe that in some instant messaging systems just by clicking in the text box or just by changing focus to the text box causes a notification to the other person that you are typing. So, if I click into the text box and then go to another application and come back and resume focus, multiple notifications are sent, and there is an expectation that a message is coming that never comes. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 17:23, 6 September 2017 (UTC)

'''Hey, WhatsUp???''' --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:24, 6 September 2017 (UTC)

I miss ytalk {{unsigned ip|162.158.182.22}}

[[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.47|172.68.58.47]] 02:03, 7 September 2017 (UTC) Wouldn't this comic make more sense if Randall were the person REPLYING to the chat message, not the person who originally sent it? although that would probably mean that we were seeing the chat window from the perspective of the anonymous second user...

"''In the title text, Randall expresses that he likes to watch when the recipient reacts but he's also happy not to receive that attempt as an empty reply.''" It's not what I understood. I understood that the recipient could open a blank note on another application, type a reply taking all the time he needs, then copy-paste it on the messaging system. This is exactly what I do when I don't want to trigger typing notifications, and Randall writes that he prefers not to know that. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.148|108.162.229.148]] 07:55, 7 September 2017 (UTC)
: "Typing notifications" means NOT Randall is typing notifications. He is watching a notification showing someone is typing/working on an answer to a message Randall has sent. And there is no "another application" in the comic at all. And your idea even doesn't match the rest of the explanation. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 13:16, 7 September 2017 (UTC)
::Well it says open a note - which might be an application, especially for mobile systems there are applications with names like that. And a new document in a writing application was my first interpretation too... I found the interpretation that 108.162.229.148 quoted quite unlikely too, as Randall (if this is about Randall at all) said he likes having it on. [[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.5|198.41.242.5]]
:::Cmon, that extra app is sending notifications through the messenger app?
:::This "typing awareness indicator" is typical for messenger applications, not only on smartphones. When the reader of the message presses something like the reply-button a ''note'' is opened and this action is visualized to the sender. But anything what the reader is typing is not visible until the send-button is pressed. The point is, you can see that the recipient is working on a reply, how often they start again from the beginning, and even when you got no reply you can be sure your text was read and your partner has tried to send an answer. And besides of that, why using an extra app for typing when features like autocomplete belong to the keyboard app?--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 17:51, 7 September 2017 (UTC)
::::Actually, I agree with ol' 108 162 here. I interpreted that it's not RANDALL'S show, but that it's Randall who is having trouble composing a reply, but this notification has revealed this trouble. He's been discovered! Otherwise this person would have no idea of Randall's struggle, this way he/she still gets some of the hurt that Randall was trying to save them from with "It was great!". "Opening a blank note" is unquestionably another app on the same device, the words "open" and "blank" indicates this must be digital. It's not an "extra" app per se, every iDevice I've seen has an app called Notes, and my Android phone has a similar app for typing up notes, both part of the device's OS. I do such things all the time (the only ExplainXKCD explanation I've written is still sitting in an electronic note, where I composed it in the first place in order not to keep a browser window open that long and to avoit edit conflicts). Randall is saying that he uses a Note application to avoid the situation depicted in the comic, to avoid showing a typing notification when he wants to give his reply some serious consideration before comitting to it, so he dreads the day that devices add to the typing notification with a Typing In The Note App Notification (which would be a joke, since this IS a comic, and that's impossible). Randall might be inclined to think typing notifications should be discontinued, to go back to hiding what he's doing until he's ready, but for what he says in the title text as to why he wants it to stick around and why he keeps it on. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 03:43, 8 September 2017 (UTC)
:::::Again: "Typing notifications" means NOT Randall is typing notifications, he gets notified that someone else is typing. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 11:50, 8 September 2017 (UTC)
::::::There's nothing that says Randall is the one receiving the typing notifications. I contend that NOT Randall is the one receiving the typing notifications, and Randall is cursing the existence of typing notifications because they are ruining his attempts to be tactful. After all, why would he be talking about avoiding them by using a Notes app if it wasn't him triggering the typing notification? RANDALL is the one saying "It was great!", I'm telling you. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 03:39, 9 September 2017 (UTC)
::::::Let me try it this way: Let's call the other person Megan. I think we're looking at Megan's phone or message app. She asks Randall what he thought of her show, and says "Be honest!". Randall at first decides to be honest and starts typing, which Megan sees that he's typing. Then he deletes that and probably tries to be more tactfully honest, and Megan again sees that he was typing. Then he deletes that and just types and sends "It was great!". After this conversation Megan confronts Randall about it, asking why he hesitated, what was he going to say, etc. and Randall realizes that without Megan receiving these typing notifications from him, she never would have known he struggled over what to write, and saying "It was great!" would have worked. Then in the title text he explains how he can't completely hate typing notifications, because he keeps them on himself. So as a compromise he avoids this by typing replies in a separate Note app, but he fears the day that it sends notifications about that as well (which is a joke, since it seems impossible that the text or message app would monitor the usage of a separate Note app). [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:03, 9 September 2017 (UTC)
:::::::So, why just read the comic pictures and let's assume Megan got the message and hesitates to answer. At the second attempt she types more but then she cancels again, then no action, and finally just a kind response. ALL THIS is shown in the comic, but maybe it's not Megan. And I recall: "Typing notifications" means NOT Randall is typing notifications, he gets notified that someone else is typing. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:00, 9 September 2017 (UTC)
::::::::It doesn't matter which person in the comic is Randall. The situation is bad for both of them. It is very, very clear that, as the others have suggested, "opened a blank note to compose a reply" means someone is writing a reply in another application to prevent typing notifications. It is an anti-notification technique, and notifications for an anti-notification technique would be completely counterproductive. That's the logic behind the title text - Randall is glad this imaginary, counterproductive, and terrible feature doesn't exist. Again: it doesn't matter, ''at all'', who is typing. The grammar basically makes any other interpretation impossible - he's definitely saying, "I can tolerate ''normal'' typing notifications, but I'm glad these silly hypothetical notifications aren't real."--[[User:Mythnut|Mythnut]] ([[User talk:Mythnut|talk]]) 17:18, 11 September 2017 (UTC)
::::::::I'm not sure why you think "typing notifications" means it's NOT Randall typing (Megan typing, to use my example). Other people can get typing notifications as well, like from Randall typing. I see it that this comic is called "Typing Notifications" because he's complaining that his friends are getting Notified when he's Typing. Yes, it's possible that this is Randall's phone (or messenger app), but it makes less sense that way. It makes so much less sense that I feel 100% sure that Randall didn't mean it that way. The technique he describes in the title text is about HIM avoiding sending typing notifications, it only makes sense if the comic's typing notifications are also Randall typing. This technique is about the typist keeping a secret from the recipient, he wouldn't be promoting people keeping secrets from him (in fact, saying he likes to keep notifications on means he likes it NOT to be secret). Though, as Mythnutl says, it doesn't matter much who is who, in this situation both people suffer from the typing notifications. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:12, 12 September 2017 (UTC)

With some of these (Atleast with Skype) the indicator only shows from a keypress for 5 seconds then stops it it could be that the person was very disinterested in the conversation and simply was not typing for a bit [[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.66|141.101.107.66]] 12:17, 8 September 2017 (UTC)
:Indeed, the inherent ambiguity is almost as frustrating when you're on the other end, sending a reply. Just yesterday a colleague interrupted me as I was typing a crucial reply over IM, and I'm sure it must have looked like I was indecisive when I wasn't. I would prefer the option to turn them off as a sender, as a matter of privacy. I suppose I should start opening new notes to compose replies. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.142.101|172.68.142.101]] 01:32, 9 September 2017 (UTC)
::It seems only two people here understand ''Instant Messengers''. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:00, 9 September 2017 (UTC)
:::Here's how the Note thing works. We type in the Note App (or Notepad on a computer) in order to take advantage of a larger typing space, to not keep something open, or (like in this comic) to avoid letting the recipient know we're typing. After we've typed our response, and acted as our own editor checking it over, we Copy & Paste into the INSTANT MESSENGER and send it instantly. This way we're only "typing" in the instant messenger for a moment. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:12, 12 September 2017 (UTC)

»''In the caption below the screens Randall reveals that the three-dotted(-animation) is his preferred version to get be informed that someone else is working on a reply to him.''« Huh? Surely, the comic doesn't say that? It says that Randall prefers to having a typing notification over not having it. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.182.154|162.158.182.154]] 15:11, 8 September 2017 (UTC)

I also very much disagree with the title text. He just says he'd rather have notifications than not. But he's glad that opening up a separate note to compose the reply doesn't also have a notification. Nothing about getting blank messages or preferring the "..." style notification. I'm sure "____ is typing" has all the same characteristics given in the comic.

[Hmmm, previous person forgot to sign] About the title text, "he's also happy to not receive notifications that the texter is composing a response in a blank note file.", this is absolutely unquesionably the incorrect interpretation. No matter which side of the comic's conversation is Randall, this must be the other way around. Since Randall prefers knowing when the other person is writing back to him - as stated in the title text - he most definitely would also prefer to receive Writing-In-A-Note notifications. His objection could only be that he's glad that using a Note keeps HIS activity secret, that they don't know he's doing it. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:12, 12 September 2017 (UTC)

This reminds me of the same kind of joke on another webcomic: [http://thedoghousediaries.com/3316 “Jim is typing”, on The Doghouse Diaries] (from late 2011). - [[User:Cos|Cos]] ([[User talk:Cos|talk]]) 11:42, 14 November 2017 (UTC)

I regularly assume websites are capable of keeping live statistics on their forms (like profiling my typing patterns, navigation, edits, etc), including unsubmitted/aborted content that may qualify as trash abandoned (and now public, so free to take) at the curb. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 23:11, 15 July 2019 (UTC)

Talk:1935: 2018

2019-06-13T00:40:07Z

Elvenivle: rephrasing; sorry for the noise.

This is easy! Don't factor it - just multiply by 25 and if that ends in two zeros, but not four zeros then it's a leap year, at least most of the time.....17:25, 29 December 2017 (UTC) {{unsigned ip|162.158.126.112}}

This is easy! Don’t factor it - just convert it into a binary and look at the 2 least significant bits. If they are 00 the number is multiple of four. —[[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.35|172.69.33.35]] 17:37, 29 December 2017 (UTC)

This is easy! Don't factor it - just subtract 4 repeatedly. If you end up at 0, it's divisible. If you end up at 1, 2, or 3, it's not. -- 17:55, 29 December 2017 (UTC){{unsigned ip|172.68.58.167}}

This ''is'' easy! Sums of numbers that have 4 as a factor are all divisible by four. (I'll leave the proof of that as an exercise for the reader, but it's really trivial, though possibly non-intuitive.) This means that one can take a number apart and check the individual pieces. Now, any number that's a multiple of 100 is divisible by four (10 * 10 = 5² * 2²,) so one can essentially cut away the higher digits of a number, as they do not influence its divisibility with regard to 4. Now look at the first of the remaining digits. If that's odd, add 2 to the last digit. If the last digit is now divisible by four, the original number is divisble by four. [[User:Tibfulv|Tibfulv]] ([[User talk:Tibfulv|talk]]) 00:38, 30 December 2017 (UTC)

This ''really, absolutely, truly, is 100% easy!'' To tell if a number is divisible by four, look at the last two digits. If the last one is divisible by four, the penultimate one is even. If it isn't divisible by four, the penultimate digit should be odd. [[User:Waterlubber|Waterlubber]] ([[User talk:Waterlubber|talk]]) 03:01, 3 January 2018 (UTC)
: Checking these are a whole multiple of 4 has always worked for me. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 00:36, 13 June 2019 (UTC)

This is extremely easy - look at the calendar for the year and see if it has a 29th Feb.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 10:40, 3 January 2018 (UTC)

The calculation of Christmas is trivial{{Citation needed}} it's December 25th. Where as the calculation of Easter is complex ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computus]). [[Special:Contributions/172.68.133.18|172.68.133.18]] 18:03, 29 December 2017 (UTC)

Calculating the date of Christmas is actually non-trivial. It depends on your location. For example if you are in the US it's in December. If you are in Russia it's in January. If you are in Ukraine it's sortof both but not really. And if you are in Crimea, well, see one of the 2 previous sentences. --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.238.172|172.68.238.172]] 15:22, 30 December 2017 (UTC)

:Actually, it's December 25 on the old Julian calendar in Russia. It's just that Russia uses the Julian calendar for liturgical purposes and the Gregorian calendar for secular purposes. It's a bit schizophrenic. [[User:Billjefferys|Billjefferys]] ([[User talk:Billjefferys|talk]]) 19:40, 30 December 2017 (UTC)
::I've moved some content to the trivia section and added this Julian calendar issue for the Eastern church.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:42, 30 December 2017 (UTC)

FYI, Christmas in 2018 falls on a Tuesday. I just did a quick research on my laptop's calendar, it is an answer to the title text.Boeing-787lover 19:10, 31 December 2017 (UTC) {{unsigned|Xkcdreader52}}

;Title text explanation mis-read
Explanation of title text is incorrect: "The title text refers to calculating the date of Christmas; again, this is a trivial exercise, because Christmas is always December 25." Title text states 'day of Christmas', not 'date...'. The day changes each year and so does require calculation. {{unsigned ip|162.158.111.73}}

Oops, my bad. Fixed. [[User:FlyingPiMonster|FlyingPiMonster]] ([[User talk:FlyingPiMonster|talk]]) 18:08, 29 December 2017 (UTC)
* I think you have it backwards. The title text is a reference to calculating the day (as in "date", not "day of week") of Easter. This is a non-trivial calculation (though one that modern computers can perform easily). On the other hand, the Christmas day is fixed. (There's no reason to believe that the joke was anything else.) - [[User:Mike Rosoft|Mike Rosoft]] ([[User talk:Mike Rosoft|talk]]) 19:13, 29 December 2017 (UTC)

I don't know who wrote the explanation, but... Are they having a bad day? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.205|162.158.111.205]] 18:44, 29 December 2017 (UTC)
:That was vandalism. I did a revert. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:06, 29 December 2017 (UTC)
::Ah, no, I was asking because the explanation sounds so angry. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.17|141.101.104.17]] 22:48, 29 December 2017 (UTC)

:Also, Megan understands that checking if a number divisible by 2 is easy [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.50|141.101.77.50]] 19:32, 29 December 2017 (UTC)

;Theory for possible explanation
Didn't want to edit this in because I'm not sure- but the motivation for this uncharacteristic lack of mathematical rigor could have to do with the current trend of people being dismissive of science being able to predict things. Something that seems pretty obvious is made to look like a chance event that nobody can really predict ahead of time. {{unsigned|Sirpent}}

::This is easy! Don't factor it - just subtract 2000. Is 18 divisible by 4? If so, you're an idiot. {{unsigned ip| 172.68.143.156}}

::The nonsense does look to me like a political discussion where one person uses "alternative facts". But in real life people get leap years "amusingly" wrong. Computer system designers for instance... one software tool I used passed into the year 2000 working correctly, but then it broke 2 months later because it thought 2000 wasn't a Gregorian calendar leap year, I guess because every 4th year is but every 100th year isn't. Every 400th year is, but, if the programmer just stopped at "every 4th is a leap year" then they'd have been fine until 2100. Robert Carnegie rja.carnegie@excite.com [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.102|141.101.105.102]] 22:06, 29 December 2017 (UTC)
: I can assure you with a rather high degree of certainty that this comic is a nod to the exceedingly large number of people who are uncomfortable with math, some to the point where they seem to consider people who are comfortable with math with a sense of awe nearly akin to a magician of old, like a small part in the back of their brain harkens back to the times of the Salem Witch Trials and wants to point and yell "Witch! Witch! Burn them!". :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:16, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

The joke in this might be that it might take some time to brute-force the prime factorisation of 2018 with a calculator as it’s 2*1009. Same holds true for 2017 which is prime. Therefore on might come to the conclusion that factorisation is hard already at this scale. (flx) [[Special:Contributions/172.68.253.71|172.68.253.71]] 22:24, 29 December 2017 (UTC)

;Odd/even is another joke
Cueball: No, it's definitely not. Leap years are divisible by 4.
Megan: Right, and for odd numbers, that's easy.
Megan: But 2018 is even.

She can see that finding out if a number is divisible by 2 is easy, but for dividing by 4 it's a "50/50 chance", and really hard to calculate. IMHO the best joke in the comic but missing from the explanation. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.50|141.101.77.50]] 23:59, 29 December 2017 (UTC)
: Actually, as someone who has helped a LOT of math-challenged people, I understand what she means. Even for them, it's easy to tell if a number is even. But without doing ANY math, it really is 50/50 if it's divisible by 4, only every second even number is. Those of us more comfortable with math can remember that since the 2000 part is, we only have to look at the 18, and since for us it's very easy to remember 16 is - it's freaking 4 squared - that makes the rest easy. But that requires a little math, and math-challenged people shy away from any amount of math. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:53, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

I think it's interesting that 2018 only has two factors, 2 and 1009. Maybe a trivia?
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.107|162.158.238.107]] 17:40, 30 December 2017 (UTC)

I think there should be a mention of leap year rules in general, since they are nontrivial (divisble by 4, except not multiples of 100, except yes to multiples of 400)? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.142.233|172.68.142.233]] 18:43, 30 December 2017 (UTC)

I think the joke in the title text is a play on the old joke that even though we know every year when Christmas falls, and every year we always say that we are going to begin saving or shopping in the months preceding Christmas we always get to December and are "surprised" that Christmas happens to be in December. Effectively Randall is suggesting that the reason we are surprised Christmas is in December is not due to forgetting but rather that we are "calculating" when the day is. Also related are Jokes about American Tax day (April 15th) or pretty much anything to do with procrastination. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.70.107|172.69.70.107]] 01:06, 31 December 2017 (UTC) Sam
: Nope. No matter how it's worded (I haven't checked) the Christmas and Easter bits are about figuring out what day of the week Christmas lands on and what date Easter lands on. Christmas is always December 25th in North America, on the calendar most widely used IN North America (since that's where Randall is). This means the day of the week changes every year. Conversely, Easter is always Sunday (again, N.A....), so it always falls on a different DATE. These are the things being figured out. In both cases it can affect things (though with Easter I expect mostly for what week it is). For example, my mother, who is getting on in years, receives help washing herself every Tuesday and Friday. If Christmas lands on a Tuesday, it's safe to say her wash is cancelled or requires rescheduling. However, if Christmas is on a Wednesday, it MIGHT not affect either wash day that week. Furthermore, if Christmas is on a Tuesday, most people would expect to get the Monday off from work, Wednesday it starts to come into question. These are the things being figured out. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:37, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

Here is some trivia! This comic is number 1935. In 83 more comics XKCD will reach number 2018. So sometime in the year 2018 we will have comic number 2018. Now go calculate what date that will happen ... and don't pull out your pocket slide rule [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slide_rule] to do the calculation. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 14:47, 1 January 2018 (UTC)

Trivia "So we will have a comic named 2018 and a comic numbered 2018 both in the year 2018" is wrong: actually, comic named "2018" was published in the year 2017. [[Special:Contributions/195.62.179.66|195.62.179.66]] 07:23, 2 January 2018 (UTC)
: Aargh. Thank you. Corrected. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 14:13, 2 January 2018 (UTC)

I don’t see at all why the joke is anything other than the date of Christmas. It’s not funny if it’s the day of week of Christmas, and it’s so obviously a reference to Easter. The explanation should be changed. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.131|172.68.58.131]] 15:03, 10 May 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1935: 2018

2019-06-13T00:36:21Z

Elvenivle: Simpler rule for me.

This is easy! Don't factor it - just multiply by 25 and if that ends in two zeros, but not four zeros then it's a leap year, at least most of the time.....17:25, 29 December 2017 (UTC) {{unsigned ip|162.158.126.112}}

This is easy! Don’t factor it - just convert it into a binary and look at the 2 least significant bits. If they are 00 the number is multiple of four. —[[Special:Contributions/172.69.33.35|172.69.33.35]] 17:37, 29 December 2017 (UTC)

This is easy! Don't factor it - just subtract 4 repeatedly. If you end up at 0, it's divisible. If you end up at 1, 2, or 3, it's not. -- 17:55, 29 December 2017 (UTC){{unsigned ip|172.68.58.167}}

This ''is'' easy! Sums of numbers that have 4 as a factor are all divisible by four. (I'll leave the proof of that as an exercise for the reader, but it's really trivial, though possibly non-intuitive.) This means that one can take a number apart and check the individual pieces. Now, any number that's a multiple of 100 is divisible by four (10 * 10 = 5² * 2²,) so one can essentially cut away the higher digits of a number, as they do not influence its divisibility with regard to 4. Now look at the first of the remaining digits. If that's odd, add 2 to the last digit. If the last digit is now divisible by four, the original number is divisble by four. [[User:Tibfulv|Tibfulv]] ([[User talk:Tibfulv|talk]]) 00:38, 30 December 2017 (UTC)

This ''really, absolutely, truly, is 100% easy!'' To tell if a number is divisible by four, look at the last two digits. If the last one is divisible by four, the penultimate one is even. If it isn't divisible by four, the penultimate digit should be odd. [[User:Waterlubber|Waterlubber]] ([[User talk:Waterlubber|talk]]) 03:01, 3 January 2018 (UTC)
: I just ask if the last two digits are an even multiple of 4; it's always worked for me. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 00:36, 13 June 2019 (UTC)

This is extremely easy - look at the calendar for the year and see if it has a 29th Feb.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 10:40, 3 January 2018 (UTC)

The calculation of Christmas is trivial{{Citation needed}} it's December 25th. Where as the calculation of Easter is complex ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computus]). [[Special:Contributions/172.68.133.18|172.68.133.18]] 18:03, 29 December 2017 (UTC)

Calculating the date of Christmas is actually non-trivial. It depends on your location. For example if you are in the US it's in December. If you are in Russia it's in January. If you are in Ukraine it's sortof both but not really. And if you are in Crimea, well, see one of the 2 previous sentences. --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.238.172|172.68.238.172]] 15:22, 30 December 2017 (UTC)

:Actually, it's December 25 on the old Julian calendar in Russia. It's just that Russia uses the Julian calendar for liturgical purposes and the Gregorian calendar for secular purposes. It's a bit schizophrenic. [[User:Billjefferys|Billjefferys]] ([[User talk:Billjefferys|talk]]) 19:40, 30 December 2017 (UTC)
::I've moved some content to the trivia section and added this Julian calendar issue for the Eastern church.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:42, 30 December 2017 (UTC)

FYI, Christmas in 2018 falls on a Tuesday. I just did a quick research on my laptop's calendar, it is an answer to the title text.Boeing-787lover 19:10, 31 December 2017 (UTC) {{unsigned|Xkcdreader52}}

;Title text explanation mis-read
Explanation of title text is incorrect: "The title text refers to calculating the date of Christmas; again, this is a trivial exercise, because Christmas is always December 25." Title text states 'day of Christmas', not 'date...'. The day changes each year and so does require calculation. {{unsigned ip|162.158.111.73}}

Oops, my bad. Fixed. [[User:FlyingPiMonster|FlyingPiMonster]] ([[User talk:FlyingPiMonster|talk]]) 18:08, 29 December 2017 (UTC)
* I think you have it backwards. The title text is a reference to calculating the day (as in "date", not "day of week") of Easter. This is a non-trivial calculation (though one that modern computers can perform easily). On the other hand, the Christmas day is fixed. (There's no reason to believe that the joke was anything else.) - [[User:Mike Rosoft|Mike Rosoft]] ([[User talk:Mike Rosoft|talk]]) 19:13, 29 December 2017 (UTC)

I don't know who wrote the explanation, but... Are they having a bad day? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.205|162.158.111.205]] 18:44, 29 December 2017 (UTC)
:That was vandalism. I did a revert. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:06, 29 December 2017 (UTC)
::Ah, no, I was asking because the explanation sounds so angry. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.17|141.101.104.17]] 22:48, 29 December 2017 (UTC)

:Also, Megan understands that checking if a number divisible by 2 is easy [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.50|141.101.77.50]] 19:32, 29 December 2017 (UTC)

;Theory for possible explanation
Didn't want to edit this in because I'm not sure- but the motivation for this uncharacteristic lack of mathematical rigor could have to do with the current trend of people being dismissive of science being able to predict things. Something that seems pretty obvious is made to look like a chance event that nobody can really predict ahead of time. {{unsigned|Sirpent}}

::This is easy! Don't factor it - just subtract 2000. Is 18 divisible by 4? If so, you're an idiot. {{unsigned ip| 172.68.143.156}}

::The nonsense does look to me like a political discussion where one person uses "alternative facts". But in real life people get leap years "amusingly" wrong. Computer system designers for instance... one software tool I used passed into the year 2000 working correctly, but then it broke 2 months later because it thought 2000 wasn't a Gregorian calendar leap year, I guess because every 4th year is but every 100th year isn't. Every 400th year is, but, if the programmer just stopped at "every 4th is a leap year" then they'd have been fine until 2100. Robert Carnegie rja.carnegie@excite.com [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.102|141.101.105.102]] 22:06, 29 December 2017 (UTC)
: I can assure you with a rather high degree of certainty that this comic is a nod to the exceedingly large number of people who are uncomfortable with math, some to the point where they seem to consider people who are comfortable with math with a sense of awe nearly akin to a magician of old, like a small part in the back of their brain harkens back to the times of the Salem Witch Trials and wants to point and yell "Witch! Witch! Burn them!". :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:16, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

The joke in this might be that it might take some time to brute-force the prime factorisation of 2018 with a calculator as it’s 2*1009. Same holds true for 2017 which is prime. Therefore on might come to the conclusion that factorisation is hard already at this scale. (flx) [[Special:Contributions/172.68.253.71|172.68.253.71]] 22:24, 29 December 2017 (UTC)

;Odd/even is another joke
Cueball: No, it's definitely not. Leap years are divisible by 4.
Megan: Right, and for odd numbers, that's easy.
Megan: But 2018 is even.

She can see that finding out if a number is divisible by 2 is easy, but for dividing by 4 it's a "50/50 chance", and really hard to calculate. IMHO the best joke in the comic but missing from the explanation. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.50|141.101.77.50]] 23:59, 29 December 2017 (UTC)
: Actually, as someone who has helped a LOT of math-challenged people, I understand what she means. Even for them, it's easy to tell if a number is even. But without doing ANY math, it really is 50/50 if it's divisible by 4, only every second even number is. Those of us more comfortable with math can remember that since the 2000 part is, we only have to look at the 18, and since for us it's very easy to remember 16 is - it's freaking 4 squared - that makes the rest easy. But that requires a little math, and math-challenged people shy away from any amount of math. :) [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 04:53, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

I think it's interesting that 2018 only has two factors, 2 and 1009. Maybe a trivia?
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.107|162.158.238.107]] 17:40, 30 December 2017 (UTC)

I think there should be a mention of leap year rules in general, since they are nontrivial (divisble by 4, except not multiples of 100, except yes to multiples of 400)? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.142.233|172.68.142.233]] 18:43, 30 December 2017 (UTC)

I think the joke in the title text is a play on the old joke that even though we know every year when Christmas falls, and every year we always say that we are going to begin saving or shopping in the months preceding Christmas we always get to December and are "surprised" that Christmas happens to be in December. Effectively Randall is suggesting that the reason we are surprised Christmas is in December is not due to forgetting but rather that we are "calculating" when the day is. Also related are Jokes about American Tax day (April 15th) or pretty much anything to do with procrastination. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.70.107|172.69.70.107]] 01:06, 31 December 2017 (UTC) Sam
: Nope. No matter how it's worded (I haven't checked) the Christmas and Easter bits are about figuring out what day of the week Christmas lands on and what date Easter lands on. Christmas is always December 25th in North America, on the calendar most widely used IN North America (since that's where Randall is). This means the day of the week changes every year. Conversely, Easter is always Sunday (again, N.A....), so it always falls on a different DATE. These are the things being figured out. In both cases it can affect things (though with Easter I expect mostly for what week it is). For example, my mother, who is getting on in years, receives help washing herself every Tuesday and Friday. If Christmas lands on a Tuesday, it's safe to say her wash is cancelled or requires rescheduling. However, if Christmas is on a Wednesday, it MIGHT not affect either wash day that week. Furthermore, if Christmas is on a Tuesday, most people would expect to get the Monday off from work, Wednesday it starts to come into question. These are the things being figured out. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:37, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

Here is some trivia! This comic is number 1935. In 83 more comics XKCD will reach number 2018. So sometime in the year 2018 we will have comic number 2018. Now go calculate what date that will happen ... and don't pull out your pocket slide rule [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slide_rule] to do the calculation. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 14:47, 1 January 2018 (UTC)

Trivia "So we will have a comic named 2018 and a comic numbered 2018 both in the year 2018" is wrong: actually, comic named "2018" was published in the year 2017. [[Special:Contributions/195.62.179.66|195.62.179.66]] 07:23, 2 January 2018 (UTC)
: Aargh. Thank you. Corrected. [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 14:13, 2 January 2018 (UTC)

I don’t see at all why the joke is anything other than the date of Christmas. It’s not funny if it’s the day of week of Christmas, and it’s so obviously a reference to Easter. The explanation should be changed. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.131|172.68.58.131]] 15:03, 10 May 2018 (UTC)

Talk:2127: Panama Canal

2019-03-22T22:36:38Z

Elvenivle: Aw, no deeper joke maybe (apparently missing "to" too)

Can any English majors verify if 'we would had to modify it' in the Title text is grammatically ok or not? It sounds like it should be 'we would have had to modify it' or 'we would've had to...', but I could be wrong or maybe it was intentional? [[User:Stickfigurefan|Stickfigurefan]] ([[User talk:Stickfigurefan|talk]]) 18:45, 22 March 2019 (UTC)
:Pretty sure it is just a missing word and yes I think "have" is the missing word so ''we would have had to modify it'' was the intention. Maybe it will be corrected, the comic has only been up 20 minutes now. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 18:53, 22 March 2019 (UTC)
:But as written, you can split the title text exactly in half (at the the space after "would", and including the final period). "Have" doesn't work--the two halves aren't even--"halve" works...but then you have to split it as "ha|lve". [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])
:Hm, there also appears to be another missing word: "...would ['ve/of/have] had to modify it [to] include...". I was hoping there was a joke in the shorter cut--representing the standard Panama palindrome--crossing the longer title text (represented in the vertical canal, leaving an improperly-cut "have", either as 've or "of") but two missing words doesn't seem to fit that hope. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

Fun fact: The portion of the Arctic–Antarctic Canal that passes through central Panamá actually runs from south to north (or at least southwest to northeast), rather than from north to south! —[[User:TobyBartels|TobyBartels]] ([[User talk:TobyBartels|talk]]) 19:58, 22 March 2019 (UTC)

My proposal for the Suez Canal was for it to run from the Cape of Good Hope to Cape Dezhnev via Nepal and Tibet... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.152|162.158.155.152]] 21:17, 22 March 2019 (UTC)

It's interesting to me how palindromic the Panama cut is...compared to the other one. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

Talk:2127: Panama Canal

2019-03-22T21:45:10Z

Elvenivle: Jokes within jokes (v2)?

Can any English majors verify if 'we would had to modify it' in the Title text is grammatically ok or not? It sounds like it should be 'we would have had to modify it' or 'we would've had to...', but I could be wrong or maybe it was intentional? [[User:Stickfigurefan|Stickfigurefan]] ([[User talk:Stickfigurefan|talk]]) 18:45, 22 March 2019 (UTC)
:Pretty sure it is just a missing word and yes I think "have" is the missing word so ''we would have had to modify it'' was the intention. Maybe it will be corrected, the comic has only been up 20 minutes now. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 18:53, 22 March 2019 (UTC)
:But as written, you can split the title text exactly in half (at the the space after "would", and including the final period). "Have" doesn't work--the two halves aren't even--"halve" works...but then you have to split it as "ha|lve". [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

Fun fact: The portion of the Arctic–Antarctic Canal that passes through central Panamá actually runs from south to north (or at least southwest to northeast), rather than from north to south! —[[User:TobyBartels|TobyBartels]] ([[User talk:TobyBartels|talk]]) 19:58, 22 March 2019 (UTC)

My proposal for the Suez Canal was for it to run from the Cape of Good Hope to Cape Dezhnev via Nepal and Tibet... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.152|162.158.155.152]] 21:17, 22 March 2019 (UTC)

It's interesting to me how palindromic the Panama cut is...compared to the other one. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

Talk:2127: Panama Canal

2019-03-22T21:32:58Z

Elvenivle: Jokes within jokes?

Can any English majors verify if 'we would had to modify it' in the Title text is grammatically ok or not? It sounds like it should be 'we would have had to modify it' or 'we would've had to...', but I could be wrong or maybe it was intentional? [[User:Stickfigurefan|Stickfigurefan]] ([[User talk:Stickfigurefan|talk]]) 18:45, 22 March 2019 (UTC)
:Pretty sure it is just a missing word and yes I think "have" is the missing word so ''we would have had to modify it'' was the intention. Maybe it will be corrected, the comic has only been up 20 minutes now. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 18:53, 22 March 2019 (UTC)
:But as written, you can split the title text exactly in half (at the the space after "would", and including the final period). "Have" doesn't work--the two halves aren't even--"halve" works...but then you have to split it as "ha|lve". [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

Fun fact: The portion of the Arctic–Antarctic Canal that passes through central Panamá actually runs from south to north (or at least southwest to northeast), rather than from north to south! —[[User:TobyBartels|TobyBartels]] ([[User talk:TobyBartels|talk]]) 19:58, 22 March 2019 (UTC)

My proposal for the Suez Canal was for it to run from the Cape of Good Hope to Cape Dezhnev via Nepal and Tibet... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.155.152|162.158.155.152]] 21:17, 22 March 2019 (UTC)

Talk:2088: Schwarzschild's Cat

2018-12-21T23:31:29Z

Elvenivle:

I think the biggest question is, what is that arrow on the left is pointing at? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.146.82|162.158.146.82]] 22:46, 21 December 2018 (UTC)

This is likely a cross between the Schwarzschild Radius and Schrodinger's cat. Below the Schwarzschild Radius, you can't tell how cute the cat is because you can't see it, just like you can't tell if the cat is alive or dead in the box. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 16:08, 21 December 2018 (UTC)

The title text has nothing to do with Hawking radiation - it's referencing a phenomenon that happens near a black hole's event horizon. As you observe an object falling toward the black hole, when it reaches the event horizon it appears to you to be frozen in place, and gradually fades to black. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE5PNbsUERE

: I agree - I was going to make the same comment. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 16:34, 21 December 2018 (UTC)

However, Hawking radiation describes the decay of black holes and so the black hole would get smaller and smaller, but I believe that you are also correct.
[[User:Gollum|Gollum]] ([[User talk:Gollum|talk]]) 16:32, 21 December 2018 (UTC)

For the title text, I thought of the Cheshire Cat. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 23:31, 21 December 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1858: 4th of July

2018-11-02T17:49:36Z

Elvenivle: At Intel, the fireworks can emoji you

Hmm. I would personally switch 2017 goal with 2018. But in the meantime, I'm going to practice my armor-polishing skills so that my future master will treat me well. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.33|162.158.74.33]] 15:46, 3 July 2017 (UTC) SiliconWolf

:Drones don't have armor. At least not yet. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:17, 7 July 2017 (UTC)

Added an initial description, definitely needs work though. Hopefully it covers the bases for readers not aware of Independence day celebration in the US [[User:Bpendragon|Bpendragon]] ([[User talk:Bpendragon|talk]]) 17:32, 3 July 2017 (UTC)

A far as hitting drones with fireworks, fireworks cannot be controlled once launched and air currents (especially if there are drones in the vicinity) would make the fireworks' trajectories unpredictable.

Intercepting fireworks with drones would require precise control of the drone.
[[User:The Dining Logician|The Dining Logician]] ([[User talk:The Dining Logician|talk]]) 17:45, 3 July 2017 (UTC)
: "''fireworks cannot be controlled once launched''" .. I think people can fix that if sufficiently motivated ;-) [[User:Zmatt|Zmatt]] ([[User talk:Zmatt|talk]]) 08:11, 5 July 2017 (UTC)
:: If it can be controlled, it's usually called missile, not firework. Although I suppose you can make a decent fireworks with {{w|MIRV}}s. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:17, 7 July 2017 (UTC)
:: Or make the fireworks [https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article214950460.html drones] (Sacramento Bee, Intel world record attempt) [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 17:49, 2 November 2018 (UTC)

I don't understand the title text, I understand the first part, but the second part had me confused.[[User:Xkcdreader52|Xkcdreader52]] ([[User talk:Xkcdreader52|talk]]) 06:55, 5 July 2017 (UTC)
:''It's pretty messy.''--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 14:24, 5 July 2017 (UTC)

:There's also Nathan's Coney Island Hot Dog eating contest on July 4 each year - which also gets pretty messy, with contestants eating over 70 hot dogs with buns in just 10 minutes.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.179|108.162.238.179]] 12:39, 7 July 2017 (UTC)

: Thanks so much for the explanation! I didn't read it properly I guess. Boeing-787lover 13:18, 7 July 2017 (UTC)

Talk:1361: Google Announcement

2018-10-27T18:07:01Z

Elvenivle: Shutdown action link from Project Strobe.

"The service was announced on 3 December 2009" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Public_DNS [[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.179|108.162.254.179]] 05:31, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

'''ubuntu one?'''
Isn't this a reference to Ubuntu shutting down Ubuntu One "focus our efforts on our most important strategic initiatives and ensure we are not spread too thin" http://blog.canonical.com/2014/04/02/shutting-down-ubuntu-one-file-services/
Randall mentions using Linux quite a bit. U1 was a pretty convenient service for linux users. Many users complain about Ubuntu depreciating various important features. U1 was something that made Ubuntu practical for people using Mac and windows because of the cloud sharing so may be seen as part of a core mandate for ubuntu. The joke is that this is foolish to shut down, it would be akin to Google shutting down all their important services to focus on the DNS core because technically it is more important. (but obviously not to most google users who have no idea what 8.8.8.8 is)

I was pretty sure this was about ubuntu because it seems like a strong parallel... but then I thought that was a bit obscure... so I came here to check it out and I suppose maybe I am the only one who sees the connection?
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.11|108.162.245.11]] 07:51, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

For some reason I thought 8.8.8.8 was a reference to the Penfield Mood Organ in ''Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep''. I have no clue why I thought this because it has nothing to do with Google. Maybe its because dialing 888 gives people the desire to watch TV no matter what's on. Either way, I realize that my idea would be too obscure and have nothing to do with the original comic.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.48.90|173.245.48.90]] 09:19, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

I'll start panicking only after Google switches its public DNS server to 6.6.6.6 - [[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.185|108.162.254.185]] 09:21, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

:That would really be scary - I mean, any event which causes Google to use IP address currently allocated to {{w|Army_Network_Enterprise_Technology_Command|U.S. Army Information Systems Command}}, {{w|Fort Huachuca}} would certainly be reason to panic. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 10:31, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

I thought that the comment criticised Google's critics, because they usually say Google should not be working on Google Plus but, instead, on its "core business". So Google goes hardcore in order to abide by that and shuts down everything that is not "core" enough - what can be more central to any internet's business than DNS, right? It's kind of a troll reductio ad absurdum, IMO. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.194|108.162.212.194]] 11:29, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

I would be crushed if 8.8.4.4 were shut down. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]_a ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 14:14, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

This is also a parody on how such rumors spread and extrapolate ludicrously. Because some VP left a company doesn't mean the product he/she was working on will be shutdown. That's not how large companies work -- another VP will just lead that effort. Saying that G+ will be shut down because Vic left is quite a stretch, and the parody is to stretch it further until you hit the "core", with an additional layer on the parody as for most people the core business that Google is known for is its search engine, not a DNS service. [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 15:57, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

I speculate that because all of Google's other services are basically loss leaders, basically to just support it's adsense program, this is just harping on it by saying google is focusing on an obscure free service it provides. 17:21, 28 April 2014 (UTC)

Try "dig +short TXT google-public-dns-a.google.com" [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.204|141.101.89.204]] 08:56, 29 April 2014 (UTC)
:Awesome!! For those without a "dig" command, the response is "http://xkcd.com/1361/" [[User:Nealmcb|Nealmcb]] ([[User talk:Nealmcb|talk]]) 12:11, 29 April 2014 (UTC)

I figured it may have to do with the game "2048" mentioned in strip 1344 four 8s in a row would put the player in a pretty good position, two 8s and two 4s is good but not great. Or maybe I just got nerd sniped. [[User:Chexwarrior|Chexwarrior]] ([[User talk:Chexwarrior|talk]]) 02:21, 1 May 2014 (UTC)

I think that it had to do with the stop of the streaming service of Last.fm. They said that they want to go to their core business model of scrobbeling and killed the streaming. This comic came out on the exact day that the streaming was shut off, so I had the impression that it was about Last.fm. {{unsigned ip|162.158.92.22}}

Well, Google is indeed [https://www.blog.google/technology/safety-security/project-strobe/ shutting down Google+] due to a data breach. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 18:07, 27 October 2018 (UTC)

Talk:2045: Social Media Announcement

2018-09-12T18:58:38Z

Elvenivle: Moved edit, supposing I shouldn't be under the GitHub section

I doubt it's Wil-Wheaton-specific. I've seen a fair number of people talk about quitting some form of social media or another (though usually not ALL of it); Wheaton's just the biggest (that I'm now aware of). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.202|162.158.75.202]] 12:00, 12 September 2018 (UTC)

Trivially amusing, I think "fewer" when I read "less nazis" in the explanation; this may make me a grammar Nazi, so instead of editing I'm pleading [[261: Regarding Mussolini]]. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 18:56, 12 September 2018 (UTC)

'''GitHub'''

On June 4, 2018, Microsoft announced its intent to acquire GitHub. This means it isn't acquired yet. Thus I've removed it from the explanation. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 12:59, 12 September 2018 (UTC)

Talk:2045: Social Media Announcement

2018-09-12T18:56:22Z

Elvenivle: Only passing well-meaning amusement

I doubt it's Wil-Wheaton-specific. I've seen a fair number of people talk about quitting some form of social media or another (though usually not ALL of it); Wheaton's just the biggest (that I'm now aware of). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.202|162.158.75.202]] 12:00, 12 September 2018 (UTC)

'''GitHub'''

On June 4, 2018, Microsoft announced its intent to acquire GitHub. This means it isn't acquired yet. Thus I've removed it from the explanation. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 12:59, 12 September 2018 (UTC)

Trivially amusing, I think "fewer" when I read "less nazis" in the explanation; this may make me a grammar Nazi, so instead of editing I'm pleading [[261: Regarding Mussolini]]. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 18:56, 12 September 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1348: Before the Internet

2018-09-04T22:24:01Z

Elvenivle:

I'm pretty sure that Randall doesn't make this mistake, but "Before the Internet" and "Before the Web" are two very different things in a way that old fogeys like myself (and him) tend to mutter on about when anyone younger than maybe 40 make the mistake of conflating the two.
If that's Exploit Mom, she'd probably be too young to ''really'' know times pre-Internet in the truest sense. (Although "before the layperson ''knew'' about the Internet" could be placed somewhere in the mid-to-late '90s, which ''is'' after the early '90s inception of the Web.)
Enough pedantry. Someone needs to make a more useful comment than the above, and quickly! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.211|141.101.89.211]] 06:00, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
:The person asking the question is a child-character. The adult-character then followed up with a clarification question "[Do you mean] not having a phone or computer to distract you?". Though, in your "truest sense", "before the Internet" and "the first decade or so of the Internet" would be mostly the same. The Internet didn't have much of an impact on or value to society until after it reached a certain size.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_effect] [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.64|108.162.237.64]] 07:15, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
::Yeahbut you're still conflating "Internet" and "Web". "The first decade or so of the Internet" still takes us up to maybe the start of the '80s ''at the latest''. A college/university student of that time is now in now in their 40s (hence the "['''Even''', ''sic''] if that's Exploit Mom"), and I don't think that the adult character looks old enough. Hack off ten years or so (for the first ''Web'' Generation to find their new distraction, via AOL if not their college) and I think it would work better. Of course, I don't dismiss Megan/whoever being a little sparing with the truth for a good tale. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.211|141.101.89.211]] 23:11, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
:::What society refers to as the "Internet" didn't really surface until the mid-to-late 90s. Before that, the systems that formed an "internet" (lower-case, to refer to the generic concept of wide-area interconnected systems) was only barely accessible to the public, and the systems that were connected this way in the early 80s were part of the original ARPANET that was primarily used by the military. In short, the "Internet" that we take for granted today was a product of its own discovery, which largely occurred in the mid-90s. An average-aged mom with a kid in the average age range to be asking questions like the one in this comic would probably have grown up in the 80s. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.249|199.27.128.249]] 03:39, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
::::Yes, exactly. Like I said, there's pedantry involved in this issue. But ''the internet'' (OSI layer 1-3 or 4, depending on how you define it) was named circa 1974 and pre-existed that in a vaguely recognisable form at the tail-end of the '60s. And is different from ''the web'' (OSI layer 7, itself). It's just an observation, and I would just count the adult in the strip as an 'unreliable narrator', whether intentionally or otherwise. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.211|141.101.89.211]] 04:50, 29 March 2014 (UTC)
I read a lot. Before the internet was cheap, I would go to the library on my bike, borrow 5 books (the limit), read them all and go to the library again. On a good weekend day I could repeat this 3 or 4 times. Some books I've read thousands of times. Relevant irrelevant comment[[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.41|108.162.218.41]] 07:18, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
: Very impressive. Libraries are typically open for 8 hours a day, so you read 15-20 (3-4 x 5) books in 8 hours. That's about 30 minutes per book.
: A short novel is about 200 pages. I'm an accomplished reader, and I read about a page a minute. Assuming you read exclusively short novels, you managed 7 pages a minute, or 3500 words per minute, or one page every 10 seconds. That's about three times the 1000-words-per-minute limit on human skim-reading comprehension. I'm very impressed!
: This may explain why you have had to read some books thousands of times. At a reading speed of 3500 words per minute, your comprehension was likely extremely poor, necessitating you to go back many times to understand what was going on. May I suggest that in future, you read more slowly, so that you can understand better the first time? You'll enjoy what you're reading so much more.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.178|173.245.53.178]] 17:11, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Does this comic even ''need'' explaining? Pretty self-explanatory of you ask me. —[[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.237|108.162.210.237]] 08:04, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

: I think some sort of explanation relating to why this is funny. It is sort of the opposite of the standard nostalgia. Rather like our parents generation may have had a similar discussion with their parents about the invention of TV (add a generation if you are too young). When you think about it, it is a bit odd how society is keen to develop tech to make things better, and at the same time declare that things were better in the past. We sometimes get quite good expositions on this sort of thing here... hopefully someone with some sociology/psychology knowledge can explain this a bit better. {{unsigned ip|108.162.219.19}}
::Agreed it's fairly self-explanatory. The 'reverse-nostalgia' point is interesting. I guess the joke here is kind of that the Mom is making it sound like there was nothing to do before the internet, whereas in reality there was plenty to do; people weren't sitting around waiting for the internet to be invented so they didn't know that it was a thing that could be missing from their lives, it just seems that way now because we can't imagine our lives without it. In a way, it's almost a variation on the classic 'we can't watch TV, it hasn't been invented yet' joke.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.148|173.245.53.148]] 11:31, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
:::People weren't sitting around waiting for Internet to be invented. Computers already existed, so people were walking around with floppy disks (or tapes) and saying things like "It would be great if we could exchange data while sitting home ..." -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:48, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
::My main question is whether the Mom character is being serious or sarcastic - as in the way some people like to wind children up by giving them made-up answers to questions.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.148|173.245.53.148]] 11:33, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
:::Yeah, she could be messing with her by just answering with the opposite of what she's clearly expected to say in this exchange. I think the joke works both ways. [[User:Enchantedsleeper|Enchantedsleeper]] ([[User talk:Enchantedsleeper|talk]]) 15:24, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

::Of course the past was better. Before the Internet, I had lot of free time I could spend whatever I wanted. Now I'm forced to spend most of day in work. Oh, wait, that isn't because of Internet but because I was child and had summer holiday and now I'm adult. (Also, the Internet technically exists since December 1974, but for most people, mid-1990s is start of Internet and my "before the Internet" refers to that). -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:48, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Isn't this a joke on how older people say younger people don't interact with eachother unless through cellphone etc. Even if they are sitting right next to eachother--[[User:Nitho|Nitho]] ([[User talk:Nitho|talk]]) 11:59, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

I kindof took this joke as a variation on upstaging a complainer, i.e., "When I was your age, we walked uphill...''both'' ways". [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 22:24, 4 September 2018 (UTC)

;Ponytail
In [[1105: License Plate]] we can see Ponytail is a police officer. Therefore she must be at least 22, and therefore she was born before 1990. If this comic features Ponytail, then it must be set at most in 2000 (when Ponytail was 10). But in 2000 or before people didn't have smartphones. In my opinion this comic is set in 2014, and therefore the girl character is not [[Ponytail]] but simply a girl with a ponytail. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.84|173.245.50.84]] 12:44, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
:Or maybe [[1105: License Plate]] was set in 2024?
:While we are identifying Randalls characters by how they are drawn, I don't think he does. (except for Blackhat and Beret Guy) -- [[User:Xorg|Xorg]] ([[User talk:Xorg|talk]]) 13:20, 28 March 2014 (UTC)
::Of course he doesn't. In [[1344: Digits]] it was arbitrary to label one character as Cueball and the other as Guy. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.90|108.162.221.90]] 17:34, 28 March 2014 (UTC) (I'm [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.84|173.245.50.84]]).

Talk:1985: Meteorologist

2018-04-26T01:53:29Z

Elvenivle:

I’ve wondered about this (from both the math and software development perspectives anyway, not the linguist), so I look forward to seeing some actual answers as the explanation gets filled in :) [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 16:36, 25 April 2018 (UTC)
: The weather service has a [https://www.weather.gov/ffc/pop nice explanation] of this. After reading it you come away understanding that the percentage chance is... still almost impossible to discern :) {{unsigned ip|172.68.189.205}}

I really liked this one. I don't know why though. [[User:Linker|Linker]] ([[User talk:Linker|talk]]) 17:35, 25 April 2018 (UTC)

: Yep - all three of the 'experts' express problems that I have with every single weather forecast. It gets worse though. Our local TV station uses a rotating 3D graphic of downtown Austin where the shadows of the buildings flicker violently as it rotates - they've been doing this for YEARS. I'm a 3D computer graphics professional and I know PRECISELY why that is happening (they are rendering the back-faces of the building polygons in the shadow rendering pass instead of the front-faces...trust me on this one!)...I could fix the bug with ONE LINE OF CODE - and I bet I could find and fix it within 20 minutes if left alone with the source code. But when I call them and BEG to be allowed t...'''SECURITY!!!''' [[User:SteveBaker|SteveBaker]] ([[User talk:SteveBaker|talk]]) 17:36, 25 April 2018 (UTC)

; Randall
: wonders about something and puts it in an xkcd comic.
; Explainxkcd participants
: answer Randall's questions for him (and all of his readers).
—[[User:TobyBartels|TobyBartels]] ([[User talk:TobyBartels|talk]]) 20:52, 25 April 2018 (UTC)

Am I allowed to be slightly offended by the suggestion that "information being conveyed is to people, who would probably be able to interpret it easily"? Okay, I'm a software engineer, but even if I weren't I'd still not know whether the report system defines "12:00" as "in the period between 12:00 and 13:00" or "between 11:30 and 12:30". I usually wonder, but get so many variants of weather reports exposed to me that I can't be bothered to check which arbitrary decision any given one has made, and whether they all agree. A software engineer might instantly spot the ambiguity, but it affects everyone. [[User:Fluppeteer|Fluppeteer]] ([[User talk:Fluppeteer|talk]]) 23:58, 25 April 2018 (UTC)
:Clearly, what that sentence is trying to convey is that software developers are no longer considered "people" - since, you know, everyone knows that software developers have actually been replaced by robots. ;p
:I agree that that section is pretty poorly worded (in more ways than one) and was likely written by somebody quickly trying to get as much explanation out as possible so that future people could fix it. So, I'm going to see if I can fix that sentence and the surrounding section. [[User:Jeudi Violist|Jeudi Violist]] ([[User talk:Jeudi Violist|talk]]) 01:40, 26 April 2018 (UTC)
As someone who's asked many questions along these lines, this comic makes me happy. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 01:53, 26 April 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1980: Turkish Delight

2018-04-15T02:52:01Z

Elvenivle: Perhaps a joke will help someone remember, should the need arise

whomever[[Special:Contributions/172.68.26.71|172.68.26.71]] 15:42, 13 April 2018 (UTC)
:On the distinction (to or for whom something is done) one of my favorite knock-knock jokes goes: >"KnockKnock..." <"Who's there?" >"to" <"...to who?" >(quickly, with emphasis)"to ''WHOM''" [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 02:52, 15 April 2018 (UTC)

Randall is a known Animorphs fan, and Cinnabon is portrayed in the books as being foremost among the favourite foods of Andalites when in human morph. Possibly the title text is meant to introduce the narrator as one? It wouldn't be the [[769:_War|first time]] that mousing over has revealed the identity of a character in the strip. [[User:D5xtgr|D5xtgr]] ([[User talk:D5xtgr|talk]]) 17:57, 13 April 2018 (UTC)

Would it be useful to include an explanation of what Turkish Delights are and what they’re made from? It could help to explain why he might be let down. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.211.82|172.68.211.82]] 19:41, 13 April 2018 (UTC)
:This might be helpful for background [http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2005/12/the_lion_the_witch_and_the_really_foul_candy.html The Lion, the Witch, and the Really Foul Candy] [[User:Odysseus654|Odysseus654]] ([[User talk:Odysseus654|talk]]) 21:22, 13 April 2018 (UTC)

One point that might be worth mentioning, is that this happens during World War II, more specifically during The Blitz (the Kids were being sent off to the professor's to get them out of the city, since the city was being bombed to crap. This kind of thing was rather common.) Rationing had been in place for some time, and ANY sort of confectionery would've been exceedingly difficult to come by. Poor Edmund probably hadn't had any candy at all for months. -Graptor [[Special:Contributions/172.68.58.95|172.68.58.95]] 22:00, 13 April 2018 (UTC)
:Candy was definitely in short supply during the war, and it was still being rationed in the UK even at the time ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' was published. But the witch offered Edmund ''any'' kind of food he might want, and what he requested was Turkish delight, which she magically conjured up. (''"What would you like best to eat?" "Turkish Delight, please, your Majesty," said Edmund. The Queen let another drop fall from her bottle onto the snow, and instantly there appeared a round box, tied with green silk ribbon, which, when opened, turned out to contain several pounds of the best Turkish Delight.'') It wasn't like the witch had only Turkish delight to offer and Edmund was grateful for it only because he had no other access to candy. He could have requested chocolate bars or some other kind of candy from the witch, if he had wanted to. --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.150.52|172.68.150.52]] 22:51, 13 April 2018 (UTC)

I'm getting ridiculous deja vous... did Randal publish this comic before? Or did he steal the punchline from somewhere? I could *SWARE* I've seen this before.... [[Special:Contributions/172.69.69.82|172.69.69.82]] 23:31, 13 April 2018 (UTC)
:I had similar Deja Vu... I don't think from another comic. It might have been this article:
:[https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/cs-lewis-greatest-fiction-convincing-american-kids-that-they-would-like-turkish-delight C.S. Lewis’s Greatest Fiction Was Convincing American Kids That They Would Like Turkish Delight] [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.226|108.162.241.226]] 18:20, 14 April 2018 (UTC)

Should Narnia get its own category? Also, the title text has a noteworthy grammatically incorrect sentence: it’s “whomever” instead of “whoever.” [[Special:Contributions/172.68.211.112|172.68.211.112]] 23:54, 13 April 2018 (UTC)
:I'm not sure, there have been several Narnia comics before, but I'm not sure if they could stand out as a category on their own. Maybe as a subcategory of the fiction category? [[User:Herobrine|Herobrine]] ([[User talk:Herobrine|talk]]) 01:07, 14 April 2018 (UTC)
::Five comic references I have moved to a new trivia section here, but reading those comics again gave me the conviction to this new category [[:Category:Chronicles of Narnia]]. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:55, 14 April 2018 (UTC)

I'm not a fan of pushing the prescriptivist grammar here. The subjective/objective distinction in the who(m) words is no longer regularly used in many dialects. Simply using "whom" among these people labels one as being excessively formal. If Randal's dialect does not use "whomever," then it is hardly a mistake. [[User:Trlkly|Trlkly]] ([[User talk:Trlkly|talk]]) 02:37, 14 April 2018 (UTC)

Make them [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reese's_Peanut_Butter_Cups Reese's Peanut Butter Cups] and you've got a deal. BTW, Is there a category for "comics drawn in a style uncommon to XKCD"? [[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 01:06, 15 April 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1931: Virtual Assistant

2017-12-22T00:52:58Z

Elvenivle: Just a thought.

I just set up Siri to do this: https://youtu.be/B32YLUa6bUg [[User:DPS2004|DPS2004'); DROP TABLE users;--]] ([[User talk:DPS2004|talk]]) 15:54, 20 December 2017 (UTC)

The transcript has to follow the common layout as used in nearly all former comics. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 16:22, 20 December 2017 (UTC)

I feel like the explanation for this one missed the masturbation reference - the sounds of the sink and the zipper? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.181|172.68.189.181]] 22:36, 20 December 2017 (UTC)

Someone should hang a warning sign on that TvTropes link, you are playing with fire here! --Pax

After several tries, I was able to turn off the "ok google" only by removing the right to use microphone from that application. "Not able to turn off" seem to been covered on my phone. Turn off assistant, yes, turn off listening and responding on "ok google" when on homescreen, no - when assistant was off, it just asked if it should turn it on. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 19:55, 21 December 2017 (UTC)

Oversleeping / startled awake, then running into things (maybe because it's dark, or because balance can be off when you get up too fast) and flipping light switches seems more natural to me than locked doors. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 00:52, 22 December 2017 (UTC)

Talk:781: Ahead Stop

2017-09-27T03:06:40Z

Elvenivle:

Reminds me of something I saw in San Diego on a pedestrian/bike path: PED TO YIELD. At first I thought it meant that pedestrians are to yield to bicyclists. But then I remembered my highway grammar.

--[[Special:Contributions/98.203.241.55|98.203.241.55]] 21:49, 1 May 2013 (UTC)
:"highway grammar" that's a good one! [[User:Saibot84|Saibot84]] ([[User talk:Saibot84|talk]]) 05:25, 19 May 2013 (UTC)
::"grammar highway" [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.166|173.245.53.166]] 19:50, 10 March 2014 (UTC)

The phrase suffers from parallax. Being near the first words you can't read the phrase in the correct order but the words further away make more sense, so you read:
"HIGHWAY ENGINEERS THINK BACKWARD I READ".

[[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]]) 17:23, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

In Idaho you can see signs which say:
GUBERIF
BE A
DONT

So theyre not only downside-up and backside-front, there ungrammaticle. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.36|173.245.54.36]] 22:18, 13 May 2016 (UTC)

Please do not reenact the title text. {{unsigned ip|108.162.237.44}}

To save you the bother, I googled guberif and found it is firebug spelt backwards, which I should have realised for myself, and comes from a 70+ year old marketing campaign. So now you know. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.70|108.162.245.70]] 22:55, 22 June 2017 (UTC)

Sometimes the result is poetic. Last weekend I saw "BRIDGE LOW TRUCKS NO" on a highway. [[User:Gmcgath|Gmcgath]] ([[User talk:Gmcgath|talk]]) 00:00, 29 June 2017 (UTC)

How can someone say there is not many periods on the highway, has anyone done a study of how many woman are not menstruating while in a vehicle compared to those that are? I would think that at any one time there is a significant amount of periods on any given roadway. {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.166}}

What Americans call periods were represented by STOP in telegrams [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=124683 StraightDope] or in British English: a full stop [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_stop wikipedia]. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 03:06, 27 September 2017 (UTC)

Talk:1892: USB Cables

2017-09-21T00:54:03Z

Elvenivle:

> Carries data but not power - Not typically done, but it could happen if the wires or pins get damaged.

> Charges phone slowly - More likely a problem with the charger than the cable, but may happen if the wires are damaged.

Some manufactures limits charging / fast charging to approved devices only, and this can also be done by some non-standard trick within cable connectors, so non-OEM cable do no charge or charge slower

>Plug doesn't fit through case - There's no standard for what the plastic housing around the USB connector should look like, and sometimes these are moulded so they don't quite fit in the phone socket or through the charging port of an external case.

There is standard defining clearances for plastic housing of connectors, but not all manufactures care

/mhcmega
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.202.10|162.158.202.10]] 15:52, 20 September 2017 (UTC)

I think Weird shape has to do with mould doing a 90 degree turn.
[[User:Trimutius|Trimutius]] ([[User talk:Trimutius|talk]]) 15:55, 20 September 2017 (UTC)

I honestly think this entire comic is a protracted anatomy joke. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 00:54, 21 September 2017 (UTC)

Talk:1891: Obsolete Technology

2017-09-19T00:27:02Z

Elvenivle:

Wasn't DOS still running behind Win95, and integrated into the OS similarly to the Linux shell? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.59.154|162.158.59.154]] 14:48, 18 September 2017 (UTC)
:Even worse than that. DOS was not "integrated" into Win95 or Win98, but Win95 and Win98 were built to run atop DOS. Windows NT did away with that dependency on DOS.--[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.102|141.101.105.102]] 22:48, 18 September 2017 (UTC)
::Win Me were also built to run atop DOS. Win NT were considered server system, only later Win 2000 and Win XP brought NT-based Windows to home machines. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 23:38, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

This reminds me of this Raganwald article on Blub: [http://weblog.raganwald.com/2006/10/are-we-blub-programmers.html Are we blub programmers?] Adequate doesn't mean best for the job; this comic presents the other side of the coin, don't upgrade just for upgrade's sake. --[[User:Jgt|Jgt]] ([[User talk:Jgt|talk]]) 14:51, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

The computer doesn't look like an early PC from the MS-DOS era. Reminds me more of the previous generation: à so-called mini-computer or a terminal connected to a mainframe.
Zetfr 15:32, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

:You are right, but I think we should make allowances to the look as this is stated to be an 'industrial' computer. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.52|172.68.110.52]] 16:24, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Fireworks has a link to the 2016 Fireworks Annual Report, which has some useful statistics on page 2, the executive summary.
--[[User:Ozmandias42|Ozmandias42]] ([[User talk:Ozmandias42|talk]]) 20:08, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

I just finished working on upgrading an industrial control system. In the plant's control rooms, the interfaces and terminals were relatively new, running Windows 7 Ultimate. However, the DBMs in the server room that managed the control network were running MS-DOS 6.22, and they still worked just fine. The client was only upgrading the system because the OEM no longer provided support or replacement components.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.11|108.162.238.11]] 21:44, 18 September 2017 (UTC)

What bothers me about old technology is that security updates stop while the rest of the world gains an ever-increasing exploit advantage over people connecting to the same Internet. Along with the risks to them, it's worse when compromised devices act as workhorses to leverage "millions of papercuts" against the rest of the system. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 00:27, 19 September 2017 (UTC)

Talk:1841: Who?

2017-05-24T17:45:44Z

Elvenivle: It's a comment.

I like this one. It feels like acknowledging that you live in a silo, everyone knows this but you (which explains the quizzical looks), and even reminds me that -- should I go out on some public service and comment on trolls, all trolls have to do is delete/edit their posts to make their targets out to be the fools. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 17:45, 24 May 2017 (UTC)

Talk:1737: Datacenter Scale

2016-09-23T17:27:34Z

Elvenivle: Bad initial edit

While the comic is obviously exaggerating, there are situations where this could make a certain amount of sense. IF you can design a server so that most or all of the components reach end-of-life at about the same time, then if a hard drive fails on one server, every other component of that server is likely to fail soon as well.

If you install entire server racks or server rooms at the same time, where every machine contains components with the same basic life cycle...

then in theory, once the first component fails, you can ignore it until mass component failures causes the entire rack/room to fall below a certain readiness level.

At that point, there's no reason to pay a technician to spend several days removing and replacing half the individual components throughout that rack/room, when the other half are just going to fail in the next few months anyway. In theory, it might be economically more efficient just to scrap everything at once, bring in brand-new server replacements, and re-sync the needed data from a networked backup.

in real life, it's very hard to build a server that will reliably degrade on schedule.... but with the right tradeoffs, and enough long-term performance data, it might eventually become possible to do so.
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.101|162.158.74.101]] 04:48, 23 September 2016 (UTC)
: Or give the equipment to someone with a different time/ROI equation. I've seen a lot of time/expense burned on a transient failure that turned out to be a cheap data cable. A kid/disadvantaged would have time to tinker this out with a potentially significant payoff. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 17:27, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

The title text is referring to [http://multivax.com/last_question.html The Last Question by Isaac Asimov].
[[User:EpicWolverine|EpicWolverine]] ([[User talk:EpicWolverine|talk]]) 04:56, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

I cannot help but read this in a fake Yorkshire accent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Yorkshiremen_sketch [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.113|141.101.98.113]] 09:55, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

I wonder how closely the AC and Douglas Adams' Deep Thought are related? {{unsigned ip|188.114.102.167}}
:Not that close as Deep Thought was build inside this universe and also finished it's job and was recommissioned. They build a new computer (Earth) instead to calculate what the ultimate question was, now they knew the answer was 42. But maybe Adams was aware of AC and based the idea of solving a question with computers on that...? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:56, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

I think the character in Panel 1 is [[Science Girl]] and not [[Hairbun]].
[[User:PoconoChuck|PoconoChuck]] ([[User talk:PoconoChuck|talk]]) 12:20, 23 September 2016 (UTC)
:Agree it fits with her style and she has appeared as an adult before. She also seems smaller than the other people so it could indicate she is still young. I created the Science Girl and the Hairbun categories, so I should know ;-) When a character fail I just throw it out and create a new one... :p --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:52, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

::It's clearly not [[Science Girl]], because, as the linked page says "She became the first child to have its own character category. She is distinguished by being clearly a girl (compared to adults around her or her behavior)". You may create a page called "Datacenter Woman". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.139|108.162.221.139]] 14:35, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

== No need to invoke blade servers ==

There's no need to refer to blade servers in the explanation. You can fit many "normal" servers into a 19 inch rack. It could just say:

: From here, the comic starts to exaggerate. Many servers can be mounted in one 19-inch rack in a data center. Rather than going to the effort of unplugging and unscrewing one server from the rack, when a disk fails at Cueball's data center they just throw away the rack, and Ponytail agrees and kinda mock the woman with a bun for replacing a single server.

[[Special:Contributions/162.158.83.66|162.158.83.66]] 14:51, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

== RAID is not complicated ==

Simple RAID 1 is not complicated to configure, unless you have some exotic HW RAID controllers. RAID 5 would be more complicated AND requires to be HW, but RAID 1 will usually be simple as HW OR possible to do SW completely automatically. What is costly is to replace discs as they fail, because it must be done by human ; in bigger systems, it makes more sense to start with RAID 1, then when one disc fail simply ignore it - not repair nor throw it off, just let it operate without the RAID. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 15:41, 23 September 2016 (UTC)
:: Actually, depending on OS and software other RAID levels can be done in software, too. I've done RAID levels 5 and 6 fully in software using mdraid on Linux. Neither of them are really that much more complicated than RAID-1. ZFS can do even more complicated "RAID" types fully in software, too. [[User:Iguanabob|Iguanabob]] ([[User talk:Iguanabob|talk]]) 16:55, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1737: Datacenter Scale

2016-09-23T17:25:32Z

Elvenivle:

While the comic is obviously exaggerating, there are situations where this could make a certain amount of sense. IF you can design a server so that most or all of the components reach end-of-life at about the same time, then if a hard drive fails on one server, every other component of that server is likely to fail soon as well.

If you install entire server racks or server rooms at the same time, where every machine contains components with the same basic life cycle...

then in theory, once the first component fails, you can ignore it until mass component failures causes the entire rack/room to fall below a certain readiness level.

At that point, there's no reason to pay a technician to spend several days removing and replacing half the individual components throughout that rack/room, when the other half are just going to fail in the next few months anyway. In theory, it might be economically more efficient just to scrap everything at once, bring in brand-new server replacements, and re-sync the needed data from a networked backup.
: Or give the equipment to someone with a different time/ROI equation. I've seen a lot of time/expense burned on a transient failure that turned out to be a cheap data cable. A kid/disadvantaged would have time to tinker this out with a potentially significant payoff.

in real life, it's very hard to build a server that will reliably degrade on schedule.... but with the right tradeoffs, and enough long-term performance data, it might eventually become possible to do so.
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.101|162.158.74.101]] 04:48, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

The title text is referring to [http://multivax.com/last_question.html The Last Question by Isaac Asimov].
[[User:EpicWolverine|EpicWolverine]] ([[User talk:EpicWolverine|talk]]) 04:56, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

I cannot help but read this in a fake Yorkshire accent. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Yorkshiremen_sketch [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.113|141.101.98.113]] 09:55, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

I wonder how closely the AC and Douglas Adams' Deep Thought are related? {{unsigned ip|188.114.102.167}}
:Not that close as Deep Thought was build inside this universe and also finished it's job and was recommissioned. They build a new computer (Earth) instead to calculate what the ultimate question was, now they knew the answer was 42. But maybe Adams was aware of AC and based the idea of solving a question with computers on that...? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:56, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

I think the character in Panel 1 is [[Science Girl]] and not [[Hairbun]].
[[User:PoconoChuck|PoconoChuck]] ([[User talk:PoconoChuck|talk]]) 12:20, 23 September 2016 (UTC)
:Agree it fits with her style and she has appeared as an adult before. She also seems smaller than the other people so it could indicate she is still young. I created the Science Girl and the Hairbun categories, so I should know ;-) When a character fail I just throw it out and create a new one... :p --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:52, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

::It's clearly not [[Science Girl]], because, as the linked page says "She became the first child to have its own character category. She is distinguished by being clearly a girl (compared to adults around her or her behavior)". You may create a page called "Datacenter Woman". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.139|108.162.221.139]] 14:35, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

== No need to invoke blade servers ==

There's no need to refer to blade servers in the explanation. You can fit many "normal" servers into a 19 inch rack. It could just say:

: From here, the comic starts to exaggerate. Many servers can be mounted in one 19-inch rack in a data center. Rather than going to the effort of unplugging and unscrewing one server from the rack, when a disk fails at Cueball's data center they just throw away the rack, and Ponytail agrees and kinda mock the woman with a bun for replacing a single server.

[[Special:Contributions/162.158.83.66|162.158.83.66]] 14:51, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

== RAID is not complicated ==

Simple RAID 1 is not complicated to configure, unless you have some exotic HW RAID controllers. RAID 5 would be more complicated AND requires to be HW, but RAID 1 will usually be simple as HW OR possible to do SW completely automatically. What is costly is to replace discs as they fail, because it must be done by human ; in bigger systems, it makes more sense to start with RAID 1, then when one disc fail simply ignore it - not repair nor throw it off, just let it operate without the RAID. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 15:41, 23 September 2016 (UTC)
:: Actually, depending on OS and software other RAID levels can be done in software, too. I've done RAID levels 5 and 6 fully in software using mdraid on Linux. Neither of them are really that much more complicated than RAID-1. ZFS can do even more complicated "RAID" types fully in software, too. [[User:Iguanabob|Iguanabob]] ([[User talk:Iguanabob|talk]]) 16:55, 23 September 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1708: Dehydration

2016-07-20T02:11:49Z

Elvenivle:

Uhm, shot glasses or lemonade glasses? Does it have to be a glass or can it be a mug? Could we specify it in litres perhaps?
(How small a glass would you need for 5 glasses a minute in "normal" climate (20 C / 50% RH), without water poisoning? And maybe in 40 C / 15% RH?) --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.10|141.101.105.10]] 14:55, 18 July 2016 (UTC)

I think that's part of the joke, which is itself about how a large amount of people have been informed you should drink x amount of glasses of water per day, but the numbers wildly vary. I'd edit that into the page, but I'm bad at formal language. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.73|141.101.98.73]] 15:00, 18 July 2016 (UTC)

It is possible to drink too much water, causing a dangerous condition called hyponatremia. Basically you end up dilluting the sodium (and other salts) in your body to a point where many normal functions can't occur. So 3000 glasses a day would probably kill you. On the other hand, I think the difference between a scientific recommendation of 5 and 8 glasses a day is statistically insignificant because other factors (height, weight, metabolism, activity levels, outside temperature, etc.) contribute much more to your needs. Bottom line, it's a lot easier to drink too little water than too much. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.72|173.245.56.72]] 16:02, 18 July 2016 (UTC)

Of course it would be a WOMAN to get dizzy. #rapeculture {{unsigned ip|162.158.214.231}}

: She's doing [[Science|SCIENCE, BITCHES]]. What do you want? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.221|162.158.150.221]] 18:53, 18 July 2016 (UTC)

The other 'problem' with "you need to drink x amount" of water is the the studies (citation needed) give the amount of water you should consume, which includes the water in all (nonalcoholic)* drinks and food**. I go for days on end without drinking any plain (or carbonated) water without ill effect. There is a reputed way to assess dyhdration which is related to the colour of your "water".
(*)the diuretic effect of alcohol results in the loss of more water than it was drunk with.
(**)no doubt you could devise a diet with lots of juicy veg and fruit but no drinks, but it probably would have too much sugar.[[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 18:26, 18 July 2016 (UTC)

Is this the first time White Hat and Black Hat have been in the same comic? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.127|141.101.70.127]] 19:25, 18 July 2016 (UTC)
:It's the first normal comic to include both. Zach Weiner included both of them in [[826]], and they were both in [[1110: Click and Drag]] and [[1608: Hoverboard]]. [[User:.42|.42]] ([[User talk:.42|talk]]) 20:19, 18 July 2016 (UTC)
::Have you made cross reference between both characters .42? They are also both in [[1000]] which to my frustration haven't got any categories yet. I swear I will add them someday... but that is also a large comic. Have mentioned the fact in the explanation but with a possible included as I have no citation that it is so. (Yet) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 22:22, 18 July 2016 (UTC)
::: Oh, I missed 1000. I was only comparing their category pages. [[User:.42|.42]] ([[User talk:.42|talk]]) 01:12, 19 July 2016 (UTC)
::::Yes and they are not mentioned in 1000, as someone thought that would be too much. I'm not agreing. But you also missed And [[1581: Birthday]] ;-) in which they are mentioned. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:11, 19 July 2016 (UTC)
:::::I also looked through and this is indeed the first comic where Black Hat speaks to White Hat. I have made explanation of this fact [[:Category:Characters with Hats|here]]. And linked to this from the explanation above. Beret Guy and Black Hat has never spoken together yet, and only once has Beret Guy spoken directly to White Hat. This is also mentioned in the link above. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:10, 19 July 2016 (UTC)

previous references to drinking n glasses of water a day:
* https://what-if.xkcd.com/91/ (ctrl-f 8 glasses of water)
* https://xkcd.com/715/
maybe something to be put into the explanation? --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.91.247|141.101.91.247]] 20:11, 18 July 2016 (UTC)
:Someone has included those two already --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 22:22, 18 July 2016 (UTC)

is the "maybe you should just drink straight from the tap" is related to the person saying "i'll get some water" being black hat. no one wants that. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.84|141.101.98.84]] 11:35, 19 July 2016 (UTC)
:Funny detail, but since we do not know how much later we also do not know who is still there. Anyway if you are thirsty just drink from the tap, that saves the counting of glasses which was the point. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:37, 19 July 2016 (UTC)

I heard that the fuller quote is 'We need x glasses of water per day, most of which comes from our food'. {{unsigned ip|141.101.98.78}}
: Yes, this. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 02:11, 20 July 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1168: tar

2016-07-20T02:09:23Z

Elvenivle:

I thought the title text would be "tar --help"
[[Special:Contributions/123.202.19.132|123.202.19.132]] 06:59, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

Is it good that I could have disarmed the bomb, and I have only used tar (or for that matter, Linux) sparsely? [[User:NSDCars5|NSDCars5]] ([[User talk:NSDCars5|talk]]) 12:16, 9 May 2014 (UTC)NSDCars5

The comic is about the difficulty of the tar program options.

Even if his life depended on it and after years of usage, Bob/Randall could not come up with the right parameters without looking them up. So a situation is shown, where Bob's life depends on coming up with the right parameters:

* It shows an atomic warhead
* It has a user interface, which requests any valid tar command
* If it is not entered on the first try within 10s, the bomb is not disarmed and potentially explodes on the spot

Randall has come up with a situation, where the unix guy Bob can be the hero by knowing tar parameters. This is a pipe dream of a geek; nobody cares IRL, if you know tar parameters on the first try.

It is hilarious, that
* the bomb says in full detail the rules including that you should not cheat and it probably has no means to check whether you cheated. This is no game, but feels like one. In war and love every means is allowed - even cheating; it would also be self-defense for disarming the bomb; Bob and his colleagues are not even considering to cheat.
* the user has root access to the bomb, shown by the bomb as ~#, the tilde is the home directory, the # signifies super-user rights; even if the available programs prevent the bomb from being shutdown or disabled by a nonintended way, normally no root access is given for users of linux devices during normal usage; and disarming the bomb with official rules is normal usage of a bomb; a root prompt should not be necessary, if the bomb software is designed and configured well; possibly the unix prompt is a simulation for entering an answer
* Bob shurely needs more than 10s to come. So the bomb will have announced that questions, which require unix knowledge will follow - or has already asked other Unix questions; perhaps after 10s without entering anything a new question comes up
* this bomb can be disarmed with "common knowledge"

Small notes:
* The screen looks to be really grayscale (esp. the inverted "TEN") - not just because of the comic; it has at least 3 colors (black, white, tar gray); it could be that the "TEN" is updated dynamically and is thus inverted
* The comic is quite black: The screen and the bomb; Randall seldomly uses solid black areas; the bomb is a gloomy topic so it is black like "tar" (pun)

Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/178.26.121.97|178.26.121.97]] 07:24, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

I think there is a visual double pun in this strip: the bomb disarmed by a tar command is a reference to the [[wikipedia:Tar (computing)#Tarbomb|tarbombs]], but it also looks like the [[wikipedia:File:Tsar Bomba Revised.jpg|Tsar Bomb(a)]]. --[[User:Koveras|Koveras]] ([[User talk:Koveras|talk]]) 08:24, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
: I don’t think it looks like Tsar Bomba. If anything, it is much more similar to [[wikipedia:Fat Man|Fat Man]]. --[[User:Mormegil|Mormegil]] ([[User talk:Mormegil|talk]]) 08:38, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
:: Yeah, but "Fat Man" doesn't sound like "tarbomb". --[[User:Koveras|Koveras]] ([[User talk:Koveras|talk]]) 10:48, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
:: Furthermore, the Tsar bomb was much bigger; I think I've read somewhere that it had the size of a bus. --[[Special:Contributions/95.34.7.179|95.34.7.179]] 11:11, 3 February 2013 (UTC)

I think another joke is in the fact that you don't know which Unix is running on the bomb so you don't actually know which parameter layout is supported. tar --help for example may or may not be valid since -- is a GNU extension.

tar -bvzx for a tar.bzip2 .... wait... no... argh... I've always just trusted my fingers.. --[[Special:Contributions/59.167.191.93|59.167.191.93]] 10:14, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
: Will '''tar -?''' be valid everywhere?. [[User:Arifsaha|Arifsaha]] ([[User talk:Arifsaha|talk]]) 19:32, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

tar -lvvb archive.tar.bz
File not found. Sorry, you're dead.
~#
[[Special:Contributions/74.82.68.68|74.82.68.68]] 12:35, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

Googling tar commands would definitely take more than 10 seconds, especially considering that Rob did not take his computer. (A smartphone is an option, but...)
Then again, why would "ten" be written in letters instead of numerals? [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 13:28, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
:I think the clock is already counting down. So probably they've discovered the bomb with still some minutes on the display. They call Bob when there is a minute left, He arrives with 25 sec's on the display and 15s later the screendump is made... [[Special:Contributions/86.82.116.63|86.82.116.63]] 22:33, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
:: This makes sense. --[[User:Shine|Shine]] ([[User talk:Shine|talk]]) 22:41, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

I think the current explantion is missing an important point: the tar commands are not that much difficult. What makes tar complicated is that there are many different implementations. The linux guy knows only gnu tar, but some unices have much different implementations and different commands. "tar --help" is certainly not available on an old hpux, for example. '''That''' make is difficult to type a valid tar command – even more if you don't know the implementation.
[[Special:Contributions/212.222.53.78|212.222.53.78]] 10:26, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
: Will '''tar -?''' be valid everywhere?. [[User:Arifsaha|Arifsaha]] ([[User talk:Arifsaha|talk]]) 19:32, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

I'm a Windows user, so bear with me. Couldn't he type something like "man tar" to get the proper usage of the "tar" command on this particular system? It's a "man" command, so it shouldn't count as a try towards typing a "tar" command. Of course, maybe the bomb would explode if he entered anything else. [[Special:Contributions/70.31.159.230|70.31.159.230]] 13:46, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

:Yeah, all standard Unix installations should have man installed. But many mini installations don't, so these days Google is the standard backup.[[User:CityZen|CityZen]] ([[User talk:CityZen|talk]]) 14:58, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
: Fixed comment/wasn't reading. Only thing I can say here is that I've used embedded distros without 'man'; you could probably 'strings' the binary though. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

Randall's joke is spot on, as usual. I've been using UNIX for nearly 30 years. Windows User's solution is elegant. Before Google there was the <code>man</code> command. In all seriousness, productivity on a UNIX box can be greatly enhanced simply by keeping good notes. I keep patterns of all sorts of UNIX commands handy so I don't have to look them up. As Wikipedia implies, <code>tar -tf</code> (I prefer <code>-tvf</code>) should be memorized because one quickly learns that one should ''always'' inspect tarballs before unpacking them. ''– [[User:Tbc|tbc]] ([[User talk:Tbc|talk]]) 14:11, 1 February 2013 (UTC)''

One of the reasons that tar is so useful is that it can often do exactly what you want when other, more obvious commands cannot. For instance, recursively copying a directory from one place to another (using "cp") can be tricky when symbolic links are involved, and thus people memorize incantations like "tar cf - . | (cd dest; tar xf -)". As well, it's a standard tool that's guaranteed to be found on every Unix installation (unlike zip/unzip).[[User:CityZen|CityZen]] ([[User talk:CityZen|talk]]) 14:58, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

tar --help. Problem solved. '''[[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 15:21, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
: Maybe '''tar -?''' is better?. [[User:Arifsaha|Arifsaha]] ([[User talk:Arifsaha|talk]]) 19:32, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

What about "tar xf foo.tar"? I always assume options without dash work everywhere because options they are the original scheme. Of course, foot.tar might be absent, but in my view, the command itself remains valid.
As to the time limit: I imagine a countdown starts when the first key is hit - that leaves little time for "man tar". [[Special:Contributions/46.142.35.251|46.142.35.251]] 16:49, 1 February 2013 (UTC) madd

It feels like a partial reference to comic [http://xkcd.com/208/ xkcd 208]--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.157.176|108.162.157.176]] 04:31, 2 February 2013 (UTC)

I don't find tar all that tricky. The situation I'm always trumped with is when copying data, using cp, scp or rsync -r, then chmod -R /data 555. Why is '-R' capitalized? --[[Special:Contributions/98.253.217.12|98.253.217.12]] 19:54, 2 February 2013 (UTC)
:Because -r is 'substract the "read" right'. More interresting question is, why ssh -p but scp -P? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:03, 7 February 2013 (UTC)

First thing that struck me here was the Jurassic Park allusion. Surprised no-one else has mentioned it.--[[Special:Contributions/58.6.184.37|58.6.184.37]] 07:01, 3 February 2013 (UTC)
:No one mentioned "What are four lowercase letters that are not legal flag arguments to the Berkeley UNIX version of `ls'?" question either ... -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:07, 7 February 2013 (UTC)

Does this mean we should start retroactively rename cueball to "rob"?
:Rob is ''a'' Cueball, not ''every'' Cueball, so no. [[User:JET73L|JET73L]] ([[User talk:JET73L|talk]]) 14:05, 8 February 2013 (UTC)
::By that logic, Megan is ''a'' Cutie, not ''every'' Cutie. We should only name Megan in comics where her name appears. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 17:07, 12 March 2015 (UTC)

There is something morbid in the subtext here.... I have a feeling that Randall is going to kill off Megan, Rob, and "White Hat"... [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 01:47, 4 February 2013 (UTC)

Randall, I am disappoint! I haven't used tar for more than a year and I don't err anymore: tar -xvzf file (.gz) or tar -xvjf file (.bz2), and I still consider myself quite the newb. Works on all flavors of linux I tried (I like trying linuxes on VMs, dunno about other unixes, but everytime I need it, I get it right, so I wouldn't even consider this in my list of hardest programs to get right first time). For those interested: -x extract -v verbose (I like it) -z uncompress (for some compression types, in some flavors this works with bz2, IIRC) -j uncompress (for bz2, maybe others). [[Special:Contributions/189.123.132.123|189.123.132.123]] 20:51, 4 February 2013 (UTC)

:Your "z" Is wrong for .bz2 (or .z or uncompressed); it's only for ".gz". The reason it works for you is that your distro is using BSD tar, which silently ignores compression-related flags on the t and x commands and figures it out automatically. Which means you're better off using "-xvf" than "-

:More importantly, "works on all flavors of linux I've tried" is a far cry from "portable". The majority of desktop Unix systems are not linux, but OS X. There are plenty of servers running other BSD flavors. And lots of old machines running commercial *nixes or OpenSolaris. Not to mention Cygwin, and native/MinGW ports to Windows. People checking in code because "it works on Fedora and Ubuntu, so it must be portable" is becoming as big a problem as when people used to test on three different BSD derivatives but no SysV. So you should feel bad. :P [[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.180|199.27.130.180]] 01:54, 19 September 2015 (UTC)

:Originally bzip used -y. Not speaking about fact that bzip is pretty new - and some unixes don't have ANY compression support in their tar. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:03, 7 February 2013 (UTC)

The quickest tar command with valid syntax would be "tar t". Every switch after the first command letter is optional. Even the initial dash is optional. [[Special:Contributions/85.24.234.35|85.24.234.35]] 11:03, 19 February 2013 (UTC)
:(That would also be a command that is valid in every known tar version throughout the universe.)
: Doesn't appear to work; console redirection is used as the input stream, terminated by Ctrl-D, at which point (on Android, and assuming you don't know the format) tar returns with "invalid tar magic" and then $? is non-zero (fail). If however you redirect 2>/dev/null, then $? returns 0 (success). I think the redirection is what's succeeding so any valid prestidigitation ought to work. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

The tar command actually has a unique syntax in unix. Classicly, it's first parameter is a subcommand (letter) followed by zero or more option letters. (And I think the subcommand had to be first.) Parameters for the options follow in sequence after that, in the same order the options where listed. Then, for the 'c' subcommand, an input filename list follows. This syntax was rather painful when you had perhaps 5 different option letters each with parameters, but this was a normal enough occurance when you specified the tape drive, tape block size, tape length, and a few others I can't even remember. Early implementations would have a file listing tape configurations so you could pick one and all its parameters with a single digit. In any case, it should be noted that a dash ('-') was actually NOT ALLOWED on the parameters. More recent versions of tar have attempted to add the more common unix option parsing, but still support the dash-less form. Having said all that, I tend to prefer "tar xvzf filename.tar.gz" and "tar tvzf filename.tar.gz". [[User:Divad27182|Divad27182]] ([[User talk:Divad27182|talk]]) 20:18, 23 February 2013 (UTC)

I'm not sure about it, so I'll not add to the explanation: doesn't "tarbomb" also refers to a malicious tarball that releases a ridiculously big file filled with blank/random data? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.18|108.162.212.18]] 01:26, 17 February 2014 (UTC)

Um... the prompt is "~# "... That's a root prompt. Shouldn't Rob just "~# kill -9 1

Kernel panic – not syncing: Attempted to kill init!"? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.105|173.245.56.105]] 03:50, 14 July 2015 (UTC)

The user is root (indicated by the ~#). So, rm -rf / [[Special:Contributions/162.158.45.48|162.158.45.48]] 17:13, 29 November 2015 (UTC)
: Linux/OSX will limp along. Root's also probably preserved and the necessary reboot begs the question if you'd be better off rebooting (with power down) in the first place. Assuming it finishes in seconds (OSX is 12 minutes, about), that multiple commands were allowed, or that 'tar' doesn't have to appear first, I'd assume the verifier could be in ROM. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

Talk:1168: tar

2016-07-20T02:04:22Z

Elvenivle:

I thought the title text would be "tar --help"
[[Special:Contributions/123.202.19.132|123.202.19.132]] 06:59, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

Is it good that I could have disarmed the bomb, and I have only used tar (or for that matter, Linux) sparsely? [[User:NSDCars5|NSDCars5]] ([[User talk:NSDCars5|talk]]) 12:16, 9 May 2014 (UTC)NSDCars5

The comic is about the difficulty of the tar program options.

Even if his life depended on it and after years of usage, Bob/Randall could not come up with the right parameters without looking them up. So a situation is shown, where Bob's life depends on coming up with the right parameters:

* It shows an atomic warhead
* It has a user interface, which requests any valid tar command
* If it is not entered on the first try within 10s, the bomb is not disarmed and potentially explodes on the spot

Randall has come up with a situation, where the unix guy Bob can be the hero by knowing tar parameters. This is a pipe dream of a geek; nobody cares IRL, if you know tar parameters on the first try.

It is hilarious, that
* the bomb says in full detail the rules including that you should not cheat and it probably has no means to check whether you cheated. This is no game, but feels like one. In war and love every means is allowed - even cheating; it would also be self-defense for disarming the bomb; Bob and his colleagues are not even considering to cheat.
* the user has root access to the bomb, shown by the bomb as ~#, the tilde is the home directory, the # signifies super-user rights; even if the available programs prevent the bomb from being shutdown or disabled by a nonintended way, normally no root access is given for users of linux devices during normal usage; and disarming the bomb with official rules is normal usage of a bomb; a root prompt should not be necessary, if the bomb software is designed and configured well; possibly the unix prompt is a simulation for entering an answer
* Bob shurely needs more than 10s to come. So the bomb will have announced that questions, which require unix knowledge will follow - or has already asked other Unix questions; perhaps after 10s without entering anything a new question comes up
* this bomb can be disarmed with "common knowledge"

Small notes:
* The screen looks to be really grayscale (esp. the inverted "TEN") - not just because of the comic; it has at least 3 colors (black, white, tar gray); it could be that the "TEN" is updated dynamically and is thus inverted
* The comic is quite black: The screen and the bomb; Randall seldomly uses solid black areas; the bomb is a gloomy topic so it is black like "tar" (pun)

Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/178.26.121.97|178.26.121.97]] 07:24, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

I think there is a visual double pun in this strip: the bomb disarmed by a tar command is a reference to the [[wikipedia:Tar (computing)#Tarbomb|tarbombs]], but it also looks like the [[wikipedia:File:Tsar Bomba Revised.jpg|Tsar Bomb(a)]]. --[[User:Koveras|Koveras]] ([[User talk:Koveras|talk]]) 08:24, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
: I don’t think it looks like Tsar Bomba. If anything, it is much more similar to [[wikipedia:Fat Man|Fat Man]]. --[[User:Mormegil|Mormegil]] ([[User talk:Mormegil|talk]]) 08:38, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
:: Yeah, but "Fat Man" doesn't sound like "tarbomb". --[[User:Koveras|Koveras]] ([[User talk:Koveras|talk]]) 10:48, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
:: Furthermore, the Tsar bomb was much bigger; I think I've read somewhere that it had the size of a bus. --[[Special:Contributions/95.34.7.179|95.34.7.179]] 11:11, 3 February 2013 (UTC)

I think another joke is in the fact that you don't know which Unix is running on the bomb so you don't actually know which parameter layout is supported. tar --help for example may or may not be valid since -- is a GNU extension.

tar -bvzx for a tar.bzip2 .... wait... no... argh... I've always just trusted my fingers.. --[[Special:Contributions/59.167.191.93|59.167.191.93]] 10:14, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
: Will '''tar -?''' be valid everywhere?. [[User:Arifsaha|Arifsaha]] ([[User talk:Arifsaha|talk]]) 19:32, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

tar -lvvb archive.tar.bz
File not found. Sorry, you're dead.
~#
[[Special:Contributions/74.82.68.68|74.82.68.68]] 12:35, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

Googling tar commands would definitely take more than 10 seconds, especially considering that Rob did not take his computer. (A smartphone is an option, but...)
Then again, why would "ten" be written in letters instead of numerals? [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 13:28, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
:I think the clock is already counting down. So probably they've discovered the bomb with still some minutes on the display. They call Bob when there is a minute left, He arrives with 25 sec's on the display and 15s later the screendump is made... [[Special:Contributions/86.82.116.63|86.82.116.63]] 22:33, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
:: This makes sense. --[[User:Shine|Shine]] ([[User talk:Shine|talk]]) 22:41, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

I think the current explantion is missing an important point: the tar commands are not that much difficult. What makes tar complicated is that there are many different implementations. The linux guy knows only gnu tar, but some unices have much different implementations and different commands. "tar --help" is certainly not available on an old hpux, for example. '''That''' make is difficult to type a valid tar command – even more if you don't know the implementation.
[[Special:Contributions/212.222.53.78|212.222.53.78]] 10:26, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
: Will '''tar -?''' be valid everywhere?. [[User:Arifsaha|Arifsaha]] ([[User talk:Arifsaha|talk]]) 19:32, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

I'm a Windows user, so bear with me. Couldn't he type something like "man tar" to get the proper usage of the "tar" command on this particular system? It's a "man" command, so it shouldn't count as a try towards typing a "tar" command. Of course, maybe the bomb would explode if he entered anything else. [[Special:Contributions/70.31.159.230|70.31.159.230]] 13:46, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

:Yeah, all standard Unix installations should have man installed. But many mini installations don't, so these days Google is the standard backup.[[User:CityZen|CityZen]] ([[User talk:CityZen|talk]]) 14:58, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
: No. The shell command is 'man' with a parameter of 'tar'. Windows follows the same console format; the text up to the first whitespace is the command. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

Randall's joke is spot on, as usual. I've been using UNIX for nearly 30 years. Windows User's solution is elegant. Before Google there was the <code>man</code> command. In all seriousness, productivity on a UNIX box can be greatly enhanced simply by keeping good notes. I keep patterns of all sorts of UNIX commands handy so I don't have to look them up. As Wikipedia implies, <code>tar -tf</code> (I prefer <code>-tvf</code>) should be memorized because one quickly learns that one should ''always'' inspect tarballs before unpacking them. ''– [[User:Tbc|tbc]] ([[User talk:Tbc|talk]]) 14:11, 1 February 2013 (UTC)''

One of the reasons that tar is so useful is that it can often do exactly what you want when other, more obvious commands cannot. For instance, recursively copying a directory from one place to another (using "cp") can be tricky when symbolic links are involved, and thus people memorize incantations like "tar cf - . | (cd dest; tar xf -)". As well, it's a standard tool that's guaranteed to be found on every Unix installation (unlike zip/unzip).[[User:CityZen|CityZen]] ([[User talk:CityZen|talk]]) 14:58, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

tar --help. Problem solved. '''[[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 15:21, 1 February 2013 (UTC)
: Maybe '''tar -?''' is better?. [[User:Arifsaha|Arifsaha]] ([[User talk:Arifsaha|talk]]) 19:32, 1 February 2013 (UTC)

What about "tar xf foo.tar"? I always assume options without dash work everywhere because options they are the original scheme. Of course, foot.tar might be absent, but in my view, the command itself remains valid.
As to the time limit: I imagine a countdown starts when the first key is hit - that leaves little time for "man tar". [[Special:Contributions/46.142.35.251|46.142.35.251]] 16:49, 1 February 2013 (UTC) madd

It feels like a partial reference to comic [http://xkcd.com/208/ xkcd 208]--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.157.176|108.162.157.176]] 04:31, 2 February 2013 (UTC)

I don't find tar all that tricky. The situation I'm always trumped with is when copying data, using cp, scp or rsync -r, then chmod -R /data 555. Why is '-R' capitalized? --[[Special:Contributions/98.253.217.12|98.253.217.12]] 19:54, 2 February 2013 (UTC)
:Because -r is 'substract the "read" right'. More interresting question is, why ssh -p but scp -P? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:03, 7 February 2013 (UTC)

First thing that struck me here was the Jurassic Park allusion. Surprised no-one else has mentioned it.--[[Special:Contributions/58.6.184.37|58.6.184.37]] 07:01, 3 February 2013 (UTC)
:No one mentioned "What are four lowercase letters that are not legal flag arguments to the Berkeley UNIX version of `ls'?" question either ... -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:07, 7 February 2013 (UTC)

Does this mean we should start retroactively rename cueball to "rob"?
:Rob is ''a'' Cueball, not ''every'' Cueball, so no. [[User:JET73L|JET73L]] ([[User talk:JET73L|talk]]) 14:05, 8 February 2013 (UTC)
::By that logic, Megan is ''a'' Cutie, not ''every'' Cutie. We should only name Megan in comics where her name appears. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 17:07, 12 March 2015 (UTC)

There is something morbid in the subtext here.... I have a feeling that Randall is going to kill off Megan, Rob, and "White Hat"... [[User:Greyson|Greyson]] ([[User talk:Greyson|talk]]) 01:47, 4 February 2013 (UTC)

Randall, I am disappoint! I haven't used tar for more than a year and I don't err anymore: tar -xvzf file (.gz) or tar -xvjf file (.bz2), and I still consider myself quite the newb. Works on all flavors of linux I tried (I like trying linuxes on VMs, dunno about other unixes, but everytime I need it, I get it right, so I wouldn't even consider this in my list of hardest programs to get right first time). For those interested: -x extract -v verbose (I like it) -z uncompress (for some compression types, in some flavors this works with bz2, IIRC) -j uncompress (for bz2, maybe others). [[Special:Contributions/189.123.132.123|189.123.132.123]] 20:51, 4 February 2013 (UTC)

:Your "z" Is wrong for .bz2 (or .z or uncompressed); it's only for ".gz". The reason it works for you is that your distro is using BSD tar, which silently ignores compression-related flags on the t and x commands and figures it out automatically. Which means you're better off using "-xvf" than "-

:More importantly, "works on all flavors of linux I've tried" is a far cry from "portable". The majority of desktop Unix systems are not linux, but OS X. There are plenty of servers running other BSD flavors. And lots of old machines running commercial *nixes or OpenSolaris. Not to mention Cygwin, and native/MinGW ports to Windows. People checking in code because "it works on Fedora and Ubuntu, so it must be portable" is becoming as big a problem as when people used to test on three different BSD derivatives but no SysV. So you should feel bad. :P [[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.180|199.27.130.180]] 01:54, 19 September 2015 (UTC)

:Originally bzip used -y. Not speaking about fact that bzip is pretty new - and some unixes don't have ANY compression support in their tar. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 00:03, 7 February 2013 (UTC)

The quickest tar command with valid syntax would be "tar t". Every switch after the first command letter is optional. Even the initial dash is optional. [[Special:Contributions/85.24.234.35|85.24.234.35]] 11:03, 19 February 2013 (UTC)
:(That would also be a command that is valid in every known tar version throughout the universe.)
: Doesn't appear to work; console redirection is used as the input stream, terminated by Ctrl-D, at which point (on Android, and assuming you don't know the format) tar returns with "invalid tar magic" and then $? is non-zero (fail). If however you redirect 2>/dev/null, then $? returns 0 (success). I think the redirection is what's succeeding so any valid prestidigitation ought to work. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

The tar command actually has a unique syntax in unix. Classicly, it's first parameter is a subcommand (letter) followed by zero or more option letters. (And I think the subcommand had to be first.) Parameters for the options follow in sequence after that, in the same order the options where listed. Then, for the 'c' subcommand, an input filename list follows. This syntax was rather painful when you had perhaps 5 different option letters each with parameters, but this was a normal enough occurance when you specified the tape drive, tape block size, tape length, and a few others I can't even remember. Early implementations would have a file listing tape configurations so you could pick one and all its parameters with a single digit. In any case, it should be noted that a dash ('-') was actually NOT ALLOWED on the parameters. More recent versions of tar have attempted to add the more common unix option parsing, but still support the dash-less form. Having said all that, I tend to prefer "tar xvzf filename.tar.gz" and "tar tvzf filename.tar.gz". [[User:Divad27182|Divad27182]] ([[User talk:Divad27182|talk]]) 20:18, 23 February 2013 (UTC)

I'm not sure about it, so I'll not add to the explanation: doesn't "tarbomb" also refers to a malicious tarball that releases a ridiculously big file filled with blank/random data? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.18|108.162.212.18]] 01:26, 17 February 2014 (UTC)

Um... the prompt is "~# "... That's a root prompt. Shouldn't Rob just "~# kill -9 1

Kernel panic – not syncing: Attempted to kill init!"? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.105|173.245.56.105]] 03:50, 14 July 2015 (UTC)

The user is root (indicated by the ~#). So, rm -rf / [[Special:Contributions/162.158.45.48|162.158.45.48]] 17:13, 29 November 2015 (UTC)
: Linux/OSX will limp along. Root's also probably preserved and the necessary reboot begs the question if you'd be better off rebooting (with power down) in the first place. Assuming it finishes in seconds (OSX is 12 minutes, about), that multiple commands were allowed, or that 'tar' doesn't have to appear first, I'd assume the verifier could be in ROM. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

Talk:156: Commented

2016-06-22T07:22:51Z

Elvenivle:

The issue date on this comic isn't filled. Can someone fix that by adding the correct issue date? [[User:Rikthoff|Rikthoff]] ([[User talk:Rikthoff|talk]]) 17:17, 3 August 2012 (EDT)

In the first two panels, it looks like he's flicking the guy off. It's not until the third panel that we actually see the subversion. I'm reasonably certain that this is intentional. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.117|108.162.238.117]] 02:34, 31 October 2013 (UTC)

In QtCreator, comments are dark blue. [[User:Kaa-ching|Kaa-ching]] ([[User talk:Kaa-ching|talk]]) 08:32, 31 October 2013 (UTC)

I'm surprised that no-one has picked up on the fact that the text that is being commented out is multiple lines, but there is only one double slash, therefore only one of the lines can be commented out. For both to be commented, you'd need /* ... */ --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.218|141.101.99.218]] 09:03, 6 November 2013 (UTC)

The title text may also be a reference to the "Your milage may vary." commonly found in the fine print in car commercials. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.19|108.162.216.19]] 22:28, 6 November 2013 (UTC)

I believe he's commenting out Cueball entirely, thus ignoring him and therefore any and all statements he may make. Notice in the last panel that it's not Cueball's question alone that is color-coded, but Cueball as well. {{unsigned ip|108.162.238.8}}

I also interpreted it as Black Hat explicitly painting his fingers green in order to utilize the comment power of the double slashes as opposed to them turning green due to the gesture.[[User:Flewk|Flewk]] ([[User talk:Flewk|talk]]) 10:52, 25 December 2015 (UTC)
:So how did he then paint Cueball green? I think it is how Black Hat sees Cueball, i.e. he doesn't. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:09, 10 May 2016 (UTC)

Comments don't silence, they just switch the mode from 'interaction required' to metadata, which may even persist. Or...Black Hat may consider it a 'favor' to give Cueball's life color... [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

Talk:1697: Intervocalic Fortition

2016-06-22T06:50:54Z

Elvenivle:

The idea, stated in the alt-text, that "meh" was created by writers of "The Simpsons", is incorrect. "The Simpsons", however, was responsible for widely popularizing it. See [http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2013/09/06/meh_etymology_tracing_the_yiddish_word_from_leo_rosten_to_auden_to_the_simpsons.html] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meh] [[User:Dubaaron|Dubaaron]] ([[User talk:Dubaaron|talk]]) 04:31, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

"The" ends in a lax vowel, and it's the most ubiquitous word in the language, so that rule is wrong. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.10|108.162.221.10]] 04:45, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

: I've always seen "lax vowel" referring to full (unreduced) vowels. When unstressed, the vowel in "the" is reduced (/ðə/), and when stressed it's tense (/ði:/). [[Special:Contributions/188.114.109.66|188.114.109.66]] 05:08, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

:: Furthermore, the lax vowel is only used if 'the' is followed by another syllable, and so the utterance will not be lax-vowel-final. {{unsigned ip|162.158.2.219}}

Questions. Is this happening in (American) English? is "adverb" becoming /adferb/. Any other examples?[[User:Zeimusu|Zeimusu]] ([[User talk:Zeimusu|talk]]) 05:55, 22 June 2016 (UTC)
: I scanned some 'v' words and didn't see much. A plural of [http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000293.html dwarf] discussion; similarly wharf splits into both wharfs and wharves. 'Halving' might benefit in the sense that the 'l' is silent so it sounds like 'having' and might be more clear as 'halfing'. I've also noticed a smattering of YouTubers writing "could of/should of" instead of contracting 'have', i.e, "could've/should've". [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 06:50, 22 June 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1685: Patch

2016-05-25T17:50:53Z

Elvenivle:

Hey, I'm first! Guessing the Bot only JUST created this, it was mere minutes after midnight EST when I landed on this page. Unfortunately this is a comic I'm less capable of explaining. From the looks of it, his Photoshop Patch turned what looks like C code into gobbledegook by filling in several of the spaces (and I think even changing some of the characters, possible with characters which fill more of the space). - NiceGuy1 [[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.77|108.162.218.77]] 04:24, 25 May 2016 (UTC)

This appears to be Python code. Note the "def" keyword, how "for i in [garbled]:" is used rather than C's for syntax, and how there are no semicolons or braces. --[[User:Sherlock9|Sherlock9]] ([[User talk:Sherlock9|talk]]) 05:03, 25 May 2016 (UTC)

Photoshop has a 'patch' tool but it has a very different function from a software patch. {{unsigned ip|108.162.242.123}}
:An explanation of Photoshop's patch tool might be helpful in identifying patterns in what pixels were changed by it, perhaps facilitating the identification of some likely characters. [[User:Dansiman|Dansiman]] ([[User talk:Dansiman|talk]]) 05:56, 25 May 2016 (UTC)

The first function looks like "isPrime" and seems to check if a number is prime. The last function looks like "quicksort". Both are common functions you create when learning programming. Not sure about the second one, but it looks like it uses regular expressions. -- [[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.242|198.41.242.242]] 06:44, 25 May 2016 (UTC)
:I think the second one is "isPrimeRegex". *cringe* [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.25|141.101.104.25]] 08:55, 25 May 2016 (UTC)

Second function looks like a function to check if number is a prime using Regex (described here http://www.noulakaz.net/2007/03/18/a-regular-expression-to-check-for-prime-numbers/). I don't know if it deserves some special mention, but at least to me (non-programmer) it looks like one of the most arcane things you can do in programming [[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.79|141.101.80.79]] 07:22, 25 May 2016 (UTC)
:That indeed looks very much like it. I think this is worth mentioning. --[[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.240|198.41.242.240]] 11:22, 25 May 2016 (UTC)
:Note that mathematically speaking, that regular expression is NOT regular expression - use of backreference in match is one of originally perl extension which makes it much more powerful (and much slower in some cases). It's just that both python and ruby already copied most of perl extensions of regular expressions. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 12:39, 25 May 2016 (UTC)

Do you think the use of pi is a reference to one of the other comics(I forgot which one...)?[[User:Transuranium|Transuranium]] ([[User talk:Transuranium|talk]]) 10:35, 25 May 2016 (UTC)Transuranium
:I rather guess it is short for pivot. See {{w|quicksort}} for what the pivot does. --[[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.240|198.41.242.240]] 11:22, 25 May 2016 (UTC)

You know, it's theoretically possible for Photoshop to create compilable code in [https://esolangs.org/wiki/Piet the esoteric programming language] "[http://www.dangermouse.net/esoteric/piet.html Piet]". But unless there's a way to turn off the Patch tool's antialiasing, it'll be practically impossible for patches larger than a single pixel. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.220|108.162.237.220]] 14:15, 25 May 2016 (UTC)

I don't really know anything about programming, but it looks like it's checking for factors of n from 2 to sqrt(n)+1. Why would it need to check any number larger than sqrt(n) though? If i>sqrt(n), then ij=n implies that j<sqrt(n), and j should already have been found. So the largest integer you need to check is floor( sqrt(n) ), which is in the range from 2 to sqrt(n). Checking ceiling( sqrt(n) ) for a non-square number seems redundant. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.250|108.162.237.250]] 15:25, 25 May 2016 (UTC)
:It's because <code>range(a, b)</code> in Python means the interval [a, b) (excluding b). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.222.29|108.162.222.29]] 15:41, 25 May 2016 (UTC)
::That mismatched bracket in your comment is hurting me. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.68.71|162.158.68.71]] 17:02, 25 May 2016 (UTC)
:: It's not mismatched; the right paren indicates the value's the upper limit but excluded. I'd include a right bracket in my response but I think that might make a compiler curse. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

Talk:1678: Recent Searches

2016-05-09T18:20:29Z

Elvenivle:

You can convert jpg to Excel (http://www.think-maths.co.uk/spreadsheet), so converting gif to Excel is not really absurd...

Interestingly enough "CPU temperature sensor limits" might be a serious consideration for extreme overclockers, who use things like liquid nitrogen to cool their PC. [[User:SG 01|SG 01]] ([[User talk:SG 01|talk]]) 15:45, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

This is my first time trying to help out with an explanation, please let me know if I did something wrong ^_^; [[User:Undergroundmonorail|Undergroundmonorail]] ([[User talk:Undergroundmonorail|talk]]) 15:48, 9 May 2016 (UTC)
: I like where you went with safe/dangerous. Of the "unsafe" synonyms I found my favorite is "menacing mode". [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

Is it possible the first one is an attempt to misuse google translate to translate programming code (to another programming language or even between linguistic languages)? [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 15:59, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

GIF to XLS could be a reference to http://www.think-maths.co.uk/spreadsheet [[Special:Contributions/141.101.93.55|141.101.93.55]] 16:16, 9 May 2016 (UTC)
: Nice find. I was thinking like that + a macro to flip sheets. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

Doesn't "recursive" mean that it repeats (recurs)? [[User:Cardboardmech|Cardboardmech]] ([[User talk:Cardboardmech|talk]]) 16:44, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

Silly comment because: can't...stop...laughing. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

== autoexec joke ==

isn't this related to autoexec.bat? [[User:Blydro|Blydro]] ([[User talk:Blydro|talk]]) 16:00, 9 May 2016 (UTC)blydro
: Or...autoexec.ncf (Netware), autoexec.nt (Windows), autoexec.cfg (Source/Valve/Counterstrike) and an adult reference at Urban Dictionary. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

This isn't farfetched. In need of a server, I was recently considering using obfuscated strings in a public blog to temporarily control my own apps...and malware's been doing stuff like this for ages. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

== Keybinding ==

I originally interpreted "clean reinstall keybinding" as meaning that his keybindings were so entirely screwed that he wanted to do a clean reinstall of the keybinding system, but the other interpretation is funnier. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.74|108.162.219.74]] 16:24, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

== FSCK ==

I've only ever seen "fsck" as a way of saying "fuck" that bypasses content filters, such as in global chat in games like World of Warcraft. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.62|173.245.52.62]] 16:25, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure it's file system consistency check. It's a program for checking your Linux filesystem. I think the Joke is that he needs to check his filesystem for corruption so often that he needs the convenience of a chrome extension. I have not edited the page because I neither use chrome extensions nor have I ever run fsck. Can anyone back me up on this? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.197|108.162.218.197]] 16:43, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

:Yes, that's what fsck refers to here. I've run it many a time on my old Red Hat installation that somehow kept corrupting itself. --[[User:PsyMar|PsyMar]] ([[User talk:PsyMar|talk]]) 16:54, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

== Predictable touchpad ==

A predictable touchpad would actually be a major blow to internet security -- mouse events are being used to seed randomness generators for cryptography. I don't think this piece of information is suited for the explanation, but just in case someone's interested: You're welcome! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.91.247|141.101.91.247]] 16:26, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1678: Recent Searches

2016-05-09T17:59:26Z

Elvenivle: /* Rebinding */ spel-ing

You can convert jpg to Excel (http://www.think-maths.co.uk/spreadsheet), so converting gif to Excel is not really absurd...

Interestingly enough "CPU temperature sensor limits" might be a serious consideration for extreme overclockers, who use things like liquid nitrogen to cool their PC. [[User:SG 01|SG 01]] ([[User talk:SG 01|talk]]) 15:45, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

This is my first time trying to help out with an explanation, please let me know if I did something wrong ^_^; [[User:Undergroundmonorail|Undergroundmonorail]] ([[User talk:Undergroundmonorail|talk]]) 15:48, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

Is it possible the first one is an attempt to misuse google translate to translate programming code (to another programming language or even between linguistic languages)? [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 15:59, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

GIF to XLS could be a reference to http://www.think-maths.co.uk/spreadsheet [[Special:Contributions/141.101.93.55|141.101.93.55]] 16:16, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

Doesn't "recursive" mean that it repeats (recurs)? [[User:Cardboardmech|Cardboardmech]] ([[User talk:Cardboardmech|talk]]) 16:44, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

Silly comment because: can't...stop...laughing. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

== autoexec joke ==

isn't this related to autoexec.bat? [[User:Blydro|Blydro]] ([[User talk:Blydro|talk]]) 16:00, 9 May 2016 (UTC)blydro
: Or...autoexec.ncf (Netware), autoexec.nt (Windows), autoexec.cfg (Source/Valve/Counterstrike) and an adult reference at Urban Dictionary. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

This isn't farfetched. In need of a server, I was recently considering using obfuscated strings in a public blog to temporarily control my own apps...and malware's been doing stuff like this for ages. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

== Keybinding ==

I originally interpreted "clean reinstall keybinding" as meaning that his keybindings were so entirely screwed that he wanted to do a clean reinstall of the keybinding system, but the other interpretation is funnier. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.74|108.162.219.74]] 16:24, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

== FSCK ==

I've only ever seen "fsck" as a way of saying "fuck" that bypasses content filters, such as in global chat in games like World of Warcraft. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.62|173.245.52.62]] 16:25, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure it's file system consistency check. It's a program for checking your Linux filesystem. I think the Joke is that he needs to check his filesystem for corruption so often that he needs the convenience of a chrome extension. I have not edited the page because I neither use chrome extensions nor have I ever run fsck. Can anyone back me up on this? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.197|108.162.218.197]] 16:43, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

:Yes, that's what fsck refers to here. I've run it many a time on my old Red Hat installation that somehow kept corrupting itself. --[[User:PsyMar|PsyMar]] ([[User talk:PsyMar|talk]]) 16:54, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

== Predictable touchpad ==

A predictable touchpad would actually be a major blow to internet security -- mouse events are being used to seed randomness generators for cryptography. I don't think this piece of information is suited for the explanation, but just in case someone's interested: You're welcome! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.91.247|141.101.91.247]] 16:26, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1678: Recent Searches

2016-05-09T17:58:00Z

Elvenivle:

You can convert jpg to Excel (http://www.think-maths.co.uk/spreadsheet), so converting gif to Excel is not really absurd...

Interestingly enough "CPU temperature sensor limits" might be a serious consideration for extreme overclockers, who use things like liquid nitrogen to cool their PC. [[User:SG 01|SG 01]] ([[User talk:SG 01|talk]]) 15:45, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

This is my first time trying to help out with an explanation, please let me know if I did something wrong ^_^; [[User:Undergroundmonorail|Undergroundmonorail]] ([[User talk:Undergroundmonorail|talk]]) 15:48, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

Is it possible the first one is an attempt to misuse google translate to translate programming code (to another programming language or even between linguistic languages)? [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 15:59, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

GIF to XLS could be a reference to http://www.think-maths.co.uk/spreadsheet [[Special:Contributions/141.101.93.55|141.101.93.55]] 16:16, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

Doesn't "recursive" mean that it repeats (recurs)? [[User:Cardboardmech|Cardboardmech]] ([[User talk:Cardboardmech|talk]]) 16:44, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

Silly comment because: can't...stop...laughing. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

== autoexec joke ==

isn't this related to autoexec.bat? [[User:Blydro|Blydro]] ([[User talk:Blydro|talk]]) 16:00, 9 May 2016 (UTC)blydro
: Or...autoexec.ncf (Netware), autoexec.nt (Windows), autoexec.cfg (Source/Valve/Counterstrike) and an adult reference at Urban Dictionary. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

This isn't farfetched. In need of a server, I was recently considering using obfuscated strings in a public blog to temporarily control my own apps...and malware's been doing stuff like this for ages. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

== Rebinding ==

I originally interpreted "clean reinstall keybinding" as meaning that his keybindings were so entirely screwed that he wanted to do a clean reinstall of the keybinding system, but the other interpretation is funnier. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.74|108.162.219.74]] 16:24, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

== FSCK ==

I've only ever seen "fsck" as a way of saying "fuck" that bypasses content filters, such as in global chat in games like World of Warcraft. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.62|173.245.52.62]] 16:25, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure it's file system consistency check. It's a program for checking your Linux filesystem. I think the Joke is that he needs to check his filesystem for corruption so often that he needs the convenience of a chrome extension. I have not edited the page because I neither use chrome extensions nor have I ever run fsck. Can anyone back me up on this? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.197|108.162.218.197]] 16:43, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

:Yes, that's what fsck refers to here. I've run it many a time on my old Red Hat installation that somehow kept corrupting itself. --[[User:PsyMar|PsyMar]] ([[User talk:PsyMar|talk]]) 16:54, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

== Predictable touchpad ==

A predictable touchpad would actually be a major blow to internet security -- mouse events are being used to seed randomness generators for cryptography. I don't think this piece of information is suited for the explanation, but just in case someone's interested: You're welcome! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.91.247|141.101.91.247]] 16:26, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1678: Recent Searches

2016-05-09T17:39:53Z

Elvenivle:

You can convert jpg to Excel (http://www.think-maths.co.uk/spreadsheet), so converting gif to Excel is not really absurd...

Interestingly enough "CPU temperature sensor limits" might be a serious consideration for extreme overclockers, who use things like liquid nitrogen to cool their PC. [[User:SG 01|SG 01]] ([[User talk:SG 01|talk]]) 15:45, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

This is my first time trying to help out with an explanation, please let me know if I did something wrong ^_^; [[User:Undergroundmonorail|Undergroundmonorail]] ([[User talk:Undergroundmonorail|talk]]) 15:48, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

Is it possible the first one is an attempt to misuse google translate to translate programming code (to another programming language or even between linguistic languages)? [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 15:59, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

GIF to XLS could be a reference to http://www.think-maths.co.uk/spreadsheet [[Special:Contributions/141.101.93.55|141.101.93.55]] 16:16, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

Doesn't "recursive" mean that it repeats (recurs)? [[User:Cardboardmech|Cardboardmech]] ([[User talk:Cardboardmech|talk]]) 16:44, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

Silly comment because: can't...stop...laughing. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]])

== autoexec joke ==

isn't this related to autoexec.bat? [[User:Blydro|Blydro]] ([[User talk:Blydro|talk]]) 16:00, 9 May 2016 (UTC)blydro

I originally interpreted "clean reinstall keybinding" as meaning that his keybindings were so entirely screwed that he wanted to do a clean reinstall of the keybinding system, but the other interpretation is funnier. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.74|108.162.219.74]] 16:24, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

== FSCK ==

I've only ever seen "fsck" as a way of saying "fuck" that bypasses content filters, such as in global chat in games like World of Warcraft. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.62|173.245.52.62]] 16:25, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure it's file system consistency check. It's a program for checking your Linux filesystem. I think the Joke is that he needs to check his filesystem for corruption so often that he needs the convenience of a chrome extension. I have not edited the page because I neither use chrome extensions nor have I ever run fsck. Can anyone back me up on this? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.218.197|108.162.218.197]] 16:43, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

:Yes, that's what fsck refers to here. I've run it many a time on my old Red Hat installation that somehow kept corrupting itself. --[[User:PsyMar|PsyMar]] ([[User talk:PsyMar|talk]]) 16:54, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

== Predictable touchpad ==

A predictable touchpad would actually be a major blow to internet security -- mouse events are being used to seed randomness generators for cryptography. I don't think this piece of information is suited for the explanation, but just in case someone's interested: You're welcome! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.91.247|141.101.91.247]] 16:26, 9 May 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1670: Laws of Physics

2016-04-21T05:11:45Z

Elvenivle:

This was demonstrated nicely by Neil deGrasse Tyson in episode six of the new Cosmos. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVSYA1RnSMQ] [[User:.42|.42]] ([[User talk:.42|talk]]) 15:18, 20 April 2016 (UTC)
: Another demonstration: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UkUHC8hlL8] ;) --[[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.240|198.41.242.240]] 16:06, 20 April 2016 (UTC)
: This youtube video with Neil deGrasse Tyson has been modified heavily from 6 secs to the end and no longer represents true psychics. Is this video here as a joke or should it be removed? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.214.197|108.162.214.197]] 22:19, 20 April 2016 (UTC)

I believe that the line about having faith is also supposed to be a dig at magical thinking in science. Cueball may "know" that the experiment works because he's seen it done, but he hasn't thought it through enough to realize that it doesn't work from the other direction. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.252|173.245.54.252]] 16:32, 20 April 2016 (UTC)
:I concur. "if you really believe in the laws of physics, you won't flinch" seems like Black Hat teaching a very important lesson to Cueball about trusting appeals to science. Not kindly. {{unsigned ip|162.158.255.103}}

Could it also be interpreted that Black Hat is talking to himself, instead of Cueball?
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.221|108.162.237.221]] 17:29, 20 April 2016 (UTC) Brian
: Black Hat being Black Hat, I very much doubt that. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.219|162.158.150.219]] 19:53, 20 April 2016 (UTC)
: He could be reassuring the ball. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 03:49, 21 April 2016 (UTC)

The comic is in 2d. Are we sure that Black Hat will release the ball in a plane that actually runs through the volunteer? If the plane is actually just in front of the volunteer's nose, then he will not be hit (okay, there may be {{w|Foucault_pendulum|precession}}, but that will only come into play after a while).
In that interpretation, the volunteer still needs trust, but not only in physics, but also in Black Hat's ability to release the ball in a suitable plane. --[[User:Markus|Markus]] ([[User talk:Markus|talk]]) 17:47, 20 April 2016 (UTC)
: There's slack in the line. Assuming the ball swings, a rough measurement seems to position it below Cueball's chin. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 03:49, 21 April 2016 (UTC)
: Around [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/64:_Solar_Plexus this location] actually; I bet that smarts. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 05:11, 21 April 2016 (UTC)

Possible reference to #755? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.222.143|108.162.222.143]] 03:27, 21 April 2016 (UTC)
: It does seem his head is tilted towards the ball. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 03:49, 21 April 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1670: Laws of Physics

2016-04-21T03:49:12Z

Elvenivle:

This was demonstrated nicely by Neil deGrasse Tyson in episode six of the new Cosmos. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVSYA1RnSMQ] [[User:.42|.42]] ([[User talk:.42|talk]]) 15:18, 20 April 2016 (UTC)
: Another demonstration: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UkUHC8hlL8] ;) --[[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.240|198.41.242.240]] 16:06, 20 April 2016 (UTC)
: This youtube video with Neil deGrasse Tyson has been modified heavily from 6 secs to the end and no longer represents true psychics. Is this video here as a joke or should it be removed? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.214.197|108.162.214.197]] 22:19, 20 April 2016 (UTC)

I believe that the line about having faith is also supposed to be a dig at magical thinking in science. Cueball may "know" that the experiment works because he's seen it done, but he hasn't thought it through enough to realize that it doesn't work from the other direction. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.252|173.245.54.252]] 16:32, 20 April 2016 (UTC)
:I concur. "if you really believe in the laws of physics, you won't flinch" seems like Black Hat teaching a very important lesson to Cueball about trusting appeals to science. Not kindly. {{unsigned ip|162.158.255.103}}

Could it also be interpreted that Black Hat is talking to himself, instead of Cueball?
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.221|108.162.237.221]] 17:29, 20 April 2016 (UTC) Brian
: Black Hat being Black Hat, I very much doubt that. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.219|162.158.150.219]] 19:53, 20 April 2016 (UTC)
: He could be reassuring the ball. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 03:49, 21 April 2016 (UTC)

The comic is in 2d. Are we sure that Black Hat will release the ball in a plane that actually runs through the volunteer? If the plane is actually just in front of the volunteer's nose, then he will not be hit (okay, there may be {{w|Foucault_pendulum|precession}}, but that will only come into play after a while).
In that interpretation, the volunteer still needs trust, but not only in physics, but also in Black Hat's ability to release the ball in a suitable plane. --[[User:Markus|Markus]] ([[User talk:Markus|talk]]) 17:47, 20 April 2016 (UTC)
: There's slack in the line. Assuming the ball swings, a rough measurement seems to position it below Cueball's chin. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 03:49, 21 April 2016 (UTC)

Possible reference to #755? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.222.143|108.162.222.143]] 03:27, 21 April 2016 (UTC)
: It does seem his head is tilted towards the ball. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 03:49, 21 April 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1668: Singularity

2016-04-16T05:32:07Z

Elvenivle:

Incidentally, [http://craphound.com/rotn/Cory_Doctorow_and_Charles_Stross_-_Rapture_of_the_Nerds.html Rapture of the Nerds] mentions [[1664: Mycology|Toxoplasma gondii]] in passing. [[User:.42|.42]] ([[User talk:.42|talk]]) 13:19, 15 April 2016 (UTC)

Great! Who brought Roko's Basilisk into this?! Now we to delete the entire Explain in order to contain this threat. >:( There needs to be an internet rule that forbids the discussion of the basilisk. Except that such a rule only furthers its creation. Augh!!![[User:R0hrshach|R0hrshach]] ([[User talk:R0hrshach|talk]]) 15:13, 15 April 2016 (UTC)

;Quantum gravity

Is there something more to this joke than the comedy of public nudity? With Munroe the usually is. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.80.25|141.101.80.25]] 13:46, 15 April 2016 (UTC)

: {{w|Naked singularity}}. [[User:.42|.42]] ([[User talk:.42|talk]]) 13:50, 15 April 2016 (UTC)

::Ahh, I missed the Naked singularity joke. Good catch. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.119|108.162.246.119]] 14:53, 15 April 2016 (UTC)

::: The "incomplete" tag ("Haven't explained title text") should be removed, it is no longer needed. The title text is surely a reference to the physics rule that black holes always have event horizons (the naked singularity is never exposed to the rest of the universe), as noted in the final paragraph (as of this writing). {{unsigned ip|108.162.215.20}}

: I just realized, Randall's characters are effectively almost naked! (They may wear hats, but clothing is only drawn for effect, such as a flower-printed sun dress, or an open trench coat.) {{unsigned ip|108.162.220.227}}

It looks like this is a continuation of comic #1084: Server Problem, which ends with Megan suggesting Cueball should shut down his laptop and wait for the singularity. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.96|108.162.245.96]] 16:35, 15 April 2016 (UTC)

The "Yup/Nope" combo reminds me of "Choices (Yup)" by E-40. I'd link it but: ads. The hook seems to match like staying rich, not selling your soul and not worrying about what anyone thinks, while the phone's apparently "broke". [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 05:32, 16 April 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1667: Algorithms

2016-04-13T15:48:41Z

Elvenivle:

Interestingly enough, when I actually searched for "what the heck is a leftpad algorithm" sans quotations, google didn't pull up any results at all.[[User:Kirdneh|Kirdneh]] ([[User talk:Kirdneh|talk]]) 14:24, 13 April 2016 (UTC)

How can an excel spreadsheet be complicated? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.244.85|108.162.244.85]] 04:52, 13 April 2016 (UTC
:See this example http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/04/how-an-accountant-created-an-entire-rpg-inside-an-excel-spreadsheet/ {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.82}}
:: Oh my [[User:Nk22|The Twenty-second. The Not So Only. The Nathan/Nk22]] ([[User talk:Nk22|talk]]) 10:36, 13 April 2016 (UTC)
:::also http://www.geocities.jp/nchikada/pac/ (it's geocities!) --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.84|141.101.98.84]] 11:56, 13 April 2016 (UTC)

Leftpad is a reference to the recent incident where a developer unpublished all his libraries from the NodeJS Package Manager, causing much disruption: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/23/npm_left_pad_chaos/ [[Special:Contributions/162.158.85.231|162.158.85.231]] 05:58, 13 April 2016 (UTC)

In the off chance that this is referencing an actual spreadsheet, and if anyone has a link, please post it in my talk page. (And in the article of course, but talk page first) [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 06:45, 13 April 2016 (UTC)

The remark about quicksort's efficiency doesn't make sense. It's still the most common and practical general sorting algorithm. It's about as efficient you can typically get except in specialized cases or with some specific type of data. Should be removed imo. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.81.121|141.101.81.121]] 08:52, 13 April 2016 (UTC)
:From Wikipedia: Quicksort (sometimes called partition-exchange sort) is an efficient sorting algorithm,
:From explainxkcd: Next is '''quicksort''', a classic (if not very efficient) way to sort a list of items [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1667:_Algorithms&diff=next&oldid=117700].
:[[User:Demro|Demro]] ([[User talk:Demro|talk]]) 12:34, 13 April 2016 (UTC)

Added a [Citation Needed] for the excel based RPG. More so I can read about it/play it than anything else.. [[User:Xseo|Xseo]] ([[User talk:Xseo|talk]]) 09:07, 13 April 2016 (UTC)
:Thank you whoever put that in [[User:Xseo|Xseo]] ([[User talk:Xseo|talk]]) 11:54, 13 April 2016 (UTC)

Added a bit to the church line. Just because you only see what happens on Sunday morning, for one hour, doesn't mean there's not more happening just beneath the surface. The classroom list at our church looks like a professional buildings office directory, and I know of members having to choose between two activities because both meet, or practice, at the same time. For instance, I know of a prospective AV team member who will never be a full time AV member, because she's a Soprano and already in Bells. (AV is setting up and debugging while the choir is practicing, and naturally it's hard to run a mixer or video switcher from the choir loft.)

Mind you, it's still hyperbole, but not to the degree previously given in the explanation.

is anyone else concerned that randall doesn't label his axis? is it logarithmic? --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.84|141.101.98.84]] 11:56, 13 April 2016 (UTC)

Is the Nebraskan excel sheet a loose reference to how you couldn't initially order Windows in Nebraska (from what I can gather), or am I over-analyzing this? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqKqQmSHkEg at 0:57) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.85|141.101.98.85]] 12:18, 13 April 2016 (UTC)
: Maybe it's a 'flat' joke. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 15:48, 13 April 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1666: Brain Upload

2016-04-13T03:38:51Z

Elvenivle:

I don't think you can assume Cueball is doing it to live longer. I figured he did it just to allow the researcher to experiment with the system. If I uploaded my consciousness into a computer, *it* might 'live' longer than me, but *I* will not live any longer for having done it. demiller9 [[Special:Contributions/162.158.68.47|162.158.68.47]] 16:15, 11 April 2016 (UTC)

:I think that the bit in the middle speculating about why is irrelevant to the explanation of the comic. All that the explanation really needs to say is that the computer crashes because the consciousness being uploaded to it is stupid. It doesn't matter why he is doing it so long as people understand what he is doing.
03:25, 12 April 2016 (UTC)~

Are we completely certain that its Cueball? Initially from reading it i would be more inclined to believe that its Beret Guy
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.133.138|162.158.133.138]] 16:59, 11 April 2016 (UTC)

I don't see how we can ascertain the identity of the individual with the headgear. Since the defining characteristics are in the hat or hair of the reoccurring characters, and this person has neither visible. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.41|173.245.54.41]] 18:27, 11 April 2016 (UTC)
:Given no visible other clues (hair visible from under the headgear, hat laying on bench or nearby, etc.) I'd call him or her cueball, as that's the default when nothing else is known. If he were beret guy, I'd expect more off-beat or non sequitur dialog. [[User:N0lqu|-boB]] ([[User talk:N0lqu|talk]]) 19:17, 11 April 2016 (UTC)
:: Also the beret is stapled to his head. Not sure if it can be taken off. A Cueball seems more reasonable. -Pennpenn [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.155|108.162.250.155]] 01:53, 12 April 2016 (UTC)

The irony of the comic is that uploading human consciousness is supposed to be one possible milestone toward reaching the technological singularity--either by optimizing the conscious mind to enhance its capabilities to beyond human levels and letting it enhance itself further, or, at the very least, by being able to deploy mental labor at a massive scale at the cost of hardware components (no costs in raising and educating a biological human), which would presumably increase the quality of living for people above a certain threshold of wealth (Elysium type scenario)--yet, the conscious mind that has been uploaded appears to be limited by a terribly wasteful focus on unimportant details.
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.142.217|162.158.142.217]] 21:34, 11 April 2016 (UTC)
: We don't know what the parameters of the environment to which the consciousness has been uploaded. The apparent triviality may be relevant in the frame, i.e, what if a mouse in a maze suddenly suspected the scientists watching it also worked on a reward system? If the scientists suspend the hypothesis the mouse has become absurd, overthinking could then be the parameter being tested. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 02:18, 13 April 2016 (UTC)

;title text

Randall's title text seems to have an error. It says "I spent ..." where it should say "It spent ..." as the Computer is supposed to behave like the human. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.83.240|162.158.83.240]] 21:08, 11 April 2016 (UTC)
It makes sense to me - I think he means that as he has taken 20 minutes to make the choice, his mind is working slowly, so what the computer uploaded would also look like it froze. [[User:Komadori|komadori]] ([[User talk:Komadori|talk]]) 21:17, 11 April 2016 (UTC)
::No it is not the computer but probably Randall who used this time (or joking that he did), trying to show by this why such an upload would probably fail... [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:30, 12 April 2016 (UTC)
: It seems perfectly reasonable to refer to a copy of your consciousness as "I" if you were intimately aware of (and narrating) your copy's actions. Interface freeze from the perspective of the expected controls may indicate autonomy (the "rogue" agent continues while master control chokes on its own timeout). Also, the observer (now the dual "I") may have the privilege of watching time go by much faster in the system's reference frame. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 02:18, 13 April 2016 (UTC)

;Copy?

Now it gets quite philsophical, but what, actually, is the difference between a copy and transfer - at least in this case? If you see a transfer as copying with deleting the original there's no difference (Think: Star Trek Transporter technology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transporter_%28Star_Trek%29). So from this point of view I see no reason why the copy shouldn't "feel" as the original - given that the copy we are talking about is not just the "hard" data (e.g. memories) but the "soft" consciousness as well.
Nice blog article about this topic: http://waitbutwhy.com/2014/12/what-makes-you-you.html
There's no reason why the original and the copy woudln't feel "real".
So, all I want to say is, I think the wording of "though since it's a copy rather than a transfer it's doubtful the human would feel like the copy is really them." is not quite accurate or even absolutely wrong [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 07:38, 12 April 2016 (UTC)

:I would feel as original and wouldn't feel the copy is real. The copy will feel like original and may not feel I'm real. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 12:38, 12 April 2016 (UTC)

Lurker popping in, the title text: <blockquote>"I just spent 20 minutes deciding whether to start an email with 'Hi' or 'Hey', so I think it transferred correctly."</blockquote> explains why the AI version of Cueball isn't responding. It hasn't decided on what the first words of the first AI should be, just like he didn't for 20 minutes when thinking about the first words of a mundane email is.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.112|108.162.246.112]] 08:59, 12 April 2016 (UTC)

This may have something to do with 269. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.139|162.158.214.139]] 15:32, 12 April 2016 (UTC)

Also, upload != move, so I don't think crashing would affect anything. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.214.139|162.158.214.139]] 15:34, 12 April 2016 (UTC)
;Reboot and not responding
Human brain is actually constructed in way which makes extremely hard for lock up. In normal operating condition, even when you think whether to start an email with 'Hi' or 'Hey', your brain also does breathing, heart beating, it keeps your position stable (only position which you can keep stable without brain is lying on floor), it processes signals checking if you are thirsty, hungry or sleepy ... lot of work. Computer, on the other hand, can lock so hard it wouldn't be able to keep internal clocks running. Although if it's application and not operating system which is locked, you can often see mouse still moving - which requires lot of processing if it's on USB. On a related note, it's not true brain can't reboot - in most cases, human brain will automatically reboot itself by going to sleep after some period of time. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 12:38, 12 April 2016 (UTC)
:That's not how computers are designed, nor how the brain works :-) Besides the central processing unit there are many peripherals that behave autonomously, from discrete electronic devices like fans to the myriad of those that have their own embedded processor, including ethernet chip, keyboard, mouse, graphic card, etc. They continue working, it's just that the main CPU doesn't listen to them anymore. Similarly, the brain is not a single entity but multiple areas interconnected, one being the medulla oblongata that controls breathing and reflexes. In absence of input or overrides, it continues its job automatically, as can be seen in any patient in a coma. [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 16:51, 12 April 2016 (UTC)
: ..I recently saw the physics concept that "time slows down as your velocity approaches C" means that at C your frame is timeless (one tick runs forever). If we apply that idea to a multicore computer with a master clock and individual (synchronized) CPU clocks: then time flows at the same rate for everycore. What happens if a core desyncs from the master clock (the velocity of time is still the same everywhere, but local counters skew)? A core that never ticks would appear to be locked up (or perhaps spinning forever at maximum clip), but what if that core "figures out" how to do multiple operations per tick and then only updates its ticks in relation to the other cores sometimes? Is it locked up, or just hard to see moving? [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 02:18, 13 April 2016 (UTC)

Rather than immortality, this technology could be used to 'look forward' into someone's future. What happens when this consciousness is in this situation, or that one? Will it be good or bad, would it commit a crime, can it exceed its parameters and break out of the system? Can you rehabilitate a consciousness? What works? Is it psychotic? Can it be (and is it plastic enough to rebound)? Can it be tricked into revealing secrets, because if it can, you can? Can you test whether it knows if it should talk about the test, or if it even knows of one? Assuming you know yourself best, can you use it to set up your own personal improvement grounds (call it hell if you like)? All in infinitisimal real time. Lots of possibilities, while the real consciousness...all copies would think they're real...sits and waits for the work to finish. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 03:38, 13 April 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1666: Brain Upload

2016-04-13T02:18:44Z

Elvenivle:

1665: City Talk Pages

2016-04-08T17:10:21Z

Elvenivle: minor character updates

{{comic
| number = 1665
| date = April 8, 2016
| title = City Talk Pages
| image = city talk pages.png
| titletext = "I don't think the Lakeshore Air Crash Museum really belongs under 'Tourist Attractions.' It's not a museum--it's just an area near the Lake Festival Laser Show where a lot of planes have crashed.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|First cut, please help with explanation}}

The comic makes fun about Wikipedia-talkpages. In the Wikipedia every page has also an discussion-page called talk-page in the English Wikipedia. In this case the comic talks about the talk-page of a city. While some of the topics are quite normal for such a talk-page (e.g. the quality of the images) others are not (e.g. too many murders and mine disasters in the city).

The topics show a common problem of wikipedia-talk-pages: People think that the talk-page is for talking about the ''object'', but it is for talking about the ''article''.

The info-box is a short fact-sheet that many articles in the (English) Wikipedia have; it has usually a picture and the question which picture exactly (because it is so prominent) can cause edit-wars.

{{w|Voltaire}} was a French Enlightenment writer.

{{w|Zootopia}} is a 2016 Disney film.

{{w|Andrew Lloyd Webber}} was an English composer famous for writing ''The Phantom Of The Opera''. (Weber is also known for writing the music for ''Starlight Express,'' a rock opera about anthropomorphized trains, which is probably another factor in the train station joke.) Meanwhile, {{w|Frank Lloyd Wright}}, who has a somewhat similar name, was an American architect, who designed more than 1,000 structures.

==Transcript==

:I love reading the Wikipedia talk pages for articles on individual cites

:Contents [hide]

: 1 Origin of city's name?
:: 1.1 Idea for a better name
:: 1.2 Not how Wikipedia works
: 2 Too much promotion of the lake festival
: 3 Should we mention the murders?
:: 3.1 Not that notable
:: 3.2 All cites have murders
: 4 Quote verification: even if voltaire did visit (unlikely) why would he get so angry about our restaurants?
: 5 Discuss: new picture
:: 5.1 Current one looks awfully bleak
:: 5.2 Gray sky
:: 5.3 What about this
:: 5.4 Also bleak
:: 5.5 Maybe this place just looks that way
:: 5.6 Found a better picture, more colorful
:: 5.7 That's a shot from Disney's ''Zootopia''
: 6 "Mining disasters" section too long
:: 6.1 Not really Wikipedia's fault
:: 6.2 Why is this town so bad at mining?
: 7 Infobox picture: I just realized you can see a murder happening in the background
:: 7.1 This city is terrible
:: 7.2 Photoshopped out murder
:: 7.3 Can someone just take a better picture
:: 7.4 Okay, uploaded a new picture
:: 7.5 Wait, never mind, I just noticed there's a murder in this one, too
: 8 1982 secession still in effect?
: 9 I think the murderer is reverting my edits
: 10 Why does this article take ''ANY'' position on correct condom use, let alone such a weird and ambiguous one?
: 11 Train station "designed by Andrew Lloyd Weber"?
:: 11.1 They probably mean Frank Lloyd Wright
:: 11.2 I thought so too but it's apparently not a mistake
:: 11.3 Didn't know he did architecture
:: 11.4 Roof collapse

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1657: Insanity

2016-03-20T05:15:59Z

Elvenivle:

And we are back to White Hat being the "fall" guy, which he was not in his last discussion with Cueball in [[1640: Super Bowl Context]]. It was so rare that it was mentioned at the bottom of the explanation for that comic ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:10, 18 March 2016 (UTC)

I don't know why everyone quotes a mathematician's definition of insanity instead of, say, a paychologist's. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.69|108.162.238.69]] 17:16, 18 March 2016 (UTC)

I do not think checking various sources fills the requirements for this definition of insanity, as one may find what they are looking for eventually. It is conceivable that some dictionary may include the quote as a definition sometime in the future. A person would have to look up the definition of insanity in the same book, where the text will not change, repeatedly to fulfill this definition. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.55.64|173.245.55.64]] 18:08, 18 March 2016 (UTC)

If Randall DID find the definition of insanity in the DSM-V that correlates to the definition, or in some random dictionary, would that still make him insane, or would it enter a Catch-22 scenario in which he is both insane and sane? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.184.125|162.158.184.125]] 18:08, 18 March 2016 (UTC)

Re "switch from Roman numerals to decimal digits," decimal makes more sense, but I still think of our numerals as "Arabic." [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 22:04, 18 March 2016 (UTC)
: If it had switched to Arabic numerals it wouldn't be DSM-V but DSM-٥ [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.209|162.158.91.209]] 21:24, 19 March 2016 (UTC)

This comic reminds me of another recent one, though I can't figure out which. Suggestions? It was the same form where White Hat said something common, and Cueball turned it around [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 01:01, 19 March 2016 (UTC)
:Could it be this one: [[1592: Overthinking]]? That is the only recent comic that fit the bill. It could also be this one [[1386: People are Stupid]] but that is close to two years old. I just looked through comics with [[:Category:Comics featuring White Hat|White Hat]] --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:08, 19 March 2016 (UTC)

Cueball's response raises a pertinent query. The above-mentioned axiom does not take into account the fact that an action can only be so precisely measured and these micromeasures are going to differ each time. Depending on the values changed, there will be a different result that may be big enough to be noticeable.
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.158|108.162.250.158]] 08:11, 19 March 2016 (UTC)
:My thoughts exactly. This is precisely how science works. Rare events may require the exact same experiment to be performed hundreds, even millions, of times to observe, for example at CERN. Seriously, what numpty came up with this definition? [[User:Cosmogoblin|Cosmogoblin]] ([[User talk:Cosmogoblin|talk]]) 18:45, 19 March 2016 (UTC)
: Yes, this; for which I'd think of Heraclitus: "You could not step twice into the same river." [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 05:15, 20 March 2016 (UTC)

Its worth noting that the DSM-5 has had a fairly strong negative response, and made a number of controversial changes. So in some ways you may find what you're looking for in DSM-5. Of course, the direction of movement is such that if a definition of insane had been in DSM-IV it likely wouldn't be in DSM-5. Its also worth noting that Insanity is at its heart a legal definition and not a medical one.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.76|108.162.237.76]] 11:52, 19 March 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1655: Doomsday Clock

2016-03-14T06:11:09Z

Elvenivle:

Ignoring for the moment that we wouldn't want to deep freeze such a clock, if the scenario is tied only to the hour hand passing vertical the actual sweep of doom is no more than 12h. Perhaps the real problem is that moving the hour hand in this way (unless it can slip) would do some pretty terrible things to the gears. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 05:30, 14 March 2016 (UTC)
: Or (I'm very tired, please forgive me) at a time rate change of 3600s/s, playing with Google that's an orbital acceleration to about 1/3 lightspeed, magnificent inertial effects and some exciting drag forces. It's no wonder things start on fire. [[User:Elvenivle|Elvenivle]] ([[User talk:Elvenivle|talk]]) 06:11, 14 March 2016 (UTC)