explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1514: PermaCal

2015-04-20T14:32:51Z

Keating408: Leap seconds are an issue for some corporate computers, which is part of the humor.

{{comic
| number = 1514
| date = April 20, 2015
| title = PermaCal
| image = permacal.png
| titletext = The flood of PermaCalNTP leap-second notifications was bad enough, but when people started asking for millisecond resolution, the resulting DDOS brought down the internet.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic proposes a new calendar system. This is similar to comic [[1061: EST]]. In this new calendar system, the date stays constant, and only changes with {{w|February 29|leap days}}. PermaCal is a portmanteau of the words "permanent" and "calendar".

In the comic, the date is the same as the day before the comic was released, the 19th of April, 2015.

Leap days in the {{w|Gregorian calendar}} are days added to the end of {{w|February}} every year that is a multiple of 4, but not by 100, unless it's also a multiple of 400. The purpose is to synchronize the calendar with Earth's orbit without having a partial day each year.

NTP servers are used to keep local computer time from drifting. {{w|Leap second|Leap seconds}} normally account for the differences in the length of our 24 hour day and a solar day (the time taken for Earth to rotate so the same point points towards the sun), and are announced several months before hand, but in the context of this comic probably refer to a system with constant time, and the time is adjusted by an NTP call every second. The title text refers to the bandwidth used by correcting the time in every millisecond resolution (maybe 100ms every few months like [http://www.quadibloc.com/science/cal06.htm] and [http://fixunix.com/ntp/68074-leap-millisecond.html]), resulting in a {{w|DDoS}}, and is probably a reference to other retail consumer products that have {{w|Denial-of-service_attack#Unintentional_denial-of-service|unintentionally}} caused DDoS attacks because of a flaw in implementation. See here, an example of a [http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.org.operators.swinog/10055 real-life unintentional DDOS attack involving NTP servers].

Part of the humor stems from the problems that leap seconds are causing for some computers. [http://www.livescience.com/49370-leap-second-added-2015.html] The last leap second disrupted computers at for big companies like Reddit, LinkedIn, Gizmodo and FourSquare. Google has coped by adding adding microseconds stretched out over the year, rather than a single disruptive second, possibly the reason for the reference to microsecond resolution.

==Transcript==
:[Megan and Cueball are in the panel. Cueball appears to be holding a phone, tapping.]
:Megan: What day is it?
:Cueball: Sunday the 19th.
:Megan: But you said it was the 19th yesterday.
:Cueball: It changed ''again''? Crap, better add another leap day.
:[Caption below the panel:]
:My simplified calendar system assumes the date never changes, then corrects any drift via leap days.

==Trivia==
*The "H" in Megan's version of "19TH" is missing the upper part of the left bar, making it look like an mirrored "h". This must be unintended, since the H in "19TH" is written correctly when Cueball says it. Also only capital letters are used in the comics (except in special cases).

{{comic discussion}}


[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball‏]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan‏]]
[[Category:Time management]]
[[Category:Portmanteau]]

1438: Houston

2014-10-24T21:33:39Z

Keating408: /* Explanation */ Added to list of objections, based on commentary. It does sound like this is complaining about call centers.

{{comic
| number = 1438
| date = October 24, 2014
| title = Houston
| image = houston.png
| titletext = 'Oh, hey Mom. No, nothing important, just at work.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{Incomplete|Incomplete. Why is NASA unengaged in the issue? What is the relevance of prioritizing a call from mom over an exploding manned space ship? Why is the anachronistic monitor present: is NASA less responsive now?}}
NASA mission {{w|Apollo 13}} was intended to be the third manned landing on the moon. On its way there, however, during a routine stirring of the hydrogen and oxygen tanks, an explosion occurred that damaged the craft. Frantic efforts by {{w|Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center}} (located in Houston) resulted in the safe return of all three astronauts to Earth. Immediately following the explosion, astronaut James A. Lovell calmly reported to Mission Control: "Houston, we've had a problem" - a notable understatement which was famously misquoted in the {{w|Apollo 13 (film)|1995 film adaptation of the mission}} as "Houston, we have a problem".

A similar situation is depicted in the this strip (including the design of the spacecraft, the nature of the problem and the famous misquote), except with much less help from Mission Control. Although it's not clear if [[Cueball]] is only one person at mission control, or if he is only one of many, but upon recieving the message from the spacecraft, he seems fairly indifferent. Instead of attempting to resolve the issue, he mocks the crew for not knowing how to stir. He then blows the crew off in favor of a call from his mother.

In reality, Mission Control worked diligently and tirelessly to solve numerous problems such as if and how to adjust the spacecraft's trajectory, how to have the astronauts jerry-rig CO2 removal equipment intended for the command module to work with the lunar module (to which the astronauts had evacuated) using just the equipment on board. and how to power equipment back up within strict limitations.

At first glance, this comic appears to be an "alternate reality" view at what could happen today, given technical customer service lines are notoriously un-helpful and/or staffed by people not well versed in the products they supposedly support. It is meant to contrast history with Cueball's (lack of) action. It leaves implicit the consequences of this inaction, for greater shock. 

The modern type of monitor ({{w|Liquid-crystal display|flat panel LCD}}) in front of which Cueball sits suggests that the author is describing what would happen today. The comic can be read as a commentary about one's favorite objection to how the world has gotten worse:
* Call centers which blythely ignore critical calls
* NASA's quality issues in recent decades (and/or the funding cuts or direction shift contributing to same)
* the perception view that {{w|millennials}} are less committed to work
* the lack of national commitment to grand projects
* the idea that we are "falling behind" in technical skills, causing Cueball to fail to recognize the seriousness of the problem
* the objections by some to lack of governmental support for those in need
* by others to the lack of individual commitment for the same

Similarly, it can be read as a parody of the idea that you are responsible for fixing your own problems, an old idea that is being used in many contentious contexts today.

In short, it seems a comic designed to provoke legitimate conversation and enjoyable whining.

==Transcript==
{{Incomplete|Name for capsule? Also, descriptions need work.}}
:[The mated Odyssey/Aquarius vehicles in space on their way to the moon with nearby debris in foreground, with the Earth in the background.]
:Lovell: Houston, we have a problem
:[Cueball sitting In front of two monitors wearing a headset.]
:Cueball: Cool.
:Lovell: ...What? Houston, we stirred our O2 tank and it exploded!
:Cueball: Sounds like you suck at stirring.
:[Capsule shown from a greater distance, with Earth beside it.]
:Lovell: ...Houston? Are you-
:Cueball: Listen, I've got another call.
:Cueball: Good luck landing your airplane or whatever.
: *click*

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

1438: Houston

2014-10-24T18:06:16Z

Keating408: /* Explanation */ Fixed linebreaks in my prior edit.

{{comic
| number = 1438
| date = October 24, 2014
| title = Houston
| image = houston.png
| titletext = 'Oh, hey Mom. No, nothing important, just at work.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{Incomplete|Incomplete. Why is NASA unengaged in the issue? What is the relevance of prioritizing a call from mom over an exploding manned space ship? Why is the anachronistic monitor present: is NASA less responsive now?}}
NASA mission {{w|Apollo 13}} was intended to be the third manned landing on the moon. On its way there, however, during a routine stirring of the hydrogen and oxygen tanks, an explosion occurred that damaged the craft. Frantic efforts by {{w|Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center}} (located in Houston) resulted in the safe return of all three astronauts to Earth. Immediately following the explosion, astronaut James A. Lovell calmly reported to Mission Control: "Houston, we've had a problem" - a notable understatement which was famously misquoted in the {{w|Apollo 13 (film)|1995 film adaptation of the mission}} as "Houston, we have a problem".

A similar situation is depicted in the this strip (including the design of the spacecraft, the nature of the problem and the famous misquote), except with much less help from Mission Control. Although it's not clear if [[Cueball]] is only one person at mission control, or if he is only one of many, but upon recieving the message from the spacecraft, he seems fairly indifferent. Instead of attempting to resolve the issue, he mocks the crew for not knowing how to stir. He then blows the crew off in favor of a call from his mother.

In reality, Mission Control worked diligently and tirelessly to solve numerous problems such as if and how to adjust the spacecraft's trajectory, how to have the astronauts jury-rig CO2 removal equipment intended for the command module to work with the lunar module (to which the astronauts had evacuated) using just the equipment on board. and how to power equipment back up within strict limitations.

At first glance, this comic appears to be an "alternate reality" view at what could happen today, given technical customer service lines are notoriously un-helpful and/or staffed by people not well versed in the products they supposedly support. It is meant to contrast history with Cueball's (lack of) action. It leaves implicit the consequences of this inaction, for greater shock. 

The monitor suggests he is describing what would happen today. The comic can be read as a commentary about your favorite objection to how the world has gotten worse:
 
- NASA's quality issues in recent decades (and/or the funding cuts or direction shift contributing to same)
 
- the perception view that millennials are less committed to work 
- the lack of national commitment to grand projects 
- the idea that we are "falling behind" in technical skills, causing Cueball to fail to recognize the seriousness of the problem 
- the objections by some to lack of governmental support for those in need 
- by others to the lack of individual commitment for the same 

Similarly, it can be read as a parody of the idea that you are responsible for fixing your own problems, an old idea that is being used in many contentious contexts today.

In short, it seems a comic designed to provoke legitimate conversation and enjoyable whining.

==Transcript==
{{Incomplete|Name for capsule? Also, descriptions need work.}}
:[The lunar lander and module shown with debris near by in foreground, in space with the Earth in the background.]
:Lovell: Houston, we have a problem
:[Cueball sitting In front of two monitors wearing a headset.]
:Cueball: Cool.
:Lovell: ...What? Houston, we stirred our O2 tank and it exploded!
:Cueball: Sounds like you suck at stirring.
:[Capsule shown from a greater distance, with Earth beside it.]
:Lovell: ...Houston? Are you-
:Cueball: Listen, I've got another call.
:Cueball: Good luck landing your airplane or whatever.
: *click*

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

1438: Houston

2014-10-24T16:09:59Z

Keating408: /* Explanation */ Proposing this is a comic with multiple, generally political interpretations, designed to provoke controversy.

{{comic
| number = 1438
| date = October 24, 2014
| title = Houston
| image = houston.png
| titletext = 'Oh, hey Mom. No, nothing important, just at work.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{Incomplete|Incomplete. Why is NASA unengaged in the issue? What is the relevance of prioritizing a call from mom over an exploding manned space ship? Why is the anachronistic monitor present: is NASA less responsive now?}}
NASA mission {{w|Apollo 13}} was intended to be the third manned landing on the moon. On its way there, however, during a routine stirring of the hydrogen and oxygen tanks, an explosion occurred that damaged the craft. Frantic efforts by {{w|Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center}} (located in Houston) resulted in the safe return of all three astronauts to Earth. Immediately following the explosion, astronaut James A. Lovell calmly reported to Mission Control: "Houston, we've had a problem" - a notable understatement which was famously misquoted in the {{w|Apollo 13 (film)|1995 film adaptation of the mission}} as "Houston, we have a problem".

A similar situation is depicted in the this strip (including the design of the spacecraft, the nature of the problem and the famous misquote), except with much less help from Mission Control. Although it's not clear if [[Cueball]] is only one person at mission control, or if he is only one of many, but upon recieving the message from the spacecraft, he seems fairly indifferent. Instead of attempting to resolve the issue, he mocks the crew for not knowing how to stir. He then blows the crew off in favor of a call from his mother.

In reality, Mission Control worked diligently and tirelessly to solve numerous problems such as if and how to adjust the spacecraft's trajectory, how to have the astronauts jury-rig CO2 removal equipment intended for the command module to work with the lunar module (to which the astronauts had evacuated) using just the equipment on board. and how to power equipment back up within strict limitations.

At first glance, this comic appears to be an "alternate reality" view at what could happen today, given technical customer service lines are notoriously un-helpful and/or staffed by people not well versed in the products they supposedly support. It is meant to contrast history with Cueball's (lack of) action. It leaves implicit the consequences of this inaction, for greater shock. 

The monitor suggests he is describing what would happen today. The comic can be read as a commentary about your favorite objection to how the world has gotten worse:
- NASA's quality issues in recent decades (and/or the funding cuts or direction shift contributing to same)
- the perception view that millennials are less committed to work
- the lack of national commitment to grand projects
- the idea that we are "falling behind" in technical skills, causing Cueball to fail to recognize the seriousness of the problem
- the objections by some to lack of governmental support for those in need
- by others to the lack of individual commitment for the same

Similarly, it can be read as a parody of the idea that you are responsible for fixing your own problems, an old idea that is being used in many contentious contexts today.

In short, it seems a comic designed to provoke legitimate conversation and enjoyable whining.

==Transcript==
{{Incomplete|Name for capsule? Also, descriptions need work.}}
:[The lunar lander and module shown with debris near by in foreground, in space with the Earth in the background.]
:Lovell: Houston, we have a problem
:[Cueball sitting In front of two monitors wearing a headset.]
:Cueball: Cool.
:Lovell: ...What? Houston, we stirred our O2 tank and it exploded!
:Cueball: Sounds like you suck at stirring.
:[Capsule shown from a greater distance, with Earth beside it.]
:Lovell: ...Houston? Are you-
:Cueball: Listen, I've got another call.
:Cueball: Good luck landing your airplane or whatever.
: *click*

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

1437: Higgs Boson

2014-10-22T15:55:23Z

Keating408: Clarify final paragraph, to address concerns about this being "Incomplete"

{{comic
| number = 1437
| date = October 22, 2014
| title = Higgs Boson
| image = higgs_boson.png
| titletext = 'Can't you just use the LHC you already built to find it again?' 'We MAY have disassembled it to build a death ray.' 'Just one, though.' 'Nothing you should worry about.' 'The death isn't even very serious.'
}}
[[File:Candidate_Higgs_Events_in_ATLAS_and_CMS.png|thumb|upright=1.5| Candidate Higgs boson events from collisions between protons in the LHC. (from Wikimedia Commons)]]
==Explanation==
{{incomplete|More detailed explanation required. What does "'The death isn't even very serious'" mean?}}
Cueball and Ponytail claim that they have "lost" the {{w|Higgs boson}}. They are therefore applying for further grant money to find it again. This is a humorous play on the term "finding" when applied to fundamental particles. The common usage means to discover or observe the existence of a class of particles, rather than to know the current location of an individual particle.

''The Higgs boson'' is an {{w|elementary particle}} that is predicted by a physical model of the universe (the '{{w|Standard Model}}'). Observing evidence that Higgs bosons really exist is a key test of this model: if a search for the Higgs boson had failed to find evidence confirming its existence then the Standard Model would have been shown to be an incorrect description of reality. Finding the Higgs boson was one of the main reasons why the {{w|Large Hadron Collider}} (LHC) was built: to create energies high enough for the Higgs boson to become manifest. The point is, once evidence for its existence has been observed it is not possible to 'lose' the Higgs boson in a way implied by Cueball and Ponytail.

In the title text, the off-screen questioner wonders why Cueball and Ponytail can't use the LHC to find the particle again. The implication is that this would avoid spending another $3 billion. Their responses imply that the pair have already dismantled the LHC and converted its components into a {{w|death ray}} (a {{w|particle-beam weapon}} to be exact). The ostensibly reassuring platitudes offered mimic those used to placate those who were worried about possible apocalyptic consequences of commissioning the LHC, for instance the creation of {{w|black hole}}s, {{w|strange matter}}, a {{w|vacuum bubble}} or proton-eating {{w|magnetic monopole}}s.

Meagan's mention that "The death isn't even very serious" in the title text may be a reference to a Isaac Asimov's "I, Robot." Robopsychologist Dr. Susan Calvin tells supercomputer The Brain not to worry about death, that it wasn't a "big deal," when the robot is working on an equation relating to hyper drive. The Brain was unable to deliver the solution, since anyone using the hyperdrive would be briefly "dead" (no longer exist), before arriving safe and sound.

==Transcript==
Voice Offscreen: Tell us about your proposal. 
Ponytail: We're requesting $3 billion in funding to find the Higgs boson.

Voice Offscreen: ...wait. Didn't you already find it a year or two ago? 
Cueball: Yes, well, um.

Ponytail: ...OK, this is embarrassing. 
Cueball: See, the thing is —

Voice Offscreen: Don't tell us you lost it already. 
Ponytail: Look. 
Ponytail: In our defense, it's ''really'' small.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Physics]]

1363: xkcd Phone

2014-05-02T13:31:10Z

Keating408: /* Explanation */ Toned down comments regarding God being in control of us and not vice versa, as that is an oversimplification of many religions.

{{comic
| number = 1363
| date = May 2, 2014
| title = xkcd Phone
| image = xkcd_phone.png
| titletext = Presented in partnership with Qualcomm, Craigslist, Whirlpool, Hostess, LifeStyles, and the US Chamber of Commerce. Manufactured on equipment which also processes peanuts. Price includes 2-year Knicks contract. Phone may extinguish nearby birthday candles. If phone ships with Siri, return immediately; do not speak to her and ignore any instructions she gives. Do not remove lead casing. Phone may attract/trap insects; this is normal. Volume adjustable (requires root). If you experience sudden tingling, nausea, or vomiting, perform a factory reset immediately. Do not submerge in water; phone will drown. Exterior may be frictionless. Prolonged use can cause mood swings, short-term memory loss, and seizures. Avert eyes while replacing battery. Under certain circumstances, wireless transmitter may control God.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|No longer created by a BOT, but probably still needs more editing.}}

This comic is a parody of a multitude of mobile-technology related issues that, when brought together, create a general satire of smartphone advertising. The advertised features here either make previously useful capabilities useless or add features nobody wants. Except for "your mobile world (going) digital", which is old news.

From bottom left, going clockwise:

* Flightaware partnership - This is a parody of flight mode, a capability most smart phones have. When activated, flight mode disables all transmission and receiving capabilities, making the phone suitable for use while on commercial flights. Flightaware partnership, by contrast, is an intrusive presumably airline-sponsored capability that no one wants.
* Realistic case– possibly a joke on various audiovisual devices like gaming consoles that advertise realistic sound, graphics, etc. Of course, applying "realistic" to an actual physical case is ridiculous. Either the case is actually real, or it doesn't actually function as a case.
* Clear screen– This is a pointless descriptor from the perspective of the consumer. Of course the screen is clear. This joke works in tandem with the previous joke, as a play on "clear case, realistic screen," which are both hypothetically viable selling points.
* Side Facing Camera – There was a recent controversy surrounding a kickstarter for a surreptitious, side-mounted camera device for smartphones due to the advertisement of the device as a good way to take creep shots, which are illegal in many places. Widespread dissemination of these devices as a built in would likely result in a sharp increase in delinquency of this nature. May also be an ''ad absurdum'' extension of devices with both forward and backward facing cameras.
* Custom blend OS – iOS and Android are offered by different conglomerates and run on different kernels. A "custom blend" would probably be a nightmare to work with.
* Simulates alternate speeds of light - This renders the clock useless. The speed of light is roughly 2.99x108 meters per second. Relativistic effects, such as time dilation, only occur at significant fractions of the speed of light. Since the phone is simulating a much slower speed of light, driving at highway speeds will cause time dilation. For example, driving at 90mph (90% of the default simulated speed of light) gives a time dilation of about 2.29. So while you are driving at 90mph your clock will run 2.29 times slower than a stationary one. Travelling faster than the simulated speed of light will make the clock run backwards.
* Wireless - as in cordless phone. This is the bare minimum a phone has to have in order to be a mobile phone, so advertising it as a feature feels dated by decades. Or, perhaps Munroe is implying the entire phone is without wires, in which case it wouldn't function.
* Accelerometer screams in free fall– Another useless function. Rather than having some sort of feature to prevent breakage or cracking when a drop is detected, the phone just makes you more aware of its potential imminent doom.
* When exposed to light, phone says "hi" - Bait and switch, and also a build from the previous joke. The implied feature is that the screen or camera will automatically adjust, but instead the phone is weirdly anthropomorphized.

The ominous warnings and disclaimers in the title text are probably a reference to the ''Saturday Night Live'' parody ad for {{w|Happy Fun Ball}}.

* Presented in partnership with Qualcomm, Craigslist, Whirlpool, Hostess, LifeStyles, and the US Chamber of Commerce.– {{w|Qualcomm}} is a semiconductor company that designs and produces chips for mobile phones, but the other companies mentioned here have no association with mobile phones.
* Manufactured on equipment which also processes peanuts.- A warning often seen on candy and other foods for people with a peanut allergy. It is highly unlikely that equipment used to produce mobile phones would also process food.
* Price includes 2-year Knicks contract.- Mobile phones are often sold by phone companies in combination with a cell phone plan, but a contract with the {{w|New_York_Knicks|Knicks}} would only appeal to pro basketball players.
* Phone may extinguish nearby birthday candles.- A rather oddly specific capability, which might also be annoying for anyone attempting to host a birthday party. As to how it would do this, a very powerful directional speaker would be able to blow out a nearby candle, but the speakers in mobile phones aren't going to be that big.
* If phone ships with Siri, return immediately; do not speak to her and ignore any instructions she gives.- {{w|Siri}} is a virtual personal assistant application for Apple devices. Not speaking to it and not following its instructions would defeat its purpose. It may suggest that a malevolant "Siri AI" has sneaked itself onto some devices, at the manufacturing stage, for some diabolical purpose.
* Do not remove lead casing.- Devices that emit high levels of ionizing radiation are often encased in lead, but a phone that would emit that level of radiation would be unhealthy to carry around and be probably too heavy too. This could also mean the device is an actual bananaphone as regular phones emit no ionizing radiation ([http://xkcd.com/radiation xkcd Radiation Dose Chart]). Regrettably, the lead casing would render the phone inedible.
* Phone may attract/trap insects; this is normal.- Some plants, like the {{w|Venus_flytrap|Venus flytrap}}, attract and trap insects, but mobile phones are not known to exhibit this behaviour.
* Volume adjustable (requires root).- {{w|Android_rooting|Rooting}} is the method to gain privileged access on Android phones. Adjusting the volume should be available to any user and would not be restricted to root access only.
* If you experience sudden tingling, nausea, or vomiting, perform a factory reset immediately.- These symptoms are usually associated with chemical or radiation poisoning. Neither of these would be cured by a {{w|Factory_reset|factory reset}}.
* Do not submerge in water; phone will drown.- Most phones are not waterproof and will probably short-circuit when submerged. Drowning however, would imply that the phone breathes air (which actually would be possible if it had a {{w|Lithium-air_battery|Li-air battery}}).
* Exterior may be frictionless.- The front of a smartphone is usually made of glass and should have a surface with very low friction. The back of a phone is usually made from a material that has higher friction to make it pleasant to hold and to make sure it doesn't slide off objects it is placed on. A completely frictionless surface would make it almost impossible to hold and would make it very susceptible to drops.
* Prolonged use can cause mood swings, short-term memory loss, and seizures.- These are all side effects that are associated with certain kinds of medication and would not be acceptable for mobile phones.
* Avert eyes while replacing battery.- Actions that would warrant averting your eyes are usually associated with high levels of radiation (e.g. making an {{w|X-ray}} photo). A phone that emits X-ray radiation would not be healthy to be around. Or it may be a reference to the {{w|Ark_of_the_Covenant|Arc Of The Covenant}}.
* Under certain circumstances, wireless transmitter may control God.- According to most religions, God (or Gods) are usually in control of us. Gods are usually viewed as not directly controllable.

==Transcript==
'''The XKCD Phone'''
Your mobile world just went digital®

* Flightaware partnership: Makes airplane noises when flights pass overhead
* Realistic case
* Clear screen
* Side-facing camera
* Runs custom blend of Android and iOS
* Simulates alternate speeds of light (default: 100 miles per hour) and ajusts clock as phone accelerates
* Wireless
* Accelerometer detects when phone is in free fall and makes it scream
* When exposed to light, phone says "hi!"

{{comic discussion}}

198: Perspective

2014-03-12T15:29:24Z

Keating408: Provide an alternate interpretation of the dream.

{{comic
| number = 198
| date = December 18, 2006
| title = Perspective
| image = perspective.png
| titletext = I wonder what I was dreaming to prompt that. I hope it wasn't the Richard Stallman Cirque de Soleil thing again.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Please read this explain again before removing this tag. This explain is still bad. }}
{{w|Firefox}} is a popular browser and in 2006 it was the second most commonly used browser. Its more fervent supporters sometimes wrote as if there was a moral imperative to use Firefox rather than Internet Explorer.

[[Cueball]], presumably representing [[Randall]], wakes up with a reasonable perspective on the relative unimportance of an internet browser within the world at large, but quickly loses that perspective as his enthusiasm for nerdy things like Firefox gets the better of him. The humor stems from the irony that Cueball is relieved to trade a richer perspective for a simpler, browser-oriented world view.

The title text references {{w|Richard Matthew Stallman|Richard Stallman}}, an American software freedom activist and computer programmer, and {{w|Cirque de Soleil}}, an entertainment company specializing in bit-top circus performances. The two have no connection with one another. This is one example of an odd combination of topics that would only (and commonly) be connected in dreams.

Alternately, the dream may be a reference to Stallman's forceful defense of software freedom, which could be seen as "over-the-top" or circus like.

==Transcript==
:Sometimes, when I first wake up, I am caught in the horrible grip of perspective.
:[Cueball sitting up in bed.]
:Cueball: It may be a jewel of open source, but Firefox is '''just a browser.''' It shows '''webpages.''' What the hell is '''wrong''' with us?
:Fortunately, this subsides quickly.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

1332: Slippery Slope

2014-02-20T00:55:00Z

Keating408: Provide an alternate interpretation.

{{comic
| number = 1332
| date = February 19, 2014
| title = Slippery Slope
| image = slippery_slope.png
| titletext = Sure, taking a few seconds to be respectful toward someone about something they care about doesn't sound hard. But if you talk to hundreds of people every day and they all start expecting that same consideration, it could potentially add up to MINUTES wasted. And for WHAT?
}}

==Explanation==
The "{{w|Slippery slope}}" fallacy hinges on the idea that if A happens, then B will follow as a minor but expected consequence. B will lead on to C, C leads onto D, and so on. Each consequence gets progressively worse until you reach Z, presumably an extremely undesirable situation. A slippery slope fallacy intends to argue that A should not be allowed, because if it does then this chain of consequences will lead to Z, the extremely undesirable event. For example, one might argue that cannabis should be downgraded to a Class C drug. Someone trying to invoke a slippery slope argument, meanwhile, may argue that relaxing the drug classification will lead to people becoming less cautious around drugs, which will lead to people using more drugs, which will lead to increased health problems, which will place a greater strain on the country's health services, etc. The arguer would then claim that with this imagined chain of consequences as a plausible outcome, it would be a bad idea to relax the cannabis classification.

This kind of reasoning can be bad if it distracts from the issue being discussed and changes the topic to an extreme event which may not happen because of other factors. In the comic, White Hat Guy uses a slippery slope argument to justify being inconsiderate to people (which is an unusual context for this fallacy). He argues that if he expends minor effort being considerate to one person, he will be expected to be considerate to everyone he meets, which - he wishes to argue - is an extremely undesirable consequence. Thus, he justifies being inconsiderate as avoiding the slippery slope. This idea is extended in the title text, where he continues extrapolating the train of thought to come to the conclusion that minutes of time would be "wasted" - he seems not to factor in the potential positive effects of being considerate of other people.

Alternately, this is an ironic comment on how being considerate is an inexpensive (and possibly high value) investment. The commentary points out it may add up to "minutes" wasted, and leads the reader to conclude "and for what".
==Transcript==
:[White Hat talking to Cueball.]
:White Hat: Yeah, but if I'm considerate toward one person about one thing, what's next?
:White Hat: Being nice to ''other'' people about ''other'' things?
:White Hat: Where does it ''end?''

{{comic discussion}}
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