explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1969: Not Available

2018-03-31T13:29:18Z

Oe: /* Explanation */ Hi!

{{comic
| number = 1969
| date = March 19, 2018
| title = Not Available
| image = not_available.png
| titletext = If my country ever picks a new national flag, this is on my shortlist for designs to argue for, but I think in the end I'll go with the green puzzle piece or broken image thumbnail.
}}

==Explanation==
[[File:Firefox Australis Extensions Icon.png|frame|left|128px|alt=A green puzzle piece.|Previous versions of Firefox shows a green puzzle piece.]][[File:Firefox Quantum Extensions Icon.png|frame|left|128px|alt=A blue puzzle piece.|The current puzzle piece. It may change colors depending on system running, but the light blue shade is used by default.]]
A very common, yet frustrating, issue on the Internet is finding a broken link, taking you to an "{{w|HTTP 404|Error 404}}" page (see "missing xkcd comic" [[404: Not Found]]). The purpose of the page is to tell the user that the content they were looking for has been either moved or deleted or was never there in the first place.

Randall has suggested replacing the standard "page not found" text, to "This content is not available in your country". This could fool the user into thinking the media they are looking for is actually there, but is {{w|Regional lockout|region locked}}, which is another great source of frustration for Internet users. Using a {{w|VPN}} and/or {{w|Tor (anonymity network)|TOR}} to try and access the content from another country wouldn't work, because it isn't actually region locked; it is just an error 404 page, wasting even more time, most likely frustrating the user a great deal in the process. Error code for "content blocked for legal reasons" is actually {{w|HTTP 451|451}}, referencing ''Fahrenheit 451''.

The title text suggests setting the picture as a national flag. This would be very ironic, as it would suggest that the country's flag itself, something that is used to represent the country across the globe, is region locked. The country in the title text likely does not refer to the United States, but rather to the new country featured in [[1815: Flag]]. The first flag of this country included a phone notification bar, so changing it to a "page not found" icon would continue with a trend of technology imagery. Instead he argues for a green puzzle piece, which was Firefox's icon for add-ons (it is now a light blue puzzle piece that changes color or becomes monochrome depending on context). He also argues for an equally frustrating broken image icon (which is used in lieu of a photo that is either missing or incompatible with the browser).

Most modern desktop browsers can extend its capabilities by allowing third-party programs to integrate into its browser. In most browsers, there are two types: extensions, which uses the technologies already available on each respective browsers, and plug-ins which adds new technologies on webpages. Extensions are now more commonly used as they only used browser-approved methods to provide their services while plug-ins are full-flegded computer programs which means that plug-ins are less secure (with the popular plugins like Flash and Java having newly-discovered security problem nearly every day). Fortunately, plug-ins are on the way out, however visitors of older sites that relies on plug-ins will see a "plugin missing" message (which is previously a real message, now a misnomer as plug-ins are being pahsed-out).

[[File:Broken Image in Firefox and Chrome.png|frame|right|192px|alt=Shown on the left, Firefox uses a broken document for its broken image icon. It is a blank document with a fold on the top-right corner and ripped horizontally. On the right, Chrome's broken image icon is a picture depicting a green hill on a normal day with a cloud on its top-left corner and a neutral sky blue background. There is a fold on the top-right corner and a clean cut from the center of the bottommost part to the center of the rightmost part.|Different versions of the broken icon. On the left is the Firefox version, while on the right is the Chrome version.]]
The "broken image icon" is the icon that a browser shows instead of an image when that image can't be found or when the browser doesn't recognize it as a valid image. It is similar to the icon shown when the image has not been loaded yet (such as in the rare case when the browser is set to not load images until requested, in order to save on bandwidth, or if the connection is too slow to load pictures quickly), which is commonly a simplified picture frame containing a simple painting or picture, except on Firefox where it appears to be a blank document. The broken image version usually has a corner cracked off the picture frame. Usually a broken image icon is the result of the source picture being moved or deleted from the location referenced, or if there's an error in the reference (like the filename being misspelled).

==Transcript==
:[A gray box on a black background with white text:]
:This content is not available in your country.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:If you ever ''really'' want to make people mad, set this as your 404/"Not Found" page.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Internet]]

File:Firefox Quantum Extensions Icon.png

2018-03-31T13:03:56Z

Oe: ==Summary== The logo that was used in Quantum versions of Firefox. ==License== Mozilla Foundation and Firefox Contributors under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US CC-BY-SA 3.0].

==Summary==
The logo that was used in Quantum versions of Firefox.

==License==
Mozilla Foundation and Firefox Contributors under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US CC-BY-SA 3.0].

File:Firefox Australis Extensions Icon.png

2018-03-31T13:01:20Z

Oe: Oe moved page File:Firefox 52 Extensions Icon.png to File:Firefox Australis Extensions Icon.png: Used major version codenames.

==Summary==
The logo that was used in older versions of Firefox.

==License==
Mozilla Foundation and Firefox Contributors under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US CC-BY-SA 3.0].

File:Firefox 52 Extensions Icon.png

2018-03-31T13:01:20Z

Oe: Oe moved page File:Firefox 52 Extensions Icon.png to File:Firefox Australis Extensions Icon.png: Used major version codenames.

#REDIRECT [[File:Firefox Australis Extensions Icon.png]]

File:Firefox Australis Extensions Icon.png

2018-03-31T13:00:29Z

Oe: ==Summary== The logo that was used in older versions of Firefox. ==License== Mozilla Foundation and Firefox Contributors under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US CC-BY-SA 3.0].

File:Broken Image in Firefox and Chrome.png

2018-03-31T12:59:16Z

Oe: Hi!

==Summary==
'''Left:''' Firefox uses a broken document for its broken image icon. It is a blank document with a fold on the top-right corner and ripped horizontally.

'''Right:''' Chrome's broken image icon. It is a picture depicting a green hill on a normal day with a cloud on its top-left corner and a neutral sky blue background. There is a fold on the top-right corner and a clean cut from the center of the bottommost part to the center of the rightmost part.

==License==
'''Left:''' Mozilla Foundation and Firefox Contributors

'''Right:''' Google Inc. and The Chromium Authors

In asking about what license these images falls, they said that both [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US CC-BY-SA 3.0]. The older license declaration is only applicable for code (not assets like this)

File:Broken Image in Firefox and Chrome.png

2018-03-31T12:58:33Z

Oe: /* License */ Clarification of the license status.

File:Broken Image in Firefox and Chrome.png

2018-03-31T10:45:58Z

Oe: Oe uploaded a new version of "File:Broken Image in Firefox and Chrome.png": RGB -> Index

'''Left:''' Firefox uses a broken document for its broken image icon. It is a blank document with a fold on the top-right corner and ripped horizontally.

'''Right:''' Chrome's broken image icon. It is a picture depicting a green hill on a normal day with a cloud on its top-left corner and a neutral sky blue background. There is a fold on the top-right corner and a clean cut from the center of the bottommost part to the center of the rightmost part.

==License==
'''Left:''' Mozilla Foundation and Firefox Contributors ([https://www.mozilla.org/MPL/ Any version of Mozilla Public License])

'''Right:''' Google Inc. and The Chromium Authors ([https://src.chromium.org/viewvc/chrome/trunk/src/LICENSE 3-clause BSD License])

Please note that both licenses explicily allowed copying and derivation as long as the proper credits are given. Addtionally, the MPL license (but not BSD license) requires you to distribute the file in the same license or one of its compatible license (BSD is ''not'' listed on its license), but does allow to identify who is the creator if there are different from the contributor. BSD licenses (there are many) allows a different license (even in very long legalese proprietary EULAs) as long as the user does credit its creator. Overall, if this file is considered as one, it is under the MPL.

1969: Not Available

2018-03-31T09:53:58Z

Oe: /* Explanation */ Firefox!

{{comic
| number = 1969
| date = March 19, 2018
| title = Not Available
| image = not_available.png
| titletext = If my country ever picks a new national flag, this is on my shortlist for designs to argue for, but I think in the end I'll go with the green puzzle piece or broken image thumbnail.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Needs to be expanded. What is a "broken image icon", please provide examples. Do NOT remove this tag too soon.}}

A very common, yet frustrating, issue on the Internet is finding a broken link, taking you to an "{{w|HTTP 404|Error 404}}" page (see "missing xkcd comic" [[404: Not Found]]). The purpose of the page is to tell the user that the content they were looking for has been either moved or deleted or was never there in the first place.

Randall has suggested replacing the standard "page not found" text, to "This content is not available in your country". This could fool the user into thinking the media they are looking for is actually there, but is {{w|Regional lockout|region locked}}, which is another great source of frustration for Internet users. Using a {{w|VPN}} and/or {{w|Tor (anonymity network)|TOR}} to try and access the content from another country wouldn't work, because it isn't actually region locked; it is just an error 404 page, wasting even more time, most likely frustrating the user a great deal in the process. Error code for "content blocked for legal reasons" is actually {{w|HTTP 451|451}}, referencing ''Fahrenheit 451''.

The title text suggests setting the picture as a national flag. This would be very ironic, as it would suggest that the country's flag itself, something that is used to represent the country across the globe, is region locked. The country in the title text likely does not refer to the United States, but rather to the new country featured in [[1815: Flag]]. The first flag of this country included a phone notification bar, so changing it to a "page not found" icon would continue with a trend of technology imagery. Instead he argues for a green puzzle piece, which was Firefox's "plugin is missing" icon (now it's a grey Lego-like brick). Chrome also has a comparable "plugin is missing" puzzle piece icon which is gray. He also argues for an equally frustrating broken image icon (which is used in lieu of a photo that is either missing or incompatible with the browser).

[[File:Broken Image in Firefox and Chrome.png|thumb|right|192px|alt=Shown on the left, Firefox uses a broken document for its broken image icon. It is a blank document with a fold on the top-right corner and ripped horizontally. On the right, Chrome's broken image icon is a picture depicting a green hill on a normal day with a cloud on its top-left corner and a neutral sky blue background. There is a fold on the top-right corner and a clean cut from the center of the bottommost part to the center of the rightmost part.|Different versions of the broken icon. On the left is the Firefox version, while on the right is the Chrome version.]]
The "broken image icon" is the icon that a browser shows instead of an image when that image can't be found or when the browser doesn't recognize it as a valid image. It is similar to the icon shown when the image has not been loaded yet (such as in the rare case when the browser is set to not load images until requested, in order to save on bandwidth, or if the connection is too slow to load pictures quickly), which is commonly a simplified picture frame containing a simple painting or picture, except on Firefox where it appears to be a blank document. The broken image version usually has a corner cracked off the picture frame. Usually a broken image icon is the result of the source picture being moved or deleted from the location referenced, or if there's an error in the reference (like the filename being misspelled).

==Transcript==
:[A gray box on a black background with white text:]
:This content is not available in your country.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:If you ever ''really'' want to make people mad, set this as your 404/"Not Found" page.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Internet]]

File:Broken Image in Firefox and Chrome.png

2018-03-31T09:50:38Z

Oe: /* License */ Clarification of the license status.

1969: Not Available

2018-03-31T09:40:33Z

Oe: Added broken photo icons.

{{comic
| number = 1969
| date = March 19, 2018
| title = Not Available
| image = not_available.png
| titletext = If my country ever picks a new national flag, this is on my shortlist for designs to argue for, but I think in the end I'll go with the green puzzle piece or broken image thumbnail.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Needs to be expanded. What is a "broken image icon", please provide examples. Do NOT remove this tag too soon.}}

A very common, yet frustrating, issue on the Internet is finding a broken link, taking you to an "{{w|HTTP 404|Error 404}}" page (see "missing xkcd comic" [[404: Not Found]]). The purpose of the page is to tell the user that the content they were looking for has been either moved or deleted or was never there in the first place.

Randall has suggested replacing the standard "page not found" text, to "This content is not available in your country". This could fool the user into thinking the media they are looking for is actually there, but is {{w|Regional lockout|region locked}}, which is another great source of frustration for Internet users. Using a {{w|VPN}} and/or {{w|Tor (anonymity network)|TOR}} to try and access the content from another country wouldn't work, because it isn't actually region locked; it is just an error 404 page, wasting even more time, most likely frustrating the user a great deal in the process. Error code for "content blocked for legal reasons" is actually {{w|HTTP 451|451}}, referencing ''Fahrenheit 451''.

The title text suggests setting the picture as a national flag. This would be very ironic, as it would suggest that the country's flag itself, something that is used to represent the country across the globe, is region locked. The country in the title text likely does not refer to the United States, but rather to the new country featured in [[1815: Flag]]. The first flag of this country included a phone notification bar, so changing it to a "page not found" icon would continue with a trend of technology imagery. Instead he argues for a green puzzle piece, which was Firefox's "plugin is missing" icon (now it's a grey Lego-like brick). Chrome also has a comparable "plugin is missing" puzzle piece icon which is gray. He also argues for an equally frustrating broken image icon (which is used in lieu of a photo that is either missing or incompatible with the browser).

[[File:Broken Image in Firefox and Chrome.png|thumb|right|192px|alt=Shown on the left, Firefox uses a broken document for its broken image icon. It is a blank document with a fold on the top-right corner and ripped horizontally. On the right, Chrome's broken image icon is a picture depicting a green hill on a normal day with a cloud on its top-left corner and a neutral sky blue background. There is a fold on the top-right corner and a clean cut from the center of the bottommost part to the center of the rightmost part.|Different versions of the broken icon. On the left is the Firefox version, while on the right is the Chrome version.]]
The "broken image icon" is the icon that a browser shows instead of an image when that image can't be found or when the browser doesn't recognize it as a valid image. It is similar to the icon shown when the image has not been loaded yet (such as in the rare case when the browser is set to not load images until requested, in order to save on bandwidth, or if the connection is too slow to load pictures quickly), which is commonly a simplified picture frame containing a simple painting. The broken image version has a corner cracked off the picture frame. Usually a broken image icon is the result of the source picture being moved or deleted from the location referenced, or if there's an error in the reference (like the filename being misspelled).

==Transcript==
:[A gray box on a black background with white text:]
:This content is not available in your country.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:If you ever ''really'' want to make people mad, set this as your 404/"Not Found" page.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Internet]]

File:Broken Image in Firefox and Chrome.png

2018-03-31T09:40:00Z

Oe: Oe uploaded a new version of "File:Broken Image in Firefox and Chrome.png": Hopefully, the correct size!

File:Broken Image in Firefox and Chrome.png

2018-03-31T09:35:22Z

Oe: Oe uploaded a new version of "File:Broken Image in Firefox and Chrome.png": Enlarged file (so that it may be viewed properly)

File:Broken Image in Firefox and Chrome.png

2018-03-31T09:17:11Z

Oe: Formatting change.

File:Broken Image in Firefox and Chrome.png

2018-03-31T09:16:12Z

Oe: '''Left:''' Firefox uses a broken document for its broken image icon. It is a blank document with a fold on the top-right corner and ripped horizontally. '''Right:''' Chrome's broken image icon. It is a picture depicting a green hill on a normal day wi...

1974: Conversational Dynamics

2018-03-31T08:49:06Z

Oe: /* Transcript */ Removed tag.

{{comic
| number = 1974
| date = March 30, 2018
| title = Conversational Dynamics
| image = conversational_dynamics.png
| titletext = "You should make it so people can search for and jump into hundreds of conversations at once if they want." "Ooh, good idea! I imagine only the most well-informed people with the most critical information to share will use that feature."
}}

==Explanation==
On the modern World Wide Web (usually coined as {{w|Web 2.0}}, in contrast to the {{w|Web_2.0#"Web_1.0"|original web}} envisioned and created by {{w|Tim Berners-Lee}}), particularly on {{w|Internet forum|internet forums}} (like the [http://forums.xkcd.com/ xkcd forums]), a pervasive issue is that forum users with strong opinions but little interest in fruitful discussion will often interject themselves into all conversations that are related to their area of interest; examples include conspiracy theorists, political extremists, and trolls. This counterproductive behavior is not feasible in real life, where conversations happen locally and synchronously and one must be physically present in order to participate. In this sense it is enabled by Internet forum technology. In forums that have search features, it is even easier for these problematic users to identify and target large numbers of threads rapidly. The field of '''conversational dynamics''' studies the interpersonal processes underlying dialog between people, and this is an example of how changing the mode of communication can negatively impact productive conversational dynamics.

In this satirical comic, Randall imagines the inventors of the modern web (note that in contrast of what the comic depicts, there is no single person or group who created the foundation of the modern web, unlike the original web where there is an identifiable person) correctly anticipating that anyone will be able to inject their opinion into any conversation, but naively interpreting this as a benefit of the medium (by enabling broader participation by helpful users with relevant information), rather than as a potential problem. The title text imagines how search features will enable these helpful users to be even ''more'' helpful. In reality, as any modern user of Internet forums would be aware, both of these technologies are routinely abused by problematic users, and the characters are being too optimistic.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is sitting at a computer and pointing at the CRT monitor. White Hat is standing behind him.]
:Cueball: Check it out! My new system allows anyone on Earth to inject themselves into any conversation happening anywhere  at any time.
:White Hat: Cool! I bet this won't lead to any unhealthy dynamics!

:[Caption under the panel:]
:The creation of the modern web

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Internet]]

1974: Conversational Dynamics

2018-03-31T08:48:18Z

Oe: /* Explanation */ Fixed minor treaty glitches.

{{comic
| number = 1974
| date = March 30, 2018
| title = Conversational Dynamics
| image = conversational_dynamics.png
| titletext = "You should make it so people can search for and jump into hundreds of conversations at once if they want." "Ooh, good idea! I imagine only the most well-informed people with the most critical information to share will use that feature."
}}

==Explanation==
On the modern World Wide Web (usually coined as {{w|Web 2.0}}, in contrast to the {{w|Web_2.0#"Web_1.0"|original web}} envisioned and created by {{w|Tim Berners-Lee}}), particularly on {{w|Internet forum|internet forums}} (like the [http://forums.xkcd.com/ xkcd forums]), a pervasive issue is that forum users with strong opinions but little interest in fruitful discussion will often interject themselves into all conversations that are related to their area of interest; examples include conspiracy theorists, political extremists, and trolls. This counterproductive behavior is not feasible in real life, where conversations happen locally and synchronously and one must be physically present in order to participate. In this sense it is enabled by Internet forum technology. In forums that have search features, it is even easier for these problematic users to identify and target large numbers of threads rapidly. The field of '''conversational dynamics''' studies the interpersonal processes underlying dialog between people, and this is an example of how changing the mode of communication can negatively impact productive conversational dynamics.

In this satirical comic, Randall imagines the inventors of the modern web (note that in contrast of what the comic depicts, there is no single person or group who created the foundation of the modern web, unlike the original web where there is an identifiable person) correctly anticipating that anyone will be able to inject their opinion into any conversation, but naively interpreting this as a benefit of the medium (by enabling broader participation by helpful users with relevant information), rather than as a potential problem. The title text imagines how search features will enable these helpful users to be even ''more'' helpful. In reality, as any modern user of Internet forums would be aware, both of these technologies are routinely abused by problematic users, and the characters are being too optimistic.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball is sitting at a computer and pointing at the CRT monitor. White Hat is standing behind him.]
:Cueball: Check it out! My new system allows anyone on Earth to inject themselves into any conversation happening anywhere  at any time.
:White Hat: Cool! I bet this won't lead to any unhealthy dynamics!

:[Caption under the panel:]
:The creation of the modern web

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Internet]]

1974: Conversational Dynamics

2018-03-31T08:46:46Z

Oe: /* Explanation */ Added wikilinks and info.

{{comic
| number = 1974
| date = March 30, 2018
| title = Conversational Dynamics
| image = conversational_dynamics.png
| titletext = "You should make it so people can search for and jump into hundreds of conversations at once if they want." "Ooh, good idea! I imagine only the most well-informed people with the most critical information to share will use that feature."
}}

==Explanation==
On the modern World Wide Web (usually coined as {{w|Web 2.0}}, in contrast to the {{w|Web_2.0#"Web_1.0"|original web}} envisioned and created by {{w|Tim Berners-Lee}}), particularly on {{w|Internet forum|internet forums}} (like the [http://forums.xkcd.com/ xkcd forums]), a pervasive issue is that forum users with strong opinions but little interest in fruitful discussion will often interject themselves into all conversations that are related to their area of interest; examples include conspiracy theorists, political extremists, and trolls. This counterproductive behavior is not feasible in real life, where conversations happen locally and synchronously and one must be physically present in order to participate. In this sense it is enabled by Internet forum technology. In forums that have search features, it is even easier for these problematic users to identify and target large numbers of threads rapidly. The field of '''conversational dynamics''' studies the interpersonal processes underlying dialog between people, and this is an example of how changing the mode of communication can negatively impact productive conversational dynamics.

In this satirical comic, Randall imagines the inventors of the modern web (note that in contrast of what the comic depicts, there is no single person or group who created the foundation of the modern web, the creation of the original web) correctly anticipating that anyone will be able to inject their opinion into any conversation, but naively interpreting this as a benefit of the medium (by enabling broader participation by helpful users with relevant information), rather than as a potential problem. The title text imagines how search features will enable these helpful users to be even ''more'' helpful. In reality, as any modern user of Internet forums would be aware, both of these technologies are routinely abused by problematic users, and the characters are being too optimistic.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball is sitting at a computer and pointing at the CRT monitor. White Hat is standing behind him.]
:Cueball: Check it out! My new system allows anyone on Earth to inject themselves into any conversation happening anywhere  at any time.
:White Hat: Cool! I bet this won't lead to any unhealthy dynamics!

:[Caption under the panel:]
:The creation of the modern web

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Internet]]

1909: Digital Resource Lifespan

2018-03-21T13:18:09Z

Oe: /* Table */ Finally!

{{comic
| number = 1909
| date = October 30, 2017
| title = Digital Resource Lifespan
| image = digital_resource_lifespan.png
| titletext = I spent a long time thinking about how to design a system for long-term organization and storage of subject-specific informational resources without needing ongoing work from the experts who created them, only to realized I'd just reinvented libraries.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Can someone make a table of all the different resources types?}}

In this chart, [[Randall]] laments the tendency of digital resources to quickly become obsolete or non-functional. By taking a general subject, such as xkcd's core subjects of "romance, sarcasm, math, and language", one can see that a useful tool such as a smartphone or computer app or interactive CD-ROM (essentially, software) does not have the lasting power of printed books (e.g. textbooks, for many general subjects) and microfilm/microfiche. The printed resources, not having to rely on a computerized platform for use, are far more reliable despite being less mobile and taking up physical space. The only digital source which is still working is {{w|Portable Document Format}} (aka PDF) which encapsulates fixed layout flat documents, and is supported for years already by {{w|Adobe Systems}} and is part of {{w|International Organization for Standardization|ISO}} standards, so has a widespread support, and should be still viewable in foreseeable future.

The title text makes a statement that libraries do not require the support of ''original'' authors/experts to organize and store vast resources for any subject imaginable. This is true, but omits the fact that ongoing efforts are required by experts in information organization and storage -- namely, librarians. Physical books and microfilm/microfiche need controlled storage environments, manual handling for storage, retrieval, distribution (in library terms, "circulation"), and the like. Thus, a library can require significant resources in personnel and facilities, but is usually seen as a "public good" for the benefit of society; thus, many communities and educational institutions invest in creating and maintaining a library despite the costs.

Archive.org refers to {{w|The Internet Archive}}, a non-profit organization that maintains the {{w|Wayback Machine}}, one of the largest archives of the {{w|World Wide Web}}. When a website is taken offline, copies of its content can often be found backed-up on the Wayback Machine. The Wayback Machine is primarily designed to back up {{w|Website|websites}}, however, and will often not be able to save information stored in a site's {{w|Database|databases}}, as alluded to in the comic. The Internet Archive has a part for non-website archives, but it cannot hold recent databases either due to copyright problems.

==Table==

{| class="wikitable"
!style="width:20%"|Caption
!style="width:20%"|Type of Resource
!style="width:60%"|Explanation
|-
|Book on Subject
|{{w|Book|Physical Books}}
|This is the most familliar physical resource and used as the baseline for other (digital) resources.
Under optimal conditions, a book can last indefinetely for future generations. Addtionally, there are books from the ancient times that are still readable today.{{Citation needed}}
|-
|<nowiki>[Subject].pdf</nowiki>
|{{w|Portable Document Format}}
|This is the most familliar digital resource, with the probable exception of the internet. A format originally developed by Adobe, the majority of the format is now an {{w|Portable_Document_Format#History_and_standardization|ISO standard}} which means a compliant reader and writer can be made independently (which avoids the majority of the pitfalls described on later resources).
A PDF file is designed to be portable (it is even in the acronym), which means unless the creator of the PDF uses a web-only feature (which is non-standard), it can be opened everywhere a PDF reader is found. Authors may also opt for a stricter, "archival" version ({{w|PDF/A}}) which ensures that both required files are placed on the same PDF file and only documented formats are used to prevent the reliance on non-standardized formats.
|-
|<nowiki>[Subject] Web Database</nowiki>
|{{w|Database}}
|Another type of a digtal resource which is, in itself, is like a digital library. Unlike a physical library however, it is usually only stored in a single file or server (there are instances that the database is distributed, but it is rare), which means that a failure to that server means that the database is wiped out, not to metion the gigantic space it takes (that is why the whole database are not stored in a digital archive, like the Internet Archive).
Addtionally, unlike PDFs, there are almost-infinte ways of storing and retrieving data in a database, which means that when the method used becomes unsupported (like the Java scenario, which is of now is completely unusable in web browsers), the data in it is effectively lost (whether if the data-in-question is still physically on the server).
|-
|<nowiki>[Subject] Mobile App</nowiki>
(Local University Project)
|{{w|Mobile app|Mobile App}}
|A type of digital resource that expands upon the idea of a web database. It allows easy access on a moble device, however, as it is stated that it is a local university project, which means that support for it lasts only at most for a few years (which is not enough to maintain an application).
Additonally, {{w|Operating System|Operating Systems}} can get obsolete (like the {{w|Symbian}} platform used on older {{w|Nokia}} phones) or critical changes to it breaks older applications (like on the [http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-41319675 Apple iOS]).
|-
|<nowiki>[Subject] Analysis Software</nowiki>
|{{w|Application software|Desktop Application}}
|A type of executable program that is found on desktop systems. It allows reliable access on a desktop system, which means that (assuming the program is offline) it can survive on its own. However, {{w|Operating System|Operating Systems}} can get obsolete (like the {{w|Classic Mac OS}} platform used on older {{w|Machintosh|Mac}} computers) or critical changes to it breaks older applications (like the new security features on {{w|Microsoft Windows|Windows}} which breaks older non-compliant programs).
|-
|<nowiki>Interactive [Subject] CD-ROM</nowiki>
|{{w|Application software|Desktop Application}}, {{w|CD-ROM|CD-ROMs}}
|A CD can hold anything from music to videos to applications. It also allows better offline access, and such were used in the 1990s and the early 2000s. It is still a fancy desktop application, which means that the situation on the analysis software applies here, not to metion the fact that a new invetion can replace an obsolete one (for example, {{w|Microsoft Encarta}} was discontinued in 2010 due to the ease-of-access of {{w|Main Page|Wikipedia}}).
Addtionally, this also covers the changes in a physical system: in the 1980s, {{w|Floppy disk|floppy diskettes}} were used, which was replaced in the 1990s by the CDs and DVDs, which then was replaced by {{w|Thumb drive|thumb drives}} in the 2000s, which is then supplemeted (and in some cases, replaced entirely) by wireless device-to-device transfers (like {{w|Bluetooth}}) and internet file transfers using online storage (like {{w|Dropbox}} and {{w|Google Drive}}).
|-
|<nowiki>Library Microfilm [Subject] Collection</nowiki>
|{{w|Microfilm}}
|This is a physical resource used by libraries to preserve (or to create a copy) of a collection, usually those things that are rare or would cause a social or political issue when damaged. Although great preservation is needed to prevent damage to a film, the system used is standardized and knowledge to build a reader or a printer off a microfilm is widely available, like a PDF file. This comparison might look like a physical version of PDFs: standardized, common (books can be of any size imagined) format.
|-
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Needs reorganization?}}
:My access to resources on [SUBJECT] over time:

:[Below, a timeline and a graph with gray bars is shown:]

:[1980s-past 2020:]
:Book on subject

:[Early 2000s-past 2020:]
:[SUBJECT].pdf

:[2000-2010:]
:[SUBJECT] web database
::Site goes down, backend data not on archive.org
::[Small bar, 2000-2016/17:]
:::Java frontend no longer runs

:[2010-2015/16:]
:[SUBJECT] mobile app (Local university project)
::Broken on new OS, not updated

:[2000-2010:]
:[SUBJECT] analysis software
::Broken on new OS, not updated

:[Late 1990s-late 2000s:]
:Interactive [SUBJECT] CD-ROM
::CD scratched; new computer has no CD drive anyway.

:[1980s-past 2020:]
:Library microfilm [SUBJECT] collection

:[Caption below the panel:]
:It's unsettling to realize how quickly digital resources can disappear without ongoing work to maintain them.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Timelines]]

1909: Digital Resource Lifespan

2018-03-21T13:06:50Z

Oe: /* Table */ Updated table.

{{comic
| number = 1909
| date = October 30, 2017
| title = Digital Resource Lifespan
| image = digital_resource_lifespan.png
| titletext = I spent a long time thinking about how to design a system for long-term organization and storage of subject-specific informational resources without needing ongoing work from the experts who created them, only to realized I'd just reinvented libraries.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Can someone make a table of all the different resources types?}}

In this chart, [[Randall]] laments the tendency of digital resources to quickly become obsolete or non-functional. By taking a general subject, such as xkcd's core subjects of "romance, sarcasm, math, and language", one can see that a useful tool such as a smartphone or computer app or interactive CD-ROM (essentially, software) does not have the lasting power of printed books (e.g. textbooks, for many general subjects) and microfilm/microfiche. The printed resources, not having to rely on a computerized platform for use, are far more reliable despite being less mobile and taking up physical space. The only digital source which is still working is {{w|Portable Document Format}} (aka PDF) which encapsulates fixed layout flat documents, and is supported for years already by {{w|Adobe Systems}} and is part of {{w|International Organization for Standardization|ISO}} standards, so has a widespread support, and should be still viewable in foreseeable future.

The title text makes a statement that libraries do not require the support of ''original'' authors/experts to organize and store vast resources for any subject imaginable. This is true, but omits the fact that ongoing efforts are required by experts in information organization and storage -- namely, librarians. Physical books and microfilm/microfiche need controlled storage environments, manual handling for storage, retrieval, distribution (in library terms, "circulation"), and the like. Thus, a library can require significant resources in personnel and facilities, but is usually seen as a "public good" for the benefit of society; thus, many communities and educational institutions invest in creating and maintaining a library despite the costs.

Archive.org refers to {{w|The Internet Archive}}, a non-profit organization that maintains the {{w|Wayback Machine}}, one of the largest archives of the {{w|World Wide Web}}. When a website is taken offline, copies of its content can often be found backed-up on the Wayback Machine. The Wayback Machine is primarily designed to back up {{w|Website|websites}}, however, and will often not be able to save information stored in a site's {{w|Database|databases}}, as alluded to in the comic. The Internet Archive has a part for non-website archives, but it cannot hold recent databases either due to copyright problems.

==Table==

{| class="wikitable"
!style="width:20%"|Caption
!style="width:20%"|Type of Resource
!style="width:60%"|Explanation
|-
|Book on Subject
|{{w|Book|Physical Books}}
|This is the most familliar physical resource and used as the baseline for other (digital) resources.
Under optimal conditions, a book can last indefinetely for future generations. Addtionally, there are books from the ancient times that are still readable today.{{Citation needed}}
|-
|<nowiki>[Subject].pdf</nowiki>
|{{w|Portable Document Format}}
|This is the most familliar digital resource, with the probable exception of the internet. A format originally developed by Adobe, the majority of the format is now an {{w|Portable_Document_Format#History_and_standardization|ISO standard}} which means a compliant reader and writer can be made independently (which avoids the majority of the pitfalls described on later resources).
A PDF file is designed to be portable (it is even in the acronym), which means unless the creator of the PDF uses a web-only feature (which is non-standard), it can be opened everywhere a PDF reader is found. Authors may also opt for a stricter, "archival" version ({{w|PDF/A}}) which ensures that both required files are placed on the same PDF file and only documented formats are used to prevent the reliance on non-standardized formats.
|-
|<nowiki>[Subject] Web Database</nowiki>
|{{w|Database}}
|Another type of a digtal resource which is, in itself, is like a digital library. Unlike a physical library however, it is usually only stored in a single file or server (there are instances that the database is distributed, but it is rare), which means that a failure to that server means that the database is wiped out, not to metion the gigantic space it takes (that is why the whole database are not stored in a digital archive, like the Internet Archive).
Addtionally, unlike PDFs, there are almost-infinte ways of storing and retrieving data in a database, which means that when the method used becomes unsupported (like the Java scenario, which is of now is completely unusable in web browsers), the data in it is effectively lost (whether if the data-in-question is still physically on the server).
|-
|<nowiki>[Subject] Mobile App</nowiki>
(Local University Project)
|{{w|Mobile app|Mobile App}}
|A type of digital resource that expands upon the idea of a web database. It allows easy access on a moble device, however, as it is stated that it is a local university project, which means that support for it lasts only at most for a few years (which is not enough to maintain an application).
Additonally, {{w|Operating System|Operating Systems}} can get obsolete (like the {{w|Symbian}} platform used on older {{w|Nokia}} phones) or critical changes to it breaks older applications (like on the [http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-41319675 Apple iOS]).
|-
|<nowiki>[Subject] Analysis Software</nowiki>
|{{w|Application software|Desktop Application}}
|A type of executable program that is found on desktop systems. It allows reliable access on a desktop system, which means that (assuming the program is offline) it can survive on its own. However, {{w|Operating System|Operating Systems}} can get obsolete (like the {{w|Classic Mac OS}} platform used on older {{w|Machintosh|Mac}} computers) or critical changes to it breaks older applications (like the new security features on {{w|Microsoft Windows|Windows}} which breaks older non-compliant programs).
|-

|<nowiki>Interactive [Subject] CD-ROM</nowiki>
|{{w|Application software|Desktop Application}}, {{w|CD-ROM|CD-ROMs}}
|A CD can hold anything from music to videos to applications. It also allows better offline access, and such were used in the 1990s and the early 2000s. It is still a fancy desktop application, which means that the situation on the analysis software applies here, not to metion the fact that a new invetion can replace an obsolete one (for example, {{w|Microsoft Encarta}} was discontinued in 2010 due to the ease-of-access of {{w|Main Page|Wikipedia}}).
Addtionally, this also covers the changes in a physical system: in the 1980s, {{w|Floppy disk|floppy diskettes}} were used, which was replaced in the 1990s by the CDs and DVDs, which then was replaced by {{w|Thumb drive|thumb drives}} in the 2000s, which is then supplemeted (and in some cases, replaced entirely) by wireless device-to-device transfers (like {{w|Bluetooth}}) and internet file transfers using online storage (like {{w|Dropbox}} and {{w|Google Drive}}).
|-
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Needs reorganization?}}
:My access to resources on [SUBJECT] over time:

:[Below, a timeline and a graph with gray bars is shown:]

:[1980s-past 2020:]
:Book on subject

:[Early 2000s-past 2020:]
:[SUBJECT].pdf

:[2000-2010:]
:[SUBJECT] web database
::Site goes down, backend data not on archive.org
::[Small bar, 2000-2016/17:]
:::Java frontend no longer runs

:[2010-2015/16:]
:[SUBJECT] mobile app (Local university project)
::Broken on new OS, not updated

:[2000-2010:]
:[SUBJECT] analysis software
::Broken on new OS, not updated

:[Late 1990s-late 2000s:]
:Interactive [SUBJECT] CD-ROM
::CD scratched; new computer has no CD drive anyway.

:[1980s-past 2020:]
:Library microfilm [SUBJECT] collection

:[Caption below the panel:]
:It's unsettling to realize how quickly digital resources can disappear without ongoing work to maintain them.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Timelines]]

1909: Digital Resource Lifespan

2018-03-21T12:20:51Z

Oe: /* Table */ Added databases.

1909: Digital Resource Lifespan

2018-03-21T11:55:14Z

Oe: /* Table */ Updated table.

1909: Digital Resource Lifespan

2018-03-21T11:51:20Z

Oe: /* Table */

1909: Digital Resource Lifespan

2018-03-21T11:35:45Z

Oe: /* Explanation */ Created initial table, incomplete.

1963: Namespace Land Rush

2018-03-21T11:25:41Z

Oe: /* Table */ Another annontation

{{comic
| number = 1963
| date = March 5, 2018
| title = Namespace Land Rush
| image = namespace_land_rush.png
| titletext = You can also just mash the keyboard at random, but you might end up with a gibberish name no one can pronounce.
}}

==Explanation==

When a new web service starts, such as a forum, a social media server or an email portal, the people who sign up get to choose their username on the service, which, in most cases, blocks future users from using those usernames. Common names such as "john" are likely to be taken quickly. This is analogous to the way that land was distributed in America, with the first to claim able to choose the best land.

This comic is a list of usernames [[Randall]] suggests should be used if they are available.

The title text is a self-reference to "xkcd"; the name of the comic is a purposefully unpronounceable phrase created by Randall.

(Note: for a more serious list of problematic user names to block from a service provider’s point of view, see [https://ldpreload.com/blog/names-to-reserve Hostnames and usernames to reserve] as well as [https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2142 RFC 2142].)

==Table==
{{incomplete|Add explanations of the names. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
{| class="wikitable"
!style="width:30%"|Entry
!style="width:70%"|Explanation
|-
!colspan=2|Straightforward (Usernames that a person would use under typical circumstances)
|-
|<Your usual username, if any>
|Most internet users will have settled on some unique handle that they try to use across all platforms. Even if this wasn't a new service, most people would try this first.
|-
|<Your given name>
|More rare is using one's nickname or first name as their username, since the amount of common names will mean many users share a name. Thus, if you can get your given name, you will have a simple username that many others wanted, and without resorting to prefixes or numbers (i.e. Xx_MyName00_xX)
|-
|<Your full name>
|Similar to your given name, but slightly more unique since a last name and/or middle name is added.
|-
|<Initial><Surname>
|A common second choice if a given or full name is already in use.
|-
|<Surname>
|Possibly available if your last name is more uncommon; names like "smith" or "kim" will probably be taken faster than even given names.
|-
!colspan=2|Recognizable (Usernames that would make it look like the email came from an official source within the organization named)
|-
|Google
|Registering the name "Google" would allow for communicating on the site (or even outside of it) with a name that appears to be an official Google account. For any of the examples in this section, you would select the names for the same reason. This has been done in the past with both [https://twitter.com/BiIIMurray humorous] and [http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/technology/ct-russian-twitter-account-tennessee-gop-20171018-story.html nefarious] results.
|-
|iPhone
|Many services would mark messages sent from an iOS client on iPhone as "sent from iPhone".
This could make people believe that your messages are sent from an iPhone even if you don't own one.
|-
|Facebook
|Similiar to Google above.
|-
|BitCoin
|When this was released, bitcoin (and related cryptocurrencies) are in the news for their spectacular rise and fall. The owner of this account may impersonate that this '''is''' Bitcoin, causing unsuspecting users to lose bitcoins (or worse, actual money).
|-
|Obama
|Impersonating a president, supposedly to send messages as them to make them seem bad (or not).
|-
|Canada
|
|-
|NFL
|
|-
|Garfield
|In the original "GMail" service on the Internet, the G stood for "Garfield"
|-
|<Your city>
|
|-
|NASA
|
|-
|<Name of person who runs the service>
|
|-
!colspan=3|Causing Trouble (Usernames that might cause errors when mixed with the service's back-end code)
|-
|User
|This is usually the default username for a non-administrative account. This may trick a user that this is owned by the operator of the service.
|-
|Username
|
|-
|Name
|
|-
|You
|Many services display "You" as the signed-on user, so naming oneself "You" makes users think that they are you/they are signed on when they aren't.
|-
|Guest
|Attempts to fool users into thinking that they have a guest account.
|-
|Account
|
|-
!colspan=2|Causing More Trouble
|-
|Admin
|Impersonating to be a system administrator will let someone fool people and cause a lot of trouble. In particular, it could be used to obtain SSL certificates by demonstrating ownership of a supposedly internal address.
|-
|Administrator
|See above.
|-
|System
|Pretending to be a system-controlled account - might give permissions if the server checks by name.
|-
|<Name of service>
|Pretending to be the official account of the service.
|-
|Help
|Pretending to be the help account. This could led to many questions from new users.
|-
|Error
|This may trick users to do what the user says as they could claim that it was a legitimate error.
|-
!colspan=2|Impossible to Say
|-
|Hyphen-Emdash
|Could be read "Hyphen hyphen Em dash" or "Hyphen dash em dash"
|-
|Dash-8hyphen-8
|Could be read "Dash dash eight hyphen dash eight" or "Dash hyphen eight hyphen hyphen eight". "Hyphen eight" sounds like "hyphenate".
|-
|Zero0ne2numeral2
|Could be read "Zero zero one two numeral two" or "Zero zero ne two numeral two" or "Zero oh ne two numeral two".
|-
|KrisasinHemsworth
|This would be confusing to say out loud, as it would sound like the user was saying that their username was "Chris," spelled the same way that famous actor {{w|Chris Hemsworth}} spells his name. However, the actual username uses the name "Kris," spelled a completely different way than Chris Hemsworth's name, and the phrase "as in Hemsworth" being also part of the username, rather than a clarification of the spelling of "Kris" as would be assumed.
|-
|TheWord&Ampersand
|This would also be confusing and difficult to communicate, as anyone trying to read the username to someone else would say "The word ampersand ampersand" which could be interpreted as "ampersand&" or "ampersand ampersand". Having the phrase "the word" in front of a symbol makes it quite difficult to communicate which variation of ampersand (word or symbol) is actually being referred to.
|-
|ZettaWith3Teees 
|Read aloud, this would lead the listener to expect a username of 'Zettta'. Clarifying that "with three tees" is text and not description would in turn make it difficult to explain the spelling of 'Zetta' with two 't's, and 'Teees' with three 'e's.
|-
!colspan=2|Misc
|-
|<Single Letters>
|
|-
|<Single Numbers>
|
|-
|<Common Words>
|
|-
|<SQL/JS Injection>
|Codes such as "Drop Table" intended to cause errors or even damage the service's back-end code. (See [[327|Comic 327]])
|-
|ASDF
|
|-
|QWERTY
|
|-
|Yes
|
|-
|Bot
|Pretending to be a bot.
|-
|Computer
|
|-
|Blocked
|
|-
|Deleted
|Some services like Reddit keep up user posts and data after account deletion, marking the content as submitted by the user "[Deleted]" or "Deleted".
|-
|Jeeves
|
|-
|Narrator
|
|-
|Internet
|
|-
|NPC
|
|-
|Password
|
|-
!colspan=2|Permissive Character Sets
|-
|<Space>
|
|-
|<nowiki>@ é | “ ”</nowiki>
|
|-
|<NBSP>
|
|-
|<nowiki>\ . # " ‘</nowiki>
|
|-
|<RTL override>
|The right to left override is an Unicode character which forces text after it to be laid out right to left. Thus, in left-to-right locales, it flips everything after it. This can be rather amusing if permitted. (See [[1137|Comic 1137]])
|-
|<nowiki>– - _ / ’ ' `</nowiki>
|Includes both the em-dash and the hyphen, which are easily confused, as well as the grave accent (`) and the apostrophe ('), which are easy to confuse. Besides being highly unusual for user names and confusing, some of these symbols (like the grave accent) have special meanings in languages like Javascript and can therefore cause bugs or even security issues on web pages.
|-
|<Any emoji>
|Current databases are not set up to store emojis as characters.
|-
|","
|In CSV files this separates one column or data item from another. This could cause bugs if the usernames are used as part of a CSV file since the next column on the row could be left blank filled with other data.
|-
|<nowiki>&NBSP</nowiki>;
|The special entity in HTML (web page language) for a non-breaking space, or a space that prevents an automatic line-break at its position. When rendered as part of an HTML page without sanitization, this would only display a space.
|-
|<nowiki></HTML></nowiki>
|This is trying to inject code for the web page using the user name. If the user name is not sanitized and does not have special characters encoded, this HTML end tag could end the HTML document, leading to page errors.
|-
|&LT;/HTML&GT;
|&LT; and &GT; are special character entities in HTML that represent < and >, repectively. So all together, when rendered as part of an HTML document, this would print "<nowiki></HTML></nowiki>" Although this would look similar to the previous <nowiki></HTML></nowiki> entry, it would be unlikely to cause problems as the symbols are not interpreted if encoded as special entities.
|-
|OkThisIsKindOfConfusingButIt's <LessThan\ForwardSlashHTML GreaterThanActualGreaterThan Symbol>Yes,ThatWasAllPartOfThe Name,ButSoIs...Ok,LetMeStartOver”
|The abundance of symbols and symbol related worlds and phrases such as ActualGreaterThanSymbol would make this extremely difficult to vocally communicate to another person. This difficulty is further compounded by the parts at the beginning and end, which sound like they are part of the explanation despite being part of the name itself.
|-
|}

==Transcript==
'''Namespace Land Rush Cheat Sheet'''

When a new service appears that lets you register a name, here are some you may want to try and get first:

{|
!colspan=3|Straightforward
!colspan=2|Recognizable
|-
|colspan=3|<Your usual username, if any>
|Google||iPhone
|-
|colspan=3|<Your given name>
|Facebook||BitCoin
|-
|colspan=3|<Your full name>
|Obama||Canada
|-
|colspan=3|<Initial><Surname>
|NFL||Garfield
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|<Surname>
|colspan=2 rowspan=2|(Bold & Slightly Unconventional)
|<Your city>||NASA
|-
|colspan=3| 
|colspan=2|<Name of person who runs the service>
|- style="vertical-align:bottom;"
!Causing Trouble
!colspan=2|Causing More Trouble
!colspan=2|Impossible to Say
|-
|User
|colspan=2|Admin
|colspan=2|Hyphen-Emdash
|-
|Username
|colspan=2|Administrator
|colspan=2|Dash-8hyphen-8
|-
|Name
|colspan=2|System
|colspan=2|Zero0ne2numeral2
|-
|You
|colspan=2|<Name of service>
|colspan=2|KrisasinHemsworth
|-
|Guest
|colspan=2|Help
|colspan=2|TheWord&Ampersand
|-
|Account
|colspan=2|Error
|colspan=2|ZettaWith3Teees 
|-
!Misc!! 
!colspan=3|Permissive Character Sets
|-
|colspan=2|<Single Letters>
|<Space>|| 
|<nowiki>@ é | “ ”</nowiki>
|-
|colspan=2|<Single Numbers>
|<NBSP>|| 
|<nowiki>\ . # " ‘</nowiki>
|-
|colspan=2|<Common Words>
|colspan=2|<RTL override>
|<nowiki>– - _ / ’ ' `</nowiki>
|-
|colspan=2|<SQL/JS Injection>
|<Any emoji>
|style="text-align:center;"|","
|<nowiki>&NBSP</nowiki>;
|-
|ASDF||QWERTY
|<nowiki></HTML></nowiki>
|style="text-align:right;" colspan=2|&LT;/HTML&GT;
|-
|Yes||Bot
|colspan=3|OkThisIsKindOfConfusingButIt's
|-
|Computer||Blocked
|colspan=3|<LessThan\ForwardSlashHTML
|-
|Deleted||Jeeves
|colspan=3|GreaterThanActualGreaterThan
|-
|Narrator||Internet
|colspan=3|Symbol>Yes,ThatWasAllPartOfThe
|-
|NPC||Password
|colspan=3|Name,ButSoIs...Ok,LetMeStartOver”
|}

{{comic discussion}}

1963: Namespace Land Rush

2018-03-21T11:17:19Z

Oe: /* Table */

{{comic
| number = 1963
| date = March 5, 2018
| title = Namespace Land Rush
| image = namespace_land_rush.png
| titletext = You can also just mash the keyboard at random, but you might end up with a gibberish name no one can pronounce.
}}

==Explanation==

When a new web service starts, such as a forum, a social media server or an email portal, the people who sign up get to choose their username on the service, which, in most cases, blocks future users from using those usernames. Common names such as "john" are likely to be taken quickly. This is analogous to the way that land was distributed in America, with the first to claim able to choose the best land.

This comic is a list of usernames [[Randall]] suggests should be used if they are available.

The title text is a self-reference to "xkcd"; the name of the comic is a purposefully unpronounceable phrase created by Randall.

(Note: for a more serious list of problematic user names to block from a service provider’s point of view, see [https://ldpreload.com/blog/names-to-reserve Hostnames and usernames to reserve] as well as [https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2142 RFC 2142].)

==Table==
{{incomplete|Add explanations of the names. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
{| class="wikitable"
!style="width:30%"|Entry
!style="width:70%"|Explanation
|-
!colspan=2|Straightforward (Usernames that a person would use under typical circumstances)
|-
|<Your usual username, if any>
|Most internet users will have settled on some unique handle that they try to use across all platforms. Even if this wasn't a new service, most people would try this first.
|-
|<Your given name>
|More rare is using one's nickname or first name as their username, since the amount of common names will mean many users share a name. Thus, if you can get your given name, you will have a simple username that many others wanted, and without resorting to prefixes or numbers (i.e. Xx_MyName00_xX)
|-
|<Your full name>
|Similar to your given name, but slightly more unique since a last name and/or middle name is added.
|-
|<Initial><Surname>
|A common second choice if a given or full name is already in use.
|-
|<Surname>
|Possibly available if your last name is more uncommon; names like "smith" or "kim" will probably be taken faster than even given names.
|-
!colspan=2|Recognizable (Usernames that would make it look like the email came from an official source within the organization named)
|-
|Google
|Registering the name "Google" would allow for communicating on the site (or even outside of it) with a name that appears to be an official Google account. For any of the examples in this section, you would select the names for the same reason. This has been done in the past with both [https://twitter.com/BiIIMurray humorous] and [http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/technology/ct-russian-twitter-account-tennessee-gop-20171018-story.html nefarious] results.
|-
|iPhone
|Many services would mark messages sent from an iOS client on iPhone as "sent from iPhone".
This could make people believe that your messages are sent from an iPhone even if you don't own one.
|-
|Facebook
|Similiar to Google above.
|-
|BitCoin
|When this was released, bitcoin (and related cryptocurrencies) are in the news for their spectacular rise and fall. The owner of this account may impersonate that this '''is''' Bitcoin, causing unsuspecting users to lose bitcoins (or worse, actual money).
|-
|Obama
|Impersonating a president, supposedly to send messages as them to make them seem bad (or not).
|-
|Canada
|
|-
|NFL
|
|-
|Garfield
|In the original "GMail" service on the Internet, the G stood for "Garfield"
|-
|<Your city>
|
|-
|NASA
|
|-
|<Name of person who runs the service>
|
|-
!colspan=3|Causing Trouble (Usernames that might cause errors when mixed with the service's back-end code)
|-
|User
|This is usually the default username for a non-administrative account. This may trick a user that this is owned by the operator of the service.
|-
|Username
|
|-
|Name
|
|-
|You
|Many services display "You" as the signed-on user, so naming oneself "You" makes users think that they are you/they are signed on when they aren't.
|-
|Guest
|Attempts to fool users into thinking that they have a guest account.
|-
|Account
|
|-
!colspan=2|Causing More Trouble
|-
|Admin
|Impersonating to be a system administrator will let someone fool people and cause a lot of trouble. In particular, it could be used to obtain SSl certificates by demonstrating ownership of a supposedly internal address.
|-
|Administrator
|See above.
|-
|System
|Pretending to be a system-controlled account - might give permissions if the server checks by name.
|-
|<Name of service>
|Pretending to be the official account of the service.
|-
|Help
|Pretending to be the help account. This could led to many questions from new users.
|-
|Error
|
|-
!colspan=2|Impossible to Say
|-
|Hyphen-Emdash
|Could be read "Hyphen hyphen Em dash" or "Hyphen dash em dash"
|-
|Dash-8hyphen-8
|Could be read "Dash dash eight hyphen dash eight" or "Dash hyphen eight hyphen hyphen eight". "Hyphen eight" sounds like "hyphenate".
|-
|Zero0ne2numeral2
|Could be read "Zero zero one two numeral two" or "Zero zero ne two numeral two" or "Zero oh ne two numeral two".
|-
|KrisasinHemsworth
|This would be confusing to say out loud, as it would sound like the user was saying that their username was "Chris," spelled the same way that famous actor {{w|Chris Hemsworth}} spells his name. However, the actual username uses the name "Kris," spelled a completely different way than Chris Hemsworth's name, and the phrase "as in Hemsworth" being also part of the username, rather than a clarification of the spelling of "Kris" as would be assumed.
|-
|TheWord&Ampersand
|This would also be confusing and difficult to communicate, as anyone trying to read the username to someone else would say "The word ampersand ampersand" which could be interpreted as "ampersand&" or "ampersand ampersand". Having the phrase "the word" in front of a symbol makes it quite difficult to communicate which variation of ampersand (word or symbol) is actually being referred to.
|-
|ZettaWith3Teees 
|Read aloud, this would lead the listener to expect a username of 'Zettta'. Clarifying that "with three tees" is text and not description would in turn make it difficult to explain the spelling of 'Zetta' with two 't's, and 'Teees' with three 'e's.
|-
!colspan=2|Misc
|-
|<Single Letters>
|
|-
|<Single Numbers>
|
|-
|<Common Words>
|
|-
|<SQL/JS Injection>
|Codes such as "Drop Table" intended to cause errors or even damage the service's back-end code. (See [[327|Comic 327]])
|-
|ASDF
|
|-
|QWERTY
|
|-
|Yes
|
|-
|Bot
|Pretending to be a bot.
|-
|Computer
|
|-
|Blocked
|
|-
|Deleted
|Some services like Reddit keep up user posts and data after account deletion, marking the content as submitted by the user "[Deleted]" or "Deleted".
|-
|Jeeves
|
|-
|Narrator
|
|-
|Internet
|
|-
|NPC
|
|-
|Password
|
|-
!colspan=2|Permissive Character Sets
|-
|<Space>
|
|-
|<nowiki>@ é | “ ”</nowiki>
|
|-
|<NBSP>
|
|-
|<nowiki>\ . # " ‘</nowiki>
|
|-
|<RTL override>
|The right to left override is an Unicode character which forces text after it to be laid out right to left. Thus, in left-to-right locales, it flips everything after it. This can be rather amusing if permitted. (See [[1137|Comic 1137]])
|-
|<nowiki>– - _ / ’ ' `</nowiki>
|Includes both the em-dash and the hyphen, which are easily confused, as well as the grave accent (`) and the apostrophe ('), which are easy to confuse. Besides being highly unusual for user names and confusing, some of these symbols (like the grave accent) have special meanings in languages like Javascript and can therefore cause bugs or even security issues on web pages.
|-
|<Any emoji>
|Current databases are not set up to store emojis as characters.
|-
|","
|In CSV files this separates one column or data item from another. This could cause bugs if the usernames are used as part of a CSV file since the next column on the row could be left blank filled with other data.
|-
|<nowiki>&NBSP</nowiki>;
|The special entity in HTML (web page language) for a non-breaking space, or a space that prevents an automatic line-break at its position. When rendered as part of an HTML page without sanitization, this would only display a space.
|-
|<nowiki></HTML></nowiki>
|This is trying to inject code for the web page using the user name. If the user name is not sanitized and does not have special characters encoded, this HTML end tag could end the HTML document, leading to page errors.
|-
|&LT;/HTML&GT;
|&LT; and &GT; are special character entities in HTML that represent < and >, repectively. So all together, when rendered as part of an HTML document, this would print "<nowiki></HTML></nowiki>" Although this would look similar to the previous <nowiki></HTML></nowiki> entry, it would be unlikely to cause problems as the symbols are not interpreted if encoded as special entities.
|-
|OkThisIsKindOfConfusingButIt's <LessThan\ForwardSlashHTML GreaterThanActualGreaterThan Symbol>Yes,ThatWasAllPartOfThe Name,ButSoIs...Ok,LetMeStartOver”
|The abundance of symbols and symbol related worlds and phrases such as ActualGreaterThanSymbol would make this extremely difficult to vocally communicate to another person. This difficulty is further compounded by the parts at the beginning and end, which sound like they are part of the explanation despite being part of the name itself.
|-
|}

==Transcript==
'''Namespace Land Rush Cheat Sheet'''

When a new service appears that lets you register a name, here are some you may want to try and get first:

{|
!colspan=3|Straightforward
!colspan=2|Recognizable
|-
|colspan=3|<Your usual username, if any>
|Google||iPhone
|-
|colspan=3|<Your given name>
|Facebook||BitCoin
|-
|colspan=3|<Your full name>
|Obama||Canada
|-
|colspan=3|<Initial><Surname>
|NFL||Garfield
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|<Surname>
|colspan=2 rowspan=2|(Bold & Slightly Unconventional)
|<Your city>||NASA
|-
|colspan=3| 
|colspan=2|<Name of person who runs the service>
|- style="vertical-align:bottom;"
!Causing Trouble
!colspan=2|Causing More Trouble
!colspan=2|Impossible to Say
|-
|User
|colspan=2|Admin
|colspan=2|Hyphen-Emdash
|-
|Username
|colspan=2|Administrator
|colspan=2|Dash-8hyphen-8
|-
|Name
|colspan=2|System
|colspan=2|Zero0ne2numeral2
|-
|You
|colspan=2|<Name of service>
|colspan=2|KrisasinHemsworth
|-
|Guest
|colspan=2|Help
|colspan=2|TheWord&Ampersand
|-
|Account
|colspan=2|Error
|colspan=2|ZettaWith3Teees 
|-
!Misc!! 
!colspan=3|Permissive Character Sets
|-
|colspan=2|<Single Letters>
|<Space>|| 
|<nowiki>@ é | “ ”</nowiki>
|-
|colspan=2|<Single Numbers>
|<NBSP>|| 
|<nowiki>\ . # " ‘</nowiki>
|-
|colspan=2|<Common Words>
|colspan=2|<RTL override>
|<nowiki>– - _ / ’ ' `</nowiki>
|-
|colspan=2|<SQL/JS Injection>
|<Any emoji>
|style="text-align:center;"|","
|<nowiki>&NBSP</nowiki>;
|-
|ASDF||QWERTY
|<nowiki></HTML></nowiki>
|style="text-align:right;" colspan=2|&LT;/HTML&GT;
|-
|Yes||Bot
|colspan=3|OkThisIsKindOfConfusingButIt's
|-
|Computer||Blocked
|colspan=3|<LessThan\ForwardSlashHTML
|-
|Deleted||Jeeves
|colspan=3|GreaterThanActualGreaterThan
|-
|Narrator||Internet
|colspan=3|Symbol>Yes,ThatWasAllPartOfThe
|-
|NPC||Password
|colspan=3|Name,ButSoIs...Ok,LetMeStartOver”
|}

{{comic discussion}}

1963: Namespace Land Rush

2018-03-21T11:10:36Z

Oe: /* Explanation */ Removed incomplete tag.

{{comic
| number = 1963
| date = March 5, 2018
| title = Namespace Land Rush
| image = namespace_land_rush.png
| titletext = You can also just mash the keyboard at random, but you might end up with a gibberish name no one can pronounce.
}}

==Explanation==

When a new web service starts, such as a forum, a social media server or an email portal, the people who sign up get to choose their username on the service, which, in most cases, blocks future users from using those usernames. Common names such as "john" are likely to be taken quickly. This is analogous to the way that land was distributed in America, with the first to claim able to choose the best land.

This comic is a list of usernames [[Randall]] suggests should be used if they are available.

The title text is a self-reference to "xkcd"; the name of the comic is a purposefully unpronounceable phrase created by Randall.

(Note: for a more serious list of problematic user names to block from a service provider’s point of view, see [https://ldpreload.com/blog/names-to-reserve Hostnames and usernames to reserve] as well as [https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2142 RFC 2142].)

==Table==
{{incomplete|Add explanations of the names. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
{| class="wikitable"
!style="width:30%"|Entry
!style="width:70%"|Explanation
|-
!colspan=2|Straightforward (Usernames that a person would use under typical circumstances)
|-
|<Your usual username, if any>
|Most internet users will have settled on some unique handle that they try to use across all platforms. Even if this wasn't a new service, most people would try this first.
|-
|<Your given name>
|More rare is using one's nickname or first name as their username, since the amount of common names will mean many users share a name. Thus, if you can get your given name, you will have a simple username that many others wanted, and without resorting to prefixes or numbers (i.e. Xx_MyName00_xX)
|-
|<Your full name>
|Similar to your given name, but slightly more unique since a last name and/or middle name is added.
|-
|<Initial><Surname>
|A common second choice if a given or full name is already in use.
|-
|<Surname>
|Possibly available if your last name is more uncommon; names like "smith" or "kim" will probably be taken faster than even given names.
|-
!colspan=2|Recognizable (Usernames that would make it look like the email came from an official source within the organization named)
|-
|Google
|Registering the name "Google" would allow for communicating on the site (or even outside of it) with a name that appears to be an official Google account. For any of the examples in this section, you would select the names for the same reason. This has been done in the past with both [https://twitter.com/BiIIMurray humorous] and [http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/technology/ct-russian-twitter-account-tennessee-gop-20171018-story.html nefarious] results.
|-
|iPhone
|Many services would mark messages sent from an iOS client on iPhone as "sent from iPhone".
This could make people believe that your messages are sent from an iPhone even if you don't own one.
|-
|Facebook
|Similiar to Google above.
|-
|BitCoin
|
|-
|Obama
|Impersonating a president, supposedly to send messages as them to make them seem bad (or not).
|-
|Canada
|
|-
|NFL
|
|-
|Garfield
|In the original "GMail" service on the Internet, the G stood for "Garfield"
|-
|<Your city>
|
|-
|NASA
|
|-
|<Name of person who runs the service>
|
|-
!colspan=3|Causing Trouble (Usernames that might cause errors when mixed with the service's back-end code)
|-
|User
|
|-
|Username
|
|-
|Name
|
|-
|You
|Many services display "You" as the signed-on user, so naming oneself "You" makes users think that they are you/they are signed on when they aren't.
|-
|Guest
|Attempts to fool users into thinking that they have a guest account.
|-
|Account
|
|-
!colspan=2|Causing More Trouble
|-
|Admin
|Impersonating to be a system administrator will let someone fool people and cause a lot of trouble. In particular, it could be used to obtain SSl certificates by demonstrating ownership of a supposedly internal address.
|-
|Administrator
|See above.
|-
|System
|Pretending to be a system-controlled account - might give permissions if the server checks by name.
|-
|<Name of service>
|Pretending to be the official account of the service.
|-
|Help
|Pretending to be the help account. This could led to many questions from new users.
|-
|Error
|
|-
!colspan=2|Impossible to Say
|-
|Hyphen-Emdash
|Could be read "Hyphen hyphen Em dash" or "Hyphen dash em dash"
|-
|Dash-8hyphen-8
|Could be read "Dash dash eight hyphen dash eight" or "Dash hyphen eight hyphen hyphen eight". "Hyphen eight" sounds like "hyphenate".
|-
|Zero0ne2numeral2
|Could be read "Zero zero one two numeral two" or "Zero zero ne two numeral two" or "Zero oh ne two numeral two".
|-
|KrisasinHemsworth
|This would be confusing to say out loud, as it would sound like the user was saying that their username was "Chris," spelled the same way that famous actor {{w|Chris Hemsworth}} spells his name. However, the actual username uses the name "Kris," spelled a completely different way than Chris Hemsworth's name, and the phrase "as in Hemsworth" being also part of the username, rather than a clarification of the spelling of "Kris" as would be assumed.
|-
|TheWord&Ampersand
|This would also be confusing and difficult to communicate, as anyone trying to read the username to someone else would say "The word ampersand ampersand" which could be interpreted as "ampersand&" or "ampersand ampersand". Having the phrase "the word" in front of a symbol makes it quite difficult to communicate which variation of ampersand (word or symbol) is actually being referred to.
|-
|ZettaWith3Teees 
|Read aloud, this would lead the listener to expect a username of 'Zettta'. Clarifying that "with three tees" is text and not description would in turn make it difficult to explain the spelling of 'Zetta' with two 't's, and 'Teees' with three 'e's.
|-
!colspan=2|Misc
|-
|<Single Letters>
|
|-
|<Single Numbers>
|
|-
|<Common Words>
|
|-
|<SQL/JS Injection>
|Codes such as "Drop Table" intended to cause errors or even damage the service's back-end code. (See [[327|Comic 327]])
|-
|ASDF
|
|-
|QWERTY
|
|-
|Yes
|
|-
|Bot
|Pretending to be a bot.
|-
|Computer
|
|-
|Blocked
|
|-
|Deleted
|Some services like Reddit keep up user posts and data after account deletion, marking the content as submitted by the user "[Deleted]" or "Deleted".
|-
|Jeeves
|
|-
|Narrator
|
|-
|Internet
|
|-
|NPC
|
|-
|Password
|
|-
!colspan=2|Permissive Character Sets
|-
|<Space>
|
|-
|<nowiki>@ é | “ ”</nowiki>
|
|-
|<NBSP>
|
|-
|<nowiki>\ . # " ‘</nowiki>
|
|-
|<RTL override>
|The right to left override is an Unicode character which forces text after it to be laid out right to left. Thus, in left-to-right locales, it flips everything after it. This can be rather amusing if permitted. (See [[1137|Comic 1137]])
|-
|<nowiki>– - _ / ’ ' `</nowiki>
|Includes both the em-dash and the hyphen, which are easily confused, as well as the grave accent (`) and the apostrophe ('), which are easy to confuse. Besides being highly unusual for user names and confusing, some of these symbols (like the grave accent) have special meanings in languages like Javascript and can therefore cause bugs or even security issues on web pages.
|-
|<Any emoji>
|Current databases are not set up to store emojis as characters.
|-
|","
|In CSV files this separates one column or data item from another. This could cause bugs if the usernames are used as part of a CSV file since the next column on the row could be left blank filled with other data.
|-
|<nowiki>&NBSP</nowiki>;
|The special entity in HTML (web page language) for a non-breaking space, or a space that prevents an automatic line-break at its position. When rendered as part of an HTML page without sanitization, this would only display a space.
|-
|<nowiki></HTML></nowiki>
|This is trying to inject code for the web page using the user name. If the user name is not sanitized and does not have special characters encoded, this HTML end tag could end the HTML document, leading to page errors.
|-
|&LT;/HTML&GT;
|&LT; and &GT; are special character entities in HTML that represent < and >, repectively. So all together, when rendered as part of an HTML document, this would print "<nowiki></HTML></nowiki>" Although this would look similar to the previous <nowiki></HTML></nowiki> entry, it would be unlikely to cause problems as the symbols are not interpreted if encoded as special entities.
|-
|OkThisIsKindOfConfusingButIt's <LessThan\ForwardSlashHTML GreaterThanActualGreaterThan Symbol>Yes,ThatWasAllPartOfThe Name,ButSoIs...Ok,LetMeStartOver”
|The abundance of symbols and symbol related worlds and phrases such as ActualGreaterThanSymbol would make this extremely difficult to vocally communicate to another person. This difficulty is further compounded by the parts at the beginning and end, which sound like they are part of the explanation despite being part of the name itself.
|-
|}

==Transcript==
'''Namespace Land Rush Cheat Sheet'''

When a new service appears that lets you register a name, here are some you may want to try and get first:

{|
!colspan=3|Straightforward
!colspan=2|Recognizable
|-
|colspan=3|<Your usual username, if any>
|Google||iPhone
|-
|colspan=3|<Your given name>
|Facebook||BitCoin
|-
|colspan=3|<Your full name>
|Obama||Canada
|-
|colspan=3|<Initial><Surname>
|NFL||Garfield
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|<Surname>
|colspan=2 rowspan=2|(Bold & Slightly Unconventional)
|<Your city>||NASA
|-
|colspan=3| 
|colspan=2|<Name of person who runs the service>
|- style="vertical-align:bottom;"
!Causing Trouble
!colspan=2|Causing More Trouble
!colspan=2|Impossible to Say
|-
|User
|colspan=2|Admin
|colspan=2|Hyphen-Emdash
|-
|Username
|colspan=2|Administrator
|colspan=2|Dash-8hyphen-8
|-
|Name
|colspan=2|System
|colspan=2|Zero0ne2numeral2
|-
|You
|colspan=2|<Name of service>
|colspan=2|KrisasinHemsworth
|-
|Guest
|colspan=2|Help
|colspan=2|TheWord&Ampersand
|-
|Account
|colspan=2|Error
|colspan=2|ZettaWith3Teees 
|-
!Misc!! 
!colspan=3|Permissive Character Sets
|-
|colspan=2|<Single Letters>
|<Space>|| 
|<nowiki>@ é | “ ”</nowiki>
|-
|colspan=2|<Single Numbers>
|<NBSP>|| 
|<nowiki>\ . # " ‘</nowiki>
|-
|colspan=2|<Common Words>
|colspan=2|<RTL override>
|<nowiki>– - _ / ’ ' `</nowiki>
|-
|colspan=2|<SQL/JS Injection>
|<Any emoji>
|style="text-align:center;"|","
|<nowiki>&NBSP</nowiki>;
|-
|ASDF||QWERTY
|<nowiki></HTML></nowiki>
|style="text-align:right;" colspan=2|&LT;/HTML&GT;
|-
|Yes||Bot
|colspan=3|OkThisIsKindOfConfusingButIt's
|-
|Computer||Blocked
|colspan=3|<LessThan\ForwardSlashHTML
|-
|Deleted||Jeeves
|colspan=3|GreaterThanActualGreaterThan
|-
|Narrator||Internet
|colspan=3|Symbol>Yes,ThatWasAllPartOfThe
|-
|NPC||Password
|colspan=3|Name,ButSoIs...Ok,LetMeStartOver”
|}

{{comic discussion}}