1350: Lorenz

2014-04-02T04:55:22Z

Phoenic: /* Explanation */ dialogue lines may transcend continuity

{{comic
| number = 1350
| date = April 1, 2014
| title = Lorenz
| image = 1350_lorenz_loop.png
| titletext = Every choice, no matter how small, begins a new story
}}

{{incomplete|All possible dialogues are not yet accounted for}}

==Explanation==
This comic is a April fools comic with crowd sourced content. Since April 1st 2014 was a Tuesday, this comic is not in the normal sequence Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

This comic is dynamic and needs interaction by the viewer. In the first time there was a bug when using the URL <nowiki>http://www.xkcd.com/</nowiki> or even <nowiki>https://xkcd.com/</nowiki> — only <nowiki>http://xkcd.com/</nowiki> did work at the first hours.

{{w|HTTP cookie|Cookies}} are required to see this page properly.

It appears that new panels may be generated by Randall in near real time as user suggestions to dialog is submitted. The dialogue options are likely based on click-through rates and hence will change over day based on which choices are clicked most using {{w|A/B_testing|A/B measurement techniques..}} This will mean that the most popular choices for dialogue line will prevail as the statistics builds up. In some cases, dialogue line options do not depend on the continuity of the storyline followed, suggesting that some parts of the story are planned. For example, most storylines involve [[Cueball]] waking up and telling the character, “I had the strangest dream…” This may be due to common submissions across storylines as well.

Every panel has a "permalink" option which generates a unique URL for all the choices made by the reader -- so for example http://xkcd.com/1350/#p:26c8dcea-b9aa-11e3-8002-002590d77bdd will take you to a particular place in the selected choices.

The title 'Lorenz' is referring to {{w|Edward Norton Lorenz}} who among other subjects was famous for {{w|Chaos theory}}. The title is a reference to that the story line of today's comic will include most (all?) of the user submitted dialogue and hence will in nature be chaotic. In addition, the title text, "Every choice, no matter how small", is a reference to the butterfly effect, a phrase coined by Edward Lorenz to describe how a small initial change can lead to wide variations in outcome in a chaotic system.

This comic is an example of a {{w|Choose Your Own Adventure}} story.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
:[A transcript will be difficult to create due to the branching nature of the comic.]

There are many options. Not everyone will see the same options. We are trying to capture as many options as possible in the Transcript below. -- '''the order and options has changed since the transcripter captured the dialogue'''....The dialogue is likely based on click-through rates and hence will change over time based on which choices are clicked most using {{w|A/B_testing|A/B measurement techniques..}}

'''First Pane:'''([http://xkcd.com/1350/#p:be7a3304-b685-11e3-8001-94de80a03a29 permalink])
* Refresh... No New Email... Refresh .. No New Tweets... Refresh...
* These Stupid Tiles... I'll Just Play One More Game
* Oh. Hey. There's Some Kind Of Political Thing Going On.
* Let's See If BSD Is Any Easier to Install Nowadays

'''Second Pane: Stupid Tiles Branch'''<br>
Option 1: ([http://xkcd.com/1350/#p:79f036ac-b9a0-11e3-9003-94de80a03a39 permalink])
* There's something weird on the lawn
* I heard Home Depot has 1024 bathroom tiles
* There's a dinosaur at the door
* I think I saw a "4096 tile outside somewhere.

'''Second Pane: Refresh Branch'''<br>
Option 1: ([http://xkcd.com/1350/#p:6479d184-b9a0-11e3-b947-94de80a03a39 permalink])
* So you're still refusing to use Facebook?
* Wanna build a snowman?
* Hey. I hear Godot is in town. Wanna try to meet him?
* You know. Your car's on fire.

'''Second Pane: Political Thing Branch'''<br>
The laptop says: "...and let's go live to the debate."
* Continue

'''Second Pane: BSD Branch'''<br>
The character has ?? next to his head to signify confusion.
* Continue

* Now I just need to look up what a "beard error" is...
: The character has ??? next to his head to signify confusion. [[Hairy]] walks in. (continue)
: Hairy is on the other side of the desk with his own laptop computer. Both the computers are connected through Ethernet cable. The two characters are typing on the computer. (continue)
: The two stop typing. Hairy has ??? next to his head. (continue)
: Hairy had stepped back while the character is checking on Hairy's laptop computer. The character is holding something rectangular. Hairy is speaking.
:* The USB cable appears to be mono-directional.
:* Kernel mites?
:* I'm not sure rubbing butter on it will help
:: Hairy and the character are handling their computers more aggressively. The Character says "ARGH"
:: They both stop. The character walks away, his chair turned 180 degrees.
:: Pushing aside the chair, the character returns with a fiery blowtorch while wearing goggles. Hairy, holding up a finger, says "Um."
:: The character's computer was so burned, not only steam is coming out of the computer, but even the desk is noticeably burnt. The cable (apparently also burned) hangs from Hairy's laptop computer. The used blowtorch is clumsily laid sideways be the side of the desk. Both the character (whose goggles are pushed off his eye) and Hairy are looking at the calamity. The chair is almost out of view.
:: The goggles are on the floor while the chair is nowhere to be seen. Hairy and the character are walking away from the scene. Hairy is speaking.
:: * Are you all of a sudden in the mood for Thai food?
:: * Let's try OpenBSD next time...
::: The panel is of a panned view. Hairy and the character are walking on a path away from a house.
::: The panel is back to a "normal camera view". Hairy and the character are speaking.
::: * Guess not
::: * Let's go exploring!
::: * Okay then
:: * Let's try Linux next time...
:* Yep. It's haunted.
* Why is Python importing Skynet?
* Wait. What's on this other partition?
: The character has ??? next to his head to signify confusion. [[Hairy]] walks in. (continue)
: Hairy is on the other side of the desk with his own laptop computer. Both the computers are connected through Ethernet cable. The two characters are typing on the computer. (continue)
: The two stop typing. Hairy has ??? next to his head. (continue)
: Hairy had stepped back while the character is checking on Hairy's laptop computer. The character is holding something rectangular. Hairy is speaking.
:* Maybe if you cross connect the serial port to video port you'll be able to send the video directly in as an input for the password
:: The character and Hairy are at sea, both emitting ripples. A shark's fin can be seen close to Hairy.
::* It worked fine for the shark
::* We're definitely getting closer though
::* That didn't work!
:* What's a segfault?
:* I think the cameras need to face each other.
:* I'm not sure spaghetti works as a USB cable...

* My keyboard has to support SSH over USB?

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]
[[Category:April fool's comics]]

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1350: Lorenz