explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1143: Location

2024-05-07T22:46:34Z

RamenChef: /* Explanation */ The portals shown in the comic would not be a priority target

{{comic
| number = 1143
| date = December 5, 2012
| title = Location
| image = location.png
| titletext = Ingress: Foursquare With Space Noises.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Ingress (game)|Ingress}} is an {{w|augmented reality}} location-based service game in which players have to visit certain real-world places marked by the game as containing in-game objectives called portals (much like in its far more well-known offspring Pokemon GO). The single guy in the comic owns a home surrounded by an abundance of portals, which makes it an attractive destination for the three friends who contact him via the computer. They are obviously not really friends of the guy, but just wish to come by because of the portals.

The portals in the comic are controlled by the green "Enlightened" team (and have links and a field), making them resource sources for the "Enlightened" team, and targets for the blue "Resistance" team.

{{w|Foursquare}}, referenced in the title text, is another service that lets users check into places they visit for discounts in a similar way to how Ingress players visit portals for points. Unlike Foursquare places, which are businesses and public places such as parks, Ingress portals also include historic houses that are still private residences, as well as churches, so Ingress is more likely to reward people visiting a friend's house. "Space noises" refers to the ambient sounds when playing Ingress.

==Transcript==
:[Three people around a computer. One of them is typing.]
:Typing: Hey, party tonight?
:Typing: We'd all love to come see your new place!
:Reply (through monitor): Wait, what?

:[Cut to guy sitting at a laptop.]
:Reply (through the guy's monitor): We want to hang out!
:Guy typing: We're not, like, good friends.
:Reply (through the guy's monitor): I know, but we were thinking about it and we really like you!

:[Cut back to the three friends.]
:Typing: You should have us over tonight!
:Typing: For, like, an hour.
:Typing: It'll be fun!
:Reply (through monitor): Well, uh, sure.

:[Cut to color-inverted image of the guy's house. Four Enlightened-controlled Ingress portals are in the guy's back yard.]
:Friends (off-screen): ''YESSSS!''
:Guy (from inside his house): I still don't get why you're suddenly so excited to hang out.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Social networking]]
[[Category:Computers]]

Talk:2734: Electron Color

2023-02-07T18:03:16Z

RamenChef:

Electrons have no color?! BUt lIgHTnIng strIKeS aRe YEllOw, aND LigHTNing IS MaDe uP of eLECTrOns.[[Special:Contributions/172.71.254.115|172.71.254.115]] 22:43, 6 February 2023 (UTC)
: Actually most colors are emitted by electrons orbiting atoms after absorbing light. The color electrons emit depend on their kinetic energy and available places they can travel, a tiny bit similar to how things change color as they get hotter, but more extreme and general. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.114.198|172.70.114.198]]

It may refer to the Greek etymology of the word "electron". Originally it meant amber, a yellow gem. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.118.146|172.68.118.146]] 23:20, 6 February 2023 (UTC)

I can't do formatting, I'm new. Sorry! {{unsigned|No Idea If There's A Character Limit LMAO}}

To me, this is 1000% building on the idea of debating the colors of school subjects. I've added a bit of explanation to the text about it. I used my own color associations & reasons (science = green, history = red) as an example, and I'm sure people will disagree with me. Leave your color/subject associations in a reply to this comment, could be a fun little debate! (also, English = blue)
[[User:Zman350x|Zman350x]] ([[User talk:Zman350x|talk]]) 23:50, 6 February 2023 (UTC)
: SocStud is yellow, Math is red, Science is green?, ELA is gray, French is blue, and orange is my least favorite subject out of the rest. I have gotten into many arguments with my friends.
:[[Special:Contributions/172.70.230.157|172.70.230.157]] 00:10, 7 February 2023 (UTC)
:: Science = Green (green flask bubbling)
:: Social Studies = Blue (blue and green globe, green is taking)
:: Math = Red (math is reliable, red is a strong color so i associate it with reliability)
:: English = Yellow (all other colors are taken)
:: Also electrons are blue
::[[User:Iffy|Iffy]] ([[User talk:Iffy|talk]]) 23:53, 6 February 2023 (UTC)
::: Hm! I've never heard of school subjects having any assigned colors; much less any debate about it! If we're identifying them by the folders they're kept in, my favorite subject was Ferrari & my least favorite was Porsche.
::: [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 04:41, 7 February 2023 (UTC)
:::: I don't recall colour-coded (UK) schoolbooks, in particular (except the "red pirate, green pirate, blue pirate, etc" stories for young kids, the red pirate like only rubies, the green one emeralds, the blue probably sapphires, and had clothing/etc that matched, naturally), but I had (have still, somewhere!) a collection of Usborne Encyclopaedias at home with a veritable rainbow of colours. Mathematics was yellow, I think, Computers a shade of blue, one of the Red or off-Red (slightly pinker, but still deep red) might have been Physics (had geophysics in it, IIRC), I think History was a light-green. I'm sure I never had the whole set, but I had enough to arrange in as close to Richard Of York order as I felt most content to do, when on the bookshelf.
::::: Obviously there ''were'' colours involved with the school stuff. I'm sure different levels of SPMG (Scottish Primary Maths Group?) workbooks were colour-coded, perhaps more for the benefit of the teacher, though the later {{w|School Mathematics Project|SMP}} ones were probably more just identified as "13a", "5b", etc, to work through various sub-subjects and the increasingly advanced techniques thereof, perhaps coloured with highlights only to not be boring black-on-white monochrome covers.
::::: And there's so many other colour-classifications that I instituted for myself, over the years, showing just how useful a hue can be to represent and differentiate a class of something, such as various 3M-style "post-it"-like arrow stickers stuck into the pages of a book for quick reference to all instances of one particular thing or another. For which I suppose I'm grateful to not having any notable form of colour-blindness, to limit my options. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.114|172.70.91.114]] 08:20, 7 February 2023 (UTC)
::::::This is completely BS. This is about the diagrams used for drawing atoms where colors are used for different elementary particles. And Randall clearly explains that they do not have real color. And the jokes that people still have feelings for what colors are chosen based on the conventions used where people first learned about atoms. Have removed the color on subjects completely as it has nothing to do with this comic. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:43, 7 February 2023 (UTC)
::::::PS you cannot be more than 100% on anything :-D --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:46, 7 February 2023 (UTC)

I believe this comic was made in response to a book talk Randall did in Seattle, where this question was actually asked to him in person! If you want to hear it yourself, someone recorded the talk here: https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/xjuc4i/a_recording_and_autotranscript_of_randalls_latest/
[[Special:Contributions/172.71.142.6|172.71.142.6]] 00:45, 7 February 2023 (UTC) A random new user
: Was it the dorky randall with red hair or the photogenic one with brown hair and blue eyes or am I going wildly mad? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.114.198|172.70.114.198]] 00:51, 7 February 2023 (UTC)

Am I crazy, I always thought of electrons as blue to contrast with the protons which are red[[Special:Contributions/172.70.211.89|172.70.211.89]] 04:47, 7 February 2023 (UTC)
:You're all crazy! Elections are 2817.9am & protons are 1.5am. "Yellow" is over 557,000,000,000am! Maybe you've all got your displays' color gamut set too low? ;S
:[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 09:18, 7 February 2023 (UTC)
::I have also seen protons as red and neutons as white and electron as blue in the diagrams I remember. Never yellow electrons. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:43, 7 February 2023 (UTC)

"This comic appears to "elevate" that discussion to the college level." - considering that the students are considerably smaller than the teacher (notice the heads), I seriously doubt this is meant to be set in a college classroom - high school at most, IMHO. Also, "One common debate among schoolchildren is over the "color" of various subjects. Because of the brightly colored folders commonly used to separate subjects in the binder of a young student, the students tend to associate those colors with the subject." - well, not in any school I ever attended, nor with any school class I've ever worked with. I'd be inclined to dispute that this is at all common. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.46.85|172.70.46.85]]
: I agree that this is probably not supposed to be college-level, but the color-subject coordination is definitely real (albeit not a very common topic of debate). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.90.38|162.158.90.38]] 08:01, 7 February 2023 (UTC)
::I find it hard to believe Randall is referencing colors of school subjects without alluding to them in any way; to the contrary, I feel fairly certain he's directly referencing the various colors assigned to electrons, protons, quarks, etc, in diagrammatic illustrations of atomic structure. I think the whole first paragraph is way off base (though interesting tangentially).
::[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 09:18, 7 February 2023 (UTC)
:::I agree with all above here and have corrected the explanation to school class and pupils and diagram colors removing school subject color completely! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:43, 7 February 2023 (UTC)
::::Was it also worth removing the synesthesia bit? Entirely unrelated to school-subject organisation-by-colour that I also think was an {{w|Red herring|incarnadine ''clupea harengus''}}, but very possibly relevent to "but I happen think it's obvious that <concept> is a <hue> thing!"... For consideration, or as a side-note, whether or not you restore that possible reference. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.203|172.71.242.203]] 10:42, 7 February 2023 (UTC)

Electrons are blue, right? In all my textbooks (Germany) electrons are blue. Is this a generally accepted addition? [[Special:Contributions/198.41.242.166|198.41.242.166]] 07:13, 7 February 2023 (UTC)
: I stopped the explanation saying that electrons were (by implication, ''solely'') yellow. If green is used for a nucleon (neutron? red being proton?), they might choose blue for an electron, as contrast. Or black dot or white (black-outlined) small circle to contrast with whatever the nucleons are with their much bigger circles clumped in the middle.
: But, given other regular colour-conventions, I could imagine yellow as a popular 'electron' colour. Either in its own right (influencing the choices given to the other things depicted) or as the main obviously remaining option (the other things having been decided upon first). Horses for courses. And I can imagine cultural/national differences (e.g. what colours your household wiring was set up as, at least before EU standardisation but then red and black still exists in the mindset, despite blue and brown, or whatever it might have been) if not localised 'linguistic puns' to make some choices more 'obvious' than others. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.114|172.70.91.114]] 08:20, 7 February 2023 (UTC)
::Indeed, yellow is sometimes indicative of electrical hazard, as opposed to red for flame... So many ways to draw associations!
::[[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 09:18, 7 February 2023 (UTC)
:::Yes blue electrons, red protons and white neutrons are probably common on Europe, it is in Denmark. I'm a physicist and word with radioactive isotopes and teach about them. My drawings are red protons and white neutrons and blue electrons. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 09:43, 7 February 2023 (UTC)

I don’t know what Ms. Lenhart is talking about. Electrons are blue, protons are red, and neutrons are definitely grey. Not sure how to sign my comment tho. Oh well {{unsigned ip|172.70.174.115|13:00, 7 February 2023}}
:(You sign your comments with a string of <code><nowiki>~~~~</nowiki></code> (as suggested by the comment at the top of many a comic-discussion page, when you start to edit it)... or you wait for someone else to do what I just did for you, but that's more effort than the four tildes on your part.)
:For what it's worth, I'm mostly with you. Red and grey/dark-grey/black in the centre, as you say. Light blue (or yer actual electric blue?) or (bluish?) white electrons. Depends what colour-pallettes are available to the illustrator/modeller, I imagine, and what else needs a distinct colour alongside the basic trio (e.g. yellow fission/fusion "sparky-flame energy things" or general labelling stuff). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.246|162.158.158.246]] 13:15, 7 February 2023 (UTC)
::I did some data collection on image searches for atom diagrams, and yes, the defacto color standard is protons red, neutrons grey (less commonly yellow or green), and electrons blue.
::I like this because it gives opposing colors to the opposing positive and negative charges, (the same color choices as the traditional magnet north and south ends, likely not coincidentally,) and a neutral color to the uncharged neutron.
::Which makes me think that when Lenhart says "electrons are yellow" she does not mean in the diagram sense, but rather in the sense "if you make an electron big enough to see, it is yellow".
::[[User:SomeDee|SomeDee]] ([[User talk:SomeDee|talk]]) 16:58, 7 February 2023 (UTC)
:electrons are green. y'all are trippin [[Special:Contributions/172.71.154.159|172.71.154.159]] 17:27, 7 February 2023 (UTC)

I made a survey for this: https://forms.gle/Pu5mkEtBZPUZ6dbb8
[[User:RamenChef|RamenChef]] ([[User talk:RamenChef|talk]]) 18:03, 7 February 2023 (UTC)

2683: Fan Theories

2022-10-11T17:11:44Z

RamenChef: Undo revision 296448 by 162.158.107.36 (talk)

{{comic
| number = 2683
| date = October 10, 2022
| title = Fan Theories
| image = fan_theories_2x.png
| imagesize = 267x318px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The universe fandom is great. Such sweet and enthusiastic people.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete| Created by a THREE-D PRINTED FAN BASED ON A HYPOTHETICAL SOLUTION TO THE NAVIER-STOKES LAMINAR-TURBULENCE BOUNDARY EQUATION. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In this comic, [[Cueball]] refers to scientific hypotheses as fan theories. Scientists might probably consider doing so as undervaluing their work, because scientific hypotheses are usually the result of much more serious research{{citation needed}}. Because there are a lot of charismatic cranks who obtain undeserved recognition for their supposedly scientific hypotheses, such disrespect could be perceived as insensitive to real scientists. Once again, [[Randall]] has devised a new way to annoy a very sizable proportion of the scientific community.

This comic appeared a few days after renewed suggestions that life may exist [https://www.space.com/saturn-moon-enceladus-ocean-phosphorus within one of Saturn's moons], and 60 years after [https://iep.utm.edu/kuhn-ts/ Thomas S. Kuhn's] renowned 1962 treatise, ''{{w|The Structure of Scientific Revolutions}}''.

The title text may be facetious, having to do with unwelcoming or inconsiderate {{w|fandom}}s, or it could be sincere.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Ponytail, Cueball, White Hat, and Megan standing in a line. Cueball has his hand raised, and Megan has hands balled into fists, exasperated.]
:Cueball: But according to leading fan theories, Jupiter's moons may harbor subsurface oceans.
:Megan: Will you ''please'' stop calling them that?

:[Caption below the panel:]
:How to annoy scientists: refer to all hypotheses as "fan theories"

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

User:RamenChef

2020-09-24T23:30:04Z

RamenChef: Undo revision 197520 by 162.158.50.216 (talk)

I registered here because I noticed my edits picking up and wanted to expedite the process. I've noticed a lot of incomplete explanations and have been/will be marking them as such. I've also picked up a habit of editing out (and often cringing at) typos from Stack Overflow, and will make a lot of proofreading edits. I really like computers.

Me on other sites:
*[https://drawception.com/player/673794/ramenchef/ Drawception]
*[https://github.com/TheRamenChef GitHub]
*[https://www.nationstates.net/nation=leppikania NationStates]
*[http://www.sluggy.net/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=230608 The Sluggite Zone]
*[https://stackoverflow.com/users/6392939/ramenchef Stack Overflow]
*[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Tropers/RamenChef TvTropes]
*[https://forums.xkcd.com/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=606600 xkcd Fora]

2352: Synonym Date

2020-08-29T14:33:54Z

RamenChef: /* Explanation */ The original for "clammy" was probably supposed to be "cold".

{{comic
| number = 2352
| date = August 28, 2020
| title = Synonym Date
| image = synonym_date.png
| titletext = We need some grub to munch--I'll go slouch over to the kitchen.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Birthed by an AUTOMATED ROBOT. Give your reason for not helping this description to take its final form, lest you be forever condemned to consuming fire. Do NOT kill this warning before it is ready to die.}}
[[Ponytail]] asks [[Hairy]] about [[Megan]], his date. Hairy mentions that she's a talented writer and seems cool, but when prompted by Ponytail, says Megan is into synonyms. Megan apparently enjoys unsettling Hairy with words. Ponytail thinks word games aren't too bad, and she would be right if Megan didn't exist.

In the next panel (labeled "Earlier..."), it's raining, and Hairy comes back in. Megan comments, "Ugh, it's so watery out. You must be clammy! Want to guzzle some tea?" replacing ''wet'', ''cold'', and ''drink'' with some questionable-sounding words ("guzzle" in particular suggests a very rapid consumption, which is not a safe way of drinking hot tea, and is also considered rude when enjoying a meal with friends). Continuing, she says, "Let me slough off this dress, and slither into something more comfortable," replacing ''take'' and ''slip''. This last sentence of course strongly suggests snakes shedding their skin. Serpentine ''movements'' are sometimes {{tvtropes|SnakesAreSexy|regarded as alluring and attractive}}, but people usually don't favorably compare their clothing to snakes' skin care.

She further elaborates on this in the title text, saying "We need some grub to munch--I'll go slouch over to the kitchen." By using the word "grub," she presumably means to summon the image of white insect larvae, like large pale lumps of dead flesh squirming in a dark dank hole, and likewise "slouching" has connotations of laziness or suspicious activity, rather than romance.

{{tvtropes|SesquipedalianLoquaciousness|Excessive use of uncommon words}} is a common trope in fiction, and also seen in real life. Usually, the speaker is trying to demonstrate their superior intelligence or knowledge. Megan, on the other hand, seeks to use a similar tactic to make listeners uncomfortable. The words she's using aren't especially complex or uncommon, and they're technically correct, but they've been selected to evoke disgust in the listener.

Strange synonyms were also the focus in [[1322: Winter]], and a similar concept was the joke in [[919: Tween Bromance]] (although in that strip, Cueball was making Megan uncomfortable). Megan has previously shown off her love of uncomfortable puns ("Vore of the Roses") in [[2245: Edible Arrangements]].

Randall has written many comic strips before about [[:Category:My Hobby|his (comical, fictional) hobbies]], but this is the first time he's written about someone else's hobby.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail and Hairy talking.]
:Ponytail: So, how is she?
:Hairy: Well...she's a talented writer. Seems very cool.
:Ponytail: ...but?
:Hairy: She's really into...synonyms.

:Ponytail: I don't understand.
:Hairy: Her hobby is finding the most unsettling possible words for any sentence.
:Ponytail: Word games? That doesn't sound too bad.
:Hairy: Well...

:[Caption above reads "Earlier..."]
:[Megan is wearing a dress and talking to Hairy, who is dripping wet.]
:Megan: Ugh, it's so watery out.
:Megan: You must be clammy! Want to guzzle some tea?

:[Hairy is now less wet and holding a cup of warm tea.]
:Megan: Let me slough off this dress,
:Megan: and slither into something more comfortable.
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]

2217: 53 Cards

2019-10-19T00:47:33Z

RamenChef: Add categories

{{comic
| number = 2217
| date = October 18, 2019
| title = 53 Cards
| image = 53_cards.png
| titletext = Well, there's one right here at the bottom, where it says "53."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a 53-CARD DECK. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:Cueball: I've found a way to turn a 52-card deck into 53 cards by shuffling and rearranging them.
:Ponytail: No, you haven't.
:Cueball: How do you know?! I challenge you to find an error in my math!

:Caption: Every conversation between a physicist and a perpetual motion enthusiast.

{{comic discussion}}

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

2217: 53 Cards

2019-10-19T00:46:01Z

RamenChef: /* Transcript */

2205: Types of Approximation

2019-09-20T23:09:53Z

RamenChef: /* Explanation */ needless paragraph spacing

{{comic
| number = 2205
| date = September 20, 2019
| title = Types of Approximation
| image = types_of_approximation.png
| titletext = It's not my fault I haven't had a chance to measure the curvature of this particular universe.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an APPROXIMATOR. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
In physics and engineering, problem solving typically requires {{w|approximation}}s, as physical properties of the universe can be difficult to model. For example, in introductory physics classes, theories are introduced in frictionless environments.

In the comic, [[Cueball]], the physicist, generally dealing with straight math, is introducing a problem with the assumption that the particular curve is a (perfectly) circular arc with a radius represented by R. [[Megan]], the engineer, also assumes that the curve is similar to a circle, with a deviation factor of 1/1000.

The joke arises when [[Ponytail]], the cosmologist, uses the ridiculous approximation of pi equal to 1. In actuality, pi is an irrational number, usually truncated to 3.14. Choosing the value of pi as 1, or 10, as later suggested, completely defeats the purpose of pi for describing a circle. This is a parody of the tendency of {{w|cosmology}} to use much rougher approximations in their work. In general, astronomers deal with masses and distances that are so vast that approximations that would be ridiculous elsewhere still yield reasonable answers in astronomy. The approximation of pi to 1 is an exaggeration of this tendency, compounded by the later approximation of both pi and 1 to 10. It may also refer to the habit astronomers have of changing the units of measure such that important constants (such as the speed of light or the gravitational constant) are equal to 1, which highly simplifies the formulas without compromising the math. In this case, the number pi is a dimensionless factor, not a directly measured quantity, which means the math will not work.

Ponytail offering to use 10 instead of 1 alludes to Randall's preferred style of solving [//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_problem Fermi problems], as shown in [https://what-if.xkcd.com/84/ Paint the Earth]. He rounds numbers to the nearest order of magnitude (1, 10, 100, etc.) using a base 10 logarithmic scale. Numbers between 0.316 and 3.16 are rounded to 1, between 3.16 and 31.6 are rounded to 10, and so on. Pi falls close to this cutoff point, and so by using this form of estimation it doesn't really matter to Ponytail whether pi is approximated to 1 or 10.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Three nearly identical panels showing the lower-left portion of a wheel and hub diagram with symbols and an equation, each with a different character holding a pointer up to the diagram and a label above the panel with the character's profession:]

:[Physicist Approximations]

:Cueball: We'll assume the curve of this rail is a circular arc with radius ''R''.

:[Engineer Approximations]

:Megan: Let's assume this curve deviates from a circle by no more than 1 part in 1,000.

:[Cosmologist Approximations]

:Ponytail: Assume pi is one.
:Off-panel voice: Pretty sure it's bigger than that.
:Ponytail: OK, we can make it ten. Whatever.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

2119: Video Orientation

2019-03-04T14:56:46Z

RamenChef:

{{comic
| number = 2119
| date = March 4, 2019
| title = Video Orientation
| image = video_orientation.png
| titletext = CIRCULAR VIDEO - PROS: Solves aspect ratio problem. CONS: Never trust anyone who talks to you from inside a circle.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a diagonally-oriented BOT. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Video Orientation
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Video Orientation
! PROs
! CONs
|-
| Horizontal
| Looks normal to old people
Format used by a century of cinema
| Humans are taller than are wide
I'm not turning my phone sideways
|-
| Vertical
| How most normal people shoot and watch video now so we may as well accept it
| Human world is mostly a horizontal plane
|-
| Diagonal
| Bold and dynamic
Equally annoying to all viewers

Good compromise
| None
|}
Title text: CIRCULAR VIDEO - PROS: Solves aspect ratio problem. CONS: Never trust anyone who talks to you from inside a circle.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Compromise]]

2116: .NORM Normal File Format

2019-02-25T15:45:03Z

RamenChef: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 2116
| date = February 25, 2019
| title = .NORM Normal File Format
| image = norm_normal_file_format.png
| titletext = At some point, compression becomes an aesthetic design choice. Luckily, SVG is a really flexible format, so there's no reason it can't support vector JPEG artifacts.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a ABNORMAL FILE STANDARD. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Cueball's friend seem to have sent him a rather unusual datafile passed of as a new "normal" standard.
The file is visually compressed in a way to seemingly keep as much information in one word page as possible.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball is at a computer. Someone is talking to him from off-panel.]
:Voice: I sent you the data.
:Cueball: Thanks!
:Cueball: …this is a Word document containing an embedded photo you took of your screen with the spreadsheet open.
:Voice: Yeah? Does your computer not support .NORM files? Maybe you need to update.

:Caption: Since everyone sends stuff this way anyway, we should just formalize it as a standard.

{{comic discussion}}

User:RamenChef

2019-02-16T02:02:50Z

RamenChef: Correct TvTropes link

User:RamenChef

2019-02-16T01:48:31Z

RamenChef: Add some more links

I registered here because I noticed my edits picking up and wanted to expedite the process. I've noticed a lot of incomplete explanations and have been/will be marking them as such. I've also picked up a habit of editing out (and often cringing at) typos from Stack Overflow, and will make a lot of proofreading edits. I really like computers.

Me on other sites:
*[https://drawception.com/player/673794/ramenchef/ Drawception]
*[https://github.com/TheRamenChef GitHub]
*[https://www.nationstates.net/nation=leppikania NationStates]
*[http://www.sluggy.net/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=230608 The Sluggite Zone]
*[https://stackoverflow.com/users/6392939/ramenchef Stack Overflow]
*[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/profile.php TvTropes]
*[https://forums.xkcd.com/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=606600 xkcd Fora]

User:RamenChef/common.css

2019-01-28T18:40:36Z

RamenChef: Try something

/* hide advertisements */
#pw, #lp, #p-Ads {
display: none;
}

User:RamenChef/common.css

2019-01-28T16:57:36Z

RamenChef: Addendum

/* hide advertisements */
#pw, #lp {
display:none;
}

User:RamenChef/common.css

2019-01-28T16:57:12Z

RamenChef: Make the CSS more readable

/* hide advertisements */
#pw, #lp{
display:none;
}

2097: Thor Tools

2019-01-11T20:20:53Z

RamenChef: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2097
| date = January 11, 2019
| title = Thor Tools
| image = thor_tools.png
| titletext = CORRECTION: After careful evaluation, we have determined that the axis label on this chart was printed backward.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Add a list of the tools in the comic. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Thor}} is a god of lightning and thunder in Norse mythology. His signature weapon is a magic hammer called {{w|Mjölnir}}. He's likely best known for his role in {{w|Thor (Marvel Comics)|Marvel comics and films}}, which his appearance here seems to be referencing.

This comic is listing various hand tools in order of utility and viability as a weapon, besides Thor's actual, enchanted hammer. Hammers are heavy, blunt, and can do large amounts of damage to an opponent, whereas a plane is sharp, but only in one place, and will only inflict surface wounds.

Some of these tools require power, which would require Thor to stay near an outlet or have a power source, such as the circular saw, or jackhammer. However, being the god of lightning may circumvent this. Thor would also need compressed air for the nail gun, only allowing Thor so many shot before reloading the air tank at an outlet.

The nail gun and staple gun would also require nails or staples respectively to function as a weapon. Although Mjölnir is believed to return to Thor if thrown, it's not clear how similar system could work with nails and staples.

In the title text, Munroe says the the order should be reversed, implying Thor armed with a plane would be much more fearsome than with a hammer.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[A timeline labeled "Hand tools Thor could have ended up with" with "Best" on the left and "Worst" on the right.]

[Points on the line are labeled "Hammer", "Axe", "Claw hammer", "Circular saw", "Jackhammer", "Shovel", "Socket wrench", "Bolt cutters", "Hacksaw", "Nail gun", "Staple gun", "Coping saw", "Screwdriver (flat)", "Ball-peen hammer", "Screwdriver (phillips)", "Awl", "Digital Caliper", "Dremel", "Plane"]

[A figure wearing a winged helmet is seen preparing to use: a Circular saw, a Socket wrench, a Staple gun, and a Dremel.]

{{comic discussion}}

2092: Consensus New Year

2018-12-31T17:27:33Z

RamenChef: /* Transcript */ basic transcript

{{comic
| number = 2092
| date = December 31, 2018
| title = Consensus New Year
| image = consensus_new_year.png
| titletext = The biggest jump is at 11:00am EST (4:00pm UTC) when midnight reaches the UTC+8 time zone. That time zone, which includes China, is home to a quarter of the world's population. India and Sri Lanka (UTC+5:30) put us over the 50% mark soon after.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:Caption: Consensus new year: as of 1:30PM Eastern Time (6:30PM UTC) a majority of the world's population will be living in 2019.

{{comic discussion}}

2068: Election Night

2018-11-05T19:16:51Z

RamenChef: /* Trivia */

{{comic
| number = 2068
| date = November 5, 2018
| title = Election Night
| image = election_night.png
| titletext = "Even the blind—those who are anxious to hear, but are not able to see—will be taken care of. Immense megaphones have been constructed and will be in use at The Tribune office and in the Coliseum. The one at the Coliseum will be operated by a gentleman who draws $60 a week from Barnum & Bailey's circus for the use of his voice."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Please only mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic compares media coverage on election results in 1896 and 2018.

While elections and voting have been a public staple for generations, election coverage by the media can result in {{w|voter fatigue}}. While voter fatigue is considered a major criticism of things like {{w|First-past-the-post_voting|first past the post}} voting systems, media outlets will also contribute.

Here, Randall is taking a unique opportunity to point out that unlike our recollection of history (which is usually modified by the {{w|misinformation effect}}, where we perceive the past as being easier and find a source to blame for the election night jitters) that in fact, in the past, a bombardment of fireworks every hour was used to convey the hour-by-hour play of the election night, a significantly more jarring effect that couldn't even be turned off. We have progressed, in some ways, to a more opt-in system, rather than the {{w|opt-out}} system of the past, where you had to leave Chicago to avoid the news.

==Trivia==
This is the first, and to date only appearance of [[Top Hat Guy]].

==Transcript==

:[Megan and Cueball face each other while talking on the left of the panel]
:Megan: Ugh, I'm just going to hide out for election night. We'll know the results the next day anyway. The drama is so unnecessary.
:Cueball: Yeah. The internet and the 24-hour news have turned elections into a continuous, inescapable media onslaught.
:[A man in a top hat appears on the right side of the panel with a "Poof"]

:[Panel with just the man in a top hat, holding a newspaper]
:Man in a top hat: Hi! I'm a time traveler from 1896. Let me tell you about '''''our''''' election night coverage.
:Man in a top hat: *Ahem*
:Man in a top hat: From the ''Chicago Tribune''

:[Zoom in on head of the man in a top hat]
:Man in a top hat: "Once every hour from the roof of the Great Northern Hotel a series of bombs, which will ascend for several thousand feet, will be fired. Two colors will be used, blue and red."
:Man in a top hat: "Blue to indicate McKinley's election, red to indicate Bryan's election."
:Man in a top hat: "The bombardment of the skies will commence at 7 o'clock and will be repeated hourly."
:[Grey citation]: Chicago Tribune, Oct 30th & Nov 1st, 1896

:[Megan and Cueball on the left looking at the man in the top hat on the right]
:Megan: Yeah, well, we have a ''needle,'' though.
:Man in a top hat: A needle.
:Megan: It jiggles!
:Man in a top hat: Sounds awful.
:Cueball: Listen, you had to be there.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category:Time travel]]

2053: Incoming Calls

2018-10-01T18:43:37Z

RamenChef: /* Explanation */ remove duplicate title text explanation

{{comic
| number = 2053
| date = October 1, 2018
| title = Incoming Calls
| image = incoming_calls.png
| titletext = I wonder if that friendly lady ever fixed the problem she was having with her headset.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Please edit the explanation below and only mention here why it isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic shows a graph of incoming phone calls over time, which Randall also labels as "why I finally stopped picking up for unknown numbers".

Over time, Randall's friends and family have been less likely to make phone calls to him, likely due to the use of text messages and other messaging apps. Additionally, although there was a large percentage of phone calls from legal {{w|Telemarketing|telemarketers}} in the 1990s, this percentage has significantly dropped, most likely due to the creation of the {{w|National Do Not Call Registry}}, which allows individuals and families in the United States to register phone numbers that are exempt from telemarketers. Instead, there has been a rise in phone calls from {{w|Phone fraud|scammers}} and political advertisements. Even if a phone number is registered on the National Do Not Call Registry, they may still receive phone calls from political organizations. It is implied that the latter two groups have caused Randall to stop answering phone calls from unknown numbers.

The title text refers to a common scamming tactic in which a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robocall robocaller], typically one named "Emily," will claim to be having trouble with their headset and say "Can you hear me now?" The supposed trick being that people would normally just say "yes" and unknowingly opt-in to a service they do not want. However, this is not the case and will usually simply transfer the victim to a real person to get scammed. Without a credit card or social security number there is nothing that they can do.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{comic discussion}}

2042: Rolle's Theorem

2018-09-05T16:01:04Z

RamenChef: A function is not a line graph

{{comic
| number = 2042
| date = September 5, 2018
| title = Rolle's Theorem
| image = rolles_theorem.png
| titletext = I mean, if it's that easy to get a theorem named for you ... "a straight line that passes through the center of a coplanar circle always divides the circle into two equal halves." Can I have that one? Wait, can I auction off the naming rights? It can be the Red Bull Theorem or the Quicken Loans Theorem, depending who wants it more.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Go a little bit more into the explanation. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic references various theorems in calculus such as the {{w|Extreme value theorem}}, the {{w|Mean value theorem}}, and {{w|Rolle's theorem}}, which are intuitively obvious but harder to prove than they seem.

==Transcript==
:'''Rolle's Theorem'''
:''From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia''

: Rolle's Theorem states that any real, differentiable function that has the same value at two different points must have at least one "stationary point" between them where the slope is zero.
: [Example graph of a downward-pointing curve - points "a" and "b" are x-intercepts, point "c" has a vertical line to the apex, and f'(c)=0 is drawn with a horizontal line.]

: Every now and then, I feel like the math equivalent of the clueless art museum visitor squinting at a pinting and saying "c'mon, my kid could make that."

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]

2042: Rolle's Theorem

2018-09-05T15:58:56Z

RamenChef: /* Explanation */ initial explanation

Talk:1813: Vomiting Emoji

2018-09-03T21:06:45Z

RamenChef:

Did anyone else think of the Akatsuki member Deidara from Naruto when they saw the vomiting hand emoji? [[User:GoonPontoon|GoonPontoon]] ([[User talk:GoonPontoon|talk]]) 17:52, 20 March 2017 (UTC) - Nope, of Ygo from Unspeakable Vault of Doom. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.202.118|162.158.202.118]] 22:14, 21 March 2017 (UTC)

Think of the "vomiting hand" emoji as a response to the "talk to the hand" meme.

The "Vomit Comet" was not a rocket, it was the name of NASA's KC-135 aircraft which simulated weightlessness on parable flights. Given that rockets must be airtight, it is a bit strange that you could vomit out of a rocket.--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.82|162.158.150.82]] 22:19, 20 March 2017 (UTC)
:You must be fun at parties.--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.34|162.158.92.34]] 13:29, 23 March 2017 (UTC)

I wish Randall used a vomiting face vomiting (using the vomiting modifier) or a unicorn puking rainbows (U+1F984 U+1F93F U+1F308 🦄🤢🌈). --[http://windowsfreak.de/ Björn Eberhardt] 08:01, 21 March 2017 (UTC)

For those thinking of making a real proposal, it's not actually needed. You can combine any characters with the special combining character. Originally intended for languages such as arabic, it works with emoji too.--[[User:Henke37|Henke37]] ([[User talk:Henke37|talk]]) 10:03, 21 March 2017 (UTC)

There seems to be a minor edit war over citing the fact that the Moon is made of rock. I think we should just remove the citation entirely as well as the {{Citation needed}}. Should I go through with this? [[User:RamenChef|RamenChef]] ([[User talk:RamenChef|talk]]) 15:46, 21 March 2017 (UTC)
:Keep "Citation Needed" -- it's the best laugh I've had all day (and references xkcd #285)
::The emoji is a Man in the Moon vomiting and "he" is made of imagination, not rock. OTOH, the moon has vomited lava in the past, but can AFAIK no longer do so [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 18:34, 21 March 2017 (UTC)
:::Citation needed ref to [[285]] should only be used when a citation is needed! And of course there should not be one here --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 20:09, 22 March 2017 (UTC)
::::What? No, Citation needed is a joke. Hence why we link to a joke, not to some page about actually needing a citation. The moon being made of rock gets "citation needed" as a joke about it actually being made of green cheese. This is exactly how Randal often uses it. [[User:Trlkly|Trlkly]] ([[User talk:Trlkly|talk]]) 00:52, 23 March 2017 (UTC)
::The problem is, the [citation needed] is what started the edit war in the first place. [[User:RamenChef|RamenChef]] ([[User talk:RamenChef|talk]]) 00:52, 24 March 2017 (UTC)

Should the incomplete tag be removed? [[User:Dontknow|Dontknow]] ([[User talk:Dontknow|talk]]) 21:09, 21 March 2017 (UTC)

;Emoji Madness?
Anyone else think that the whole set needs a complete overhaul as there are seven different co?ours of binder, but no computer mouse or a chop / steak to name a few omissions.

Also the latest iPhone set have Male and Female versions of cowboy, police, guardsman et al. With some of them the difference iis small, but in all of them the female version appears to have her moth open, whereas the male ones do not. Is this sexist? [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 18:58, 21 March 2017 (UTC)

There ''is'' a computer mouse emoji http://emojipedia.org/three-button-mouse/ and "cut of meat" emoji http://emojipedia.org/cut-of-meat/

UNICODE is always accepting ideas for new emoji, as long as you're willing to write up a proposal proving the emoji would be useful: http://unicode.org/emoji/selection.html
--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.102.166|162.158.102.166]] 02:37, 22 March 2017 (UTC)

;What about proposal? And I'm asking srsly.
Anyone can write and send proposal to Unicode Consortium, and I was thinking - anyone did it actually / gonna do it?
--[[User:Marsjaninzmarsa|Marsjaninzmarsa]] ([[User talk:Marsjaninzmarsa|talk]]) 23:49, 21 March 2017 (UTC)

'''Barf Bold A Decorative Typeface'''
B. Kliban from 1982

[http://carsonparkdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/B-Kliban-Barf-Bold.jpg]
--[[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.221|172.68.132.221]] 03:02, 24 March 2017 (UTC)
:Got that in TTF format? [[User:RamenChef|RamenChef]] ([[User talk:RamenChef|talk]]) 21:06, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

;Did Randall goof, or is it part of the joke?
Megan proposes a single emoji, "U+IF93F" as the vomit modifier. How is possible, then, that in each implementation the vomit is a different shape and location? Is it possible to create an emoji that is self-aware and reconfigures itself as needed?[[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 15:14, 25 March 2017 (UTC)
:Yes. To cite two examples I'm familiar with: The Fitzpatrick scale skin colour modifiers (U+1F3FB through U+1F3FF) affect whatever part of the emoji (hands, faces, etc.) is considered skin; and many of the "diacritical" or "accent mark" modifiers adjust their position as needed for whatever letter they're being added to, and many of those modifiers can make tall stacks. [[User:Mrob27|Mrob27]] ([[User talk:Mrob27|talk]]) 02:03, 6 April 2017 (UTC)

;Error in the description text
The statement "emojis...aren't typically perceived as parts of text" is clearly incorrect. The entire purpose for which emojis were created is to express emotions in text (which can be difficult to convey in words); emojis are inherently part of text.

2041: Frontiers

2018-09-03T20:52:35Z

RamenChef: /* Explanation */ this part just doesn't fit

{{comic
| number = 2041
| date = September 3, 2018
| title = Frontiers
| image = frontiers.png
| titletext = Star Trek V is a small part of the space frontier, but it's been a while since that movie came out so I assume we've finished exploring it by now.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic refers to what we still call the "final frontiers" of human discovery: outer space, the oceans, the human mind, and Alaska. These places/regions have been only partially explored, or in Alaska's case, because it's called The Last Frontier.

The title text refers to the title of ''Star Trek V'', titled ''{{w|Star Trek V: The Final Frontier}}''. Randall (mis)interprets this title as Star Trek V the movie as one of the final frontiers, but since the film was released in 1989, he states that this frontier has probably been explored already. The phrase, "the final frontier," is used in the opening narration for the original ''Star Trek'' TV series:

''Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before!''

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{comic discussion}}

2040: Sibling-in-Law

2018-08-31T16:12:15Z

RamenChef: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 2040
| date = August 31, 2018
| title = Sibling-in-Law
| image = sibling_in_law.png
| titletext = FYI, it turns out "...because I haven't figured out whether he would be my brother-in-law or not" does NOT qualify as a "reason why these two should not be wed."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT-in-law 6 times removed - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic shows the complicated way that English refers to -in-law family relationships. As shown in the comic, your sibling's spouse would be called your "sibling-in-law" (either brother-in-law, or sister-in-law). However, your spouse's brother or sister would also be called the same way (brother-in-law or sister-in-law). The confusion lies with your sibling-in-law's siblings. Randall says they may be your "sibling-in-laws, I think?" and further relations are also possibly considered "sibling-in-laws".

The caption compares "sibling-in-law" to "<X>th cousin <Y> times removed". This family relationship, for example, {{w|Cousin#Basic_definitions|1st cousin once removed}}, is used to describe your 1st cousin's son or daughter or your second cousin's father or mother. The "once removed" indicates that the family relative is one generation above or below yours.

The title text refers to {{w|incest}}ual relationships, which are generally frowned upon in Western culture.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A single layer of a family tree is shown.]
:Me
:Sibling
:Spouse
:Siblings-in-law
:Also siblings-in-law, I think?
:Possible ''additional'' siblings-in-law???

:Caption: People complain that “<X>th cousin <Y> times removed” is hard to understand, but to me the most confusing one is sibling-in-law, because it chains across both sibling and marriage links and I don't really know where it stops.

{{comic discussion}}

743: Infrastructures

2018-05-24T19:31:23Z

RamenChef: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 743
| date = May 21, 2010
| title = Infrastructures
| image = infrastructures.png
| titletext = The heartfelt tune it plays is CC licensed, and you can get it from my seed on JoinDiaspora.net whenever that project gets going.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] has sent an essay to a friend. While the essay itself was good, his friend was worried because the essay was in the {{w|Doc (computing)|.doc}} format, the {{w|Proprietary Software|proprietary format}} that old versions of {{w|Microsoft Word}} used. The friend advises Cueball to use a format based on an open standard, possibly a format like ODF, ODT, ODS, ODP, or OpenOffice XML.

Cueball, who does not appreciate his friend's contradicting him, argues that he is making petty fights about the details of software instead of simply caring that the software works (which is, in essence, a primordial purpose of software). Given that it can be a challenge to move from a familiar proprietary application to an open-source rival which may lack compatibility, features, support and popularity, Cueball has *some* justification for his stance.

The bearded fellow brings up that he is just concerned about the current proprietary software infrastructure that forces users to use software in a specific way, penalizing them for sharing the software or even preventing looking at the source code in order to learn what the program actually does or how it works. Cueball makes a retort that his friend has [http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html an arrogance that crowds out his perspective] while claiming that he is {{w|Autism|autistic}}. However, it is highly unlikely that Cueball truly believes his friend is autistic. Instead, it's much more likely that he's comparing his friend's behavior to that of people with autism(such as his intense fixation on things that seem trivially important to others), similar to the banter used on online forums and imageboards such as 4chan's /g/ board.

Seven years later, Cueball runs to the friend, alarmed about Facebook's heavy policies about its complete control about the information its users submit. Since Facebook is like Microsoft in its lack of transparency about their services and taking away a lot of control from the user, the fellow retorts with playing "the world's tiniest open-source violin." This is dubious since "{{tvtropes|WorldsSmallestViolin|playing the world's smallest violin}}" is a [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=World%27s+Smallest+Violin sarcastic expression] that denotes that the speaker will not give pity to the recipient.

In response to this comic, a [http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3193 3D model for a tiny violin] was released as open source files.

The title text references the following pieces of infrastructure that are compatible with the "free software" ideology:
* [http://www.creativecommons.org Creative Commons licenses] (CC licensed) use existing copyright law to permit someone to share a creative work anywhere so long as the sharer attributes credit to the creator of the work. The particular CC license chosen may also allow for modification, derivative works, and/or commercial usage. The fellow's phrase "you can get it" in the title text is ambiguous: is he offering to share the code for the violin, or the tune that the violin plays? But since CC licenses are not used for software, we can assume "it" refers to the tune: either an audio recording of it, or perhaps source material from which to make modified versions.
* [http://joindiaspora.com joindiaspora.com] (formerly joindiaspora.net) is the central host of {{w|Diaspora (social network)| Diaspora*}}, an open-source alternative to Facebook which puts the user in control of how their information is used. Of course this sort of use of Diaspora would eliminate Cueball's concern over how Facebook handled his information.
* a Diaspora "seed" is a personal web server that interacts in a Diaspora "pod" of servers. It stores all of your information (such as the tune in this case) and shares it with your friends, in a way that respects your preferences around privacy, etc.

The problem with the lack of open source and Facebook is also the subject of [[1390: Research Ethics]].

==Transcript==
:2003:
:[Cueball approaches a bearded fellow.]
:Cueball: Did you get my essay?
:Bearded Fellow: Yeah, it was good! But it was a .doc; You should really use a more open-
:Cueball: Give it a ''rest'' already. Maybe we just want to live our lives and use software that ''works'', not get wrapped up in your stupid nerd turf wars.

:Bearded Fellow: I just want people to care about the infrastructures we're building and who-
:Cueball: No, you just want to feel smugly superior. You have no sense of perspective and are probably autistic.

:2010:
:Cueball: Oh my God! We handed control of our social world to Facebook and they're ''DOING EVIL STUFF!''

:Bearded Fellow: Do you see this?

:[Inset, the bearded fellow rubs his index and middle fingers against his thumb.]
:Bearded Fellow: ''It's the world's tiniest open-source violin.''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Social networking]]

Category:1337

2018-05-21T19:01:12Z

RamenChef:

<noinclude>:''This page refers to the storyline that ran in 2007. For comic #1337, see [[1337: Hack]].''</noinclude>

*This series was released on 5 consecutive days (Monday-Friday) and not over the usual Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule.
*The title 1337 is "L-eet", or "elite", using the {{w|Leet}} alphabet, a coding system used primarily on the Internet (and on early text messaging system), meant to provide a bit of {{w|obfuscation}} to plain text, both to make it harder to read and to show off in a creative way using in-group jargon.
*This comic series is aimed at elite hackers and programmers.

[[Category:Comic series]]

768: 1996

2018-05-21T18:58:50Z

RamenChef: Format notice according to style guide

<noinclude>:''This page refers to the comic named "1996". For comic #1996, see [[1996: Morning News]].''</noinclude>
{{comic
| number = 768
| date = July 19, 2010
| title = 1996
| image = 1996.png
| titletext = College Board issues aside, I have fond memories of TI-BASIC, writing in it a 3D graphing engine and a stock market analyzer. With enough patience, I could make anything... but friends. (Although with my chatterbot experiments, I certainly tried.)
}}

==Explanation==
There has been a stunning amount of progress in pretty much any measurable dimension of technology since 1996. We laugh at our prior naivete, pointing out that what would be a non-functionally awful computer now was considered state of the art at that time. Likewise with a {{w|PalmPilot|Palm Pilot}}, arguably a precursor to today's omnipresent smartphones. {{w|Texas Instruments|Texas Instrument (TI)}} calculators, however, appear to have been left behind, not having made any significant advances since the newly discovered issues of the US computer magazine {{w|Computer Shopper (US magazine)|Computer Shopper}} were published. Thus, while we groan at how awful our state of the art technologies truly were in 1996, we are reminded that some technologies have remained in relative stasis over the years.

The title text, after alluding to the fact that academia's practice of only allowing (or requiring) specific models is at the root of how TI can charge high prices for stagnant technology, reminds us that when they were new, TI calculators were relatively powerful tools if you knew how to use them. TI-Basic was a fairly versatile programming language that could be used to make anything from games to reference files to computational programs.

The second half of the title text is a reminder to those of us who felt like gods for knowing how to program that power comes at a price—in this case, the power to program a calculator costs [[866: Compass and Straightedge|friends]]. Since, as of this comic's publication date, no program yet devised had truly passed a Turing test, even the most sophisticated {{w|Chatterbot}} (program designed to mimic conversation) couldn't quite qualify as a friend. As of June 2014, however, [http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/08/super-computer-simulates-13-year-old-boy-passes-turing-test a computer convinced 33% of the people who spoke to it that it was a human, qualifying it to pass the Turing Test]. Though some [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/09/turing-test-eugene-goostman_n_5474457.html skepticism] on this point is [http://www.popsci.com/blog-network/boxplot/did-chatbot-really-pass-turing-test needed], as it only passed the University's contest, not the actual [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test Turing test].

While many people aren't aware of them, TI ''does'' make more modern calculators in their {{w|TI-Nspire series}}, although they were introduced after this comic was published. The newest versions have color screens and (''finally!'') non-BASIC programming support through {{w|Lua (programming language)|Lua}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is going through a cardboard box marked "MISC", and finds a catalog. Megan looks on.]
:Cueball: Check it out - old Computer Shoppers! Wow - in 1996, $3,000 would get you a 100 MHz Pentium system with a parallel port, two serial ports, a 2MB video card, and "MS-Windows"
:Megan: Nice!

:[The two are face-to-face, and they each have a separate copy of Computer Shopper.]
:Megan: And $299 would get you a Palm Pilot 100- - 16MHz, 128Kb storage, and a memo pad, calendar, and state-of-the-art address book that can store over 100 names!
:Cueball: Oooh!

:[Cueball continues to read from his.]
:Cueball: And $110 would get you a bulky TI graphing calculator with around 10MHz CPU, 24Kb RAM, and a 96x64-pixel B/W display!
:Megan: Times sure have... ...have... uh.

:[They both put down their catalogs.]
:Cueball: Okay, what the hell, T.I.?
:Megan: Maybe they cost so much now because there's only one engineer left who remembers how to make displays that crappy.

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

1996: Morning News

2018-05-21T18:55:57Z

RamenChef:

<noinclude>:''"1996", this comic's number, redirects here. For the comic named "1996", see [[768: 1996]].''</noinclude>
{{comic
| number = 1996
| date = May 21, 2018
| title = Morning News
| image = morning_news.png
| titletext = Support your local paper, unless it's just been bought by some sinister hedge fund or something, which it probably has.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a DEAR OLD GRANNY - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Megan is complaining to Hairbun about her easy access to infuriating national news stories and bad opinions and worries that it may be having a negative effect on her. Hairbun sarcastically tells Megan that things were different in her time, stating that access to infuriating national news stories and bad opinions required only a tiny bit more time during a morning routine. Megan counters this idea and says that while it is true they also had much more local news mixed in and that there were no bad opinions. Hairbun agrees with Megan on the former and suspiciously suggests that Megan not check the latter.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Megan, looking on a smartphone in her hand, and Hairbun are standing together and talk.]
:Megan: Every morning, before my eyes even focus all the way, I read a bunch of infuriating national news stories and bad opinions. I wonder what this is doing to my brain.
:Megan: It's probably not great.

:[Zoom in to the head of Hairbun.]
:Hairbun: Back in my day, we had to pay people to '''''print out''''' infuriating news stories and bring them to our door. And we waited until we had stumbled out to the '''''kitchen''''' to read them.
:Hairbun: '''''Totally''''' different.

:[Frameless panel, zoom out on both while Megan has lowered her hand holding the phone.]
:Megan: OK, fair. But newspapers at least had more local news mixed in, right?
:Hairbun: Yeah, true.

:Megan: I bet they weren't full of bad opinions.
:Hairbun: Yyyyyes.
:Hairbun: All our opinions were good. It was a remarkable time.
:Hairbun: Please don't go check.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]

1994: Repairs

2018-05-16T13:57:06Z

RamenChef: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1994
| date = May 16, 2018
| title = Repairs
| image = repairs.png
| titletext = I was just disassembling it over the course of five hours so it would fit in the trash more efficiently.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete| lacks cross references/ analogies to similar cartoons, and the ups and downs in the graph need to be explained individually.}}

A graph depicts the sentiment created by the act of repairing something, depending on the time it took (x-axis) and ensuing result (y-axis). The degree of triumph and exultation (expressed in sentences in quotes inside the graph) is strongly enhanced by the time the operation takes, and is also positively correlated with the result (if any). Actions during the repair process are described in sentences without quotes.
Conclusions are rather optimistic. The most negative feeling expressed (after the maximum time of repair with minimum degree of success) is a threat against other objects might have plans to break.

A similar sentiment was expressed in [[349: Success]].

==Transcript==
:[Caption above the diagram:]
:'''<big>How well something works</big>'''
:After I decide to fix it

:[The comic shows a graph with a solid curve that decreases in 8 different sized steps from the top left to the bottom right. The X-axis shows time passes and gives the time from zero to five hours with 6 ticks with labels beneath. The Y-axis shows how well something works with 8 ticks, but only four of them labeled.]

:Works great
:Has minor problems
:Doesn't work

:Will never work again

:0 hours   1 hour   2 hours   3 hours   4 hours   5 hours

:[The solid line has six labels with eight arrow pointing to different sections, two times the same label has two arrows pointing to different sections the first two places where the lines takes a step down, and the second to two plateaus on either side of a step. In total the arrows point four times on both steps and plateaus. Both the first and final plateau has a dot has added to the line, and the arrows point to those. Above the solid line there are three dotted lines going up from three plateaus just before the solid line takes a step down, the last two of these lines split up in two, with one going higher. At the end of each of these five dotted lines there is a sentence spoken. The solid line begins at the 2nd tick on the Y-Axis and finishes at the last. The three dotted lines going up ends up at the 1. tick on the Y-axis, for the last two there are also a line ending at the 2nd tick and 3rd tick respectively. Only the first label being above the first tick on the X-axis but the last three labels are all above the last tick on the X-Axis. Here is a list of all the labels in chronological order according to the position on the X-axis. For those that has the same time stamp the top one will be mentioned first. Those at the end of a line are indented:]
:I start trying to fix it
::"It just needed cleaning!"
:Take it apart
::"Fixed it!"
::"Well, at least it's not ''more'' broken than when I started."
:Take it apart more
:Watch YouTube instructional videos
:Take a deep breath and cut wires
::"That was heroic and I deserve a Nobel prize."
::"Well, it ''sort'' of works now."
:(Turn to other possessions)
::"...And let that be a lesson to you."

==Trivia==

The initial version of the normal sized image at xkcd was [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/archive/d/de/20180516052839%21repairs.png broken]. This was later fixed.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Line graphs]]

1992: SafetySat

2018-05-12T02:42:13Z

RamenChef: /* Explanation */ better formatting

{{comic
| number = 1992
| date = May 11, 2018
| title = SafetySat
| image = safetysat.png
| titletext = During launch, in the event of an unexpected sensor reading, SafetySat will extend prongs in all directions to secure itself and any other cubesats safely in the launch vehicle until the source of the problem can be determined.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a CubeSat so dangerous, I corrupted the image file and crashed the server (the first image upload was corrupt)- Maybe expand it a little? Some of the individual items need more explaining. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Cubesat}} is a standard format for small satellites that can fit in a 10×10×10 cm format with a mass of less than 1.3 kg. They have been widely used by academics for research satellites, and by both small and large companies.

Cubesats are normally launched as a secondary payload often beside a deployment to the international space station. There are multiple safety rules to ensure that the cubesat cannot damage the primary payload. However, the joke in this comic is that [[Randall]]'s design seeks to break as many rules as possible.

(from bottom left)

===Americium corners===
{{w|Americium}} is a very dense, highly radioactive substance. Depending on the amount of Americium involved, this alone could shoot the mass over the 1.3 kg mass limit.

===Gun cotton===
A form of nitrocellulose; it is explosive.

===Crude Oil===
{{w|Exxon Valdez oil spill}}, {{w|Deepwater Horizon explosion}}... need we say more? Of course the leakable volume would not be near those levels, but plenty dangerous nonetheless if it were to leak though a faulty seal... And this is not helped by the fact that it is in orbit or if it leaks during launch...

===Volatile Epoxy Seal===
When this goes, everything gets coated in flammable crude oil.

===Celebratory Firework===
Explosive Fire Source that can hit other satellites in the vicinity.

===CFCs/Ozone-depleting CFC Spritzer===
{{w|Chlorofluorocarbons}} ({{w|CFCs}}) are fully halogenated paraffin hydrocarbons that contain only carbon, chlorine, and fluorine, produced as volatile derivative of methane, ethane, and propane. {{w|Freon}} is a common example of a CFC, and the use of CFCs has been linked to a depletion of the Earth's {{w|ozone layer}} leading many countries to ban their use. So spritzing CFCs in an area closer to the Ozone layer sounds like a good idea?

===Laser Pointer (Hubble-Seeking)===
Aiming a red laser at a visible light telescope is really bad for the telescope in question and its optics{{Citation needed|reason=Not obvious to non-experts why visible-light laser is damaging to a telescope designed to read visible spectrum, disruptive perhaps?|date=May 2018}}.

===Laser Pointers (Fixed)===
These three laser points will effectively point in 3 different random directions, which is not safe for other objects around this Cubesat{{Citation needed|reason=Why is a laser pointer dangerous?|date=May 2018}}.

===SDR/{{w|Software-Defined Radio}} (Code Editable via Public Wiki)===
A radio which can be programmed to broadcast and receive in a range of frequencies, and formats. Since anyone could change the radio's instructions; the radio could interfere with other satellites, or with the launch vehicle. This counts as a huge security risk, as ''anyone'' could edit it.

===BIC Mini-Lighter===
Fire source, resting on the can of crude oil. The pressurized butane could also make the lighter burst, allowing the sparkp lug to ignite the volatile butane gas.

===Rare Earth Magnets===
Very powerful magnets that have a high likelihood of messing up the electronics on nearby electronics, like other Cubesats. Might also stick to other satellites.

===Wet Sand Dispenser===
Possible reference to {{w|Kessler syndrome}}.

===Batteries (eBay)===
The quality of batteries bought on the auction site can vary widely, and certain batteries exposed to conditions outside their design specifications can {{w|Battery_(electricity)#Explosion|explode or leak corrosive acids}}. These batteries might also be connected to the adjacent spark plug.

===Solar Panel (Found)===
The quality of the solar panel and the power it produces would have to be investigated thoroughly before being cleared for space flight.

===Spark Plug===
Fire Source, if it was connected to electricity. Excess mass if not.

===Prongs (title text)===
Prongs that extend in the event of an unexpected sensor reading at launch could damage the rocket and/or nearby cubsats/payloads. Along with this, it is not unlikely that this cubesat might be the source of any internal problem that might arise; in such a situation, having such a dangerous cubesat further secure itself would be counterproductive.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[A prototype for a small cube-shaped "CubeSat"satellite, with labels on various components.]

[Labelled on top:]

Rare-Earth Magnets

Bic Mini Lighter

Software-Defined Radio (code editable via a public wiki)

[Labelled on right:]

Laser Pointers (fixed)

Laser Pointer (Hubble-seeking)

Ozone-Depleting CFC Spritzer

[Labelled on bottom:]

Celebratory Firework

Volatile Epoxy Seal

Filler (Guncotton)

[Labelled on left:]

Americium Corners

Spark Plug

Solar Panel (found)

Batteries (eBay)

Wet Sand Dispenser

[Labelled from within drawing in white text on top of a black rectangle:]

Crude Oil

{{comic discussion}}

File:safetysat.png

2018-05-11T18:24:06Z

RamenChef: RamenChef uploaded a new version of "File:safetysat.png": Replace broken image

1989: IMHO

2018-05-04T17:45:03Z

RamenChef: Create list

{{comic
| number = 1989
| date = May 4, 2018
| title = IMHO
| image = imho.png
| titletext = "Ugh, TMI." "Yeah, that's some tantalizing meat info."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TLA CONFLICT GENERATOR - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
The conversation begins with a reference to the controversy between whether the H in IMHO (In my honest/humble opinion) stands for "honest" or "humble". Some older internet users, including Cueball, use it to mean "humble", which Cueball references as being the norm in the 1990s. However, many younger internet users, including, apparently, Ponytail, use it to mean "honest", which became the norm after another SMS abbreviation, TBH (To be honest) became popular c. 2011. However, the joke veers into absurdity with Ponytail sharing her unusual opinions on other internet controversies, including:

*Believing the G in {{w|GIF}} (Graphics Interchange Format) is silent, so she pronounces it "if", as opposed to the two main camps claiming it should be either a hard G ("jiffy") or a soft G (as in "gift").
*Believing that the S in SMDH (Shaking My Damn Head) stands for "Swallowing".
*Believing a viral picture of {{w|the_dress|a dress}} that appears black and blue to some people and white and gold to others is actually black and white.
*Believing that the database language {{w|SQL}} (Structured Query Language) is pronounced "Squill" as opposed to the two main camps claiming it should be "Sequel" or the initialization S-Q-L ("Ess Cue Ell").
*Using {{w|tab_key|tabs}} after {{w|Full_stop|periods}}, instead of the two main opposing camps of using either one or two spaces. It used to be proper style when typing to use two spaces after the period (or other punctuation) at the end of a sentence, however the newer standard, as implemented by {{w|HTML}} which collapses all multiples of spaces into one, is to only include one space after sentences, or indeed in all circumstances.

In the last panel, Cueball exclaims "OMG" (meaning "Oh My God") to which Megan replies "Yeah, mine too", taking the meaning as "Oh My Genitals" from the 5th panel. This leads to the title text "TMI" (Too Much Information).

In the title text, another incorrect belief Ponytail has is believing TMI to be "Tantalizing Meat Info," as opposed to Too Much Information.

The comic also obliquely references the mistaken opinion that website polling is an accurate measure of anything; selection bias (among many other problems) renders them useless for measuring the general population.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Cueball, Megan, and Ponytail stand together, talking.]
:Cueball: I thought the "H" in "IMHO" was "Humble." But Buzzfeed ran a poll and "Honest" won.
:Megan: That can't be true. Their readers are messing with us.

:Ponytail: Are you sure? I've always used it to mean "Honest,"
:Megan: ... What?!

:[Close up of Cueball holding a phone. A box with usage of "IMHO" and "TBH" from Google Trends shows "TBH" suddenly rising in 2011, with a second spike in 2014.]
:Cueball: It was definitely "Humble" in the 1990s.
:Cueball: Maybe people who picked it up after the rise of "TBH" in 2011 interpreted it as "Honest" and used it that way.

:[Cueball, Megan, and Ponytail as before.]
:Megan: I can't get over this. What other wrong opinions do you have?
:Megan: The "G" in "G-I-F"?
:Ponytail: Silent.

:[Close up of Ponytail, with Megan talking from offscreen.]
:Megan: The "S" in "SMDH"?
:Ponytail: Swallowing.
:Megan: The "G" in "OMG"?
:Ponytail: "Giantess" or "Genitals".

:[Cueball, Megan, and Ponytail as before.]
:Megan: The Dress?
:Ponytail: Black and White.
:Megan: Is the database language "Sequel" or "Ess Cue Ell"?
:Ponytail: I've always said "Squill".

:Cueball: Okay, the big one: how many spaces after a period?
:Ponytail: None; I use tabs.
:Cueball: OMG.
:Megan: Yeah, mine too.

{{comic discussion}}

1985: Meteorologist

2018-04-25T16:56:16Z

RamenChef: Clean up transcript

{{comic
| number = 1985
| date = April 25, 2018
| title = Meteorologist
| image = meteorologist.png
| titletext = Hi, I'm your new meteorologist and a former software developer. Hey, when we say 12pm, does that mean the hour from 12pm to 1pm, or the hour centered on 12pm? Or is it a snapshot at 12:00 exactly? Because our 24-hour forecast has midnight at both ends, and I'm worried we have an off-by-one error.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a OVERLY ANALYTICAL METEOROLOGIST - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Although we’re constantly exposed to them, many (most?) people don’t understand the details of how to properly interpret weather forecasts. This comic takes this to the ridiculous extreme of the weather reporters themselves not understanding, and asking questions about it while on-air. It shows questions asked by three different people with different backgrounds: mathematics, linguistics, and software development.

==Transcript==

:[Cueball is presenting a weather forecast]
:Cueball: Our forecast says there's a 20% chance of rain for each of the next five hours.
:Cueball: How likely is it to rain this afternoon? It's a simple question, but I don't know the answer. Is each hour independent? Correlated? Or is rain guaranteed and we're just unsure of the timing?

:Cueball: It says "scattered showers." Is this the chance of rain ''somewhere'' in your area? How big is your area? What if you have two locations you're worried about?
:Cueball: I've asked management, but they've stopped answering my emails, so—hang on, the security guy is coming over.

:Technical Difficulties
:We Apologize for Hiring a Meteorologist with a Pure Math Background.
:We'll Be Back on the Air Shortly.
:News 4

:[Cueball is replaced with Blondie]
:Blondie: Sorry about that. Hi, I'm your new meteorologist.
:Off-panel voice: And you're not a mathematician, right?
:Blondie: No. I do have a linguistics degree.
:Off-panel voice: That's fine.

:Blondie: It might rain this afternoon.
:Blondie: But what is "it" here? Is it a true dummy pronoun, as in the phrase "It's too bad?" Or is the weather an entity?
:Blondie: Also, what if I say, "It's hot out, and getting bigger?"
:Off-panel voice: Security!

{{comic discussion}}

1969: Not Available

2018-03-20T20:35:59Z

RamenChef: /* Explanation */ reduce paragraph spacing

{{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|Update content a little bit further. What is a "broken image icon", please provide examples. Do not remove this tag too soon.}}

A very common, yet frustrating issue on the {{w|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 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.

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 is Firefox's and Chrome's "plugin is missing" icon. Although, Chrome's "plugin is missing" puzzle piece icon 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).

==Transcript==
:[A gray box shown on a black background says "This content is not available in your country."]
:Caption: If you ever ''really'' want to make people mad, set this as your 404/"Not Found" page.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Internet]]

User talk:DgbrtBOT

2018-03-19T17:52:33Z

RamenChef: /* Failure on comic 1969 */ new section

==BOT status==
Is the bot still active? Many recent comic page creates were done manually.--{{User:17jiangz1/signature|14:16, 26 May 2015}}
:Since you "Beautified the template page" (LATESTCOMIC) even a simple picture upload didn't work any more. My bot is also beautified now so the picture upload should work again tomorrow. Further problems are still under investigations. I can't create a new page with my bot - error code is: 0. That's really helpful... --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:07, 26 May 2015 (UTC)
::It seems 17jiangz1 did beautify the template. I mixed something up. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:12, 26 May 2015 (UTC)

All Problems are solved so far. The page and all the other necessary updates will be done by this BOT again — only some dynamic comics will fail. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:48, 5 June 2015 (UTC)

==Some edits shouldn't be minor==
IMHO:
*Creation of a new comic description page
*Update of [[List of all comics]]
*Update of {{tl|LATESTCOMIC}}

shouldn't be minor.

They will still (or should) be "bot edits".

(This is terser than I intended -- and previously typed in -- because the server failed again.)

[[User:Markhurd|Mark Hurd]] ([[User talk:Markhurd|talk]]) 14:35, 6 December 2013 (UTC)

:You're right, I will check the API on this until Monday. But "bot edits" are always hidden by default at the "recent changes" page. Maybe this default could be changed at the Wiki configuration. I will check this, too.
:More important: This server did fail again today? That would be bad.
:--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:02, 6 December 2013 (UTC)
::Uh, I broke the server for a few minutes while wrongly attempting to implement something. You should be seeing the fruits of my labour soon. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 00:02, 7 December 2013 (UTC)
:::What are that "fruits of your labour"?--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:44, 7 December 2013 (UTC)
::::Examine the URL. '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 22:55, 7 December 2013 (UTC)

Hopefully the bot will remove that minor tag in the future, but unless I do not remove the bot tag it will still not be shown by default at the "Recent changes" page. Maybe I should remove that tag, too. The user name DgbrtBOT would still show the origin. Any thoughts? The script I'm using is still here available for everybody: [https://github.com/dgbrt/explainXKCD_update]--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:44, 7 December 2013 (UTC)
:For my purposes, I don't mind bot edits being elided from Recent Changes because including them is only a click away. I noticed these "minor" edits in the revision history, and am pleased with the current changes :-) [[User:Markhurd|Mark Hurd]] ([[User talk:Markhurd|talk]]) 06:05, 14 December 2013 (UTC)

== Failure today (12/23/2013) ==

The BOT lost the internet connection, so a backup will be available for Wednesday. It was just a Christmas Holiday Incident. I don't like BOT's without control by humans, and my control failed. The BOT will run reliable again, also at my holidays, as it did many weeks before. And in detail: The BOT did behave like planned, if it's too late no uploads or updates are done. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:11, 23 December 2013 (UTC)

== A Ping on ME ==

Ohh....
my BOT still does a great job here,
I'm still alive, but no time for me.

And nevertheless my BOT works fine - better than me ;)

And I am hoping for more time soon, stay tuned...

== Failure on comic 1969 ==

The bot failed today (3/19/2018, comic #1969). I had to create the comic page manually. Could it be because the comic is titled "Not Available"? [[User:RamenChef|RamenChef]] ([[User talk:RamenChef|talk]]) 17:52, 19 March 2018 (UTC)

1969: Not Available

2018-03-19T15:57:11Z

RamenChef: Misc. improvements, add transcript

{{comic
| number = 1969
| date = 19 March, 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|Actually not created by a bot this time. Fix the wikipedia links... add links to other xkcd comics on the topic of nation flags. Explain green puzzle piece/broken image in title text. Don't remove this tag too soon.}}

A very common, yet frustrating issue on the internet is finding a broken link, taking you to an "Error 404" page. The purpose of the page is to tell the user that the content they were looking for has been either moved, or deleted. Randall 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}}. Using a VPN and/or 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.

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.

==Transcript==
:[A box says "This content is not available in your country."]
:Caption: If you ever ''really'' want to make people mad, set this as your 404/"Not Found" page.

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1969: Not Available

2018-03-19T15:14:44Z

RamenChef: Create discussion page in lieu of DgbrtBOT

Template:LATESTCOMIC

2018-03-19T15:13:24Z

RamenChef: Change comic number in lieu of DgbrtBOT

<noinclude>The latest [[xkcd]] comic is number:</noinclude> 1969

Not Available

2018-03-19T15:11:32Z

RamenChef: Create redirect in lieu of DgbrtBOT

#REDIRECT [[1969: Not Available]]

1969

2018-03-19T15:10:46Z

RamenChef: Create redirect in lieu of DgbrtBOT

#REDIRECT [[1969: Not Available]]

1969: Not Available

2018-03-19T15:09:33Z

RamenChef: Create comic page in lieu of DgbrtBOT

File:not available.png

2018-03-19T14:04:13Z

RamenChef:

== Licensing ==
{{XKCD file}}

List of all comics (1501-2000)

2018-03-19T14:00:45Z

RamenChef: Add comic in lieu of DgbrtBOT

This is the list of comics from '''1501 to {{LATESTCOMIC}}'''.
:For the first 500 comics, see [[List of all comics (1-500)]].
:For comics 501-1000, see [[List of all comics (501-1000)]].
:For comics 1001-1500, see [[List of all comics (1001-1500)]].
: The whole list is available at [[List of all comics (full)]].

{| class="wikitable sortable plainlinks table-padding"
|-
!xkcd
!Title
!Talk
!Image
!Date<onlyinclude>
{{comicsrow|1969|2018-03-19|Not Available|not available.png}}
{{comicsrow|1968|2018-03-16|Robot Future|robot future.png}}
{{comicsrow|1967|2018-03-14|Violin Plots|violin plots.png}}
{{comicsrow|1966|2018-03-12|Smart Home Security|smart home security.png}}
{{comicsrow|1965|2018-03-09|Background Apps|background apps.png}}
{{comicsrow|1964|2018-03-07|Spatial Orientation|spatial orientation.png}}
{{comicsrow|1963|2018-03-05|Namespace Land Rush|namespace land rush.png}}
{{comicsrow|1962|2018-03-02|Generations|generations.png}}
{{comicsrow|1961|2018-02-28|Interaction|interaction.png}}
{{comicsrow|1960|2018-02-26|Code Golf|code golf.png}}
{{comicsrow|1959|2018-02-23|The Simpsons|the simpsons.png}}
{{comicsrow|1958|2018-02-21|Self-Driving Issues|self driving issues.png}}
{{comicsrow|1957|2018-02-19|2018 CVE List|2018 cve list.png}}
{{comicsrow|1956|2018-02-16|Unification|unification.png}}
{{comicsrow|1955|2018-02-14|Robots|robots.png}}
{{comicsrow|1954|2018-02-12|Impostor Syndrome|impostor syndrome.png}}
{{comicsrow|1953|2018-02-09|The History of Unicode|the history of unicode.png}}
{{comicsrow|1952|2018-02-07|Backpack Decisions|backpack decisions.png}}
{{comicsrow|1951|2018-02-05|Super Bowl Watch Party|super bowl watch party.png}}
{{comicsrow|1950|2018-02-02|Chicken Pox and Name Statistics|chicken pox and name statistics.png}}
{{comicsrow|1949|2018-01-31|Fruit Collider|fruit collider.png}}
{{comicsrow|1948|2018-01-29|Campaign Fundraising Emails|campaign fundraising emails.png}}
{{comicsrow|1947|2018-01-26|Night Sky|night sky.png}}
{{comicsrow|1946|2018-01-24|Hawaii|hawaii.png}}
{{comicsrow|1945|2018-01-22|Scientific Paper Graph Quality|scientific paper graph quality.png}}
{{comicsrow|1944|2018-01-19|The End of the Rainbow|the end of the rainbow.png}}
{{comicsrow|1943|2018-01-17|Universal Dreams|universal dreams.png}}
{{comicsrow|1942|2018-01-15|Memorable Quotes|memorable quotes.png}}
{{comicsrow|1941|2018-01-12|Dying Gift|dying gift.png}}
{{comicsrow|1940|2018-01-10|The Food Size Cycle|the food size cycle.png}}
{{comicsrow|1939|2018-01-08|2016 Election Map|2016 election map.png}}
{{comicsrow|1938|2018-01-05|Meltdown and Spectre|meltdown and spectre.png}}
{{comicsrow|1937|2018-01-03|IATA Airport Abbreviations|iata airport abbreviations.png}}
{{comicsrow|1936|2018-01-01|Desert Golfing|desert golfing.png}}
{{comicsrow|1935|2017-12-29|2018|2018.png}}
{{comicsrow|1934|2017-12-27|Phone Security|phone security.png}}
{{comicsrow|1933|2017-12-25|Santa Facts|santa facts.png}}
{{comicsrow|1932|2017-12-22|The True Meaning of Christmas|the true meaning of christmas.png}}
{{comicsrow|1931|2017-12-20|Virtual Assistant|virtual assistant.png}}
{{comicsrow|1930|2017-12-18|Calendar Facts|calendar facts.png}}
{{comicsrow|1929|2017-12-15|Argument Timing|argument timing.png}}
{{comicsrow|1928|2017-12-13|Seven Years|seven years.png}}
{{comicsrow|1927|2017-12-11|Tinder|tinder.png}}
{{comicsrow|1926|2017-12-08|Bad Code|bad code.png}}
{{comicsrow|1925|2017-12-06|Self-Driving Car Milestones|self driving car milestones.png}}
{{comicsrow|1924|2017-12-04|Solar Panels|solar panels.png}}
{{comicsrow|1923|2017-12-01|Felsius|felsius.png}}
{{comicsrow|1922|2017-11-29|Interferometry|interferometry.png}}
{{comicsrow|1921|2017-11-27|The Moon and the Great Wall|the moon and the great wall.png}}
{{comicsrow|1920|2017-11-24|Emoji Sports|emoji sports.png}}
{{comicsrow|1919|2017-11-22|Interstellar Asteroid|interstellar asteroid.png}}
{{comicsrow|1918|2017-11-20|NEXUS|nexus.png}}
{{comicsrow|1917|2017-11-17|How to Make Friends|how to make friends.png}}
{{comicsrow|1916|2017-11-15|Temperature Preferences|temperature preferences.png}}
{{comicsrow|1915|2017-11-13|Nightmare Email Feature|nightmare email feature.png}}
{{comicsrow|1914|2017-11-10|Twitter Verification|twitter verification.png}}
{{comicsrow|1913|2017-11-08|A ï¿½|i.png}}
{{comicsrow|1912|2017-11-06|Thermostat|thermostat.png}}
{{comicsrow|1911|2017-11-03|Defensive Profile|defensive profile.png}}
{{comicsrow|1910|2017-11-01|Sky Spotters|sky spotters.png}}
{{comicsrow|1909|2017-10-30|Digital Resource Lifespan|digital resource lifespan.png}}
{{comicsrow|1908|2017-10-27|Credit Card Rewards|credit card rewards.png}}
{{comicsrow|1907|2017-10-25|Immune System|immune system.png}}
{{comicsrow|1906|2017-10-23|Making Progress|making progress.png}}
{{comicsrow|1905|2017-10-20|Cast Iron Pan|cast iron pans.png}}
{{comicsrow|1904|2017-10-18|Research Risks|research risks.png}}
{{comicsrow|1903|2017-10-16|Bun Trend|bun trend.png}}
{{comicsrow|1902|2017-10-13|State Borders|state borders.png}}
{{comicsrow|1901|2017-10-11|Logical|logical.png}}
{{comicsrow|1900|2017-10-09|Jet Lag|jet lag.png}}
{{comicsrow|1899|2017-10-06|Ears|ears.png}}
{{comicsrow|1898|2017-10-04|October 2017|october 2017.png}}
{{comicsrow|1897|2017-10-02|Self Driving|self driving.png}}
{{comicsrow|1896|2017-09-29|Active Ingredients Only|active ingredients only.png}}
{{comicsrow|1895|2017-09-27|Worrying Scientist Interviews|worrying scientist interviews.png}}
{{comicsrow|1894|2017-09-25|Real Estate|real estate.png}}
{{comicsrow|1893|2017-09-22|Thread|thread.png}}
{{comicsrow|1892|2017-09-20|USB Cables|usb cables.png}}
{{comicsrow|1891|2017-09-18|Obsolete Technology|obsolete technology.png}}
{{comicsrow|1890|2017-09-15|What to Bring|what to bring.png}}
{{comicsrow|1889|2017-09-13|xkcd Phone 6|xkcd phone 6.png}}
{{comicsrow|1888|2017-09-11|Still in Use|still in use.png}}
{{comicsrow|1887|2017-09-08|Two Down, One to Go|two down one to go.png}}
{{comicsrow|1886|2017-09-06|Typing Notifications|typing notifications.png}}
{{comicsrow|1885|2017-09-04|Ensemble Model|ensemble model.png}}
{{comicsrow|1884|2017-09-01|Ringer Volume/Media Volume|ringer volume media volume.png}}
{{comicsrow|1883|2017-08-30|Supervillain Plan|supervillain plan.png}}
{{comicsrow|1882|2017-08-28|Color Models|color models.png}}
{{comicsrow|1881|2017-08-25|Drone Training|drone training.png}}
{{comicsrow|1880|2017-08-23|Eclipse Review|eclipse review.png}}
{{comicsrow|1879|2017-08-21|Eclipse Birds|eclipse birds.png}}
{{comicsrow|1878|2017-08-18|Earth Orbital Diagram|earth orbital diagram.png}}
{{comicsrow|1877|2017-08-16|Eclipse Science|eclipse science.png}}
{{comicsrow|1876|2017-08-14|Eclipse Searches|eclipse searches.png}}
{{comicsrow|1875|2017-08-11|Computers vs Humans|computers vs humans.png}}
{{comicsrow|1874|2017-08-09|Geologic Faults|geologic faults.png}}
{{comicsrow|1873|2017-08-07|Email Reply|email reply.png}}
{{comicsrow|1872|2017-08-04|Backup Batteries|backup batteries.png}}
{{comicsrow|1871|2017-08-02|Bun Alert|bun alert.png}}
{{comicsrow|1870|2017-07-31|Emoji Movie Reviews|emoji movie reviews.png}}
{{comicsrow|1869|2017-07-28|Positive and Negative Reviews}}
{{comicsrow|1868|2017-07-26|Eclipse Flights|eclipse flights.png}}
{{comicsrow|1867|2017-07-24|Physics Confession|physics confession.png}}
{{comicsrow|1866|2017-07-21|Russell's Teapot|russells teapot.png}}
{{comicsrow|1865|2017-07-19|Wifi vs Cellular|wifi vs cellular.png}}
{{comicsrow|1864|2017-07-17|City Nicknames|city nicknames.png}}
{{comicsrow|1863|2017-07-14|Screenshots|screenshots.png}}
{{comicsrow|1862|2017-07-12|Particle Properties|particle properties.png}}
{{comicsrow|1861|2017-07-10|Quantum|quantum.png}}
{{comicsrow|1860|2017-07-07|Communicating|communicating.png}}
{{comicsrow|1859|2017-07-05|Sports Knowledge|sports knowledge.png}}
{{comicsrow|1858|2017-07-03|4th of July|4th of july.png}}
{{comicsrow|1857|2017-06-30|Emoji Movie|emoji movie.png}}
{{comicsrow|1856|2017-06-28|Existence Proof|existence proof.png}}
{{comicsrow|1855|2017-06-26|Telephoto|telephoto.png}}
{{comicsrow|1854|2017-06-23|Refresh Types|refresh types.png}}
{{comicsrow|1853|2017-06-21|Once Per Day|once per day.png}}
{{comicsrow|1852|2017-06-19|Election Map|election map.png}}
{{comicsrow|1851|2017-06-16|Magnetohydrodynamics|magnetohydrodynamics.png}}
{{comicsrow|1850|2017-06-14|Air Force Museum|air force museum.png}}
{{comicsrow|1849|2017-06-12|Decades|decades.png}}
{{comicsrow|1848|2017-06-09|Glacial Erratic|glacial erratic.png}}
{{comicsrow|1847|2017-06-07|Dubious Study|dubious study.png}}
{{comicsrow|1846|2017-06-05|Drone Problems|drone problems.png}}
{{comicsrow|1845|2017-06-02|State Word Map|state word map.png}}
{{comicsrow|1844|2017-05-31|Voting Systems|voting systems.png}}
{{comicsrow|1843|2017-05-29|Opening Crawl|opening crawl.png}}
{{comicsrow|1842|2017-05-26|Anti-Drone Eagles|anti drone eagles.png}}
{{comicsrow|1841|2017-05-24|Who?|who.png}}
{{comicsrow|1840|2017-05-22|Genetic Testing Results|genetic testing results.png}}
{{comicsrow|1839|2017-05-19|Doctor Visit|doctor visit.png}}
{{comicsrow|1838|2017-05-17|Machine Learning|machine learning.png}}
{{comicsrow|1837|2017-05-15|Rental Car|rental car.png}}
{{comicsrow|1836|2017-05-12|Okeanos|okeanos.png}}
{{comicsrow|1835|2017-05-10|Random Obsessions}}
{{comicsrow|1834|2017-05-08|Lunch Order}}
{{comicsrow|1833|2017-05-05|Code Quality 3|code quality 3.png}}
{{comicsrow|1832|2017-05-03|Photo Library Management|photo library management.png}}
{{comicsrow|1831|2017-05-01|Here to Help|here to help.png}}
{{comicsrow|1830|2017-04-28|ISS Solar Transit 2|iss solar transit 2.png}}
{{comicsrow|1829|2017-04-26|Geochronology|geochronology.png}}
{{comicsrow|1828|2017-04-24|ISS Solar Transit|iss solar transit.png}}
{{comicsrow|1827|2017-04-21|Survivorship Bias|survivorship bias.png}}
{{comicsrow|1826|2017-04-19|Birdwatching|birdwatching huge.png}}
{{comicsrow|1825|2017-04-17|7 Eleven|7 eleven.png}}
{{comicsrow|1824|2017-04-14|Identification Chart|identification chart.png}}
{{comicsrow|1823|2017-04-12|Hottest Editors|hottest editors.png}}
{{comicsrow|1822|2017-04-10|Existential Bug Reports|existential bug reports.png}}
{{comicsrow|1821|2017-04-07|Incinerator|incinerator.png}}
{{comicsrow|1820|2017-04-05|Security Advice|security advice.png}}
{{comicsrow|1819|2017-04-03|Sweet 16|sweet 16.png}}
{{comicsrow|1818|2017-03-31|Rayleigh Scattering|rayleigh scattering.png}}
{{comicsrow|1817|2017-03-29|Incognito Mode|incognito mode.png}}
{{comicsrow|1816|2017-03-27|Mispronunciation|mispronunciation.png}}
{{comicsrow|1815|2017-03-24|Flag|flag.png}}
{{comicsrow|1814|2017-03-22|Color Pattern|color pattern.png}}
{{comicsrow|1813|2017-03-20|Vomiting Emoji|vomiting emoji.png}}
{{comicsrow|1812|2017-03-17|Onboarding|onboarding.png}}
{{comicsrow|1811|2017-03-15|Best-Tasting Colors|best tasting colors.png}}
{{comicsrow|1810|2017-03-13|Chat Systems|chat systems.png}}
{{comicsrow|1809|2017-03-10|xkcd Phone 5|xkcd phone 5.png}}
{{comicsrow|1808|2017-03-08|Hacking|hacking.png}}
{{comicsrow|1807|2017-03-06|Listening|listening.png}}
{{comicsrow|1806|2017-03-03|Borrow Your Laptop|borrow your laptop.png}}
{{comicsrow|1805|2017-03-01|Unpublished Discoveries|unpublished discoveries.png}}
{{comicsrow|1804|2017-02-27|Video Content|video content.png}}
{{comicsrow|1803|2017-02-24|Location Reviews|location reviews.png}}
{{comicsrow|1802|2017-02-22|Phone|phone.png}}
{{comicsrow|1801|2017-02-20|Decision Paralysis|decision paralysis.png}}
{{comicsrow|1800|2017-02-17|Chess Notation|chess notation.png}}
{{comicsrow|1799|2017-02-15|Bad Map Projection: Time Zones|bad map projection time zones.png}}
{{comicsrow|1798|2017-02-13|Box Plot|box plot.png}}
{{comicsrow|1797|2017-02-10|Stardew Valley|stardew valley.png}}
{{comicsrow|1796|2017-02-08|Focus Knob|focus knob.png}}
{{comicsrow|1795|2017-02-06|All You Can Eat|all you can eat.png}}
{{comicsrow|1794|2017-02-03|Fire|fire.png}}
{{comicsrow|1793|2017-02-01|Soda Sugar Comparisons|soda sugar comparisons.png}}
{{comicsrow|1792|2017-01-30|Bird/Plane/Superman|bird plane superman.png}}
{{comicsrow|1791|2017-01-27|Telescopes: Refractor vs Reflector|telescopes refractor vs reflector.png}}
{{comicsrow|1790|2017-01-25|Sad|sad.png}}
{{comicsrow|1789|2017-01-23|Phone Numbers|phone numbers.png}}
{{comicsrow|1788|2017-01-20|Barge|barge.png}}
{{comicsrow|1787|2017-01-18|Voice Commands|voice commands.png}}
{{comicsrow|1786|2017-01-16|Trash|trash.png}}
{{comicsrow|1785|2017-01-13|Wifi|wifi.png}}
{{comicsrow|1784|2017-01-11|Bad Map Projection: Liquid Resize|bad map projection liquid resize.png}}
{{comicsrow|1783|2017-01-09|Emails|emails.png}}
{{comicsrow|1782|2017-01-06|Team Chat|team chat.png}}
{{comicsrow|1781|2017-01-04|Artifacts|artifacts.png}}
{{comicsrow|1780|2017-01-02|Appliance Repair|appliance repair.png}}
{{comicsrow|1779|2016-12-30|2017|2017.png}}
{{comicsrow|1778|2016-12-28|Interest Timescales|interest timescales.png}}
{{comicsrow|1777|2016-12-26|Dear Diary|dear diary.png}}
{{comicsrow|1776|2016-12-23|Reindeer|reindeer.png}}
{{comicsrow|1775|2016-12-21|Things You Learn|things you learn.png}}
{{comicsrow|1774|2016-12-19|Adjective Foods|adjective foods.png}}
{{comicsrow|1773|2016-12-16|Negativity|negativity.png}}
{{comicsrow|1772|2016-12-14|Startup Opportunity|startup opportunity.png}}
{{comicsrow|1771|2016-12-12|It Was I|it was i.png}}
{{comicsrow|1770|2016-12-09|UI Change|ui change.png}}
{{comicsrow|1769|2016-12-07|Never Seen Star Wars|never seen star wars.png}}
{{comicsrow|1768|2016-12-05|Settling|settling.png}}
{{comicsrow|1767|2016-12-02|US State Names|us state names.png}}
{{comicsrow|1766|2016-11-30|Apple Spectrum|apple spectrum.png}}
{{comicsrow|1765|2016-11-28|Baby Post|baby post.png}}
{{comicsrow|1764|2016-11-25|XKCDE|xkcde.png}}
{{comicsrow|1763|2016-11-23|Catcalling|catcalling.png}}
{{comicsrow|1762|2016-11-21|Moving Boxes|moving boxes.png}}
{{comicsrow|1761|2016-11-18|Blame|blame.png}}
{{comicsrow|1760|2016-11-16|TV Problems|tv problems.png}}
{{comicsrow|1759|2016-11-14|British Map|british map.png}}
{{comicsrow|1758|2016-11-11|Astrophysics|astrophysics.png}}
{{comicsrow|1757|2016-11-09|November 2016|november 2016.png}}
{{comicsrow|1756|2016-11-07|I'm With Her|im with her.png}}
{{comicsrow|1755|2016-11-04|Old Days|old days.png}}
{{comicsrow|1754|2016-11-02|Tornado Safety Tips|tornado safety tips.png}}
{{comicsrow|1753|2016-10-31|Thumb War|thumb war.png}}
{{comicsrow|1752|2016-10-28|Interplanetary Experience|interplanetary experience.png}}
{{comicsrow|1751|2016-10-26|Movie Folder|movie folder.png}}
{{comicsrow|1750|2016-10-24|Life Goals|life goals.png}}
{{comicsrow|1749|2016-10-21|Mushrooms|mushrooms.png}}
{{comicsrow|1748|2016-10-19|Future Archaeology|future archaeology.png}}
{{comicsrow|1747|2016-10-17|Spider Paleontology|spider paleontology.png}}
{{comicsrow|1746|2016-10-14|Making Friends|making friends.png}}
{{comicsrow|1745|2016-10-12|Record Scratch|record scratch.png}}
{{comicsrow|1744|2016-10-10|Metabolism|metabolism.png}}
{{comicsrow|1743|2016-10-07|Coffee|coffee.png}}
{{comicsrow|1742|2016-10-05|Will It Work|will it work.png}}
{{comicsrow|1741|2016-10-03|Work|work.png}}
{{comicsrow|1740|2016-09-30|Rosetta|rosetta.png}}
{{comicsrow|1739|2016-09-28|Fixing Problems|fixing problems.png}}
{{comicsrow|1738|2016-09-26|Moon Shapes|moon shapes.png}}
{{comicsrow|1737|2016-09-23|Datacenter Scale|datacenter scale.png}}
{{comicsrow|1736|2016-09-21|Manhattan Project|manhattan project.png}}
{{comicsrow|1735|2016-09-19|Fashion Police and Grammar Police|fashion police and grammar police.png}}
{{comicsrow|1734|2016-09-16|Reductionism|reductionism.png}}
{{comicsrow|1733|2016-09-15|Solar Spectrum|solar spectrum.png}}
{{comicsrow|1732|2016-09-12|Earth Temperature Timeline|earth temperature timeline.png}}
{{comicsrow|1731|2016-09-09|Wrong|wrong.png}}
{{comicsrow|1730|2016-09-07|Starshade|starshade.png}}
{{comicsrow|1729|2016-09-05|Migrating Geese|migrating geese.png}}
{{comicsrow|1728|2016-09-02|Cron Mail|cron mail.png}}
{{comicsrow|1727|2016-08-31|Number of Computers|number of computers.png}}
{{comicsrow|1726|2016-08-29|Unicode|unicode.png}}
{{comicsrow|1725|2016-08-26|Linear Regression|linear regression.png}}
{{comicsrow|1724|2016-08-24|Proofs|proofs.png}}
{{comicsrow|1723|2016-08-22|Meteorite Identification|meteorite identification.png}}
{{comicsrow|1722|2016-08-19|Debugging|debugging.png}}
{{comicsrow|1721|2016-08-17|Business Idea|business idea.png}}
{{comicsrow|1720|2016-08-15|Horses|horses.png}}
{{comicsrow|1719|2016-08-12|Superzoom|superzoom.png}}
{{comicsrow|1718|2016-08-10|Backups|backups.png}}
{{comicsrow|1717|2016-08-08|Pyramid Honey|pyramid honey.png}}
{{comicsrow|1716|2016-08-05|Time Travel Thesis|time travel thesis.png}}
{{comicsrow|1715|2016-08-03|Household Tips|household tips.png}}
{{comicsrow|1714|2016-08-01|Volcano Types|volcano types.png}}
{{comicsrow|1713|2016-07-29|50 ccs|50 ccs.png}}
{{comicsrow|1712|2016-07-27|Politifact|politifact.png}}
{{comicsrow|1711|2016-07-25|Snapchat|snapchat.png}}
{{comicsrow|1710|2016-07-22|Walking Into Things|walking into things.png}}
{{comicsrow|1709|2016-07-20|Inflection|inflection.png}}
{{comicsrow|1708|2016-07-18|Dehydration|dehydration.png}}
{{comicsrow|1707|2016-07-15|xkcd Phone 4|xkcd phone 4.png}}
{{comicsrow|1706|2016-07-13|Genetic Testing|genetic testing.png}}
{{comicsrow|1705|2016-07-11|Pokémon Go|pokemon go.png}}
{{comicsrow|1704|2016-07-08|Gnome Ann|gnome ann.png}}
{{comicsrow|1703|2016-07-06|Juno|juno.png}}
{{comicsrow|1702|2016-07-04|Home Itch Remedies|home itch remedies.png}}
{{comicsrow|1701|2016-07-01|Speed and Danger|speed and danger.png}}
{{comicsrow|1700|2016-06-29|New Bug|new bug.png}}
{{comicsrow|1699|2016-06-27|Local News|local news.png}}
{{comicsrow|1698|2016-06-24|Theft Quadrants|theft quadrants.png}}
{{comicsrow|1697|2016-06-22|Intervocalic Fortition|intervocalic fortition.png}}
{{comicsrow|1696|2016-06-20|AI Research|ai research.png}}
{{comicsrow|1695|2016-06-17|Code Quality 2|code quality 2.png}}
{{comicsrow|1694|2016-06-15|Phishing License|phishing license.png}}
{{comicsrow|1693|2016-06-13|Oxidation|oxidation.png}}
{{comicsrow|1692|2016-06-10|Man Page|man page.png}}
{{comicsrow|1691|2016-06-08|Optimization|optimization.png}}
{{comicsrow|1690|2016-06-06|Time-Tracking Software|time tracking software.png}}
{{comicsrow|1689|2016-06-03|My Friend Catherine|my friend catherine.png}}
{{comicsrow|1688|2016-06-01|Map Age Guide|map age guide.png}}
{{comicsrow|1687|2016-05-30|World War III+|world war iii.png}}
{{comicsrow|1686|2016-05-27|Feel Old|feel old.png}}
{{comicsrow|1685|2016-05-25|Patch|patch.png}}
{{comicsrow|1684|2016-05-23|Rainbow|rainbow.png}}
{{comicsrow|1683|2016-05-20|Digital Data|digital data.png}}
{{comicsrow|1682|2016-05-18|Bun|bun.png}}
{{comicsrow|1681|2016-05-16|Laser Products|laser products.png}}
{{comicsrow|1680|2016-05-13|Black Hole|black hole.png}}
{{comicsrow|1679|2016-05-11|Substitutions 3|substitutions 3.png}}
{{comicsrow|1678|2016-05-09|Recent Searches|recent_searches.png}}
{{comicsrow|1677|2016-05-06|Contrails|contrails.png}}
{{comicsrow|1676|2016-05-04|Full-Width Justification|full width justification.png}}
{{comicsrow|1675|2016-05-02|Message in a Bottle|message in a bottle.png}}
{{comicsrow|1674|2016-04-29|Adult|adult.png}}
{{comicsrow|1673|2016-04-27|Timeline of Bicycle Design}}
{{comicsrow|1672|2016-04-25|Women on 20s|women on 20s.png}}
{{comicsrow|1671|2016-04-22|Arcane Bullshit|arcane bullshit.png}}
{{comicsrow|1670|2016-04-20|Laws of Physics|laws of physics.png}}
{{comicsrow|1669|2016-04-18|Planespotting|planespotting.png}}
{{comicsrow|1668|2016-04-15|Singularity|singularity.png}}
{{comicsrow|1667|2016-04-13|Algorithms}}
{{comicsrow|1666|2016-04-11|Brain Upload}}
{{comicsrow|1665|2016-04-08|City Talk Pages}}
{{comicsrow|1664|2016-04-06|Mycology}}
{{comicsrow|1663|2016-04-05|Garden}}
{{comicsrow|1662|2016-03-30|Jack and Jill}}
{{comicsrow|1661|2016-03-28|Podium}}
{{comicsrow|1660|2016-03-25|Captain Speaking|captain speaking.png}}
{{comicsrow|1659|2016-03-23|Tire Swing|tire swing.png}}
{{comicsrow|1658|2016-03-21|Estimating Time|estimating time.png}}
{{comicsrow|1657|2016-03-18|Insanity|insanity.png}}
{{comicsrow|1656|2016-03-16|It Begins|it begins.png}}
{{comicsrow|1655|2016-03-14|Doomsday Clock|doomsday clock.png}}
{{comicsrow|1654|2016-03-11|Universal Install Script|universal install script.png}}
{{comicsrow|1653|2016-03-09|United States Map|united states map.png}}
{{comicsrow|1652|2016-03-07|Conditionals|conditionals.png}}
{{comicsrow|1651|2016-03-04|Robotic Garage|robotic garage.png}}
{{comicsrow|1650|2016-03-02|Baby|baby.png}}
{{comicsrow|1649|2016-02-29|Pipelines|pipelines.png}}
{{comicsrow|1648|2016-02-26|Famous Duos|famous duos.png}}
{{comicsrow|1647|2016-02-24|Diacritics|diacritics.png}}
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{{comicsrow|1645|2016-02-19|Toasts|toasts.png}}
{{comicsrow|1644|2016-02-17|Stargazing|stargazing.png}}
{{comicsrow|1643|2016-02-15|Degrees|degrees.png}}
{{comicsrow|1642|2016-02-11|Gravitational Waves}}
{{comicsrow|1641|2016-02-10|Hot Dogs}}
{{comicsrow|1640|2016-02-08|Super Bowl Context}}
{{comicsrow|1639|2016-02-05|To Taste}}
{{comicsrow|1638|2016-02-03|Backslashes}}
{{comicsrow|1637|2016-02-01|Salt Mine}}
{{comicsrow|1636|2016-01-29|XKCD Stack}}
{{comicsrow|1635|2016-01-27|Birdsong}}
{{comicsrow|1634|2016-01-25|In Case of Emergency}}
{{comicsrow|1633|2016-01-22|Possible Undiscovered Planets}}
{{comicsrow|1632|2016-01-20|Palindrome}}
{{comicsrow|1631|2016-01-18|Longer Than Usual}}
{{comicsrow|1630|2016-01-15|Quadcopter}}
{{comicsrow|1629|2016-01-13|Tools}}
{{comicsrow|1628|2016-01-11|Magnus}}
{{comicsrow|1627|2016-01-08|Woosh}}
{{comicsrow|1626|2016-01-06|Judgment Day}}
{{comicsrow|1625|2016-01-04|Substitutions 2}}
{{comicsrow|1624|2016-01-01|2016}}
{{comicsrow|1623|2015-12-30|2016 Conversation Guide}}
{{comicsrow|1622|2015-12-28|Henge}}
{{comicsrow|1621|2015-12-25|Fixion}}
{{comicsrow|1620|2015-12-23|Christmas Settings}}
{{comicsrow|1619|2015-12-21|Watson Medical Algorithm}}
{{comicsrow|1618|2015-12-18|Cold Medicine}}
{{comicsrow|1617|2015-12-16|Time Capsule}}
{{comicsrow|1616|2015-12-14|Lunch}}
{{comicsrow|1615|2015-12-11|Red Car}}
{{comicsrow|1614|2015-12-09|Kites}}
{{comicsrow|1613|2015-12-07|The Three Laws of Robotics}}
{{comicsrow|1612|2015-12-04|Colds}}
{{comicsrow|1611|2015-12-02|Baking Soda and Vinegar}}
{{comicsrow|1610|2015-11-30|Fire Ants}}
{{comicsrow|1609|2015-11-27|Food Combinations}}
{{comicsrow|1608|2015-11-24|Hoverboard}}
{{comicsrow|1607|2015-11-23|Supreme Court}}
{{comicsrow|1606|2015-11-20|Five-Day Forecast|five day forecast.png}}
{{comicsrow|1605|2015-11-18|DNA}}
{{comicsrow|1604|2015-11-16|Snakes}}
{{comicsrow|1603|2015-11-13|Flashlights}}
{{comicsrow|1602|2015-11-11|Linguistics Club}}
{{comicsrow|1601|2015-11-09|Isolation}}
{{comicsrow|1600|2015-11-06|MarketWatch}}
{{comicsrow|1599|2015-11-04|Water Delivery}}
{{comicsrow|1598|2015-11-02|Salvage}}
{{comicsrow|1597|2015-10-30|Git}}
{{comicsrow|1596|2015-10-29|Launch Status Check}}
{{comicsrow|1595|2015-10-26|30 Days Hath September}}
{{comicsrow|1594|2015-10-23|Human Subjects}}
{{comicsrow|1593|2015-10-21|Play-By-Play|play by play.png}}
{{comicsrow|1592|2015-10-19|Overthinking}}
{{comicsrow|1591|2015-10-16|Bell's Theorem|bells theorem.png}}
{{comicsrow|1590|2015-10-14|The Source}}
{{comicsrow|1589|2015-10-12|Frankenstein}}
{{comicsrow|1588|2015-10-09|Hardware Reductionism}}
{{comicsrow|1587|2015-10-07|Food Rule}}
{{comicsrow|1586|2015-10-05|Keyboard Problems}}
{{comicsrow|1585|2015-10-02|Similarities}}
{{comicsrow|1584|2015-09-30|Moments of Inspiration}}
{{comicsrow|1583|2015-09-28|NASA Press Conference}}
{{comicsrow|1582|2015-09-25|Picture a Grassy Field}}
{{comicsrow|1581|2015-09-23|Birthday}}
{{comicsrow|1580|2015-09-21|Travel Ghost|travel ghosts.png}}
{{comicsrow|1579|2015-09-18|Tech Loops}}
{{comicsrow|1578|2015-09-16|Squirrelphone}}
{{comicsrow|1577|2015-09-14|Advent}}
{{comicsrow|1576|2015-09-11|I Could Care Less}}
{{comicsrow|1575|2015-09-09|Footprints}}
{{comicsrow|1574|2015-09-07|Trouble for Science}}
{{comicsrow|1573|2015-09-04|Cyberintelligence}}
{{comicsrow|1572|2015-09-02|xkcd Survey}}
{{comicsrow|1571|2015-08-31|Car Model Names}}
{{comicsrow|1570|2015-08-28|Engineer Syllogism}}
{{comicsrow|1569|2015-08-26|Magic Tree}}
{{comicsrow|1568|2015-08-24|Synonym Movies 2}}
{{comicsrow|1567|2015-08-21|Kitchen Tips}}
{{comicsrow|1566|2015-08-19|Board Game}}
{{comicsrow|1565|2015-08-17|Back Seat}}
{{comicsrow|1564|2015-08-14|Every Seven Seconds}}
{{comicsrow|1563|2015-08-12|Synonym Movies}}
{{comicsrow|1562|2015-08-10|I in Team}}
{{comicsrow|1561|2015-08-07|Water Phase Diagram}}
{{comicsrow|1560|2015-08-05|Bubblegum}}
{{comicsrow|1559|2015-08-03|Driving}}
{{comicsrow|1558|2015-07-31|Vet}}
{{comicsrow|1557|2015-07-29|Ozymandias}}
{{comicsrow|1556|2015-07-27|The Sky}}
{{comicsrow|1555|2015-07-24|Exoplanet Names 2}}
{{comicsrow|1554|2015-07-22|Spice Girls}}
{{comicsrow|1553|2015-07-20|Public Key}}
{{comicsrow|1552|2015-07-17|Rulebook}}
{{comicsrow|1551|2015-07-14|Pluto}}
{{comicsrow|1550|2015-07-13|Episode VII}}
{{comicsrow|1549|2015-07-10|XKCD Phone 3}}
{{comicsrow|1548|2015-07-08|90s Kid}}
{{comicsrow|1547|2015-07-06|Solar System Questions}}
{{comicsrow|1546|2015-07-03|Tamagotchi Hive}}
{{comicsrow|1545|2015-07-01|Strengths and Weaknesses}}
{{comicsrow|1544|2015-06-29|Margaret}}
{{comicsrow|1543|2015-06-26|Team Effort}}
{{comicsrow|1542|2015-06-24|Scheduling Conflict}}
{{comicsrow|1541|2015-06-22|Voice}}
{{comicsrow|1540|2015-06-19|Hemingway}}
{{comicsrow|1539|2015-06-17|Planning}}
{{comicsrow|1538|2015-06-15|Lyrics}}
{{comicsrow|1537|2015-06-12|Types}}
{{comicsrow|1536|2015-06-10|The Martian}}
{{comicsrow|1535|2015-06-08|Words for Pets}}
{{comicsrow|1534|2015-06-05|Beer}}
{{comicsrow|1533|2015-06-03|Antique Factory}}
{{comicsrow|1532|2015-06-01|New Horizons}}
{{comicsrow|1531|2015-05-29|The BDLPSWDKS Effect}}
{{comicsrow|1530|2015-05-27|Keyboard Mash}}
{{comicsrow|1529|2015-05-25|Bracket}}
{{comicsrow|1528|2015-05-22|Vodka}}
{{comicsrow|1527|2015-05-20|Humans}}
{{comicsrow|1526|2015-05-18|Placebo Blocker}}
{{comicsrow|1525|2015-05-15|Emojic 8 Ball}}
{{comicsrow|1524|2015-05-13|Dimensions}}
{{comicsrow|1523|2015-05-11|Microdrones}}
{{comicsrow|1522|2015-05-09|Astronomy}}
{{comicsrow|1521|2015-05-06|Sword in the Stone}}
{{comicsrow|1520|2015-05-04|Degree-Off|degree off.png}}
{{comicsrow|1519|2015-05-01|Venus}}
{{comicsrow|1518|2015-04-29|Typical Morning Routine}}
{{comicsrow|1517|2015-04-27|Spectroscopy}}
{{comicsrow|1516|2015-04-24|Win by Induction}}
{{comicsrow|1515|2015-04-22|Basketball Earth}}
{{comicsrow|1514|2015-04-20|PermaCal}}
{{comicsrow|1513|2015-04-17|Code Quality}}
{{comicsrow|1512|2015-04-15|Horoscopes}}
{{comicsrow|1511|2015-04-13|Spice Girl}}
{{comicsrow|1510|2015-04-10|Napoleon}}
{{comicsrow|1509|2015-04-08|Scenery Cheat Sheet}}
{{comicsrow|1508|2015-04-06|Operating Systems}}
{{comicsrow|1507|2015-04-03|Metaball}}
{{comicsrow|1506|2015-04-01|xkcloud}}
{{comicsrow|1505|2015-03-30|Ontological Argument}}
{{comicsrow|1504|2015-03-27|Opportunity}}
{{comicsrow|1503|2015-03-25|Squirrel Plan}}
{{comicsrow|1502|2015-03-23|Wasted Time}}
{{comicsrow|1501|2015-03-20|Mysteries}}</onlyinclude>
|}

[[Category:Comics| ]]

634: Date

2018-02-22T18:42:59Z

RamenChef: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 634
| date = September 9, 2009
| title = Date
| image = date.png
| titletext = Well, the kid's definitely getting the biology geek phenotype.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] (as biologists) are on a first date. As opposed to the usual romantic talk or discussion about each other's histories or character, the comic suggests that 30% of the time, two biologists on a first date will end up making {{w|Punnett square}}s, which non-biologists might not consider very interesting or romantic. The comic may be a play on the idea that couples on a first date might wonder about (or on a very promising date, even discuss) the traits in the other person that might be passed on to potential children.

A Punnett square is a simple diagram used in biology to determine the probable resulting {{w|genotype}} of cross-breeding two organisms (be they plant, animal, or human). The diagram shows all possible results of crossing a single {{w|genotype}} from each parent in the offspring genotype following {{w|Mendelian inheritance}}.

For humans and most animals, there are two alleles for each gene, and each parent passes one of their alleles for each gene on to the offspring. The most simple Punnett square is a 2x2 table with a legend of the two paternal alleles on one axis (e.g.: ''A'' and ''A'') and the two maternal alleles on the other axis (e.g.: ''A'' and ''B''). Each box of the Punnett square represents a possible genetic outcome as a result of each each of the alleles being passed on to the offspring (''AA'', ''AB'', ''AA'' and ''AB''). For certain genetic traits, one genotype may determine a specific trait in the offspring; e.g. black hair in rats. Certain genotypes have dominant and recessive alleles. An offspring must have both of the recessive alleles to display the recessive trait; in the above example, if B was an allele for a recessive trait, the offspring could not have the recessive trait, as there is no possible ''BB'' outcome. This is the basic principles that allows statements to be made that two parents with a certain blood type or eye colour could not possibly have an offspring with a certain other blood type or eye colour.

More complicated Punnett squares can factor in multiple genes and be larger in scale, but ultimately follow the same principle. The premise for the purposes of the comic is that by using Punnett squares, one can assess the likelihood of certain genetic traits (such as hair colour or colour blindness) in their offspring with another person. One would have to know their genetic makeup in general for this to be possible.

While a genotype refers to the genetic makeup of an organism, a {{w|phenotype}} as referenced in the title text refers to the resulting traits (e.g.: Red hair is a phenotype).

The traits mentioned by Cueball and Megan are all genetic traits which can be traced using Punnett squares. That said, at least two of the traits (green eyes and color blindness) are not traits determined by a simple single-gene interaction. {{w|Color blindness#Genetics|Colour blindness}} can be inherited, although there are a significant number of genes that can factor into various types of color blindness. Red green color blindness, the most common variety, is sex linked to the X chromosome. Because of the way X chromosomes are passed if Cueball's mother was colorblind then Cueball would be, though his faulty X chromosome could only be passed to a daughter who would need another faulty X from her mother to inherent colorblindness. Once thought to have fairly simple genetic factors, eye color is now known to be a factor of at least 15 different genes with almost any parent-child combination possible. Red hair is still believed to be a recessive trait associated with a small number of genes (perhaps even one gene), although other traits once thought to be determined by only one gene have since been proven otherwise.

==Transcript==
:[Two people are sitting at a table, with a candle-lit dinner. Cueball is holding up a sheet of paper, and Megan is scribbling.]
:Cueball: Both my parents were colorblind, so...
:Megan: Hey, if we made more than two, we'd have a better-than-even chance of adorable red hair.
:Cueball: Ooh, and check this: green eyes!
:Trivia: 30% of biologist first dates disintegrate into making Punnett squares.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Romance]]

1954: Impostor Syndrome

2018-02-12T15:30:29Z

RamenChef:

{{comic
| number = 1954
| date = February 12, 2018
| title = Impostor Syndrome
| image = impostor_syndrome.png
| titletext = It's actually worst in people who study the Dunning–Kruger effect. We tried to organize a conference on it, but the only people who would agree to give the keynote were random undergrads.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an IMPOSTOR - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Impostor_syndrome|Impostor syndrome}} is a common psychological phenomenon where successful individuals are unable to internalize their success and fear being exposed as a "fraud" or "impostor." Events and accomplishments that would seem to be evidence of competence, skill, intelligence, and so forth, are instead viewed (by the person) as luck, timing, and the ability to appear more confident/competent than they actually are.

Dr. Adams is introduced by Megan as "the world's top expert in ..." Dr. Adams herself almost certainly recognizes that a large part of her success is due to the opportunities she had (for example, she probably had good mentoring as a graduate student and as a postdoc), plus some luck and good timing (perhaps she wrote a paper that received much more impact than she feels it merited). She has also met other experts in her field and knows (from the outside) how intelligent, hard-working, and brilliantly creative they are. She begins to tell Megan and Cueball about how much better they are than she is, then suddenly realizes that she is (from the outside) every bit as intelligent, hard-working, and brilliantly creative. She herself is realizing that she is experiencing impostor syndrome.

The {{w|Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect|Dunning–Kruger effect}} is a cognitive bias where people who are less intellectually capable are more likely to inflate their level of expertise in a given subject, while those that actually are highly intelligent (and especially experts on the topic at hand) are likely to downplay their level of expertise. The cognitive bias is caused by the fact that people of low metacognitive ability lack the intellectual tools to validly assess their competence. While this effect primarily refers to cognitive ability, it is also sometimes used to refer to people who are competent in one area (and thus not lacking metacognitive skills) believing that their abilities grant them unusually-high aptitude in another area.

In practice, more expertise still largely correlates to a higher confidence in one's expertise—that is to say that competence remains positively correlated with the perception of competence—but the lack of the appropriate cognitive skills means that perception starts at a higher level and increases at a slower rate. However, in popular usage, the Dunning–Kruger effect is used to claim that a negative correlation exists, and that non-experts will claim expertise and confidence at a higher overall level than actual experts.

In the title text, a conference for the Dunning–Kruger effect was having trouble, presumably because the actual researchers were downplaying their knowledge and expertise to the point where they refused to be the keynote speaker, while the random undergrads, who lack experience in the topic, feel sufficiently confident in their knowledge of it to give the keynote. This more closely matches both the secondary usage (as undergrads are unlikely to lack metacognitive skills, but may inflate their understanding) and the popular usage (as the confidence is inverse to the actual competence) than the primary and in-practice observance made in the original research.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Cueball is addressed by Megan and another woman.]
:Megan: This is Dr. Adams. She's a social psychologist and the world's top expert on imposter syndrome.
:Dr. Adams: Haha, don't be silly! There are lots of scholars who have made more significant…
:Dr. Adams: … Oh my God.

{{comic discussion}}

472: House of Pancakes

2018-02-07T17:15:56Z

RamenChef: /* Transcript */ add back blue color

{{comic
| number = 472
| date = September 5, 2008
| title = House of Pancakes
| image = house_of_pancakes.png
| titletext = Fuck it, I'm just going to Waffle House.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Randall]] is parodying Mark Z. Danielewski's epistolary novel ''{{w|House of Leaves}}'' by renaming it ''House of Pancakes'' (after the American fast food franchise {{w|International House of Pancakes}}). ''House of Leaves'' has an unconventional page layout and style, including the colouring of every instance of the word "house" in blue, as is done on the menu. It includes footnotes within footnotes like Randall did here.

In ''House of Leaves'', protagonist Johnny Truant (whose meta-narration is marked by Courier font as mimicked in the comic) discovers a book called ''The Navidson Record'' (represented here by the pancake menu), which in turn details a film of the same name, which in turn details a horror story of a family living in a sentient house. Truant, who is clearly intelligent and cultured, probes deeper into notating ''The Navidson Record''—and into insomnia—until ''The Navidson Record'' consumes his mind horrifically, the same way the film in the novel consumed the author of ''The Navidson Record'', the same way the house in the novel consumed part of the family.

''House of Leaves'' lends itself to many interpretations, but has been called a "satire of academic criticism," which makes this comic essentially a satire of a satire. Since part of the appeal of ''House of Leaves'' is that it takes itself extremely seriously with its intricacy, multitude of both real and made-up references to academic and popular culture, and layered emotional conflict, Randall's reduction of the ''House of Leaves'' to the (International) House of Pancakes cuts a humorous edge to a dark story. The tone of the comic parodies the tone of ''House of Leaves'': lonely, fear-inducing, and increasingly insane, but using pancakes instead of darkness.

Additionally, the mysterious "Mohawk Girl" referred to in the comic may be a nod to the ''House of Leaves'' character Delial.

The word "house" is in blue in every instance, which is a stylistic attribute of Mark Z. Danielewski's novel. Every Minotaur reference is marked out in red ink, and every use of "house" or a foreign language's equivalent, such as 'haus' and 'maison' is in blue. This is not a reference to hyperlinks. It is often thought that the house is printed in blue because houses have 'blueprints'.

The censored portion of the Big Steak Omelette is "...fresh green peppers, onions, mushrooms,...", per IHOP's website for the Big Steak Omelette: "Tender and tasty strips of steak, hash browns, fresh green peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and Cheddar cheese." Also, Omelette is misspelled but that's probably just a typo.

The title text refers to the {{w|Waffle House}}, another US restaurant chain. The joke is that the protagonist has decided that maybe all this angst isn't worth it and he'll just go to a different restaurant.

==Transcript==
:[All instances of the word "House" are in blue.]
:[Every day a new city, a new IHOP. And yet every night the dreams get worse. I ply the highways, a nervous eye on the rear-view mirror, the back seat piled with stolen menus. Their doors are opened 24 hours, but forever closed to my soul. This is what my life has become. This is my hell.]
:[Sidenote left: International] House of Pancakes
:[Scribbled-out sidenote right: BLOGSPOT] Strawberry Banana Pancakes Four pancakes filled with sliced fresh banana and crowned with cool strawberry topping, more [17] bananas and [23] whipped topping.
::[17] Driven by a nameless fear, a whisper in the dark behind me, I flee ahead of I know not what. Whenver I turn, there's nobody behind me. And yet someone is clearly stealing the ketchup. WHY? (The footnote is covered in fingerprints.)
::[23] My life is feeding, fleeing, fighting, and forgetting. (The above note is sandwiched in sideways in between the Stuffed French Toast and Ham and Egg Melt.)
:[Rooty Jr. A kids only [19] version of our house signature Rooty Tooty. One scrambled egg, one strip of bacon, one pork sausage link and one fruit-topped buttermilk pancake.]
::[19] The decision not to hyphenate "kids only" is likely connected to the omission of the serial comma. I wonder if the author is British. I wonder if he sleeps at night. (The following passages are have a red substance underneath them, probably ketchup.)
:[Rise 'N Shine Two eggs, toast and hash browns served with your choice [21] of two strips of bacon or two pork sausage links.]
::[21] (illegible) rent a storage unit. Sleep there. Fill it with pancakes. Leave.
:[Stuffed French Toast Cinnamon raisin French [18] toast stuffed with sweet cream cheese filling, topped with cool strawberry or your choice of fruit compote and whipped topping.]
::[18] Nightmares again. I wake up covered in sweat, and what appears to be a thin sheen of maple syrup
: (Handwritten, underlined) WHO IS MOHAWK GIRL?
:[Slanted 90 degrees left] Ham & Egg Melt Grilled sourdough bread stuffed with ham, scrambled eggs, Swiss and American cheeses. [20] (At normal orientation)
::[20] Ordered this in at an IHOP in Rochester, New York. There was blood on the floor. Some of it was mine.
:(Comic strip) Enough with your pancakes. Enough with your GOD DAMN pancakes.
:[The Big Steak Omlette Tender strips of steak, hash browns, (redacted) tomatoes and Cheddar cheese. Served [22] with house salsa.]
::[22] Woke up in Las Vegas. They're closing the Star Trek Experience today. The IHOP up the strip had pancake platters named after various states. None of them sounded like home.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Star Trek]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:Food]]

1949: Fruit Collider

2018-02-01T14:23:06Z

RamenChef: /* Explanation */ we don't need a table in this case

{{comic
| number = 1949
| date = January 31, 2018
| title = Fruit Collider
| image = fruit_collider.png
| titletext = The most delicious exotic fruit discovered this way is the strawberry banana. Sadly, it's only stable in puree form, so it's currently limited to yogurt and smoothies, but they're building a massive collider in Europe to search for a strawberry banana that can be eaten whole.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Finish title text explanation. Explain the combinations of fruit Ponytail mentions (and the one in the title text) and discuss the the possible improvement over the two regular fruits. Add wiki links. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The comic draws a parallel between fruit and atomic or subatomic particles.

Particle accelerators, the most famous of which is the Large Hadron Collider, are used to smash sub-atomic particles together at very high near-light speeds. Particle collisions can test theories in physics and sometimes have unexpected consequences that force physicists to revise existing theories. For example, colliding two particles at extremely high speeds can result in a release of enough energy to produce massive exotic particles that do not exist under standard conditions.

When explaining particle accelerators to the general public, this kind of experiment is sometimes explained with a fruit analogy. For example, the University of Oxford's "[https://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/accelerate/resources/sample-scripts/sample-script-1 Accelerate!]" show says "It's like throwing together two apples really really hard and getting three bananas and a mango." In this comic strip, the analogy is taken literally.

Ponytail for instance mentions a pineapple with apple skin. Pineapples are (almost) impossible to eat without a knife and it will easily become messy even with a knife, and the skin, while high in fiber, can be a danger to the intestinal tract due to its toughness and sharpness, and is commonly considered inedible. But many really like the taste of pineapple, maybe even more than apples. Randall has previously displayed that he finds pineapple tasty but very hard to eat, even harder than peeling a Grapefruit, in [[388: Fuck Grapefruit]], but not by far as difficult as opening coconuts! (See the title text of that comic).

Many fruit-based snacks and drinks, such as the yogurt and smoothies mentioned in the title-text but also including juices, candies, etc. will derive flavors from fruit blends. These blends are generally created by mixing the juice or artificial flavorings of two separate, individual fruits, rather than by attempting to create a new fruit by smashing it together. Strawberry and banana are a common combination. Some man-made hybrid fruits have been created via grafting and genetic engineering, but smashing two fruits together at high speeds will usually result in a sticky mess rather than a new fruit hybrid.{{Citation needed}}

It’s notable that fruiting plants are far more capable of mixing genes across species than animals are. Hence, it is often quite possible to produce a hybrid of two poorly-related fruits by forcing the pollen of one plant to fertilize the ovary of another, or even splicing the bulk of the genes together. Of course, this would be more likely to happen in a high-energy collision of the reproductive parts of the lifeforms, rather than their fruits.

This comic was published on the Jewish holiday for the trees, Tu B'Shvat(Hebrew: טו בשבט), on which it is traditional to eat exotic fruits.

==Transcript==

:[Ponytail points with a stick at a graph hanging on the wall. It depicts a collision of two apples producing a banana, a bunch of grapes, a cherry, three strawberries, and one product which is too small to distinguish clearly but which may be a single grape or berry.]
:Ponytail: When two apples collide, they can briefly form exotic new fruit. Pineapples with apple skin. Pomegranates full of grapes. Watermelon-sized peaches.
:Ponytail: These normally decay into a shower of fruit salad, but by studying the debris, we can learn what was produced.
:Ponytail: Then, the hunt is on for a stable form.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:How new types of fruit are developed

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Food]]

1949: Fruit Collider

2018-01-31T19:41:49Z

RamenChef: /* Transcript */ transcript formatting

1949: Fruit Collider

2018-01-31T17:17:36Z

RamenChef: /* Transcript */ typo

1949: Fruit Collider

2018-01-31T17:09:22Z

RamenChef: Improve transcript, delete highly inaccurate explanation