1409: Query

2014-08-18T14:09:39Z

Whocantucan: spelling

{{comic
| number = 1409
| date = August 17, 2014
| title = Query
| image = query.png
| titletext = SELECT * FROM GHOSTS
}}

==Explanation==
[[Megan]] picks up a strange device that mysteriously asks her to enter a query after stating "LOADED TABLE: PEOPLE / ENTER QUERY." In computer databases, "{{w|Table (database)|tables}}" are groups of similar information consisting of records each having certain attributes. Databases are generally made up of many tables, each containing different types of records. A database for a traditional library might have a "Books" table and a "Cardholders" table with records of all of the books in the library, and all of the people who have library cards. Each table will have different columns for certain attributes for every record. For example, the "Books" table might have columns for "title", "author", "date", etc.

A request from a database by a user from a computer database is called a "query". {{w|SQL}} is a programming language designed for databases, and has a certain syntax for its queries. A common query is a "select" which requests certain information from the database. In the library example, one might select (in plain English) all books written by a certain author or published after a certain date, etc.

In this comic, Megan tests the device by entering a SQL-esque query into it: "SELECT * FROM PEOPLE WHERE AGE > 30" (show all the people older than 30). In appears that the actual people around her who are over 30 are basked in a yellow light. Megan then tries other experimental queries, presumably to determine whether the results are correct. First, she queries for people with a high annual income (a group that does not include her), then for those who are afraid of flying (which she is). Because the results for herself are valid both times, she then indulges her curiosity by asking who has watched porn in the preceding twelve hours. This suggests that whatever "database" she is accessing is extremely thorough as it contains ongoing records of people's day-to-day activities.

Finally, she types "DROP TABLE PEOPLE". Drop is an SQL command to delete a table. When she enters the command, everybody, including herself, disappears. The implications are unclear. It may be a suggestion that all of reality is a computer program, all of the people are merely "data" in the program, and Megan was somehow granted access to the database for the program

The title text suggests the possibility that when the people disappeared or "died", their records were moved to a table called "GHOSTS." The query would then, presumably, see all the people that were deleted.

==Transcript==
[Megan picks up device]

Device: LOADED TABLE: PEOPLE

Device: ENTER QUERY

[Megan looks at the people around her]

[Megan types into device]: SELECT * FROM PEOPLE WHERE AGE > 30

[5 people are highlighted]

[Megan types into device]: SELECT * FROM PEOPLE WHERE ANNUAL_INCOME > 100000

[1 person is highlighted]

[Megan types into device]: SELECT * FROM PEOPLE WHERE AFRAID_OF_FLYING = TRUE

[4 people, including herself, are highlighted]

[Megan types into device]: SELECT * FROM PEOPLE WHERE HOURS_SINCE_WATCHING_PORN < 12

[3 people highlighted]

Megan: Neat

Megan: ...

[Megan types into device]: DROP TABLE PEOPLE

[Everyone disappears; the items they were holding drop to the ground]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

351: Trolling

2012-12-21T10:09:36Z

Whocantucan: Created page with "{{comic | number = | date = | title = | image = | titletext = }} ==Explanation== In the first panel, Black Hat and Cueball are digging into the g..."

{{comic
| number =
| date =
| title =
| image =
| titletext =
}}

==Explanation==
In the first panel, [[Black Hat]] and [[Cueball]] are digging into the ground and splicing Black Hat's computer into some cables. On the right, {{w|Rick Astley}} is watching CNN when he is {{w|Rickrolled}} by the first two - the "great moment in trolling".

{{w|Goatse}} was an Internet shock site often used for bait-and-switch pranks.

==Transcript==


{{comic discussion}}

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1409: Query

351: Trolling