https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=162.158.56.215&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T12:57:44ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1640:_Super_Bowl_Context&diff=1109951640: Super Bowl Context2016-02-09T06:36:52Z<p>162.158.56.215: /* Explanation */ chicken or the egg</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1640<br />
| date = February 8, 2016<br />
| title = Super Bowl Context<br />
| image = super_bowl_context.png<br />
| titletext = Why did the chicken cross the road? It begins over five thousand years ago with the domestication of the red junglefowl in southeast Asia and the development of paved roads in the Sumerian city of Ur.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[White Hat]] tries to make normal conversation with [[Cueball]] about yesterday's {{w|American football}} game, {{w|Super Bowl 50}} the 50th championship game, and thus the gold anniversary of the {{w|Super Bowl}}, which was played on 2016-02-07, the evening before this comic was released.<br />
<br />
When asking Cueball if he watched the game, Cueball begins with a simple ''Yes'', but then continues to add the contextual fact that about a third of the US population watched the event, which is an incredibly high percentage in today's [http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-definition/media%20landscape media landscape]. And according to Cueball this [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-super-bowl-50-862888 fraction is increasing], despite [http://moneyterms.co.uk/media-fragmentation/ media fragmentation]. Thus, even though there are today more and more different ways to watch news, sports and other entertainment, the Super Bowl continues to gain more viewers every year. (There was a fall in 2013, but from 2011-2015, this was the only year the rating/number of viewers dropped, and in 2014 it was above the 2012 level. At the time of this explanation it is not yet known if this gold anniversary Super Bowl broke last year's (2015) all time record).<br />
<br />
It turns out that Cueball has a problem. He cannot just reply to a simple question without trying to put the conversation into some kind of {{w|Context (language use)|context}} which does not necessarily have anything to do with the question asked, or at least not with the expected answer. From White Hat's reply it is obvious that he has had conversations like this with Cueball before, as he asks if they could ''just talk without your weird need to give context for everything?''<br />
<br />
Cueball feels the need to disseminate any information he finds interesting, even in trivial conversation. Normally people like to have context-free conversations and White Hat invites Cueball to try to fit in with normal people's conversational style. <br />
<br />
Cueball apologizes and agrees to try, but even though he really tries hard, with White Hat encouraging him to just reply normally to a question about the [http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/02/01/report-peyton-manning-has-told-close-friends-hell-retire/ rumored retirement] of {{w|Peyton Manning}} (an American football quarterback for the {{w|Denver Broncos}}, the game's winning team), he cannot stop himself from including context in his reply again. <br />
<br />
This time he goes off on a tangent about Peyton as a {{w|mammal}}, as he (and everybody else) is, and then adding the process of {{w|aging}} and mentioning two reasons for this (which are not well understood). The first he mentions is {{w|Ageing#Damage-related factors|accumulation of damage}}, which includes {{w|mutations}} that can lead to diseases such as {{w|cancer}}. The other process he mentions is {{w|Ageing#Programmed_factors|timed factors}} which includes {{w|Telomeres}}. These have been linked to {{w|senescence|biological aging}} because of the shortening of telomeres at each {{w|Cell cycle|cell division}}; when telomeres become too short, the cells die (and so do mammals). <br />
<br />
To cap it off, he mentions that {{w|retiring}} is a recent concept. But this only makes sense when compared to how long there have been mammals, not compared to how long there have been sports and games, where people could be too old, and thus need to retire long before they would die from old age. Before humans began to enjoy things for fun, the concept of retiring made no sense. You worked/fought for a living, until you got too old ... and then you died. <br />
<br />
Peyton Manning is the quarterback for the Denver Broncos, who won Super Bowl 50. At the age of 39 years (and 320 days) he is the oldest quarterback to win the Super Bowl. There has been speculation (see another [http://www.today.com/news/peyton-manning-retiring-super-bowl-champ-says-he-ll-follow-t71921 example here]) that he will retire this year, ending his career on a high note. White Hat probably expects Cueball to join in such minimal-context speculation. But, failing miserably again, White Hat finally gives up, and suggests they should try another conversation in a year, when Cueball might have learned to talk about the Super Bowl without context (hence the title).<br />
<br />
Cueball in this comic may represent [[Randall]], as much of {{xkcd}} is spawned from, or occasionally poking fun at, his own hyper-analytical tendencies. And it is also common knowledge that Randall is not very interested in sport, though there are several xkcd [[:Category:American football|comics about American football]] and specifically two of them are [[:Category:Comics sharing name|called Super Bowl]]. The year before this one he made another comic in relation to the final, and in this comic, [[1480: Super Bowl]], he even mentions the fact that he does not know much about [[:Category:Sport|sports in general]]. So this is the second year in a row a comic has been released in conjunction with the Super Bowl final. But before 2015, there has only been one other comic like this, which has in 2006 with [[60: Super Bowl]].<br />
<br />
The title text continues the joke with Cueball replying to the old {{w|anti-humor}} joke: "{{w|Why did the chicken cross the road?}}" Cueball replies with a preposterous amount of information instead of the cliched simplistic answer: "To get to the other side." <br />
<br />
Cueball begins with the origin of {{w|chickens}}. They are believed to be descendants from domestication of the {{w|Red junglefowl}}, which occurred at least five thousand years ago in Asia, as Cueball correctly explains. Before there were chickens, there could not be one crossing a road. Also there needs to be a road to cross. In order for it to be called a road, it seems Cueball defines this as a road with some kind of {{w|Road surface|pavement}}. The {{w|History_of_road_transport#Wheeled_transport|first development of paved roads}} was in the city of {{w|Ur}} in the ancient {{w|Sumer|Sumerian}} civilization about 4000 BC (6000 years ago) (also partly explained in Cueball's reply). This means that the joke may very well be at least 5000 years old, even in its current chicken/road version. Although it might seem that it was just lucky Cueball wasn't asked which came first the {{w|Chicken or the egg}}, Cueball's response would have been appropriate to that question. Since chickens are believed to be descendants from domestication of the Red junglefowl, the red junglefowl egg would have preceded the chicken, so the egg came first, before the chicken. (And, continuing the theme, the dinosaur egg came before the chicken, the chicken egg, the Red junglefowl, or the Red junglefowl egg.)<br />
<br />
Given that this comic is poking fun and providing too much context, it could be seen to be offering a parody of this site (i.e www.explainxkcd.com itself) in that this site does nothing but provide context for jokes from xkcd that are meant to stand alone. Explaining here how this comic is explaining this site's behaviour ends up going "full-meta."<br />
<br />
As a trivial note, this comic is a rare instance of White Hat not being the fall guy for the joke.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[White Hat and Cueball are walking together.]<br />
:White Hat: Did you watch the Super Bowl?<br />
:Cueball: Yes, like a third of the country.<br />
:Cueball: A fraction that is steadily ''increasing'' despite media fragmentation.<br />
<br />
:[White Hat stops and Cueball turn towards him.]<br />
:White Hat: Can't we just talk without your weird need to give context for everything?<br />
:Cueball: Sorry. I'll try.<br />
<br />
:[As White Hat asks Cueball another question Cueball bunches his hands into fists. He is clearly struggling.]<br />
:White Hat: Sounds like Peyton Manning's probably going to retire.<br />
:Cueball: Yes, I... ...It...<br />
:White Hat: C'mon, you can do it...<br />
:Cueball: He...<br />
<br />
:[Cueball spreads out his arms a little as he replies with two long sentences, while White Hat walks away from him.]<br />
:Cueball: ''—Mammals like Peyton age via a process that involves both the accumulation of damage and poorly-understood timed factors.'' <br />
:Cueball: ''Yet the concept of retirement itself is surprisingly recent...''<br />
:White Hat: Okay, good try. Maybe next year.<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category:American football]]<br />
[[Category:Animals]]</div>162.158.56.215https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1601:_Isolation&diff=1047611601: Isolation2015-11-09T06:28:14Z<p>162.158.56.215: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1601<br />
| date = November 9, 2015<br />
| title = Isolation<br />
| image = isolation.png<br />
| titletext = 2060: The gregarious superintelligent AI, happily talking its way out of a box, is fast becoming a relic of the past. Today's quantum hyper-beings are too busy with their internal multiverse sims to even notice that they're in boxes at all!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}<br />
<br />
The comic, at first reading, appears to be a statement about how people have always complained on the negative effects of technology on conversation. In the first panel, Cueball complains that books are having this effect, in the second newspapers, in the third magazines, in the fourth television, in the fifth portable music players, and in the last phones. The comic, without the dialogue in the last panel, is just a statement on how little technology actually changes us, and how often we incorrectly think it does (similar to xkcd.com/1227).<br />
<br />
The dialogue in the last panel reveals the joke and flips the comic on its head; instead of various people throughout history, Cueball represents one character. He's just not an interesting person, which is why the people around him are always trying to ignore him however they can.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
1840 The modern bookworm is too busy reading about the world to look at it.<br><br><br />
1880 No one talks anymore - We take our daily newspapers in silence. <br><br><br />
1910 The magazine is destroying conversation. We even read as we walk!<br><br><br />
1960 Television has put an end to family discussion.<br><br><br />
1980 Thanks to the Sony Walkman, anti-social isolation is now the norm.<br><br><br />
2015 We've become too absorbed in our phones to notice the-<br><br />
Dude. It's been two centuries. Take a hint.<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>162.158.56.215https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1601:_Isolation&diff=1047601601: Isolation2015-11-09T06:27:40Z<p>162.158.56.215: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1601<br />
| date = November 9, 2015<br />
| title = Isolation<br />
| image = isolation.png<br />
| titletext = 2060: The gregarious superintelligent AI, happily talking its way out of a box, is fast becoming a relic of the past. Today's quantum hyper-beings are too busy with their internal multiverse sims to even notice that they're in boxes at all!<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by a BOT - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}<br />
<br />
The comic, at first reading, appears to be a statement about how people have always complained on the negative effects of technology on conversation. In the first panel, Cueball complains that books are having this effect, in the second newspapers, in the third magazines, in the fourth television, in the fifth portable music players, and in the last phones. The comic, without the dialogue in the last panel, is just a statement on how little technology actually changes us, and how often we incorrectly think it does (similar to xkcd.com/1227).<br />
<br />
The dialogue in the last panel reveals the joke and flips the comic on its head; instead of various people throughout history, Cueball represents one character. He's just not an interesting person, which is why the people around him are always trying to ignore him however they can.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
1840 The modern bookworm is too busy reading about the world to look at it.<br><br><br />
1880 No one talks anymore - We take our daily newspapers in silence. <br><br><br />
1910 The magazine is destroying conversation. We even read as we walk!<br><br><br />
1960 Television has put an end to family discussion.<br><br><br />
1980 Thanks to the Sony Walkman, anti-social isolation is now the norm.<br><br><br />
2015 We've become too absorbed in our phones to notice the <br><br />
Dude. It's been two centuries. Take a hint.<br />
{{comic discussion}}</div>162.158.56.215https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1562:_I_in_Team&diff=99379Talk:1562: I in Team2015-08-10T08:26:55Z<p>162.158.56.215: Created page with "There is no I in team, but there is an M and an E.~~~~"</p>
<hr />
<div>There is no I in team, but there is an M and an E.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.56.215|162.158.56.215]] 08:26, 10 August 2015 (UTC)</div>162.158.56.215https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1558:_Vet&diff=98903Talk:1558: Vet2015-08-01T13:29:19Z<p>162.158.56.215: /* Add discussion of what would really happen when she released it into the wild */ new section</p>
<hr />
<div>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct4Rl4VrMp8 [[Special:Contributions/198.41.239.32|198.41.239.32]] 11:20, 31 July 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
"There is something wrong with my dog" and "The Migratory Bird Treaty act" is really messed up. Roomba might be produced in US, but a dog is not a bird so Megan must be really confused. Except for just a few species, birds can fly and the last Roomba that flown got help from its owner into a wall for being a walking hazard. Or could Megan mean that among the dirt is feathers (from pillows maybe) that got stuck in the wheels and therefor ascends directly from birds and dinosaurs. [[User:Aquaplanet|Aquaplanet]] ([[User talk:Aquaplanet|talk]]) 13:06, 31 July 2015 (UTC)<br />
:That whoosh sound was the joke going way over your head. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.141|173.245.54.141]] 14:39, 31 July 2015 (UTC)<br />
:{{w|Bird_Dog_(song)|Bird dog}}..? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.188|141.101.98.188]] 06:32, 1 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It looks to me like this is a vet at a big-box pet supply store; that would explain the lack of a separate waiting room. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.167|173.245.56.167]] 15:02, 31 July 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I was going to say that maybe it's just a returns counter or complaint department. Are there actually vets at Petsmart-or-others that operate like this? Vet being a desk that you just queue up for? [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 19:36, 31 July 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The pet of the second customer fits into the carrier, because it apparently is HALF-dog (head and a pair of legs). {{unsigned ip|173.245.55.99}}<br />
<br />
"...Perhaps he has another small dog in there..." Actually, he may have arrived by bus or car, with the dog inside the carrier during the ride (for safety and convenience) but walking into the clinic with the dog on a leash because, hey! carrying even a smallish dog inside its carrier is a lot more work than getting the dog to carry himself, while carrying the much lighter carrier in the other hand. [[User:NoniMausa|NoniMausa]] ([[User talk:NoniMausa|talk]]) 01:38, 1 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Reading the explanation about dog being too big, I got another idea: the second person is going to complain about the dog not fitting in the carrier (because it grown, likely) and would want the vet to do something with the dog to fix it. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 12:43, 1 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Add discussion of what would really happen when she released it into the wild ==<br />
<br />
Would it be able to move on the ground outdoors?<br />
<br />
Start trying to vacuum up the dirt under it and just dig itself into a hole?<br />
<br />
Get stuck due to inability to move on a surface that isn't horizontal?<br />
<br />
Eventually, it's going to "die" because the batteries run out, but what happens until then.<br />
<br />
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.56.215|162.158.56.215]] 13:29, 1 August 2015 (UTC)</div>162.158.56.215https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1545:_Strengths_and_Weaknesses&diff=968881545: Strengths and Weaknesses2015-07-03T04:36:35Z<p>162.158.56.215: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1545<br />
| date = July 1, 2015<br />
| title = Strengths and Weaknesses<br />
| image = strengths_and_weaknesses.png<br />
| titletext = Do you need me to do a quicksort on the whiteboard or produce a generation of offspring or something? It might take me a bit, but I can do it.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[Cueball]] is in a job interview and is being asked prototypical job interview questions by [[Ponytail]], "What is your greatest weakness?", "What is your greatest strength?" and "Where do you see yourself in five years?"<br />
<br />
In a roundabout way, Cueball answers that he is a living organism, and as such he has inherent flaws which could cause him to die. This is a reference to the fact that biological systems are "messy" and are not always optimal in design or operation. For example, cancer is a disease where the cellular machinery that governs cell replications breaks down and prolific cell division happens, endangering the organism through the creation of tumors. While this is a true weakness, it is also a weakness of all biological organisms and is not likely to help the interviewer determine if he is qualified for the job. However, it is likely to help the interviewer determine if he is right for the job -- because the interviewer is likely to know that a person who gives silly and unhelpful answers is not right for most positions.<br />
<br />
For the second question Cueball answers that he will one day be the ancestor to all living humans or none of them. As you go farther and farther into the future the ratio of people alive will either go to 0% or 100% of the descendants of the character. The {{w|Most_recent_common_ancestor| most recent common ancestor (MRCA)}} for humans is estimated to have been alive between 2,000 and 4,000 years ago. If the MRCA's ancestors are traced back, the {{w|Identical_ancestors_point|Identical Ancestors Point}} can be found, at which point the entire population are either ancestors all living humans or no living humans. For humans, this point is estimated to be between 5,000 and 15,000 years ago.<br />
<br />
In the last frame, for Cueball to be the ancestor to all living humans within 5 years means that all the humans who are not his children or grandchildren (including Cueball himself), must have died in a near total extinction of the human race - his apparent optimism about the possibility of this occurring would therefore be worrisome. <br />
<br />
The overarching joke is that Cueball assumes that the interviewer is assessing his fitness as an organism from a genetic perspective rather than his fitness for performing a particular job. The biggest limitation on fitness is survival time and mortality.<br />
<br />
The title text takes this further, equating producing offspring during an interview (which would be awkward for all involved) with something that may actually help assess a candidate's efficacy as an employee, namely writing out a sorting algorithm on the spot, another prototypical interview question (see also [[1185: Ineffective Sorts]], especially the bottom left panel).<br />
<br />
In [[1088: Five Years]], [[Beret Guy]] is exactly asked where he will be in five years, and he later does an interview of [[Hairy]] in [[1293: Job Interview]]. Other job interviews were portrayed in [[125: Marketing Interview]] and [[1094: Interview]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Ponytail is shown sitting on a swivel chair, to the left of a desk.]<br />
:Ponytail: What would you say is your biggest weakness?<br />
<br />
:[The view expands to show Cueball sitting on another swivel chair, on the opposite side of the desk.]<br />
:Cueball: Probably that I'm a giant tangle of parts that don't always work right, so I can die easily.<br />
<br />
:Ponytail: Biggest strength?<br />
:Cueball: There will come a day when I'm either an ancestor to ''all'' living humans, or to ''none'' of them.<br />
<br />
:Ponytail: Where do you see yourself in five years?<br />
:Cueball: Probably not the ancestor of all living humans yet. But you never know!<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Job interviews]]</div>162.158.56.215https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1293:_Job_Interview&diff=968871293: Job Interview2015-07-03T04:35:55Z<p>162.158.56.215: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1293<br />
| date = November 20, 2013<br />
| title = Job Interview<br />
| image = job_interview.png<br />
| titletext = When you talk about the job experience you'll give me, why do you pronounce 'job' with a long 'o'?<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
Following on from [[1032: Networking|his attempts at networking]], [[Beret Guy]], the oddball of the xkcd cast, conducts an interview for a programmer position at his mysteriously successful company.<br />
<br />
Much like most of Beret Guy's interactions with people, Beret Guy is cheerful and upbeat, yet indicates that he has at best a scrambled understanding of how people in this situation normally act. Because of this, the job interview becomes increasingly bizarre, starting with Beret Guy's assertion that the company headquarters is a "real building [he] found", implying that the building's reality might be in question. He says his company makes phone accessories, but then adds, "like apps and stickers," two wildly different products in terms of both production and profitability. He is strangely vague about both the position ("someone to write on our computers") and the salary ("a bunch of paychecks"). Then he mentions ghosts, which is either a powerful disincentive from joining the company, yet another sign that Beret Guy is mentally unsound, or both.<br />
<br />
The strip finishes with Beret Guy plugging a cord into an electrical outlet clumsily labeled "Soup," which then, implausibly, actually starts dispensing soup. Most businesses do not function like this.{{Citation needed}} However, this is a typical behaviour of Beret Guy - see a similar example in: [[1395: Power Cord]].<br />
<br />
The title text makes reference to the biblical story of {{w|Job (biblical figure)|Job}} (pronounced with a long O to rhyme with globe), who was put through many horrendous ordeals to test his faith in God. This suggests that the interviewee will be taking on not a "job experience" but rather a "Job experience" (i.e. the job will be a horrendous ordeal).<br />
<br />
Other job interviews were portrayed in [[125: Marketing Interview]], [[1088: Five Years]], [[1094: Interview]], and [[1545: Strengths and Weaknesses]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Beret Guy walks in, followed by a...'prospective hire'.]<br />
:Beret Guy: Welcome to our company! We're headquartered here, in this real building I found!<br />
<br />
:[Both people sit down at a table. The 'hire' has a tray with food and a beverage. Beret Guy has a bowl. In the adjacent wall, there is a power outlet with a paper label taped to it marked "Soup". A small roll of wire sits next to Beret Guy's chair.]<br />
:'Hire': What do you.. ''do''?<br />
:Beret Guy: We make stuff for phones! Like apps and stickers!<br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy grabs the roll of wire.]<br />
:Beret Guy: We want to hire you to write on our computers. We can offer you a bunch of paychecks! <small>There are ghosts here.</small><br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy unrolls the wire and plugs it into the wall.]<br />
:'Hire': ...Are you sure this is a company?<br />
:Beret Guy: I hope so!<br />
<br />
:[Soup (or something one can only hope is soup) streams out of the plugged-in wire into Beret Guy's bowl.]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Beret Guy's Business]]<br />
[[Category:Religion]]<br />
[[Category:Job interviews]]</div>162.158.56.215https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1094:_Interview&diff=968861094: Interview2015-07-03T04:35:07Z<p>162.158.56.215: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1094<br />
| date = August 13, 2012<br />
| title = Interview<br />
| image = interview.png<br />
| titletext = Hey, before you go, can you explain to me what job I now have?<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is based on a common annoyance when job hunting, being told that they'll "keep you in mind", but don't offer you a job. A job interviewer tells [[Black Hat]] exactly that.<br />
<br />
Black Hat offers a briefcase to his interviewer. From the vague phrasing "this" and the context, one would expect the briefcase to contain money to bribe the interviewer into hiring Black Hat. Instead, it contains a portal or gateway into an impossibly deep chasm.<br />
<br />
After falling through the chasm, the interviewer lands in the interviewee's seat, and Black Hat is now sitting in the interviewer's seat, effectively switching their roles.<br />
<br />
The former interviewer tries to pull the same trick on Black Hat, creating a momentary illusion of an {{w|infinite loop}} through {{w|recursion}}, a common theme in xkcd comics.<br />
<br />
When Black Hat opens the briefcase, however, he reveals another common annoyance when job hunting, being told that the opening has already been filled. Black Hat's statement works on two levels, one meaning that "the job opening has been filled", and the second meaning "the opening to the briefcase's chasm has been filled".<br />
<br />
The title text is said by Black Hat. It refers to the fact that, even though Black Hat now has the interviewer's job, he has no idea what his function is.<br />
<br />
Other Job interviews have been portrayed in [[125: Marketing Interview]], [[1088: Five Years]], [[1293: Job Interview]] and [[1545: Strengths and Weaknesses]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Black Hat is interviewed by Hairy.]<br />
:Hairy: ...but thank you for applying. We'll keep your résumé on file.<br />
<br />
:[Black Hat pushes a suitcase over the table.]<br />
:Black Hat: Perhaps ''this'' could change your mind?<br />
<br />
:[Hairy opens the suitcase.]<br />
:''Click''<br />
<br />
:[Hairy lifts open the top.]<br />
<br />
:[Camera pans over the suitcase to reveal a deep hole.]<br />
<br />
:[Camera zooms into the hole.]<br />
<br />
:[Hairy is falling into the hole.]<br />
:Hairy: AAAAAA<br />
<br />
:[Hairy falls into a chair with the suitcase falling on his lap.]<br />
:''THUMP''<br />
<br />
:[Hairy is dazed, and is being interviewed by Black Hat.]<br />
:Black Hat: ...but thank you for applying. We'll keep your résumé on file.<br />
<br />
:[Hairy looks confused.]<br />
:Hairy: !??!<br />
<br />
:[Hairy looks at the suitcase.]<br />
<br />
:[Hairy pushes the suitcase over the table.]<br />
:Hairy: Perhaps ''this'' could change your mind?<br />
<br />
:[Black Hat opens the suitcase.]<br />
:''Click''<br />
<br />
:[Black Hat looks inside.]<br />
<br />
:[Black Hat turns the suitcase around.]<br />
:Black Hat: I'm sorry—<br />
<br />
:[The suitcase is now filled with paper.]<br />
:Black Hat: —that opening has been filled.<br />
<br />
{{Comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Recursion]]<br />
[[Category:Job interviews]]</div>162.158.56.215https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1088:_Five_Years&diff=968851088: Five Years2015-07-03T04:34:25Z<p>162.158.56.215: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1088<br />
| date = July 30, 2012<br />
| title = Five Years<br />
| image = five_years.png<br />
| titletext = 'Well, no further questions. You're hired!' 'Oh, sorry! I'm no longer interested. There's a bunch of future I gotta go check out!'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is a take on the common and cliched job interview question here asked by [[Hair Bun Girl]]: ''Where do you see yourself in 5 years.'' The interviewer is attempting to see where the job seeker would like to take their career and also what their hopes and dreams are etc.<br />
<br />
In the comic, instead of explaining where he would like to be in 5 years, [[Beret Guy]] and the interviewer wait around for 5 years without moving to find out. And as Beret Guy expected they stayed exactly where they were. (This could be suggesting that most people do not change much over five years.)<br />
<br />
The title text is a continuation of their conversation in which Beret Guy turns down the job because he wants to find out what happened the last 5 years while they were both sitting in that room.<br />
<br />
Given Beret Guy's ability to manipulate reality ([[1099: Tuesdays]]), it's possible he froze himself and the interviewer for 5 years.<br />
<br />
Other job interviews were portrayed in [[125: Marketing Interview]], [[1094: Interview]], [[1293: Job Interview]] and [[1545: Strengths and Weaknesses]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Hair bun Girl and Beret Guy sit across from each other at a desk. The woman has a bun.]<br />
:Hair bun Girl : Where do you see yourself in five years? <br />
:Beret Guy: Oh man, I don't know! Let's find out!<br />
:[The characters stare at one another.]<br />
:[Cobwebs and hair grow; the desk and chairs fall into disrepair.]<br />
:[Five years pass.]<br />
:Beret Guy: Hah—<br />
:Beret Guy: I ''thought'' so!<br />
<br />
{{Comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hair Bun Girl]]<br />
[[Category:Job interviews]]</div>162.158.56.215https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=125:_Marketing_Interview&diff=96884125: Marketing Interview2015-07-03T04:33:38Z<p>162.158.56.215: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 125<br />
| date = July 7, 2006<br />
| title = Marketing Interview<br />
| image = marketing_interview.png<br />
| titletext = There are a lot of books on marketing out there. I wonder if you're safest just buying the most popular one.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[Black Hat]] is trying to get a job running a marketing program. [[Cueball]] conducts the interview and says that although he has heard that Black Hat is the best in the business, his portfolio does not show that he has run any major marketing campaigns. Black Hat asks where he heard that rumor and Cueball begins to respond. Then he realizes that Black Hat has used his perfect marketing campaign tactics to get into the business. So Black Hat gets the job.<br />
<br />
The title text suggests that this would be a rare case in which buying the most popular book would be the best because the people who wrote it obviously know a great deal about marketing.<br />
Other job interviews were portrayed in [[1088: Five Years]], [[1094: Interview]], [[1293: Job Interview]] and [[1545: Strengths and Weaknesses]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Two people, Cueball sitting behind a executive desk, looking at some paper, and Black Hat by foot.]<br />
:Cueball: I've heard you're one of the best in marketing business, but I've got your portfolio here and looks like you've never run a major campaign. Why should I hire you to head our new initiative?<br />
:Black Hat: If you don't mind asking, what gave you the idea I was one of the best in the business?<br />
:Cueball: Hm? I don't remember. Just word of mouth or someth-- ...oh, you're good.<br />
:Black Hat: Thank you. When can I start?<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Job interviews]]</div>162.158.56.215https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Category:Job_interviews&diff=96883Category:Job interviews2015-07-03T04:33:16Z<p>162.158.56.215: Created page with "These comics show or portray job interviews."</p>
<hr />
<div>These comics show or portray job interviews.</div>162.158.56.215https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1088:_Five_Years&diff=968821088: Five Years2015-07-03T04:22:54Z<p>162.158.56.215: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1088<br />
| date = July 30, 2012<br />
| title = Five Years<br />
| image = five_years.png<br />
| titletext = 'Well, no further questions. You're hired!' 'Oh, sorry! I'm no longer interested. There's a bunch of future I gotta go check out!'<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is a take on the common and cliched job interview question here asked by [[Hair Bun Girl]]: ''Where do you see yourself in 5 years.'' The interviewer is attempting to see where the job seeker would like to take their career and also what their hopes and dreams are etc.<br />
<br />
In the comic, instead of explaining where he would like to be in 5 years, [[Beret Guy]] and the interviewer wait around for 5 years without moving to find out. And as Beret Guy expected they stayed exactly where they were. (This could be suggesting that most people do not change much over five years.)<br />
<br />
The title text is a continuation of their conversation in which Beret Guy turns down the job because he wants to find out what happened the last 5 years while they were both sitting in that room.<br />
<br />
Given Beret Guy's ability to manipulate reality ([[1099: Tuesdays]]), it's possible he froze himself and the interviewer for 5 years.<br />
<br />
Other job interviews were portrayed in [[125: Marketing Interview]], [[1094: Interview]], [[1293: Job Interview]] and [[1545: Strengths and Weaknesses]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Hair bun Girl and Beret Guy sit across from each other at a desk. The woman has a bun.]<br />
:Hair bun Girl : Where do you see yourself in five years? <br />
:Beret Guy: Oh man, I don't know! Let's find out!<br />
:[The characters stare at one another.]<br />
:[Cobwebs and hair grow; the desk and chairs fall into disrepair.]<br />
:[Five years pass.]<br />
:Beret Guy: Hah—<br />
:Beret Guy: I ''thought'' so!<br />
<br />
{{Comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hair Bun Girl]]</div>162.158.56.215https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=125:_Marketing_Interview&diff=96881125: Marketing Interview2015-07-03T04:20:10Z<p>162.158.56.215: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 125<br />
| date = July 7, 2006<br />
| title = Marketing Interview<br />
| image = marketing_interview.png<br />
| titletext = There are a lot of books on marketing out there. I wonder if you're safest just buying the most popular one.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[Black Hat]] is trying to get a job running a marketing program. [[Cueball]] conducts the interview and says that although he has heard that Black Hat is the best in the business, his portfolio does not show that he has run any major marketing campaigns. Black Hat asks where he heard that rumor and Cueball begins to respond. Then he realizes that Black Hat has used his perfect marketing campaign tactics to get into the business. So Black Hat gets the job.<br />
<br />
The title text suggests that this would be a rare case in which buying the most popular book would be the best because the people who wrote it obviously know a great deal about marketing.<br />
Other job interviews were portrayed in [[1088: Five Years]], [[1094: Interview]], [[1293: Job Interview]] and [[1545: Strengths and Weaknesses]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Two people, Cueball sitting behind a executive desk, looking at some paper, and Black Hat by foot.]<br />
:Cueball: I've heard you're one of the best in marketing business, but I've got your portfolio here and looks like you've never run a major campaign. Why should I hire you to head our new initiative?<br />
:Black Hat: If you don't mind asking, what gave you the idea I was one of the best in the business?<br />
:Cueball: Hm? I don't remember. Just word of mouth or someth-- ...oh, you're good.<br />
:Black Hat: Thank you. When can I start?<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>162.158.56.215https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1094:_Interview&diff=968801094: Interview2015-07-03T04:19:53Z<p>162.158.56.215: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1094<br />
| date = August 13, 2012<br />
| title = Interview<br />
| image = interview.png<br />
| titletext = Hey, before you go, can you explain to me what job I now have?<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic is based on a common annoyance when job hunting, being told that they'll "keep you in mind", but don't offer you a job. A job interviewer tells [[Black Hat]] exactly that.<br />
<br />
Black Hat offers a briefcase to his interviewer. From the vague phrasing "this" and the context, one would expect the briefcase to contain money to bribe the interviewer into hiring Black Hat. Instead, it contains a portal or gateway into an impossibly deep chasm.<br />
<br />
After falling through the chasm, the interviewer lands in the interviewee's seat, and Black Hat is now sitting in the interviewer's seat, effectively switching their roles.<br />
<br />
The former interviewer tries to pull the same trick on Black Hat, creating a momentary illusion of an {{w|infinite loop}} through {{w|recursion}}, a common theme in xkcd comics.<br />
<br />
When Black Hat opens the briefcase, however, he reveals another common annoyance when job hunting, being told that the opening has already been filled. Black Hat's statement works on two levels, one meaning that "the job opening has been filled", and the second meaning "the opening to the briefcase's chasm has been filled".<br />
<br />
The title text is said by Black Hat. It refers to the fact that, even though Black Hat now has the interviewer's job, he has no idea what his function is.<br />
<br />
Other Job interviews have been portrayed in [[125: Marketing Interview]], [[1088: Five Years]], [[1293: Job Interview]] and [[1545: Strengths and Weaknesses]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Black Hat is interviewed by Hairy.]<br />
:Hairy: ...but thank you for applying. We'll keep your résumé on file.<br />
<br />
:[Black Hat pushes a suitcase over the table.]<br />
:Black Hat: Perhaps ''this'' could change your mind?<br />
<br />
:[Hairy opens the suitcase.]<br />
:''Click''<br />
<br />
:[Hairy lifts open the top.]<br />
<br />
:[Camera pans over the suitcase to reveal a deep hole.]<br />
<br />
:[Camera zooms into the hole.]<br />
<br />
:[Hairy is falling into the hole.]<br />
:Hairy: AAAAAA<br />
<br />
:[Hairy falls into a chair with the suitcase falling on his lap.]<br />
:''THUMP''<br />
<br />
:[Hairy is dazed, and is being interviewed by Black Hat.]<br />
:Black Hat: ...but thank you for applying. We'll keep your résumé on file.<br />
<br />
:[Hairy looks confused.]<br />
:Hairy: !??!<br />
<br />
:[Hairy looks at the suitcase.]<br />
<br />
:[Hairy pushes the suitcase over the table.]<br />
:Hairy: Perhaps ''this'' could change your mind?<br />
<br />
:[Black Hat opens the suitcase.]<br />
:''Click''<br />
<br />
:[Black Hat looks inside.]<br />
<br />
:[Black Hat turns the suitcase around.]<br />
:Black Hat: I'm sorry—<br />
<br />
:[The suitcase is now filled with paper.]<br />
:Black Hat: —that opening has been filled.<br />
<br />
{{Comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Recursion]]</div>162.158.56.215https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1293:_Job_Interview&diff=968791293: Job Interview2015-07-03T04:19:18Z<p>162.158.56.215: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1293<br />
| date = November 20, 2013<br />
| title = Job Interview<br />
| image = job_interview.png<br />
| titletext = When you talk about the job experience you'll give me, why do you pronounce 'job' with a long 'o'?<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
Following on from [[1032: Networking|his attempts at networking]], [[Beret Guy]], the oddball of the xkcd cast, conducts an interview for a programmer position at his mysteriously successful company.<br />
<br />
Much like most of Beret Guy's interactions with people, Beret Guy is cheerful and upbeat, yet indicates that he has at best a scrambled understanding of how people in this situation normally act. Because of this, the job interview becomes increasingly bizarre, starting with Beret Guy's assertion that the company headquarters is a "real building [he] found", implying that the building's reality might be in question. He says his company makes phone accessories, but then adds, "like apps and stickers," two wildly different products in terms of both production and profitability. He is strangely vague about both the position ("someone to write on our computers") and the salary ("a bunch of paychecks"). Then he mentions ghosts, which is either a powerful disincentive from joining the company, yet another sign that Beret Guy is mentally unsound, or both.<br />
<br />
The strip finishes with Beret Guy plugging a cord into an electrical outlet clumsily labeled "Soup," which then, implausibly, actually starts dispensing soup. Most businesses do not function like this.{{Citation needed}} However, this is a typical behaviour of Beret Guy - see a similar example in: [[1395: Power Cord]].<br />
<br />
The title text makes reference to the biblical story of {{w|Job (biblical figure)|Job}} (pronounced with a long O to rhyme with globe), who was put through many horrendous ordeals to test his faith in God. This suggests that the interviewee will be taking on not a "job experience" but rather a "Job experience" (i.e. the job will be a horrendous ordeal).<br />
<br />
Other job interviews were portrayed in [[125: Marketing Interview]], [[1088: Five Years]], [[1094: Interview]], and [[1545: Strengths and Weaknesses]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Beret Guy walks in, followed by a...'prospective hire'.]<br />
:Beret Guy: Welcome to our company! We're headquartered here, in this real building I found!<br />
<br />
:[Both people sit down at a table. The 'hire' has a tray with food and a beverage. Beret Guy has a bowl. In the adjacent wall, there is a power outlet with a paper label taped to it marked "Soup". A small roll of wire sits next to Beret Guy's chair.]<br />
:'Hire': What do you.. ''do''?<br />
:Beret Guy: We make stuff for phones! Like apps and stickers!<br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy grabs the roll of wire.]<br />
:Beret Guy: We want to hire you to write on our computers. We can offer you a bunch of paychecks! <small>There are ghosts here.</small><br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy unrolls the wire and plugs it into the wall.]<br />
:'Hire': ...Are you sure this is a company?<br />
:Beret Guy: I hope so!<br />
<br />
:[Soup (or something one can only hope is soup) streams out of the plugged-in wire into Beret Guy's bowl.]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Beret Guy's Business]]<br />
[[Category:Religion]]</div>162.158.56.215https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1545:_Strengths_and_Weaknesses&diff=968781545: Strengths and Weaknesses2015-07-03T04:19:02Z<p>162.158.56.215: /* Explanation */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1545<br />
| date = July 1, 2015<br />
| title = Strengths and Weaknesses<br />
| image = strengths_and_weaknesses.png<br />
| titletext = Do you need me to do a quicksort on the whiteboard or produce a generation of offspring or something? It might take me a bit, but I can do it.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
[[Cueball]] is in a job interview and is being asked prototypical job interview questions by [[Ponytail]], "What is your greatest weakness?", "What is your greatest strength?" and "Where do you see yourself in five years?"<br />
<br />
In a roundabout way, Cueball answers that he is a living organism, and as such he has inherent flaws which could cause him to die. This is a reference to the fact that biological systems are "messy" and are not always optimal in design or operation. For example, cancer is a disease where the cellular machinery that governs cell replications breaks down and prolific cell division happens, endangering the organism through the creation of tumors. While this is a true weakness, it is also a weakness of all biological organisms and is not likely to help the interviewer determine if he is qualified for the job. However, it is likely to help the interviewer determine if he is right for the job -- because the interviewer is likely to know that a person who gives silly and unhelpful answers is not right for most positions.<br />
<br />
For the second question Cueball answers that he will one day be the ancestor to all living humans or none of them. As you go farther and farther into the future the ratio of people alive will either go to 0% or 100% of the descendants of the character. The {{w|Most_recent_common_ancestor| most recent common ancestor (MRCA)}} for humans is estimated to have been alive between 2,000 and 4,000 years ago. If the MRCA's ancestors are traced back, the {{w|Identical_ancestors_point|Identical Ancestors Point}} can be found, at which point the entire population are either ancestors all living humans or no living humans. For humans, this point is estimated to be between 5,000 and 15,000 years ago.<br />
<br />
In the last frame, for Cueball to be the ancestor to all living humans within 5 years means that all the humans who are not his children or grandchildren (including Cueball himself), must have died in a near total extinction of the human race - his apparent optimism about the possibility of this occurring would therefore be worrisome. <br />
<br />
The overarching joke is that Cueball assumes that the interviewer is assessing his fitness as an organism from a genetic perspective rather than his fitness for performing a particular job. The biggest limitation on fitness is survival time and mortality.<br />
<br />
The title text takes this further, equating producing offspring during an interview (which would be awkward for all involved) with something that may actually help assess a candidate's efficacy as an employee, namely writing out a sorting algorithm on the spot, another prototypical interview question (see also [[1185: Ineffective Sorts]], especially the bottom left panel).<br />
<br />
In [[1088: Five Years]], [[Beret Guy]] is exactly asked where he will be in five years, and he later does an interview of [[Hairy]] in [[1293: Job Interview]]. Other job interviews were portrayed in [[125: Marketing Interview]] and [[1094: Interview]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Ponytail is shown sitting on a swivel chair, to the left of a desk.]<br />
:Ponytail: What would you say is your biggest weakness?<br />
<br />
:[The view expands to show Cueball sitting on another swivel chair, on the opposite side of the desk.]<br />
:Cueball: Probably that I'm a giant tangle of parts that don't always work right, so I can die easily.<br />
<br />
:Ponytail: Biggest strength?<br />
:Cueball: There will come a day when I'm either an ancestor to ''all'' living humans, or to ''none'' of them.<br />
<br />
:Ponytail: Where do you see yourself in five years?<br />
:Cueball: Probably not the ancestor of all living humans yet. But you never know!<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>162.158.56.215