https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=172.70.250.13&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T21:17:18ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2576:_Control_Group&diff=228015Talk:2576: Control Group2022-03-06T02:27:04Z<p>172.70.250.13: </p>
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This is my first explanation, feel free to improve upon it. [[User:KirbyDude25|KirbyDude25]] ([[User talk:KirbyDude25|talk]]) 00:30, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
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Ran into your edit when I tried to submit mine, hah.<br />
I don't actually like Know Your Meme that much but I'm not sure where else I could source that joke. Maybe it's unnecessary. [[User:Obw|Obw]] ([[User talk:Obw|talk]]) 00:36, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:Sorry about that. Thanks for expanding my explanation, especially the description of the "study" aspect. I think the joke is fine, though we'll see what others think. [[User:KirbyDude25|KirbyDude25]] ([[User talk:KirbyDude25|talk]]) 00:43, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:Your explanation of the title text actually helped me understand the joke there! I added a bit more to flesh out the explanation [[User:Obw|Obw]] ([[User talk:Obw|talk]]) 00:45, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:Thanks! Your edits definitely helped clear up the study terminology. [[User:KirbyDude25|KirbyDude25]] ([[User talk:KirbyDude25|talk]]) 00:50, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
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Is the text exceptionally large for an xkcd comic? I was seeing if my browser was zoomed in, but the previous comics are all a normal size [[Special:Contributions/172.70.134.215|172.70.134.215]] 00:55, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:I noticed that, too. It looks about 1.5 times larger than normal. I don't think it means anything, though; Randall probably just made the image the wrong size by accident. [[User:KirbyDude25|KirbyDude25]] ([[User talk:KirbyDude25|talk]]) 01:00, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:The image is the size normally used for the _2x version. In this case, the main image is the same size as the _2x version for some reason. Normal image: https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/control_group.png; 2x image: https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/control_group_2x.png; Normally the _2x version is double size for hi-DPI displays. I'm hoping that will get fixed and we'll get the normal size back. [[User:Orion205|Orion205]] ([[User talk:Orion205|talk]]) 01:11, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
::This size is way better though. Do people still use low-res monitors? When I check the website, it shows up as 478 x 613 pixels, which is absurdly small, even for a webcomic. - [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.153|172.70.130.153]] 01:33, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:::Some of us use "low-res" monitors. 1280x720 here, which I see as standard and not "low". [[User:Ralfoide|Ralfoide]] ([[User talk:Ralfoide|talk]]) 21:46, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
::::What decade is this?! Stores don't even sell 720p monitors anymore. When I bought my current tv, even HD less common than 4k. My PHONE is almost 4k, and it's over 4 years old at this point! - [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.153|172.70.130.153]] 01:46, 4 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:::The site standard is to give the standard version, for various reasons not just confined to monitor (or, in my case, tablet) resolution. It doesn't happen here, but the double-wide version of some comics would often make my device shrink the rest of the page to make the image fit within the width.<br />
:::(Ironically, my device seems to load the _2x in the original published context, in normal non-huge comics, ''without'' changing the xkcd site dimensions, so maybe there's a CSS solution to that, as well as it clearly heing the reason for the current problem due to hard-coded pixel-widths adding up to less than necessary to wholey contain the image-width.)<br />
:::If the _2x version is necessary to see details (not the case here), a link to that version is given. Or if it has been uploaded as well, I suppose. But anyone can go to the source and get the _2x if they want it. But for this comic it adds little value. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.79|172.70.85.79]] 02:57, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
::::Is there some way to make it DEFAULT to the 2x version (here or on xkcd.com) without some kind of addons or external scripts? I didn't see any settings, and I don't want to register an account. - [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.166|162.158.74.166]] 03:05, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:::::The bot that makes these pages now was set to use the _2x version by default briefly, but was asked to switch back to the normal size. See this talk page: [[User_talk:Theusaf]]. [[User:Orion205|Orion205]] ([[User talk:Orion205|talk]]) 21:03, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:::: Why is the "standard" version so tiny? If anything, they should make the <1mp version mobile-only, and the standard should be desktop/hd - [[Special:Contributions/172.70.131.122|172.70.131.122]] 03:03, 3 February 2022 (UTC) <br />
::::: I could give you several technical reasons why this is just not going to work here, without a lot of reworking that will probably involve breaking a significant number of readers of this site, but I don't think you'll be dissuaded. Like I said, it works 'natively' like that in the xkcd site, but it often breaks things here on explainxkcd (in my case, YMMV). It's been discussed under the Community Portal pages for this site, I know, but I'll leave it to you to find out how that went. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.29|162.158.159.29]] 03:15, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
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Anyone know why the title text doesn't show properly? For me, the rows are on separate lines on xkcd.com but display on the same line over here, ruining the effect. Is there a hidden break character that's not displaying in the source? [[User:Zzyzx|Zzyzx]] ([[User talk:Zzyzx|talk]]) 03:07, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
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Knowing if you are in the control group or not can falsify the results, which is why any self-respecting study (aka blind or double blind) won't tell their participants this information. [[User:Kimmerin|Kimmerin]] ([[User talk:Kimmerin|talk]]) 10:25, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:Agreed. I think that Cueball is trying to put two over on Ponytail, as well as anybody else that annoys him about Wordle. [[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]]) 03:17, 8 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
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imo placeable could mean you get to place the correct or incorrect into the box? and the x/6 could have x be a variable, and the grey squares are actually blank to change to correct or incorrect? idk ive never played wordle [[Special:Contributions/162.158.187.158|162.158.187.158]] 13:23, 3 February 2022 (UTC)Bumpf<br />
:It says "Placeble," without the second A (meaning described above). Perhaps your theory about the squares is correct, but I think it's more likely that they're just blank and that the "placebo" Wordle doesn't actually have a word to guess. [[User:KirbyDude25|KirbyDude25]] ([[User talk:KirbyDude25|talk]]) 13:32, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
::"Wordle" is just a portmanteau of "Word" and "Wardle" - so "Placeble" is likewise one of "placebo" and "Wordle". I don't think much more should be read into it. It would be interesting to think about how hard it is to not get any squares right in a Wordle puzzle, though. You'd have to get "lucky" on the first word. I'm not sure - can you enter the same word twice, or does the page stop you? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.135.154|172.70.135.154]] 15:18, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
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Given the current context, it feels like there may also be some reference here to Wordle's 'virality', and allusion to virus-related vaccine and treatment studies.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.121|172.70.90.121]] 16:26, 3 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
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I think Randall accidentally put up tomorrow’s comic early, then took it down after a few minutes. It was a graph about how often he thinks about his nasal passages.[[User:Szeth Pancakes|Szeth Pancakes]] ([[User talk:Szeth Pancakes|talk]]) 00:02, 4 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
:That sounds like [[2563: Throat and Nasal Passages]]. - [[User:Orion205|Orion205]] ([[User talk:Orion205|talk]]) 02:31, 4 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
::Huh. The site must’ve glitched out on me. Either that, or I’m mentally disturbed. I’m probably just mentally disturbed.[[User:Szeth Pancakes|Szeth Pancakes]] ([[User talk:Szeth Pancakes|talk]]) 19:53, 4 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
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Does anyone else think this explanation is complete? It doesn't look like anything else needs to be added. [[User:KirbyDude25|KirbyDude25]] ([[User talk:KirbyDude25|talk]]) 13:15, 4 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
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Looks like it's normal size now on xkcd.com. Can someone update the image? [[User:KirbyDude25|KirbyDude25]] ([[User talk:KirbyDude25|talk]]) 14:15, 9 February 2022 (UTC)<br />
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I think this joke refers to the anti-vaxxer meme where someone refuses to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by saying: "I'm in the control group" to imply that the vacine hasn't been tested before being rolled out, and the people who take it are guinea pigs. Anti-vaxxers also believe that the disease is a hoax and the vaccine does nothing, hence the placebo joke. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.250.13|172.70.250.13]] 02:27, 6 March 2022 (UTC)</div>172.70.250.13https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1815:_Flag&diff=2279101815: Flag2022-03-03T09:36:01Z<p>172.70.250.13: </p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1815<br />
| date = March 24, 2017<br />
| title = Flag<br />
| image = flag.png<br />
| titletext = There's a compromise bill to keep the notification bar but at least charge the battery.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
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Presumably [[Randall]] was hired by a committee to propose a new {{w|flag}} for an unspecified country. His process of editing the flag involved taking a screenshot of his design to export it, a mistake that went unnoticed by anyone until the flag was officially implemented.<br />
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Once the problem was pointed out, the design committee placed the blame on Randall, but could not immediately undo their decision until new suggestions had been submitted and a new committee could agree on another design. Thus the country is now stuck with this design, making it the only country with such a bar in the flag.<br />
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The title text mentions a compromise bill that will change the flag. This implies that the flag was approved with the status bar included. Apparently, there is some controversy about removing the status bar from the flag, as the compromise bill proposes keeping the status bar and changing the displayed percentage of the battery from 39% to 100%. This may be wordplay on the term "charge" as used in {{w|vexillology}}, where it refers to a figure appearing on the background of the flag. It may also be a reference to [[1373: Screenshot]].<br />
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===Flag design===<br />
The ''bar'' in ''notification bar'', is a vexillological descriptor, as in the "{{w|Flags_of_the_Confederate_States_of_America#First_flag:_the_.22Stars_and_Bars.22_.281861.E2.80.931863.29|Stars and Bars}}," a term used for the first flag of the {{w|Confederate States of America}}, not to be confused with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stars_and_bars_(combinatorics) the counting technique.]<br />
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Flags are often minimalist and involve geometric shapes and solid colors. A notification bar at the top of the flag would clash with these design elements and look unprofessional.{{Citation needed}} The flag in the comic is otherwise well-designed, conforming with a principle of heraldry and vexillology known as the {{w|rule of tincture}}: the "metals" consist of white/silver and yellow/gold, while the "colours" consist of red, blue, green, black, and purple; anything in the "metal" category should only be placed upon a background of the "colour" category and vice versa.<br />
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The elements of the flag's intended design&mdash;the colors red, white, and blue; the use of stripes; and the star emblems&mdash;are the same that are used in the American flag the {{w|Flag of the United States|Stars and Stripes}}.<br />
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The elements of this flag are, however, also present in several other existing flags, like those derived from {{w|Union Jack}}, the flag of the {{w|United Kingdom}}, and like the flags of {{w|Flag_of_Australia|Australia}} and {{w|Flag_of_New_Zealand|New Zealand}}. They are also in the flags of {{w|Flag of North Korea|North Korea}}, {{w|Flag_of_Liberia|Liberia}}, and {{w|Flag_of_Malaysia|Malaysia}}. The flags from USA, Australia, Liberia and Chile have [[commons:Category:Flags_with_white_stars|white stars]], and those of USA and Liberia have [[commons:Category:Flags_with_white_stripes|white bars]] as well.<br />
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===Theories===<br />
The low battery status might imply that the country is low on resources. It thus seems like people have taken the reference to modern times smartphones to their hearts and actually wish to have this very modern design.<br />
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But if they indeed continue with this idea, thinking that their country would look better with a full battery charge, they might also consider changing the 3G connection to the {{w|4G|newer 4G}} version and giving the phone a full signal (5/5 instead of only 3/5 dots), and maybe also choose a time that would mean something rather than 5:48 PM. For instance noon/midnight, or 8:00.<br />
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The reason such a status bar could be missed in the first place could be that most people today look at pictures on their smartphones all the time, and thus their own phone's status bar is indirectly included at the top of all the pictures they see. People thus do not notice these status bars any longer as they are always there and clearly not important for the picture. Randall has mentioned before, in [[1373: Screenshot]], that he cannot take smartphone screenshots seriously if the battery of the device is low, as he cannot focus on the content, becoming afraid his own device is running out of power—a problem that only occurs if he sees it on his smartphone, as he then becomes concerned that it is his phone that is about to run out of charge. But in this status bar, there is still 39%, enough not to cause immediate concern. His fear of losing his on-line connection like this was the joke in the comic [[1802: Phone]] released about a month before this one.<br />
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Since Randall was asked to create this flag, it seems most likely that he would have to be a citizen of this new country. It could thus indicate that a group of states has broken free from the United States to form their own smaller union of three states, one for each star. With the current political situation in the states after {{w|Donald Trump|Donald Trump’s}} {{w|Inauguration of Donald Trump|inauguration}} there has been some talk about states leaving the USA, and Randall has clearly been against the election of Trump, see [[1756: I'm With Her]]. His choice of comic subjects seems to have been [[Sad_comics|affected]] by the election result. Since Randall lives in {{w|Massachusetts}}, it could be this and two other nearby states that have formed their own new union of states, maybe the other two small states {{w|Connecticut}} and {{w|Rhode Island}}.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
:[A three-colored flag is shown, divided in vertical thirds. The left and rightmost parts of the flag are dark blue, and the center is red and each section has a large white star in its center. Neighboring thirds are separated by a thinner white vertical stripe. At the top of the flag, there is an off-white status bar like one found at the top of an iOS smart device. On the left it is displaying the strength of the connection (3/5 dots), in the center it is displaying the time and on the right there are three small icons the last is the battery charge:]<br />
:3G<br />
:5:48 PM <br />
:39%<br />
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:[Below the panel there are two captions]<br />
:The design committee fired me once they realized that my editing process involved a screenshot, but it was too late.<br />
:Until they change it, our new country has the only national flag to include a phone notification bar.<br />
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{{comic discussion}}<br />
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[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Smartphones]]</div>172.70.250.13