Editing 2810: How to Coil a Cable

{{comic
| number    = 2810
| date      = August 2, 2023
| title     = How to Coil a Cable
| image     = how_to_coil_a_cable_2x.png
| imagesize = 366x713px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = The ideal mix for maximum competitive cable-coiling energy is one A/V tech, one rock climber, one sailor, and one topologist.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a CLIMBING MARINE A/V TOPOLOGIST - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

Long cables left in a random pile develop knots and look messy, especially if there are several different cables. The causes of this are not well understood, but may relate to socks disappearing in the wash and to clothes ending up within duvet covers. Cables are often carefully coiled - arranged in a compact series of loops - to take up less space or avoid tangling with other cables, either for storage or when only part of a cable's length is needed to make a connection. Cables often remain curved or uneven after uncoiling. This comic humorously states that the best way to coil a cable is to proclaim that these deformations must be due to a flaw in the cable (step 1). Well-meaning people then descend upon the asker, eager to share their obscure knowledge of cable-coiling (a bit like in [[208: Regular Expressions]]). Long and confusing explanations ensue (step 3), and they eventually coil it themselves (step 4). The asker is unlikely to be able to reproduce this process themselves, and may still find deformations in the cable later; they will likely need to return to step 1 the next time they need the cable coiled.

This is reminiscent of {{w|Ward_Cunningham#Law|Godwin's Law}}, which states that "the best way to get the right answer on the Internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer".

The obvious way of coiling a cable - taking hold of the cable's trailing end as it leaves the hand, and bringing it back around into the hand in a circle, so it forms a simple helix - causes the cable to twist along its length in the same direction for each turn, and requires the person unravelling it to cope with the twisting.

The title text mentions several diverse specialties that have something to say about cables, lines, and/or knots.

The audio technician's way of coiling a cable involves alternating each obvious helix loop with a backhand loop (backwards helix turn) where the loop curls the same way as the other loops, but its 'helix height' is backwards so the trailing end ends up between the rest of the gathered cable and the previous loop. This causes the twists and antitwists to cancel out, resulting in a cable that does not twist while coiled and uncoiled.

The rock climber’s way of preventing twists and tangles in a rope involves “Flaking” a rope - running it through your hands and piling it loosely - which is used when unwinding a coil in to a pile on the ground. This also affords the climber to quickly detect damage and kinks by feel. The reference to rock climbing is later mentioned in the title text when having a rock climber present is mentioned.

A figure-8 coil is used on some boats: the rope is held in one hand, and wound across the forearm to loop under the elbow, then back across the forearm and through the hand in the same direction each time. This also avoids twists.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:How to Coil a Cable Properly

:Step 1
:Cueball: I need to buy a different brand of cable! This one always twists into spirals and gets tangled.

:Step 2
:White Hat: No! That's because of how you're coiling it!

:Step 3
:Ponytail / White Hat / Hairy: ...over-under method... ...figure-8... ...quarter-turn... ...flaking...

:Step 4
:Neatly coiled!

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