Editing 929: Speculation

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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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During a {{w|basketball}} game, the players discuss the nature of universal conformity. {{w|Facebook}} and the now-defunct {{w|Google+}} were competing {{w|social networks}}; at the time of this comic many people were switching to Plus over Facebook leading many to speculate that Facebook was in decline and that Plus would soon be the dominant social network. As of 2019, it seems that Facebook has successfully held its position as the Default Social Network™, while Google Plus was a colossal blunder for Google and was finally sunset for consumers in April 2019.
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This comic centers on a conversation (held during a {{w|basketball}} game) regarding the nature of conformity in {{w|social networks}}. The first [[Cueball]] like-guy comments on how fast people move from one platform to the next, stating that is was hard enough to get people to use {{w|Facebook}}, so how will it go with switching to Plus (i.e. {{w|Google+}}).
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The two players seem to have a disagreement over this. One player states that it would be ridiculous to expect everyone to move to Plus. The other player denies the notion that they have to, stating that he values his personal preference over conformity. He supports this idea by saying that his mother still uses {{w|AOL}} and other people continue using {{w|IRC}} and that if each time a new dominant social network emerged and everyone switched to it, neither of these things would stick around.
 
  
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They are interrupted when they pass the ball to [[Black Hat]], who immediately shoots it with a crossbow bolt. Their arguments and rather intelligent discussion are derailed by the absurdity of Black Hat's reaction, which is both humorous and puts the issue in stark contrast.
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The other Cueball like-guy say that this is not so important, and mentions how some people still use obsolete social networks (for instance his mother using {{w|AOL}}), without this is troubling his own use of social network. He then goes on to say that a universal following is not everything and then begins to mention the fact that {{w|IRC}} still have a devoted (but dwindling) following. But he never get to finish this sentence.
  
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Black Hat neither joins in the discussion nor does he participate in the game. It seems that any offer to participate in either is met with a blunt and clear denial. He is simply not a conformist.
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Because as he pass the ball towards [[Black Hat]], mid sentence, Black Hat shoots a {{w|crossbow}} bolt through the basketball, with the implication being that he was invited to join the game and that he has declined the invitation. Black hat and his behavior is an allegory intended to showcase a real life case of the argument made at the beginning. For example, he says that he is not the catch type, which symbolically represents the minority of social network users who doesn't care about universal acceptance and will use whichever social network they prefer, regardless of the opinions of the majority. This phrase may also be a pun that he shot (as in hit an object with projectile as opposed to the expected basketball connotation of shot) the ball as opposed to catching it.
  
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A possible explanation for the joke is that while tech geeks or Google enthusiasts might discuss whether the world will move from Facebook to Plus, a number of people might simply ignore the debate and "shoot" the discussion dead by just ignoring the existence of anything that isn't Facebook. Or even that of Facebook itself; Blackhat's attention appears to be on a phone, at least before and after having loosed the crossbow bolt, but there's no obvious clue here as to what he actually uses it for/with, at the time of this comic.
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In the title text, we hear of another instance of Black Hat playing by his own rules at a {{w|skeet shooting}} range. A clay pigeon is a clay disc that is thrown into the air and serves as a target for a shotgun. For the sole purpose of bending the rules, Black Hat captured the clay pigeons using a net and ''then'' shot them from a very close range (execution style) despite seemingly being an excellent shot as indicated by his crossbow skills. This practice eventually got him expelled from the shooting range.
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In the title text, Black Hat continues to provide an example of his tendency to play by his own rules. A clay pigeon is a clay disc that is thrown into the air and serves as a target on a {{w|skeet shooting}} range. Participants are expected to shoot the pigeons with a shotgun but Black Hat would rather capture the clay pigeons and shoot them from a very close range. (This is made even more humorous by the excellent crossbow skills he shows in the comic.) This practice eventually got him expelled from the shooting range. It is unclear whether Black Hat was good at shooting clay pigeons from farther away.
 
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
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:Cueball: My mom still uses AOL—it doesn't mean my social life has to happen there.
 
:Cueball: My mom still uses AOL—it doesn't mean my social life has to happen there.
  
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:[Only Cueball is shown. He passes the basketball to the right towards the off-panel Black Hat.]
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:[Only Cueball is shown. He passes the basketball to the right towards the off-pannel Black Hat.]
 
:Cueball: Universal adoption isn't everything. I mean, IRC is still—
 
:Cueball: Universal adoption isn't everything. I mean, IRC is still—
  
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:[Zoom in on the basketball as a crossbow bolt pierces the ball, forming a slight depression.]
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:[Zoom in on the basketball as an arrow pierces the ball.]
 
:''Thunk''
 
:''Thunk''
  
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[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
 
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
 
[[Category:Social networking]]
 
[[Category:Social networking]]
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[[Category:Google Plus]]
 
 
[[Category:Basketball]]
 
[[Category:Basketball]]
 
[[Category:Crossbows]]
 
[[Category:Crossbows]]
 
[[Category:Sport]] <!-- The other sport mentioned being skeet shooting -->
 
[[Category:Sport]] <!-- The other sport mentioned being skeet shooting -->

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