Editing Talk:2745: Obituary Editor

<!--Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom.-->
I think it's a shame the editor wasn't playing Twister with Death. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.75|162.158.34.75]] 15:55, 3 March 2023 (UTC)

I think this comic is similar to [[393: Ultimate Game]]. Anyone else agree? --[[User:Purah126|Purah126]] ([[User talk:Purah126|talk]]) 16:04, 3 March 2023 (UTC)

Is this the first xkcd character with they/them pronouns? [[User:ISaveXKCDpapers|ISaveXKCDpapers]] ([[User talk:ISaveXKCDpapers|talk]]) 17:31, 3 March 2023 (UTC)
:Nope! [[145: Parody Week: Dinosaur Comics]] came first! [[Special:Contributions/172.71.254.100|172.71.254.100]] 17:48, 3 March 2023 (UTC)
::Au contraire, mon ami. ''That'' comic only contains a discussion of the singular ''they'' and does not imply the existence of any character with they/them pronouns. In this comic, such a character is explicitly identified, that being the editor. [[User:ISaveXKCDpapers|ISaveXKCDpapers]] ([[User talk:ISaveXKCDpapers|talk]]) 18:10, 3 March 2023 (UTC)
:::I think it's rather the much older use of "they" to avoid specifying gender when you don't know the person--to avoid saying "s/he" or whatever.[[Special:Contributions/198.41.238.11|198.41.238.11]] 03:41, 4 March 2023 (UTC)
::::One knows one's own gender more than anyone else, however. I think the suggestion here is that the this is a deliberate act by a "my pronouns are they/them" person, perhaps notable as being a particularly progressive characterisation by Randall (I don't ''think'' he's had trans/gender-fluid characters, before, to any obvious or identifiable degree, BICBW) and so if we presume that they're expressing their identity in such a blatent way then it might be worth a word or two about it).
::::Though I'm as happy to believe that this is an "introextrovert", in life happy to work behind the scenes, an otherwise invisible individual (save for regular and unavoidable interactions with work colleagues, who don't have any confusion about who they are dealing with) who just gets enjoyment from getting the job done, just knowing what 'power' (and concomitant responsibility) they have. Yet, once there is no way that the fuss will affect them, this is what their (post-)final act will be. It's relatively benign (in the grand scheme of such things, nothing like a Dead Hand device sparking full nuclear retaliation upon the world, or anything) and highlights the job at least as much as the person.
::::Or they're a trans-ally, deliberately making ''that'' point. Or this is an option built into the autoposting software, tickbox activated but the (even more unseen/un-selfpublicising) autoposter-author defaulted its output to the non-assuming pronouns. Or any one of a number of other explanations. It could just be Randall determined to not pin down such an irrelevent detail, either way, and never intending to spark a discussion on pronoun-use by accident. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.100|172.70.90.100]] 13:22, 4 March 2023 (UTC)
:::These are very good points. --[[User:Purah126|Purah126]] ([[User talk:Purah126|talk]]) 18:23, 3 March 2023 (UTC)
::::It's kind of odd that the self-aggrandizing obituaries editor would omit their own name from their own self-written obituary. If they wanted to be memorialized by the rest of the human race, they probably should have mentioned their name. --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.127.37|172.70.127.37]] 16:23, 4 March 2023 (UTC)
:::::Why I think they're not looking for (direct, meaningful in their lifetime) fame, just putting the cat amongst the pigeons. They're not even laser-burning their name on the Moon, or similar, but (from this point on) anyone who does a degree of legwork (inversely proportional to how much they might already be aware of this individual, and their demise) can work it out, first-hand. And then the knowledge might memetically spread. Which would be a tribute and memorial in and of itself, far beyond the reach of just a single "I've died, will you remember me?" post anywhere.
:::::Think of {{w|Perplex City}}'s "{{w|Perplex City#Notable cards|Satoshi}}", perhaps? But the answer is the question-setter. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.222|172.70.162.222]] 17:10, 4 March 2023 (UTC)

Is this not a reference to Bill and Ted who challenged Death to a long set of games?
[[Special:Contributions/172.70.110.231|172.70.110.231]] 01:29, 4 March 2023 (UTC)
:Not specifically, as this concept arguably goes back thousands of years; see https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChessWithDeath for a list of examples. ''Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey'' was specifically parodying the game of chess with Death in Ingmar Bergman's ''The Seventh Seal'' (1957). --[[Special:Contributions/172.70.127.37|172.70.127.37]] 16:23, 4 March 2023 (UTC)

I'm not so sure about the interpretation of "no more obituaries"... I took that to mean the usual victory meaning the victor gets to live, as usual, and as such there will be no more obituaries FOR THE EDITOR, alone. Of course, the idea he won't die again at ALL, and is thus immortal, THAT'S new... [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:50, 5 March 2023 (UTC)
The obituary itself was posted using a "dead man's switch".
@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 I'm not so sure about the interpretation of "no more obituaries"... I took that to mean the usual victory meaning the victor gets to live, as usual, and as such there will be no more obituaries FOR THE EDITOR, alone. Of course, the idea he won't die again at ALL, and is thus immortal, THAT'S new... [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:50, 5 March 2023 (UTC)
-:Looking back on this comic, I agree with this comment.  I also believe it only applies to just the editor, who was victorious over death. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 20:37, 15 March 2023 (UTC)
+The obituary itself was posted using a "dead man's switch".
-The obituary itself was posted using a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_man%27s_switch "dead man's switch"].--[[User:Monetdog|Monetdog]] ([[User talk:Monetdog|talk]]) 18:20, 14 March 2023 (UTC)
-[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeathTakesAHoliday Somehow I doubt that humanity would think] [https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/end-of-death-hub positively about the editor's role in ending ''all'' human] {{w|Torchwood: Miracle Day|deaths, if indeed that's what was meant}}. [[User:Whoop whoop pull up|Whoop whoop pull up]] ([[User talk:Whoop whoop pull up|talk]]) 09:26, 10 November 2023 (UTC)