1032: Networking - Revision history

YZ100 at 05:12, 13 May 2026

2026-05-13T05:12:40Z

CalibansCreations: /* Explanation */

2025-04-29T11:34:30Z

‎Explanation

141.101.99.162: Leftover editing from when trying to word the end of the prior paragraph?

2025-03-27T12:06:25Z

Leftover editing from when trying to word the end of the prior paragraph?

141.101.98.63: /* Explanation */

2025-03-26T19:49:18Z

‎Explanation

CalibansCreations: /* Explanation */

2025-03-25T12:28:01Z

‎Explanation

Pego: added some extra info on polecats

2024-10-18T13:14:56Z

added some extra info on polecats

42.book.addict at 19:58, 27 February 2024

2024-02-27T19:58:17Z

Twistleton: update long-tail descriptor (since Netflix no longer has a monopoly on movie streaming), cut diatribe complained about in the discussion

2022-11-30T21:57:30Z

update long-tail descriptor (since Netflix no longer has a monopoly on movie streaming), cut diatribe complained about in the discussion

JLZ0kTC5 at 12:33, 20 November 2022

2022-11-20T12:33:13Z

JLZ0kTC5 at 12:29, 20 November 2022

2022-11-20T12:29:46Z

@@ Line 51: / Line 51: @@
 [[Category:Comics with color]]
 [[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]
 [[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
 [[Category:Beret Guy's Business]]
 [[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]

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 ==Explanation==
-Networking, in business, is the act of expanding your group of contacts in order to help your career down the line. Here, in this comic, [[Beret Guy]] meets {{w|Chief Technology Officer}} (CTO, an executive-level position overseeing the development of new technologies) Connr Clark (perhaps a typo for "Connor" or perhaps a reference to common "Web 2.0" names like the businesses {{w|Flickr}}, {{w|Tumblr}}, etc.). Beret Guy is as strange as he usually is: he introduces himself as a "business professional" rather than as someone with any kind of specific job, and then goes on to mention that he photocopied a burrito, which he presumably believes is the sort of thing business professionals do. He also has a business card; usually, this would contain contact information, but his only says "This is my business card". He calls his briefcase, or suitcase, a "handlebox", and it is full of a quarter of a million dollars in cash. (The source of this money is not discussed in this comic, but in [[1493: Meeting]], Ponytail says it "keeps appearing, but we have no idea how or why.") Then Beret Guy proceeds to eat Connr's business card. Business cards are again mentioned in the title text of [[2277: Business Greetings]], also about one of Beret Guy's businesses. None of these things are common behavior.{{Citation needed}}
+Networking, in business, is the act of expanding your group of contacts in order to help your career down the line. Here, in this comic, [[Beret Guy]] meets Connr Clark,<ref>Perhaps a typo for "Connor" or perhaps a reference to common "Web 2.0" names like the businesses {{w|Flickr}}, {{w|Tumblr}}, etc.</ref> CTO<ref>Short for {{w|chief technology officer}}, an executive-level position overseeing the development of new technologies.</ref> of Eusocial Media Ventures. Beret Guy is as strange as he usually is: he introduces himself as a "business professional" rather than as someone with any kind of specific job, and then goes on to mention that he photocopied a burrito, which he presumably believes is the sort of thing business professionals do. He also has a business card; usually, this would contain contact information, but his only says "This is my business card". He calls his briefcase, or suitcase, a "handlebox", and it is full of a quarter of a million dollars in cash. (The source of this money is not discussed in this comic, but in [[1493: Meeting]], Ponytail says it "keeps appearing, but we have no idea how or why.") Then Beret Guy proceeds to eat Connr's business card. Business cards are again mentioned in the title text of [[2277: Business Greetings]], also about one of Beret Guy's businesses. None of these things are common behavior.{{Citation needed}}
 "Networking" is often an over-hyped, empty affair. There are many networking meetings of every description going on every day everywhere, and most people trade cards and continue to not make money. So that's the joke – Beret Guy does the networking {{w|schtick}}, badly, and yet is somehow making huge amounts of money at it.

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:06, 27 March 2025
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	The "Eusocial" in "Eusocial Media Ventures" is a reference to {{w\|eusociality}}, the highest level of social cooperation found in the animal kingdom. Eusocial animals (termites being a common example) cooperate together to raise their young, have different generations living in the same colony, and have specialized individuals for reproductive and non-reproductive tasks. The name of the company could be considered as aspirational (they are the dynamic and vibrantly creative driving force behind other 'mere' workaday companies, or individuals, who hire them to promote the latter's image to give them increased influence that they cannot gain by themselves), but equally (and perhaps the intent of Randall's already satirical representation of a business conference attendee) it could be a perversely apt description of often disparaged "media" startups which ultimately turn out to be sterile and formulaic service providers who have no great purpose except to try to support others. The fancy word they gave themselves need not have meant much more to the founder(s) than a random collection of syllables they liked the sound of, helped by containing the word "social" of "social media" in it, leaving either the infered claims of world-changing proficiency ''or'' its self-deprecating impression both total coincidences that the venture itself is ironically blind to.		The "Eusocial" in "Eusocial Media Ventures" is a reference to {{w\|eusociality}}, the highest level of social cooperation found in the animal kingdom. Eusocial animals (termites being a common example) cooperate together to raise their young, have different generations living in the same colony, and have specialized individuals for reproductive and non-reproductive tasks. The name of the company could be considered as aspirational (they are the dynamic and vibrantly creative driving force behind other 'mere' workaday companies, or individuals, who hire them to promote the latter's image to give them increased influence that they cannot gain by themselves), but equally (and perhaps the intent of Randall's already satirical representation of a business conference attendee) it could be a perversely apt description of often disparaged "media" startups which ultimately turn out to be sterile and formulaic service providers who have no great purpose except to try to support others. The fancy word they gave themselves need not have meant much more to the founder(s) than a random collection of syllables they liked the sound of, helped by containing the word "social" of "social media" in it, leaving either the infered claims of world-changing proficiency ''or'' its self-deprecating impression both total coincidences that the venture itself is ironically blind to.
−
−	It is not unknown for disparaging opinions to be held about amorphous "media" companies that seemingly aspire to be dynamic and creative groups providing 'content' to third-parties (these days, often to try to promote those other individuals or companies in the world of Social Media). It would be entirely in keeping with such views to understand Eusocial Media Ventures, or its employees, as a vapid and sterile organisation that needs a relationship with

	The title text is a pun on three common business buzzwords: agile, lean, and long-tail. An agile business is one that can change course quickly based on customer demands and the business environment. A lean business is one with minimal inventory or assets; nothing is idle or warehoused, so everything is in active use or on the move. Long-tail describes the strategy of offering a large number of unique items with relatively small quantities sold of each – usually in addition to selling fewer popular items in large quantities. (Most streaming services use some form of long-tail strategy, as their libraries usually include a few big-ticket mainstream movies and series plus a much larger array of titles with more niche interest.)		The title text is a pun on three common business buzzwords: agile, lean, and long-tail. An agile business is one that can change course quickly based on customer demands and the business environment. A lean business is one with minimal inventory or assets; nothing is idle or warehoused, so everything is in active use or on the move. Long-tail describes the strategy of offering a large number of unique items with relatively small quantities sold of each – usually in addition to selling fewer popular items in large quantities. (Most streaming services use some form of long-tail strategy, as their libraries usually include a few big-ticket mainstream movies and series plus a much larger array of titles with more niche interest.)

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 The comic is also likely a joke on the idea that many people are excited about becoming a "business professional" who carries a briefcase, hands out business cards, and makes tons of money, without having an adequate plan for how to make those things happen, or possibly even knowing what their actual job would be. Beret Guy never says what he does, simply introducing himself as a "business professional," and explains his piles of cash with "I am a business grown-up who makes business profits!" In this world —and in people's dreams— when you "grow up" and start a business, money magically appears. Obviously, that's not how it works.{{Citation needed}}
-The "Eusocial" in "Eusocial Media Ventures" is a reference to {{w|eusociality}}, the highest level of social cooperation found in the animal kingdom. Eusocial animals (termites being a common example) cooperate together to raise their young, have different generations living in the same colony, and have specialized individuals for reproductive and non-reproductive tasks.
+The "Eusocial" in "Eusocial Media Ventures" is a reference to {{w|eusociality}}, the highest level of social cooperation found in the animal kingdom. Eusocial animals (termites being a common example) cooperate together to raise their young, have different generations living in the same colony, and have specialized individuals for reproductive and non-reproductive tasks. The name of the company could be considered as aspirational (they are the dynamic and vibrantly creative driving force behind other 'mere' workaday companies, or individuals, who hire them to promote the latter's image to give them increased influence that they cannot gain by themselves), but equally (and perhaps the intent of Randall's already satirical representation of a business conference attendee) it could be a perversely apt description of often disparaged "media" startups which ultimately turn out to be sterile and formulaic service providers who have no great purpose except to try to support others. The fancy word they gave themselves need not have meant much more to the founder(s) than a random collection of syllables they liked the sound of, helped by containing the word "social" of "social media" in it, leaving either the infered claims of world-changing proficiency ''or'' its self-deprecating impression both total coincidences that the venture itself is ironically blind to.
 The title text is a pun on three common business buzzwords: agile, lean, and long-tail. An agile business is one that can change course quickly based on customer demands and the business environment. A lean business is one with minimal inventory or assets; nothing is idle or warehoused, so everything is in active use or on the move. Long-tail describes the strategy of offering a large number of unique items with relatively small quantities sold of each – usually in addition to selling fewer popular items in large quantities. (Most streaming services use some form of long-tail strategy, as their libraries usually include a few big-ticket mainstream movies and series plus a much larger array of titles with more niche interest.)

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 The title text is a pun on three common business buzzwords: agile, lean, and long-tail. An agile business is one that can change course quickly based on customer demands and the business environment. A lean business is one with minimal inventory or assets; nothing is idle or warehoused, so everything is in active use or on the move. Long-tail describes the strategy of offering a large number of unique items with relatively small quantities sold of each – usually in addition to selling fewer popular items in large quantities. (Most streaming services use some form of long-tail strategy, as their libraries usually include a few big-ticket mainstream movies and series plus a much larger array of titles with more niche interest.)
-And of course, the pun here is one animal that is agile and lean with a long ''tail'' is a {{w|polecat}}, a rather nimble animal belonging to the Mustelidae family.
+And of course, the pun here is one animal that is agile and lean with a long ''tail'' is a {{w|polecat}}, a rather nimble animal belonging to the Mustelidae family. ''And he doesn't even own the damn thing.''
 Obviously, Beret Guy's business plan, [[1021: Business Plan]], worked. See also [[1117: My Sky]].