3105: Interoperability - Revision history

MeZimm: /* Explanation */ tweaks to "destination announcement" paragraph

2026-05-11T19:50:33Z

‎Explanation: tweaks to "destination announcement" paragraph

MeZimm: /* Explanation */ "destination announcement" notes

2026-05-11T19:40:24Z

‎Explanation: "destination announcement" notes

68.101.170.57: Black hat does not talk about rail systems and subways at all, but instead only mentions the relationship between railways and roller coasters.

2026-05-04T16:57:42Z

Black hat does not talk about rail systems and subways at all, but instead only mentions the relationship between railways and roller coasters.

184.185.46.82: add comma

2025-10-22T18:57:26Z

add comma

FaviFake: /* Transcript */

2025-08-17T21:51:00Z

‎Transcript

Mathmaster at 21:48, 17 August 2025

2025-08-17T21:48:17Z

Mathmaster at 21:48, 17 August 2025

2025-08-17T21:48:07Z

92.23.2.228: Undo revision 381329 by 73.131.241.88 (talk) Not ctually a typo. "in" as in "inches", clearly following the "ft" as in "feet [and]".

2025-07-15T19:41:40Z

Undo revision 381329 by 73.131.241.88 (talk) Not ctually a typo. "in" as in "inches", clearly following the "ft" as in "feet [and]".

73.131.241.88: /* Explanation */ blatant typo in, in

2025-07-15T18:26:40Z

‎Explanation: blatant typo in, in

Cock: mention on the 3106 page is more detailed and more relevant there

2025-07-03T11:02:22Z

mention on the 3106 page is more detailed and more relevant there

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 The audience responds that "maybe interoperability is actually bad". In fact, while interoperability can have major benefits in the right circumstances, there are many cases in which different systems should not be interfaced, and designing them to make such interfaces impossible is a good design principle. For example, electric systems that operate at different voltages might have differently designed plugs, to prevent accidentally plugging one into the other. As another example, in oxy-acetylene welding rigs, the oxygen hoses have right-hand threads while the acetylene hoses have left-hand threads to avoid a mixup with explosive consequences.  In this case, even if it were possible to interface trains and roller coasters, it would be a terrible idea.
-Additionally, Black Hat's assurance that "If you listen to the destination announcement while boarding, you'll be fine" provides hardly any comfort. Many commuters taking the subway don't listen carefully to destination announcements, and instead rely on other clues to inform them of the destination for a given train (such as maps and the names of stations posted in written form on signs). A great many simply rely on force of habit, since commuters usually use the same modes of transportation day after day. If a given commuter doesn't realize that something has changed, they would have no particular reason to be particularly attentive to the destination announcements, and could easily miss that the train they plan to take is going somewhere very different and more dangerous than usual. Even for commuters who DO intend to listen to the announcement, there is a chance that ambient noise in the subway station or poorly-functioning audio equipment will obscure the announcement, or that the announcement will be deliberately phrased in a way that does not communicate the impending peril that the commuters will find themselves in (perhaps by saying merely that the train is going to a given amusement park, with no mention of the fact that the train itself will be flying along the roller coaster tracks at said amusement park.) The way Black Hat has phrased this also implies that the announcement can only be heard "WHILE boarding" - with the connotation that the announcement is only made within the subway car rather than the station, and consequently can only be reasonably heard by someone who is themselves already inside the car. Thus, even in otherwise-ideal circumstances, an unsuspecting commuter who listens to the announcement while boarding the train might discover to their horror that they are already and inescapably headed for the rollercoaster tracks, long the doors have closed and their fate is sealed. This is made all the worse due to the crowd movement dynamics in particularly busy subway stations, which can force people onto subway cars that they did not actually desire to board.
+Black Hat's assurance that "If you listen to the destination announcement while boarding, you'll be fine" fails to provide comfort. Many commuters taking the subway don't listen carefully to destination announcements, and instead rely on other clues to inform them of the destination for a given train (such as maps and the names of stations posted in written form on signs). A great many simply rely on force of habit, since commuters usually use the same modes of transportation day after day. If a given commuter doesn't realize that something has changed, they would have no particular reason to be particularly attentive to the destination announcements, and could easily miss that the train they plan to take is going somewhere very different and more dangerous than usual. Even for commuters who DO intend to listen to the announcement, and who understand the language that the announcement is made in, there is a strong chance that ambient noise in the subway or poorly-functioning audio equipment will obscure the announcement. Given Black Hat's malevolent nature, there is also a strong possibility that the announcement will be deliberately phrased in a way that does not communicate the impending peril that the commuters will find themselves in (perhaps by saying merely that the train is going to a given amusement park, with no mention of the fact that the train itself will be flying along the roller coaster tracks at said amusement park.) Additionally, the way Black Hat has phrased this also implies that the announcement can only be heard "WHILE boarding" - with the connotation that the announcement is only made within the subway car rather than the station, and consequently can only be reasonably heard by someone who is themselves already inside the car. Thus, even in otherwise-ideal circumstances, an unsuspecting commuter who listens to the announcement while boarding the train might discover to their horror that they are already and inescapably headed for the rollercoaster tracks, long after their fate is sealed. This is made all the worse due to the crowd movement dynamics in particularly busy subway stations, which can force people onto subway cars that they did not actually desire to board after changing their minds at the last second.
 The title text suggests that Black Hat's company has 'successfully' interfaced the two systems, allowing cars from each to travel onto the other (presumably meaning that they've solved the many, many engineering problems involved). Predictably, this has resulted in no benefits and major problems. Commuters on trains find themselves unexpectedly on roller coasters, which would be jarring, frightening, and dangerous (even if the track holds up to the much heavier train and the train doesn't derail, lack of safety restraints would send people flying around the train cars). This is in addition to the simple fact that people trying to get to a destination largely wouldn't want to be routed onto an amusement park ride instead. By contrast, roller coaster patrons, expecting an exciting ride, would instead find themselves routed to ordinary transit lines, presumably going to destinations that they hadn't planned. Hence, even in the best case scenario, this connection would mess with everyone's plans, which is presumably Black Hat's central intention.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:40, 11 May 2026
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	The audience responds that "maybe interoperability is actually bad". In fact, while interoperability can have major benefits in the right circumstances, there are many cases in which different systems should not be interfaced, and designing them to make such interfaces impossible is a good design principle. For example, electric systems that operate at different voltages might have differently designed plugs, to prevent accidentally plugging one into the other. As another example, in oxy-acetylene welding rigs, the oxygen hoses have right-hand threads while the acetylene hoses have left-hand threads to avoid a mixup with explosive consequences. In this case, even if it were possible to interface trains and roller coasters, it would be a terrible idea.		The audience responds that "maybe interoperability is actually bad". In fact, while interoperability can have major benefits in the right circumstances, there are many cases in which different systems should not be interfaced, and designing them to make such interfaces impossible is a good design principle. For example, electric systems that operate at different voltages might have differently designed plugs, to prevent accidentally plugging one into the other. As another example, in oxy-acetylene welding rigs, the oxygen hoses have right-hand threads while the acetylene hoses have left-hand threads to avoid a mixup with explosive consequences. In this case, even if it were possible to interface trains and roller coasters, it would be a terrible idea.
		+
		+	Additionally, Black Hat's assurance that "If you listen to the destination announcement while boarding, you'll be fine" provides hardly any comfort. Many commuters taking the subway don't listen carefully to destination announcements, and instead rely on other clues to inform them of the destination for a given train (such as maps and the names of stations posted in written form on signs). A great many simply rely on force of habit, since commuters usually use the same modes of transportation day after day. If a given commuter doesn't realize that something has changed, they would have no particular reason to be particularly attentive to the destination announcements, and could easily miss that the train they plan to take is going somewhere very different and more dangerous than usual. Even for commuters who DO intend to listen to the announcement, there is a chance that ambient noise in the subway station or poorly-functioning audio equipment will obscure the announcement, or that the announcement will be deliberately phrased in a way that does not communicate the impending peril that the commuters will find themselves in (perhaps by saying merely that the train is going to a given amusement park, with no mention of the fact that the train itself will be flying along the roller coaster tracks at said amusement park.) The way Black Hat has phrased this also implies that the announcement can only be heard "WHILE boarding" - with the connotation that the announcement is only made within the subway car rather than the station, and consequently can only be reasonably heard by someone who is themselves already inside the car. Thus, even in otherwise-ideal circumstances, an unsuspecting commuter who listens to the announcement while boarding the train might discover to their horror that they are already and inescapably headed for the rollercoaster tracks, long the doors have closed and their fate is sealed. This is made all the worse due to the crowd movement dynamics in particularly busy subway stations, which can force people onto subway cars that they did not actually desire to board.

	The title text suggests that Black Hat's company has 'successfully' interfaced the two systems, allowing cars from each to travel onto the other (presumably meaning that they've solved the many, many engineering problems involved). Predictably, this has resulted in no benefits and major problems. Commuters on trains find themselves unexpectedly on roller coasters, which would be jarring, frightening, and dangerous (even if the track holds up to the much heavier train and the train doesn't derail, lack of safety restraints would send people flying around the train cars). This is in addition to the simple fact that people trying to get to a destination largely wouldn't want to be routed onto an amusement park ride instead. By contrast, roller coaster patrons, expecting an exciting ride, would instead find themselves routed to ordinary transit lines, presumably going to destinations that they hadn't planned. Hence, even in the best case scenario, this connection would mess with everyone's plans, which is presumably Black Hat's central intention.		The title text suggests that Black Hat's company has 'successfully' interfaced the two systems, allowing cars from each to travel onto the other (presumably meaning that they've solved the many, many engineering problems involved). Predictably, this has resulted in no benefits and major problems. Commuters on trains find themselves unexpectedly on roller coasters, which would be jarring, frightening, and dangerous (even if the track holds up to the much heavier train and the train doesn't derail, lack of safety restraints would send people flying around the train cars). This is in addition to the simple fact that people trying to get to a destination largely wouldn't want to be routed onto an amusement park ride instead. By contrast, roller coaster patrons, expecting an exciting ride, would instead find themselves routed to ordinary transit lines, presumably going to destinations that they hadn't planned. Hence, even in the best case scenario, this connection would mess with everyone's plans, which is presumably Black Hat's central intention.

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 [[Black Hat]] gives a presentation to [[Cueball]] and [[Hairbun]] in which he emphasizes the importance of {{w|interoperability}} and compatibility. These terms refer to designing systems in such a way that they can work together and share assets or components without modification or an additional interface. The terms are most commonly used in {{w|information technology}} to refer to different systems using the same formatting standards and communication protocols to allow the systems to interface and files to be exchanged easily. They also apply to hardware systems, where different pieces of equipment might use standardized parts and dimensions to allow them to be integrated easily. Railroads are a common example of this principle — if different railway systems are built to different gauges (the distance between the tracks), then rolling stock from one railway can't travel on another without major modifications. Building railroads to common specifications means that they can connect to one another, and can share, exchange and purchase equipment without compatibility issues.
-Black Hat points out that US rail systems predominantly use the standard gauge of 143.5cm (or the virtually identical 4 ft 8½ in, in the US), and associated {{w|Rapid transit|subway systems}} and their cars are built to match this standard. This is a good example of interoperable systems. However, he also points out that roller coasters typically use a different gauge, presenting this as a problem, then goes on to state that his company has been retrofitting roller coasters to match railway gauge, and speaks ominously about "Phase 2". This suggests that he plans to either run railroad stock on roller coasters or use roller coaster cars on train tracks or, as the title text suggests, both.
+US rail systems predominantly use the standard gauge of 143.5cm (or the virtually identical 4 ft 8½ in, in the US), and associated {{w|Rapid transit|subway systems}} and their cars are built to match this standard. This is a good example of interoperable systems. However, Black Hat instead talks about how roller coasters typically use a different gauge, presenting this as a problem, then goes on to state that his company has been retrofitting roller coasters to match railway gauge, and speaks ominously about "Phase 2". This suggests that he plans to either run railroad stock on roller coasters or use roller coaster cars on train tracks or, as the title text suggests, both.
 There are many reasons why this would be a bad idea. Even with identical gauges, roller coasters would not be able to run on train tracks, or vice versa. The tracks, wheels and how they interface would still be completely different. Trains and subways use {{w|Train wheel|sets of flanged steel wheels on top of the track}}, while coasters use {{w|Roller coaster wheel assembly|polyurethane rollers above, below, and to the sides of the track}}. Roller coasters are generally not powered, being initially lifted by a chain and then running on gravity and inertia. Roller coasters aren't built for the kind of weight or size typical to train cars. Any attempt to connect the two systems would almost certainly not work, and if attempted, would cause all kinds of damage and danger, while offering no obvious benefits. Given Black Hat's nature, it's unlikely that this gives him any pause.  As the saying goes, Black Hat would consider this a feature, not a bug.

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 Black Hat points out that US rail systems predominantly use the standard gauge of 143.5cm (or the virtually identical 4 ft 8½ in, in the US), and associated {{w|Rapid transit|subway systems}} and their cars are built to match this standard. This is a good example of interoperable systems. However, he also points out that roller coasters typically use a different gauge, presenting this as a problem, then goes on to state that his company has been retrofitting roller coasters to match railway gauge, and speaks ominously about "Phase 2". This suggests that he plans to either run railroad stock on roller coasters or use roller coaster cars on train tracks or, as the title text suggests, both.
-There are many reasons why this would be a bad idea. Even with identical gauges, roller coasters would not be able to run on train tracks, or vice versa. The tracks, wheels and how they interface would still be completely different. Trains and subways use {{w|Train wheel|sets of flanged steel wheels on top of the track}}, while coasters use {{w|Roller coaster wheel assembly|polyurethane rollers above, below, and to the sides of the track}}. Roller coasters are generally not powered, being initially lifted by a chain and then running on gravity and inertia. Roller coasters aren't built for the kind of weight or size typical to train cars. Any attempt to connect the two systems would almost certainly not work, and if attempted, would cause all kinds of damage and danger, while offering no obvious benefits. Given Black Hat's nature, it's unlikely that this gives him any pause.  As the saying goes, Black Hat would consider this a feature not a bug.
+There are many reasons why this would be a bad idea. Even with identical gauges, roller coasters would not be able to run on train tracks, or vice versa. The tracks, wheels and how they interface would still be completely different. Trains and subways use {{w|Train wheel|sets of flanged steel wheels on top of the track}}, while coasters use {{w|Roller coaster wheel assembly|polyurethane rollers above, below, and to the sides of the track}}. Roller coasters are generally not powered, being initially lifted by a chain and then running on gravity and inertia. Roller coasters aren't built for the kind of weight or size typical to train cars. Any attempt to connect the two systems would almost certainly not work, and if attempted, would cause all kinds of damage and danger, while offering no obvious benefits. Given Black Hat's nature, it's unlikely that this gives him any pause.  As the saying goes, Black Hat would consider this a feature, not a bug.
 The audience responds that "maybe interoperability is actually bad". In fact, while interoperability can have major benefits in the right circumstances, there are many cases in which different systems should not be interfaced, and designing them to make such interfaces impossible is a good design principle. For example, electric systems that operate at different voltages might have differently designed plugs, to prevent accidentally plugging one into the other. As another example, in oxy-acetylene welding rigs, the oxygen hoses have right-hand threads while the acetylene hoses have left-hand threads to avoid a mixup with explosive consequences.  In this case, even if it were possible to interface trains and roller coasters, it would be a terrible idea.

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 : Black Hat: For the last few years, our company has been quietly retrofitting roller coasters to use 143.5 cm tracks.
-: [Black Hat now has both of his fists pumped and the diagram is ]
+: [Black Hat now has both of his fists pumped and the diagram is outside of the frame]
 : Black Hat: Soon, we can begin phase 2.
 : Voice from off-panel: Maybe interoperability is actually bad.

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 ==Transcript==
 : [A close-up shot of Black Hat from the shoulders up]
 : Black Hat: Compatibility and interoperability are so important.

@@ Line 35: / Line 35: @@
 : Voice from off-panel: Maybe interoperability is actually bad.
 : Black Hat: If you listen to the destination announcement while boarding, you'll be fine.
 {{comic discussion}}<noinclude>