33: Self-reference - Revision history

FaviFake: New template!!! Take a look, it has a new bottom navigation bar to browse the early xkcd comics in the original order, and a new style for the original title!

2025-05-02T06:22:24Z

New template!!! Take a look, it has a new bottom navigation bar to browse the early xkcd comics in the original order, and a new style for the original title!

DollarStoreBa'al at 15:45, 1 May 2025

2025-05-01T15:45:00Z

FaviFake at 14:40, 2 April 2025

2025-04-02T14:40:37Z

FaviFake: fine, i didn't have time

2025-04-02T14:40:14Z

fine, i didn't have time

Beret: /* Explanation */ Stop adding incomplete tags to pages that you could just as easily fix yourself

2025-04-01T18:22:15Z

‎Explanation: Stop adding incomplete tags to pages that you could just as easily fix yourself

FaviFake: {{incomplete|The explanation is confusing and not formally written. Mention Randall has made other comics about self-reference.}}

2025-03-30T10:35:21Z

{{incomplete|The explanation is confusing and not formally written. Mention Randall has made other comics about self-reference.}}

Autranaut: /* Explanation */

2025-03-30T01:36:50Z

‎Explanation

FaviFake at 16:08, 26 March 2025

2025-03-26T16:08:58Z

FaviFake at 16:08, 26 March 2025

2025-03-26T16:08:41Z

FaviFake at 16:08, 26 March 2025

2025-03-26T16:08:28Z

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 | date      = November 21, 2005
 | title     = Self-reference
-| ognumber =35
+| ognumber  = 35
-| ogtitle =Friday's Drawing - Self-reference
+| ogtitle   = Friday's Drawing - Self-reference
-| oglink =https://web.archive.org/web/20060529063505/http://xkcd-drawings.livejournal.com/?skip=20#:~:text=Friday%27s%20Drawing%20%2D%20Self%2Dreference
+| oglink    = https://web.archive.org/web/20060529063505/http://xkcd-drawings.livejournal.com/?skip=20#:~:text=Friday%27s%20Drawing%20%2D%20Self%2Dreference
-| ogprev = 32
+| ogprev    = 32
-| ognext = 41
+| ognext    = 41
 | image     = self-reference.jpg
 | titletext = I think about self-reference a lot. Example: this comment.
 }}
-This was the thirty-fifth comic originally posted to [[LiveJournal]]. The previous one was [[32: Pillar]], and the next one was [[41: Old Drawing]].
+This was the thirty-fifth comic [[LiveJournal|originally posted to LiveJournal]]. The previous one was [[32: Pillar]], and the next one was [[41: Old Drawing]].
 ==Explanation==

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 | date      = November 21, 2005
 | title     = Self-reference
-| before    = <big><big><span class="plainlinks">[https://web.archive.org/web/20060529063505/http://xkcd-drawings.livejournal.com/?skip=20#:~:text=Friday%27s%20Drawing%20%2D%20Self%2Dreference Original title</span>]: '''Friday's Drawing - Self-reference'''</big></big>
+| ognumber =35
 | image     = self-reference.jpg
 | titletext = I think about self-reference a lot. Example: this comment.

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 ==Explanation==
-[[:Category:Self-reference|Self-reference]] is a situation where something (a comic, a drawing, a musical work, a novel, a mathematical theorem) refers to itself in some manner. This can be a powerful technique in art, music, mathematics, and computer science (it is the basis of recursion). In this comic, [[Cueball]] promises not to use self-reference for humor, and then realizes after a beat panel that, since this comic is referring to the series of comics he is part of, he is using self-reference, thus breaking his promise. Without the last panel, this comic wouldn't be funny, and therefore wouldn't break the promise about using self-reference for humor. But with it, and his realization that he is breaking his promise, it does break that promise. Self-references would be most famously used later in [[688: Self-Description]], but also in [[6: Irony]] and also in [[:Category:Self-reference|other comics]].
+[[:Category:Self-reference|Self-reference]] is a situation where something (a comic, a drawing, a musical work, a novel, a mathematical theorem) refers to itself in some manner. This can be a powerful technique in art, music, mathematics, and computer science (it is the basis of recursion). In this comic, [[Cueball]] promises not to use self-reference for humor, and then realizes after a beat panel that, since this comic is referring to the series of comics he is part of, he is using self-reference, thus breaking his promise. Without the last panel, this comic wouldn't be funny, and therefore wouldn't break the promise about using self-reference for humor. But with it, and his realization that he is breaking his promise, it does break that promise. Self-references would be most famously used later in [[688: Self-Description]], but also in [[6: Irony]] and [[:Category:Self-reference|many other comics]].
 The title text is just another humorous self-reference, which cites itself as a reason for Cueball/Randall thinking about self-reference, becoming self-referential in the process.

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 ==Explanation==
-[[:Category:Self-reference|Self-reference]] is a situation where something (a comic, a drawing, a musical work, a novel, a mathematical theorem) refers to itself in some manner. This can be a powerful technique in art, music, mathematics, and computer science (it is the basis of recursion). In this comic, [[Cueball]] promises not to use self-reference for humor, and then realizes after a beat panel that, since this comic is referring to the series of comics he is part of, he is using self-reference, thus breaking his promise. Without the last panel, this comic wouldn't be funny, and therefore wouldn't break the promise about using self-reference for humor. But with it, and his realization that he is breaking his promise, it does break that promise. Self-references have been used most famously later in [[688: Self-Description]], but was already used in [[6: Irony]] and also in [[:Category:Self-reference|other comics]].
+[[:Category:Self-reference|Self-reference]] is a situation where something (a comic, a drawing, a musical work, a novel, a mathematical theorem) refers to itself in some manner. This can be a powerful technique in art, music, mathematics, and computer science (it is the basis of recursion). In this comic, [[Cueball]] promises not to use self-reference for humor, and then realizes after a beat panel that, since this comic is referring to the series of comics he is part of, he is using self-reference, thus breaking his promise. Without the last panel, this comic wouldn't be funny, and therefore wouldn't break the promise about using self-reference for humor. But with it, and his realization that he is breaking his promise, it does break that promise. Self-references would be most famously used later in [[688: Self-Description]], but also in [[6: Irony]] and also in [[:Category:Self-reference|other comics]].
 The title text is just another humorous self-reference, which cites itself as a reason for Cueball/Randall thinking about self-reference, becoming self-referential in the process.

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 ==Explanation==
-{{incomplete|The explanation is confusing and not formally written. Mention Randall has made other [[:Category:Self-reference|comics about self-reference]].}}[[:Category:Self-reference|Self-reference]] is a situation where something (a comic, a drawing, a musical work, a novel, a mathematical theorem) refers to itself in some manner. This can be a powerful technique in art, music, mathematics, and computer science (it is the basis of recursion). In this comic, [[Cueball]] promises not to use self-reference for humor, and then realizes after a beat panel that, since this comic is referring to the series of comics he is part of, he is using self-reference, thus breaking his promise. Without the last panel, this comic wouldn't be funny, and therefore wouldn't break the promise about using self-reference for humor. But with it, and his realization that he is breaking his promise, it does break that promise. Self-references have been used most famously later in [[688: Self-Description]], but was already used in [[6: Irony]] and also in [[:Category:Self-reference|other comics]].
+[[:Category:Self-reference|Self-reference]] is a situation where something (a comic, a drawing, a musical work, a novel, a mathematical theorem) refers to itself in some manner. This can be a powerful technique in art, music, mathematics, and computer science (it is the basis of recursion). In this comic, [[Cueball]] promises not to use self-reference for humor, and then realizes after a beat panel that, since this comic is referring to the series of comics he is part of, he is using self-reference, thus breaking his promise. Without the last panel, this comic wouldn't be funny, and therefore wouldn't break the promise about using self-reference for humor. But with it, and his realization that he is breaking his promise, it does break that promise. Self-references have been used most famously later in [[688: Self-Description]], but was already used in [[6: Irony]] and also in [[:Category:Self-reference|other comics]].
 The title text is just another humorous self-reference, which cites itself as a reason for Cueball/Randall thinking about self-reference, becoming self-referential in the process.

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 ==Explanation==
-{{incomplete|Explain the joke in the title text.}}[[:Category:Self-reference|Self-reference]] is a situation where something (a comic, a drawing, a musical work, a novel, a mathematical theorem) refers to itself in some manner. This can be a powerful technique in art, music, mathematics, and computer science (it is the basis of recursion). In this comic, [[Cueball]] promises not to use self-reference for humor, and then realizes after a beat panel that, since this comic is referring to the series of comics he is part of, he is using self-reference, thus breaking his promise. Without the last panel, this comic wouldn't be funny, and therefore wouldn't break the promise about using self-reference for humor. But with it, and his realization that he is breaking his promise, it does break that promise. Self-references have been used most famously later in [[688: Self-Description]], but was already used in [[6: Irony]] and also in [[:Category:Self-reference|other comics]]. The webcomic Comic JK made a [https://web.archive.org/web/20140323234759/http://comicjk.com/comic.php/44 spoof of this comic].
+{{incomplete|The explanation is confusing and not formally written. Mention Randall has made other [[:Category:Self-reference|comics about self-reference]].}}[[:Category:Self-reference|Self-reference]] is a situation where something (a comic, a drawing, a musical work, a novel, a mathematical theorem) refers to itself in some manner. This can be a powerful technique in art, music, mathematics, and computer science (it is the basis of recursion). In this comic, [[Cueball]] promises not to use self-reference for humor, and then realizes after a beat panel that, since this comic is referring to the series of comics he is part of, he is using self-reference, thus breaking his promise. Without the last panel, this comic wouldn't be funny, and therefore wouldn't break the promise about using self-reference for humor. But with it, and his realization that he is breaking his promise, it does break that promise. Self-references have been used most famously later in [[688: Self-Description]], but was already used in [[6: Irony]] and also in [[:Category:Self-reference|other comics]].
 The title text is just another humorous self-reference, which cites itself as a reason for Cueball/Randall thinking about self-reference, becoming self-referential in the process.
@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 ==Trivia==
-The original title of the comic was wrong, as this comic was released on a Monday, not a Friday. The [[32: Pillar|previous comic]] was actually supposed to come out on a Friday, but [[Randall Munroe|Randall]] forgot to post it in time and released in on a Saturday. See more on [[32: Pillar#Explanation|that comic's explanation]].
+* The original title of the comic was wrong, as this comic was released on a Monday, not a Friday. The [[32: Pillar|previous comic]] was actually supposed to come out on a Friday, but [[Randall Munroe|Randall]] forgot to post it in time and released in on a Saturday. See more on [[32: Pillar]]'s [[32: Pillar#Explanation|explanation]].
 {{comic discussion}}

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 {{incomplete|Explain the joke in the title text.}}[[:Category:Self-reference|Self-reference]] is a situation where something (a comic, a drawing, a musical work, a novel, a mathematical theorem) refers to itself in some manner. This can be a powerful technique in art, music, mathematics, and computer science (it is the basis of recursion). In this comic, [[Cueball]] promises not to use self-reference for humor, and then realizes after a beat panel that, since this comic is referring to the series of comics he is part of, he is using self-reference, thus breaking his promise. Without the last panel, this comic wouldn't be funny, and therefore wouldn't break the promise about using self-reference for humor. But with it, and his realization that he is breaking his promise, it does break that promise. Self-references have been used most famously later in [[688: Self-Description]], but was already used in [[6: Irony]] and also in [[:Category:Self-reference|other comics]]. The webcomic Comic JK made a [https://web.archive.org/web/20140323234759/http://comicjk.com/comic.php/44 spoof of this comic].
-The title text is just another humorous self-reference.
+The title text is just another humorous self-reference, which cites itself as a reason for Cueball/Randall thinking about self-reference, becoming self-referential in the process.
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 }}
 This was the thirty-fifth comic originally posted to [[LiveJournal]]. The previous one was [[32: Pillar]], and the next one was [[41: Old Drawing]].
-{{w|Self-reference}} is a situation where something (a comic, a drawing, a musical work, a novel, a mathematical theorem) refers to itself in some manner. This can be a powerful technique in art, music, mathematics, and computer science (it is the basis of recursion). In this comic, [[Cueball]] promises not to use self-reference for humor, and then realizes after a beat panel that, since this comic is referring to the series of comics he is part of, he is using self-reference, thus breaking his promise. Without the last panel, this comic wouldn't be funny, and therefore wouldn't break the promise about using self-reference for humor. But with it, and his realization that he is breaking his promise, it does break that promise. Self-references have been used most famously later in [[688: Self-Description]], but was already used in [[6: Irony]] and also in [[:Category:Self-reference|other comics]]. The webcomic Comic JK made a [https://web.archive.org/web/20140323234759/http://comicjk.com/comic.php/44 spoof of this comic].
+==Explanation==
 The title text is just another humorous{{Citation needed}} self-reference.