454: Rewiring - Revision history

81.179.195.93: Undo revision 388129 by Agf (talk) (if you'd have put the work into a discussion, I wouldn't have started to undo all these...)

2025-10-03T21:20:20Z

Undo revision 388129 by Agf (talk) (if you'd have put the work into a discussion, I wouldn't have started to undo all these...)

Agf at 20:24, 3 October 2025

2025-10-03T20:24:49Z

FaviFake: /* Explanation */ From the [[explain xkcd:Editor FAQ#citation|Editor FAQ § [Citation needed]:]] "This template should only be placed when there is a deeper sense of humor and should not be overused."

2025-05-13T16:45:48Z

‎Explanation: From the Editor FAQ § [Citation needed]: "This template should only be placed when there is a deeper sense of humor and should not be overused."

172.69.214.239: /* Explanation */

2025-05-12T18:01:11Z

‎Explanation

FaviFake: /* Trivia */

2025-03-08T12:38:34Z

‎Trivia

FaviFake: added Category:Comics edited after their publication using HotCat

2025-03-02T12:54:31Z

added Category:Comics edited after their publication using HotCat

FaviFake: Adding missing information

2025-03-02T12:54:16Z

Adding missing information

JLZ0kTC5 at 10:48, 20 November 2022

2022-11-20T10:48:58Z

Jacky720: rv

2022-05-04T21:03:34Z

Show changes

Ex Kay Cee Dee at 21:03, 4 May 2022

2022-05-04T21:03:28Z

Show changes

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:20, 3 October 2025
Line 31:		Line 31:
	[[Category:Phones]]		[[Category:Phones]]
	[[Category:Comics edited after their publication]]		[[Category:Comics edited after their publication]]
−	~~[[Category:Uncoventional Communcation Mediums]]~~

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:24, 3 October 2025
Line 31:		Line 31:
	[[Category:Phones]]		[[Category:Phones]]
	[[Category:Comics edited after their publication]]		[[Category:Comics edited after their publication]]
		+	[[Category:Uncoventional Communcation Mediums]]

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 Since the faxing of the ethernet cable is apparently successful, the comic is not really about the conversion, but is instead a subtle {{w|computer network}} joke about {{w|Tunneling protocol|tunneling}}, whereby you can embed one kind of network access protocol within a very different protocol. Herein lies the humor: [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] are apparently under the impression that they can achieve a faster connection by tunneling a high-speed protocol (ethernet) through a slower (landline telephone service) one. Generally speaking, this is not true. The only exception is when embedding a compressed data stream within a non-compressed standard. The performance boosts, however, are typically modest for {{w|lossless compression}}, and not the orders of magnitude difference our novices apparently hope for.
-The title text suggests that it shows a fanciful way of converting analog phone lines to {{w|digital}} ethernet lines by simply faxing an ethernet cable, since a fax machine is a tool for {{w|digitizing|converting}} analog content into digital. The title text is a reference to foonetic user relsqui and this comic was presumably inspired by [http://www.xkcdb.com/2001 this conversation] they had over IRC.  The reference to "thread the mail system" means that instead of digitally faxing one end of an Ethernet cable over an analog phone line to another person, which is not possible{{cn}}, the idea is to place one end of the Ethernet cable into a mailing envelope and drop it in a mailbox, while holding on to the other end (presumably on a long spool).  The mailman would pick up the end in the envelope, and deliver it via the usual means of driving a mail van, sorting through automatic and hand sorting procedures, flying in a cargo plane, driving another mail van, etc, until it reaches the recipient - all while the sender is spooling out enough wire to prevent the cable from breaking.  The end result is to thread an Ethernet cable through the entire mail system from sender to recipient.  For a variety of reasons, this is also not practically possible{{cn}}.
+The title text suggests that it shows a fanciful way of converting analog phone lines to {{w|digital}} ethernet lines by simply faxing an ethernet cable, since a fax machine is a tool for {{w|digitizing|converting}} analog content into digital. The title text is a reference to foonetic user relsqui and this comic was presumably inspired by [http://www.xkcdb.com/2001 this conversation] they had over IRC.  The reference to "thread the mail system" means that instead of digitally faxing one end of an Ethernet cable over an analog phone line to another person, which is not possible, the idea is to place one end of the Ethernet cable into a mailing envelope and drop it in a mailbox, while holding on to the other end (presumably on a long spool).  The mailman would pick up the end in the envelope, and deliver it via the usual means of driving a mail van, sorting through automatic and hand sorting procedures, flying in a cargo plane, driving another mail van, etc, until it reaches the recipient - all while the sender is spooling out enough wire to prevent the cable from breaking.  The end result is to thread an Ethernet cable through the entire mail system from sender to recipient.  For a variety of reasons, this is also not practically possible.
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 Since the faxing of the ethernet cable is apparently successful, the comic is not really about the conversion, but is instead a subtle {{w|computer network}} joke about {{w|Tunneling protocol|tunneling}}, whereby you can embed one kind of network access protocol within a very different protocol. Herein lies the humor: [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] are apparently under the impression that they can achieve a faster connection by tunneling a high-speed protocol (ethernet) through a slower (landline telephone service) one. Generally speaking, this is not true. The only exception is when embedding a compressed data stream within a non-compressed standard. The performance boosts, however, are typically modest for {{w|lossless compression}}, and not the orders of magnitude difference our novices apparently hope for.
-The title text suggests that it shows a fanciful way of converting analog phone lines to {{w|digital}} ethernet lines by simply faxing an ethernet cable, since a fax machine is a tool for {{w|digitizing|converting}} analog content into digital. The title text is a reference to foonetic user relsqui and this comic was presumably inspired by [http://www.xkcdb.com/2001 this conversation] they had over IRC.
+The title text suggests that it shows a fanciful way of converting analog phone lines to {{w|digital}} ethernet lines by simply faxing an ethernet cable, since a fax machine is a tool for {{w|digitizing|converting}} analog content into digital. The title text is a reference to foonetic user relsqui and this comic was presumably inspired by [http://www.xkcdb.com/2001 this conversation] they had over IRC.  The reference to "thread the mail system" means that instead of digitally faxing one end of an Ethernet cable over an analog phone line to another person, which is not possible{{cn}}, the idea is to place one end of the Ethernet cable into a mailing envelope and drop it in a mailbox, while holding on to the other end (presumably on a long spool).  The mailman would pick up the end in the envelope, and deliver it via the usual means of driving a mail van, sorting through automatic and hand sorting procedures, flying in a cargo plane, driving another mail van, etc, until it reaches the recipient - all while the sender is spooling out enough wire to prevent the cable from breaking.  The end result is to thread an Ethernet cable through the entire mail system from sender to recipient.  For a variety of reasons, this is also not practically possible{{cn}}.
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 ==Trivia==
-The title text of this comic was changed from "My friend Elizabeth tried to mail one end of the cable to me and thread the mail system." to correct user relsqui's name to "Finn" after they came out as agender.
+The title text of this comic was changed to correct user relsqui's name to "Finn", after they came out as agender. The original title text was:
 {{comic discussion}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:54, 2 March 2025
Line 29:		Line 29:
	[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]		[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
	[[Category:Phones]]		[[Category:Phones]]
		+	[[Category:Comics edited after their publication]]

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ==Explanation==
-At the time this comic was written, most residential buildings in North America were wired for {{w|Analog device|analog devices}} using the old {{w|plain old telephone service|landline telephone service}}s, although thanks to the growth of {{w|internet telephone}} and wireless telephone technologies, including {{w|cordless telephone|cordless}} and {{w|mobile phone|mobile}} phones, this in-house wiring was increasingly redundant. See also {{w|Wireless telephone#Use of mobile phones|Use of mobile phones}}.
+At the time this comic was written, most residential buildings in North America were wired for {{w|Analog device|analog devices}} using the old {{w|plain old telephone service|landline telephone service}}s, although thanks to the growth of {{w|internet telephone}} and wireless telephone technologies, including {{w|cordless telephone|cordless}} and {{w|mobile phone|mobile}} phones, this in-house wiring was increasingly redundant. See also {{w|Wireless telephone#Use of mobile phones|Use of mobile phones}}. At the time, people who took their internet access seriously would have preferred that at least some of the phone wiring and phone jacks in their residences were {{w|Ethernet}} ({{w|Cat-5}} or {{w|Cat-6}}) wiring and ({{w|Modular_connector#8P8C|RJ45}}) jacks for providing wired internet access throughout their home, or in this case, to their neighbor's home, so that they wouldn't have to resort to {{w|Wi-Fi}}, which was then slower and less reliable than a wired connection.
 Since the faxing of the ethernet cable is apparently successful, the comic is not really about the conversion, but is instead a subtle {{w|computer network}} joke about {{w|Tunneling protocol|tunneling}}, whereby you can embed one kind of network access protocol within a very different protocol. Herein lies the humor: [[Cueball]] and [[Megan]] are apparently under the impression that they can achieve a faster connection by tunneling a high-speed protocol (ethernet) through a slower (landline telephone service) one. Generally speaking, this is not true. The only exception is when embedding a compressed data stream within a non-compressed standard. The performance boosts, however, are typically modest for {{w|lossless compression}}, and not the orders of magnitude difference our novices apparently hope for.
-The title text, which is a reference to foonetic user relsqui, was changed to correct their name to "Finn" after they came out as agender. (This comic was presumably inspired by [http://www.xkcdb.com/2001 this conversation] they had over IRC.)
+The title text suggests that it shows a fanciful way of converting analog phone lines to {{w|digital}} ethernet lines by simply faxing an ethernet cable, since a fax machine is a tool for {{w|digitizing|converting}} analog content into digital. The title text is a reference to foonetic user relsqui and this comic was presumably inspired by [http://www.xkcdb.com/2001 this conversation] they had over IRC.
 ==Transcript==
@@ Line 24: / Line 20: @@
 :[Megan, laptop behind her, is pulling a cable out of a fax machine.]
 :Fax: ''zzzzz''
 {{comic discussion}}
 [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 [[Category:Phones]]