ibm_hc_2

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Explanation

This is one of 47 incomplete explanations: Mention the discovery of this comic and Randall's response, using the {{Quote}} template.) If you can fix this issue, edit the page!

This comic was created by Randall after a special request from IBM's A Smarter Planet blog, which now redirects to IBM's Think blog's homepage (archive). This and the other A Smarter Planet comic, Conservation, are not part of the regular numbered series of comics, but both of them used to be featured on xkcd.com/asmarterplanet (now defunct, archive). Each comic on that page linked to their respective blog posts on IBM's site.

This comic talks about someone who spent two years creating medical records databases. Clearly, the person being examined has modified the medical records database the doctor is using, making it say he was president of the United States for a full term (four years). What exactly it is for is unclear, but being given the distinction of being a past President could have numerous perks.

Programmers may sometimes add Easter Eggs into their code/data, often harmless and intended to be uncovered by other people, though they may also be created as a backdoor of some kind for their own purposes. This one seems to be a bit more of the latter kind, as it seems to provide a personal benefit whenever the coder goes to a doctor's appointment.

This idea crops up again in 2756: Qualifications.

This comic was apparently discovered as far back as 26th Aug 2009, due to Making XKCD Slightly Worse using it. Given how Making XKCD Slightly Worse originated from the now-defunct forums, there could've been some discussion on there.

Transcript

[A bald doctor with a forehead mirror is holding a piece of paper in front of Cueball, who is sitting on a cushion.]

Doctor: It says here you spent 2 years building medical records databases…

Doctor: and then four years as President of the United States?

Doctor: I’m sorry, Mr. President, I didn’t recognize you.

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Discussion

To share information and coordinate, please use Category talk:A Smarter Planet instead of this talk page. Thanks!

xkcd lost media??? D: Caliban (talk) 12:09, 10 February 2025 (UTC)

Well I mean we just found it, so it's not lost anymore. 172.69.135.143 21:34, 13 February 2025 (UTC)

This comic was apparently discovered as far back as 2009, due to this Making XKCD Slightly Worse using it. http://xkcdsw.com/2121SlimothyJ (talk) 14:32, 5 November 2025 (UTC)

Given how Making XKCD Slightly Worse originated from the now-defunct forums, there could've been some discussion on there.SlimothyJ (talk) 17:11, 11 November 2025 (UTC)

When we first discovered this, did anyone else have a wave of déja vú? --DollarStoreBa'al^Converse 19:07, 11 November 2025 (UTC)
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