3232: Countdown Standard

Countdown Standard

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Title text: Anyone who is caught counting 'three ... two ... one ... zero ... GO!' will be punished with a lifetime of eating only ISO standard food samples.

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Explanation

This is one of 66 incomplete explanations: This page WILL BE CREATED IN TWO...THREE...ONE...NEGATIVE ONE...NOW! Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page!

This comic makes fun of the fact that, when people are counting to prepare for a synchronised action as a group, there are many ways to get everybody to do the action at the same time. However, the different ways that people count could be very confusing. This comic alleges that, if Randall gained control of the ISO, he would standardize counting to go from high to low and have the "go"-point be at zero.

The fact that these are called "countdowns", yet two (the ones also considered most intrinsically troublesome) are counts that go up, is probably intentional. As well as cause for additional complaint by those who are as bothered by the inherant inconsistencies.

ISO is an international organization that is responsible for standardizing many things, such as technology and safety standards to allow for smooth operation between countries. This is a joke on how it standardizing another thing.

Transcript

This is one of 43 incomplete transcripts: Don't remove this notice too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page!

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Discussion

Refer to all 4 Lethal Weapons movies for discussion. 45.138.52.240 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

^{[citation needed]} --Kynde (talk) 06:45, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

Don't most people say "on three", "on one", or "on go" before starting the count anyway? And then delay the final (action) number a teensy bit? e.g. "On one. Ready? 3 2 1" This isn't that ambiguous, not that I would object to standardisation. Sameldacamel34 (talk) 23:13, 13 April 2026 (UTC)

It is appallingly common for me to hear the inconsistent and dissonant, "On the count of three…one, two, three, GO!" (This is problematic because it is "on the count of THREE" not "on the count of GO, the word after three". Or at least, that is what I understand those words to mean.) JohnHawkinson (talk) 02:09, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

Just "on three" is the most common, I think. You say "On three. Ready? One, two THREE." Dogman15 (talk) 02:42, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

"On three... THREE!" 82.13.184.33 08:56, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

There are two different conventions to synchronize a start -- by reacting or by rythmically coordinating. And both are used: in official swimming championships by World Aquatics they train to start to a perfectly rythmic "bip.. bip.. beeep" while in track and field championships by World Athletics the start judge waits an arbitrary time before triggering the gun to which athletes react. 31.221.183.22 09:49, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

There's at least a third - go at a predetermined time. And a fourth - use a start gate to physically restrain the starters. 82.13.184.33 10:23, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

And the Lord spake, saying, "First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it. -- Monty Python and the Holy Grail Jordan Brown (talk) 00:35, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

[Arthur:] Right. One, two, five!

[Galahad:] Three, sir.

[Arthur:] Three! [*throws it*]

...just to complicate matters. ;) 81.179.199.253 00:54, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

Fantastic guys ;-) --Kynde (talk) 06:44, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

I wouldn't look to God for standards on counting - just look at the mess around what 'forty days and forty nights' means. 82.13.184.33 08:16, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

Four... Two... One... One Half... One Quarter... One Eighth... One Sixteenth... One Thirty-second... One Sixty-Fourth... [go to infinity] GO! King Pando (talk) 03:47, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

Yeah, you don't even get the reference material foods. You're starving. 47.141.37.161 16:36, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

Just to make things even weirder: the movie industry counts 5, 4, 3, 2, go! 76.133.66.138 03:59, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

^{[citation needed]} --Kynde (talk) 06:44, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

https://raymonddefelitta.org/i-dig-film-leader/ Film leaders do generally stop at 2 or 3, but they don't really count "3, [2,] go!". There's a 'silent' count for the absent numbers before you reach the 'go!' point. They're left black to avoid fouling the start of the projection. 82.13.184.33 10:54, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

I'm sure people all over the world will follow this standard just as faithfully as they follow ISO 8601. -- 2a00:1a28:1410:5::10db (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

Here for reference: 1179: ISO 8601. But there is at least one more with ISO reference: 2322: ISO Paper Size Golden Spiral. So that is three comics referencing the ISO system directly (this one not in titel but in the text so no doubt that it would belong with the other two. But I'm not sure three is enough to create and ISO category? Could not on the spot find any others...? If someone can then we could make a category! --Kynde (talk) 06:43, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

The home inspections series has only 3 comics, if that helps (I can't link it though, for some reason. It's name is Category:Home Inspections). GSLikesCats307 (talk) 13:36, 14 April 2026

If you write [[Category:Home Inspections]], it adds the current page to that category; if you want to link to the category, you have to add an extra colon at the beginning, so [[:Category:Home Inspections]] gives you Category:Home Inspections - IMSoP (talk) 15:12, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

All instances of "One... Two... Two and a half..." shall be referred to the International Criminal Court for prosecution. 2600:1004:B0A0:E06:0:3E:A3FD:5401 14:37, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

I personally use “And a 1, a 2, a 1 2 3 4” Logalex8369 (talk) 15:18, 14 April 2026 (UTC)

3, 2, 1, 0, -1, ... -∞ 45.178.3.59 15:26, 14 April 2026 (UTC)
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