Talk:1600: MarketWatch

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
Revision as of 13:59, 6 November 2015 by 108.162.221.17 (talk)
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I don't get it as much... Perhaps something to do with the apparent erratic behavior of a stock market chart? You'd expect a rising and falling line, but for it to completely trace out building patterns is odd.[citation needed] It would need a straight line, wouldn't it? and isn't that impossible in graphs like this? --108.162.216.5 13:01, 6 November 2015 (UTC)

Couple of things in play with this one:

  • Comic #1600, so that's probably a reference to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. (address of the White House). True, the WH isn't mentioned, but it's flat and makes for an uninteresting skyline element. What is shown looks to be the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, followed of course by the Capitol Building as referenced by the text.
  • Desire not to break the pattern is like in comic #276, where the pattern is so tempting that people wanted to continue with it, in spite of negative side effects.

Just a couple of thoughts. 173.245.54.57 13:21, 6 November 2015 (UTC)

There is no such a thing as "probably a reference". A reference requires mentioning the referenced thing. A more appropriate word would be coincidence. 108.162.221.17 13:30, 6 November 2015 (UTC)
He/she is guessing that it is a reference, and that is a good guess. "That's probably a reference" is fine to use in this situation.
But it's not a reference, it's a coincidence. If it were a reference the White House could be seen in the skyline. 108.162.221.17 13:58, 6 November 2015 (UTC)