Latest revision |
Your text |
Line 10: |
Line 10: |
| | | |
| ==Explanation== | | ==Explanation== |
| + | {{incomplete|Created by a WASHING MACHINE MANUAL - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
| | | |
− | The comic strip depicts Cueball (possibly [[Randall]]) standing in front of a washing machine, wondering which settings to use for his particular wash load. He ponders as to the intended meaning behind the word "Delicate" and decides to look up detailed information on what the settings do and when to use them. A thought then occurs to him that there should be a location where people could crowd-source data on what settings they have found work best for various clothing items, before realizing that that would likely have already been done by the manufacturers beforehand and the results put into the product manual.
| + | Cueball starts thinking about what settings to use on his washing machine, and starts planning to look up detailed information on what the settings do and when to use them. However, he doesn't realize that all the information he is looking for can be found by looking at his product manual. |
| | | |
− | Labels on appliances tend to be terse, often using single words that make the intended interpretation challenging. In this case Cueball likely is trying to wash something that is both "delicate" and has "colors", but is forced to choose between them, even though there would ideally be a washer setting that anticipates the need for both considerations at once. Due to the laconic vagueness in the choice of wording for the dial (or button/menu), the "(Light)" may refer to the setting being intended for lightly or pastel colored clothing, that the setting is meant for delicate fabric, or that it is a quick, surface-level wash (i.e. as opposed to deep cleaning), though a separate "half load"/”economy" button (or similar) often exists that abbreviates the appropriate phases of each main washing cycle accordingly.
| + | ==Transcript== |
| + | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
| | | |
− | The title text proposes deliberately ignoring the manual for a dishwasher and continuing to use the internet and other people for information on household devices. This might refer to the tendency for people to not read manuals and instead post their queries online awaiting answers, which sometimes gets disparaging comments to [[293: RTFM|read the manual]]. It also references [http://quora.com Quora], a website which allows users to publicly ask questions and answer the questions of others. The website is not typically known for its debates, although the situation in this comic could probably lead to one, as it is quite opinion-dependent with no true correct answer (even the suggested settings given in the manual, written by the makers themselves, could be prone to disagreement as users might find the settings to have adverse effects on their clothing, or discover an even better setting that the makers might not have had). Although Quora moderation is notably inconsistent, being inflammatory (as people tend to be in debates that progress too long) could lead to one's account being reported and banned, like on a typical social network or forum.
| + | :[Cueball is standing in front of a large combination washing machine/dryer combo, holding a coat, wondering.] |
| | | |
− | The same concept is present in [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2834:_Book_Podcasts 2834: Book Podcasts].
| + | :Cueball: Okay, do I want "Colors (light)" or "Delicate"? Does delicate mean less agitation? Or a slower spin? |
| | | |
− | ==Transcript==
| + | :Cueball: I should google, I bet clothing experts have experimented with various settings/clothing combos. |
| | | |
− | :[Cueball is standing in front of a large combination washing machine/dryer, holding a coat, wondering.]
| |
− | :Cueball: Okay, do I want "Colors (light)" or "Delicate"? Does delicate mean less agitation? Or a slower spin?
| |
− | :Cueball: I should Google, I bet clothing experts have experimented with various settings/clothing combos.
| |
| :Cueball: Ooh, someone should make a tool that indexes people's results by washer model, so you can look up what settings to use for a given... | | :Cueball: Ooh, someone should make a tool that indexes people's results by washer model, so you can look up what settings to use for a given... |
| | | |