Talk:2615: Welcome Back

I'm terrible at writing descs so somebody note how he's opening the app to check for a tornado which is already approching Mushrooms (talk) 06:42, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

No the tornado is far away. 172.70.34.17‎ (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

Is it? Or is it small?172.69.79.223 08:20, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

I didn't say it was close I said it was approachingMushrooms (talk) 07:17, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

A new What If came out. I added it to the what if? page, and there was a comment there telling me to also post in the latest talk section about it. So here you go. 162.158.50.20 08:29, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

Interesting to note that two of the images don't appear to have the usual hovertext 'side-gag commentaries'. Though the filenames that show in leiu (on this device's browser) are suitably esoteric in their own right, so not a big problem... ;) 172.70.86.64 11:40, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

Thanks for that note. I'd taken What-if out of my RSS reader subscriptions because I thought Randall stopped doing them. Although I guess it's not surprising that he'd resurrect it in advance of the book. Barmar (talk) 18:17, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

Yes thanks for that. That comment on posting here was from me! It's four years since last except for 17. days... And before that there was more than a years break. So I would not have noticed it. He also changed the layout to match his what if 2 book page. I added links to the original post, to make it easier for others to quickly navigate there. Thanks again --Kynde (talk) 11:14, 6 May 2022 (UTC)

In a slightly-related vein, Pokemon Go has a feature where you click to say you're safe during/after severe weather. It seems rather pointless though. I'm unlikely to be playing Pokemon Go after a tornado has destroyed my house. "Yes, I am safe, although my house is gone, power lines are down, I have a broken leg and internal injuries, but I need to spin my local Pokestop to maintain my daily streak". Beechmere (talk) 06:13, 6 May 2022 (UTC)Beechmere

Is this not just 'gamifying geo-personal metadata'? Like the online mobile games that got users to actually try to make the most optimal journeys between two points that the Algorithm wanted feedback about. Or the use of road journey tracks to backform traffic/congestion info at various times of day. Here, by announcing your (relative) state of being unscathed you may be downgrading the AI's initial prediction that your area was badly hit (and those who don't check in reveal their area as being full of at least people a bit too involved in a clear-up to worry about capturing an Augmented Reality cartoon creature...). To what financial end, I wouldn't know, but I bet there's one. Even if one with philanthropic intent in there too. 172.70.162.147 06:33, 6 May 2022 (UTC)

I think it is to prevent people from running out to catch a rare Pokémon if the weather is severe. Tornadoes are very rare, and in most part of the world non existing. But severe storms, snow etc could also be dangerous to go out in, as can heat waves. I have played and seen this under several weather conditions. I think it is really just their way of making sure you cannot say you where not warned if you get injured playing their game. Like they always cautions you to look out where you are going. --Kynde (talk) 11:14, 6 May 2022 (UTC)

I've had some videogames do this when I haven't played for years... 172.70.130.121 06:30, 6 May 2022 (UTC)

I have a game on my phone that opens every time with a series of six separate ads for items in the in-game shop. Then I get the same six ads any time I run out of the game's central resource. These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For (talk) 06:54, 8 May 2022 (UTC)

I just made the page for the new comic, 2616. It isn't linking and I am in well above my knowledge level. Help? https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2616:_Deep_End SqueakSquawk4 (talk) 23:06, 6 May 2022 (UTC)