Editing 609: Tab Explosion

{{comic
| number    = 609
| date      = July 13, 2009
| title     = Tab Explosion
| image     = tab_explosion.png
| titletext = Cracked.com is another inexplicable browser narcotic. They could write a list of '17 worst haircuts in the Ottoman Empire' and I'd still read through to the end, then click on all the links at the end.
}}

==Explanation==
{{tvtropes|HomePage|TV Tropes}} is a popular site which allows conversation on {{w|tropes}}. A common joke with the site ([[214|and Wikipedia]]) is how you will read a page, find a certain trope, which will lead to you opening another tab on your web page in order to read after you're done with the original one. Then, as you read further down this article, and others, you'll open even more pages. Pretty soon, this will cause an extremely long cycle of opening new pages and closing old ones, not necessarily at the same rate.

In the comic, this is exactly what happens to [[Cueball]]. He starts on a single page, then opens more and more tabs on different pages. Pretty soon, he finds himself stuck in a loop of opening pages.

The last frame refers to {{w|Rickrolling}}, which is the practice of being linked to {{w|Rick Astley|Rick Astley's}} "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ|Never Gonna Give You Up]" on YouTube.

The title text refers to the comedy site [http://www.cracked.com Cracked.com]. This site is also known for its addictive articles. Most articles are formatted in the same way the title text notes. Eventually, Cracked itself wrote a column that [http://www.cracked.com/blog/clippy-finally-messes-with-the-wrong-word-doc/ paid tribute to this cartoon]. (See the very last line ''With that in mind, we present to you the 17 Worst Haircuts in The Ottoman Empire''.)

The original comic links to TVtropes' page of {{tvtropes|UniversalTropes|Universal tropes}}. TVtropes has taken notice and has a welcome letter for you at the end of the main article: "Oh, and {{xkcd|609|hello}} to all you {{tvtropes|Webcomic/xkcd|xkcd}} readers. (And [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=609 thank you] {{tvtropes|TVTropesWillRuinYourLife|for the information}}!)" Here the "thank you" link actually links to ''this'' page, the "hello" links to the comic on xkcd and the other two links are to two articles on TVTropes, the first about xkcd and the last one being an in-joke about how "TVTropes will ruin your life". The addition of this many links is likely meant to be ironic.{{citation needed}}

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:''Click''

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:Cueball: Huh.

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:''Click''
:''Click''

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:''Click''

:[Cueball stares at the computer.]
:Cueball: I never noticed that!

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:''Click''

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:Cueball: Haha, yeah.

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:''Click''

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:''Click''
:''Click''

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:''Click''

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:''Click''

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:Cueball: So true.

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:''Click''

:[Cueball stares at the computer.]

:[Cueball stares at the computer.]

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:''Click''

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:''Click''
:''Click''

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:''Click''

:[Cueball stares at the computer.]

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:''Click''

:[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
:Megan (off-screen): Are you in there?
:Cueball: Help!

:[Megan walks in behind Cueball who is still sitting at the computer. The bottom of the image is covered in Megan's last line]
:Megan: Okay, who linked you to TVTropes? What's ''with'' that site?
:Cueball: Can't ... stop...
:Megan: It's like Rickrolling, but you're trapped all day.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Rickrolling]]