Difference between revisions of "624: Branding"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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(Chrome also have AdBlock)
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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
This strip shows four advertisements that appear to [[Cueball]] as he browses the internet without Adblock. ({{w|Adblock Plus|Adblock}} is a browser extension for Firefox which prevents advertisements from being displayed.) All four ads are for adult-themed websites.
+
This strip shows four advertisements that appear to [[Cueball]] as he browses the internet without Adblock. ({{w|Adblock Plus|Adblock}} is a browser extension for Firefox/Chrome which prevents advertisements from being displayed.) All four ads are for adult-themed websites.
  
 
The first advertises a website that brands itself as the "{{w|Facebook}} of sex". Because Facebook is ubiquitous, this is probably a good branding idea. Facebook is known to most users and connotes an easy-to-use platform where it's very easy to find people, chat with them, share pictures, etc. For someone looking for sex, this would probably seem like a good site to use. There are, in fact, sites that use this branding in their advertisements and/or their user interface which is likely what inspired [[Randall]] to write this comic. Cueball sighs and moves on, probably having seen this kind of ad many times already.
 
The first advertises a website that brands itself as the "{{w|Facebook}} of sex". Because Facebook is ubiquitous, this is probably a good branding idea. Facebook is known to most users and connotes an easy-to-use platform where it's very easy to find people, chat with them, share pictures, etc. For someone looking for sex, this would probably seem like a good site to use. There are, in fact, sites that use this branding in their advertisements and/or their user interface which is likely what inspired [[Randall]] to write this comic. Cueball sighs and moves on, probably having seen this kind of ad many times already.

Revision as of 04:09, 4 January 2014

Branding
Actually, 'RSS&M' is kinda catchy.
Title text: Actually, 'RSS&M' is kinda catchy.

Explanation

This strip shows four advertisements that appear to Cueball as he browses the internet without Adblock. (Adblock is a browser extension for Firefox/Chrome which prevents advertisements from being displayed.) All four ads are for adult-themed websites.

The first advertises a website that brands itself as the "Facebook of sex". Because Facebook is ubiquitous, this is probably a good branding idea. Facebook is known to most users and connotes an easy-to-use platform where it's very easy to find people, chat with them, share pictures, etc. For someone looking for sex, this would probably seem like a good site to use. There are, in fact, sites that use this branding in their advertisements and/or their user interface which is likely what inspired Randall to write this comic. Cueball sighs and moves on, probably having seen this kind of ad many times already.

The second brands itself as "Twitter for 18+ singles!". It is a similar but (seemingly) invented ad which again plays on the ubiquity and popularity of Twitter. Twitter being a (generally) public chat forum which limits posts to 140 characters is still popular enough to get some attention and make someone think about going to the site, although sending messages to the world in 140 characters or less might be somewhat less of a versatile platform than Facebook for chatting with other singles, but still perhaps viable. Cueball notes that it is becoming more and more popular to brand adult sites by comparing them to popular non-adult sites.

This third takes a turn for the unusual, branding itself as "We're like Google Reader for S&M!". Google Reader is a now-defunct platform that allows users to aggregate web feeds such as RSS feeds into one place for convenience. The service is notably less well-known and popular than Facebook or Twitter, and given that it doesn't directly link you with other people, doesn't have the same connotation of allowing you to connect with others. Perhaps it would be a site that allowed you to aggregate various fan fictions or other written works (Fifty Shades of Grey?) relating to S&M. However, Cueball is still surprised such a site would exist.

The final ad brands itself as "the new GitHub for lesbians!". GitHub is a website that allows developers to collaborate on software projects using the Git revision control system. The concept is absurd — GitHub has a specialized audience and it's barely a social network at all; the potential for adult content is not immediately apparent. Cueball shows his surprise and confusion at this last ad.

RSS is a technology involved in Google Reader. RSS&M is a portmanteau of RSS and S&M.

Transcript

Browsing without adblock
[Cueball is sitting at a computer.]
[Pop-up window with red background.]
The Facebook of SEX! Click now!
Cueball: Sigh.
*Close*
[Pop-up window with green background.]
Twitter for 18+ singles! Join today!
Cueball: Does every porn site have to brand itself like this?
*Close*
[Pop-up window with blue background.]
We're like Google Reader for S&M!
Cueball: Really?
*Close*
[Pop-up window with orange background.]
Try the new GitHub for lesbians!
Cueball: Ok, wait, what?


comment.png add a comment! ⋅ comment.png add a topic (use sparingly)! ⋅ Icons-mini-action refresh blue.gif refresh comments!

Discussion

ClitHub. 108.162.215.23 18:19, 21 April 2016 (UTC)


The last one's genius; I'd click that. 86.142.45.60 23:30, 8 April 2013 (UTC)

Fork me on GitHub : ) 62.206.211.29 09:49, 12 September 2013 (UTC)

I'd say "F**k me on Github" 108.162.215.79 12:18, 29 July 2014 (UTC)

Perhaps he is hinting at the complexity of female anatomy, and lesbians, being the supposed experts would use such a site to share "technical" information, or am I reading into this too far? 162.158.91.160 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

Yes. Yes, you are.162.158.152.125 12:33, 29 January 2016 (UTC)

With the exception of [[Randall]], this explanation has no internal links, only Wikipedia links. It seems to me that we like to include a few links to related explanations. Are there other comics that mention any of the following, that we could add links to?

  • AdBlock
  • Pop-ups/banner ads
  • Porn sites
  • Facebook/Twitter
  • GitHub
  • Sexual orientation, perhaps?

108.162.216.58 18:16, 29 January 2016 (UTC)

Comic 751 (Swimsuit Issue) mentions both pop-ups and porn sites, I'd link if I knew how. 108.162.215.7 22:12, 19 May 2016 (UTC)

Despite being a straight child, I'd still be intrigued by the new GitHub for Lesbians. --108.162.216.202 16:49, 27 May 2021 (UTC)

pov: the fork(); you added to your script is secretly a lesbian (wait what) An user who has no account yet (talk) 21:47, 7 September 2023 (UTC)