explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2378: Fall Back

2020-11-02T00:35:49Z

108.162.219.42:

Ah, that American thing. Late to The Great War, late to WW2, every year late turning the clocks back in '''autumn'''... ;)
(Seriously, though - at least under xkcd terms - surely [[320|2''9''-hour]] days.) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.32|162.158.159.32]] 02:02, 29 October 2020 (UTC)
:That schedule doesn't change the length of the day, though, just the sleep cycle to accommodate 20 hours of wakefulness. [[User:OhFFS|OhFFS]] ([[User talk:OhFFS|talk]]) 16:40, 29 October 2020 (UTC)
[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 19:51, 29 October 2020 (UTC)Yep, both sides are convinced the other side has been in a state of altered consciousness for the past 6 years. And the 20% in the center thinks that both sides have gone insane.

The election has only been bitter to the liberals, because they are going to loose. [[User:SDSpivey|SDSpivey]] ([[User talk:SDSpivey|talk]]) 21:16, 29 October 2020 (UTC)

Hwat? What makes you believe that? Nobody can be absolutely certain at this stage. The election hasn’t happened yet, so it isn’t “bitter” to anyone. Liberals are stressed out about it, because they m I g h t lose

@SDSpivey: Right? I still really like XKCD, but the peppering of political bias in the last few years is irritating. Not everything has to be fused with political commentary. Can't XKCD be it's own thing? It feels like how different TV shows start off great, then with their success start just riding the wistless wave of popular culture and public opinion in a sad attempt to stay relevant without making any substantive commentary (think about Simpsons, for instance). We've gone from normal life being fine to now EVERYONE having to state what side of every issue they're on. Just... be you. Stop making everything about whatever current story is in the news. I miss XKCD being XKCD rather than another player on the public stage imposing their political opinions. Just be a human we can all relate to, no matter the political persuasion. Political ideology doesn't correlate with IQ, and since XKCD caters to an audience with above-average IQ, Randall's making the same mistake as everyone else by isolating half the audience. [[User::Anonymous|Anonymous]] 16:01, 29 October 2020 (MST)
::I don't think most people are aware how political the expressions that seem normal to them, seem to people of opposing politics. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.42|108.162.219.42]] 00:35, 2 November 2020 (UTC)
:Randall's only human. He's worried about the world too, since he live in it. He isn't working in a vacuum after all. His life experiences shapes the way he writes, both consciously and subconsciously. And outside 'I'm with Her', he hasn't written a single comic where he explicitly or implicitly states who you should vote for - Only that you SHOULD vote.The others simply explore the consequences the government's and people's decisions have wrought, and general comments on the news cycle.
:Hello, you two. Look at the comic. Look at the explanation. Look in this segment. Look at your two comments in particular. Which bit is stating an actual full on bias/preference? The bit with you two in. We know which way Randall leans as preference, as it happens, but if we thought he leant the other way the same comic coming from the anti-Randall would ''still'' work as well. If you can't see that, the problem isn't with xkcd. (And even if it was, everyone is free to find and appreciate anti-Randall's 'dckx' webcomic. In fact, if you know a good one, I wouldn't mind a look.) As to the result, those who can and wish to vote should do so (if they haven't already) and only when everyone has done that and been tabulated will we know this. If you have a sincere prediction, remember that loads of others have similarly sincere (but dissimilarly tinted) predictions and the universe isn't going to automatically obey your personal preference without everything else lining up. So maybe you'll he lucky. Me, I've got no skin in the game (except as someone living on the same planet) and can't influence the election even by a single vote. This isn't about changing opinions, it's about changing attitudes. And that's even less likely. Meh. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.113|162.158.158.113]] 01:02, 30 October 2020 (UTC)
::I have bias, I admit that. Everyone should. All the bitterness I have seen this year has come from the liberals (news reporters, comedians, actors) who claim to care about all of us, but really just care about their own pet projects, or just want to seem like they care.I don't care what my favorite entertainer thinks, just entertain me. That's what we pay you for. [[User:SDSpivey|SDSpivey]] ([[User talk:SDSpivey|talk]]) 02:36, 31 October 2020 (UTC)
:::Yeah, and that's exactly what this comic pokes fun at - all the fearmongering the elites spread through their outlets causing anxiety to shoot through the roof, and in this comic, to such a point that Megan has started dissociating herself.
[citation needed]

2378: Fall Back

2020-11-02T00:33:14Z

108.162.219.42: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2378
| date = October 28, 2020
| title = Fall Back
| image = fall_back.png
| titletext = Doing great here in the sixth and hopefully final year of the 2016 election.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an ASCENDED ANXIOUS AMERICAN. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Daylight saving time}} ends in the United States at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November, when 2 a.m. becomes 1 a.m. {{w|Election Day (United States)|Election Day in the United States}} is on the first Tuesday in November.

In 2020, Nov. 1 is Sunday, so the shift from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time will happen two days before {{w|2020 United States elections|the 2020 election}}. This has the effect of making Sunday, Nov. 1 a 25-hour day. The switchover is sometimes referred to mnemonically as "fall back," with its springtime counterpart (a day of 23 hours) being "spring forward" as mentioned in [[1655: Doomsday Clock]].

At the beginning of the comic, Cueball incorrectly calculates the time until the election day polls close (this varies from state to state); in the second panel, Megan reminds him about falling back. She goes on to possibly sarcastically treasure this extended moment, one more hour to experience the bitter election cycle and the {{w|COVID-19 pandemic}}. Megan describes herself as {{w|Dissociation_(psychology)|dissociating}} here, and it is possible she is actually treating these emergencies as good now, instead of bad. The behavior could be seen as an indirect demand for the situation to change, a demonstration that she may lose her sanity further if it does not. Cueball hears how intense she is saying her experience is, and says he thinks they've both spent too much time engaging with the news (a sentiment echoed from other recent xkcd comics, like [[2371: Election Screen Time]] and possibly [[2374: 10,000 Hours]]). When he mentions the {{w|24-hour news cycle}}, Megan corrects him again, as Sunday will be a ''25''-hour news cycle.

The title text refers to a popular sentiment that the issues and emotions raised in the {{w|2016 United States presidential election}} were not settled when the election was over and have continued unabated since then. Even though the election itself was held in November 2016, the primary candidates officially announced their campaigns in early 2015; thus, 2020 is the sixth year since that campaign season opened. The implication could be that the whole nation, or at least Randall's community of political followers, has had to be in an altered state of consciousness to handle the past six years.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is looking at his phone.]
:Cueball: It's 8 PM. Exactly six days until the polls close here.

:[Megan walks in from Cueball's left, holding up a finger. Cueball has lowered his phone.]
:Megan: Six days and one hour.
:Cueball: Oh right, fall back.
:Cueball: Ugh.

:[Megan holds out her arms.]
:Megan: Personally, I think it's great.
:Megan: Don't you want this moment to last as long as possible?

:[Close up on Megan.]
:Megan: My pandemic anxiety and election anxiety have finally fused.
:Megan: I have ascended.
:Megan: I get breaking news alerts in my dreams.

:[Back to Cueball and Megan.]
:Cueball: I don't think the endless 24 hour news cycle has been good for either of us.
:Megan: Well, then I have good news about Sunday!
:Cueball: Ughhh.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Daylight saving time]]

2378: Fall Back

2020-11-02T00:32:33Z

108.162.219.42: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2378
| date = October 28, 2020
| title = Fall Back
| image = fall_back.png
| titletext = Doing great here in the sixth and hopefully final year of the 2016 election.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an ASCENDED ANXIOUS AMERICAN. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Daylight saving time}} ends in the United States at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November, when 2 a.m. becomes 1 a.m. {{w|Election Day (United States)|Election Day in the United States}} is on the first Tuesday in November.

In 2020, Nov. 1 is Sunday, so the shift from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time will happen two days before {{w|2020 United States elections|the 2020 election}}. This has the effect of making Sunday, Nov. 1 a 25-hour day. The switchover is sometimes referred to mnemonically as "fall back," with its springtime counterpart (a day of 23 hours) being "spring forward" as mentioned in [[1655: Doomsday Clock]].

At the beginning of the comic, Cueball incorrectly calculates the time until the election day polls close (this varies from state to state); in the second panel, Megan reminds him about falling back. She goes on to possibly sarcastically treasure this extended moment, one more hour to experience the bitter election cycle and the {{w|COVID-19 pandemic}}. Megan describes herself as {{w|Dissociation_(psychology)|dissociating}} here, and it is possible she is actually treating these emergencies as good now, instead of bad. The behavior could be seen as an indirect demand for the situation to change, a demonstration that she may lose her sanity if it does not. Cueball hears how intense she is saying her experience is, and says he thinks they've both spent too much time engaging with the news (a sentiment echoed from other recent xkcd comics, like [[2371: Election Screen Time]] and possibly [[2374: 10,000 Hours]]). When he mentions the {{w|24-hour news cycle}}, Megan corrects him again, as Sunday will be a ''25''-hour news cycle.

The title text refers to a popular sentiment that the issues and emotions raised in the {{w|2016 United States presidential election}} were not settled when the election was over and have continued unabated since then. Even though the election itself was held in November 2016, the primary candidates officially announced their campaigns in early 2015; thus, 2020 is the sixth year since that campaign season opened. The implication could be that the whole nation, or at least Randall's community of political followers, has had to be in an altered state of consciousness to handle the past six years.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is looking at his phone.]
:Cueball: It's 8 PM. Exactly six days until the polls close here.

:[Megan walks in from Cueball's left, holding up a finger. Cueball has lowered his phone.]
:Megan: Six days and one hour.
:Cueball: Oh right, fall back.
:Cueball: Ugh.

:[Megan holds out her arms.]
:Megan: Personally, I think it's great.
:Megan: Don't you want this moment to last as long as possible?

:[Close up on Megan.]
:Megan: My pandemic anxiety and election anxiety have finally fused.
:Megan: I have ascended.
:Megan: I get breaking news alerts in my dreams.

:[Back to Cueball and Megan.]
:Cueball: I don't think the endless 24 hour news cycle has been good for either of us.
:Megan: Well, then I have good news about Sunday!
:Cueball: Ughhh.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Daylight saving time]]

2378: Fall Back

2020-11-02T00:31:45Z

108.162.219.42: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2378
| date = October 28, 2020
| title = Fall Back
| image = fall_back.png
| titletext = Doing great here in the sixth and hopefully final year of the 2016 election.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an ASCENDED ANXIOUS AMERICAN. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

{{w|Daylight saving time}} ends in the United States at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November, when 2 a.m. becomes 1 a.m. {{w|Election Day (United States)|Election Day in the United States}} is on the first Tuesday in November.

In 2020, Nov. 1 is Sunday, so the shift from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time will happen two days before {{w|2020 United States elections|the 2020 election}}. This has the effect of making Sunday, Nov. 1 a 25-hour day. The switchover is sometimes referred to mnemonically as "fall back," with its springtime counterpart (a day of 23 hours) being "spring forward" as mentioned in [[1655: Doomsday Clock]].

At the beginning of the comic, Cueball incorrectly calculates the time until the election day polls close (this varies from state to state); in the second panel, Megan reminds him about falling back. She goes on to possibly sarcastically treasure this extended moment, one more hour to experience the bitter election cycle and the {{w|COVID-19 pandemic}}. Megan describes herself as {{w|Dissociation_(psychology)|dissociating}} here, and it is possible she is actually treating these emergencies as good now, instead of bad. The behavior could be seen as an indirect demand for the situation to change. Cueball hears how intense she is saying her experience is, and says he thinks they've both spent too much time engaging with the news (a sentiment echoed from other recent xkcd comics, like [[2371: Election Screen Time]] and possibly [[2374: 10,000 Hours]]). When he mentions the {{w|24-hour news cycle}}, Megan corrects him again, as Sunday will be a ''25''-hour news cycle.

The title text refers to a popular sentiment that the issues and emotions raised in the {{w|2016 United States presidential election}} were not settled when the election was over and have continued unabated since then. Even though the election itself was held in November 2016, the primary candidates officially announced their campaigns in early 2015; thus, 2020 is the sixth year since that campaign season opened. The implication could be that the whole nation, or at least Randall's community of political followers, has had to be in an altered state of consciousness to handle the past six years.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is looking at his phone.]
:Cueball: It's 8 PM. Exactly six days until the polls close here.

:[Megan walks in from Cueball's left, holding up a finger. Cueball has lowered his phone.]
:Megan: Six days and one hour.
:Cueball: Oh right, fall back.
:Cueball: Ugh.

:[Megan holds out her arms.]
:Megan: Personally, I think it's great.
:Megan: Don't you want this moment to last as long as possible?

:[Close up on Megan.]
:Megan: My pandemic anxiety and election anxiety have finally fused.
:Megan: I have ascended.
:Megan: I get breaking news alerts in my dreams.

:[Back to Cueball and Megan.]
:Cueball: I don't think the endless 24 hour news cycle has been good for either of us.
:Megan: Well, then I have good news about Sunday!
:Cueball: Ughhh.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Daylight saving time]]

2360: Common Star Types

2020-09-26T01:33:24Z

108.162.219.42: /* Explanation */ rv stuff about Teal Swan. It's been a week, and nobody has written in support of it.

{{comic
| number = 2360
| date = September 16, 2020
| title = Common Star Types
| image = common_star_types.png
| titletext = This article is about Eta Carinae, a luminous blue hypergiant with anomalous Fe[ii] emission spectra. For the 1998 Brad Bird film, see The Iron Giant (film).
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an INDIGO BANSHEE. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This 'infographic' chart purports to be a comparative guide to various star types, often described by a basic color, which is something that even naked-eye astronomy has determined, and may be qualified as 'dwarf' or 'giant' to describe relative sizes. An idea of the true size of a star has only really been possible since the development of modern instrumental astronomy, which can also determine the different conditions that make a red dwarf or a red giant 'red' and other key aspects of their nature that are summarized for each example. See [[#Star types|table below]].

In true xkcd tradition, this is taken beyond reality. The pantheon of stars illustrated extend the use of 'dwarf' and 'giant' as if describing mythical or fictional beings, drawing upon others from the fantasy ilk with hues and shades that may not be typically described, or even encountered, by astronomers. The aspect information provided for these 'star' types is based upon the respective mythologies.

The title text is in the style of a Wikipedia page's hatnote / reference note. A page might have a title that is too easily landed upon by a search term that might also be expected to lead to one under a quite different subject, such as the {{w|Red Dwarf|case-sensitive example}} of "This article is about the British comedy franchise. For the type of star, see {{w|Red dwarf}}." In this case, it was written as if the page {{w|Iron Giant}} redirected to {{w|Eta Carinae}}, a large {{w|luminous blue variable}} star which has a relatively high level of {{w|Iron(II)|ferrous ions}}. Although there is a vaguely plausible reason for the star to to be called an "iron giant", astronomers do not commonly use that particular name (the alternative of "{{w|iron star}}" is used for an article about hypothesized class of stellar-mass object, though the description allows that there is a separate usage that relates to Eta Carinae) and you are currently only redirected straight upon ''{{w|The Iron Giant}}'', that first movie directed by Brad Bird. This note [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eta_Carinae&oldid=978789727 was added] to Wikipedia, but quickly removed.

===Star types===
{| class="wikitable"
!Star !! Description
|-
| {{w|Yellow dwarf star|Yellow Dwarf}} || A real star type. This is the type of star that {{w|Sun|our sun}} is, with a lifespan measured in billions of years. The title "dwarf" is a misnomer, as the Sun is actually larger than most stars, but it was once thought to be smaller than average as larger stars turn out to be more visible than smaller stars over a given distance.
|-
| {{w|Red giant|Red Giant}} || A real star type. When stars at about the Sun's size begin to run out of fusion fuel, they expand to become red giants, and the outer shells expand and cool. When our sun enters this phase in a few billion years, it will consume Mercury, Venus, and possibly the Earth.
|-
| {{w|White dwarf|White Dwarf}} || A real thing, though not a true star, but a remnant of one. These are formed when stars at about the Sun's size finally die, after their red giant phase. They are extremely dense and no longer undergo nuclear fusion. They are responsible for {{w|Type Ia supernova}}, a {{w|Cosmic Distance Ladder|standard candle}} of astronomy.
|-
| {{w|Red dwarf|Red Dwarf}} || A real star type. The most common, smallest, and coolest type of true star in the universe. ({{w|Brown dwarf|Brown dwarfs}} are smaller and cooler, but do not undergo hydrogen-|hydrogen fusion.) These can live for trillions of years; the first red dwarfs to form in the universe are still alive today and will be alive long after the Sun reaches its end.

{{w|Red Dwarf}} is also a science fiction TV series being produced in UK since 1988, named after the eponymous mining ship. This ship is ''small'' (compared to a star) and {{w|Cat_(Red_Dwarf)|one of the characters}} is indeed very ''cool'' (as in a cool cat), but ''dim''-witted (the star of the series is none to bright either). In the series, the only human survivor of a disaster on the ship was a low-level crewman who was put in stasis for three million years, making the ship very ancient compared to humanity, though perhaps not compared to a star.
|-
| Green Elf || An invention of Randall's, and a reference to the elves of {{w|Tolkien's legendarium}}. Tolkien's elves are immortal but slowly diminish over time, and leave {{w|Middle-earth}}, (where ''The Lord of the Rings'' is set) emigrating to the West as magic fades.
|-
| {{w|Blue giant|Blue Giant}} || A real star type. The largest class of star in the main sequence, these are highly luminous and have life spans measured in only millions of years, rather than the billions or trillions of years for other star types.
|-
| Teal Sphynx || An invention of Randall's; likely a form of the Greek {{w|Sphinx#Riddle_of_the_Sphinx|sphinx}}, which presents riddles to hapless travelers. One can only imagine what stellar riddles would be like.
|-
| Gray Wizard || An invention of Randall's, and also a reference to ''Lord of the Rings''. {{w|Gandalf the Grey}}, a wizard, is a protagonist and the main mentor figure in ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'', guiding and assisting the journeys within the books, often in mysterious ways that could be described as "{{wiktionary|mercurial#Adjective|mercurial}}". Gandalf later falls in battle and returns as Gandalf the White, much as stars (up to ~10 solar masses) will evolve into white dwarfs, but this evolution is not shown on this chart. Interestingly, the word for "wizard" in the Elvish language Quenya is ''istar'' (plural: ''istari'').
|-
| Indigo Banshee || An invention of Randall's, and a reference to {{w|banshees}}, a type of Irish spirit or ghost which wails loudly at a person's death. {{w|Indigo}} may also be considered a particularly {{wiktionary|loud#Adjective|loud color}}. May or may not be a reference to {{w|Indigo children}}, a pseudoscientific term used by some to describe children with unusual personalities or learning abilities.
|-
| Beige Gorgon || An invention of Randall's, and a reference to {{w|Medusa}} in {{w|Greek Mythology}}, who was one of the three Gorgons. "Dangerous to observe at optical wavelengths" refers to the property of Medusa in which anyone who gazes upon her face will turn to stone. However, seeing Medusa's reflection is safe, so [[1791: Telescopes: Refractor vs Reflector|most astronomers should be fine.]] This is probably why its color is known, unlike Medusa's, whose observers have a high mortality rate. The choice of the color "beige" for this kind of "star" may be a reference to {{w|cosmic latte}}, the "average color" of the universe.

In reality, the star {{w|Algol}} and other nearby stars in the constellation of Perseus were historically referred to as the "Gorgonea", representing Medusa's head after Perseus cut it off. Medusa is also the namesake of {{w|Medusa Nebula|a nebula}}, {{w|NGC 4194|a pair of colliding galaxies}}, and {{w|149 Medusa|an asteroid}}. No observers of any of these celestial bodies have been petrified.{{Citation needed}}
|}

==Transcript==
:[A chart, with ten colored circles representing stars of different colors and sizes. Each circle has a label, with a line going from the label to the circle. Below each label is a small description in smaller font. The text is listed from the top left. Above all the circles is the following heading:]
:<big>Common star types</big>

:[A small yellow star.]
:Yellow dwarf
:Warm, stable, slowly-growing

:[An even smaller white star.]
:White dwarf
:Small, hot, dim

:[A very large red-orange star squishing the previous two stars into the corners of the chart.]
:Red giant
:Huge, cool, luminous

:[A small red star.]
:Red dwarf
:Small, cool, ancient, dim

:[An olive green, medium-sized star.]
:Green elf
:Old, diminishes into the west

:[A fairly large pale blue star.]
:Blue giant
:Large, hot, short-lived

:[A blue-green, medium-sized star.]
:Teal sphynx
:Cryptic, eternal

:[A small silver-colored star.]
:Gray wizard
:Wise, powerful, mercurial

:[A tiny blue star.]
:Indigo banshee
:Bright, portentous, extremely loud

:[A beige, medium-sized star.]
:Beige gorgon
:Dangerous to observe at optical wavelengths.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]

Talk:1374: Urn

2014-05-28T18:08:58Z

108.162.219.42:

The urn could contain both the ashes and the balls, as the teacher does not use any modifiers like "only". IE: Meg could have imagined these balls being added to an urn are already has knowledge of. It would be nice if the explanation clarified this possibility. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.68|199.27.128.68]] 10:10, 28 May 2014 (UTC) Adam

I interpreted the "with replacement" part of the title text as Megan wanting to have her grandfather back.--[[User:Buggz|Buggz]] ([[User talk:Buggz|talk]]) 08:31, 28 May 2014 (UTC)
: I now realize she just wants to put the ashes back, it's so obvious it hurts. #overthinkingit --[[User:Buggz|Buggz]] ([[User talk:Buggz|talk]]) 09:44, 28 May 2014 (UTC)

The calculation for "with replacement" is substantially shorter (and thus easier and less tedious) than without. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.218|108.162.237.218]] 09:14, 28 May 2014 (UTC)
: Depends on whether you disregard the order in which the balls are drawn or not. -- [[User:Xorg|Xorg]] ([[User talk:Xorg|talk]]) 10:09, 28 May 2014 (UTC)

A bot wrote all of these?!--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.46|108.162.215.46]] 09:50, 28 May 2014 (UTC)
: I guess I'll have to remove "understanding xkcd" from my list of working Turing tests then... -- [[User:Xorg|Xorg]] ([[User talk:Xorg|talk]]) 10:09, 28 May 2014 (UTC)

Maybe I'm off base, but it seems to be a commentary on [http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/us/warning-the-literary-canon-could-make-students-squirm.html Trigger Warnings]
:Could be. I can see that, with the standard science/math/Randall twist. Only in this case, the content is totally unexpected based on the perceived topic that is to be covered. Unlike possibly expecting racism from a civil war era novel, brutality from an ancient Greek historical account; or peanuts in a can of, peanuts... [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 13:23, 28 May 2014 (UTC)
:I'm going throwing in my vote here - I'm well aware of the concept of "trigger warnings," but I '''don't''' think this is a reference to them. Is there any actual evidence of this? This seems like a particularly editorial comment, that isn't really backed up by the content of the comic. --[[User:Overand|Overand]] ([[User talk:Overand|talk]]) 18:02, 28 May 2014 (UTC)

I'd suggest that Megan could identify her grandfathers ashes by the urn (shape, colour, identification), but there's no clear indication of that in the panel. She clearly recognizes the ashes as her grandfathers ''after'' she sticks her hand in. [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 13:25, 28 May 2014 (UTC)

I think the key here is that for some people the word "urn" is a neutral word, while for other people "urn" is only associated with funerals and cremation and the ashes of a loved one. The fact that the title for the drawing is "Urn" could also imply that it is all about the word "urn" and how some people react emotionally to it. --[[User:RenniePet|RenniePet]] ([[User talk:RenniePet|talk]]) 13:49, 28 May 2014 (UTC)

It seems very clear to me that this comic is mostly about "trigger warnings". [[User:J Milstein|J Milstein]] ([[User talk:J Milstein|talk]]) 13:55, 28 May 2014 (UTC)

Reading the title I firstly thought it would have had a "uniform resource name" joke in... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.31|108.162.219.31]] 16:48, 28 May 2014 (UTC)

I find trigger warnings to be ridiculous (thanks in no small part to Tumblr) and unnecessary (why not just call them plain warnings? jeez), but I think the "trigger warning" explanation is really reaching, honestly. I don't find any indications in Randall's comic to suggest this. I think Megan is just trying to play a cruel, cruel prank on Cueball. It's a funny one at that. No need to over-analyze it, IMO.

Oh, and to the user above Jarod997... thanks a lot for linking that NYT article. Now I have a headache from reading that... Ugh! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.42|108.162.219.42]] 18:08, 28 May 2014 (UTC)Mudkip3DS

Talk:1360: Old Files

2014-04-25T17:01:28Z

108.162.219.42:

I notice backup and recovery files. I once had a folder on my father's computer that housed everything I did. When the drive crashed, I managed to recover it and store it to a CD-ROM (this was before thumb drives). I copied everything onto my first computer within my main folder (I don't use My Documents), and I continue to move my main folder into a new main folder each time I migrate between computers. I have so many nested memories. I, too, have incomplete fan-fiction and instant message logs. Oh, and a dream.txt. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.218|108.162.237.218]] 04:47, 25 April 2014 (UTC)

I don't have as much of a problem with the "old files room", because I keep nearly all of my files on my laptop, but my hard drive is almost full. Another hard drive replace the CD drive, but this computer won't last much longer (bye cd drive workaround). I'll have to build an "old files room" sooner or later. [[User:Z|Z]] ([[User talk:Z|talk]]) 05:07, 25 April 2014 (UTC)

Back in the... early '90s, I think it was... I recall there being someone like a buddhist monk (or someone ''claiming'' to be someone like a buddhist monk, and the religion could have been something else) who set up an internet site (not necessarily a website) as a temple for "all lost data". The files you had accidentally deleted, the floppies that got damaged or otherwise corrupted, forgotten formats on old drives that you'd lost the wherewithall to access them. Between this and the "hoarder" behaviour exhibitted in the above XKCD folder we encompass ''all'' long-term computer users. At the same time. I know I regret the dead USB sticks (with irreplacable content) and yet I stare in hopelessness at the folders "GStick" and "FStick" within My Documents, that really need looking at again. (No, they don't contain the lost material. Datestamped at 2009.) But they're two of fifty-three separate subfolders (and a helluva lot of loose files) in that level. "WebRedo"? I remember that. That site hasn't even been ''active'' for about a decade. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.224|141.101.89.224]] 06:50, 25 April 2014 (UTC)

;Explanation
I think the point of the comic doesn't come across in the explanation. It's not just that he's sifting through files, but that he's finding files nested deeply in his folder structure that just came to pass because he always copied contents of an old computer to some folder on the next computer and then ignored its contents.

I.e. in his "Documents" folder, there is the "Old Desktop" folder from a previous computer, which contains the "Recovered from drive crash" folder from another previous system, which has another "Mu Documents" folder within, ... etc. The nesting aspect should somehow be integrated into the explanation.
--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.57|108.162.229.57]] 09:59, 25 April 2014 (UTC)

The shape of the panel is vaguely reminiscent of a hard drive, this may be intentional, being emphasized by the increasing size of the individual layers. In which case there might be some metaphor construed by the placement of the two characters based on their location in the structure of the hard-drive perhaps involving the catalog index. {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.35}}

It should be pointed out that the AYB folder is directly referencing https://xkcd.com/286/ {{unsigned ip|108.162.238.211}}

I have done this before on my hard drive(s) and I always find my old qbasic programs. Anyone knows of an emulator for qbasic so I could see my old programs running again? [[User:Bigfatbernie|Bigfatbernie]] ([[User talk:Bigfatbernie|talk]]) 13:56, 25 April 2014 (UTC)

:DOSBox will run QBasic programs if you grab the QBasic 1.1 interpreter from either an old copy of Windows 98 that still has it in its dos utilities folder, or just download it from here: http://www.qbasic.net/en/qbasic-downloads/compiler/qbasic-interpreter.htm [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.42|108.162.219.42]] 17:01, 25 April 2014 (UTC)

Anybody know what Citadel is? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.42|108.162.219.42]] 16:58, 25 April 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1360: Old Files

2014-04-25T16:58:59Z

108.162.219.42:

I notice backup and recovery files. I once had a folder on my father's computer that housed everything I did. When the drive crashed, I managed to recover it and store it to a CD-ROM (this was before thumb drives). I copied everything onto my first computer within my main folder (I don't use My Documents), and I continue to move my main folder into a new main folder each time I migrate between computers. I have so many nested memories. I, too, have incomplete fan-fiction and instant message logs. Oh, and a dream.txt. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.218|108.162.237.218]] 04:47, 25 April 2014 (UTC)

I don't have as much of a problem with the "old files room", because I keep nearly all of my files on my laptop, but my hard drive is almost full. Another hard drive replace the CD drive, but this computer won't last much longer (bye cd drive workaround). I'll have to build an "old files room" sooner or later. [[User:Z|Z]] ([[User talk:Z|talk]]) 05:07, 25 April 2014 (UTC)

Back in the... early '90s, I think it was... I recall there being someone like a buddhist monk (or someone ''claiming'' to be someone like a buddhist monk, and the religion could have been something else) who set up an internet site (not necessarily a website) as a temple for "all lost data". The files you had accidentally deleted, the floppies that got damaged or otherwise corrupted, forgotten formats on old drives that you'd lost the wherewithall to access them. Between this and the "hoarder" behaviour exhibitted in the above XKCD folder we encompass ''all'' long-term computer users. At the same time. I know I regret the dead USB sticks (with irreplacable content) and yet I stare in hopelessness at the folders "GStick" and "FStick" within My Documents, that really need looking at again. (No, they don't contain the lost material. Datestamped at 2009.) But they're two of fifty-three separate subfolders (and a helluva lot of loose files) in that level. "WebRedo"? I remember that. That site hasn't even been ''active'' for about a decade. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.224|141.101.89.224]] 06:50, 25 April 2014 (UTC)

;Explanation
I think the point of the comic doesn't come across in the explanation. It's not just that he's sifting through files, but that he's finding files nested deeply in his folder structure that just came to pass because he always copied contents of an old computer to some folder on the next computer and then ignored its contents.

I.e. in his "Documents" folder, there is the "Old Desktop" folder from a previous computer, which contains the "Recovered from drive crash" folder from another previous system, which has another "Mu Documents" folder within, ... etc. The nesting aspect should somehow be integrated into the explanation.
--[[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.57|108.162.229.57]] 09:59, 25 April 2014 (UTC)

The shape of the panel is vaguely reminiscent of a hard drive, this may be intentional, being emphasized by the increasing size of the individual layers. In which case there might be some metaphor construed by the placement of the two characters based on their location in the structure of the hard-drive perhaps involving the catalog index. {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.35}}

It should be pointed out that the AYB folder is directly referencing https://xkcd.com/286/ {{unsigned ip|108.162.238.211}}

I have done this before on my hard drive(s) and I always find my old qbasic programs. Anyone knows of an emulator for qbasic so I could see my old programs running again? [[User:Bigfatbernie|Bigfatbernie]] ([[User talk:Bigfatbernie|talk]]) 13:56, 25 April 2014 (UTC)

Anybody know what Citadel is? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.42|108.162.219.42]] 16:58, 25 April 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1355: Airplane Message

2014-04-15T06:54:44Z

108.162.219.42:

How can Iry-Hor, who's name comes from a ''written record'', be considered "prehistoric"? History begins with the written record. By definition, Iry-Hor would be the earliest historical name we know. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.38|108.162.216.38]] 13:51, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

:I agree. In fact, the Hebrew Bible goes even farther back, making the beginning of recorded history a much earlier date. I've always thought that the term "prehistoric" was farcical.
:The Hebrew Bible contains the names of many individuals alive before Iry-Hor was born. The man Adam would then qualify as the oldest named individual in history. Even if Adam isn't accepted (and I can't see why not; the Hebrew Scriptures being as much a historical document as any Egyptian papyrii) then take your pick of the many others named well before the Eqyptians came on the scene. [[User:Fiddlinmacx|Fiddlinmacx]] ([[User talk:Fiddlinmacx|talk]]) 14:18, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

::The text (glyphs, really) about Iry-Hor were written during his lifetime. The Hebrew Scriptures were not written until around 2,500 years later, literally eons after the Egyptians had been 'on the scene.' Claiming that characters in Genesis are historical figures from 4000 BC is approximately as scientific as claiming that Tumok (from the 1940 film 'One Million B.C.') is actually the oldest human whose name we know. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.73|108.162.221.73]] 14:47, 14 April 2014 (UTC)Oz

::: +1 -- Religious scripts are not reliable as historical records. [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 16:23, 14 April 2014 (UTC)
:::: Not the ones in the Pentateuch, anyway. Once they get to the book of Joshua they start getting their facts straight. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.65|199.27.128.65]] 18:16, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

The explanation seems complete. Can the incomplete tag be removed? [[User:Cheeselord99|Cheeselord99]] ([[User talk:Cheeselord99|talk]]) 17:32, 14 April 2014 (UTC)
:DONE, but please check the language and the layout first before calling on this. I'm not native English, so I can't be better than native speakers. Couldn't believe...--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:48, 14 April 2014 (UTC)
::Done. Editing on a mobile, though, so anyone else want to double-proof? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.88.210|141.101.88.210]] 02:19, 15 April 2014 (UTC)
:::Looks okay to me - I'm on a desktop Computer [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.42|108.162.219.42]] 06:54, 15 April 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1354: Heartbleed Explanation

2014-04-14T21:27:30Z

108.162.219.42: Hmm. the edit feature is being difficult.

I assume everybody got the (truncated) reference to the password "CorrectHorseBatteryStaple"... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.210|141.101.89.210]] 06:51, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
:Until I read this wiki, I did not get that. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.50|108.162.216.50]] 10:09, 11 April 2014 (UTC)BK201
:There are also references to (if I recall correctly): [[Missed Connections]], "snakes but not too long" from [[Umwelt]], there's boats (of which many comics exist), "bees in car why" may be slightly related to [[Parody Week: TFD and Natalie Dee]]... that's all I see. Also the ip (375.381.283.17) doesn't seem to represent anything, but you never know. {{User:Grep/signature|11:04, 11 April 2014}}
::The IP most certainly does not represent anything because it is invalid. Three of the octets are >255. [[User:Dan|Dan]] 21:19, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

While the bug is explained very good, there is one point missing: The word "user" seems to imply that Meg is known to server. But the bug doesn't require that - ANYONE can ask the server. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:03, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
: Nope, the word "user" does not indicate a logged in user. It's just a reference to anybody who happens to "use" (actually: connect to) the server at the moment. In fact, it is a particular network connection (TCP or else), on which other end there is a "user" Meg. -- [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.111|108.162.210.111]] 12:07, 11 April 2014 (UTC)

The transcript should include all the text in the servers memory, not just the highlighted text. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:04, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
:Nope, it can only do 64k per request. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.91|108.162.216.91]] 16:04, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
::I meant that the transcript here above the talk page should include all text. When I wrote my comment, only the highlighted text in the computers thoghts where transcripted. Now that I visit the page again, it seems to be complete. The text in the servers last speech is only half the 500 charachters long (251) but that is explained by OnePointEight in the comment below. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:20, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
:The speech bubble is formatted as truncated, but if it were complete it would be 500 characters which is what was requested by Megan and within the 64k max.[[User:OnePointEight|OnePointEight]] ([[User talk:OnePointEight|talk]]) 19:39, 11 April 2014 (UTC)

Heartbleed Explanation Explanation. Lovely. Also, I see that Eve is an administrator. Eavesdropper? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.218|108.162.237.218]] 15:24, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
:Also the attacker is Meg, which can be thought of as an alternate to Mallory/Trudy [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.65|108.162.221.65]] 16:45, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
::This is absurd. Meg is a common nickname for Margaret. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.84|173.245.50.84]] 20:38, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
:::As my main language is not English I'm not familiar with nicknames, but if Meg is a common nickname for Margaret then that is important and should be included in the explanation of the title text. I did not understand why Margaret suddenly turned up... [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:28, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
::::The explanation of the title text has presumably been expanded since you visited it. It's a reference to a book. --[[User:V2Blast|V2Blast]] ([[User talk:V2Blast|talk]]) 03:34, 12 April 2014 (UTC)

"Snakes but not too long"... great! --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.241|108.162.210.241]] 15:49, 11 April 2014 (UTC)

It looks like the "server key" is a phone number: 1-483-503-8534 {{unsigned ip|199.27.130.228}}

The User Ada is a reference to Ingress, in which Ada is the head of the blue team. Ingress, being an ARG, would be an IRL game.{{unsigned ip|108.162.219.10}}

Why has everyone here missed the reference to Portal 2? It almost seems so obvious :). [[User:YetAnotherGeek|YetAnotherGeek]] ([[User talk:YetAnotherGeek|talk]]) 09:23, 12 April 2014 (UTC)

Are we sure that the hacker in the comic is Megan? She has long, curly hair as opposed to short straight hair. Considering she has long hair and has malicious intent, she might be Danish. {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.71}}
:The server refers to her as "Meg", and if she were spoofing the source address, the packets wouldn't go back to her. That would be an amplification DoS attack. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.4|108.162.246.4]] 22:42, 13 April 2014 (UTC)

Has anybody figured out what the selfie.jpg contents reaaly are? It isn't a valid JPG because the magic numbers don't match, and it isn't ASCII text because multiple bytes have the most significant bit set. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.45|108.162.215.45]] 07:52, 13 April 2014 (UTC)
:I put 834ba962e2ceb9ff89bd3bff8c into a file and [https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/809c727dee625e37c3487f6d57d42e295e2fdd74a8c1f89ce7e667d8ae3e2fcc/analysis/1397428742/#additional-info sent it to VirusTotal]. The magic literal seems to match "DBase 3 data file with memo(s)", so I'd say that it's just random data. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.4|108.162.246.4]] 22:51, 13 April 2014 (UTC)

Has anyone figured out if the words "potato", "bird", and "hat" are supposed to mean something in particular? --[[User:Dfeuer|Dfeuer]] ([[User talk:Dfeuer|talk]]) 07:43, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

Talk:1354: Heartbleed Explanation

2014-04-14T21:22:50Z

108.162.219.42: Invalid IP comment

I assume everybody got the (truncated) reference to the password "CorrectHorseBatteryStaple"... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.89.210|141.101.89.210]] 06:51, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
:Until I read this wiki, I did not get that. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.50|108.162.216.50]] 10:09, 11 April 2014 (UTC)BK201
:There are also references to (if I recall correctly): [[Missed Connections]], "snakes but not too long" from [[Umwelt]], there's boats (of which many comics exist), "bees in car why" may be slightly related to [[Parody Week: TFD and Natalie Dee]]... that's all I see. Also the ip (375.381.283.17) doesn't seem to represent anything, but you never know. {{User:Grep/signature|11:04, 11 April 2014}}
::The IP most certainly does not represent anything because it is invalid. Two of the octets are >255. [[User:Dan|Dan]] 21:13, 14 April 2014 (UTC)

While the bug is explained very good, there is one point missing: The word "user" seems to imply that Meg is known to server. But the bug doesn't require that - ANYONE can ask the server. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 11:03, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
: Nope, the word "user" does not indicate a logged in user. It's just a reference to anybody who happens to "use" (actually: connect to) the server at the moment. In fact, it is a particular network connection (TCP or else), on which other end there is a "user" Meg. -- [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.111|108.162.210.111]] 12:07, 11 April 2014 (UTC)

The transcript should include all the text in the servers memory, not just the highlighted text. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:04, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
:Nope, it can only do 64k per request. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.91|108.162.216.91]] 16:04, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
::I meant that the transcript here above the talk page should include all text. When I wrote my comment, only the highlighted text in the computers thoghts where transcripted. Now that I visit the page again, it seems to be complete. The text in the servers last speech is only half the 500 charachters long (251) but that is explained by OnePointEight in the comment below. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:20, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
:The speech bubble is formatted as truncated, but if it were complete it would be 500 characters which is what was requested by Megan and within the 64k max.[[User:OnePointEight|OnePointEight]] ([[User talk:OnePointEight|talk]]) 19:39, 11 April 2014 (UTC)

Heartbleed Explanation Explanation. Lovely. Also, I see that Eve is an administrator. Eavesdropper? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.218|108.162.237.218]] 15:24, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
:Also the attacker is Meg, which can be thought of as an alternate to Mallory/Trudy [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.65|108.162.221.65]] 16:45, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
::This is absurd. Meg is a common nickname for Margaret. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.84|173.245.50.84]] 20:38, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
:::As my main language is not English I'm not familiar with nicknames, but if Meg is a common nickname for Margaret then that is important and should be included in the explanation of the title text. I did not understand why Margaret suddenly turned up... [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:28, 11 April 2014 (UTC)
::::The explanation of the title text has presumably been expanded since you visited it. It's a reference to a book. --[[User:V2Blast|V2Blast]] ([[User talk:V2Blast|talk]]) 03:34, 12 April 2014 (UTC)

"Snakes but not too long"... great! --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.241|108.162.210.241]] 15:49, 11 April 2014 (UTC)

It looks like the "server key" is a phone number: 1-483-503-8534 {{unsigned ip|199.27.130.228}}

The User Ada is a reference to Ingress, in which Ada is the head of the blue team. Ingress, being an ARG, would be an IRL game.{{unsigned ip|108.162.219.10}}

Why has everyone here missed the reference to Portal 2? It almost seems so obvious :). [[User:YetAnotherGeek|YetAnotherGeek]] ([[User talk:YetAnotherGeek|talk]]) 09:23, 12 April 2014 (UTC)

Are we sure that the hacker in the comic is Megan? She has long, curly hair as opposed to short straight hair. Considering she has long hair and has malicious intent, she might be Danish. {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.71}}
:The server refers to her as "Meg", and if she were spoofing the source address, the packets wouldn't go back to her. That would be an amplification DoS attack. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.4|108.162.246.4]] 22:42, 13 April 2014 (UTC)

Has anybody figured out what the selfie.jpg contents reaaly are? It isn't a valid JPG because the magic numbers don't match, and it isn't ASCII text because multiple bytes have the most significant bit set. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.45|108.162.215.45]] 07:52, 13 April 2014 (UTC)
:I put 834ba962e2ceb9ff89bd3bff8c into a file and [https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/809c727dee625e37c3487f6d57d42e295e2fdd74a8c1f89ce7e667d8ae3e2fcc/analysis/1397428742/#additional-info sent it to VirusTotal]. The magic literal seems to match "DBase 3 data file with memo(s)", so I'd say that it's just random data. --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.4|108.162.246.4]] 22:51, 13 April 2014 (UTC)

Has anyone figured out if the words "potato", "bird", and "hat" are supposed to mean something in particular? --[[User:Dfeuer|Dfeuer]] ([[User talk:Dfeuer|talk]]) 07:43, 14 April 2014 (UTC)