explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2174: First News Memory

2019-07-11T03:04:47Z

108.162.250.53: Fixed [citation needed] formatting

{{comic
| number = 2174
| date = July 10, 2019
| title = First News Memory
| image = first_news_memory.png
| titletext = Psychology researchers say our 'flashbulb' memories of big events can be unreliable, but I clearly remember watching live on CNN as Challenger crashed into and destroyed the Berlin Wall.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a FAULTY FIRST NEWS MEMORY. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. (Explain title-text) Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
7 xkcd characters are discussing their "first news memory", their first memory of an event that was reported by the news media. A person's "first news memory" can vary based on their age, the region where they grew up, and how in touch with the news they are.

The following is a breakdown of the memories given by the characters, in typical xkcd fashion:
===Frame One===
[[Cueball]] recalls the election coverage from the year 1988. As Randall is usually US-centric{{Citation needed}}, this is probably the {{w|1988 United States presidential election|1988 US presidential election}} in which George H. W. Bush defeated Michael Dukakis. [[Megan]] recalls {{w|Berlin_Wall#Fall_of_the_Berlin_Wall|the removal of the Berlin wall}}, which began in 1989.

===Frame Two===
[[Hairy]] recalls the {{w|Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|''Challenger'' explosion}}, which occurred in 1986. Many schools allowed teachers to bring a television to the classroom to show their students, sadly unaware of the impending disaster the children would witness. However, Hairy remembers watching the footage in 1995, so Hairy's teacher was knowingly showing the students recorded footage of a disaster. Presumably, showing a number of young schoolchildren a traumatizing event led to the dismissal.

===Frame Three===
[[White Hat]] says that his first news memory was about the 2016 election (presumably the {{w|2016 United States presidential election|2016 US presidential election}}), which is only three years prior to the publication date of this comic. This implies that he spent most of his life not paying attention to the news.

===Frame Four===
[[Black Hat]]'s first sentence is normal in the context of the question. Given only the sentence 'we landed on the moon,' the 'we' is inferred to be 'the United States of America' or 'the human race.' The first {{w|moon landing}} occurred on July 20, 1969.
However, Black Hat goes on to say that 'my second memory is my mom telling us we were moving to Earth instead, to blend in with the humans.' This gives a completely different meaning to his first memory, as it is now implied that Black Hat is a humanoid alien who moved to the Moon, but whose mother then decided to move to Earth. Whether any news coverage resulted is unclear. [[Hairbun]] then remarks that this revelation explains Black Hat's odd (and usually disruptive) behavior. It is unclear whether Black Hat is telling the truth, but knowing Black Hat, he is likely intentionally trying to unnerve others.

The title text gives [http://theconversation.com/flashbulb-memories-of-dramatic-events-arent-as-accurate-as-believed-64838 the claim] that {{w|Flashbulb memory|flashbulb memories}} of big events can be unreliable. Randall refutes this claim, claiming to remember watching on CNN as the ''Challenger'' spacecraft crashed into the Berlin Wall. This is an inaccurate memory of these two events, as the ''Challenger'' explosion occurred in 1986 over the Atlantic Ocean, just east of Cape Canaveral, Florida, and did not occur near the Berlin Wall (in Berlin, Germany). Also, the Berlin Wall was intentionally demolished starting in 1989; it was not damaged by a space shuttle. It is possible that this memory also conflates those events with those of the {{w|September 11 attacks}} since the latter ''did'' involve a winged craft crashing into and destroying a landmark.

==Transcript==
:[Ponytail, Cueball, Megan, Hairy, White Hat, Black Hat and Hairbun are all at a party, discussing their earliest news memories.]

:[Panel with Ponytail, Cueball, Megan, and Hairy]
:Ponytail: What's your first news memory?
:Cueball: I always like this question! Mine was the 1988 election.
:Megan: Berlin wall for me. You?

:[Frame-less panel with Megan, Hairy, White Hat, and Black Hat]
:Hairy: Watching the ''Challenger'' launch in class. We were so excited; everyone was horrified when it blew up.
:Hairy: It was 1995.
:Hairy: Our teacher got fired soon after.

:[Panel with Hairy, White Hat, Black Hat, and Hairbun]
:White Hat: Mine's the 2016 election.
:Hairbun: ...aren't you in your 30's?
:White Hat: Look, we're not all great about keeping up with the news, OK?

:[Panel with White Hat, Black Hat, and Hairbun]
:Black Hat: My first memory is when we landed on the moon.
:Black Hat: My second memory is my mom telling us we were moving to Earth instead, to blend in with the humans.
:Hairbun: This explains a lot.

{{comic discussion}}

2173: Trained a Neural Net

2019-07-11T02:53:36Z

108.162.250.53: Citation needed on the offensiveness of dehumanisation.

{{comic
| number = 2173
| date = July 8, 2019
| title = Trained a Neural Net
| image = trained_a_neural_net.png
| titletext = It also works for anything you teach someone else to do. "Oh yeah, I trained a pair of neural nets, Emily and Kevin, to respond to support tickets."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TRAINED NEURAL NET. This is an incredibly stubby explanation; please expand. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
An {{w|artificial neural network}}, or a neural net, is a computing system inspired by a human brain, which "learns" by considering lots and lots of examples to develop patterns. For example, these are used in image recognition - by analyzing thousands or millions of examples, the system is able to identify particular objects. Neural networks typically function with no prior knowledge, and are "trained" by feeding in examples of the thing that they are told to analyze.

Here, [[Cueball]] is telling [[White Hat]] how he trained a neural net to sort photos into categories. The joke in the comic is that a human brain is already a neural network, albeit a biological one instead of an artificial one. By teaching oneself (or others) to do a task, you are ''de facto'' training a neural network. So instead of designing and training an artificial neural net that could do this task, all he did was manually sort the photos.

It is not advisable to say this in real life, because you might then be expected to use your already-trained neural net to do a similar task (or redo the same task) with much greater speed, thus ruining the façade. Also, people are offended when they are referred to by programmers as deterministic automata with no free will.{{Citation needed}}

The title text is a continuation of this joke, as instead of designing and training two artificial neural nets named "Emily" and "Kevin", all he has done is train two people to manually respond to support tickets.

==Transcript==
:[Single panel with White Hat and Cueball, with White Hat holding what appears to be a smartphone.]
:White Hat: Oh, hey, you organized our photo archive!
:Cueball: Yeah, I trained a neural net to sort the unlabeled photos into categories.
:White Hat: Whoa! Nice work!

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Engineering Tip: When you do a task by hand, you can technically say you trained a neural net to do it.

==Trivia==
[https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Diego_Moussallem/publication/326030040_Neural_Machine_Translation_for_Query_Construction_and_Composition Some contemporary neural nets have been trained to answer questions about the contents of Wikipedia.] You can [https://chat.dbpedia.org try one] that [https://wiki.dbpedia.org/contribute you can also help train]. Technically, improving Wikipedia helps train it, but for example [https://github.com/dbpedia/GSoC/issues/11 you can also look for problems with the net's output.] Other neural networks are being trained to extract phonological information from spoken audio, as per [https://arxiv.org/pdf/1905.06533.pdf Figure 1 here]. In [[1897: Self Driving]], Randall suggested that crowdsourced applications like ReCAPTCHA that have been used to train neural nets to recognize objects necessary for safe driving in photographs, may also be used for [[wikipedia:Wizard of Oz experiment|Wizard of Oz experiments]].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Artificial Intelligence]]

272: Linux User at Best Buy

2018-08-22T09:39:44Z

108.162.250.53: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 272
| date = June 4, 2007
| title = Linux User at Best Buy
| image = linux_user_at_best_buy.png
| titletext = We actually stand around the antivirus displays with the Mac users just waiting for someone to ask.
}}

==Explanation==
{{w|Best Buy}} is an American chain of electronics and media stores. As with many such big box shops, they only sell pre-bundled software and boxed pre-built hardware, where the computers on offer are either {{w|iMac|Macs}} or {{w|Personal computer|other PCs}}, usually pre-installed with some variant of the {{w|Mac OS X}} or {{w|Windows NT}} operating system families. Most personal computer {{w|Hacker (hobbyist)|hackers/enthusiasts}} (as opposed merely to workaday computer users) wouldn't be caught dead buying a pre-made computer {{Citation needed}}, preferring instead to build their own using self-selected hardware components and install and configure their own preferred operating systems and software. As such, the subtext is that somebody buying a complete pre-packaged home computer system at Best Buy wouldn't know or care much about computers.

The salesperson is trying to sell {{w|antivirus software}} to [[Cueball]] because selling such software (e.g. {{w|Norton AntiVirus|Norton}} or {{w|Kaspersky Internet Security|Kaspersky}}) to prospective Windows PC owners is generally a good sales tactic. The vast majority of all computer {{w|malware}} is engineered specifically to exploit Windows, and Windows' inherent anti-malware protection might most charitably be described with the phrase "lacklustre, but not as bad as before." Windows users therefore ''will'' want antivirus protection, ''especially'' for use on a brand new machine that will soon be connected up to the Internet. Moreover, because the ecosystem of viruses and malware that thrive by infecting Windows PCs is constantly evolving (see [[350: Network]]) and being redesigned to take advantage of new exploits and fool last-month's antivirus software, it is quite prudent for a Windows PC owner to always keep their malware protection absolutely up-to-date, and many such security suites need to be regularly renewed with new versions.

While some viruses and malware ''can'' afflict {{w|Linux}}, in general {{w|Unix-like}} operating systems (including {{w|Linux_distribution|Linux distributions}} and {{w|Berkeley Software Distribution|BSD}}) are far more robust and secure than Windows, with fewer exploitable vulnerabilities. Therefore, Cueball is confident (rightfully so) that he will be fine without additional security. Moreover, Linux is {{w|free software}}, which means that anyone is able to audit the code and fix security bugs. Although malware protection ''usually'' isn't necessary, if extra protection is desired by the user, such as for tasks requiring very high security standards (such as on servers and supercomputers), there are anti-malware solutions available such as {{w|Clam_AntiVirus|ClamAV}}.

Back in 2007, when the less popular {{w|Windows Vista}} was released and with a stagnant Mac market, many in the Linux community believed that Linux would soon wipe out Windows as the operating system of choice for desktop PCs, after years of slow-but-steady growth. This explains the cheeky triumphalism of the final panels of the comic, in which Cueball hops on his quick, slick vehicle and speeds away. It's worth noting that
* this desktop reversal has not happened, though
* Linux did achieve a [http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp peak in popularity in 2011], just as Windows users were laboriously switching from {{w|Windows XP}} to {{w|Windows 7}}, with Linux peaking again in 2014 and Windows arguably in decline, and in any case
* desktop PCs themselves have slowed in sales, losing ground first to {{w|laptop}}s and most recently to {{w|Embedded software|embedded device}}s, where Linux use does indeed heavily exceed the competition, e.g. {{w|Android (operating system)|Android}} handily out-competing both the previously dominant {{w|iPhone}} (which was first released mere days after this comic), as well as the never-popular {{w|Windows Phone}}

The title text makes sense in light of the fact that, like Linux, the software design of OS X (both are based on Unix, OS X through Darwin - see [[676: Abstraction]]) limits the amount of harm that can be done by malicious software, and Macs thus also have fewer viruses and malware than Windows. Apparently, Mac and Linux users flock together just waiting for some salesperson to come along and mistake them for someone gullible enough to use Windows. This is taking the piss out of the smugness sometimes to be found among Mac and Linux users, who may view their preferred systems as hip and different from the "mainstream" Microsoft systems that they feel are manifestly inferior.

==Transcript==
:Salesman: Interested in updating your antivirus software?
:Cueball: Oh, I wouldn't need any of that.

:[In a spiky speech bubble.]
:Cueball: I run Linux.

:[Cueball does a backflip onto a motorcycle.]
:''Flip''

:[Cueball performs a wheelie on the motorcycle.]

:[Cueball does a hard, donut turn on the motorcycle, kicking up dirt into the salesman's face.]

:[Cueball speeds off on the motorcycle, leaving the salesman in a cloud of black exhaust.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Linux]]

Talk:1918: NEXUS

2017-11-20T21:12:51Z

108.162.250.53: /* Broader context */

My first idea -- this is so draft I'm not even going to submit it into the Explanation: Could Cueball be associating NEXUS with the FernGully villain Hexxus? And the Cisco company/brand of IT products with Commander/Captain Benjamin Sisko from ''ST:DS9'' and Crisco vegetable shortening? I don't have time to look into the other things referenced, and I don't immediately recognize them, but feel free to build on this if you want. Or don't; I don't have time to care right now. '''--BigMal''' // 13:00, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

But Sisko saved Deep Space Nine! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.105.18|141.101.105.18]] 13:02, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

Ciscoes are a whitefish in the Salmonid family --13:08, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

The "Thong Song" is sang by an artist named "Sisqo". And ''The Caballero's Way'' written by O.Henry features a character named "the Cisco Kid". [[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.82|162.158.150.82]] 13:14, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

Cisco Kid went on to feature in Comics, films and a Depp Purple Song

Cisco Kid also a Sublime song. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.154|108.162.216.154]] 15:52, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

What is interesting: Cueball does not refuse all that food and cultural phenomena, because of their association with Cisco, but the other way round! So it is by sheer chance that Cueball hates similar sounding things. Sebastian --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.110.64|172.68.110.64]] 17:05, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

Is this poking fun at the backlash to EA right now? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.232|162.158.75.232]] 17:51, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

== a few more ==

o henry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cisco_Kid

fish
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisco_(fish)

incan
http://emperorsnew.wikia.com/wiki/Kuzco

brak
http://brak.wikia.com/wiki/Sisto
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.202|141.101.76.202]] 13:14, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

----

I was really looking forward to coming over to ExplainXKCD.com and seeing the explanation "We don't get it, either." Disappointed again! [[User:Jpd|Jpd]] ([[User talk:Jpd|talk]]) 14:15, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

== Other Nexuses ==

I'm surprised Cueball didn't also refer to [http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Nexus The Nexus] from Star Trek Generations. That's definitely something I wouldn't want to sign up for. Sure, it will speed up your travel, but that assumes you can get out in the first place. [[User:Shamino|Shamino]] ([[User talk:Shamino|talk]]) 14:59, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

Nexi*

Also - how about the Google Android phone? [[User:Brettpeirce|Brettpeirce]] ([[User talk:Brettpeirce|talk]]) 15:53, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

== Broader context ==

People sometimes really engage in boycotts because of confusion that's almost that silly. In 2008, some people wanted to boycott [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/boycott-arizona-iced-tea-wait-a-second/|boycott Arizona Iced Tea] over an Arizona immigration law, even though the company is based in New York. [[User:Gmcgath|Gmcgath]] ([[User talk:Gmcgath|talk]]) 16:49, 20 November 2017 (UTC)
:I liked Arizona lemonade -- when I could find it; no longer -- and despite their claims of being an American company, production of said lemonade was in Canada. But I like Canada too, so it was okay. '''--BigMal''' // [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.184|108.162.216.184]] 19:57, 20 November 2017 (UTC)
And the amusement factor of watching the U.S. rename "French Fries" (chips) as "Freedom Fries" as a punishment for the French, for a while there.... The rest of the world couldn't stop telling that joke. The French were delighted, as well. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.53|108.162.250.53]] 21:12, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

Talk:1903: Bun Trend

2017-10-17T12:35:12Z

108.162.250.53:

Bread product ≠ rabbit - Subject says it all. {{unsigned ip|141.101.107.168}}
:Yes, as to the trivia, I find it ridiculous that they might *not* be rabbits, per the diagram and reference to a small one, etc. I would correct this insanity had I more time.

Other Bun comics include [[1682]] and [[1871]] - maybe we should start a category? --[[User:AnotherAnonymous|AnotherAnonymous]] ([[User talk:AnotherAnonymous|talk]]) 14:58, 16 October 2017 (UTC)
:We can just link to the other "bun" comics for now—we can create a category when more pop up. [[User:RamenChef|RamenChef]] ([[User talk:RamenChef|talk]]) 18:21, 16 October 2017 (UTC)

Sure sure, everyone thinks they're harmless, until one picks up a switchblade and an attitude. [[User:DevAudio|DevAudio]] ([[User talk:DevAudio|talk]]) 15:32, 16 October 2017 (UTC)

Is it true that Bun trends are increasing? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.69.223|162.158.69.223]]

The long-awaited game Overgrowth was officially released on Steam today. It has been most succinctly described as a "Bunny Brawler". Coincidence? I think not!

Is the {beep} a reference to the bun alert (which beret guy has installed)? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.226|162.158.63.226]] 23:35, 16 October 2017 (UTC)

I guess that {beep} is definitely a reference to the bun alert, and that the "recent acceleration in numbers" is only an observed trend due to more users reporting buns over the app, not an actual increase in numbers. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.34|108.162.216.34]] 00:05, 17 October 2017 (UTC)

Good morning, Governor. Our tracking systems show a rapid increase in the number of buns featured on xkcd.

There's been a long-term upward trend, but it has accelerated recently.

So if you want to see comics about buns, there are lots of them there!

Ooh!

There's a new one right now!

It's been an honor to comment.

[[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 01:57, 17 October 2017 (UTC)

Speaking as an Aussie, an increase in rabbits can cause a major environmental disaster. Be careful of a bun-megadon! Remember that they're not a good thing in environments they didn't evolve in. I think over here in Oz, we actually do get rabbit increase reports. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.53|108.162.250.53]] 12:35, 17 October 2017 (UTC)

Current incomplete explanation is "Created by Randall Munroe". Seriously? Is this accurate or is somebody goofing around? If true I'd say that makes the explanation automatically complete, LOL! Except I wouldn't want to be the one to remove this special occurance. From the looks of the comments, looks like in previous versions of the explanation someone AGAIN confused this terminology with a bread roll. If only there were previous comics which referred to rabbits as "buns"... :) Or if there was a rabbit IN the comic. Or if someone, like this governor for example, made the connection between rabbits and the term "buns". LOL! [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 03:35, 17 October 2017 (UTC)
:Maybe Randall finally found out about the site and somehow contributed... who knows? --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|'''JayRules''XKCD''' ]][[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|what's up?]] 12:34, 17 October 2017 (UTC)

413: New Pet

2017-06-20T02:22:40Z

108.162.250.53:

{{comic
| number = 413
| date = April 21, 2008
| title = New Pet
| image = new pet.png
| titletext = ONE LAPTOP PER HAMSTER!
}}

==Explanation==
[[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] create a new pet by putting an {{w|EEE PC}} into a {{w|hamster ball}}, allowing it to roll around.

The {{w|Asus Eee PC}} was one of the first subnotebook computers available on the American market, noted for its small size and coming pre-installed with Linux. With a diagonal size of 11 inches, it would take a big hamster ball to carry it like this.

{{w|Omniwheel}}s are wheels with rollers mounted on the edge to allow the wheel to slide sideways. The wheels in the drawing look more like {{w|Mecanum wheel}}s, which have rollers mounted at an angle to the edge. Both Omniwheels and Mecanum wheels are used in omni-directional drive systems, like you would use to drive a hamster ball from the inside. A {{w|webcam}} is connected magnetically to the top of the hamster ball, which connects to an rf link to transmit wirelessly to the computer.

TCO is {{w|total cost of ownership}}, which is exactly what it sounds like: the purchase price of something, plus all costs of keeping, operating, and/or maintaining that something. It's used in accounting to determine something's true cost-to-value evaluation. In the case of a cat, TCO would primarily consist of food, litter, veterinary care, etc. Refer to [[#Trivia|trivia for more details]]. For the device in the comic, there would be a small ongoing cost (occasional recharges for the batteries) after the initial investment.

A {{w|Roomba}} is a self-directed robotic vacuum cleaner made by iRobot.

{{w|Python (programming language)|Python}} is a programming language popular among geeks running Linux. Among other features, it has a large number of easily installed 3rd-party libraries which make it easy to add features to programs. In this case, [[Cueball]] is importing the "soul" library to give the new pet a soul – <strike>obviously</strike> something that a programming language cannot actually do{{Citation needed|date=June 2017}}. This is a reference to [[353: Python]].

The title text refers to the {{w|One Laptop per Child}} project spearheaded by Nicholas Negroponte around 2005, with the goal of building an inexpensive, durable sublaptop that could be distributed to children in developing countries to give them an educational edge.

==Transcript==
:[Megan is placing EEE PC inside hamster ball. Cueball scratches head.]
:Cueball: What are you doing?
:Megan: Mounting your EEE PC in a hamster ball.

:Megan: Well, the TCO of a cat is like $1000/year, so we're saving money.

:[Cueball is typing.]
:Megan: Microcontrollers are all wired up. How's the brain coming?
:Cueball: I've taught it obstacle avoidance and blogging.

:Cueball: Aww, look, it's making friends with the Roomba.
:EEE PC: ''RRRRR''
:Roomba: ''Beep!''

:Diagram: Webcam, RF links, bearings, omni wheels, magnets, EEE PC, omni wheels, battery

:[Hamster ball bounces down flight of stairs.]
:Hamster ball: ''Bonk, bonk''
:Off-panel: Man, I hope it's OK that we're laughing at this.

:[Megan picks up ball.]
:Megan: I think my mothering instinct took a wrong turn somewhere.
:Cueball: You mean an awesome turn.

:[Cueball is typing.]
:Megan: Too bad we can't give it a soul.
:Cueball: Sure we can.
:Cueball types: import soul
:Megan: Oh, right. Python.

==Trivia==
*According to [http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2137&aid=1542 Pet Education's list], the TCO for a cat is between 310 and 1169 USD per year.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Hamster Ball]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Robots]]
[[Category:Roomba]]

413: New Pet

2017-06-20T02:02:48Z

108.162.250.53: added a Citation Needed.

{{comic
| number = 413
| date = April 21, 2008
| title = New Pet
| image = new pet.png
| titletext = ONE LAPTOP PER HAMSTER!
}}

==Explanation==
[[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] create a new pet by putting an {{w|EEE PC}} into a {{w|hamster ball}}, allowing it to roll around.

The {{w|Asus Eee PC}} was one of the first subnotebook computers available on the American market, noted for its small size and coming pre-installed with Linux. With a diagonal size of 11 inches, it would take a big hamster ball to carry it like this.

{{w|Omniwheel}}s are wheels with rollers mounted on the edge to allow the wheel to slide sideways. The wheels in the drawing look more like {{w|Mecanum wheel}}s, which have rollers mounted at an angle to the edge. Both Omniwheels and Mecanum wheels are used in omni-directional drive systems, like you would use to drive a hamster ball from the inside. A {{w|webcam}} is connected magnetically to the top of the hamster ball, which connects to an rf link to transmit wirelessly to the computer.

TCO is {{w|total cost of ownership}}, which is exactly what it sounds like: the purchase price of something, plus all costs of keeping, operating, and/or maintaining that something. It's used in accounting to determine something's true cost-to-value evaluation. In the case of a cat, TCO would primarily consist of food, litter, veterinary care, etc. Refer to [[#Trivia|trivia for more details]]. For the device in the comic, there would be a small ongoing cost (occasional recharges for the batteries) after the initial investment.

A {{w|Roomba}} is a self-directed robotic vacuum cleaner made by iRobot.

{{w|Python (programming language)|Python}} is a programming language popular among geeks running Linux. Among other features, it has a large number of easily installed 3rd-party libraries which make it easy to add features to programs. In this case, [[Cueball]] is importing the "soul" library to give the new pet a soul – <strike>obviously</strike> something that a programming language cannot actually do{{citation needed}}. This is a reference to [[353: Python]].

The title text refers to the {{w|One Laptop per Child}} project spearheaded by Nicholas Negroponte around 2005, with the goal of building an inexpensive, durable sublaptop that could be distributed to children in developing countries to give them an educational edge.

==Transcript==
:[Megan is placing EEE PC inside hamster ball. Cueball scratches head.]
:Cueball: What are you doing?
:Megan: Mounting your EEE PC in a hamster ball.

:Megan: Well, the TCO of a cat is like $1000/year, so we're saving money.

:[Cueball is typing.]
:Megan: Microcontrollers are all wired up. How's the brain coming?
:Cueball: I've taught it obstacle avoidance and blogging.

:Cueball: Aww, look, it's making friends with the Roomba.
:EEE PC: ''RRRRR''
:Roomba: ''Beep!''

:Diagram: Webcam, RF links, bearings, omni wheels, magnets, EEE PC, omni wheels, battery

:[Hamster ball bounces down flight of stairs.]
:Hamster ball: ''Bonk, bonk''
:Off-panel: Man, I hope it's OK that we're laughing at this.

:[Megan picks up ball.]
:Megan: I think my mothering instinct took a wrong turn somewhere.
:Cueball: You mean an awesome turn.

:[Cueball is typing.]
:Megan: Too bad we can't give it a soul.
:Cueball: Sure we can.
:Cueball types: import soul
:Megan: Oh, right. Python.

==Trivia==
*According to [http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2137&aid=1542 Pet Education's list], the TCO for a cat is between 310 and 1169 USD per year.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Hamster Ball]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Robots]]
[[Category:Roomba]]

Talk:1810: Chat Systems

2017-03-14T22:05:37Z

108.162.250.53:

"Wall (bathroom)" might be a reference to the Spaceballs movie. President Skroob is using the bathroom when he gets a video call from one of his officers. "Ahh! I told you never to call me on this wall! This is an unlisted wall!" [[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.112|172.68.54.112]] 16:31, 13 March 2017 (UTC)
:Or "Wall (bathroom)" is just a pun on "Wall (Unix)". That would explain why only these two have disambiguation, and not "Telegram" or "Peach". See also how both Walls are next to each other. Shirluban [[Special:Contributions/141.101.88.106|141.101.88.106]] 11:54, 14 March 2017 (UTC)
:I Believe "Wall (Bathroom)" is a reference to [https://explainxkcd.com/229 XKCD 229 - Graffiti]. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.234|173.245.50.234]] 20:57, 14 March 2017 (UTC)
::I agree adding this in --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:49, 14 March 2017 (UTC)
::Having communicated with nocturnal housemates by the method "leave a note where they will see it", it could also be a way of communicating with someone uncommunicative in your own house, alternative locations at our house being the bathroom mirror, the wall of the toilet room, and the kitchen fridge. It's possible it's not a public bathroom wall that he's referring to. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.53|108.162.250.53]] 22:05, 14 March 2017 (UTC)

From the explain section (User: Cosmogoblin): See [https://www.dropbox.com/s/8xpd3iggd47x51q/1810.ods this spreadsheet on Dropbox] for a list of each person in the diagram, as a basis for more complex analysis.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 16:48, 13 March 2017 (UTC)

Man, IRC is not old. I remember using it at college in 1996... Oh, wait.{{unsigned ip|172.68.26.65}}

I'm pretty sure that says '''Wall (Unix)''', not '''Wall (Linux)'''. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.131|162.158.79.131]] 17:16, 13 March 2017 (UTC)

He left off the chat tab on wikipedia :o){{unsigned ip|172.68.86.100}}

He also left off [https://discordapp.com/ Discord]. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.160|108.162.241.160]] 23:22, 13 March 2017 (UTC)
:He also also left off explain xkcd talkpages. [[User talk:AgentMuffin|~AgentMuffin]]
::Just curious - has Randall ever directly referenced explainxkcd? I know that he relies on us in minor ways, and I'm sure he reads explain, but I can't recall any actual references. And I'm having great difficulty thinking of a good Google search term to check! [[User:Cosmogoblin|Cosmogoblin]] ([[User talk:Cosmogoblin|talk]]) 17:09, 14 March 2017 (UTC)
:::Randall has no connection to this wiki but he has mentioned it in some former hidden transcripts. Look at bottom of my [[:User_talk:Dgbrt#Keep_it_compact|talk page]].--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:45, 14 March 2017 (UTC)

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Euler_and_Venn_diagrams.svg Humorous diagram comparing Euler and Venn diagrams]--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:06, 13 March 2017 (UTC)

To whom are the individuals unique to some sets talking to? eg those in Apache Request logs, and wall (unix) and wall (bathroom)? I suppose there is no reason to assume anyone is receiving their messages.......[[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.160|108.162.241.160]] 18:37, 13 March 2017 (UTC)
:I'd assume that the diagram is the ways Randall communicates with people. So the person in the Apache Logs circle would be the only person he is able to reach using this method. Likely meaning that for the really big circles (like email), a person outside the circle doesn't necessarily mean they don't use email; just that Randall doesn't have their address. --(bah, I can't remember my username on here. Old laptop was left logged in) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.109|162.158.154.109]] 20:37, 13 March 2017 (UTC)

This seems related to #1254, and maybe #1789 as well. Randall really has a problem with his friends' bizarre methods of communicating.[[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.5|172.68.132.5]] 18:44, 13 March 2017 (UTC)

;Related comics
I've created this new section at the bottom of the explain section. Those references don't explain much but moving it to a trivia section would move this out of sight for the reader. Since many writers like to find such references this chapter groups them all together. Any suggestions? --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:04, 13 March 2017 (UTC)
:Related: #1305 [[User:BMB|BMB]] ([[User talk:BMB|talk]]) 08:01, 14 March 2017 (UTC)
::I like this and have also found [[1305: Undocumented Feature]] and the one where Randall made such a feature. Someone else included those mentioned above. I have moved them above the table so people interested in similar comics, which many coming here are can see that we have supplied them. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:49, 14 March 2017 (UTC)

;Transcript
I'm thinking it may be best to do the transcript by listing each person and the circles in which they are present, possibly condensing people in identical circles with the number in parentheses. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.246.82|162.158.246.82]] 22:23, 13 March 2017 (UTC)
:I'm also thinking about this. But the persons are some sticky figures like Cueball and so on; the character itself is unimportant... Important are all the "Chat Systems" and their connections together. That's not easy to transcribe.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 23:31, 13 March 2017 (UTC)
:: I think the easiest way is to use the "mathematical approach": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_(mathematics) [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 07:14, 14 March 2017 (UTC)
:::I've done a "text approach". What's about the sticky figures, do the numbers represent anything?--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:38, 14 March 2017 (UTC)
::::I like the list of intersections, but that is part of the explanations. Have for the moment created a new section below the table. Instead text written in the transcript should only be mentioned once. I have used the order already given. Believe the transcript to be fine now, but I'm sure others will disagree... --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:49, 14 March 2017 (UTC)
:::::Explanation is why or how the intersections work. The plain list is transcript! I totally disagree on this recent massive edits.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 22:04, 14 March 2017 (UTC)

;XMPP
He forgot Jabber!{{unsigned ip|198.41.242.7}}

I explained the title text and how a Euler diagram works. Please add onto my explanation. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|'''JayRules''XKCD''' ]][[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|what's up?]] 13:29, 14 March 2017 (UTC)
:Maybe for Dummies: "...a Venn diagram for n component sets must contain all 2n hypothetically possible zones that correspond to some combination of inclusion or exclusion in each of the component sets." (Wikipedia). This here would be 224 or 16,8 million zones -- hard to paint.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:38, 14 March 2017 (UTC)
::Thanks for that info. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:59, 14 March 2017 (UTC)

When people use bold text to make sections, then it becomes difficult to see where new discussions begins. This is not something we have used to do for a long time. Maybe it is better left out for smaller discussions like the one above here. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:54, 14 March 2017 (UTC)

Talk:1795: All You Can Eat

2017-02-06T22:11:12Z

108.162.250.53:

What?? I think something bugged it. It's showing my edit in the editor but the viewer is different entirely. ??? [[User:Jacky720|That's right, Jacky720 just signed this]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|contribs]]) 16:10, 6 February 2017 (UTC)
:If that happens, it means the cache hasn't updated itself yet. Refresh a few times until your edit appears. Alternatively someone may have undone your edit - look at the "View History" tab. [[User:Chloroplaster|Chloroplaster]] ([[User talk:Chloroplaster|talk]]) 17:09, 6 February 2017 (UTC)

does alt-text refere to the fact that they forcefully make him hit some posterboard at the pirntshop because of his prank? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.102.10|172.68.102.10]] 16:48, 6 February 2017 (UTC)
:Not really, because that wouldn't be "absent-minded" of him. [[User:Chloroplaster|Chloroplaster]] ([[User talk:Chloroplaster|talk]]) 17:11, 6 February 2017 (UTC)

Added the title text to the explanation. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|'''JayRules''XKCD''' ]][[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|what's up?]] 17:16, 6 February 2017 (UTC)

I think snake owners buy mice for their snakes. Not sure if they ever use pet mice... I think they're supposed to use mice that are drugged, but I wouldn't be too surprised if people have bought pet mice to feed their snake. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.17|108.162.238.17]] 19:10, 6 February 2017 (UTC)
: You don't feed your snake drugged animals, any more than you would feed it poisoned ones, as they would make it sick. Not sure about the U.S, but in Australia, it's illegal to feed the snake live rats. We buy them pre-frozen and thaw them as needed. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.53|108.162.250.53]] 22:11, 6 February 2017 (UTC)

The odd thing (possibly just British quirkiness) is I have seen "All You Can Eat" (AYCE) offers for non-food products or services. An AYCE beauty salon would mean as many of their services (aka the full works) as you want in one visit. AYCE car tyres would mean four tyres, valves, balancing, fitting and tracking. Never actually seen this as even economy tyres vary too much by size! So not as silly as it appears, except Randal is too literal. YMMV [[User:RIIW - Ponder it|RIIW - Ponder it]] ([[User talk:RIIW - Ponder it|talk]]) 21:27, 6 February 2017 (UTC)

1777: Dear Diary

2016-12-26T06:06:06Z

108.162.250.53: /* Explanation */ Minor spelling and wording fixes

{{comic
| number = 1777
| date = December 26, 2016
| title = Dear Diary
| image = dear_diary.png
| titletext = Dear Diary: UNSUBSCRIBE
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Initial cut, please add to this.}}

Black Hat is writing in a diary (probably his, but possibly not see below). Many people will fantasize in their diary about being royalty and/or very rich. Black Hat's entry has both of these, but is written in the form of a standard phishing scam. Although, with a diary, it's only likely to find victims which are surreptitiously stealing a look at his private diary. But, knowing Black Hat, that may be his point.

It's also possible he has obtained someone else's diary and is somehow trying to scam the diary's owner, although it's not clear how that might work. The title text mimics a standard way to get off some mailing lists, so perhaps it's Randall's diary that Black Hat is molesting, and therefore the title-text is Randall expressing a desire to be disassociated from it.

==Transcript==
Black hat writing in his diary at a table:

Dear diary,

Hello. I am the Crown Prince of Nigeria. I have recently come into a large fortune, but...

{{comic discussion}}

Talk:1776: Reindeer

2016-12-23T21:32:07Z

108.162.250.53:

Captcha does not work on mobile browser. (Android Firefox) Had to switch over to laptop to make edit. Also, it's two words, not one as the thing above implies ("To help protect against automated edit spam, please type the word you see in the box below:") ~Dartania [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.141|162.158.74.141]] 14:03, 23 December 2016 (UTC)

: This post was made with Firefox on Android. Are you sure you didn’t just get a difficult CAPTCHA? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.214|108.162.216.214]] 14:32, 23 December 2016 (UTC)
Title text could be a parody of "When what to my wondering eyes should appear/but a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer" from "A Visit from St. Nicholas" ('Twas the Night Before Christmas) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus's_reindeer#Eight_reindeer
[[Special:Contributions/172.68.78.10|172.68.78.10]] 14:42, 23 December 2016 (UTC)
: Seems more likely to be a few lines later, “And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof / The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.” [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.249|162.158.62.249]] 15:19, 23 December 2016 (UTC)

To pick nits, an octopus has eight arms and no tentacles. A squid has eight arms plus two tentacles. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.94|162.158.34.94]] 15:21, 23 December 2016 (UTC)

Is the octopus tentacle comment adding anything? I believe octopodophobia is substantially rarer than arachnophobia (to the extent that it doesn't seem to have an official name); Cthulhu aside, I suspect a deer with octopus tentacles would mostly look weird (or comical) rather than scary. To most, I suspect octopus tentacles are only scary if you're on a ship being attacked by a kraken or if you're a diver and one is playfully tugging on your respirator. Of course, I speak as an arachnophobe who cringed when I saw this comic... [[User:Fluppeteer|Fluppeteer]] ([[User talk:Fluppeteer|talk]]) 15:39, 23 December 2016 (UTC)

Fun bit of trivia: Loki is Sleipnir's ''mom.''[[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.47|108.162.246.47]] 19:23, 23 December 2016 (UTC)

Does Randall's repeating interest in spiders have any relevance here? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.53|108.162.250.53]] 21:32, 23 December 2016 (UTC)