1172: Workflow

2013-02-11T14:07:23Z

131.111.208.4:

{{comic
| number = 1172
| date = February 11, 2013
| title = Workflow
| image = workflow.png
| titletext = There are probably children out there holding down spacebar to stay warm in the winter! YOUR UPDATE MURDERS CHILDREN
}}

==Explanation==
Users will often try to work around bugs in their software, and are sometimes able to get used to having the bugs around. Some bugs are even interpreted as features and users complain when the software authors fixed them.

The comics show somehow extreme example. Some software had a bug causing the CPU to overheat when you hold spacebar. In version 10.17, the bug was fixed. Soon, longtimeuser4 complained that they liked the "feature" of CPU overheating on holding spacebar, presents the workflow how they use it (which is, again, more weird than usual) and wants an option to re-enable it.

The title text makes a hyperbole to humorous effect, children will freeze to death during the winter because they won't be warmed by a rather unconventional heater.

==Transcript==
Latest: 10.17       [Update]
----
:'''Changes in version 10.17:'''
:The CPU no longer overheats
:when you hold down spacebar.
----
:<div style="margin-left: 5em;">Comments:</div>
:'''LongtimeUser4''' writes:

:This update broke my workflow!
:my control key is hard to reach,
:so I hold spacebar instead, and I
:configured Emacs to intepret a
:rapid temperature rise as "control".

:'''Admin''' writes:

:That's horrifying.

:'''LongtimeUser4''' writes:

:Look, my setup works for me.
:Just add an option to reenable
:spacebar heating.

:Every change breaks someone's workflow.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Computers]]

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1172: Workflow