explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2497: Logic Gates

2021-08-03T16:02:45Z

141.101.99.211: Undo revision 215969 by 162.158.78.64 (talk) Don't be silly... Well, *that* silly, anyway....

{{comic
| number = 2497
| date = August 2, 2021
| title = Logic Gates
| image = logic_gates.png
| titletext = In C, the multiocular O represents the bitwise norxondor gorgonax.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a SILICON LOGIC GATE TO A DIFFERENT DIMENSION. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

The comic lists logic gates. The first six are real, but the last six are made up and get increasingly absurd. The names for these last six are made up of the same letters and syllables as the first six so as to be consistent with their naming conventions.

An AND gate outputs true if and only if both inputs are true. (Inputs 1 '''and''' 2 must be true.) By convention it is a symbol with a flat input end leading to a semicircular output end.

An OR gate outputs true if one or the other or both of the inputs are true. (Input 1 '''or''' 2 may be true.) By convention it is a symbol with a concave input edge leading to an output end resembling a gothic pointed-arch, reorientated as required.

A NOT gate outputs true if and only if the input is false. (The sole input must '''not''' be true.) The convention for the isolated NOT gate is to be a triangle (reminiscent of a diode or op-amp comparitor), that conspiciously points in the direction of logical passage, tipped with the small circle that is considered a short-cut for ''not''ness in other relevent symbols. The XAND GORT gate could be considered a NOT gate with two wires shorted together connected to its input.

A NOR gate outputs true if and only if both inputs are false. (Neither 1 '''nor''' 2 must be true; alternately interpreted as it must '''n'''ot be true that either 1 '''or''' 2 are true.) The symbol is the OR shape with the NOT-circle at its tip.

A XOR (short for “eXclusive OR”) gate outputs true if one, or the other, but not both of the inputs are true. (Mutually e'''x'''cusively, either 1 '''or''' 2 must be true.) This symbol is the standard OR one but with a further concave line stood-off slightly from the usual one to connect to the input lines.

A NAND (short for “Not AND”) gate outputs true if one or the other or both of the inputs is false. (It must '''n'''ot be true that both 1 '''and''' 2 are true.) The symbol is the AND gate with the NOT-circle at its tip.

The only real-life logic gate that was omitted is the XNOR gate (short for “eXclusive Not OR”; it compares the inputs, and if and only if they are equal, it outputs true). Note that the "NORG XORT" gate would be logically equivalent to it if it were tipped to match its uniquely XOR-style tail, since it would then be an XNOR gate with NOT on both inputs, a modification that has no ultimate effect on the logic as it merely switches the case of which exclusivity it needs to be, and does not care which version of same-input it might be responding to.

A double-NOT on an input would produce the identical output again (...if the input is '''not not''' true). Two NOTs preapplied to a (N)AND or (N)OR would produce the same output as a (further-)NOTted version of the (N)OR or (N)AND, conversly (...if '''not'''-1 '''and''' '''not'''-2 then this also means that neither 1 '''nor''' 2). Normally this would would be shown, if necessary, as full NOT gates on the lead-in inputs but (see Transcript, below, and the NORG XORT description above) the shortcut element is occasionally used in further mix'n'match symbology (together with reinterpreting connectivity lines as partial shape-edges and vice-versa) in 'understandable' but definitely non-standard ways.

Along with the deliberate confusion of connector and shape-edge lines, directionality is also played with in several cases, with input 'ends' perhaps also at the (implied) output end and reversed sub-symbols implying a composite gate with substructural feedback or perhaps diode-rectification upon a bidirectional logic path.

Much like [[2360: Common Star Types]], as the list progresses, the names start to sound more like mythical creatures, closing with the "Norxondor gorgonax". As with the symbology, the names appear to be nonsensical recombinations of the standard ones (perhaps with off-subject inspirations, in some cases) but often do not match up with the symbolic (mis)use, such as an X in the name not implying/being implied by an XOR's unique drawn feature.

In the title text [[Randall]] claims that in the {{w|C (programming language)|programming language C}} the {{w|multiocular O}} (ꙮ) character is used to represent the bitwise version of the last operator Norxondor gorgonax (presumably ꙮꙮ represents the non-bitwise version), fitting as the multiocular O is used to refer to "many-eyed {{w|seraphim}}" (i.e. angels) in some religious literature. {{w|Gorgon}}s (beige or otherwise) have heads covered with snakes instead of hair, and so possess multiple eyes, the most famous was known as {{w|Medusa}} (which was [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/e/e5/1608_1088x1074y_Medusa_and_floating_earth.png depicted] in [[1608: Hoverboard]]).

C is a low level programming language, and as such, it has many operations that correspond to logical (i. e. bitwise) operations. These contrast with operations that work in a non-bitwise way. For example, "&&" is the non-bitwise "AND" operator that takes the operands as a whole, while "&" is the bitwise "AND" that combines the respective bits of its two inputs independently before spitting out the new single composite value the output bits represent. In non-bitwise operations, 0 always represents "FALSE", while any non-zero value means "TRUE" for inputs, and 1 is used to represent TRUE for outputs. Thus, "14 && 3" gives the result 1: TRUE AND TRUE -> TRUE. In the bitwise operation, using the same values, the decimal value 14 has the binary value 1110 and the decimal value 3 has the binary value 0011, and for this example we get:

1110 = 14
& 0011 = 3
0010 = 2

==Transcript==
:[The comic shows a chart with twelve electronic logic gates arranged in three rows of four. Each gate is depicted as a schematic symbol, with a label underneath. Above them is a header:]
:Common logic gate symbols

:[Here below follows a description of the 12 gates in the three rows, with their label given beneath each description:]

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. Two inputs on the left lead to the vertical left edge of a solid D-shaped symbol. From the right side of the D there is one output.]
:AND gate

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. Two inputs on the left lead to a convex-crescent left edge of a crescent-shaped symbol. The right side of the crescent symbol's shape forms a point at its output. From the right side of the crescent there is one output.]
:OR gate

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. One input leads to a triangular symbol pointing to the right. There is a small bubble symbol connected to the triangle on the output, which leads right.]
:NOT gate

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. This is identical to the OR GATE, except the output has a bubble attached, like the NOT GATE's output.)
:NOR gate

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. This is identical to the OR GATE, except the left-hand arc at the input has a double-stroked line.]
:XOR gate

:[A standard gate symbol used in real life. This is identical to the AND GATE, except the output has a bubble attached, like the NOT GATE's output.]
:NAND gate

:[An unusual symbol. This symbol has one input on the left leading to a convex-crescent left edge, like the OR GATE. The output side as a smooth crescent like the AND GATE but has two outputs.]
:NORX gate

:[An unusual symbol. This symbol has two inputs on the left leading to a vertical left edge input, like the AND GATE. The output side has a convex-crescent double-stroked output like the mirror image of the XOR GATE's input. There are two outputs.]
:GAND ate

:[An unusual symbol. This resembles the NOT GATE except there are two inputs instead of one leading into the left side.]
:XAND gort

:[An unusual symbol. This has a double-stroked convex-crescent input like the XOR GATE, but the two inputs have bubbles attached. The single output has a smooth crescent shape with a bubble, like a NAND GATE.]
:NORG xort

:[An unusual symbol. Two inputs lead to a convex-crescent edge, and the two lines of this symbol now enter a double-stroked convex-crescent input like the XOR GATE. The two lines of -this- symbol have bubbles placed half way across their horizontal length, and are presumably the outputs.]
:ANDORX gant

:[An unusual symbol. The symbol is identical to the NOR GATE, except the upper and lower horizontal parts of the symbols hull have a NOT GATE placed on them - one pointing to the left on the upper line, and to the right on the lower line. There is one output to the symbol, with a bubble attached.]
:NORXONDOR gorgonax

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Programming]]

Talk:2497: Logic Gates

2021-08-03T00:12:39Z

141.101.99.211:

As someone has just Transcripted basically almost all the fine detail I had planned to entable in the Explanation, I shall not now create repetition. Though I had a little more description to the NORXONDOR GOGONAX, in particular, to reference bidirectional (antiparallel) diode pairings (e.g. an LED assembly that glows a different hue depending upon the applied current bias) as probable inspiration, and that latched Flip-Flops surely inspired some part of the Frankensteinian gate-types, too. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.119|141.101.99.119]] 00:08, 3 August 2021 (UTC)

(Also, surprised there was no direct "GONDOR" reference. Or maybe that's because it was ''too'' obvious?) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.211|141.101.99.211]] 00:12, 3 August 2021 (UTC)

2496: Mine Captcha

2021-07-31T20:49:39Z

141.101.99.211: /* Explanation */ Some (additional?) cleanup of meaning. Not convinced by the multiple points, which can probably be combined in some cases..

{{comic
| number = 2496
| date = July 30, 2021
| title = Mine Captcha
| image = mine_captcha.png
| titletext = This data is actually going into improving our self-driving car project, so hurry up--it's almost at the minefield.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a LIVE MINEFIELD WITH HUGE NUMBER CUBES SKEWED AROUND. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic, like [[1897: Self Driving]], references the approach of using {{W|CAPTCHA}} inputs to solve problems, particularly those involving image classification that computers need to know how to solve. Specifically, it reflects {{W|reCAPTCHA}} v2's fallback puzzle which is based on identifying road features and vehicles. A reCAPTCHA puzzle might ask a user to "check all squares containing a STOP SIGN." in order to help train systems that must do it automatically.

{{w|Minesweeper (video game)|Minesweeper}} is a logic puzzle game where the player must uncover tiles in a grid by clicking on them. Some of the tiles contain "mines" such that revealing those means immediate defeat. When uncovering a tile without a mine it shows how many of the (up to 8) adjacent tiles contain a mine or, if the tile has no neighbouring mines, it automatically and recursively reveals every neighbouring tile as far as all numbered 'clue' tiles. By reference to the indications provided by those numbers, a player (optionally, but typically) will mark those that they identify in their efforts to succesfully reveal all unmined locations and win the game having tripped none of the mines.

This comic uses the game to create a CAPTCHA that ironically asks the user to "Click all the pictures of MINES", the opposite of the traditional goal, hence the title Mine Captcha.

This mine CAPTCHA might be considered awkward for a variety of reasons. Firstly, unlike image recognition, which is a natural biological and developmental skill, humans don't naturally learn the tricks needed to win at Minesweeper. It is a logic game {{w|Microsoft Minesweeper|being bundled with Microsoft Windows}} which provides little obvious instruction and often it was bored people launching the program who would start randomly clicking on squares unsure of what they are supposed to do. Those who perservere get to learn the tricks and traps, but not everyone will do that and thus also understand how to adequately solve the CAPTCHA.

Secondly, clicking on the squares that contain mines is the opposite of what you do in actual Minesweeper, and players who are sufficiently familiar with the game might get tripped up by muscle memory, putting you at a disadvantage no matter your skill level with the original game.

Thirdly, minesweeper involves a certain degree of luck. While logical skills are important, there are possible instances (increasingly so as the chosen difficulty level is increased) where the numbers do not provide adequate information to confidently assure it is in a single specific square, leaving even expert players to have to guess and hope they do not trip on one the more unlikely (but possible) final mines after a lot of other mental work done to successfully clear and confirm the rest of the map. If luck plays any part in the CAPTCHA, this would increase false negatives in human detection. (The implication of most logic pizzles is that the problem given to the user is of a state where only one possible solution exists as an answer, but the conceipt of this one is that the solution is ''not'' known by the puzzle-creator.)

Fourthly, solving a game of Minesweeper is usually (although not in this case) impossible without clicking more of the empty gray squares to reveal enough info to figure out which ones have mines on them.

Fifthly, a CAPTCHA is meant to be a challenge designed to be solvable by humans but not computers; Minesweeper would be easily solvable by an AI (assuming no ombiguity) as it is, at its core, a logic puzzle, and the squares are simple shapes with solid-color backgrounds and thus relatively easy for an AI to process.

Regarding the game itself, 6 of the 16 tiles has a colored number, in blue for the three number ones, green for a single instance of two and red for the two number three. Given the current board configuration, one can deduce that there are four mines (in squares A2, B2, B3 and D3, where letters (numbers) mark columns (rows)), see [[#Trivia|trivia section]]. For example, there are two mines within the squares A2,B1,B2, as signified by the 2 in A1, but only one of those can be in B1 or B2 (because of the 1 in C1). Therefore, A2 has to be a mine.

Each number is shown in a different font and style. This follows a technique used in CAPTCHAs that display text in various styles, often distorted, and ask the user to type in the displayed characters.

<pre>
A B C D

1 2 . 1 .
2 * * 3 .
3 3 * . *
4 . 1 . 1
</pre>

The title text is similar to [[1897: Self Driving]] where the CAPTCHA solver is asked to answer quickly, parodying the current tendency for CAPTCHAs to apparently be used as training data to teach AI how to correctly identify road hazards by instead suggesting the CAPTCHA offloads the task to a human instead. In this case the car is apparently driving into a minefield and can only avoid the mines if the user solves this CAPTCHA fast enough. Where the first would be plausible, although very dangerous, this time it hinges on ridiculous, as real minefields usually do not have large numbers indicating which of the surrounding land contains mines{{citation needed}}.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[A "CAPTCHA" box.]

To proceed, click all the pictures of MINES

[A 4 by 4 ''Minesweeper'' field, with some cells revealed with numbers. Each number is drawn in a different font/style.]

<pre>
2 . 1 .
. . 3 .
3 . . .
. 1 . 1
</pre>

==Trivia==
*The solved version of the puzzle showing where the mines are in this comic, and thus the fields that needs to be pushed in this Captcha to prove you are human:
:[[File:2946_Mine_Captcha_With_Bombs.png]]
*The solved puzzle as it would look if played as a real minesweeper game, except the mines would be represented by flags. (The empty square top right corner has 0 bombs next to it. This is not written in the game but indicated as this field has been pushed down):
:[[File:2946_Mine_Captcha_Solved.png]]
*The original game can be played here: [https://minesweeper.online/ World of Minesweeper]
**It is possible to build a 4x4 CAPTCHA game there:
:[[File:2946_Mine_Captcha_Example_of_4x4_game.png]]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:CAPTCHA]]
[[Category:Self-driving cars]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

Talk:2493: Dual USB-C

2021-07-24T09:23:00Z

141.101.99.211:

I guess this is how connector vendors maintain backwards compatibility for USB-C. ----DaveK

I would have thought it was cursed more from what would happen if you plugged it into a standard ac outlet. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.107|162.158.74.107]] 04:49, 24 July 2021 (UTC)

Looks good. But I'll obviously need a BS 1363/Type-G converter! [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.211|141.101.99.211]] 09:14, 24 July 2021 (UTC)

It's worth noting, Dell already does this with the WD19DCS... [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.211|141.101.99.211]] 09:23, 24 July 2021 (UTC) Gargravarr

Talk:2493: Dual USB-C

2021-07-24T09:14:05Z

141.101.99.211:

2492: Commonly Mispronounced Equations

2021-07-23T18:13:41Z

141.101.99.211: move schrödinger explanation into table

{{comic
| number = 2492
| date = July 21, 2021
| title = Commonly Mispronounced Equations
| image = commonly_mispronounced_equations.png
| titletext = "Epsihootamoo doopsiquorps" --the Schrödinger equation for the hydrogen atom
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a LAGRONJ EYSIBARYMOODMOOSIOYLERSIBRYMOOAMOOBAMOOSIMASIBRSIQORTFAHMOOVYFAHMOOVY. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete: the elided equation in the incomplete notice needs explanation. It would be interesting for more people to weigh in on personal history eliding equations. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is a collection of very commonly used physical and mathematical equations, along with their "correct" pronunciations. Equations are normally voiced out loud either by their names ("Mass–energy equivalence") or by saying the parts out loud using normal linguistic rules ("E equals M C squared"). This comic instead asserts that equations are meant to be said out loud like words, using their own set of phonic rules.

Though this premise may seem absurd, sometimes this kind of pronunciation is used as an abbreviation or a mnemonic device. For example, the equation A=Pert used for compound interest is commonly taught and pronounced as the "pert" equation, while SOH-CAH-TOA is used as a mnemonic for the equations for sine, cosine, and tangent (sine: opposite over hypotenuse, etc.)

Some nerds have both the trait of using equations as commonly as others might chat, and of finding it entertaining to make up new funny sounds ("input", "pwn"). Saying the equations more rapidly can speed up work or make work seem more enjoyable. This phenomenon is called {{w|elision}}.

The pronunciation given for F=ma is the same as the actual pronunciation of FEMA, the acronym for the {{w|Federal Emergency Management Agency}}.

{| class="wikitable"
!Equation
!Pronounciation
!Explanation
|-
|{{w|Newton's law of universal gravitation}}
|Fuh-''JAM''-er
|F, gravitational force, is pronounced /f/. G, the gravitational constant, is prononounced as a soft G /dʒ/. The m's (mass 1 and 2) are both pronounced /m/, and the r (radius) is pronounced /r/. The numbers are unpronounced.
|-
|{{w|Mass–energy equivalence}}
|''EM''-cah-too
|E, energy, is pronounced as a short E /e/, m (mass) is pronounced /m/, c is pronounced as a hard C /k/, and the exponent "2" is pronounced "two".|
|-
|{{w|Pythagorean theorem}}
|at-''BOOT''-coot
|The side length "a" is pronounced as a short a. The side length "b" is pronounced /b/. The hypotenuse "c" is pronounced as a hard "c" /k/. Each exponent 2 is pronounced /t/ for "two", and the vowel sound /u/ of "two" is used as the filler vowel sound.
|-
|{{w|Area of a circle}}
|''APP''-er-too
|A, the area, is pronounced as a long a. Pi is pronounced /p/. R is pronounced /r/. 2 is pronounced "two".
|-
|{{w|Entropy_(information_theory)|Shannon entropy}}
|Ha-''SPLOG''-pee
|H, entropy, is pronounced /h/. The minus sign is unpronounced. Sigma, the summation sign, is pronounced /s/. The first p_i is pronounced /p/ with the subscript i unpronounced. log, the logarithm function, is pronounced "log" (like a piece of lumber). The second p_i is pronounced /pi/, where the subscript i makes the long e sound /i/.
|-
|{{w|Schrödinger equation}} for hydrogen
|Epsihootamoo doopsiquorps
|The form of the Schrödinger equation intended seems to be '''Eψ''' ''"epsi"'' = − '''(ℏ2/2μ)''' ''"hootamoo"'' '''∇2ψ''' ''"doopsi"'' - ('''q'''2/4πε'''0r)ψ''' ''"quorps"'' – pronounced, it seems, with a silent 4πε. (μ is mu, ψ is psi, ∇ is the {{w|Nabla_symbol|nabla or del symbol}} and pronounced /d/ here.).
|}

List of equations:
* {{w|Newton's law of universal gravitation}} (F = ...)
* {{w|Mass-energy equivalence}} (E = ...)
* {{w|Pythagorean theorem}} (a² + ...)
* {{w|Area of a circle}} (A = ...)
* {{w|Entropy_(information_theory)|Shannon entropy}} and {{w|Diversity_index#Shannon_index|Shannon index}} (H = ...)
* {{w|Ideal gas law}} (PV = ...) -- sometimes said "PIV-nert" as a mnemonic, but according to Randall, this is a "mispronunciation".
* {{w|Euler's identity}} (eiπ = ...)
* {{w|Newton's_laws_of_motion#Newton's_second_law|Newton's 2nd law of motion}} (F = ...)
* {{w|Wave equation}} (c would conventionally be c2) (∂²u ...)
* {{w|Derivative#Definition|Derivative}} (f'(x) = ...)
* {{w|Quadratic formula}} (x = ...)
* (title text) {{w|Schrödinger_equation#Hydrogen_atom|Schrödinger equation for the hydrogen atom}}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
[Each equation is bordered, with a pronunciation guide beneath.]

Commonly Mispronounced Equations

'''Row 1'''

F = G m₁m₂/r² 
FUH-'''''JAM'''''-ER

E = mc² 
'''''EM'''''-CAH-TOO

a² + b² = c² 
AT-'''''BOOT'''''-COOT

'''Row 2'''

A = πr² 
'''''APP'''''-ER-TOO

H = -Σpᵢlog pᵢ 
HA-'''''SPLOG'''''-PEE

PV = nrt 
'''''PAV'''''-NURT

'''Row 3'''

e^iπ = -1 
'''''EYE'''''-PIN

F = ma 
'''''FEE'''''-MAH

∂²u/∂t² = c ∂²u/∂x² 
'''''DOOT''''' CAH-'''''DOOX'''''

'''Row 4'''

f'(x) = lim h→0 f(x+h) - f(x) / h 
'''''FAX'''''-LIM-OH '''''FAX'''''-UH-FOX

x = -b ± √(b² - 4ac) / 2a 
ZA-'''''BO'''''-BA FAK-'''''TOH'''''-AH

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category: Language]]

2374: 10,000 Hours

2020-10-21T05:16:11Z

141.101.99.211: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 2374
| date = October 19, 2020
| title = 10,000 Hours
| image = 10000_hours.png
| titletext = I'm proud to announce that as of this year I've become a world-class expert at chewing.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic references a common refrain that [https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/8/23/20828597/the-10000-hour-rule-debunked one must do something for 10,000 hours] to become an expert on it.

The linked article states:
<blockquote>Practice matters, yes. But at the same time, it’s unlikely to bridge the gap between natural superstars and your average player.</blockquote> Worse, the saying implies that anybody can reach the status of a world-class expert by spending that 10,000 hours.

Popular smartphone operating systems automatically record the amount of time the user spends using their phone, broken down by time spent in each app. This feature is supposed to allow users to analyze their own habits. On iOS, this feature is called [https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208982 Screen Time]. On Android, it is called [https://www.android.com/digital-wellbeing/ Digital Wellbeing].

In this comic, [[Cueball]]'s phone tells him that, assuming that the 10,000-hour idea is correct, he is now a master of a task, because of the amount of time he has spent on his phone. The 10,000-hour refrain usually pertains to the arts or sports, because they require a certain level of skill; learning to spend time on one's phone does not require this level of training{{Citation needed}}, so this stretch of time does not bring Cueball closer to achieving any goal. Furthermore, it is not clear exactly what task (or possibly tasks) Cueball is supposed to have mastered.

Randall often pokes fun at his extensive screen time, such as in [[2223: Screen Time]]. Cueball's phone wants to delicately approach the topic so as not to make Cueball feel bad, so the euphemism about expertise is meant to distract him from realizing how much time he actually spends on his phone. Also, the phone tells Cueball that he was become a "world-class expert", when really he is just someone who checks his phone way too much. It is interesting that his phone decides to be kind to him, even when he has neglected it before ([[1668: Singularity]]).

The title text refers to the fact that people eat a lot, [https://www.statista.com/chart/13226/where-people-spend-the-most-time-eating-drinking/ 1-2 hours a day], though not all of this time is spent chewing. At the time of this comic's publication, [[Randall]] was just over 36 years old (13,151 days), so he has spent a large amount of time eating, well over 10,000 hours.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is staring at his phone. A report from the phone is shown above his head]
:If you buy into the "10,000 hours" thing, you are now a world-class expert!

:[Caption below comic]
:My screen time reports have started trying to put a positive spin on things.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Screen Time]]

2372: Dialect Quiz

2020-10-15T01:28:24Z

141.101.99.211: /* Explanation */ Gezundheit.

{{comic
| number = 2372
| date = October 14, 2020
| title = Dialect Quiz
| image = dialect_quiz.png
| titletext = Do you make a distinction between shallots, scallops, and scallions? If you use all three words, do they all have different meanings, all the same, or are two the same and one different?
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a LIGHTBULB EATER. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is a parody of the many online quizzes that offer to determine the dialect of American English that the user speaks. These quizzes generally contain questions about word usage, names for certain objects, and pronunciations that vary between different regions of the US. There are also quizzes about broader English dialects, but this comic focuses on commonly cited differences between American dialects.

{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
! # !! Question !! Answers !! Explanation
|-
! 1
| How do you address a group of two or more people?
|
* A) You
* B) Y'all
* C) I have not been around two or more people for so long that I can't remember
| Reference to a usual dialect quiz question: "How do you address {{w|You#Informal_plural_forms|a group of two or more people}}?" (with options often including "you all", "you guys", "y'all", etc.). Option C references the significant decrease in human interaction and social contact during the COVID-19 pandemic.
|-
! 2
| How do you pronounce "Penelope"?
|
* A) Rhymes with "Antelope"
* B) Rhymes with "Develop"
| Both the options for this are wrong, making it the first of many quiz questions it is impossible to answer correctly. Neither Option A's "PEN-e-lohp" and Option B's "pe-NELL-up" are a typical pronunciation of this name beyond mispronunciations. In English, the only correct way to pronounce this name is "pe-NELL-o-pee," which is not listed.
|-
! 3
| What do you call the scientific field that studies the stars?
|
* A) Astrology
* B) Agronomy
* C) Cosmetology
| The actual answer is {{w|Astronomy}}, which is not listed. {{w|Astrology}} is the pseudo-scientific study that includes horoscopes (often confused with Astronomy due to its similar name), {{w|Agronomy}} ''is'' scientific but instead studies agriculture, and {{w|Cosmetology}} is the study of cosmetics and makeup (with a name close to {{w|Cosmology}}, a branch of Astronomy).
|-
! 4
| How do you pronounce "genre"?
|
* A) Gone-ra
* B) Juh-neer
* C) Jen-er-uh
| Reference to a usual dialect quiz question: "How do you pronounce ''genre''? ZHAHN-ruh, or JAHN-ruh?"

A majority of English speakers pronounce "genre" as either "'''ZH'''AHN-ruh" (beginning with the "zh" sound found in "trea'''s'''ure") or "'''J'''AHN-ruh" (beginning with the "j" sound in "justice"). Neither of these are listed, and none of the quiz's pronunciation options are common. However, they are close to other, unrelated words: ''Juh-neer'' is the way the second and third syllables of ''engineer'' are are pronounced, and ''Jen-er-uh'' is similar to ''generic.''
|-
! 5
| You pronounce "Google" with a high-pitched yelp on the...
|
* A) First syllable
* B) Second syllable
| Reference to general questions regarding differences in pronunciation of words. "Google" is not generally pronounced with a high-pitched yelp on either syllable{{Citation needed}}.
|-
! 6
| What do you call the thing on the wall at school that you drink water from?
|
* A) Gutter pipe
* B) Drainpipe
| Reference to a usual dialect quiz question: "What do you call the thing you drink water out of at school? Drinking fountain, water fountain, or bubbler?" However, this question implies that schoolchildren (or at least the quizmaker) drink out of gutter pipes or drain pipes, which are used to collect rainwater and should not be drank from{{Citation needed}}.
|-
! 7
| How do you pronounce the name for a short silent video file?
|
* A) Animated give
* B) Animated gift
| Reference to the "{{w|Gif}}" pronunciation debate, with people split between pronouncing it "gif" (with the hard G sound in "girl") or "jif" (with the soft G sound in "giraffe").
|-
! 8
| What do you call the baseball-sized garden bugs that, when poked, glow brightly and emit a warbling scream?
|
* A) What?
* B) Lawn buddies
| Reference to a usual dialect quiz question: "What do you call those {{w|Armadillidiidae|small bugs}} that curl themselves up in a ball if you poke them?" (options including "roly-poly", "pill-bug", "potato bug", "doodle bug", etc.). However, there are no common "baseball-sized garden bugs".{{Citation needed}} May also be a reference to what "potato bug" means to people in the eastern part of the United States and {{w|Jerusalem cricket|what it means}} to people in the western part of the United States.
|-
! 9
| What do you call the misleading lines painted by disgruntled highway workers to trick cars into driving off the road?
|
* A) Prank lines
* B) Devil's Marks
* C) Fool-me lines
* D) Fauxguides
* E) Delaware lines
| Reference to the fact that many quiz questions ask about road features, such as "verge/berm/parking strip/curb strip" and "roundabout/traffic circle". However, these particular road lines, if they have ever been made, aren't common enough to warrant different names.

This also may just be a dig at Delaware.

Misleading lines on the road were also mentioned in [[1958: Self-Driving Issues]].
|-
! 10
| What do you call the blue-green planet in the outer Solar System?
|
* A) Uranus
* B) Neptune
| This question references the two common pronunciations of Uranus: "UR-ah-nus" and "Ur-AY-nus" (which sounds like the phrase "Your anus", a favorite joke of little kids). It also references the fact that Uranus and Neptune are both blue-ish colored planets in the outer solar system and are often confused by people who don't know much about them. Neither Uranus nor Neptune are green, however.
|-
! 11
| What do you call this tool?

(image of a claw hammer)
|
* A) Banger
* B) Nail axe
* C) Wood mage wand
* D) I'm familiar with this tool but have no specific word for it
* E) I have never seen it before
| The only name most people would ever call this tool is a "hammer".

The last two options reference common dialect quiz answer options of "I'm familiar with this thing but have no specific word for it" and "I am not familiar with this thing." These may appear as options to questions that ask about something that might not exist everywhere, or something which many may not have a word for (for example, some areas of the United States have a name for "sunshowers," while most don't). However, it's a bit absurd for these options to be present for this question (and this question alone), as most users would be expected to know what a hammer is.
|-
! 12
| What do you call a long sandwich with meats and lettuce and stuff?
|
* A) A long sandwich with meats and lettuce and stuff
* B) A longwich
* C) A salad hot dog
| Reference to a usual dialect quiz question: "What do you call a {{w|Submarine sandwich|long sandwich}}?" with options typically including "sub", "hoagie", "hero", etc.

The hot dog answer could refer to the common online discussion: "Is a hot dog a sandwich?"
|-
! 13
| What do you call the scaly many-legged animal often found in attics?
|
* A) Lightbulb eater
* B) I have no special name for them
* C) I've never looked in my attic
| Another reference to the frequent appearance of quiz questions asking what users call various creepy crawlies.
This question may be referencing the fact that spiders often live in attics, but Randall's creature doesn't seem to be quite the same as a normal spider since they usually aren't scaly and don't eat lightbulbs.{{Citation needed}}
|-
! 14
| What do you say when someone around you sneezes?
|
* A) "What was that?"
* B) "Oh, wow."
* C) [Quietly] "Yikes."
| Reference to a usual dialect question on which of several words/phrases you say in response to a sneeze, with usual answers including "bless you", "God bless you", and "{{w|Gesundheit}}" (from the German word for 'health').

This question may also be referencing the {{w|COVID-19 pandemic}} in answer C (and possibly answer B). Sneezing isn't a primary symptom of COVID-19, but most people are hyper-aware of possibly contracting the disease from the people around them so sneezes are treated with suspicion and it's seen as rude to sneeze openly.

It is also possible that a person who has been able to catch a sneeze-producing condition has also caught COVID-19 and, while the sneeze itself isn't ''caused'' by it, the air and various airway fluids so forcefully projected are a possible infective vector with that little extra frisson of concern, given the current situation.
|-
! Title Text
| colspan=2 | Do you make a distinction between shallots, scallops, and scallions? If you use all three words, do they all have different meanings, all the same, or are two the same and one different?
| Phrased similarly to common questions like "Do you pronounce the words 'marry', 'merry', and 'Mary' differently?" (options including "all the same", "all different", or "two are the same and one is different").

{{w|Shallots}} and {{w|scallions}} are both types of onions (the former somewhat resembling garlic cloves, the latter being long green/white stalks also called spring onions). {{w|Scallops}} (either pronounced
''skollops'' or ''skallops'') are invertebrate marine animals similar to oysters and clams, frequently harvested for food (also what potato fritters are called in some regions of the UK and Australia). The three sound somewhat similar, but are quite different.
|}

==Transcript==

[Box with title at the top]
:Dialect Quiz
[Smaller subtitle underneath]
:Compare answers with your friends!

[Quiz is divided into two columns. Answers to questions are indicated by a letter followed by a closed parentheses, such as A). These letters are greyed out]

[Column 1:]
 
How do you address a group of two or more people?
:A) You
:B) Y'all
:C) I have not been around two or more people for so long that I can't remember

How do you pronounce "Penelope"?
:A) Rhymes with "Antelope"
:B) Rhymes with "Develop"

What do you call the scientific field that studies the stars?
:A) Astrology
:B) Agronomy
:C) Cosmetology

How do you pronounce "genre"?
:A) Gone-ra
:B) Juh-neer
:C) Jen-er-uh

You pronounce "Google" with a high-pitched yelp on the...
:A) First syllable
:B) Second syllable

What do you call the thing on the wall at school that you drink water from?
:A) Gutter pipe
:B) Drainpipe

How do you pronounce the name for a short silent video file?
:A) Animated give
:B) Animated gift

What do you call the baseball-sized garden bugs that, when poked, glow brightly and emit a warbling scream?
:A) What?
:B) Lawn buddies

[Column 2:]
 
What do you call the misleading lines painted by disgruntled highway workers to trick cars into driving off the road?
:A) Prank lines
:B) Devil's Marks
:C) Fool-me lines
:D) Fauxguides
:E) Delaware lines

What do you call the blue-green planet in the outer Solar System?
:A) Uranus
:B) Neptune

What do you call this tool?
 
[Image of a claw hammer]
:A) Banger
:B) Nail axe
:C) Wood mage wand
:D) I'm familiar with this tool but have no specific word for it
:E) I have never seen it before

What do you call a long sandwich with meats and lettuce and stuff?
:A) A long sandwich with meats and lettuce and stuff
:B) A longwich
:C) A salad hot dog

What do you call the scaly many-legged animal often found in attics?
:A) Lightbulb eater
:B) I have no special name for them
:C) I've never looked in my attic

What do you say when someone around you sneezes?
:A) "What was that?"
:B) "Oh, wow."
:C) [Quietly] "Yikes."

==Trivia==

*The xkcd Twitter account posted a [https://twitter.com/xkcd/status/1316484953480323072 series of Twitter polls] asking the questions in this comic.
*Shallots, scallops, and scallions ran against each other in [[1529: Bracket]]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:COVID-19]]

2369: All-in-One

2020-10-07T23:56:17Z

141.101.99.211: /* Transcript */ Trying out "lit" vs "lighted" as the verb form. Apols if US English is strangely formal that way, revert if necessary.

{{comic
| number = 2369
| date = October 7, 2020
| title = All-in-One
| image = all_in_one.png
| titletext = Changes with this update: If you use the combined scan-shred function, it now performs them in that order instead of the reverse, saving a HUGE amount of CPU time.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by THOSE PERFORATED EDGE STRIPS THAT ARE SO FUN TO TEAR. Needs an explanation of what all the functions do. Maybe give possible reasons to why Randall created this comic? Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This is an xkcd-style parody of an {{w|all-in-one printer}}, a printer which typically can perform several functions, usually printing, scanning, copying, and faxing. This machine starts off with fairly standard printer functions but quickly becomes absurd. The machine is accordingly oversized, making room for all the status indicators and (presumably) the extra internal parts required to accomplish the uncommon functions.

The title text says that the machine now scans things before trying to destroy them. Previously the machine destroyed documents and then scanned the pieces and tried to reconstruct them, which takes a large amount of processing power. It raises the possibility that this printer is a complex computer in itself, or that its driver can monopolize a host computer.

===List of functions===

'''''Functions that most all-in-one printers do'''''
*'''Print''': The most common function that a printer needs to do.
*'''{{w|Photocopier|Copy}}''': A copy function allows a user to place a document on the integrated/linked scanning bed and the printer will immediately make a copy of the document as if a traditional 'analogue' photocopier.
*'''{{w|Fax}}''': A fax function sends a scanned document by telephone to another telephone number. The receiver fax machine will reconstruct the document and print it. A machine that has this function is usually also able to act as a receiver for faxes sent from elsewhere, though that setting wouldn't be visible in this configuration group.
*'''{{w|Image scanner|Scan}}''': A scan function is used to optically scan images or documents into digital forms so that they can be used by computers.
*'''{{w|Collate}}''': To sort multiple copies of printed documents into sequences of individual page order, usually across multiple output trays having one sequence for each copy, especially before binding.
*'''Staple''': To staple together multipage documents, especially for each collated copy. The printer is also capable of '''removing staples''', presumably from stapled packets that are intended to be scanned.

'''''Functions that relate to printers, that most printers cannot do.'''''
*'''{{w|Paper shredder|Shred}}''': A shredder function is used to destroy paper for privacy or security by cutting it into strips or fine particles.
*'''Translate''': If the paper text is in another language, this would, presumably translate it for you - after scanning and {{w|Optical character recognition|OCRing}}. This would actually be a helpful function and may be available on recent scanner-printers.
*'''Perforation''' This is probably a reference to a type of {{w|continuous stationery}}. The paper in question had perforated strips with holes along the sides which a spiked wheel would use to feed it through the printer. Then once it was printed out you would tear off the strips for a clean looking page.

'''''Paper Functions Completely Unrelated to Printing'''''
*'''Summarize''': Presumably this function would summarize a printed material for the user. Unclear how useful this would be.
*'''Plagiarize''': This function is unclear. Maybe it would plagiarize a paper for a certain subject? It would also be legally questionable.
*'''Roll''': This function is unclear. Perhaps it would roll up paper into a roll, like how newspaper is rolled up for distribution by paper boys.
*'''Burn''': Perhaps the printer has this function for greater assurance that sensitive information will be irretrievably destroyed. Historically, some printers could be at risk of catching fire if they jammed in a particular way, and so the "{{w|lp0 on fire}}" error code was created to signal that it should be investigated urgently.
*'''Eat''': A printer is often said to "eat" paper by mangling either the input or output. Printer failure is also the modern descendant of the classic excuse for late homework, "{{w|the dog ate my homework}}".
*'''Fold airplane''': This function makes {{w|paper airplane}}s out of paper stored in the printer, or documents being printed.
*'''Origami flower''': Similar to the previous one, this function makes flowers using the {{w|origami}} paper folding process.
*'''Corrugate''': {{w|Corrugated fiberboard}} or cardboard is a kind of crinkled paper sandwiched between two sheets. This provides structural strength for a low weight. Printers that jam can produce paper that looks corrugated, but this is not an intended function, and corrugated fiberboard is not made with printers.
*'''{{w|Paper-mâché}}''': (Literally "chewed paper") is a composite construction material consisting of paper pieces, bound with an adhesive, often a flour paste. Shredded paper, partially eaten, would give a similar result (and any leftovers could be composted).
*'''{{w|Découpage}}''': An art form where paper printed with decorative images is glued onto an object (typically boxes, but also furniture) and covered with many layers of varnish, so that the images appear painted onto the object.
*'''Notarize''': A {{w|notary public}} is a person certified by a government to attest that certain kinds of legal documentation are legitimate and executed. All-in-one printers and scanners may be able to recognize certain signs of legitimacy (e.g. the {{w|EURion constellation}}), but unless this printer has some tactile sensation, it cannot distinguish between a legitimate form and a reproduction as a human can.
*'''Biodegrade''': This would {{w|biodegrade}} the paper. Whether this would send this to an organic waste plant (which would be helpful) or actually house a composter inside the printer (which would be gross) is unknown.
*'''Crumple and throw at trash like basketball''': Many people, when done with a piece of paper, will crumple it up and throw it into a trash can from a distance, as if playing basketball.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A large printer-like machine, with the label All-in-One Paper Processor on the top left of it. There are three columns of functions, with a few of them having a green light. At the top of the machine is a "paper feed" tray. At the bottom of the machine, is a large hole, for outputting the paper.]

:'''Column 1'''
:*Print (lit green)
:*Copy
:*Fax (lit green)
:*Shred
:*Scan
:*Translate
:*Summarize
:*Plagiarize
:*Collate (lit green)

:'''Column 2'''
:*Staple (lit green)
:*Remove staples
:*Add those perforated edge strips that are so fun to tear
:*Roll
:*Burn
:*Eat

:'''Coulumn 3'''
:*Fold airplane
:*Origami flower
:*Corrugate
:*Paper-mâché
:*Découpage
:*Notarize (lit green)
:*Biodegrade
:*Crumple and throw at trash like a basketball (lit green)

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]

Talk:2369: All-in-One

2020-10-07T23:51:05Z

141.101.99.211:

Is the title text a reference the Librareome project in Rainbow's End (Vernor Vinge)?

See, e.g., [http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=1856]

--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.124|162.158.79.124]] 18:06, 7 October 2020 (UTC)

I wonder if Randall took inspiration from [this Dilbert](https://dilbert.com/strip/1994-04-25). [[User:Moosenonny10|Moosenonny10]] ([[User talk:Moosenonny10|talk]]) 18:52, 7 October 2020 (UTC)

I don't think "eat" and "corrugate" are intended as malfunctions. People sometimes eat paper -- it's a common trope in spy parodies where someone will eat a document to prevent someone from getting access to it. And corrugate just sounds like it's making corrugated cardboard from the input paper. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:22, 7 October 2020 (UTC)
:I changed it. What do you think? ''welp, i'' [[User:Donthaveusername|Donthaveusername]] ([[User talk:Donthaveusername|talk]]) 19:37, 7 October 2020 (UTC)

Seems like plagiarize would be somehow related to scan and copy.

shred and scan (or scanf) are also unix and C functions. Shred overwrites a file on disk, deleting it and preventing any subsequent recovery of the lost data. scan reads input according to a format string. Should one take a standard file and scan a string per the format '%s', the program will read in the variable until an end-of-line character is encountered. If the file were shredded first, resulting in a random set of bits, this end of line character might never be read. This seems to be more of a memory problem than a CPU problem, thus might not be the full explanation of the alt-text. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.126.126|162.158.126.126]] 21:10, 7 October 2020 (UTC)

The incomplete template mentions that there might be a reason for Randall making this topic, but I don't think there is other than just making a funny joke. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.146|172.69.34.146]] 22:42, 7 October 2020 (UTC)

What, it can fold but not spindle or mutilate? :( [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.114|162.158.75.114]] 23:14, 7 October 2020 (UTC)

Is staple removal a real printer feature? [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 23:17, 7 October 2020 (UTC)
:Doubt it. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.243|172.68.132.243]] 23:39, 7 October 2020 (UTC)
::Staple-detection is (fairly) trivial, but consistently extracting them 'nicely' while preserving the paper as much as possible might be beyond a device (it's tricky enough for a person, sometimes). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.211|141.101.99.211]] 23:51, 7 October 2020 (UTC)

I'm disappointed there's no "jam for no particular reason in the most difficult place to access" option. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.184|108.162.216.184]] 23:18, 7 October 2020 (UTC)
: I thought there should be Paper Cranes in the right-hand column... But your suggestion is also an obvious omission. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.211|141.101.99.211]] 23:51, 7 October 2020 (UTC)

2369: All-in-One

2020-10-07T23:44:03Z

141.101.99.211: /* List of functions */ A few little changes/additions noted on the way past. (And hopefully correctly integrated into the Change Conflict version.)

{{comic
| number = 2369
| date = October 7, 2020
| title = All-in-One
| image = all_in_one.png
| titletext = Changes with this update: If you use the combined scan-shred function, it now performs them in that order instead of the reverse, saving a HUGE amount of CPU time.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by THOSE PERFORATED EDGE STRIPS THAT ARE SO FUN TO TEAR. Needs an explanation of what all the functions do. Maybe give possible reasons to why Randall created this comic? Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This is an xkcd-style parody of an {{w|all-in-one printer}}, a printer which typically can perform several functions, usually printing, scanning, copying, and faxing. This machine starts off with fairly standard printer functions but quickly becomes absurd. The machine is accordingly oversized, making room for all the status indicators and (presumably) the extra internal parts required to accomplish the uncommon functions.

The title text says that the machine now scans things before trying to destroy them. Previously the machine destroyed documents and then scanned the pieces and tried to reconstruct them, which takes a large amount of processing power. It raises the possibility that this printer is a complex computer in itself, or that its driver can monopolize a host computer.

===List of functions===

'''''Functions that most all-in-one printers do'''''
*'''Print''': The most common function that a printer needs to do.
*'''{{w|Photocopier|Copy}}''': A copy function allows a user to place a document on the integrated/linked scanning bed and the printer will immediately make a copy of the document as if a traditional 'analogue' photocopier.
*'''{{w|Fax}}''': A fax function sends a scanned document by telephone to another telephone number. The receiver fax machine will reconstruct the document and print it. A machine that has this function is usually also able to act as a receiver for faxes sent from elsewhere, though that setting wouldn't be visible in this configuration group.
*'''{{w|Image scanner|Scan}}''': A scan function is used to optically scan images or documents into digital forms so that they can be used by computers.
*'''{{w|Collate}}''': To sort multiple copies of printed documents into sequences of individual page order, usually across multiple output trays having one sequence for each copy, especially before binding.
*'''Staple''': To staple together multipage documents, especially for each collated copy. The printer is also capable of '''removing staples''', presumably from stapled packets that are intended to be scanned.

'''''Functions that relate to printers, that most printers cannot do.'''''
*'''{{w|Paper shredder|Shred}}''': A shredder function is used to destroy paper for privacy or security by cutting it into strips or fine particles.
*'''Translate''': If the paper text is in another language, this would, presumably translate it for you - after scanning and {{w|Optical character recognition|OCRing}}. This would actually be a helpful function and may be available on recent scanner-printers.
*'''Perforation''' This is probably a reference to a type of {{w|continuous stationery}}. The paper in question had perforated strips with holes along the sides which a spiked wheel would use to feed it through the printer. Then once it was printed out you would tear off the strips for a clean looking page.

'''''Paper Functions Completely Unrelated to Printing'''''
*'''Summarize''': Presumably this function would summarize a printed material for the user. Unclear how useful this would be.
*'''Plagiarize''': This function is unclear. Maybe it would plagiarize a paper for a certain subject? It would also be legally questionable.
*'''Roll''': This function is unclear. Perhaps it would roll up paper into a roll, like how newspaper is rolled up for distribution by paper boys.
*'''Burn''': Perhaps the printer has this function for greater assurance that sensitive information will be irretrievably destroyed. Historically, some printers could be at risk of catching fire if they jammed in a particular way, and so the "{{w|lp0 on fire}}" error code was created to signal that it should be investigated urgently.
*'''Eat''': A printer is often said to "eat" paper by mangling either the input or output. Printer failure is also the modern descendant of the classic excuse for late homework, "{{w|the dog ate my homework}}".
*'''Fold airplane''': This function makes {{w|paper airplane}}s out of paper stored in the printer, or documents being printed.
*'''Origami flower''': Similar to the previous one, this function makes flowers using the {{w|origami}} paper folding process.
*'''Corrugate''': {{w|Corrugated fiberboard}} or cardboard is a kind of crinkled paper sandwiched between two sheets. This provides structural strength for a low weight. Printers that jam can produce paper that looks corrugated, but this is not an intended function, and corrugated fiberboard is not made with printers.
*'''{{w|Paper-mâché}}''': (Literally "chewed paper") is a composite construction material consisting of paper pieces, bound with an adhesive, often a flour paste. Shredded paper, partially eaten, would give a similar result (and any leftovers could be composted).
*'''{{w|Découpage}}''': An art form where paper printed with decorative images is glued onto an object (typically boxes, but also furniture) and covered with many layers of varnish, so that the images appear painted onto the object.
*'''Notarize''': A {{w|notary public}} is a person certified by a government to attest that certain kinds of legal documentation are legitimate and executed. All-in-one printers and scanners may be able to recognize certain signs of legitimacy (e.g. the {{w|EURion constellation}}), but unless this printer has some tactile sensation, it cannot distinguish between a legitimate form and a reproduction as a human can.
*'''Biodegrade''': This would {{w|biodegrade}} the paper. Whether this would send this to an organic waste plant (which would be helpful) or actually house a composter inside the printer (which would be gross) is unknown.
*'''Crumple and throw at trash like basketball''': Many people, when done with a piece of paper, will crumple it up and throw it into a trash can from a distance, as if playing basketball.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A large printer-like machine, with the label All-in-One Paper Processor on the top left of it. There are three columns of functions, with a few of them having a green light. At the top of the machine is a "paper feed" tray. At the bottom of the machine, is a large hole, for outputting the paper.]

:'''Column 1'''
:*Print (lighted green)
:*Copy
:*Fax (lighted green)
:*Shred
:*Scan
:*Translate
:*Summarize
:*Plagiarize
:*Collate (lighted green)

:'''Column 2'''
:*Staple (lighted green)
:*Remove staples
:*Add those perforated edge strips that are so fun to tear
:*Roll
:*Burn
:*Eat

:'''Coulumn 3'''
:*Fold airplane
:*Origami flower
:*Corrugate
:*Paper-mâché
:*Découpage
:*Notarize (lighted green)
:*Biodegrade
:*Crumple and throw at trash like a basketball (lighted green)

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]

1419: On the Phone

2014-09-11T06:22:29Z

141.101.99.211: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1419
| date = September 10, 2014
| title = On the Phone
| image = on_the_phone.png
| titletext = 'No idea what I was thinking! Haha! But anyway, maybe we should check out what this Ba'al guy has to say.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|No explanation yet, just a description}}
{{w|Fidgeting}} while talking on the telephone is a very common habit and may manifest as doodling or pacing. In the case of the person speaking off-panel (presumably [[Cueball]]), he paces while absent-mindedly moving random objects around the house. Taking this behavior to the extreme, he has also erected an {{w|obelisk}} in the backyard and carved prayers to "Ba'al, the Soul Eater" on it. This may be a reference to the saying "Idle hands are the devil's playthings."

The title text suggests that the "fidgeting" is just a cover story - the off-panel speaker is actually worshipping (or possessed by) by Ba'al, and is casually trying to encourage Megan to do the same.

Ba'al, or {{w|Baal_(disambiguation)|Baal}}, refers to one of many deities and demons which go by this name. Given its title "The Soul Eater", it probably refers to {{w|Beelzebub}} (one of the {{w|Classification_of_demons#Binsfeld.27s_classification_of_demons|seven princes of hell}}).

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
[Megan is pointing to the left off-panel and looking to the right off-panel.]
: Megan: Why is there a teapot in the bathroom?
: Off-panel voice (right): Sorry. When I'm on the phone I always zone out and pick stuff up and carry it around.
[Megan is in front of an open fridge, holding a hammer.]
: Megan: There's a hammer in the fridge.
: Off-panel voice: Another phone call. I was just fidgeting.
[Megan is walking next to four stacks of household objects: the first has a lightbulb on top of a book, the second has a blender on top of three books, the third has five books (two balanced vertically) with a smaller rectangular object on top, and the fourth has two tennis balls on top of three books]
: Megan: Did you put all our stuff in weird stacks?
: Off-panel voice: Long call. Sorry.
[Megan, outside, looks up at a towering straight-sided object]
: Megan: ...Why is there a giant obelisk in the backyard?
: Off-panel voice: Phone again. My bad.
: Megan: It's carved with prayers to "Ba'al, the Soul-Eater."
: Off-panel voice: Haha! I'm so absentminded.

{{comic discussion}}

1417: Seven

2014-09-08T09:30:35Z

141.101.99.211: /* Title text list */

{{comic
| number = 1417
| date = September 5, 2014
| title = Seven
| image = seven.png
| titletext = The days of the week are Monday, Arctic, Wellsley, Green, Electra, Synergize, and the Seventh Seal.
}}

==Explanation==
In this comic, [[Cueball]] (or perhaps [[Randall]]) says he can't distinguish between sets that have exactly seven objects. This leads him to exchange the items in the sets without noticing, to the point where, when attempting to list a single set, each item mentioned actually belongs to a different set.

This is shown in the comic when Cueball tries to enumerate the seven dwarfs from ''{{w|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs}}'' (a task some people might find difficult, although they would not just chose words from other sets of seven to fill in the gaps...)

The title text also makes it clear that even a simple set of seven items, like the days of the week, also goes completely wrong.

The comic is a reference to the oldest {{w|Set-theoretic_definition_of_natural_numbers#Oldest_definition|set-theoretic definition of the natural numbers}} in which for each natural number, an equivalence class is defined over all sets which contain the same number of items. As Cueball is known for mathematical thinking he could be presumed to have taken the underlying equivalence relation to heart, and (over)applying it to real life, genuinely judges sets to be identical if they both contain N objects.

The number seven being the number for when sets become indistinguishable is possibly a reference to {{w|The_Magical_Number_Seven,_Plus_or_Minus_Two|Miller's law}}; however, this refers to elements within the same set becoming indistinguishable, rather than indistinguishability of different sets of the same size, as the original tests involved either distinguishing between the items or repeating them back in the correct order.

===Comic list===
For each of the seven lists below, the relevant item's traditional position on its own list of seven is equal to its position on the list in the comic. So, since "phylum" is the second major taxonomic rank, "phylum" is the second item on the list in the comic.

The seven "dwarfs" mentioned and their relevant sets of seven are (Items in the set are written in bold):
{| class="wikitable"
|
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
|-
!{{W|Seven_Dwarfs#Disney_Dwarfs|Disney's Dwarfs}} from the movie ''{{w|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs}}'')
|'''Sneezy'''
|Dopey
|Bashful
|Sleepy
|Grumpy
|Happy
|Doc
|-
!Major {{w|taxonomic ranks}}
|kingdom
|'''phylum'''
|class
|order
|family
|genus
|species
|-
!{{w|Continents}}
|Asia
|Africa
|'''Europe'''
|North America
|South America
|Australia
|Antarctica
|-
!{{w|Seven deadly sins|Deadly sins}}
|lust
|gluttony
|greed
|'''sloth'''
|wrath
|envy
|pride
|-
!{{w|Seven-layer dip|Seven Layer Dip (recipe)}}
|refried beans
|cheese
|ground beef
|sour cream
|'''guacamole'''
|salsa
|chopped black olives/tomatoes/green onions
|-
!|Layers of the {{w|OSI model|Open System Interconnection (OSI) data transmission model}}
|application
|presentation
|session
|transport
|network
|'''data link'''
|physical
|-
!|{{w|Wonders of the World|Wonders of the Ancient World}}
|Great Pyramid of Giza
|Hanging Gardens of Babylon
|Statue of Zeus at Olympia
|Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
|Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
|Lighthouse of Alexandria
|'''Colossus of Rhodes'''
|}

===Title text list===
The title text extends this saying he also does the same with the set of the seven days of the week.

The sets Cueball's "days of the week" come from are (the relevant items number in the set is written in brackets before the item):
# {{w|Days of the week}}: (1) '''Monday''', Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
# {{w|Seven_Seas#Modern|The Seven Seas (modern version)}} - there are many possible lists of 7 named bodies of water, but one possibility where “Arctic” comes second in alphabetic order is: Antarctic, (2) '''Arctic''', Atlantic, Caribbean, Indian, Mediterranean, and Pacific.
## This could also be a reference to {{w|Climate zones}}. See [[#Trivia|Trivia]].
## This could not be a reference to {{w|Continents}}, because the Arctic is not a continent. See above.
# {{w|Seven Sisters (colleges)|Seven Sisters}}, historically women's colleges in U.S.: Mount Holyoke, Vassar, (3) '''Wellesley''', Smith, Radcliffe, Bryn Mawr, and Barnard
# Traditional {{w|spectral color}}s: red, orange, yellow, (4) '''green''', blue, indigo[[#Trivia|*]], and violet.
# {{w|Pleiades (Greek mythology)|Pleiades}}, Seven Sisters, nymphs and daughters of Atlas and Pleone in Greek mythology (in reverse alphabetical order): Taygete, Sterope, Merope, Maia, (5) '''Electra''', Celaeno, and Alcyone.
# ''{{w|The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People}}'' by Dr. Stephen R. Covey: Be proactive, Begin with the end in mind, Put first things first, Think win-win, Seek first to understand and then to be understood, (6) '''Synergize''', and Sharpen the saw
# In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament, there are '''{{w|Seven Seals}}''', simply numbered one through seven. '''The Seventh Seal''' is also the name of a movie released in 1957, which belongs to a '''lot''' of sets of seven [[#Trivia|(see below)]].

==Transcript==
: [Megan and Cueball are talking]
: Megan: Can you name all the dwarfs from Snow White?
: Cueball: Sure, there's, um...
: Cueball's thoughts: Sneezy, phylum, Europe, sloth, guacamole, data link, Colossus of Rhodes
: Caption: I have this problem where all sets of seven things are indistinguishable to me.

==Trivia==
*Arctic (no. 2 on the title text list) could also be a reference to {{w|Climate zones|climate zones}}: '''Arctic''', North Temperate, Northern Subtropical, Tropical, Southern Subtropical, South Temperate and Antarctic.
** There are however usually only five mentioned according to the {{w|Köppen climate classification}}. They are: Tropical, Dry, Temperate, Continental and Polar climate.
*Concerning the seven colours of the spectrum (no. 4 on the title text list) {{w|Indigo#Classification_as_a_spectral_color|indigo is stuck in}} by {{w|Isaac Newton}} to add up to the seven notes in the {{w|Scale_(music)#Western_music|Western musical scale}}
** It should be noted that {{w|Indigo#Classification as a spectral color|Newton probably meant}} the colours {{w|cyan}} and {{w|blue}} as we think of it today, rather than blue and {{w|indigo}}.
** Also note that in a {{w|rainbow}} you usually {{w|Rainbow#Number_of_colours_in_spectrum_or_rainbow|cannot distinguish more than six colours}} with cyan melting in with green and blue and the same for indigo with blue and violet.
*** {{w|Color term#Basic color terms|This is highly dependent on the language you speak.}} Russian, for example, has both sinij and goluboj to describe different blues that in English are both blue. Japanese, as another example, has blue and green together (kinda) in 青.
** These are also the traditional seven artists' pigments, {{w|Roy_G._Biv|with the accompanying mnemonic "Roy G. Biv"}}. Indigo dye is a widely known and readily available colouring agent. The ongoing ubiquity of the ''pigment'' (think denim) gives it a unique prominence in spite of its uncertain status as a spectral colour.
*''The Seventh Seal'' (no. 7 on the title text list) could also refer to the 1957 film by Ingmar Bergman. Indeed, we can put it in quite a few sets of seven...
**This was Bergman's seventh film with an English title beginning with the letter ‘S’ (ignoring articles). ''A Ship Bound for India'', ''Summer Interlude'', ''Secrets of Women'', ''Summer with Monika'', ''Sawdust and Tinsel'', ''Smiles of a Summer Night'', '''''The Seventh Seal'''''.
**Similary ''The Seventh Seal'' is also the seventh Bergman film whose Swedish title starts with ‘S’, although the list has some different members. ''Skepp till Indialand'', ''Sånt händer inte här'', ''Sommarlek'', ''Sommaren med Monika'', ''Sommarnattens leende'', ''Sista paret ut'', '''''Det sjunde inseglet'''''.
**''The Seventh Seal'' was also one of seven Bergman films submitted by Sweden for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film during the 1950s and 1960s. '''The Seventh Seal''', ''The Magician'', ''The Virgin Spring'', ''Through a Glass Darkly'', ''The Silence'', ''Persona'', ''Shame''.
**According to the Wikipedia page on {{w|The Seventh Seal|The Seventh Seal}}, the Jesuit publication America wrote, "It also began a series of seven films that explored the possibility of faith in a post-Holocaust, nuclear age. In 'The Virgin Spring' (1960), 'Through a Glass Darkly' (1961), 'Winter Light' (1962) and 'The Silence' (1963), he poses traditional faith questions in identifiably religious language. The characters struggle self-consciously with their inability to believe in God and form relationships with one another. In 'Wild Strawberries' (1957) and 'The Magician' (1958), the issues are veiled in layers of metaphor. The theological questions become apparent only by placing them in the context of the other films of the period. With 'The Silence' he concludes that God is unknowable, and the human person must simply continue life's journey seeking understanding and happiness however one can. At that point, God-questions drop out of his films altogether."[http://americamagazine.org/node/148305]
* One way to remember the names of the Seven Dwarfs from the Disney film is: three emotions (Happy, Bashful, Grumpy), two S's (Sleepy, Sneezy), two D's (Dopey, Doc). Cueball assumes that Megan is asking in the context of the Disney film, but other works have named the dwarfs differently; see {{w|Seven Dwarfs}}.
* Megan's question uses the plural '''dwarfs'''. Astronomers also refer to the plural of {{w|dwarf star}}s as "dwarfs". The word "dwarves" is used in {{w|J. R. R. Tolkein}}'s works, but has been seen as far back as the early 1800s. [http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000293.html]

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

Talk:1308: Christmas Lights

2013-12-25T08:18:15Z

141.101.99.211:

If I am reading the graphs right, except for the very top there is no blue lights.
[[User:Traisjames|From the guy with his eye on the sky.]] ([[User talk:Traisjames|talk]]) 06:41, 25 December 2013 (UTC)

Presumably the top is gold? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.211|173.245.52.211]] 07:47, 25 December 2013 (UTC)

Also the spike in the near IR of the large graph is likely to be a mercury line. I think fires would have a smoother curve of a black body.
[[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.122|199.27.128.122]] 06:47, 25 December 2013 (UTC)

Could someone make a coloured version?[[User:Guru-45|Guru-45]] ([[User talk:Guru-45|talk]]) 07:22, 25 December 2013 (UTC)

Also the light at the top of the tree seems to be emitting in the UV range. Perhaps it’s supposed to be a fluorescent lamp? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.7|108.162.245.7]] 07:30, 25 December 2013 (UTC)

I'm thinking it's a "white" LED. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.56|108.162.216.56]] 07:50, 25 December 2013 (UTC)

I think the one at the top matches the profile of a star...
[[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.211|141.101.99.211]] 08:18, 25 December 2013 (UTC)

Talk:322: Pix Plz

2013-12-21T16:58:20Z

141.101.99.211:

It's a little unfair to say that the "rule", such as it is, exists because internet users believe women are too stupid <sic> to be online. A more accurate reason would be because so many men masquerade as women for various reasons. (Such as extra attention, or as a fetish)

Therefore, someone claiming to be female is met with cynicism online - often with unfortunate results. {{unsigned|‎161.31.32.81}}

I find it amusing that, while ostensibly egalitarian/feminist/what-have-you, this comic's last panel still has Black Hat giving Joanna the order to fire -- for all his high-flown (and largely justified) rhetoric, he still doesn't realize she doesn't need telling.
[[Special:Contributions/71.97.137.127|71.97.137.127]] 22:28, 17 February 2013 (UTC)
::I see that more because of a boss/employee relationship between black hat guy and joanna [[Special:Contributions/189.135.40.161|189.135.40.161]] 19:48, 24 April 2013 (UTC)

If I ask you to close the blinds, because you are closer to the window, would you assume I think myself superior? Same here, Joanna has the gun, BHG doesn´t, therefore he asks her to do it. {{unsigned|91.64.172.40}}

Females are often met with lots of males trying to hit on them by private messages in chat or on the main screen no matter the subject content of the chat room. This predatory-like wave of sexual lust will often cause the female gender to use gender neutral sounding screen names to try and avoid this effect. Hence making the internet seen void of females except for porn site spam bots profiles.... The behavior of males have lead to a reaction behavior of females to hide who they are for dread of harassment both online , in gaming and in the geek culture in general.[[Special:Contributions/184.39.244.206|184.39.244.206]] 04:01, 27 July 2013 (UTC)

So do people who are surprised someone is a girl and don't act like a sexist dick get a free pass? I mean, the answer must be yes, but at the same time XKCD's hyperfocus on some things above all other has often left me, your typical computer enthusiast, in the dark. [[Special:Contributions/68.58.90.223|68.58.90.223]] 08:35, 27 July 2013 (UTC)

I don't see how this remains incomplete; Cueball's actions seem to be accounted for. I have removed the Incomplete tag. --[[User:Quicksilver|Quicksilver]] ([[User talk:Quicksilver|talk]]) 19:53, 21 August 2013 (UTC)

I'm surprised no one bothered to mention the title text. I added a short explanation, referring to the "It's okay, I have a black friend" excuse. Feel free to refine it. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.211|141.101.99.211]] 16:58, 21 December 2013 (UTC)

322: Pix Plz

2013-12-21T16:55:31Z

141.101.99.211: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 322
| date = September 28, 2007
| title = Pix Plz
| image = pix_plz.png
| titletext = But one of the regulars in the channel is a girl!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|The behave of the man (Cueball) must be better explained.}}
Though this comic predates it, there is a [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/there-are-no-girls-on-the-internet meme] (also known as [http://rules-of-the-internet.urbanup.com/2799580 Rule 16] or [http://rulesoftheinternet.com Rule 30] [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/rules-of-the-internet of the Internet]) that states there are no girls on the Internet. This comes partly from a stigma that girls are too stupid to go on the Internet, and partly that they are afraid of such a male-dominated subculture. The {{Wiktionary|puerile}} nature of the Internet creates a repulsive force because of exactly what [[Cueball]] is doing. As soon as anyone claims to be a female online there will invariably be a slew of "[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/tits-or-gtfo tits or gtfo]" replies.

[[Cueball]] behaves this way out of a (potentially) joking {{w|misogyny}}. One of the "jokes" of certain areas of the internet (especially IRC and 4chan) is that women are only "good for" certain things, such as sex, pornography, and the like. By making such a huge deal out of her being a girl, he directs unwanted, perhaps negative, attention at any female to join, making them wish to abandon the area that they're in.

[[Black Hat]], while usually a destructive force, and self-proclaimed [[Classhole|classhole]], stands up for women everywhere. He enlists the help of a [[Ponytail]] character named Joanna to [http://banhammer.urbanup.com/1921346 ban] Cueball from the Internet.

The title text refers to an excuse people use after making a racist joke claiming to have a friend of said race, making it "okay". In this instance, Cueball tries to excuse his sexist behavior by saying he has a female acquaintance on the IRC channel which he frequents.

{{w|IRC}} is the acronym for Internet Relay Chat. It is a protocol that eventually evolved into the {{w|instant messenger}}s, {{w|chat room}}s, and {{w|XMPP|XMPP (formerly Jabber)}} servers around today. With the advent of live-streaming video online, IRC channels are making a come-back as a way for hosts and audiences to communicate with each other in real-time.

An {{w|Electromagnetic pulse|EMP}} is an electromagnetic pulse that will disrupt electronics from functioning normally. An EMP is an unusual spike in voltage. Small EMPs will disrupt electricity momentarily, larger EMPs are capable of burning out circuitry.

For the record, the assertion that "there are no girls on the Internet" has become ''completely'' false in the six years since this comic was first posted. The phrase still finds use, but as a [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GIRL warning] rather than a supposed fact.

==Transcript==
:[Black Hat stands in the entrance to a room. The door has been broken down. A surprised Cueball has turned away from his computer to face the remains of the door.]
:Black Hat: Hi. I'm here about the girl who visited your IRC channel last night looking for Java help.
:Cueball: What did you do to my door?

:Black Hat: When someone with a feminine username joins your community and you say "OMG a woman on the Internet" and 'jokingly' ask for naked pics, you are being an asshole. You are not being ironic. You are not cracking everybody up. You are the number one reason women are so rare on the Internet.
:Black Hat: At least, the parts of it you frequent.

:[Ponytail enters the room, holding some sort of device.]
:Black Hat: As someone who likes nerdy girls, I do not appreciate this. I'm here to ban you from the Internet. The gal behind me with the EMP cannon is Joanna - she'll be assigned to you for the next year. Try to go online and she'll melt your PC.
:Cueball: Dude, she's hot. Is she single?
:Black Hat: Joanna, fire.
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]