explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1239: Social Media

2023-06-12T07:13:02Z

162.158.111.229: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1239
| date = July 17, 2013
| title = Social Media
| image = social_media.png
| titletext = The social media reaction to this asteroid announcement has been sharply negative. Care to respond?
}}

==Explanation==
This comic parodies how journalists tend to focus on social networking. Specifically in the case of revolutions, social media is given a lot of weight, even in countries with limited internet access. A direct parallel is made to the so-called {{w|Twitter Revolution}}s.

On {{w|Twitter}} you can send text messages with a maximum of 280 characters (140 at the time of writing). This means that there could not be much content in a single post, but often many people ''follow'' the people doing these ''tweets''. People who are not on social media tend to react like [[Cueball]] and come to the conclusion that Twitter makes press coverage more stupid, just because those messages lack much detail. Cueball is also surprised about the stupidity of trying to link social media to the orbit of the asteroid — social media has no impact on the orbit of any space objects.{{Citation needed}}

The title text continues the joke. The negativity on Twitter concerning an Earth-bound asteroid has nothing to do with the press conference that announced it but rather with the negativity of wiping out life on earth in general. Again, journalists give undue weight to social media.

It's simply that "How has Twitter affected this" has become a standard question for journalists, posed in complete disregard of the actual event.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball heads a press conference.]
:Cueball: NASA has confirmed that the asteroid is heading directly for us.
:Cueball: ...Yes, a question?
:Reporter 1: What role has social media played in this asteroid's orbit?
:Cueball: *''sigh''*
:Reporter 2: Has Twitter changed the way we respond to asteroid threats?
:Cueball: Well, it's made the press conference questions stupider.
:Reporter 3: Fascinating!
:Reporter 4: What about Facebook?

==Trivia==
*The comic may also parody an actual interview [http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/02/12/deb_feyerick_to_bill_nye_is_asteroid_2012_da14_connected_to_global_warming.html Is asteroid 2012_DA14 connected to global warming] in which {{w|Bill Nye}} was asked if the approaching asteroid {{w|2012_DA14}} was a result of global warming.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Social networking]]

838: Incident

2017-06-01T10:29:58Z

162.158.111.229: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 838
| date = December 24, 2010
| title = Incident
| image = incident.png
| titletext = He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he's copied on /var/spool/mail/root, so be good for goodness' sake.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic was posted on {{w|Christmas Eve}}. While {{w|Christmas}} is principally a {{w|Christian}} reimagining of a Pagan holiday, celebrating the birth of {{w|Jesus}} on December 25, there are many traditions around the holiday, among them {{w|Christmas Eve#Gift_giving|a tradition}} that on {{w|Christmas Eve}} {{w|Santa Claus}} will make his round delivering gifts to good children.

[[Rob]] sits behind a Linux computer and tried to change his user account from his normal access to the access of a super user by using the command "{{w|sudo|sudo su}}". Sudo is a famous phrase in xkcd lore, made famous by comic [[149: Sandwich]]. Before allowing administrator access (as root user), it asks for a password. The field is blank because, in most Linux systems, the characters of the password are not shown. When Rob is unable to use the command his account is not authorized and the system says that the incident "will be reported" (usually to the system administrator, so he can see if someone is making repeated attempts at accessing administrator privileges).

In the comic, however, sudo and the system report the incidents to {{w|Santa Claus}}, who, in Christmas lore, makes a list of who is naughty and who is nice. If you are nice then you get presents, while if you are naughty, you get a lump of coal. When sudo reports to Santa that Rob's account is not authorized, he puts Rob on the naughty list.

In the title text, which is a parody of the famous Christmas song, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", <code>/var/spool/mail/root</code> is the root (superuser) mailbox on a Linux system, where the incident described in the comic would commonly be reported to.

==Transcript==
:[Rob is sitting at a computer. The computer's prompt is shown.]
robm@homebox~$ sudo su
Password:
robm is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
robm@homebox~$ █
:[Megan approaches.]
:Rob: Hey — who does sudo report these "incidents" ''to''?
:Megan: You know, I've never checked.
:[Santa Claus is sitting at a desk supported by candy canes, with a red monitor. On the wall are two lists labeled 'naughty' and 'nice'. He is in the process of adding a line to the 'naughty' list.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Rob]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Linux]]
[[Category:Christmas]]

Talk:778: Scheduling

2017-05-24T10:04:01Z

162.158.111.229:

What does "Hush, you have starting player" mean? [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 00:07, 6 October 2014 (UTC)
: Added an explanation, but left the incomplete-tag since I'm not a native speaker, and I'm not quite sure about the grammar, but I hope it's clear now, what the explanation of "Having starting player" is. Maybe someone could just re-read my text and correct it if needed. And than remove the tag. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.64.65|141.101.64.65]] 09:00, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

It could also be that the three of them are strippers or something, there to work, but mixed up the house they're supposed to be at; after all, "Jones" is only slightly less common than "Smith" as a last name in America. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.229|162.158.111.229]]

Talk:643: Ohm

2017-05-06T11:02:52Z

162.158.111.229:

"who determined that a given resistor would pass double the current..." -Actually, this is true only of ohmic resistors, which have constant resistance. Wire resistors, which I'm assuming are what Ohm used, are essentially ohmic for low voltage/current, but their resistance increases at high voltage because they give off dramatically more energy as heat. Other types of resistors have different behavior. For exmple, semiconductors have low resistance in one direction and high resistance in the other. Probably someone should correct this! [[User:Sciepsilon|Sciepsilon]] ([[User talk:Sciepsilon|talk]]) 01:51, 1 December 2013 (UTC)

:Somebody really should not. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.223|108.162.219.223]] 06:34, 24 December 2013 (UTC)

Funnily enough, the Dutch word for "Uncle" sounds similar to "Ohm", though it is spelled differently (Oom). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.229|162.158.111.229]] 11:02, 6 May 2017 (UTC)