explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1755: Old Days

2016-11-04T05:45:54Z

162.158.49.6: /* Transcript */

{{comic
| number = 1755
| date = November 4, 2016
| title = Old Days
| image = old_days.png
| titletext = Lot of drama in those days, including constant efforts to force the "Reflections on Trusting Trust" guy into retirement so we could stop being so paranoid about compilers.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|More explanation reqiured.Table listing all the examples and explaining them.}}
This comic is showing a coversation between Cueball and Hairbun, about the old days i.e the past. But instead of talking about the how life was in the past, they are talking about computer programming in the past. Hairbun explains how tough it was for programmers to write and create code in the past.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript}}
[We see Cueball and Hairbun standing together, dicussing about computer programming in the past.]
:Panel 1
:Cueball:What were things like in the old days?
:Cueball:I hear that you had to ... compile things for different processors?
:Hairbun:Yeah

:Panel 2
:Hairbun:To compile you code, you had to mail it to IBM.
:Hairbun: It took 4-6 weeks.

:Panel 3
:[Close-up of Hairbun's face.]
:Hairbun:Before garbage collection, data would pile up until the computer got full and you had to throw it away.

:Panel 4
:[Both Cueball and Hairbun, full-body view]
:Hairbun:Early compilers could handle code fine, but comments had to be written in assembly.

:Panel 5
:[Only Hairbun is seen.]
:Hairbun:C could only be written on punch cards.You had to pick a compact font, or you'd only fit a few characters per card.

:Panel 6
:[Both of them are seen again.]
:Hairbun:C++ was big because it supported floppy disks.
:Hairbun:It still punched holes in them, but it was a start.
:Cueball:Wow.

{{comic discussion}}

1755: Old Days

2016-11-04T05:28:25Z

162.158.49.6: /* Explanation */ Explaniation start

Talk:290: Fucking Blue Shells

2016-10-06T14:07:43Z

162.158.49.6:

I see Randall has yet to master the art of snaking. [[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]] ([[User talk:Davidy22|talk]]) 00:23, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

As an aside, in my case at least, stubbed toes result in more swearing than broken bones. Having broken seven, I'm somewhat of an authority on the matter. [[Special:Contributions/74.125.183.194|74.125.183.194]] 15:18, 14 September 2013 (UTC)

That's odd, to my recollection the use of the term "Deep Magic" in programming was a reference to the Narnia novels, as in "deep magic from the dawn of time". This isn't specified in the Jargon File? I'm quite certain that's how I heard it explained, circa 1986. {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.91}}

I believe that the proper way to play mkart at 200 ccs is to swear nonstop while you race and your kart refuses to turn, and then watching the highlight reel and laughing at your complete failure. [[User:RedHatGuy68|RedHatGuy68]] ([[User talk:RedHatGuy68|talk]]) 02:07, 21 August 2016 (UTC)

Fuck.This is completely true, as I play Mario Kart 7, and I swear every time 1 of those Blue Shells hit me.I never get them, but everybody else gets them.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.49.6|162.158.49.6]] 14:07, 6 October 2016 (UTC)

Talk:554: Not Enough Work

2016-08-29T15:42:23Z

162.158.49.6:

I always pronounce tags like as "slash span."{{unsigned ip|107.204.46.198}}

I thought the keys jamming thing was a myth... [[Special:Contributions/184.66.160.91|184.66.160.91]] 04:27, 22 October 2013 (UTC)
:You're thinking of the "slow typers down" qualification to that. QWERTY was designed to ''speed them up'' by stopping jams. Anonymous 06:14, 13 December 2013 (UTC)

An interesting note; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku_(operating_system) Haiku] is also the name of a free and open source operating system! The Alpha release was 6 months after this comic was written though, so this is likely a coincidence.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.195|108.162.219.195]] 21:11, 26 November 2013 (UTC)

"Gopher" is also a pun on "go for". For this reason it's used to mean a general unqualified helper person, sent to fetch various items for the more senior people. For example, "He started on the racing team as a gopher". [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.5|108.162.246.5]] 21:33, 31 January 2014 (UTC)

There is no explanation on the title text... {{unsigned ip|173.245.51.97}}
:There is now, though not by me. It is written together with the explanation of the third panel before the last panel, since it refers to that panel --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:51, 17 June 2015 (UTC)

There is a [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Proposals#Merge_Cueball_.26_Rob|community portal discussion]] of what to call Cueball and what to do in case with more than one Cueball. I have added this comic to the new Category:Multiple Cueballs. Since only one of the two Cueballs in panel two speaks in this comic, he is still listed as Cueball. Just made a note that the other guy also looks like Cueball. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:53, 17 June 2015 (UTC)

Couldn't haiku refer to the alternative OS Randall has mentioned several times before? That seems more likely than putting the web tags into an actual haiku...
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.36|108.162.216.36]] 03:39, 19 November 2015 (UTC)

:See above:
:> ''An interesting note; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku_(operating_system) Haiku] is also the name of a free and open source operating system! The Alpha release was 6 months after this comic was written though, so this is likely a coincidence.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.195|108.162.219.195]] 21:11, 26 November 2013 (UTC)''
:[[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.28|173.245.54.28]] 04:55, 19 November 2015 (UTC)

Hey, guys ,have you seen that webcomic? I think XKCD is referring to itself. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.49.6|162.158.49.6]] 15:42, 29 August 2016 (UTC)

Talk:550: Density

2016-08-29T15:37:30Z

162.158.49.6:

I'm crying {{unsigned|Lemphek}}

I don't think Megan will ever sleep with him again after this, and if I were Cueball, I'd consider this a greater loss than having to raise a babby. [[Special:Contributions/84.224.87.179|84.224.87.179]] 07:56, 29 April 2013 (UTC)

;Title text

I think the title text implies that while Cueball relies on 4chan for advice, he hadn't asked them on contraception and he now regrets this omission thinking that it would help him to prevent this situation. This is even funnier since it implies that advices from 4chan are in fact valuable. [[User:Sten|'''STEN''']] ([[User talk:Sten|talk]]) 22:26, 21 February 2014 (UTC)

Relevant links: {{w|Withdrawal method}} (or {{w|Coitus interruptus}}) and {{w|Emergency contraception}}. Surprisingly, the withdrawal method may be quite effective with a failure rate as low as 4% (chance of pregnancy per year of use) if done correctly. In practice, though, it has a 15-28% failure rate. In comparison, condom use has a 2% failure rate when used correctly and a 10–18% actual failure rate. -- [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.217|108.162.212.217]] 10:06, 22 February 2014 (UTC)

:This is completely irrelevant. My point is that if he was regretting asking 4chan, the title text would start ''If only I had '''not''' asked'' but it starts ''If only I had asked'' implying he did not ask. {{unsigned|Sten}}
::Agreed have corrected explain. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:47, 11 June 2015 (UTC)

I think the "ruined life" part refers more to having an unplanned and unprepared-for baby, a more disruptive consequence than a break his relationship with Megan.. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.208.236|108.162.208.236]] 11:07, 4 March 2015 (UTC)
:Agreed have corrected explain. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:47, 11 June 2015 (UTC)

This is not the meme density record any more.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.49.6|162.158.49.6]] 15:37, 29 August 2016 (UTC)