explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

White Hat

2016-11-07T20:18:35Z

162.158.91.219:

{{Infobox character
| image = white_hat.png
| caption = White hat as seen in [[973: MTV Generation]]
| first_appearance = [[260: The Glass Necklace]]
}}
'''White Hat''' is a [[stick figure]] character in [[xkcd]]. He is distinguished by his eponymous white hat which appears to be in the shape and style of a {{w|boater}}. His appearance is identical to that of [[Black Hat]] other than the color of their respective hats. Unlike Black Hat, however, doesn't necessarily represent the same character in each appearance.

Interestingly, the two characters have been depicted together only in [[1110: Click and Drag]], [[1000: 1000 Comics]], [[1708: Dehydration]], and [[1756: I'm With Her]] still without a real connection between them, although they actually speak in the same setting in the latter, the other two being [[:Category:Large drawings|large drawings comics]] where they do not meet. The same goes for the other white hat guy, [[Beret Guy]]. See more on how little these three interact in xkcd in the explanation for [[:Category:Characters with Hats|Characters with Hats]].

In early comics, White Hat appeared mostly as a rare secondary character. But starting with comic [[915: Connoisseur]], White Hat began appearing more often and developed more of a personality, often playing the role of a philosophically misguided person. In this way, he's a bit of a {{w|straw man}}, making logical fallacies to help advance [[Randall|Randall's]] point (see also [[973: MTV Generation]], [[1215: Insight]], [[1255: Columbus]] and [[1277: Ayn Random]]). Other times, he is simply an alternative to [[Cueball]] or one of the other main characters.

In [[603: Idiocracy]] a character with a white hat appears, but it is a rounded safari hat very unlike White Hat's usual boater. He also has a very different mindset so there is no reason to believe that he is White Hat at all, and the comic has been removed from the list of those with White Hat. Main reason for this, is that White Hat already appeared in his normal hat three times before that comic, and Safari Hat guy has never been shown again, except in [[1000: 1000 Comics]].

==See also==
*[[:Category:Comics featuring White Hat|Comics featuring White Hat]]

{{navbox-characters}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Characters with Hats]]

Talk:761: DFS

2016-03-16T07:51:42Z

162.158.91.219:

I'm curious about the half-cut-off options in each panel. The first looks like '[something] eating contest,' the second looks like 'tracheal [something],' and the third looks like 'coral snake.' [[User:Alanbbent|Alanbbent]] ([[User talk:Alanbbent|talk]]) 23:49, 22 November 2013 (UTC)
:I think you may be right about the snake, but the others I am not so sure. However, I can't help out with better suggestions... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.58|108.162.219.58]] 23:53, 23 January 2014 (UTC)
:I think the eating contest one says "bee eating contest".[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.185|141.101.98.185]] 07:43, 17 November 2014 (UTC)
:For what it's worth, I was reading "bee dating contest". [[Special:Contributions/141.101.103.210|141.101.103.210]] 21:19, 10 September 2015 (UTC)
:I saw "bee dating context" [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.20|173.245.54.20]] 02:23, 7 November 2015 (UTC)

Inland Taipan, also known as the Fierce Snake. Dude, wikipedia might tell you this one is shy, but its still a taipan - don't be going and getting relaxed around taipans. If its in Australia and its a snake, its a fair bet you don't want touch it. [[User:Plm-qaz snr|Plm-qaz snr]] ([[User talk:Plm-qaz snr|talk]]) 12:43, 13 August 2014 (UTC) [Australia]

Ironically, I've never seen any xkcd character quite as dressed as Hairy in this strip... [[User:Mumiemonstret|Mumiemonstret]] ([[User talk:Mumiemonstret|talk]]) 14:09, 3 November 2014 (UTC)

Megan isn't "wearing nothing at all"! She is wearing a purse, which in fashion is also accessory. And that is practical for a date.

Talk:759: 3x9

2016-03-16T07:36:44Z

162.158.91.219:

In the middle of a Physics I exam, I forgot one of the equations of motion. Using my basic working knowledge of Calculus and the relationship between acceleration, velocity, and position, I managed to derive an equation which I used to solve the problem. When I got my exam back, I was given only partial credit because I got the right answer using the wrong formula.[[User:Smperron|Smperron]] ([[User talk:Smperron|talk]])
: Ah, [insert your nation here]'s educational system at work. {{unsigned ip|ImVeryAngryItsNotButter}}
:: Or perhaps re-estimate the value of making the cubed root of 81 look like 27 when the marker knows it is really 4.32674871092 and a bit. [[User:Weatherlawyer| I used Google News BEFORE it was clickbait]] ([[User talk:Weatherlawyer|talk]])
:::Uh, no, xth root is written as superscript....? Or am I missing the joke. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.19|173.245.54.19]] 19:54, 31 October 2015 (UTC)

I had an old math teacher once who didn't spend too much effort in grading trickier problems, so I got away with something similar in deriving Lagrange's Trig Identity in a complex class. Maybe 8 steps from the LHS and 2 steps from the RHS were right, and the equals sign that joined them was a leap of faith. --[[User:Quicksilver|Quicksilver]] ([[User talk:Quicksilver|talk]]) 01:55, 20 August 2013 (UTC)

Some browsers seem not to support formulas without add-ons etc. I added the formula also in simple characters.

Talk:865: Nanobots

2016-01-23T14:29:14Z

162.158.91.219:

So IPv6 gives us enough addresses to cover 40% of the earth in nanobots? I'm sold. IPv6 addresses for everyone! '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|purple|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 10:01, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

The top header on this page is different from the others. It advertises that xkcd is IPv6 enabled: "xkcd.com now has IPv6 connectivity. If you can't reach it, you or your ISP have misconfigured equipment. Sadly, I now have no way to tell you." [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.163|141.101.70.163]] 22:13, 24 July 2014 (UTC)

: The xkcd page doesn't have an IPv6 address. Has this changed since 2014? -- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.219|162.158.91.219]] 14:29, 23 January 2016 (UTC)

I think this maybe be a reference to the scifi book "plague year" it's a good book, and it fits this comic perfectly. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.220|108.162.219.220]] 10:01, 25 October 2014 (UTC)