explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2171: Shadow Biosphere

2019-07-03T17:43:05Z

172.69.170.28:

Just spit-balling here, but here goes: This comic seems to be making a joke between the meaning of "shadow biosphere" and the more common meaning behind "shadow" being something unseen. I think "shadow biosphere" is currently pretty loosely defined and not widely accepted by academics, and it seems to refer simply to organisms that might exist but are not currently being studied widely. In fact to me, the use of the term "shadow" in the name is relatively misleading and simply refers to a possible case of something not understood and/or studied at length, not that it's invisible. Randall appears to be making fun of the name by suggesting it means invisible to normal life as we know it. The title text further pushes this pun by suggesting that a coating of "desert varnish" makes normally visible objects become invisible, as with the buildings where shadow biologists carry out their work. Desert varnish is in fact visible when it is found in appropriate locations on normal objects like rocks - it does not make the rocks invisible! Somehow, I think these ideas need to be incorporated into the explanation. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 17:00, 3 July 2019 (UTC)

The first paragraph of this comic explanation is a verbatim copy from the beginning of the Wikipedia article for shadow biosphere. It seems that we really should include citations when adding something like this. ---diGGdoug

Talk:2165: Millennials

2019-06-19T18:34:38Z

172.69.170.28:

I never understand the american obsession with naming generations, and it deeply confuses me. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 14:22, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:You're calling it an American obsession, but I've never been obsessed with it myself. Instead, I suspect it's an American media obsession, and I'd prefer not to be associated with them. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 14:46, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
::Indeed, the idea of naming generations is primarily a media phenomenon, and none of the generation names more recent than the Baby Boomers have taken hold as strongly as "Baby Boomers" did. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.90.34|172.69.90.34]] 15:25, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
::: There are a couple different things that create the obsession. First is a 19th century and early 20th century [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_generations European sociological theory]. The notion of a particular cohort being different from others really became popular after the First World War when people started talking about the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Generation Lost Generation] (also mostly a European thing). In that case it referred to a cohort which really had gone through some very unique experiences (a huge chunk of the world's population of a certain age died either as a result of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_casualties the First World War] (which included a few genocides) or from the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu influenza pandemic] and all sorts of trauma was experienced by the survivors). This in turn inspired a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generational_theory famous theory] that there is a grand cyclical pattern to generations in American history. Combine the (pretty obvious) theory that living through a major war or disease pandemic will affect a generation (see also the post-WWII baby boom) with the (thoroughly-discredited-but-still-popular-in-America) idea of generational cycles and you end up with an ongoing tendency to name, define, and redefine the boundaries of distinct "generations" and to describe them will all sorts of sweeping generalizations.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.28|172.69.170.28]] 18:33, 19 June 2019 (UTC)

This is very similar to comic https://xkcd.com/973/ in which White Hat criticizes a different generation. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.160.134|172.69.160.134]] 15:03, 19 June 2019 (UTC)

I was under the impression that 'millenials' were those born in the 90s, in between gen y and gen z. I think there is a 'slight' trend that my generation has trouble 'growing up' even as adults. Many friends, if they haven't had kids they might still be living at home. Some even have kids and are still living with their parents. Myself, I don't see why a family structure couldn't work that way and still be healthy, I think the 'issue' comes from the older generations trying to keep the societal norms steady, and in the 1950s, when a boy turned 18 he became a 'man' and was promptly kicked out of the house, like a bird from a nest, or something like that... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.58.75|162.158.58.75]] 15:05, 19 June 2019 (UTC) Sam
:Yes. Those that were born millennials were born in the '90s, but most millennials were recruited from other generations.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.88|172.69.170.88]] 16:31, 19 June 2019 (UTC)

In fairness to White Hat, one might plausibly assume from the word "millennial" that it was meant to refer to people born around the turn of the millennium, or people born in the current millennium which is still fairly new as millennia go. It's not obvious that a person born 18 or 19 years before the turn of the millennium ''is'' supposed to be a millennial, while a person born 1 year before or 1 year after the turn of the millennium isn't. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.90.34|172.69.90.34]] 15:25, 19 June 2019 (UTC)

The title text begins with the word ''Ironically'', but is the statement really ironic? I think a more appropriate word might have been ''Frustratingly'' instead, but I wonder if his choice of words means something as well. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 15:30, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:Just to continue this thought, while Alanis Morissette is not a millennial herself, her song ''Ironic'' was released in 1995, just as the earliest millennials were about to enter their teen years. Not sure it means anything, but perhaps millennials have a part in perpetuating the misunderstanding of this word. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 15:37, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
::In all fairness, in 1995, the only millennials were still babies. Those in their teens at the time wouldn't become millennials until much more recently.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.88|172.69.170.88]] 16:34, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:::What? The current explanation states that the first millennials were born in 1982, making them 13 in 1995. Are you having the same problem as White Hat? [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 16:51, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:::That's the CURRENT definition, not the original one. If the definition hasn't changed, then where did Gen Y go? When were they born? EDIT: Actually, I was mistaken, because a more recent definition has people born as early as 1980 defined as millennials. If you think I'm having the same problem as White Had, read what I wrote below.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.112|172.69.170.112]] 16:55, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:::Along those same lines (or perhaps perpendicular to them), I don't consider myself a Baby Boomer, despite my birth date. Ok, now that we've straightened that out, what about Randall's choice of ''Ironically'' in the title text? [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 17:06, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:::I'm not that worried about people misusing the word, "ironic," as it's prety difficult to define any other way than example.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.22|172.69.170.22]] 17:08, 19 June 2019 (UTC)

I have a theory that the definition creep of the word is an attempt to eliminate the generation gap (a failure to understand each other due to too large an age difference) and ageism in society in general. If we're all part of the same generation, then where can the prejudice be? If this is true, then I support it, and proudly call myself a millennial, even though I was not one when I was born.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.28|172.69.170.28]] 16:46, 19 June 2019 (UTC)

Talk:2165: Millennials

2019-06-19T18:33:34Z

172.69.170.28:

I never understand the american obsession with naming generations, and it deeply confuses me. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 14:22, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:You're calling it an American obsession, but I've never been obsessed with it myself. Instead, I suspect it's an American media obsession, and I'd prefer not to be associated with them. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 14:46, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
::Indeed, the idea of naming generations is primarily a media phenomenon, and none of the generation names more recent than the Baby Boomers have taken hold as strongly as "Baby Boomers" did. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.90.34|172.69.90.34]] 15:25, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
::: There are a couple different things that create the obsession. First is a 19th century and early 20th century [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_generations European sociological theory]. The notion of a particular cohort being different from others really became popular after the First World War when people started talking about the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Generation Lost Generation]. In that case it referred to a cohort which really had gone through some very unique experiences (a huge chunk of the world's population of a certain age died either as a result of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I_casualties the First World War] (which included a few genocides) or from the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu influenza pandemic] and all sorts of trauma was experienced by the survivors). This in turn inspired a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generational_theory famous theory] that there is a grand cyclical pattern to generations in American history. Combine the (pretty obvious) theory that living through a major war or disease pandemic will affect a generation (see also the post-WWII baby boom) with the (thoroughly-discredited-but-still-popular-in-America) idea of generational cycles and you end up with an ongoing tendency to name, define, and redefine the boundaries of distinct "generations" and to describe them will all sorts of sweeping generalizations.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.28|172.69.170.28]] 18:33, 19 June 2019 (UTC)

This is very similar to comic https://xkcd.com/973/ in which White Hat criticizes a different generation. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.160.134|172.69.160.134]] 15:03, 19 June 2019 (UTC)

I was under the impression that 'millenials' were those born in the 90s, in between gen y and gen z. I think there is a 'slight' trend that my generation has trouble 'growing up' even as adults. Many friends, if they haven't had kids they might still be living at home. Some even have kids and are still living with their parents. Myself, I don't see why a family structure couldn't work that way and still be healthy, I think the 'issue' comes from the older generations trying to keep the societal norms steady, and in the 1950s, when a boy turned 18 he became a 'man' and was promptly kicked out of the house, like a bird from a nest, or something like that... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.58.75|162.158.58.75]] 15:05, 19 June 2019 (UTC) Sam
:Yes. Those that were born millennials were born in the '90s, but most millennials were recruited from other generations.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.88|172.69.170.88]] 16:31, 19 June 2019 (UTC)

In fairness to White Hat, one might plausibly assume from the word "millennial" that it was meant to refer to people born around the turn of the millennium, or people born in the current millennium which is still fairly new as millennia go. It's not obvious that a person born 18 or 19 years before the turn of the millennium ''is'' supposed to be a millennial, while a person born 1 year before or 1 year after the turn of the millennium isn't. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.90.34|172.69.90.34]] 15:25, 19 June 2019 (UTC)

The title text begins with the word ''Ironically'', but is the statement really ironic? I think a more appropriate word might have been ''Frustratingly'' instead, but I wonder if his choice of words means something as well. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 15:30, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:Just to continue this thought, while Alanis Morissette is not a millennial herself, her song ''Ironic'' was released in 1995, just as the earliest millennials were about to enter their teen years. Not sure it means anything, but perhaps millennials have a part in perpetuating the misunderstanding of this word. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 15:37, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
::In all fairness, in 1995, the only millennials were still babies. Those in their teens at the time wouldn't become millennials until much more recently.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.88|172.69.170.88]] 16:34, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:::What? The current explanation states that the first millennials were born in 1982, making them 13 in 1995. Are you having the same problem as White Hat? [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 16:51, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:::That's the CURRENT definition, not the original one. If the definition hasn't changed, then where did Gen Y go? When were they born? EDIT: Actually, I was mistaken, because a more recent definition has people born as early as 1980 defined as millennials. If you think I'm having the same problem as White Had, read what I wrote below.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.112|172.69.170.112]] 16:55, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:::Along those same lines (or perhaps perpendicular to them), I don't consider myself a Baby Boomer, despite my birth date. Ok, now that we've straightened that out, what about Randall's choice of ''Ironically'' in the title text? [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 17:06, 19 June 2019 (UTC)
:::I'm not that worried about people misusing the word, "ironic," as it's prety difficult to define any other way than example.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.22|172.69.170.22]] 17:08, 19 June 2019 (UTC)

I have a theory that the definition creep of the word is an attempt to eliminate the generation gap (a failure to understand each other due to too large an age difference) and ageism in society in general. If we're all part of the same generation, then where can the prejudice be? If this is true, then I support it, and proudly call myself a millennial, even though I was not one when I was born.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.170.28|172.69.170.28]] 16:46, 19 June 2019 (UTC)

Talk:2165: Millennials

2019-06-19T16:47:13Z

172.69.170.28: correcting my own typos

Talk:2165: Millennials

2019-06-19T16:46:09Z

172.69.170.28:

2141: UI vs UX

2019-04-25T02:06:17Z

172.69.170.28: /* Transcript */ tweak character entities

{{comic
| number = 2141
| date = April 24, 2019
| title = UI vs UX
| image = ui_vs_ux.png
| titletext = U[unprintable glyph]: The elements a higher power uses to bend that moral arc. U[even more unprintable glyph]: The higher power's overall experience bending that moral arc.
}}

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

[https://www.google.com/search?q=UI+vs+UX UI vs UX] is a discussion in software engineering of the differences between {{w|user interface design}} (UI) and {{w|user experience}} design (UX). As explained in the comic, UI design is typically concerned with the elements of the interface that a user encounters, while UX design is more concerned about the user's overall experience in using such interface.

The comic takes this to absurd levels by adding further categories to the discussion with UZ, and other U{X} types of designers.

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

:<u>Designer</u>     <u>What they are responsible for</u>

:'''UI'''     Elements of the interface that the user encounters
:'''UX'''     The user's experience of using the interface to achieve goals
:'''UZ'''     The psychological roots of the user's motivation for seeking out the interaction
:'''U∝'''     The user's self-actualization
:'''UΩ'''     The arc of the user's life
:'''U∞'''     Life's experience of time
:'''U⬤'''     The arc of the moral universe

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Programming]]