explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2801: Contact Merge

2023-07-15T02:22:27Z

172.69.34.131: Added alternative meaning to the title text explanation. -V (not signed in)

{{comic
| number = 2801
| date = July 12, 2023
| title = Contact Merge
| image = contact_merge_2x.png
| imagesize = 353x429px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I actually kind of feel like John and Surf King wouldn't like each other, which is a lot to unpack.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by YOUR OTHER FRIEND WHO EDITS EXPLAINXKCD - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[[Cueball]] is in contact with someone in a some typical text-chat context, who uses the nickname of "Surf King". His phone also knows of a person called John, which seems to be the real name of the same person, although Cueball appears to have been unaware or forgetful of that fact. The humor arises when Cueball mentions this to "Surf King", who is flabbergasted that Cueball is not aware of this fact.

Some algorithm that manages the contact-list has been offering (or trying) to merge the contact details into a single entry, as having the same core details, which intrigues Cueball but without him understanding why. Instead he directs a comment about this to "@Surf King", who apparently did not deign to respond (leaving just a hanging ellipsis, which might have been typed-out ellipses as a common shorthand for being rendered speechless).

Cueball's follow-up comment is clearly prompted by the realisation that his 'two' contacts both share an interest in surfing, perhaps having been in separate group conversations with both John and Surf King personae in the interim, and he decides to revisit the issue. But from Surf King's response it looks like he and Surf King have been chatting (indeed, in this specific chatroom) for several years, making it mildly impressive that Cueball apparently never made the connection between his identities in that time.

The title text implies that Cueball has had second thoughts about the compatibility of Surf King/John with himself, having picked up further cues from either or both of subsequent chats with him (outside of this particular channel) that reduce the perceived social compatibility. This could be explained by John being far more (or differently) extrovert when interacting via his more sporty pseudonym, or else by having subtly changed attitudes and interests over time while not actually using one or other identity to update others' impressions of him. Either of these can be due to his perhaps having let the Surf King account of his youth go mostly idle, instead interacting primarily by his given name to be taken more seriously in professional contexts. Alternatively, it might be explained by Cueball (in his mistaken understanding of John's identity) getting a clearer view of how John dislikes himself than someone who knows they are the same person might.

It's also possible that Cueball, [[1674: Adult|being Cueball]], this (whatever it might ''actually'' be) might have gone completely over his head, with him not picking up on John's implication that he ''is'' Surf King, and the title text is yet another message sent to John.

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

:[Cueball is holding a phone and chatting in DMs]
:Cueball: @Surf King Weird, my phone keeps trying to merge your contact with John's
:Surf King: ...
:Cueball: Hey, you two should meet up-He's into surfing too
:Surf King: Oh my God
:Surf King: Are you serious
:Surf King: You've been in this chat with me for '''four years!'''

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I wonder who holds the record for accidentally doing this the longest.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Phones]]
[[Category:Social interactions]]

Talk:2795: Glass-Topped Table

2023-06-29T04:34:40Z

172.69.34.131:

First! [[Special:Contributions/172.71.167.52|172.71.167.52]] 19:01, 28 June 2023 (UTC)

How is "glass-topped" not a term found often online, yet I'm so used to calling it that in verbal conversation (Western Canadian, for reference). Searching for "glass-topped" (with quotes) shows this comic first in results (past ads) :) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.146.105|162.158.146.105]] 19:09, 28 June 2023 (UTC)

It's not "instead of" -- the table has both a glass surface and a drinking glass. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 19:32, 28 June 2023 (UTC)

…You could always hand-wash the cup. [[User:PxP|PxP]] ([[User talk:PxP|talk]]) 19:45, 28 June 2023 (UTC)
:Not sure about you, but when I hand-wash something, I'm doing it over sink. Getting the table to sink would be quite hard, although probably easier than fitting it into dishwasher. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 22:18, 28 June 2023 (UTC)
::It would also be difficult to pour out either the drink or the washwater.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.247.51|172.69.247.51]] 23:46, 28 June 2023 (UTC)
:::Pressurised water... If you have anything hose-like (or it's within range of one of those extensible tap-attachments) then gush water into it and anything not actually stuck to the glass (any really gloopy liquid - like a partly dried old smoothie left there too long that may need a bit of mechanical wiping too) gets diluted and pressured out. (...Onto the floor, unless you are prepared for that.)
:::A quick rub with a dishcloth can wick up most of what doesn't jump straight back out (you need a quick shut-off to the water supply, ideally, so it doesn't dribble-fill so much, anyway) and if it was hot enough then the last bits of dampness 'self dry'. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.159|172.70.162.159]] 01:18, 29 June 2023 (UTC)

Some of the unpopularity probably comes from it being halfway off of the table, giving you the ever-present feeling that it might fall. [[User:TheLittlePeace|TheLittlePeace]] ([[User talk:TheLittlePeace|talk]]) 19:50, 28 June 2023 (UTC)

Some seemed to have missed the real point; this is a cat torture device. I can just see my moggy lying there kicking at it for hours. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.34.131|172.69.34.131]] 04:34, 29 June 2023 (UTC)

2789: Making Plans

2023-06-16T16:43:09Z

172.69.34.131: /* Explanation */ this seems to be over explaining

{{comic
| number = 2789
| date = June 14, 2023
| title = Making Plans
| image = making_plans_2x.png
| imagesize = 217x396px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Oh no, I haven't checked in with Yvonne in YEARS.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by ABBIE, ABRAHAM, and an AARDVARK alias AARON. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is about bias due to {{w|alphabetical order}}. According to Wikipedia, "The practice in certain fields of ordering citations in bibliographies by the surnames of their authors has been found to create bias in favor of authors with surnames which appear earlier in the alphabet, while this effect does not appear in fields in which bibliographies are ordered chronologically."[https://decisionslab.unl.edu/pubs/stevens_duque_2018_SM.pdf] Similar effects have also been identified with the ordering of candidates on ballot papers.[https://electionlab.mit.edu/research/ballot-order-effects] In essence, humans tend to favor whatever is at the top of any given list or data set, or may only assess the first few options until they reach one that is 'good enough', thus never evaluating those further down the list; this is one reason why random shuffling is important in any scientifically rigorous trial or opinion survey.

In the comic, [[Cueball]] is telling [[Megan]] about some of his upcoming plans; tonight he had arranged a meet-up with contacts whose names start with A or B, tomorrow's socializing involves a larger group of A-contacts, but there seems some doubt over some of them.

By this point, though, there is a clear pattern: Cueball has been contacting friends based upon their alphabetical priority in his list of names, instead of making more practical social decisions. One alternative is to maintain contact with those who (regardless of name) were already in more recent and ready contact, perhaps by rearranging the list by "most recently talked to". Although, arguably, this could also be socially detrimental; anyone who happened to descend out of recent contact might never be contacted ''ever again''. Again, these social pitfalls are something that almost everyone has to try to deal with, but Cueball's 'logical' way of handling it is ironically one of the more socially illogical methods available.

The title text continues the joke, implying that Cueball rarely makes it to the bottom of his alphabetical list; as such, he has not reached out to his friend Yvonne in a very long time. She may even have assumed he has been {{w|Ghosting (behavior)|ghosting}} her, having seemingly not attempted to make return contact for that while either, but Cueball seems unable to distinguish between willing and enthusiastic contacts in general so his general social ineptness may be as much to blame as the enforced alphabetical priority of his friendship groups.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is talking to Megan.]
:Cueball: Tonight is pub trivia with Annie and Beth.
:Cueball: And tomorrow Alex and I are seeing a movie. I also invited Andrew and Amy but I haven't heard back.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I'm realizing I should really switch to sorting my phone contacts by most recent.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Phones]]
[[Category:Social interactions]]