explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1348: Before the Internet

2021-01-21T19:40:05Z

173.245.52.109: /* Explanation */ Links to Ponytail's page

{{comic
| number = 1348
| date = March 28, 2014
| title = Before the Internet
| image = before_the_internet.png
| titletext = We watched DAYTIME TV. Do you realize how soul-crushing it was? I'd rather eat an iPad than go back to watching daytime TV.
}}

==Explanation==
A young [[Ponytail]] asks [[Megan]] what life was like before the Internet. The girl obviously was born after the Internet was invented. Megan responds that life was very boring without computers or mobile phones. This comic appears to be a parody of the common complaint — often done by elder people — that life was better and more fulfilling in the "good old days", in that there weren't so many distractions and people could actually get things done that were meaningful. The ages switch roles with the younger character being prepared to believe that life was more fulfilling before technology, and the elder rejecting the proposition.

To Megan, even a more fulfilling and engaging life "wasn't worth" the price of what it meant to be bored in the days before smartphones and computers that could go online. Even though the ponytail girl says that she still experiences boredom in spite of having advanced technology to occupy her, Megan assures her that her version of boredom is nothing like what those in the pre-Internet days had to endure. Again, this is a reversal of the typical exchange in which a young person tries to insist that they still have social contact/get out and about/do worthwhile things in their spare time, and the elder person responds, "Not like we did."

The title text continues in this vein as Megan talks about what people in her day resorted to doing when they were bored, for lack of anything better to do: they watched {{w|daytime TV}}. Daytime television consisted mainly of soap operas, talk shows, game shows, infomercials and children's programming and is notorious for being, in Megan's words, "soul-crushing". To round off the comparison, Megan uses a modern-day metaphor to express her extreme distaste for daytime television, saying that she would rather "eat an iPad" than go through that again. In other words, modern-day gadgets are so much better that she'd still have more fun if she were eating them than if she had to go without them. Alternatively, it could be to emphasize how unpleasant daytime TV is; eating an iPad would likely be unpleasant (e.g. it is too large to easily be swallowed whole and too hard to easily be bitten into parts), and it could poison her or give her an internal electrical or battery fire. Saying that she would rather eat an iPad would also be a powerful statement because Megan would not be able to watch movies, play games, read the news, etc… on that iPad after eating it (although she could just buy another iPad—at least if she survives the battery of the iPad that she ate leaking and/or exploding and other hazards associated with eating an iPad).

Megan might just be {{tvtropes|TheDungAges|responding with the opposite of}} what {{tvtropes|YeGoodeOldeDays|she's expected to say}} in this dialogue in order to mess with the younger girl. In reality, life was neither likely to be noticeably more fulfilling or noticeably more boring without technology: it was just life. People are equally capable of wasting their time and of doing worthwhile things regardless of what age they live in, and those who wax nostalgic about an older, better time are liable to forget that. This recalls the {{w|Hedonic treadmill}} theory which states that people will always be at roughly the same level of happiness regardless of positive or negative events or technological advances in civilization.

==Transcript==
:[Young girl talking to Megan, both holding smartphones.]
:Girl: Do you remember before the internet?
:Megan: Oh yeah, totally.
:Girl: what was it like?
:Megan: Not having a phone or computer to distract you?
:Girl: Yeah.
:Megan: It was '''''SO. BORING.''''' All the time. I just '''''sat''''' there. It was the '''''worst.'''''
:Girl: But wasn't it, like, more fulfilling? Engaging?
:Megan: Wasn't worth it.
:Girl: ''I'' still get bored.
:Megan: Not like we did.
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Smartphones]]

1948: Campaign Fundraising Emails

2019-11-14T15:26:48Z

173.245.52.109: /* The emails */

{{comic
| number = 1948
| date = January 29, 2018
| title = Campaign Fundraising Emails
| image = campaign_fundraising_emails.png
| titletext = The establishment doesn't take us seriously. You know who else they didn't take seriously? Hitler. I'll be like him, but a GOOD guy instead of…
}}

==Explanation==

Many politicians and organizations in the United States have taken to using email to conduct aggressive fundraising drives seeking campaign contributions. Signing a petition or expressing interest in a cause can lead to being added to a myriad of mailing lists for similar groups, all looking for support. This comic shows a caricature of the kind of inbox that can result from this. The emails get more and more absurd as the list goes on. For example, the last one combines a request for campaign contributions with the infamous 'Nigerian prince' {{w|advance-fee scam}} phishing scheme.

==The emails==

{| border =1 width=100% cellpadding=5 class="wikitable"
! E-mail Body !! Explanation
|-
|'''Donate now.''' It's crunch time, and we're low on cash. If you chip in just $5 by midnight, we…
|This is the classic formula for campaign fundraising emails, and may be a real example. It is always "crunch time" during a campaign (at least between filing for candidacy and election day), and campaigns are always "low" on cash relative to the unlimited funding they would prefer. The ends of financial reporting periods, often at midnight, are conflated with "deadlines" of significant consequence. Further, the donation requested is less about the actual money - even if $5 each from several thousand voters can add up - but to get a donor to have their money placed on a candidate, making it more likely that donor will vote for the candidate (via encouraging {{w|Sunk cost#Loss_aversion_and_the_sunk_cost_fallacy|the "sunk cost" fallacy}}), or to allow the targeting of future messages based on how engaged the recipient is with the campaign.
|-
|'''Donate $35.57 now!''' Our data team has determined that we should ask you for $35.57 to optimize the…
|A key factor in the success of a fundraising campaign is the amount of the donation that is asked for or suggested. Even if the donor is ultimately free to donate whatever amount they want, the initial 'ask' can have a significant effect on the amount donated, due to the psychological effect of {{w|anchoring}}. Increasing the suggested amount may increase the amount of the average donation, but it may also put some people off donating altogether. Finding the sweetspot allows the fundraiser to maximise the income generated.

Most modern bulk mailing platforms allow users send different versions of their emails to recipients at random. Using analytics packages, they can then determine which version of their messages is most effective at eliciting the desired result (such as making a purchase, reading a story, etc.) from recipients, or even from particular segments, and to refine future emails accordingly. Use of these techniques has resulted in fundraisers moving away from traditional 'round' numbers ($10, $25, etc.) to ask for more unusual looking amounts which increase the average amount donated.

However, it would be unusual to use quite such a precise amount, as it would tend to betray the fact that it has been calculated simply to manipulate the recipient, which may appear cynical and put many off donating altogether. The email then compounds this by stating outright that this is what they have done.
|-
|'''Help.''' Our campaign made some mistakes and we need a lot of money ASAP. Any kind, but cash is…
|This email is honest about the campaign's incompetence, but is not likely to get much sympathy, except perhaps from those already very sympathetic to the candidate. Any campaign reduced to this level has probably already lost. The email appears to be suggesting that they would much prefer that donors send cash, presumably in the mail. This would raise several red flags: it might suggest that the campaign's finances are in such disarray that it cannot process checks, credit cards, etc. in a timely manner, or it might be that they want to keep donations off the books so that they can be diverted elsewhere, or to circumvent electoral spending restrictions. Even if no dishonesty is intended, it would increase the chances that cash could be stolen or otherwise misused more readily than other forms of payment.
|-
|'''Washington is broken.''' When I win, I'll look those other senators in the eye and tell them: "Jobs." Then I…
|This email,apparently from a candidate for the US Senate, takes a common right-wing populist approach of repeating various {{w|Dog-whistle_politics|dog-whistle}} phrases to imply that they will stand up for the interests of the common people against a system that is rigged against them, without giving any meaningful indication of what they intend to achieve. Not only is the mere statement of "jobs", without any kind of explanation of what problems they believe there are, or what they suggest doing about it, entirely unhelpful, they also seem to suggest that, despite them being elected, it would be everybody else's responsibility to solve it.
|-
|'''Hopeless.''' It's bad. Really bad. If you don't chip in now, the darkness spreading across the land will…
|This is a favorite of moral campaigns, on both sides of a debate. Grand statements about evil and corruption taking over the country if the campaign does not get enough support are common, but they are extremely biased and dramatic. The wording in this case is also somewhat archaic and melodramatic, making it sound like something from a fantasy novel.
|-
|As the first woman to fly a fighter jet through our state's formerly all-male university, I learned…
|Candidates often like to portray themselves as trailblazers for a particular community, who have persevered and achieved despite the odds. Normally, one would make a virtue of being the first ''from'' a university to do something, rather than the first to achieve something involving the university itself. Flying a plane through a university is risky, at the very least, and depending on the definition of "through", could imply destruction of buildings or the plane itself, which might paint the candidate in an irresponsible light. This may also refer to the viral 2017 Congressional campaign ad of {{w|Amy McGrath}}, the first female Marine to fly an {{w|McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet|F-18}} in combat.
|-
|'''We're broke.''' No paid staff. No ads. And the cafe has told us to stop using their WiFi to send fundraising…
| This campaign tactic attempts to appeal to the reader's sympathy by describing financial struggles and poverty, but these tactics may instead make the movement look pathetic and poorly-organized, especially because the group is apparently so poor, they can't afford premises of their own to run the campaign from, or an internet connection to continue sending emails to ask for funding.
|-
|When Amy decided to run for Congress, I was like "Huh?" but I checked Wikipedia, and apparently it's a branch of…
|The first few words here might suggest the writer is about to explain how, having initially been sceptical, Amy's inspirational message and / or character has won them over to her campaign. This kind of message is used to make a candidate seem relatable and credible. In fact, though, they just didn't know what she was talking about, as they didn't know what Congress was. Since they clearly don't know much about the subject, this would fail to lend the weight it is aiming to.

Furthermore, while a familiar tone could also be part of a communication strategy to make the message seem relatable, this takes it to an extreme that would probably come across as unprofessional and lacking in seriousness.
|-
|'''Are you familiar''' with the Dutch painter Hieronymous Bosch? His work illustrates my opponent's plan for…
|The works of {{w|Hieronymus Bosch}} are famous for depictions of {{w|Hell}} and {{w|Limbo}} as brutal places of highly imaginative torments, which the sender implies would be similar to the country under their opponent's plan. This mocks the tendency of political campaigns to present an exaggerated view of how bad things would be if their political rivals were elected.
|-
|Being a single mom running a small business while going to law school while being deployed to Iraq taught me…
|Each of these are typical credentials that a candidate might cite in order to imply that they are hardworking and committed. However, it is extremely unlikely that one person would take on all of these responsibilities at the same time, and attempting to do so might suggest that they lack focus and aren't really that committed to any one thing.
|-
|'''I will lead the fight''' against the big banks, special interests, the Earth's climate, and our children. I…
|This is another populist message listing off hot button topics. However, after starting out with some typical promises to fight fairly commonly despised things, it then becomes more controversial. It promises to fight the climate, with the peculiar implication that damaging the climate is the goal, and 'our children', which most voters would think would need protecting. This may be suggesting that politicians using these kind of messages are likely to be hiding bad intentions behind their attractive sounding slogans. The fight "against our children" may be a reference to a popular {{w|Bushism}}.
|-
|'''Wow.''' Have you seen this video of the squirrel obstacle course? Incredible! Anyway, I'm running because I…
|A typical form of {{w|clickbait}}. (Don't read another table entry until you've followed that link! Reference #10 will shock you.)
|-
|'''Outrageous.''' Granted, this was a few years ago, but did you hear what President Ford said about…
|When a politician makes an offensive comment, it's common for the politician's opponents to send out fundraising emails pointing out the politician's offensiveness as a way of generating donations to the fight against them. Political strategists will often keep dossiers of such remarks to be used when needed in campaigning season. More recently, there has been a trend for trawling opponents' social media accounts for controversial comments they may have made several years previously, or even as a youth. Here, the sender's reaction and e-mail fundraising effort appears to be unusually delayed, as it refers to an alleged comment by {{w|Gerald Ford}}, whose term as President of the United States ended in 1977 and who died in 2006.
|-
|'''Whoops.''' Due to a typo, we spent months running attack ads against Tom Hanks. Now, we need to make up for…
|The email apologises for running months of attack ads against American actor {{w|Tom Hanks}}. Hanks is generally a popular and uncontroversial figure with [http://archive.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2008/01/06/nice_guy_tom_hanks/ a reputation] for being [https://www.ranker.com/list/tom-hanks-was-the-best/lisa-waugh nice and likable in person], making him an unusual target for attack ads. This implies that the sender does not even know who their opponent is, and has mistakenly targeted the wrong person, demonstrating some significant ignorance and incompetence.
|-
|'''They say we can't win—'''that we're "underdogs" with "no money" who "lost the election last week." But they don't…
|In multi-candidacy electoral races, campaigns will often suggest that a rival 'can't win here', sometimes prefaced with an appeal to authority, such as 'Polls show...'. The hope is that some supporters of the candidate being attacked may be persuaded to switch their vote to the candidate whose campaign it is, in an effort to prevent a third, more disliked, candidate from being elected. Here, the approach seems to be a campaign mocking the opposition's statements about themselves, defiantly exhibiting the negative feedback against them before leading into some point to prove the arguments wrong. However, the complaints being mocked seem like serious flaws in the campaign, and indeed, it seems to confess that they ''already lost'', and thus have no purpose for a campaign anymore. Any campaign continuing to email supporters after losing is clearly in deep denial, especially if it thinks the negative press about it is unjustified.

This may refer to {{w|Roy Moore#U.S. Senate special election campaign|Roy Moore's attempts}} to overturn his loss in the December 2017 election for one of Alabama's US Senate seats, which came about a month before this comic and made national headlines. After the initial election count had him losing, he demanded a recount. That initial count said he had lost by a large enough margin that Alabama law required him to pay up front for a recount, and his campaign did not have enough funds available.
|-
|'''Our campaign's only chance''' is to seduce Jennifer ActBlue, heir to the ActBlue fortune. For that, we need a fancy…
|This e-mail alludes to [https://secure.actblue.com/ ActBlue], a political action committee that provides technology to help Democrat and progressive organizations to campaign and collect donations online. In reality, there is no ActBlue family, nor any "Jennifer ActBlue" who is the heir to its fortune; the name ActBlue is a portmanteau from the words "action", in a political sense, and the color "blue", which is {{w|Red states and blue states|closely associated}} with the Democratic Party in the USA.
|-
|'''Doom.''' Where is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed, like rain on…
|This is an excerpt from {{w|J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien's}} poem ''[http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Lament_for_the_Rohirrim Lament of the Rohirrim,]'' appearing in ''{{w|The Two Towers}}'': 
Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? 
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing? 
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing? 
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing? 
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow; 
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow. 
Who shall gather the smoke of the dead wood burning, 
Or behold the flowing years from the Sea returning?
|-
|'''Warmest greetings.''' I am the crown prince of Nigeria. I am running for Congress because I believe that…
|The opening line is designed to sound like spam for an {{W | Advance-fee scam}}. These scams typically involve impersonating someone rich, often a Nigerian prince, who claims to be in trouble and promises to share a large sum of money if the victim helps him by sending a small fee in advance. However, the second sentence of this email switches to sounding like a political fundraising email instead of an outright scam. This is either to establish a degrading comparison between flagrant scams and fundraising emails, or just to create a bait-and-switch joke.
|-
|The establishment doesn't take us seriously. You know who else they didn't take seriously? Hitler. I'll be like him, but a GOOD guy instead of… (title text)
|A candidate who compares himself to {{w|Hitler}}, even when promising to be GOOD instead, will probably not get many votes. The title text does however conform to {{w|Godwin's law}}.
|}

==Transcript==
:[An e-mail inbox window is displayed. On each line appears an illegible e-mail address and a checkbox.]
:'''Donate now.''' It's crunch time, and we're low on cash. If you chip in just $5 by midnight, we…
:'''Donate $35.57 now!''' Our data team has determined that we should ask you for $35.57 to optimize the…
:'''Help.''' Our campaign made some mistakes and we need a '''lot''' of money ASAP. Any kind, but cash is…
:'''Washington is broken.''' When I win, I'll look those other senators in the eye and tell them: "Jobs." Then I…
:'''Hopeless.''' It's bad. Really bad. If you don't chip in now, the darkness spreading across the land will…
:As the first woman to fly a fighter jet through our state's formerly all-male university, I learned… 
:'''We're broke.''' No paid staff. No ads. And the cafe has told us to stop using their wifi to send fundraising…
:When Amy decided to run for Congress, I was like "Huh?" but I checked Wikipedia, and apparently it's a branch of…
:'''Are you familiar''' with the Dutch painter Hieronymous Bosch? His work illustrates my opponent's plan for…
:Being a single mom running a small business while going to law school while being deployed to Iraq taught me…
:'''I will lead the fight''' against the big banks, special interests, the Earth's climate, and our children. I…
:'''Wow.''' Have you seen this video of the squirrel obstacle course? Incredible! Anyway, I'm running because I…
:'''Outrageous.''' Granted, this was a few years ago, but did you hear what President Ford said about…
:'''Whoops.''' Due to a typo, we spent months running attack ads against Tom Hanks. Now, we need to make up for…
:'''They say we can't win—'''that we're "underdogs" with "no money" who "lost the election last week." But they don't…
:'''Our campaign's only chance''' is to seduce Jennifer ActBlue, heir to the ActBlue fortune. For that, we need a fancy…
:'''Doom.''' Where is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed, like rain on…
:'''Warmest greetings.''' I am the crown prince of Nigeria. I am running for Congress because I believe that…

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hitler]]

1895: Worrying Scientist Interviews

2018-02-07T22:28:27Z

173.245.52.109: It's a bunch of dots on a line. Randall didn't intend for exact percentages, we shouldn't get fussy about them.

{{comic
| number = 1895
| date = September 27, 2017
| title = Worrying Scientist Interviews
| image = worrying_scientist_interviews.png
| titletext = They always try to explain that they're called 'solar physicists', but the reporters interrupt with "NEVER MIND THAT, TELL US WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE SUN!"
}}

==Explanation==
When a new development occurs, news channels will often interview an expert{{Citation needed}} in the field to educate laymen in what, exactly, is happening. Thus, when you turn on the local news and see a scientist being interviewed, it is likely that something new has come up regarding their field of study that could affect you. How much it affects you could range from an interesting bit of information about your local area, to the complete annihilation of the human race. So, to help identify how serious the issue likely is, [[Randall]] has made this chart showing how worried you should be depending on the field of the scientist. See list of each field in the [[#Table|table]] below.

To the far left, least worried, are archaeologist and economist. An archaeologist studies ancient human civilizations, which would be unlikely to harm any modern person. Economists study and explain the trends of finances and resources, which are also unlikely to pose an immediate threat.

Following this, it shows nutritionists and eventually criminologists. A nutritionist studies nutrition in the human body, and is likely discussing which food options are healthy or unhealthy. While this may be important, it is not a cause for immediate concern. A criminologist, however, studies criminal behaviour. If a criminologist is being interviewed on the news, there is likely a change in criminal actions within the neighbourhood, be it more or less. It is also possible there may be a serial criminal working in the area. However, because crime is a relatively rare occurence, and one for which precautions can be taken, it is still unlikely to be an immediate threat to the viewer.

It then moves past researchers studying different types of organisms, before reaching astronomers. Still only very few events would be local regarding astronomy, but it could of course be regarding a pending meteor strike.

A virologist studies viral infections and their spread, and a vulcanologist studies volcanoes. Viruses spread quickly, and can be fatal, meaning a breaking news development in one's locale regarding viruses is likely to mean imminent danger. Volcanoes, depending on their size, can potentially demolish entire countries, thus having one making headlines nearby is also very concerning.

The last point to the right (most worried) "Astronomer who studies the Sun", also called a "solar physicist" (mentioned in the title text), could be really troublesome, but not especially locally. If there are serious problems with the Sun it will be a world wide problem. But you should still be worried.

The title text mentions that the reason they are not called solar physicists, is that before they can tell the reporter this, they are interrupted by the anxious reporter who wishes to know what's wrong with the Sun. This is not really something that happens so often that the title texts "They always try" has any real meaning. And this is also why no one knows or uses the term solar physicists...

==Table==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Field !! Worry level !! Explanation
|-
| Archeologist || Extremely low 2.7% || Likely just dug up some old ruins or bones. Unlikely to involve bad news, though it may possibly cause problems (e.g. if a construction project is delayed to accommodate an archaeological investigation).
|-
| Economist || Very low 7.3% || News about the economy could be either good or bad, and in most cases is just more of the usual ups and downs rather than anything cataclysmic. Could also be a report on a big stock market crash
|-
| Nutritionist || Very low 12.0% || Possible fad diet. Note that nutritionists tend not to be a protected profession, compared to dietitians. May be alarming if it involves credible information about bad health consequences of eating, or not eating, a particular food.
|-
| Criminologist || Low 26.6% || Probably just crime statistics. Sometimes just correcting people who mistakenly believe crime is on the rise, and even a large increase in an otherwise ordinary crime rate is still a small risk overall. Specific threats (such as a dangerous criminal on the loose) are usually addressed by police representatives.
|-
| Ornithologist || Medium 43.3% || This would indicate the discovery of a strange behavior exhibited by birds. A newsworthy event involving ornithologists could indicate some imminent problem with the ecological environment, such as a mass migration or death event suggesting toxic pollutants in the environment. A possible reference to {{w|The_Birds_(film)|The Birds}} or {{w|Birdemic}}, a film notorious for being spectacularly low quality.
|-
| Botanist || Medium 46.0% || Similar to an ornithological related news. Seeing how plants are both more fundamental to the environment and more "boring" to the general public than birds; if something news worthy involves a botanist, then it is more likely a more fundamental and more impactful change to the environment.
|-
| Marine Biologist || Medium 53.3% || Similar to Botanist news. However, as oceans represent the substantial majority of the Earth's surface, and are very far removed from local concerns, anything which is news-worthy of them is likely a major impact to the environment on a global scale.
|-
| Entomologist || Medium high 62.6% || There might be a new invasive insect species that could cause health concerns, ranging from {{w|Locust|famine}} to {{w|Mosquito|blood-transmitted diseases}}.
|-
| Astronomer || High 82.0% || Possible inbound meteor, or perhaps sighting of incoming alien ships.
|-
| Virologist || Very high 88.0% || A disease that is incurable and spreads fast might ravage or even destroy a city, country, or (in an extreme case) all human life.
|-
| Vulcanologist || Very high 93.3% || A volcano might erupt soon, the danger of which could range from an isolated area to a planetwide concern.
|-
| Astronomer who studies the Sun || Extremely high 98.6% || There might be something wrong with the Sun, the consequences of which could range from {{w|Solar_storm_of_1859|major disruption of modern technology}} to the end of life on earth. The title text elaborates that, [[1475: Technically|technically]], the correct term is '{{w|Solar physics|Solar Physicist}}'. Unsurprisingly, reporters (and the general audience) aren't particularly interested in such a pedantic matter, and want to be informed about the more pressing issue regarding the fiery ball that maintains the Earth's orbit and capacity for life.
|}

==Transcript==
:[A chart consisting of a line with double arrows that has 12 dots progressing from left to right. Each dot has a line going to a label above or below the line. Above the labels is another label belonging to an arrow to its right that points right. Above this is a larger caption:]
:<big>How worried you should be if you see local reporters interviewing scientists about a breaking news story, by field: </big>
:More worried --->

:[chart shows the following titles left to right (least to most worrisome), some above and some below the line however that doesn't affect their relative positions. They are listed here in ascending worrisomeness for ease of viewing]
:Archeologist
:Economist
:Nutritionist
:Criminologist
:Ornithologist
:Botanist
:Marine biologist
:Entomologist
:Astronomer
:Virologist
:Vulcanologist
:Astronomer who studies the sun

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Charts]]
[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Geography]]
[[Category:Astronomy]]

Talk:1131: Math

2018-02-07T22:18:49Z

173.245.52.109:

I really like the term "dramatically equal." - Kieran

Sorry, I don't know how to upload the correct image. - Artod

:Picture downloaded from xkcd, uploaded to the wiki with the correct license and "xkcd" added to the filename as a prefix, then filename changed in page source to correct image. Hope this helps in the future! - [[User:Coombeseh|Coombeseh]] ([[User talk:Coombeseh|talk]]) 10:36, 7 November 2012 (UTC)
:Can somebody please explain further? I guess the joke is about the forecast? thank you --[[Special:Contributions/89.144.192.97|89.144.192.97]] 14:17, 7 November 2012 (UTC)

Randall's on the nose again. This is why I just turned off all media yesterday, especially toward the end of the evening. Unless you're up for contrived suspense, it's really just tediousness lived through: barely five minutes of "news" per hour, the remaining "empty" time filled with the drone of talking heads waxing obnoxious about irrelevancies. This morning, the results are in, and I'm no worse for not having endured the conjectural drivel... -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 15:25, 7 November 2012 (UTC)

:As a note, the title text is referring to the consensus polls, including those at fivethirtyeight.com, which were referred to in the previous episode. Another interpretation of the "numbers" comment is that the predictions based on polling numbers and proper statistical analyses of those, rather than mere punditry and opinion, were always the best predictors of what was going to happen in this election. So not only could numbers retroactively tell us who won (based on actual votes) but numbers when used as individual data points with variance and sample sizes, and combined into an aggregate, were far more effective in telling us prospectively who was going to win. [[Special:Contributions/128.104.149.65|128.104.149.65]] 18:11, 7 November 2012 (UTC)

Numbers continue <ins>to be best</ins> system for determining? {{unsigned|204.191.29.154}}
:Yes and no. In news stories (see newspaper headlines for an example), this is a typical format. You didn't notice the "To surprise of pundits" part that came first? [[Special:Contributions/76.122.5.96|76.122.5.96]] 00:57, 8 November 2012 (UTC)
:I believe the previous entry was addressing the missing article "the" in the caption. [[User:mwburden|mwburden]] 16:17, 4 December 2012 (UTC)
::So was the answer. The caption, like many news headlines, omits the articles. "To [the] surprise of pundits, numbers continue to be [the] best system..." [[Special:Contributions/72.169.224.103|72.169.224.103]] 15:45, 5 December 2012 (UTC)

[http://election.princeton.edu/2012/11/06/comment-thread-3-live-blogging/ For more critical relevance], he texted along these lines yesterday to one of the more prominent non-Nate Silver analysts, Prof. Sam Wang of the Princeton Election Consortium {{unsigned|70.167.158.178}}

I wish Randall had made the bar 538 pixels wide (it's only 400ish). - [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 11:52, 9 November 2012 (UTC)

"Explain the title text." What's there to explain? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.109|173.245.52.109]] 22:18, 7 February 2018 (UTC)

Talk:1937: IATA Airport Abbreviations

2018-01-05T20:14:16Z

173.245.52.109:

CLT is Charlotte Douglass International, but maybe the [censored] tag is referring to what this acronym sounds like when it's pronounced phonetically? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.68.219|172.69.68.219]] 16:01, 3 January 2018 (UTC)
:Maybe someone just flew in or out of it and realized how messed up it is. :) (I live in Charlotte and fly 4 times a year) --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.237.106|108.162.237.106]] 14:19, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

IATA actually stands for [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Air_Transport_Association|International Air Transport Association]]. [[User:Nutster|Nutster]] ([[User talk:Nutster|talk]]) 16:12, 3 January 2018 (UTC)

Ankh-Morpork is from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Hogsmeade is from Harry Potter. Kingdom of Loathing is a web-based multiplayer game. Sunnydale is from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BUF). fhqwhgads is from a Strong Bad email (Homestar Runner). [[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.35|108.162.238.35]] 16:15, 3 January 2018 (UTC)

The Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (Downtown Toronto) actually uses the call sign YTZ, not YYY. [[User:Nutster|Nutster]] ([[User talk:Nutster|talk]]) 16:18, 3 January 2018 (UTC)

;List of the codes and airport names
AMD Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport
BAE Barcelonnette – Saint-Pons Airport
ORD O'Hare International Airport
IAD Washington Dulles International Airport
JFC -
IUD -
FYI -
LOL Derby Field
ATL Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
HGM -
OMW -
ANC Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
HSV Huntsville International Airport (Carl T. Jones Field)
SAN San Diego International Airport
DWI -
DFW Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
DTW Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
TMI Tumlingtar Airport
LAX Los Angeles International Airport
EWR Newark Liberty International Airport
PHL Philadelphia International Airport
SWF Stewart International Airport
KUL Kuala Lumpur International Airport
STL Lambert–St. Louis International Airport
BUF Buffalo Niagara International Airport
TBA Tabibuga Airport
SMH Sapmanga Airport
BLT Blackwater Airport
YYY Mont-Joli Airport
YYZ Toronto Pearson International Airport
MIA Miami International Airport
CLT Charlotte Douglas International Airport
FHQ -
FFS -
DTF -
MDW Midway International Airport
PDX Portland International Airport
SEA Seattle–Tacoma International Airport

[[User:Jefe9247|Jefe9247]] ([[User talk:Jefe9247|talk]]) 16:33, 3 January 2018 (UTC)

Could "Las Angalas" be the way Tommy Wiseau pronounces it? [[User:Tait marconi|Tait marconi]] ([[User talk:Tait marconi|talk]]) 20:17, 3 January 2018 (UTC)

Re SWF being Sherwood Forest. Robin Hood airport, nearish to the historic location of Sherwood Forest actually exists. Sadly the IATA code is DSA (Doncaster Sheffield airport) - Putters {{unsigned| Putters}}

I think that substituting PHL for Pittsburgh's airport might also be a jab at how Facebook got confused a few months ago, labeling posts from Pittsburgh as originating in Philadelphia. {{unsigned| FuzzyBoots}}

Possibly also relevant that quite a few of these are common abbreviations used in text-based communication (e.g. LOL, FYI, FFS, TMI, etc.). I wonder if it's something like https://xkcd.com/1015/, where once you've memorised these abbreviations you can't help but think of the (annoying and incorrect) airports that they stand for when reading text messages from others. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.89.31|162.158.89.31]] 23:00, 3 January 2018 (UTC)

I think KIX should be added as well, it stands for Kansai International Airport. Boeing-787lover 05:28, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

== Major Omission ==

i'd like to add BHD -- Baggage Handlers' Decision. [[User:MCMXLVII|MCMXLVII]] ([[User talk:MCMXLVII|talk]]) 02:34, 4 January 2018 (UTC)

:Also: HIJ - hijacking; ISS - self-explanatory[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 09:50, 4 January 2018 (UTC)

==A Question ==

The page has the line "Randall notes in the what if? book that Delaware has no airports. This entry is also a play on the nearby real airport BWI, Baltimore-Washington International." Which what-if is this from?

--[[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.151|173.245.52.151]] 16:49, 4 January 2018 (UTC)
: The chapter in the book is "Flyover States: Which US state is actually flown over the most?" [[User:Rtanenbaum|Rtanenbaum]] ([[User talk:Rtanenbaum|talk]]) 18:16, 4 January 2018 (UTC)
== Observation ==

SeaTac isn't esp close to water (closest is >1 mile, perpendicular to runway orientation), although some of the flight patterns have segments over Puget Sound [[https://www.portseattle.org/Environmental/Noise/Noise-Abatement/Pages/Flight-Patterns.aspx|SeaTac Flight Patterns]]. Still, nothing like LGA or SFO where a short/long can put the plane in the water.

== Another Missing Airport ==

What about FUK? The first time I saw this one, I checked with my boss. It is for Fukuoka, Japan.

I was disappointed not to see Montreal's weird-ass code YUL in here (until I read the chart and found out nearly none are real), but it's nice to still see an explanation of the Y, LOL! [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:58, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

: I wanted to see HMB (Sohag International Airport)

Talk:1930: Calendar Facts

2017-12-19T22:04:22Z

173.245.52.109: /* Generators */

Shouldn't it be "libration" not "libation"? Pretty sure drinking has nothing to do with it. Also pretty sure this is a mistake and not a clever alteration. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.57|162.158.62.57]] 16:41, 18 December 2017 (UTC)
:No, it's a clever alteration because "libration" is listed right above it. --[[User:Videblu|Videblu]] ([[User talk:Videblu|talk]]) 16:45, 18 December 2017 (UTC)
::That's just a mistake - he meant to write 'vibration'[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 16:48, 18 December 2017 (UTC)
:::'Vibration' wouldn't make any sense, 'libation' is at least humorous, I vote it was no mistake. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.54.64|172.68.54.64]] 18:00, 18 December 2017 (UTC)
::::You're right - I don't know what I could have been thinking...[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 08:49, 19 December 2017 (UTC)

I formatted the transcript into a bullet tree since I thought it was the closest equivalent you can get in plain text to the branching flowchart deal in the comic. I'm open to alternative suggestions. The biggest problem I encountered, and one I'd like to see resolved, is what to do in the case where two branching sections butt up against each other, e.g. winter/summer and solstice/Olympics. I used an arrow symbol ("→") on an in-between line just to separate the set of bullets, but if someone wants to change that, I'm up for it. [[User:Kenbellows|Kenbellows]] ([[User talk:Kenbellows|talk]]) 18:04, 18 December 2017 (UTC)
:I find the bullet tree legible for the last few long lines, but it's hard to follow a single path. I was thinking of using (option 1|option 2) syntax, but that would probably look messy too. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.29|162.158.91.29]] 18:10, 18 December 2017 (UTC)
:I think indenting when lines diverge and un-indenting when they converge would make it look nice and be easy to follow. I'm willing to do the work if others agree. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.9|162.158.74.9]] 23:58, 18 December 2017 (UTC)
::Could you do it? I don't see what it looks like. Is it similar to [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1930:_Calendar_Facts&oldid=14939 this]? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.88.68|162.158.88.68]] 06:16, 19 December 2017 (UTC)

Random error noticed - the line connecting "International Date" and "Mason-Dixon" to "Line" is drawn in the wrong color. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.136|162.158.75.136]] 18:57, 18 December 2017 (UTC)

Isn't the point with this comic that there is at least one valid path for every included element? I don't think Randall intended it to be a factorial combination because as the explanation suggests, most would be wrong/absurd/silly. But why not instead try to find some invalid element when it can be included in any possible path from end to end? Toyota Truck Month or Shark Week might not happen next year, who knows? Can anyone find any element that has no valid path at all? If not, then maybe the main explanation should be updated to fit the model recommended here.[[User:Lunar7|Lunar7]] ([[User talk:Lunar7|talk]]) 20:05, 18 December 2017 (UTC)
:I'm not sure there's any 'fact' that could be constructed that 'scientists are really worried' about. Unless it's something to do with Shark Week. Although having said that, it doesn't actually say that they're worried 'about it', so I guess you could append this to any otherwise true fact and still have something true, albeit non sequitous. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.16|141.101.76.16]] 08:53, 19 December 2017 (UTC)

== Generators ==

[https://www.pibweb.com/xkcd_calendar.php PIBWEB online generator of Calendar 'facts'] using this formula.

http://calendarfact.com/ (https://github.com/mstratman/calendarfact)

https://staab.github.io/xkcd-1930/

: Not sure who's responsible for this, but there seem to be a few errors. "Might (not happen/happen twice) this year" is missing "this year", and "the (harvest/super/blood) moon" is similarly missing "moon". Also, I see a part "happens at the same time every year" that I don't see in the comic. Are there any other additions; and is there a way to find them other than keep refreshing? -- [[User:Angel|Angel]] 18:40, 18 December 2017 (UTC)

:: Checked the source; looks like "at the same time" replaces "at the wrong time". Also, some of the options are missing a "." between the main tree and the title text or at the end of the sentence. (And for some reason every time I go to edit this talk page, the wiki logs me out) -- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.167|162.158.91.167]] 18:48, 18 December 2017 (UTC)

: The source is on [https://github.com/staab/xkcd-1930 github] - you can add pull requests to fix errors (I'll take care of the aforementioned errors).

Here's mine.

http://www.hearn.to/calendar.html

[[Special:Contributions/172.68.142.65|172.68.142.65]]

Here's one I wrote on jsFiddle. Glad I'm not the only one who read this and immediately thought, "I must code this!" [[Special:Contributions/172.68.34.64|172.68.34.64]] 21:29, 18 December 2017 (UTC)

https://jsfiddle.net/qa290hss/

Here's a GraphML gist that I knocked up:

https://gist.github.com/GeoSpark/0c64cb85ca8927175892f43f23ba1bdb

The only change I made was to "precession", "libration", etc by adding the word "the" in front because it reads better. At least to my British English sensibilities. YLMV.

I tuned it into a twitter bot: http://twitter.com/xkcd_cal_facts. It’s built using Tracery and cheapbotsdonequick.com

https://codepen.io/DouglasMeyer/full/YYqKzX/

I made one too! https://jsfiddle.net/kr661rhy/

== Equinox ==

I don't think this is the correct definition for equinox, the plane comprising the Earth orbit around the Sun is never perpendicular to the Earth's axis. During the equinox the sun rays arrive to the Earth perpendicular to the equator line, this would be better. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.62.238|172.68.62.238]] 22:10, 18 December 2017 (UTC)CBM

I agree with the comment above; the Earth's axis is always tilted 23 degrees from the plane of the orbit. There are times the North pole is tilted toward the Sun and times it is tilted away from the Sun. Twice a year (at the equinoxes) the tilt is perpendicular to the Sun. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.239|108.162.221.239]] 22:47, 18 December 2017 (UTC)

I've edited the descriptions - do they look better now? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.126.28|162.158.126.28]] 00:32, 19 December 2017 (UTC)

== Daylight Saving Time ==
Twice the description references locations that don't follow the common DST plan as 'other than the natural latitude would suggest'. The ''longitude'' would suggest a time zone, not the latitude. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.239|108.162.221.239]] 22:47, 18 December 2017 (UTC)

== Arbitrary decision by Benjamin Franklin ==
The electric charge on an electron is conventionally described as being negative. I was always taught that this was because of a more or less arbitrary decision made by Franklin. I suspect Mr Munroe is humorously conflating this with Franklin's connection to Daylight Saving Time.

== Favorite combinations ==

My personal favorite: “Did you know that Toyota Truck Month happens at the wrong time every year because of a decree by the pope in the 1500s? Apparently it’s getting worse and no one knows why. While it may seem like trivia, it is now recognized as a major cause of World War 1. [[User:PotatoGod|PotatoGod]] ([[User talk:PotatoGod|talk]]) 02:06, 19 December 2017 (UTC)

Got this from the link to the fact generator, and I like that too, maybe because it is close to the one above, which I first saw now:
:Calendar Facts by xkcd
:Did you know that Shark Week drifts out of sync with the sun because of a decree by the pope in the 1500s?
:Apparently it's getting worse and no one knows why.
:While it may seem like trivia, it triggered the 2003 Northeast Blackout.
Damn sharks and pope decree. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:08, 19 December 2017 (UTC)

Talk:1930: Calendar Facts

2017-12-19T22:03:57Z

173.245.52.109: /* Generators */

Talk:979: Wisdom of the Ancients

2017-10-03T18:29:07Z

173.245.52.109: really, it shoulda been obvious

"There was uh, a thing called a segfault that made my computer like, all blurry and stuff." '''[[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 06:58, 2 February 2013 (UTC)

That was one reason why [http://stackoverflow.com/ StackOverflow] came to life: main authors fed up with (mis)using forums for query & answer site --[[User:JakubNarebski|JakubNarebski]] ([[User talk:JakubNarebski|talk]]) 23:03, 15 June 2013 (UTC)

Just two googling steps brought me here:
http://www.mirrorsoferis.com/forum/thread05232003a.html
Relevant for "Trivia"? Even the year fits! [[Special:Contributions/108.162.230.89|108.162.230.89]] 11:28, 12 September 2014 (UTC)
:From the HTML source:
::<tt>
::
::
::</tt>
:Cute theory, though. -[[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.126|108.162.254.126]] 12:23, 10 December 2014 (UTC)
::Even better, looking at other stuff in that source:
:: <td><input class="button" value="Log in" tabindex="104" title="Enter your username and password in the boxes provided to login, spin round three times, vomit, click your heels together and TA-DA!" accesskey="s" type="submit"></td>
:: Will this actually enter properly, or will those formatted tags not be input scrubbed? Tables ... [[User:Keybounce|Keybounce]] ([[User talk:Keybounce|talk]]) 08:34, 4 August 2017 (UTC)

:::Also, someone in 2003 couldn't have asked about a webcomic that was only launched in 2005. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.109|173.245.52.109]] 18:29, 3 October 2017 (UTC)

The link above seems to be dead now. DNS failed. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.167.15|162.158.167.15]] 09:03, 22 August 2016 (UTC)
: Working now --[[User:Keybounce|Keybounce]] ([[User talk:Keybounce|talk]]) 08:34, 4 August 2017 (UTC)

2nd paragraph of the explanation is nonsense! A forum post is nothing like a FAQ entry. The problem didn't get solved and was probably put away and forgotten. Happens all the time. {{unsigned ip|162.158.83.144}}

"The title text is a suggestion to forums to be aware of the fact that people are likely going to come across such posts in the future" My pet peeve is when I Google an error and get led to a post like in the comic, and one of the last comments is a person necro-bumping with new information on the same issue, but then a moderator locks the post because its X years old and needs to be left alone. This is the fucking Internet; data doesn't rot. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.212.83|108.162.212.83]] 13:52, 15 July 2017 (UTC)

Talk:1482: NowPlaying

2015-02-14T18:55:40Z

173.245.52.109: Nitpicking a commenter

So what song is it? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.10|108.162.242.10]] 06:11, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
:I believe it is the Main Theme from Jurassic Park. --[[User:Duhsn|Duhsn]] ([[User talk:Duhsn|talk]]) 06:13, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
:If you have good ears you can check for yourself: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w-58hQ9dLk Link] --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.254.134|108.162.254.134]] 09:05, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
:Nope, not even close. Wrong notes, wrong key (although that doesn't matter as much, could be transposed). Though I thought it was the little bit at the end of "This Old Man", but the last 3 notes don't make sense, and when I try to play it, the first A doesn't quite work (also found sheet music, and that first A should be a B, confirmed). Oh well. - Mikowmer --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.218|108.162.249.218]] 11:26, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
:Might it be the folk melody "Country Gardens"? See the Wikipedia entry or look it up one of the many performances on Youtube (there's a charming performance with the Muppets Rowlf and Fozzie Bear) [[Special:Contributions/188.114.103.238|188.114.103.238]] 14:14, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
:I'm your lady by Celine Dion matches the note progression and Brian's friends reactions. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.149|108.162.219.149]] 09:01, 6 February 2015 (UTC)

E major, is a chord, not a note...[[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.169|108.162.249.169]] 06:36, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
You can listen to the sequence of notes here: http://onlinesequencer.net/65475
(All notes the same length, and just guessing which octave each should be in...) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.169|108.162.249.169]] 06:36, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
:Just because I want to get it stuck in your head :D, Added a bit to the beginning and end and changed octaves. http://onlinesequencer.net/65487 --[[User:Duhsn|Duhsn]] ([[User talk:Duhsn|talk]]) 07:40, 4 February 2015 (UTC)

The image on this page is NOT the same one as on the actual xkcd page. The original comic does not contain the reference to E Major. [[User:Andries|Andries]] ([[User talk:Andries|talk]]) 07:42, 4 February 2015 (UTC)Andries

Is he rick rolling us? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.182|199.27.128.182]] 07:48, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
:He must have agreed with your comment about E major not being a note and changed it. --[[User:Duhsn|Duhsn]] ([[User talk:Duhsn|talk]]) 07:54, 4 February 2015 (UTC)

"and his friends Mike and Caitlin appear to be becoming concerned about his choice of music"... really? I thought they were upset that they were getting spammed by a post every second or so?
"and the notion that someone could become concerned about you based on a list of notes is even more ridiculous."... similarly, not so ridiculous if they're concerned about you spamming them with too many postings!
Finally, "The comic's title alludes to the fact that you can "play a song" but can also "play a note." It may also allude to the visual similarities between the hash/pound/number sign (#) and the sharp sign (♯)."... I don't get either of these references. The hash/sharp comparison is cute, except that the sharp sign doesn't appear in the comic. I took it as a simple extension of the usual someone is listening to some song messages linking to searches for that song "on various online music stores" if you click on them... that is, if you click on a particular note, it'll link to a search for songs that include that note - equally as useless as posting the individual notes of a song in the first place.
Extra-finally, I'd love to see Mike & Caitlin's reactions if Brian listened to anything with a glissando...
Haven't made any of these as changes as I'm not sure they're more than just my own opinion. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.220|108.162.249.220]] 07:55, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
:Okay, so I've redone the second paragraph for facts, but haven't touched any of the other opinion bits. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.220|108.162.249.220]] 08:40, 4 February 2015 (UTC)

Text may also be a reference to an old joke about a composer who writes, and copyrights, a composition consisting of a single note: middle C. All other composers who later included middle C would thus be quoting his composition, entitling him to royalties; all composers who used any OTHER note would be simply transposing the original composition into another key, and would still owe the royalty..." {{unsigned ip|108.162.215.112}}

I've changed the thing about Mike & Caitlin being concerned about music choice, as this is (as noted by other commentators) *much* less likely than their being concerned about having their news feeds spammed.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.135|141.101.98.135]] 09:25, 4 February 2015 (UTC)

Would the Axis of Awesome 4 Chords song be a proper citation to prove many (pop) songs are made up of the same chords? Link of their youtube: http://youtu.be/oOlDewpCfZQ I think it would be funny, at least. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.53.192|173.245.53.192]] 14:03, 4 February 2015 (UTC)

Why are the times out of order? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.213.41|108.162.213.41]] 14:59, 4 February 2015 (UTC)

Brian's system or the one hat runs the social network might run on an older Version of Xen, so it gets "time went backwards" isses (e.g., http://bugzilla.xensource.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=195) and therefore wrong timestamps. Do we require to re-order the notes accordingly? [[User:Renormalist|Renormalist]] ([[User talk:Renormalist|talk]]) 16:09, 4 February 2015 (UTC)

Btw, I interpreted Mike's comment not as annoyance about the entry flooding but that he can "hear" the melody in his head (like Beethoven) and hears a wrong tune. And maybe it's a small special community (like in xkcd/1305, which would also fit to the timestamp issues they have) so he starts discussing that wrong tune. [[User:Renormalist|Renormalist]] ([[User talk:Renormalist|talk]]) 16:45, 4 February 2015 (UTC)

I tried to correct the image, twice, and it still stays the same with the original error. I did this after adding the trivia section with the original image. Hope someone can correct this --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:48, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
:Try clearing your browser cache. The image looks correct on my screen. [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 18:53, 4 February 2015 (UTC)

Totally nerd sniped.. [http://www.musipedia.org/result.html?sourceid=melody-url&tx_mpsearch_pi1%5bsubmit_button%5d=Search&tx_mpsearch_pi1%5bpc%5d=lily+e%278+a%278+b%278+d%278+cis%278+b%278+a%278+a%278+e%278+a%278+&coll=m&categories=&L=&filtertext=&rvp=0 Musipedia] seems to think the closest melodic match is "Cream" by Eric Clapton... Hard to get without seconds (so you can get some idea of the rhythm) [[User:BadPirate|BadPirate]] ([[User talk:BadPirate|talk]]) 20:32, 4 February 2015 (UTC)

Surprising no one has mentioned the contrast with John Cage's "As Slow As Possible" now playing in the St Burchardi Church of Halberstadt, Germany. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_Slow_as_Possible [[User:Taibhse|Taibhse]] ([[User talk:Taibhse|talk]]) 21:47, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
:I suspect the hypothetical service might have trouble with some John Cage works (http://youtu.be/zY7UK-6aaNA), as well as anything relying on nature or ambient sounds, or not conforming to the chromatic scale - untuned percussion instruments, or perhaps a didgeridoo or kazoo. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.220|108.162.249.220]] 00:23, 5 February 2015 (UTC)
: Except that "As Slow As Possible" is all tonal, chromatic scale, instrument not even specified though usually organ. The point being it is heard a single note (or chord) at a time, by design. The current performance is planned to last hundreds of years, though it has often been performed in a matter of hours or days. [[User:Taibhse|Taibhse]] ([[User talk:Taibhse|talk]]) 08:18, 5 February 2015 (UTC)

I removed speculations about chords from the explantion - the reference to ''E major'' was a mistake that has been fixed. Also, not all notes appear in all songs, so the search for a note won't return all songs. Each {{w|Key signature|key signature}} only uses seven of the twelve notes, and each note appears only in seven of the twelve key signatures. Excursion: The question in which fraction of all songs a certain note appears might be interesting for musicologists, but also quite hard to even give an educated guess: Many songs contain a few notes that {{w|Accidental (music)|don't belong to their key}}, there are {{w|Modulation (music)|modulations}}, and last but not least, some key signatures are much more common than others - I would guess that in pop music, the upper right half of the {{w|Circle of fifths|circle of fifths}} (from F major to E major) accounts for at least 95% of all songs, which would mean that notes like C flat are much less common than C. [[User:Chrisahn|Chrisahn]] ([[User talk:Chrisahn|talk]]) 13:52, 7 February 2015 (UTC)

"twelve key signatures" ... "notes like C flat are much less common than C". Since you say there are only 12 (major) key signatures and not 15 you must be counting B/Cb, F#/Gb, and C#/Db major as the same keys. But then you talk about the note Cb (diatonic in 2 keys) like it's a different note from B (diatonic in 7 keys). You can't have it both ways. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.52.109|173.245.52.109]] 18:55, 14 February 2015 (UTC)