explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

User talk:DollarStoreBa'al

2025-08-07T17:39:03Z

82.132.246.73: /* Please stop random weirdo who haunts my talk page for some reason */

Hi! Talk here if you want, my life is ever-changing. swears are fine :)

{{Whale}}

==General Chitchat and such==
Hey, as per your comment on [[Main Page#Create my user page]], I created your pages. Welcome to the wiki! Please always remember to sign your comments with <nowiki>--~~~~</nowiki>, and ask in the [[explain xkcd:Community portal|Community portal]] if you don't know something. If you want, you can read the [[explain_xkcd:Editor_FAQ#Why_can.27t_I_upload_pictures_or_create_pages.3F|the Editor FAQ]]! Welcome. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 18:02, 25 February 2025 (UTC)

:Thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 19:11, 25 February 2025 (UTC)

:hi btw :) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:11, 27 February 2025 (UTC)
::hello, how are you doing this fine morning, my dear fellow? [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 16:03, 27 February 2025 (UTC)

==Hiyo==
:I'm trying to lurk less and be friendly so I just thought I'd ah drop in :) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:53, 3 March 2025 (UTC)
:: Bello. me editor guy who edit much. edit fun! [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 17:00, 3 March 2025 (UTC)
:::hahahahaha edit fun indeed. [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:20, 4 March 2025 (UTC)
::::Question: How do you add those user boxes that you have on your page? Those would be nice to have. [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 16:52, 6 March 2025 (UTC)
:::::copy and paste this and remove the nowiki tag:

<nowiki>{{Userbox | border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = alastor jumpscare | info = [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|This user has a pet cannibal deer.]] | float = left}}</nowiki> and replace it with what you desire, for example:

<nowiki>{{Userbox | border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = ;) | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|This user _____ ]] | float = left}}</nowiki>

[[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:50, 11 March 2025 (UTC)

::::::Dude thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 13:48, 17 March 2025 (UTC)
:::::::You're very welcome dear. WEE WOO [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:18, 19 March 2025 (UTC)

==Wow==
Am I so cool that I got a mention on your user page just because I showed you how to make userboxes? I mean, if I am... thanks. [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:44, 25 March 2025 (UTC)
:Yes. Yes you are. [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 15:43, 25 March 2025 (UTC)
::YAY TYSM i will get you free jambalaya for you immediately due to that (if you're into that) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:19, 28 March 2025 (UTC)

::: No need. Also, I see you're from Louisiana. [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 03:44, 29 March 2025 (UTC)]]
::::Haha or maybe I just like jambalaya :). Also you are not 4029 hHHA [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:17, 8 April 2025 (UTC)

==The 5s and Es and Os==
Reply to this if you've figured out what the meaning of the thingy on my user page is.
:it's base 3 [[User:CalibansCreations|'''Caliban''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 09:07, 9 April 2025 (UTC)
:: :O [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:31, 9 April 2025 (UTC)
:: Nope! I'll give you a hint: talk to sam. [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 14:33, 9 April 2025 (UTC)
https://voca.ro/1Akmh0zRqa8Q [[User:CalibansCreations|'''Caliban''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 16:02, 9 April 2025 (UTC)
:uhhh...[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 20:41, 11 April 2025 (UTC)
::sorry, that's not it. Don't know what to say to that.[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 17:54, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

You have one week! Hint: beep boooop --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']][[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 16:30, 6 May 2025 (UTC)

:Morse code? [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 19:33, 8 May 2025 (UTC)

::Morse code of what? You are very, very close.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']][[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:47, 8 May 2025 (UTC)

Time's up! If you put this into [https://morsecode.world/international/translator.html/] and click play, you get the intro to Bad Apple. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']][[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 14:44, 13 May 2025 (UTC)

:It's better than [[2869: Puzzles]] [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 11:11, 14 May 2025 (UTC)

== Want to do some repetitive work? ==

Hey dollar, I noticed you're very active here! I don't have a ton of time, but I recently overhauled the template {{tl|comic}} to add many new features. While we figure out [[Header text]], would you be interested in editing the contents of about 50 pages (the early xkcd comics) to make these new features work? It's a lot of repetitive work, you'd just need to make the same small edits on 50 pages. (If you're interested in why the OG comics were in a different order, see [[LiveJournal]]). Just let me know and I'll finish the documentation for the template! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 17:13, 24 April 2025 (UTC)

:What exactly would I be doing to get these features to work? [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 17:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)

::If it isn't super-complex wikitext things I can totally help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]] 19:21, 24 April 2025 (UTC)

Right so you'd just need to move things around and remove some useless code. This process adds a second white navigation bar at the bottom to browse the OG comics in the original order.
[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1:_Barrel_-_Part_1&diff=374851&oldid=373457 You can follow this example]. The steps are:

Start from [[4|comic number 4]]:
#Based on the short sentence written above the explanation, add "ognumber =", "ogprev =", and "ognext =" (so the navbar can work)
#Add "oglink =", and move ONLY the link from "before" to "oglink" (so from HTTPS://..... until the end of the link, move that to "oglink")
#Now, from the edit preview, copy the original title.
#Delete everything in "before =" now that you moved the link
#Add "ogtitle =" and paste the original title that you copied.
#Finally, in "titletext", add two couples of apostrophes (<nowiki>''</nowiki>) in these places: https://imgur.com/a/BewKKr1
#Now save the changes, and click the new white "Next >" button you just created to go to the next one!
And you're done! It's much simpler when you try it. Of course you don't have to do it, feel free to work on the header text! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 20:41, 24 April 2025 (UTC)

me am do. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]][https://www.explainxkcd.--[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 11:05, 26 April 2025 (UTC)com/wiki/index.php/S--[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 11:05, 26 April 2025 (UTC)pecial:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices] 20:51, 24 April 2025 (UTC)

:Oh and I added friendly errors for when you forget to add one of the "og" labels. Just note that if you don't provide "ognumber", the cool white navbar won't show up. Remember to always insert a pipe before a label, like this "'''|''' ognumber =". And once you get to comic 55 you're done! That's the last one --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 20:58, 24 April 2025 (UTC)

Hey, I don't really understand where I'm supposed to put these. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]][https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices] 21:01, 24 April 2025 (UTC)

Nevermind, I got this. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]][https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices] 21:05, 24 April 2025 (UTC)
:Erm nope the OGnumber, OGprev, and OGnext you should take from the first sentence above the explanation. For example [[24]] says it's sixth. Anyways, I found a pretty big bug in the template, so I guess we should stop until it's fixed. The Original title doesn't show up! Arghhh! I'll fix it.
:I'll let you know when you can continue. Thanks! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 21:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)

alright, sounds good! Dang tho. Let me know and I'll get right back to it. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]][https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices] 13:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

:Hey, I, um, undid all your edits because they broke the template haha. I guess this was more complex that I thought! Don't worry, I'll finish them myself over time. I'm more experienced than I thought it seems! Thanks for trying to help anyways! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 18:52, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
::Reviewing them, it seems you were not isolating the link correctly and leaving there some HTML elements that closed other open HTML elements that weren't finished! It did look, interesting, at least! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 18:55, 25 April 2025 (UTC)
:::So sorry about that, I noticed those random Html elements. Thought they were part of the bug. oops. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']][[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 22:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

::::No worries! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 11:05, 26 April 2025 (UTC)

==My Mistakes==
=== Your signature is in violation of {{w|WP:SIGAPP}} ===

Hey, I wanted to let you know that your current signature doesn't follow {{w|WP:SIGAPP}} (specifically the first bullet point). Kindly change it. Thanks. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 12:48, 1 May 2025 (UTC)

Changed to 14pt. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']][[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 13:02, 1 May 2025 (UTC)

:Any height that's taller than the other text on the page disrupts the way that surrounding text displays. 14 px is no better. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 13:25, 1 May 2025 (UTC)

FINE --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']][[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:14, 1 May 2025 (UTC)

:That still disrupts the page flow... I think you signature is already more eye-catching than any other signature on this entire wiki, why do you want to increase its height too? --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:19, 1 May 2025 (UTC)
:: I thought the issue was the height? Doesn't the wiki use 12pt font, which that Sig is? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']][[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:27, 1 May 2025 (UTC)
:::I don't know, I just noticed that it does increase the space between two lines. It might be the superscript's fault then. Well, at least the current one is much better than before. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:49, 1 May 2025 (UTC)

=== Mass-deleting links ===

Hay, just letting you know that maybe you've misunderstood the "incomplete" notice. You shouldn't delete every link on the page ''until there are no links left'', but rather include these links, if they're helpful, directly into the explanation, as explained in [[explain xkcd:Editor FAQ#ref|the editor faq]]. Thanks! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 18:09, 30 April 2025 (UTC)

===Creating someone's User pages, without being asked===
In short, not worth the bother. You were helped, above, because you asked (and now, obviously, have become capable of doing the creation yourself, within a very short time). But this wiki is littered with "Welcome, I created your User pages for you" (including for IPs, which is particularly unuseful), where the user concerned has not then used them. However active an editor they are, if they don't know/care about them then it's effort done for nothing. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.130|172.70.86.130]] 08:50, 28 February 2025 (UTC)
:Yup, I also pointed it out. In case you missed my reply to your message, here's a copy:
:”It's relevant to note that we only create User pages when people explicitly ask for them. On the other hand, User talk pages are created if you want to talk to that specific member privately."--[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:03, 28 February 2025 (UTC)
::Sorry about that. Just trying to help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 15:34, 28 February 2025 (UTC)

=== NEWS ===

Hey uhhh does anyone know about [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/22/science/randall-munroe-xkcd-science-textbook.html this]? Should we make explanations for these?
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']][[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:48, 8 May 2025 (UTC)

Google's Ai says there are multiple exclusive comics for the textbook, but I've only been able to find Inside Body, shown here: [[File:Inside Body.jpg]]

:Just so you know, the standard method for announcing something, big or small, to the community is to create a post in te community portal. Just so you don't have to copy and paste every message and reach a wider audience. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:50, 9 May 2025 (UTC)

=== Why [...] is DSBContribs a thing? ===

Did you seriously have to create a page in the main namespace with the sole purpose of redirecting to your user contributions page?

Firstly, the main namespace is supposed to be on-topic. Why, you may ask? Because "DSBContribs" literally appears in the search results for "D" alongside "DSBSig/sandbox" (???), right between DNE (comic #259) and Danger Mnemonic (comic #2487).

User specific stuff should really go as sub-pages of your user page, and nothing is stopping you from directly linking to your contribs page in your signature instead of using a pointless redirect.

As I've read more of your talk page I've realised you're [...] [[Special:Contributions/86.143.223.93|86.143.223.93]] 13:48, 4 August 2025 (UTC)

:Highly disagree on the tone but agree with the message. I redacted the message and scheduled both for deletion, use your user page for this. thanks! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 19:38, 4 August 2025 (UTC)

::Sorry about this. At the time, I did not know subpages even existed. Thank you random IP for the advice, even if slightly unhinged, and thank you FaviFake for getting to those deletions. I would have done those deletions eventually. I created DSBContribs to save characters on my signiature, assuming that the pages would not show up on the search (linking to special:contributions:DollarStoreBa'al is much longer than linking to DSBContribs). Evidently, I was wrong. I created DSBSIG/sandbox while trying to create a sandbox page and being stupid. That was me trying to work out the wikitext to create a signature. I have perfected my signature now, and these pages are no longer needed. The 'FINE' comment was meant to be a joke. Maybe that would have worked better with a rolling eyes emoji and an 'ugh'. I will be putting this into the 'my mistakes' section of my talk page as this was definitely a mistake. Thanks for bringing my attention to this! Gratefully yours, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']][[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)

::: By the way, I looked at your little message Mr. IP man. First, I see where you're coming from. I am a little bit immature, this is true. However, this should probably come as an expectation with someone going into 9th grade. This has been acknowledged on my user page and my comment on 3123. Please do your research. Second, swears are fine for basically all purposes EXCEPT to insult people. The fact that you are willing to insult someone who you think is an 8-year-old shows how mature you truly are. Maybe you are the one who should, as you put it 'grow the fuck up'. Thank you, and have a good day. Sincerely, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']][[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)

==excuse me==

but it appears you have discovered that I was a spammer in a past account or maybe this account. who's to say anymore? anyway i'm trying to fix that hehe [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:02, 7 May 2025 (UTC)

==template==

What is a template? What’s a {{Trout}} and {{Whale}}?
 
If it looks weird, click edit [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| Aprilfoolsupdate!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 12:20, 7 August 2025 (UTC)

: I'm assuming you're asking what a template is and not about sea life. Templates are basically shortcuts that we use for commonly used things. For example, <nowiki>{{cn}}</nowiki> creates {{cn}}. You can create one pretty easily. I made those because they're commonly used on Wikipedia, and wanted to transfer them here. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']][[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:41, 7 August 2025 (UTC)

::how can I create one? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| Aprilfoolsupdate!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:21, 7 August 2025 (UTC)

:::Here's something that may be able to help: {{AprilFoolsHelp}} --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']][[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:43, 7 August 2025 (UTC)

::::thxxxxxxxxx [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| Aprilfoolsupdate!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)

:::::You are very welcome! I hope you are excited to start contributing to the wiki! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']][[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)

::::::By the way, please don't be afraid to ask me any questions at all. If I can, I will help! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]][[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']][[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:48, 7 August 2025 (UTC)

:::::::{{Thx$store}}, which is <nowiki>{{Thx$store}}</nowiki> (if I can call you that)

==Please stop random weirdo who haunts my talk page for some reason==
Ok. Sorry, needed to get that out of my system. Thank you for the supplement. Truly. It's a good warning. Just please don't start randomly insulting people towards the end. This is a wiki. Speak the facts, and nothing more. In this case, the facts are:
*Templates are easy to create.
*It's useful to learn from other templates.
Those are the facts. Now, you're done. Don't go on to insult them about how they're too stupid to do something useful.
:No insult intended, no mention at all of stupidity, just the obvious eagerness. Tried only to give caution not to run before you've learnt how (and, ideally, where) to walk. All edits show up, to anyone looking. The initial query had not been answered, when I started the reply, and I had to hastily rewrite things to fit back in on the end.
:To the above, I'd add:
:*Know what purpose your template will have.
:That way you're less likely to create something that you later regret, give or take a rename/delete. (If you want anything totally deleted, it may take a long time, a meanwhile you can only edit it 'clear', but still findable and the history checkable.) Most templates are ''not'' there to add pictures of sealife, but to grease the wheels of common (or not so common) Explanation page scenarios. And we might even thank you for a good shortcut for something we maybe never realised was needed before.
:For a more technical 'manual', {{w|Help:A quick guide to templates}} might be a useful next read, and from there jump around into other Help: items. There's a lot you ''can'' do, though you certainly won't want to use it all right from the start. Take your time and know ''why'' you're doing something, as well as ''what'.
:Good luck for the future, I've probably said as much as you need me to say for now. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.73|82.132.246.73]] 17:39, 7 August 2025 (UTC)

Talk:1197: All Adobe Updates

2025-08-07T15:29:47Z

82.132.246.73:

Is there the additional joke of choosing "Ok (to download)" or "Download (it's ok!)"? And all the strip it lacks (for space, opportunity or brevity) is an all-but-forced toolbar download. Unless that's counted as part of the Java download. (Ask? Really?) [[Special:Contributions/178.99.244.212|178.99.244.212]] 13:00, 10 April 2013 (UTC)
:In my eyes the joke goes a bit further: The window ask the user to install an update for the update-manager so it can download new updates for the update-downloader – so software A would like to update software B that might update the real software in/at the end. --[[User:DaB.|DaB.]] ([[User talk:DaB.|talk]]) 13:12, 10 April 2013 (UTC)
:Or you can just click on the close button.

I am surprised noone commented on the connection to the Rush Song 2112 and it's Oracle. [[Special:Contributions/99.102.154.28|99.102.154.28]] 01:19, 10 August 2013 (UTC)

Title text: It's because you're still running Windows 2000 or XP. (Windows NT 5.x) You need at least Windows Vista (6.0) to apply the update... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.53|108.162.221.53]] 02:13, 29 March 2014 (UTC)

Ok what is happening

In the comic's system message the "Ok" is an implicit command to continue with the suggested action, especially as it is the leftmost item [...] The placement, and the perhaps more 'ready' state, of the 'OK' button implies that it is the default action

No it's not. In modern software design, there is almost always a main action (on the right) and a secondary action (on the left). In the comic, OK means the user acknowledges the notice and closes the pop-up. The main action, Download, is highlighted and right aligned. It is common for popups to use "OK" to dismiss the message when the other action isn't related.

The use of "Ok" is more suited for a message box with only the possibility to acknowledge and clear a necessary notification of something that has/will happen, with no other course of action available.

...which is exactly the case here, since we have a different button. The joke isn't in the buttons, it's in the message itself.

The "Download" is more explicitly linked to the suggested action, but does not seem to complement the other item properly. Additionally, it is differently rendered, either given focus (the default action, which is often positive-to-the-left or negative-to-the-right) or because it is actually disabled.

It's not disabled, it's highlighted. Because it's the main action and it's on the right.

A further possible reason for its different appearance is that it is indicating that it is the process of being clicked

???????

This then means that, if it unintuitively leads to the non-positive action, many users may just ignore the update.

which is exactly the intended behaviour! It would be a terrible user experience if the user opened the software but was forced not use use it because of a new update.

I think that entire paragraph (or paragraphs, since you've expanded them) should be removed. This is a perfectly normal button placement and having it in the explanation just distracts the reader from the actual joke in the comic. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 13:38, 7 August 2025 (UTC)

:The humour is exactly that it's a confusing and self-contradictory dialog(ue). Even if the buttons are 'normal', for some, they are confusing in the particular context.
:Paradigms may differ, especially with Adobe software that writes primarily using a platform-agnostic WM with its own peculiarites (neither Mac nor PC, etc), or be badly followed, but Windows standards ([https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/uxguide/win-dialog-box one rather thorough run-through], more Win7 era than the Win8 of the comic's era, but [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/design/controls/dialogs-and-flyouts/dialogs here's a post-comic Win11-era one] as well) guide you towards positive-commits being to the left, negative-commits to follow/be on the right, non-commits (e.g. "Cancel", if applicable) even futher to the right, then "apply" (where anything is "applyable" without closing), then Help (if made available). The confusion by not making clear what "Ok" means (it should ideally be the "default yes, ok then" in the presence of a negative alternative, or just "ok, I acknowledge this" ''only when there is no other choice at all, just information'') juxtaposed with the Download button that looks to be in Disabled mode, but (as you say) might be highlit as the default (e.g. linked to the "enter"/”space" hotkey). It's impossible to tell, with just two buttons, whether Download is darker/disabled or 'coloured'/highlit, but that looks dark/faded-and-disabled to me. (Or what the button looks like mid-click/toggled-'on', in its visually "pressed" state, but Cueball is currently hands off, so...)
:As an example that I most easily can replicate across more than two decades of the same OS, if I close an unsaved Notepad window in Win11, I get the question "Do you want to save changes to ''filename.txt''?" and the buttons (left to right) [Save] with blue background but, ''more importantly'', an extra black border to it, then [Don't save], then [Cancel]. The progression back to Windows2000 ("The text in the Untitled file has changed"/"Do you want to save the changes?", with [Yes][No][Cancel]), skipping a couple of generations that I don't have at hand, is consistent. As is System Properties (or equivalent) with [Ok][Cancel][Apply] (the latter greyed out/desaturated, according to OS version, without any changes cued up to actually apply).
:All these windows that can be cancelled (no changes made, no rejections/negative-commits to be made), whether or not they have an actual Cancel button, can be closed by the "x" on the dialogue top-bar (if it explicitly does not allow Cancelling, it'll be greyed/dessturated and unresponsive). It is also impossible to tell what responsiveness the "x" on Cueball's dialog has, but if unsure what the "Ok" button does (and if the Download button is inactive) then that might be what Cueball clicks once over his existential doubt about the options is overcome.
:*As a meta-example, at the bottom of this page the 'buttons' are [Save changes] [Show preview] [Show changes] then Cancel and Editing Help links. i.e. Positive-Commit, Part-Positive-Commit, Part-Neutral-Commit, Abort, Help, similarly stratified...
:Original Macintoshes (I've never used anything newer than an iMac, and I forget how they looked) were always rather good at saying something like [Download][Cancel] (or ''possibly'' vice-versa), to equivalent issues, or asking "Do you want to download?" with [Yes][No] (or [No][Yes]?) as a more direct answer to the question. Linux WMs (and scratch-built dialogs using Tk-elements) have a variable design philosophy, IME, either not properly thought out or echoing the author's own expectations.
:Perhaps all we can know, right now, is that when I look at the dialog box I see one intention and when you look at it you see another intention (in 'meta', or reality, if not both). That, at least, seems to need explaining. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.73|82.132.246.73]] 15:29, 7 August 2025 (UTC)