https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Aprilfoolsupdate%21explain xkcd - User contributions [en]2026-05-14T22:51:03ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2656:_Scientific_Field_Prefixes&diff=4092822656: Scientific Field Prefixes2026-04-01T09:28:02Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2656<br />
| date = August 8, 2022<br />
| title = Scientific Field Prefixes<br />
| image = scientific_field_prefixes.png<br />
| titletext = Massage: Theoretical (10), Quantum (6), High-energy (2), Computational (1), Marine (1), Astro- (None)<br />
}}<br />
{{TOC}}<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{w|Google Scholar}} is a search engine for academic publications, and [[Randall]] has been having fun with it.<br />
<br />
Randall searches for various terms that are composed of some common prefixes and common suffixes, but not always commonly associated with each other in each possible combination, and tabulates the results. See this [[#Table with numbers|table with numbers]] for easy overview.<br />
<br />
This reveals some very commonly used full terms like "{{w|Theoretical Physics}}", the most discovered, which represents almost four million hits compared to the next highest, "{{w|Computational Biology}}", with almost 3 million hits and {{w|Astrophysics}} with 2 million hits. Ducking just below 1 million hits is fourth placing {{w|Marine Biology}}. Of the 42 possible fields just 14 have more than 100,000 hits, and only four more have over 10,000.<br />
<br />
But there are also some that have much lower numbers, eight with fewer than 10 hits in the table. "High-Energy Psychology" and "Marine Dentistry" have just one apparent occurrence each (equivalent to a {{w|Googlewhack}}), whilst there are no hits at all recorded for four of the initially combined terms. In total (with the title text) there are 48 fields, see a full [[#List of Scientific fields|list of scientific fields]] below.<br />
<br />
An explanation for both existing and fictive scientific fields can be given below in the [[#Table with explanations|table with explanations]].<br />
<br />
In the caption to the table Randall list four potential research opportunities i.e. those with no hits in the table: Quantum Dentistry, High-Energy Dentistry, Astrodentistry and High-Energy Theology<br />
<br />
He thus suggests that, because of the (apparent) lack of current studies in these specialized sub-fields, there may be unexplored potential for a study. This could be that the more "used" areas have far too much competition and be might already be "used up" for potentially useful discoveries. (This does not account for how much 'study space' might be available in a given box of research, even though Randall has previously hinted that anything "Astro"-related is potentially [[2640: The Universe by Scientific Field|full of many things to study]].)<br />
Of course the real reason for no one studying these fields are that they make no sense. {{w|Dentistry}} is related to fixing peoples teeth. The quantum world has no effect on human teeth,{{Citation needed}} and high-energy bombardment of a human's mouth may also be a bit dangerous (although x-rays and radiation treatment in the mouth could be seen as high energy). Astrodentistry is not really relevant if seeing this as something used on humans. Of course astronauts might need dentistry while in space, but it would be a stretch to call the study of dentistry in zero-G, "astrodentistry". "High-energy Theology" as a term, seems more likely to have been used...<br />
<br />
In the title text Randall lists the figures for another 'major' field suffix, "{{w|Massage}}", and the numbers of its prefixed forms. From this, we learn that Astromassage is another 'open' field that is currently unstudied, but none of the five others have more than 10. Probably the most surprising aspect of the title text is that there are hits for both quantum massage and high-energy massage.{{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Table with numbers===<br />
*Here the table is presented with only numbers, so it can be sorted.<br />
**Massage from the title text has been added.<br />
{|class="wikitable sortable"<br />
!<br />
! Physics<br />
! Chemistry<br />
! Biology<br />
! Engineering<br />
! Psychology<br />
! Theology<br />
! Dentistry<br />
! Massage (Title text)<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical <br />
| 3990000<br />
| 445000<br />
| 553000<br />
| 2460<br />
| 15500<br />
| 726<br />
| 41<br />
| 10<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum <br />
| 478000<br />
| 740000<br />
| 7620<br />
| 21100<br />
| 699<br />
| 447<br />
| 0<br />
| 6<br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy<br />
| 844000<br />
| 9600<br />
| 3<br />
| 119<br />
| 1<br />
| 0<br />
| 0<br />
| 2<br />
|-<br />
| Computational <br />
| 510000<br />
| 599000<br />
| 2910000<br />
| 67400<br />
| 4620<br />
| 40<br />
| 11<br />
| 1<br />
|-<br />
| Marine <br />
| 3920<br />
| 136000<br />
| 945000<br />
| 108000<br />
| 35<br />
| 6<br />
| 1<br />
| 1<br />
|-<br />
| Astro-<br />
| 2010000<br />
| 20600<br />
| 226000<br />
| 430<br />
| 64<br />
| 580<br />
| 0<br />
| 0<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===List of Scientific fields===<br />
This is included for easy reading of the numbers:<br />
*Theoretical Physics: 3,990,000<br />
*Theoretical Chemistry: 445,000<br />
*Theoretical Biology: 553,000<br />
*Theoretical Engineering: 2,460<br />
*Theoretical Psychology: 15,500<br />
*Theoretical Theology: 726<br />
*Theoretical Dentistry: 41<br />
*Theoretical Massage: 10<br />
*Quantum Physics: 478,000<br />
*Quantum Chemistry: 740,000<br />
*Quantum Biology: 7,620<br />
*Quantum Engineering: 21,100<br />
*Quantum Psychology: 699<br />
*Quantum Theology: 447<br />
*Quantum Dentistry: None<br />
*Quantum Massage: 6<br />
**5 of these are objections to pseudoscientific healing nonsense. The last is from a Dutch medical text in which one sentence ends with "quantum" and the next begins with "massage", published in 1895 and having nothing to do with quantum mechanics.<br />
*High-Energy Physics: 844,000<br />
*High-Energy Chemistry: 9,600<br />
*High-Energy Biology: 3<br />
**Two of these are for the same conference proceedings about use of accelerators in biological research. The third is from an article which mentions a list of research areas: "extensive programs in chemistry, physics (other than high energy), biology".<br />
*High-Energy Engineering: 119<br />
*High-Energy Psychology: 1<br />
**Job ad from October 31st, 2001, asking for "high energy psychology, speech pathology or special education majors to work with our mildly autistic son"<br />
*High-Energy Theology: None<br />
*High-Energy Dentistry: None<br />
*High-Energy Massage: 2<br />
*Computational Physics: 510,000<br />
*Computational Chemistry: 599,000<br />
*Computational Biology: 2,910,000<br />
*Computational Engineering: 67,400<br />
*Computational Psychology: 4,620<br />
*Computational Theology: 40<br />
*Computational Dentistry: 11<br />
*Computational Massage: 1<br />
**This is an article about modular wearable electronic devices, in the form of clothing, which provide massage.<br />
*Marine Physics: 3,920<br />
*Marine Chemistry: 136,000<br />
*Marine Biology: 945,000<br />
*Marine Engineering: 108,000<br />
*Marine Psychology: 35<br />
*Marine Theology: 6<br />
*Marine Dentistry: 1<br />
**The paper mentions the application of something in "Transportation, Marine, Dentistry, Electronics" and other fields<br />
*Marine Massage: 1<br />
**Article in "Professional Beauty" of 2021, mentioning "An exceptional massage technique with the professional-only Oligo-Marine Massage Cream includes smoothing, relaxing and stretching movements for total relaxation and optimal skin"<br />
*Astrophysics: 2,010,000<br />
*Astrochemistry: 20,600<br />
*Astrobiology: 226,000<br />
*Astroengineering: 430<br />
*Astropsychology: 64<br />
*Astrotheology: 580<br />
*Astrodentistry: None<br />
*Astromassage: None<br />
<br />
==Table with explanations==<br />
*Here all 48 fields can be explained in a table:<br />
{|class="wikitable sortable"<br />
! Field<br />
! Number of Searches<br />
! Explanation of field<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical Physics<br />
| 3990000<br />
| {{w|Theoretical Physics}} is a whole field in itself, with journals made only for that type of physics. Also the one with by far most hits.<br />
|- <br />
| Theoretical Chemistry<br />
| 445000<br />
| {{w|Theoretical chemistry}} is the branch of chemistry which explores the underlying explanations for chemical phenomena, and has major overlaps with Quantum Chemistry.<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical Biology<br />
| 553000<br />
| {{w|Theoretical biology}} aims at the mathematical representation and modeling of biological processes, using techniques and tools of applied mathematics. It has applications in the modelling of biological systems and evolutionary systems.<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical Engineering<br />
| 2460<br />
| 'Theoretical engineering' is a term that can be applied to many different types of engineering. A few that can be found on the front page, as of the time of writing, are software engineering, mobile engineering, band engineering and engineering optimisation. The term itself simply talks about the theory to do with those types of engineering.<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical Psychology<br />
| 15500<br />
| Searching this term yields almost five million results, at the time of writing. According to the [https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.ps.04.020153.002251 first result], this branch is the {{w|epistemological}} analysis of psychological science.<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical Theology<br />
| 726<br />
| Theoretical Theology is a bit of a misnomer, considering that Theology is theoretical from the outset. Theoretical Theology would hence be equivalent to Theology, that is, the systematic study of divine nature and religion in general. Unless, perhaps, it concerns itself with questions of how any given theology would have to be under differing conditions, e.g. how a society would interact under the aegis of different moralities or deitic purposes than those currently understood to exist by that society.<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical Dentistry<br />
| 41<br />
| While there is theory in dentistry, as with all other sciences, there is no branch of dentistry specifically concerning it.{{Citation needed}}<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical Massage<br />
| 10<br />
| Theoretical Massage is not a real scientific field,{{Citation needed}} but rather the theory about it, in contrast to the practical application of {{w|Massage|massage}}. This term is most likely to be used in the context of learning or studying massages, for example during the process of becoming a massage therapist. Alternatively this term could refer to the studying of the masses of matter, (or its massage if you will). This would make it a field of physics.<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum Physics<br />
| 478000<br />
| As with Theoretical Physics, above, {{w|Quantum Physics}} is an entire field within itself.<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum Chemistry<br />
| 740000<br />
| A field within chemistry, quantum chemistry is the study of how quantum-level effects extrapolate to chemical properties, such as the shape of electron orbitals.<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum Biology<br />
| 7620<br />
| {{w|Quantum Biology}} is a legitimate field, strange as though it may seem. It also applies another "strange" field elsewhere in this table: theoretical chemistry.<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum Engineering<br />
| 21100<br />
| Quantum engineering is the engineering of technology that uses the laws of quantum mechanics for their operation. It is used in the manufacture of quantum sensors and quantum computers. An emerging field, it is slowly growing alongside the current rise in quantum applications in technology and the push towards quantum computing.<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum Psychology<br />
| 699<br />
| Quantum Psychology is used in a similar manner to Quantum Theology (see below) - a way push pseudoscience under the guise of quantum phenomena. While quantum effects can be seen in the brain, it would mostly fall under the purview of neuroscience.<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum Theology<br />
| 447<br />
| Using 'Quantum' as a buzzword to prop up forms of spirituality is a common form of pseudoscience today, and is used to push fringe beliefs under the illusion of 'quantum phenomena'.<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum Dentistry<br />
| None<br />
| This would presumably be dentistry done on teeth which are too small to be observed on normal levels, or do not exist while also existing. <br />
|-<br />
| Quantum Massage<br />
| 6<br />
| Similar to Quantum Theology, the word 'quantum' is being used as a buzzword to promote massage services which no actual relation to quantum phenomena.<br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy Physics<br />
| 844000<br />
| High-Energy physics is the study of fundamental particles and forces that constitute matter and radiation. Also known as particle physics, it is a major subfield of theoretical and quantum physics.<br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy Chemistry<br />
| 9600<br />
| High-Energy Chemistry refers to the chemistry of high-energy compounds. <br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy Biology<br />
| 3<br />
| High-Energy Biology would probably refer to biology at high energies. However, at that point, biology stops being biology and starts being physics.<br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy Engineering<br />
| 119<br />
| High-Energy Engineering would most likely refer to engineering undertaken for high-energy environments. However, this is not a real subfield of engineering and would more likely be done by as a part of another subfield of engineering.<br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy Psychology<br />
| 1<br />
| High-Energy Psychology would presumably refer to psychology done at high energies. However, the result which this refers to is, in fact, an advertisement for a job which requires knowledge of psychology and the ability to sustain your energy for a large period of time. <br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy Theology<br />
| None<br />
| High-Energy Theology presumably involves theology performed at extremely high energies. It is unknown if one can find God in a particle accelerator however.{{Citation needed}} <br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy Dentistry<br />
| None<br />
| High-Energy Dentistry would most likely involve performing dentistry with high-energy particle beams, which would be incredibly damaging to a human being. High energy lasers do exist and are used in dentistry, however they are orders of magnitude less energetic than the high-energy beams this prefix would refer to. <br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy Massage<br />
| 2<br />
| High-Energy Massage could either mean a massage done with lots of energy, which may or may not be a soothing experience, or a massage that leaves you with lots of energy, which is a claimed benefit by many massage therapists. <br />
|-<br />
| Computational Physics<br />
| 510000<br />
| The field of using computational models to simulate physical systems. Such models are commonly used in both theoretical and applied physics, hence the large number of hits.<br />
|-<br />
| Computational Chemistry<br />
| 599000<br />
| The field of using computational models to simulate chemical systems. Commonly used in the field of theoretical chemistry.<br />
|-<br />
| Computational Biology<br />
| 2910000<br />
| Computational biology refers to the use of data analysis, mathematical modeling and computational simulations to understand biological systems and relationships. Due to its very high relevance in the fields of genetics, biochemistry, evolution, neuroscience among others, has the highest number of hits for the 'Computational' prefix, and is 2nd highest overall.<br />
|-<br />
| Computational Engineering<br />
| 67400<br />
| Computational Engineering is a relatively new discipline that deals with the development and application of computational models for engineering. Being a subfield of engineering, it has a moderate amount of hits.<br />
|-<br />
| Computational Psychology<br />
| 4620<br />
| Computational Psychology, also known as {{w|Computational cognition}} is the study of learning and cognition via mathematical modelling and computer simulation.<br />
|-<br />
| Computational Theology<br />
| 40<br />
| Computational Theology is a very fringe field, that seeks to explore the relations between God, religion and computer science and related phenomena.<br />
|-<br />
| Computational Dentistry<br />
| 11<br />
|Computational Dentistry refers to using artificial intelligence to improve dentistry. This could presumably be used to allow a robot to do troublesome tasks, such as root canals. <br />
|-<br />
| Computational Massage<br />
| 1<br />
| It is unknown what computation would be required for massage, if any. Searches show results for a paper on 'Computational Modeling of Deep Tissue Heating by an Automatic Thermal Massage Bed: Predicting the Effects on Circulation'.<br />
|-<br />
| Marine Physics<br />
| 3920<br />
| Marine Physics is a subfield of oceanography that focuses on the fundamental physical processes in the marine environment and their effects on the biosphere.<br />
|-<br />
| Marine Chemistry<br />
| 136000<br />
| Marine chemistry studies the chemistry of marine environments including the influences of different variables, such as plate tectonics, currents, sediments, pH levels, atmospheric constituents, metamorphic activity and ecology.<br />
|-<br />
| Marine Biology<br />
| 945000<br />
| Marine biology is the study of marine organisms, their behaviors and interactions with the environment. A very well established subfield of Biology, hence the high number of hits.<br />
|-<br />
| Marine Engineering<br />
| 108000<br />
| Marine engineering is the operation, maintenance and monitoring of mechanical systems aboard marine vessels, including boats, ships and submarines. Moderately known, due to the continued growth of the modern shipping industry. <br />
|-<br />
| Marine Psychology<br />
| 35<br />
| Marine Psychology is a subfield of Psychology that studies psychosocial issues and behavioral and safety concerns inherent in life and careers at sea. It does not refer to the psychology of marine life as one would assume, however.<br />
|-<br />
| Marine Theology<br />
| 6<br />
| Marine Theology is not an organized field of study, and is merely a convenient way to refer to Theology in Marine Biology. It may also result from discussion of aspects of theology as they apply to a marine society (one heavily dependent on the sea, or subject to its effects, like an island-chain population).<br />
|-<br />
| Marine Dentistry<br />
| 1<br />
| Marine Dentistry is dentistry performed on marine animals, which falls under the field of veterinary science.<br />
|-<br />
| Marine Massage<br />
| 1<br />
| Marine Massage would probably be about underwater massages. Its unknown what benefits this might give over a traditional massage however.<br />
|-<br />
| Astrophysics<br />
| 2010000<br />
| Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. Just like Theoretical Physics, it is a field onto itself, and has the 3rd highest hits for a scientific field in the comic.<br />
|-<br />
| Astrochemistry<br />
| 20600<br />
| Astrochemistry is the study of molecules in the universe, and their interaction with radiation. A hybrid field of astronomy and chemistry with overlap with Astrophysics, especially when dealing with nuclear reactions.<br />
|-<br />
| Astrobiology<br />
| 226000<br />
| Astrobiology is a scientific field that studies the origins, early evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. Fairly known due to the unanswered nature of the question 'Is there life beyond Earth.' <br />
|-<br />
| Astroengineering<br />
| 430<br />
| Astronomical engineering is engineering at the astronomical scale. Highly speculative, as humanity barely has progressed beyond the Earth, and mostly the realm of science fiction. <br />
|-<br />
| Astropsychology<br />
| 64<br />
| {{w|Psychological astrology}}, also known as Astropsychology, is a form of pseudoscience blending together astrology with fields of psychology. <br />
|-<br />
| Astrotheology<br />
| 580<br />
|{{w|Astrotheology}} is the worship of heavenly bodies as deities or by association to deities. It has its roots in ancient polytheistic religions, and has survived in various forms to present-day.<br />
|-<br />
| Astrodentistry<br />
| None<br />
| Astrodentistry presumably relates to performing dentistry on astronomical objects. As astronomical bodies do not have teeth,{{Citation needed}} this is impossible to perform, and hence impossible to research. It could also mean dentistry performed in space, which is not relevant due to the highly limited human presence in space, but could be in the future.<br />
|-<br />
| Astromassage<br />
| None<br />
| Astromassage can either mean performing massages on astronomical objects, which would be impossible, or performing massages on beings in space. Since there have been no trained massage therapists in space, it is unknown how one can massage a body in space, or how the human body reacts to massages in space. <br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|The transcript shouldn’t be a table. }}<br />
:[A table is drawn with seven columns and six rows. Above each column and to the left of each row there is a label. All 42 fields are filled out with a number, except when the number is 0, then it says none in a red font. Above the table there is a large header:]<br />
:<big>Number of search results on Google Scholar</big><br />
:{|class="wikitable"<br />
|<br />
| Physics<br />
| Chemistry<br />
| Biology<br />
| Engineering<br />
| Psychology<br />
| Theology<br />
| Dentistry<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical <br />
| 3,990,000<br />
| 445,000<br />
| 553,000<br />
| 2,460<br />
| 15,500<br />
| 726<br />
| 41<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum <br />
| 478,000<br />
| 740,000<br />
| 7,620<br />
| 21,100<br />
| 699<br />
| 447<br />
| <span style="color:red">''None''</span><br><br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy<br />
| 844,000<br />
| 9,600<br />
| 3<br />
| 119<br />
| 1<br />
| <span style="color:red">''None''</span><br><br />
| <span style="color:red">''None''</span><br><br />
|-<br />
| Computational <br />
| 510,000<br />
| 599,000<br />
| 2,910,000<br />
| 67,400<br />
| 4,620<br />
| 40<br />
| 11<br />
|-<br />
| Marine <br />
| 3,920<br />
| 136,000<br />
| 945,000<br />
| 108,000<br />
| 35<br />
| 6<br />
| 1<br />
|-<br />
| Astro-<br />
| 2,010,000<br />
| 20,600<br />
| 226,000<br />
| 430<br />
| 64<br />
| 580<br />
| <span style="color:red">''None''</span><br><br />
|}<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Potential research opportunities: Quantum Dentistry, High-Energy Dentistry, Astrodentistry, and High-Energy Theology<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Google Search]] <br />
[[Category:Physics]]<br />
[[Category:Chemistry]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]<br />
[[Category:Engineering]]<br />
[[Category:Psychology]]<br />
[[Category:Religion]]<br />
[[Category:Scientific research]]<br />
[[Category:Confusion matrices]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2656:_Scientific_Field_Prefixes&diff=4092812656: Scientific Field Prefixes2026-04-01T09:26:38Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2656<br />
| date = August 8, 2022<br />
| title = Scientific Field Prefixes<br />
| image = scientific_field_prefixes.png<br />
| titletext = Massage: Theoretical (10), Quantum (6), High-energy (2), Computational (1), Marine (1), Astro- (None)<br />
}}<br />
{{TOC}}<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{w|Google Scholar}} is a search engine for academic publications, and [[Randall]] has been having fun with it.<br />
<br />
Randall searches for various terms that are composed of some common prefixes and common suffixes, but not always commonly associated with each other in each possible combination, and tabulates the results. See this [[#Table with numbers|table with numbers]] for easy overview.<br />
<br />
This reveals some very commonly used full terms like "{{w|Theoretical Physics}}", the most discovered, which represents almost four million hits compared to the next highest, "{{w|Computational Biology}}", with almost 3 million hits and {{w|Astrophysics}} with 2 million hits. Ducking just below 1 million hits is fourth placing {{w|Marine Biology}}. Of the 42 possible fields just 14 have more than 100,000 hits, and only four more have over 10,000.<br />
<br />
But there are also some that have much lower numbers, eight with fewer than 10 hits in the table. "High-Energy Psychology" and "Marine Dentistry" have just one apparent occurrence each (equivalent to a {{w|Googlewhack}}), whilst there are no hits at all recorded for four of the initially combined terms. In total (with the title text) there are 48 fields, see a full [[#List of Scientific fields|list of scientific fields]] below.<br />
<br />
An explanation for both existing and fictive scientific fields can be given below in the [[#Table with explanations|table with explanations]].<br />
<br />
In the caption to the table Randall list four potential research opportunities i.e. those with no hits in the table: Quantum Dentistry, High-Energy Dentistry, Astrodentistry and High-Energy Theology<br />
<br />
He thus suggests that, because of the (apparent) lack of current studies in these specialized sub-fields, there may be unexplored potential for a study. This could be that the more "used" areas have far too much competition and be might already be "used up" for potentially useful discoveries. (This does not account for how much 'study space' might be available in a given box of research, even though Randall has previously hinted that anything "Astro"-related is potentially [[2640: The Universe by Scientific Field|full of many things to study]].)<br />
Of course the real reason for no one studying these fields are that they make no sense. {{w|Dentistry}} is related to fixing peoples teeth. The quantum world has no effect on human teeth,{{Citation needed}} and high-energy bombardment of a human's mouth may also be a bit dangerous (although x-rays and radiation treatment in the mouth could be seen as high energy). Astrodentistry is not really relevant if seeing this as something used on humans. Of course astronauts might need dentistry while in space, but it would be a stretch to call the study of dentistry in zero-G, "astrodentistry". "High-energy Theology" as a term, seems more likely to have been used...<br />
<br />
In the title text Randall lists the figures for another 'major' field suffix, "{{w|Massage}}", and the numbers of its prefixed forms. From this, we learn that Astromassage is another 'open' field that is currently unstudied, but none of the five others have more than 10. Probably the most surprising aspect of the title text is that there are hits for both quantum massage and high-energy massage.{{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Table with numbers===<br />
*Here the table is presented with only numbers, so it can be sorted.<br />
**Massage from the title text has been added.<br />
{|class="wikitable sortable"<br />
!<br />
! Physics<br />
! Chemistry<br />
! Biology<br />
! Engineering<br />
! Psychology<br />
! Theology<br />
! Dentistry<br />
! Massage (Title text)<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical <br />
| 3990000<br />
| 445000<br />
| 553000<br />
| 2460<br />
| 15500<br />
| 726<br />
| 41<br />
| 10<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum <br />
| 478000<br />
| 740000<br />
| 7620<br />
| 21100<br />
| 699<br />
| 447<br />
| 0<br />
| 6<br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy<br />
| 844000<br />
| 9600<br />
| 3<br />
| 119<br />
| 1<br />
| 0<br />
| 0<br />
| 2<br />
|-<br />
| Computational <br />
| 510000<br />
| 599000<br />
| 2910000<br />
| 67400<br />
| 4620<br />
| 40<br />
| 11<br />
| 1<br />
|-<br />
| Marine <br />
| 3920<br />
| 136000<br />
| 945000<br />
| 108000<br />
| 35<br />
| 6<br />
| 1<br />
| 1<br />
|-<br />
| Astro-<br />
| 2010000<br />
| 20600<br />
| 226000<br />
| 430<br />
| 64<br />
| 580<br />
| 0<br />
| 0<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===List of Scientific fields===<br />
This is included for easy reading of the numbers:<br />
*Theoretical Physics: 3,990,000<br />
*Theoretical Chemistry: 445,000<br />
*Theoretical Biology: 553,000<br />
*Theoretical Engineering: 2,460<br />
*Theoretical Psychology: 15,500<br />
*Theoretical Theology: 726<br />
*Theoretical Dentistry: 41<br />
*Theoretical Massage: 10<br />
*Quantum Physics: 478,000<br />
*Quantum Chemistry: 740,000<br />
*Quantum Biology: 7,620<br />
*Quantum Engineering: 21,100<br />
*Quantum Psychology: 699<br />
*Quantum Theology: 447<br />
*Quantum Dentistry: None<br />
*Quantum Massage: 6<br />
**5 of these are objections to pseudoscientific healing nonsense. The last is from a Dutch medical text in which one sentence ends with "quantum" and the next begins with "massage", published in 1895 and having nothing to do with quantum mechanics.<br />
*High-Energy Physics: 844,000<br />
*High-Energy Chemistry: 9,600<br />
*High-Energy Biology: 3<br />
**Two of these are for the same conference proceedings about use of accelerators in biological research. The third is from an article which mentions a list of research areas: "extensive programs in chemistry, physics (other than high energy), biology".<br />
*High-Energy Engineering: 119<br />
*High-Energy Psychology: 1<br />
**Job ad from October 31st, 2001, asking for "high energy psychology, speech pathology or special education majors to work with our mildly autistic son"<br />
*High-Energy Theology: None<br />
*High-Energy Dentistry: None<br />
*High-Energy Massage: 2<br />
*Computational Physics: 510,000<br />
*Computational Chemistry: 599,000<br />
*Computational Biology: 2,910,000<br />
*Computational Engineering: 67,400<br />
*Computational Psychology: 4,620<br />
*Computational Theology: 40<br />
*Computational Dentistry: 11<br />
*Computational Massage: 1<br />
**This is an article about modular wearable electronic devices, in the form of clothing, which provide massage.<br />
*Marine Physics: 3,920<br />
*Marine Chemistry: 136,000<br />
*Marine Biology: 945,000<br />
*Marine Engineering: 108,000<br />
*Marine Psychology: 35<br />
*Marine Theology: 6<br />
*Marine Dentistry: 1<br />
**The paper mentions the application of something in "Transportation, Marine, Dentistry, Electronics" and other fields<br />
*Marine Massage: 1<br />
**Article in "Professional Beauty" of 2021, mentioning "An exceptional massage technique with the professional-only Oligo-Marine Massage Cream includes smoothing, relaxing and stretching movements for total relaxation and optimal skin"<br />
*Astrophysics: 2,010,000<br />
*Astrochemistry: 20,600<br />
*Astrobiology: 226,000<br />
*Astroengineering: 430<br />
*Astropsychology: 64<br />
*Astrotheology: 580<br />
*Astrodentistry: None<br />
*Astromassage: None<br />
<br />
==Table with explanations==<br />
*Here all 48 fields can be explained in a table:<br />
{|class="wikitable sortable"<br />
! Field<br />
! Number of Searches<br />
! Explanation of field<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical Physics<br />
| 3990000<br />
| {{w|Theoretical Physics}} is a whole field in itself, with journals made only for that type of physics. Also the one with by far most hits.<br />
|- <br />
| Theoretical Chemistry<br />
| 445000<br />
| {{w|Theoretical chemistry}} is the branch of chemistry which explores the underlying explanations for chemical phenomena, and has major overlaps with Quantum Chemistry.<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical Biology<br />
| 553000<br />
| {{w|Theoretical biology}} aims at the mathematical representation and modeling of biological processes, using techniques and tools of applied mathematics. It has applications in the modelling of biological systems and evolutionary systems.<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical Engineering<br />
| 2460<br />
| 'Theoretical engineering' is a term that can be applied to many different types of engineering. A few that can be found on the front page, as of the time of writing, are software engineering, mobile engineering, band engineering and engineering optimisation. The term itself simply talks about the theory to do with those types of engineering.<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical Psychology<br />
| 15500<br />
| Searching this term yields almost five million results, at the time of writing. According to the [https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.ps.04.020153.002251 first result], this branch is the {{w|epistemological}} analysis of psychological science.<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical Theology<br />
| 726<br />
| Theoretical Theology is a bit of a misnomer, considering that Theology is theoretical from the outset. Theoretical Theology would hence be equivalent to Theology, that is, the systematic study of divine nature and religion in general. Unless, perhaps, it concerns itself with questions of how any given theology would have to be under differing conditions, e.g. how a society would interact under the aegis of different moralities or deitic purposes than those currently understood to exist by that society.<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical Dentistry<br />
| 41<br />
| While there is theory in dentistry, as with all other sciences, there is no branch of dentistry specifically concerning it.{{Citation needed}}<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical Massage<br />
| 10<br />
| Theoretical Massage is not a real scientific field,{{Citation needed}} but rather the theory about it, in contrast to the practical application of {{w|Massage|massage}}. This term is most likely to be used in the context of learning or studying massages, for example during the process of becoming a massage therapist. Alternatively this term could refer to the studying of the masses of matter, (or its massage if you will). This would make it a field of physics.<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum Physics<br />
| 478000<br />
| As with Theoretical Physics, above, {{w|Quantum Physics}} is an entire field within itself.<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum Chemistry<br />
| 740000<br />
| A field within chemistry, quantum chemistry is the study of how quantum-level effects extrapolate to chemical properties, such as the shape of electron orbitals.<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum Biology<br />
| 7620<br />
| {{w|Quantum Biology}} is a legitimate field, strange as though it may seem. It also applies another "strange" field elsewhere in this table: theoretical chemistry.<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum Engineering<br />
| 21100<br />
| Quantum engineering is the engineering of technology that uses the laws of quantum mechanics for their operation. It is used in the manufacture of quantum sensors and quantum computers. An emerging field, it is slowly growing alongside the current rise in quantum applications in technology and the push towards quantum computing.<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum Psychology<br />
| 699<br />
| Quantum Psychology is used in a similar manner to Quantum Theology (see below) - a way push pseudoscience under the guise of quantum phenomena. While quantum effects can be seen in the brain, it would mostly fall under the purview of neuroscience.<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum Theology<br />
| 447<br />
| Using 'Quantum' as a buzzword to prop up forms of spirituality is a common form of pseudoscience today, and is used to push fringe beliefs under the illusion of 'quantum phenomena'.<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum Dentistry<br />
| None<br />
| This would presumably be dentistry done on teeth which are too small to be observed on normal levels, or do not exist while also existing. <br />
|-<br />
| Quantum Massage<br />
| 6<br />
| Similar to Quantum Theology, the word 'quantum' is being used as a buzzword to promote massage services which no actual relation to quantum phenomena.<br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy Physics<br />
| 844000<br />
| High-Energy physics is the study of fundamental particles and forces that constitute matter and radiation. Also known as particle physics, it is a major subfield of theoretical and quantum physics.<br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy Chemistry<br />
| 9600<br />
| High-Energy Chemistry refers to the chemistry of high-energy compounds. <br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy Biology<br />
| 3<br />
| High-Energy Biology would probably refer to biology at high energies. However, at that point, biology stops being biology and starts being physics.<br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy Engineering<br />
| 119<br />
| High-Energy Engineering would most likely refer to engineering undertaken for high-energy environments. However, this is not a real subfield of engineering and would more likely be done by as a part of another subfield of engineering.<br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy Psychology<br />
| 1<br />
| High-Energy Psychology would presumably refer to psychology done at high energies. However, the result which this refers to is, in fact, an advertisement for a job which requires knowledge of psychology and the ability to sustain your energy for a large period of time. <br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy Theology<br />
| None<br />
| High-Energy Theology presumably involves theology performed at extremely high energies. It is unknown if one can find God in a particle accelerator however.{{Citation needed}} <br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy Dentistry<br />
| None<br />
| High-Energy Dentistry would most likely involve performing dentistry with high-energy particle beams, which would be incredibly damaging to a human being. High energy lasers do exist and are used in dentistry, however they are orders of magnitude less energetic than the high-energy beams this prefix would refer to. <br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy Massage<br />
| 2<br />
| High-Energy Massage could either mean a massage done with lots of energy, which may or may not be a soothing experience, or a massage that leaves you with lots of energy, which is a claimed benefit by many massage therapists. <br />
|-<br />
| Computational Physics<br />
| 510000<br />
| The field of using computational models to simulate physical systems. Such models are commonly used in both theoretical and applied physics, hence the large number of hits.<br />
|-<br />
| Computational Chemistry<br />
| 599000<br />
| The field of using computational models to simulate chemical systems. Commonly used in the field of theoretical chemistry.<br />
|-<br />
| Computational Biology<br />
| 2910000<br />
| Computational biology refers to the use of data analysis, mathematical modeling and computational simulations to understand biological systems and relationships. Due to its very high relevance in the fields of genetics, biochemistry, evolution, neuroscience among others, has the highest number of hits for the 'Computational' prefix, and is 2nd highest overall.<br />
|-<br />
| Computational Engineering<br />
| 67400<br />
| Computational Engineering is a relatively new discipline that deals with the development and application of computational models for engineering. Being a subfield of engineering, it has a moderate amount of hits.<br />
|-<br />
| Computational Psychology<br />
| 4620<br />
| Computational Psychology, also known as {{w|Computational cognition}} is the study of learning and cognition via mathematical modelling and computer simulation.<br />
|-<br />
| Computational Theology<br />
| 40<br />
| Computational Theology is a very fringe field, that seeks to explore the relations between God, religion and computer science and related phenomena.<br />
|-<br />
| Computational Dentistry<br />
| 11<br />
|Computational Dentistry refers to using artificial intelligence to improve dentistry. This could presumably be used to allow a robot to do troublesome tasks, such as root canals. <br />
|-<br />
| Computational Massage<br />
| 1<br />
| It is unknown what computation would be required for massage, if any. Searches show results for a paper on 'Computational Modeling of Deep Tissue Heating by an Automatic Thermal Massage Bed: Predicting the Effects on Circulation'.<br />
|-<br />
| Marine Physics<br />
| 3920<br />
| Marine Physics is a subfield of oceanography that focuses on the fundamental physical processes in the marine environment and their effects on the biosphere.<br />
|-<br />
| Marine Chemistry<br />
| 136000<br />
| Marine chemistry studies the chemistry of marine environments including the influences of different variables, such as plate tectonics, currents, sediments, pH levels, atmospheric constituents, metamorphic activity and ecology.<br />
|-<br />
| Marine Biology<br />
| 945000<br />
| Marine biology is the study of marine organisms, their behaviors and interactions with the environment. A very well established subfield of Biology, hence the high number of hits.<br />
|-<br />
| Marine Engineering<br />
| 108000<br />
| Marine engineering is the operation, maintenance and monitoring of mechanical systems aboard marine vessels, including boats, ships and submarines. Moderately known, due to the continued growth of the modern shipping industry. <br />
|-<br />
| Marine Psychology<br />
| 35<br />
| Marine Psychology is a subfield of Psychology that studies psychosocial issues and behavioral and safety concerns inherent in life and careers at sea. It does not refer to the psychology of marine life as one would assume, however.<br />
|-<br />
| Marine Theology<br />
| 6<br />
| Marine Theology is not an organized field of study, and is merely a convenient way to refer to Theology in Marine Biology. It may also result from discussion of aspects of theology as they apply to a marine society (one heavily dependent on the sea, or subject to its effects, like an island-chain population).<br />
|-<br />
| Marine Dentistry<br />
| 1<br />
| Marine Dentistry is dentistry performed on marine animals, which falls under the field of veterinary science.<br />
|-<br />
| Marine Massage<br />
| 1<br />
| Marine Massage would probably be about underwater massages. Its unknown what benefits this might give over a traditional massage however.<br />
|-<br />
| Astrophysics<br />
| 2010000<br />
| Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. Just like Theoretical Physics, it is a field onto itself, and has the 3rd highest hits for a scientific field in the comic.<br />
|-<br />
| Astrochemistry<br />
| 20600<br />
| Astrochemistry is the study of molecules in the universe, and their interaction with radiation. A hybrid field of astronomy and chemistry with overlap with Astrophysics, especially when dealing with nuclear reactions.<br />
|-<br />
| Astrobiology<br />
| 226000<br />
| Astrobiology is a scientific field that studies the origins, early evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. Fairly known due to the unanswered nature of the question 'Is there life beyond Earth.' <br />
|-<br />
| Astroengineering<br />
| 430<br />
| Astronomical engineering is engineering at the astronomical scale. Highly speculative, as humanity barely has progressed beyond the Earth, and mostly the realm of science fiction. <br />
|-<br />
| Astropsychology<br />
| 64<br />
| {{w|Psychological astrology}}, also known as Astropsychology, is a form of pseudoscience blending together astrology with fields of psychology. <br />
|-<br />
| Astrotheology<br />
| 580<br />
|{{w|Astrotheology}} is the worship of heavenly bodies as deities or by association to deities. It has its roots in ancient polytheistic religions, and has survived in various forms to present-day.<br />
|-<br />
| Astrodentistry<br />
| None<br />
| Astrodentistry presumably relates to performing dentistry on astronomical objects. As astronomical bodies do not have teeth,{{Citation needed}} this is impossible to perform, and hence impossible to research. It could also mean dentistry performed in space, which is not relevant due to the highly limited human presence in space, but could be in the future.<br />
|-<br />
| Astromassage<br />
| None<br />
| Astromassage can either mean performing massages on astronomical objects, which would be impossible, or performing massages on beings in space. Since there have been no trained massage therapists in space, it is unknown how one can massage a body in space, or how the human body reacts to massages in space. <br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{Incomplete Transcript|The transcript shouldn’t be a table. }}<br />
:[A table is drawn with seven columns and six rows. Above each column and to the left of each row there is a label. All 42 fields are filled out with a number, except when the number is 0, then it says none in a red font. Above the table there is a large header:]<br />
:<big>Number of search results on Google Scholar</big><br />
:{|class="wikitable"<br />
|<br />
| Physics<br />
| Chemistry<br />
| Biology<br />
| Engineering<br />
| Psychology<br />
| Theology<br />
| Dentistry<br />
|-<br />
| Theoretical <br />
| 3,990,000<br />
| 445,000<br />
| 553,000<br />
| 2,460<br />
| 15,500<br />
| 726<br />
| 41<br />
|-<br />
| Quantum <br />
| 478,000<br />
| 740,000<br />
| 7,620<br />
| 21,100<br />
| 699<br />
| 447<br />
| <span style="color:red">''None''</span><br><br />
|-<br />
| High-Energy<br />
| 844,000<br />
| 9,600<br />
| 3<br />
| 119<br />
| 1<br />
| <span style="color:red">''None''</span><br><br />
| <span style="color:red">''None''</span><br><br />
|-<br />
| Computational <br />
| 510,000<br />
| 599,000<br />
| 2,910,000<br />
| 67,400<br />
| 4,620<br />
| 40<br />
| 11<br />
|-<br />
| Marine <br />
| 3,920<br />
| 136,000<br />
| 945,000<br />
| 108,000<br />
| 35<br />
| 6<br />
| 1<br />
|-<br />
| Astro-<br />
| 2,010,000<br />
| 20,600<br />
| 226,000<br />
| 430<br />
| 64<br />
| 580<br />
| <span style="color:red">''None''</span><br><br />
|}<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:Potential research opportunities: Quantum Dentistry, High-Energy Dentistry, Astrodentistry, and High-Energy Theology<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Google Search]] <br />
[[Category:Physics]]<br />
[[Category:Chemistry]]<br />
[[Category:Biology]]<br />
[[Category:Engineering]]<br />
[[Category:Psychology]]<br />
[[Category:Religion]]<br />
[[Category:Scientific research]]<br />
[[Category:Confusion matrices]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2696:_Precision_vs_Accuracy&diff=4092802696: Precision vs Accuracy2026-04-01T09:24:51Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2696<br />
| date = November 9, 2022<br />
| title = Precision vs Accuracy<br />
| image = precision_vs_accuracy_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 501x462px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = 'Barack Obama is much less likely than the average cat to jump in and out of cardboard boxes for fun' is low precision, but I'm not sure about the accuracy.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{w|Accuracy and precision}} are common concepts to be encountered in the scientific field and often students have issues with the differences between them. Accuracy concerns whether a statement is true, while precision concerns how detailed it is; it is possible for a statement to be one but not the other. The comic explores this concept by comparing {{w|Barack Obama}}, former President of the United States, with {{w|cat}}s. Confusingly, he measures different statistics of both Barack Obama and cats (sometimes measuring them in terms of cats) leaving the unwary reader even more confused.<br />
<br />
Being precise is typical of calculations that roll out an excess of significant digits, often in the form of trailing decimals. Precision is lowered by using more rounded figures, or merely being comparative, but largely unaffected by whether the original values used were accurate or even correct. Accuracy is a cumulative function of the accuracy given to the intermediate values used for any calculation, and can be degraded by using figures that are themselves in some way inaccurate or imprecise. One part of confusion between the two is because being too precise usually decreases accuracy.<br />
<br />
The numbers mentioned in the top row (high precision) of the table all use exactly the same digits, dictating that a full five digits of ''precision'' are used in them all. The most "valid" or correct value is a number that's very accurate and precise (see table). For the medium accuracy the number is an anagram of the 1st entry, giving a value that is reasonable but would be overly exact, whilst the low accuracy number is just a repeat of the first entry's digits with a shifted decimal but clearly at the wrong scale, as Randall could have shifted the decimal point one further place to the left to be closest to the true measurement. Instead, he replaces the thousands separator with the decimal point, perhaps for the visual pun.<br />
<br />
The title text compares Obama's and cats' enjoyment of playing with cardboard boxes. While cats are known to do this,{{citation needed}} we don't know whether Obama does.<br />
<br />
The day prior to the publication of this comic (November 8, 2022) was election day in the United States, so Randall may have been remembering Barack Obama's presidency at this time.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
!Precision<br />
!Accuracy<br />
!Statement<br />
!Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|High<br />
|High<br />
|Barack Obama was president for 70,128 hours<br />
|This is the official length in hours of {{w|Barack Obama}}'s 8-year presidency, including 2 {{w|leap year|leap days}}. Obama served from January 20, 2009 through January 20, 2017, and his term officially began and ended at noon on those days. (There were three {{w|leap second|leap seconds}} during his presidency, though.)<br />
|-<br />
|High<br />
|Medium<br />
|Barack Obama weighs as much as 17.082 cats<br />
|The accuracy would depend on the mass of the cats in question. Also a human's mass can vary by a few pounds in a small amount of time as meals are consumed, resources are used in metabolism and wastes are eliminated, and thus this may be overly precise due the margin of error in both the mass of cats and the mass of Mr. Obama. In 2016, Obama was [https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/08/politics/obama-medical-exam-loses-weight officially reported] to weigh 175 lb (79.3787 kg). [https://www.google.com/search?q=how+heavy+is+an+average+cat Google claims that an average cat weighs between 8.8 and 11 lbs], so this statement could be considered accurate. If you use the midpoint of that weight range (9.9 lbs) and divide it by Mr. Obama's reported weight, the "number of cats" he weighs comes in at a very close answer (rounded) of 17.07 cats.<br />
|-<br />
|High<br />
|Low<br />
|Barack Obama is 70.128 feet tall<br />
|A highly precise (5 significant digits) measurement, but far from his actual height, published as 6'1".<br />
The given value is more than an order of magnitude different from both him and {{w|Robert Wadlow|almost}} any other known human, whilst one of 7.0128 would ''only'' be about 15% off – still a low accuracy, but not outside the realms of possibility for an otherwise unknown person.<br />
Coincidentally, Barack Obama is approximately 70 ''cat'' feet tall, using the paw size of a house cat to measure his height. Given the number of cat-related facts in the rest of the chart, this could be seen as rather appropriate.<br />
|-<br />
|Medium<br />
|High<br />
|Most cats have 4 legs<br />
|Like many mammals, cats are quadrupeds, which means "four feet". Unless there is a genetic or other developmental issue, or an an injury that causes the loss of a limb, then cats generally have 4 legs.<br />
|-<br />
|Medium<br />
|Medium<br />
|Barack Obama is 6'1"<br />
|While only as precise as the nearest inch, a common degree of rounding in that scale of measurement, that is the former president's published height.<br />
[https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/08/politics/obama-medical-exam-loses-weight In 2016], Obama was said to have "grown" 0.5 inches in height, so there is a definite lack of consistency of exactly how tall he is. The examinations may have been made at different times of their respective days, with some spinal compression occurring all the time not laid in bed, and his current height is also not publicly recorded; several years of gradual aging could also reduce his posture slightly, or sustaining his fitness (since experiencing the travails of office) may counteract this to a greater or lesser effect.<br />
|-<br />
|Medium<br />
|Low<br />
|Barack Obama has 4 legs<br />
|Barack Obama, being a mammal, does qualify as a {{w|tetrapod}}, but as a primate, his ancestors' forelimbs evolved into arms and hands. Like other humans, he does not generally use them for locomotion,{{citation needed}} but to manipulate his environment. Thus calling these limbs "legs" runs counter to normal definitions, and is inaccurate.<br />
<br />
|-<br />
|Low<br />
|High<br />
|Most cats have legs<br />
|A true (high accuracy) statement without much information (low precision).<br />
|-<br />
|Low<br />
|Medium<br />
|Barack Obama has fewer legs than your cat<br />
|Again, this will depend on the cat (not to mention whether or not you actually have a cat), but in general, true.<br />
|-<br />
|Low<br />
|Low<br />
|Barack Obama's cat has hundreds of legs<br />
|This statement has low accuracy, as Barack Obama owns a four-legged dog named Sunny, but is not known to have owned a cat, much less one with more legs than normal. And cats tend not to have hundreds of legs.{{Citation needed}} It also has low precision, as "hundreds" could reasonably range from 200 to 900. (From a strict logician's point of view, this could however be considered a vacuously true statement.)<br />
|-<br />
|Low<br />
|Unsure<br />
|Barack Obama is much less likely than the average cat to jump in and out of cardboard boxes for fun<br />
|Barack Obama has never publicly jumped in and out of cardboard boxes for fun,{{Citation needed}} but the possibility exists that he does so in private. Cats, on the other hand, [https://www.purina.co.uk/articles/cats/behaviour/common-questions/why-do-cats-like-boxes#:~:text=Cats%20get%20comfort%20and%20security,from%20the%20side%20or%20behind are commonly known for jumping in and out of cardboard boxes for fun.]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|The transcript shouldn’t be a table.}}<br />
:[The comic shows a table with 3 rows and 3 columns. Each row and column has a label, and then nine statements are given for the 3x3 grid.]<br />
:{| class="wikitable"<br />
|-<br />
| || High<br>accuracy || Medium<br>accuracy || Low<br>accuracy<br />
|-<br />
| High<br>precision<br />
|Barack Obama was president for 70,128 hours||Barack Obama weighs as much as 17.082 cats||Barack Obama is 70.128 feet tall<br />
|-<br />
| Medium<br>precision<br />
|Most cats have 4 legs||Barack Obama is 6'1"||Barack Obama has 4 legs<br />
|-<br />
| Low<br>precision<br />
|Most cats have legs||Barack Obama has fewer legs than your cat||Barack Obama's cat has hundreds of legs<br />
|}<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Statistics]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]<br />
[[Category:Cats]]<br />
[[Category:Confusion matrices]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Miscellaneous&diff=409279explain xkcd:Community portal/Miscellaneous2026-04-01T09:24:23Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* Confusing matrices transcript */ new section</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude>{{Community links}}<br />
<br />
{|-<br />
|valign="top" width="100%"|[[File:Internet-group-chat.svg|left|120px]] <big><big><b>Miscellaneous</b></big></big><br />
<br />
<i>This is a place for general chit-chat about virtually anything that doesn't fit anywhere else. </i>{{AddNewSection|Page=Explain XKCD:Community portal/Miscellaneous|Text=<small>(+post)</small>}}<br />
|}</noinclude><br />
<br />
__TOC__<br />
==ARCHIVED DISCUSSIONS==<br />
<div class="plainlinks" style="background:#edf6ff; border:1px solid #a7d7f9; margin:1em auto 1em auto; width:100%; font-size: 120%; padding: 0.5ex; text-align: center;">The discussion of the now-deleted page "Advertise here" has been archived. The archive is available at '''[[explain xkcd talk:Community portal/Miscellaneous]]'''.</div><br />
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== The Community Portal's design ==<br />
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{{tl|Community portal}} looks too Wikipedia-ish (because that's where I got it). Someone who can design things should probably fix that. It isn't protected for the time being, though it probably will be in the future (high-visibility template). --''[[User:Philosopher|Philosopher]]''&nbsp;<sup>[[User talk:Philosopher|Let us reason together.]]</sup> 00:54, 4 August 2012 (EDT)<br />
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== Common mistake ==<br />
<br />
This affects all pages that ever say "alt text" in reference to the TITLE text on xkcd images. "Alt text" is incorrect; Alt text refers to the text that is shown as an alternative when images are not displayed. Title text is what xkcd uses and is shown as a tool tip-like bubble when images are hovered over.<br />
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I would correct this myself but I saw no way to edit the main page. --[[User:Jillysky|Jillysky]] ([[User talk:Jillysky|talk]]) 14:21, 6 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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:You actually don't need to edit the main page to fix it, as what's there is just a mirror (transclusion) of the actual content from the comic page, at [[Curiosity]], which is open for editing by anyone. Then again, the "alt-text" in that case is generated by a template, {{tl|comic}}, so that's where we should fix this. The template's code, however, is currently a terrible mess (sorry!), so I went ahead and took care of it. Thanks for catching that! --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 16:24, 6 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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:Ah? So it's wrong, for instance, on http://m.xkcd.com? because of that I took it for granted that we could call it the alt-text... - [[User:Cos|Cos]] ([[User talk:Cos|talk]]) 17:38, 6 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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:: Yes. If you look at the page's html source, you'll see:<br />
<nowiki><img<br />
id="comic"<br />
src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/curiosity.png"<br />
title="As of this writing the NASA/JPL websites are still overloaded. Trying CURIOSITY-REAR-CAM_[256px_x_256px].torrent.SwEsUb.DVDRip.XviD-aXXo.jpg instead."<br />
alt="Curiosity"></nowiki><br />
::(line breaks added for clarity) --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 23:54, 6 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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:::That was my error in the template. I knew "image text" that has been commonly used by Jeff was not techically correct, but I didn't actually go back and confirm it was alt text before I included that tag in the template. That's to Waldir (I believe?) for correcting the template. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 14:14, 7 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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== When the "official" transcript is wrong? ==<br />
I did [[903: Extended Mind]]. Interestingly, the transcript on xkcd.com is missing the bottom line "When Wikipedia has a server outage, my apparent IQ drops by 30 points." I assume we want a complete transcript, rather than whatever xkcd.com says it is...? [[User:Stevage|Stevage]] ([[User talk:Stevage|talk]]) 04:10, 17 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
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:We're focusing on the actual transcript of the comic, not the xkcd.com transcript. The official transcript is usually right, but even Randall makes mistakes sometimes. [[User:Davidy22|<span title="I want you."><u><font color="purple" size="2px">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><sup><font color="indigo" size="1px">22</font></sup></span>]][[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>(talk)</tt>]] 04:24, 17 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
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== Milestone: half the comics explained!! ==<br />
<br />
Hi all! I'm pleased to announce that we have just broke the 50% mark for xkcd explanations! The page that balanced the count (568 explained, 568 to go, at the time) was [[877: Beauty]], created 01:31 UTC, 21 November 2012 by [[User:Davidy22]]. Congratulations!! :D --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 03:10, 21 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
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:The caterer's been called! The punch will be arriving soon! Go [[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]]! [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]<span title="I'm an admin. I can help.">_a</span> ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 06:53, 21 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
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::[[File:freedom.png]] Punch is served! [[User:Davidy22|<span title="I want you."><u><font color="purple" size="2px">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><sup><font color="indigo" size="1px">22</font></sup></span>]][[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>(talk)</tt>]] 07:11, 21 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
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But the Main page says 407 explanations, 731 to go! What's up with that? --[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 21:00, 23 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
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== Reverse? ==<br />
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Why in the Archive why are all the thing up until "Heatmap" in Reverse? Can someone please answer? [[User:Tmack3|Tmack3]] ([[User talk:Tmack3|talk]]) 08:28, 20 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Archive? Can you provide a link or screenshot? '''[[User:Davidy22|<span title="I want you."><u><font color="purple" size="2px">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><sup><font color="indigo" size="1px">22</font></sup></span>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 04:43, 19 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
http://xkcd.com/archive/ [[User:Tmack3|Tmack3]] ([[User talk:Tmack3|talk]]) 08:28, 20 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Ah, that's because the comic right after that, rtl, has a right-to-left character in it that flips all the proceeding text. '''[[User:Davidy22|<span title="I want you."><u><font color="purple" size="2px">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><sup><font color="indigo" size="1px">22</font></sup></span>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 00:13, 20 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
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Ah, ok, i see that now. When I 1st saw that RTL I just thought that it was random letters, thankyou for explaining it for me. [[User:Tmack3|Tmack3]] ([[User talk:Tmack3|talk]]) 08:28, 20 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
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It also depends on what browser you are on because on Google Chrome it was normal. [[User:Tmack3|Tmack3]] ([[User talk:Tmack3|talk]]) 09:08, 20 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
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== Do you think this question was asked by one of the xkcd people? ==<br />
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http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090301060752AAtYugc [[User:Tmack3|Tmack3]] ([[User talk:Tmack3|talk]]) 08:38, 20 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
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== Matthew Reilly ==<br />
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I would just like to tell everyone that I asked Matthew Reilly (the author) if he is ever scared that a velociraptor is going to attack him, and he said NO! He clearly needs to start worrying about them! [[User:Tmack3|Tmack3]] ([[User talk:Tmack3|talk]]) 10:45, 22 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
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== What can we learn section ==<br />
First of all I love your work. I believe deeper understanding of each XKCD can make a world a better place and I thank you sincerely for starting this webpage. I wanted to ask what you think about "What can we learn?" section I've been adding to some of the pages. Thank you - [[User:E-inspired|E-inspired]] ([[User talk:E-inspired|talk]]) 13:27, 28 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
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:This site is actually the work of multiple editors working slowly and steadily to fill in explanations for all the old comics. Some of the xkcd comics are incredibly deep - comic [[956]] is such a poignant comic that digs into the DRM issue on so many levels. Your reflections on many of the comics are very much warranted and you're helping us create talk pages with high-quality opening posts, which is great for future discussion on this wiki. It'd be nice if you could refrain from putting headers in talk pages, technical limitations of the wiki make long explanation pages choke when headings are in the discussion page. Other than that, keep up the good work! '''[[User:Davidy22|<u><font color="purple" title="I want you">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><font color="indigo" size="4px">²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:42, 28 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
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::I've put in my 2 cents to comic [[956]], and thank you for teaching me how to comment and link to other comics - [[User:E-inspired|E-inspired]] ([[User talk:E-inspired|talk]]) 13:58, 28 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
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::: FYI, you can always make pseudo-headings using a horizontal rule and a bold "header", but honestly I think a simple standard opening sentence would suffice. --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 12:14, 2 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
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:Oh, and the guy who draws xkcd is called {{w|Randall Munroe}}. So many glowing things to be said about him. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u><font color="purple" title="I want you">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><font color="indigo" size="4px">²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:44, 28 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
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::Yes, I can't thank him enough for simplifying complex issues to funny stories, I think it's exactly what our generation needs - [[User:E-inspired|E-inspired]] ([[User talk:E-inspired|talk]]) 13:58, 28 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
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:I'm in favor of a Mr. Rogers style of 'what lesson can be learned' on the talk page, but make sure your comments don't come across as sanctimonious and holier-than-thou as that can be really off-putting. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]<span title="I'm an admin. I can help.">_a</span> ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 19:06, 28 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
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:: You are absolutely correct, I have not thought of that, please trust me I did not do it on purpose. Thank you Mr. Lcarsos - [[User:E-inspired|E-inspired]] ([[User talk:E-inspired|talk]]) 19:55, 28 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
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Thank you David, and I apologize that I've not made it clear that by your work, I do mean your collective work (the wiki is only as good as all the people behind it). I was trying to put the headers to allow others to find the section easier in case they start looking for it, perhaps I could make a suggestion to make it a standalone section so that others would be encouraged to contribute their own understanding of lessons they have noticed from each comic. I know the lessons I've seen, but I would love to learn from others as much as I hope they can learn from me and Mr. XKCD, thank you. - [[User:E-inspired|E-inspired]] ([[User talk:E-inspired|talk]]) 13:48, 28 February 2013 (UTC)<br />
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== DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD ==<br />
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Hello fellow editors. Do you remember the last time we were hit by a surge of automated spam? Neither do I. ConfirmEdit has really done a number on the volume of spam that we're eating - one spam account has been created since we finished configuring confirmEdit, and zero anon edits have been spam. Zero. Can you say happiness? Can you say party? '''[[User:Davidy22|<u><font color="purple" title="I want you">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><font color="indigo" size="4px">²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 14:41, 1 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
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:Hehe, I'm glad! Thanks for being so relentless on the spam-fighting all this time! Maybe we should make up a new reason to make Jeff remove the /wiki/ in the URL? ;) –[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 18:11, 1 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
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:: Awesome news! Finally the patrolling feature will be usable: [{{fullurl:Special:RecentChanges|hideanons=1&hidepatrolled=1&from=20121204025000&days=365&limit=1000}} Unpatrolled changes by registered users] / [{{fullurl:Special:RecentChanges|hideliu=1&hidepatrolled=1&from=20121204025000&days=365&limit=1000}} Unpatrolled changes by anonymous users] :) --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 12:27, 2 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
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== 1000th comic explanation!! ==<br />
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Hi all! It apparently went unnoticed that '''we have recently surpassed the mark of 1000 comic explanations!''' Some calculations based on [[:Category:Comics]] and [[Special:NewPages]] led me to the conclusion that the 1000th explanation was [[681: Gravity Wells]], created by [[User:AlexRNL]] just yesterday! Yay! This calls for a celebration, no? Congrats to [[Special:ContributionScores|everyone]] who made this happen! I'll edit [[Mediawiki:Sitenotice]] with a congratulatory message. Way to go, guys! --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 16:04, 10 April 2013 (UTC)<br />
:ps - I also took the opportunity to flesh out our [[explain xkcd|about/history page]]. Please take a look and fix/add any details I might have missed. --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 16:06, 10 April 2013 (UTC)<br />
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== Style guide ==<br />
Is there a style guide for this wiki? --[[User:PeterMortensen|PeterMortensen]] ([[User talk:PeterMortensen|talk]]) 20:14, 10 August 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Oh, sorry, I did forget to answer here. A guide on this is not easy, many individual comics do need special layouts because they have content never can match to a style guide. But I will give a try [[Help:Style Guide]].--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:18, 15 August 2013 (UTC)<br />
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== Adblock ==<br />
<br />
I've whitelisted the site in adblock, but the ads are still blocked.<br />
Anyone know what' going on here and how I can fix it?--[[User:ParadoX|ParadoX]] ([[User talk:ParadoX|talk]]) 04:34, 27 September 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Huh. I was wondering why our impression counts weren't rising. I thought it was just because this site had high turnover. I've changed the webpage that the word whitelisting links to, try the instructions there instead. Project wonderful is our ad provider, and they've been pretty good to us so far. Also, thanks for helping to support the site! '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 04:40, 27 September 2013 (UTC)<br />
::Great! I don't really mid ads as long as they aren't intrusive. Works now, Hope everyone else does it as well.--[[User:ParadoX|ParadoX]] ([[User talk:ParadoX|talk]]) 05:16, 27 September 2013 (UTC)<br />
::I saw you wrote "the webpage that the word whitelisting links to" so I went to the search box and typed whitelisting. My search didn't yield anything useful: [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?search=whitelisting&go=Go&title=Special%3ASearch]. I don't know how to create the missing page but there oughta be a link for someone like me who searches for whitelist or whitelisting, to take them to the instructions you refer to. [[User:SaxTeacher|SaxTeacher]] ([[User talk:SaxTeacher|talk]]) 10:59, 17 May 2014 (UTC)<br />
:::We already have this linked somewhere, but [https://www.projectwonderful.com/adblock.php this] is the link you want. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:41, 17 May 2014 (UTC)<br />
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I normally access this site through the android app "xkcd browser". That app only links to the content part of the site and doesn't show the side bar, so the adds aren't shown either. Might be worth discussing it with the author. [[Special:Contributions/109.158.126.139|109.158.126.139]] 08:06, 27 September 2013 (UTC)<br />
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:We support those avenues completely, you don't need to feel bad if you use an app to browse this site. We're only really concerned when we put up ads and our impressions are less than half our page hits, because that essentially means more than half our readers aren't contributing to server costs. That's really hard to deal with. We have enough daily page hits to qualify as web publishers at very big ad agencies, but we've had to settle for relatively low rates at the smaller Project Wonderful because 60% of our users were using adblock, so the agencies rejected us because our valuable "paying" audience was too low for them to consider us. That's been the difference between us using dedicated servers to host the site and hiring a contractor to set it up, and the (admittedly somewhat decent) shared hosting plan that we have to settle for now. We can only afford the shared hosting, because the small-scale advertisers at Project Wonderful don't even pay for full days of advertising; most of the time, we make less per day than the posted $3.90 price. That said, we're grateful that Project Wonderful would take us as a publisher when no one else would, but it really feels like the difference between being accepted to community college and being accepted to an ivy league school. For a similar reason, the Google ads route was not sufficient to satisfy our needs; not a large enough proportion of our users were looking at ads, so we either needed to spam them and degrade the site, or we needed to make them refresh, which makes pages slow and causes needlessly high traffic for a lot of users. We didn't want our ads to make the site worse, because that would drive away users and defeat the purpose of us being a public resource for xkcd readers. We actually decided to go the agency route pretty early, because adsense takes a massive cut of revenues and gives us little control over what ads or advertisers actually showed, which was not okay with us. Whoah, I wrote a lot. I hope it was coherent. Maybe someday I'll collect my thoughts and write a proper summary on how and why we advertise. Also, if you have any questions about anything ad-related, you can always ask us at [[explain xkcd talk:Advertise Here]]. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 11:15, 27 September 2013 (UTC)<br />
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== Feynman? ==<br />
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Feynman (both in [[182: Nash|living]] and [[397: Unscientific|zombie]] form) probably deserves an entry in the [[Template:Navbox characters|character navbox]] template doesn't he? [[Special:Contributions/128.250.152.198|128.250.152.198]] 02:21, 1 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
:That's two comics out of 1200+. Three if you count the song. Not quite enough yet. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 02:27, 1 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
:: If that's the criterion, then we need to get rid of [[Brown Hat]]. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 19:30, 11 March 2015 (UTC)<br />
:::Potentially, we could create a very minor character category with these two, and other characters with less than 10 appearances. [[User:tplaza64]]<br />
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== Job Interview (Atomic Soup) ==<br />
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The soup is clearly being poured out of an atomic socket. This "atomic soup" is probably not a reference to the alcoholic brew favoured by Scottish tramps, but more likely to the virtual nature of the company. {{unsigned|Sulis|12:49, 20 November 2013 (UTC)}}<br />
:Hey, go here [[Talk:1293: Job Interview]] for discussions. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:58, 20 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
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== Is there a similar, transcripted service for The Oatmeal? ==<br />
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Hi everyone - this site is a real gem, I've sent it to a friend of mine who can't read XKCD because she's blind. The transcripts on this site are a real boon!<br />
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Does anyone know if there is a similar service for The Oatmeal? I've searched and searched, but found nothing so far.<br />
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Thanks :)<br />
<br />
Jeff<br />
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:As far as I know we are kind of unique in the web comics world. I think we get away with it because Randall publishes all his comics as Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial. We liberally link back to xkcd, and we don't make a penny (The ads are just to cover server expenses, because wikis and the databases that support them get big when you're covering a body of work like xkcd). I haven't looked into the copyright Matt uses for the Oatmeal, but he seems like a cool enough guy to not kill a community transcripting effort of his comics. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]<span title="I'm an admin. I can help.">_a</span> ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 20:32, 4 March 2014 (UTC)<br />
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== what if 103: Vanishing Water - comics ==<br />
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Please explain the 2nd and the 4th comics from http://what-if.xkcd.com/103/<br />
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"Just tried to sail my boat over land, because I didn't learn from that kid in the Zephyr." (who's the kid from Zephyr?)<br />
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"A third time?" (maybe whales were dropped twice before in other what-ifs?) [[User:Daniel Carrero|Daniel Carrero]] ([[User talk:Daniel Carrero|talk]]) 21:57, 9 July 2014 (UTC)<br />
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:"A third time?" is a reference to a whale falling twice in "Hitchiker's guide to the Galaxy". Been a while, so I don't remember the details of how this fit in, but the second time it happened to the whale, he thought "Not again" or something along those lines. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 18:49, 11 March 2015 (UTC)<br />
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::Actually, it was the bowl of petunias that thought to itself "Oh, no, not again." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.73|108.162.216.73]] 00:48, 5 April 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Raises the question of if we should explain jokes imbedded in What If comics. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 18:49, 11 March 2015 (UTC)<br />
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== Discussion usage ==<br />
<br />
Am I being a killjoy in feeling that the discussion section should be mainly limited to discussion on improving the explanation, gathering consensus and that type of thing.<br />
Specifically, the discussion for [[1418: Horse]] is quickly turning into every man and his dog posting a sentence in the style of the comic, which doesn't really add anything to the page other than clutter.<br />
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Personally, I'd just delete most of them, but I think I might be turning into a grumpy old bugger... --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 20:32, 10 September 2014 (UTC)<br />
:The discussion is also there for just talking about the comic. Those guys aren't wildly off-topic, there's no need to clamp down on what they get to talk about. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 17:44, 10 September 2014 (UTC)<br />
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::Yep, I must just be grumpy and draconian! Lesson learned --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 20:32, 10 September 2014 (UTC)<br />
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== 2014 Christmas header ==<br />
<br />
Since the header for the site current contains a [http://imgs.xkcd.com/store/store_default.png graphic link to the store] that promises that Randall probably won't ship you a [[:Category:Bobcats|bobcat]], it seems to me that probably ought to be preserved and explained somewhere. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.56.189|173.245.56.189]] 17:45, 3 December 2014 (UTC)<br />
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== XKCD at LanguageLog ==<br />
<br />
Arnold Zwicky (of the well-known linguistics blog Language Log) has put together a list of linguistics-related XKCD strips, here: http://arnoldzwicky.org/the-language-of-comics/comics-lists/xkcd-cartoons/ I thought it might be appropriate for a copy of the list (maybe a category) to be created from it. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.133.79|199.27.133.79]] 03:48, 28 December 2014 (UTC)<br />
:[[:Category:Language]] '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 04:39, 28 December 2014 (UTC)<br />
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== Bookmarklet ==<br />
<br />
Hello there, I've created a little bookmarklet (https://ginkobox.fr/shaarli/?a77vQw) and I thought it might be useful for someone out there.<br />
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When launched, it adds the 'explain' before xkcd.com and the browser loads the explainxkcd page. I've tested it only on Firefox.<br />
<br />
(Contact @ https://ginkobox.fr/wiki/doku.php?id=about) {{unsigned ip|108.162.229.100|14:12, 2 January 2015 (UTC)}}<br />
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:Thanks 108.162.229.100! I've started collecting these helpful tools on a [[Browser helpers|new page]], to hopefully make them easier for others to find. – [[User:Yfmcpxpj|Yfmcpxpj]] ([[User talk:Yfmcpxpj|talk]]) 01:36, 29 September 2020 (UTC)<br />
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== Is there a RSS feed for What If? ==<br />
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Is there a RSS feed for What If?--[[User:17jiangz1|17jiangz1]] ([[User talk:17jiangz1|talk]]) 11:59, 29 March 2015 (UTC)<br />
:No, because we cover the comics. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 18:57, 29 March 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== My User Page ==<br />
<br />
Can someone help me with [[user:17jiangz1|my user page]]? I can't seem to remove the large spaaaaaace on top.--[[User:17jiangz1|17jiangz1]] ([[User talk:17jiangz1|talk]]) 07:43, 9 April 2015 (UTC)<br />
: The only solution I've found is to remove the contribution scores (data6=...). Not sure what exactly is triggering this bug. --[[User:SlashMe|SlashMe]] ([[User talk:SlashMe|talk]]) 21:02, 9 April 2015 (UTC)<br />
I am receiving "Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character ""." for <code><pre>{{#expr: {{formatnum:{{#cscore:17jiangz1|pages}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}|R}}*100 round 5 }}</pre></code>--[[User:17jiangz1|17jiangz1]] ([[User talk:17jiangz1|talk]]) 05:46, 10 April 2015 (UTC)<br />
:Bump?--[[User:17jiangz1|17jiangz1]] ([[User talk:17jiangz1|talk]]) 06:48, 14 April 2015 (UTC)<br />
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== What-If ==<br />
<br />
In What-If 150, "Tatoonie Rainbow", http://what-if.xkcd.com/150/ the first image title-text says: "Vowing not to reference that video any further anywhere in this article, on principle.". What video is he talking about? [[User:5mi11er|slmiller]] ([[User talk:5mi11er|talk]]) 14:29, 27 May 2016 (UTC)<br />
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It hasn't updated for 2 weeks. why?--[[User:17jiangz1|17jiangz1]] ([[User talk:17jiangz1|talk]]) 06:50, 25 April 2015 (UTC)<br />
:Looks like they're on hold for a few months (Until July 14th). Too bad, I enjoyed them. ([http://what-if.xkcd.com/ Look at the top of the What-If page]) --[[User:Zman9600|Zman9600]] ([[User talk:Zman9600|talk]]) 20:24, 6 May 2015 (UTC)<br />
:What is so special about the date and time? Seems very specific: ''July 14th, 2015 at 7:49:59 AM EDT.'' --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.99|141.101.98.99]] 12:48, 28 May 2015 (UTC)<br />
Looks like it's set for the 40th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz mission launch. {{unsigned ip|108.162.237.158|12:58, 5 June 2015 (UTC)}}<br />
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What If updates will resume on July 14th, 2015 at 7:49:59 AM EDT. By that time {{w|New Horizons}} will have it's closest approach to {{w|Pluto}}. See here: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/ --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:34, 5 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== thanks for having a working website ==<br />
<br />
the search function on xkcd.com was taken off, and now the random function seems to be having issues, but it's nice that here both work [[Special:Contributions/188.114.97.114|188.114.97.114]] 19:09, 9 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
:We do our best. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 22:27, 9 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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== Ada Munroe ==<br />
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The latest [[what if?]] number 139 has a question by "Ada Munroe". Is she related to [[Randall]] in any way? --{{User:17jiangz1/signature|06:57, 09 August 2015}}<br />
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== Out of curiosity ==<br />
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I notice that whenever someone links to tvtropes.org in an explanation, someone changes the link to the matching page on allthetropes.org. I'm curious as to why that is. Is there some kind of terms of use conflict at play here that an editor should be keeping in mind? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.128.156|199.27.128.156]] 06:33, 26 October 2015 (UTC)<br />
:TVtropes does not restrict links to their site, and if this has been happening there are some time-outs that I need to be handing out. Can you point me to some of the edits where this is happening? '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 08:24, 26 October 2015 (UTC)<br />
::The specific example I had was, um, [[1468: Worrying]]. On Jan 3rd the links went to tvtropes.org, and on March 18th they were all changed over to allthetropes.orain.org. I just found it curious, I wasn't sure what the reason for it was [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.47|162.158.255.47]] 10:32, 29 October 2015 (UTC)<br />
:::Reverted. Typically, the reason people change perfectly good links to specific, obscure links in wikis is usually self-advertising. I'll be watching that guy's edits in the future. Thanks for the heads up. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 18:00, 29 October 2015 (UTC)<br />
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== Sightless readers offended by the "It's 'cause you're dumb" tagline. ==<br />
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I'll admit, every now and again the comic is over my head. ...because I'm dumb in that particular field. However, blind users who enjoy xkcd must do so through explainxkcd. They are NOT dumb. They are *blind*. Without explainxkcd, they would have no idea what is in the comics panels.<br />
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Explainxkcd is a great site. There is no question it provides a service to the internet community.<br />
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Please see this thread (last paragraph) on Userfriendly.org. Keep in mind, the end user is sightless and explainxkcd is "viewed" through a screen reader. http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/read.cgi?id=20160207&tid=3930989 (Anonymous)<br />
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: The guy on that other site is complaining about that XKCD does not work well in a screen reader -- that is not our problem, but a problem for Randall to solve on his own site. We cannot be the catch all for everything on the internet that Randall broke [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 15:37, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:: Agreed --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:28, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Honestly, I never even noticed the tagline in question. Humorous to sighted folks, sure. ...but obviously offensive to those who have no choice but to access xkcd through explainxkcd.<br />
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I'll leave it to the administrators or the community to figure something out, if anything at all. Maybe no one cares? I didn't come here to make any suggestions, only to point out how offensive those 4 words are to some users of the website. {{unsigned ip|108.162.238.88|04:50, 8 February 2016 (UTC)}}<br />
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:Alright, put a link here in the site notice. What does everyone else think? I'm open to changing it, it's something people complain about fairly periodically and our identity isn't completely tied to the tagline, I feel. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 09:16, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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::Well, we definitely shouldn't change anything because that particular guy is upset. It's one thing to be offended, but he's also attacking both this site and Randal Monroe. I don't think that sort of behavior should be rewarded. I actually have a rule online where, if someone acts like a jerk to me, I will be kind, but I won't give them what they want. I think a lot of the problems with people being jerks to others is that they still get what they want, so what reason do they have to stop? If he wants us to change it, he should address us like an adult and ask us himself.<br />
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::But you claim this is a common complaint. Then I would say we need more info. My instinct would be that people don't understand that it's a joke. But then my solution would be to do what the site is designed to do and explain the joke, rather than take it down. If there's actually something about it that's offensive to an entire class of people, that's different. I am unaware of a stereotype that blind people are stupid, but I'm open to the idea that I don't know.<br />
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::I'm not particularly married to the tag line. I actually didn't even notice it was there. But I'm loathe to take it down over a misunderstanding. I can't think of a similarly humorous replacement that would not be offensive, but I can at least suggest "Because nobody knows everything." --[[User:Trlkly|Trlkly]] ([[User talk:Trlkly|talk]]) 09:42, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:::I've gotten these before. There's a [[Talk:Main_Page#Header_message|slowly growing]] section in the main page discussion page and a complaint buried somewhere in my talk page and they're usually quite unhappy. I pegged it up this time round because there's special needs involved, and a good part of our intended appeal is the transcripts for the blind. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 10:45, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:::I like your reasoning, what if "It's 'cause you're dumb" was follow by "[citation needed]" and make the whole thing a link to a page explaining the header. It would be in character of the page, and xkcd. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.34|108.162.221.34]] 00:28, 13 February 2016 (UTC) Sam<br />
::::Great idea, Sam! That's the funniest suggestion ever [citation needed]. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.141.4|172.68.141.4]] 19:29, 29 August 2018 (UTC)<br />
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::Is he one of those people who are so self-centered and 'entitled' that just because they have a disability they assume that everyone is constantly trying to offend them, even in the most unlikeliest of cases? Does he actually believe that the tag line was written with the intention of offending blind people? This is ridiculous. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.71|141.101.106.71]] 11:04, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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"Just in case you feel dumb"? "Some comics may be funnier than they appear"?[[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.198|199.27.130.198]] 09:55, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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How about simply removing it? At least until we find something that isn't offensive to anyone - which might be very hard to obtain. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 10:34, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Because you're crippled... That's worse I guess.<br><br />
But before considering the "you're dumb" tagline, one must think about the name of this wiki. It is called '''Explain''' xkcd, not read xkcd, and explaining is for dumb people, not blind people.<br><br />
Maybe one thing we can do is add a "(unless you are just here for the transcript)" subtext, with a link to the transcript section, which has the advantage of both taming offended blind readers (maybe) and provide a direct, "spoilerless" link. --[[User:GuB|GuB]] ([[User talk:GuB|talk]]) 10:40, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I need explainxkcd for two reasons: being visually impaired, although I can see most of the comics I often miss crucial details that I find only in the transcript; and as a non-American, I lack many cultural references (books, movies, songs, sayings...) that are given in the explanations.<br />
I don't think either of these reasons makes me "dumb". However, I never found the tagline offensive. It was immediately obvious to me that it was meant as humor. Who could seriously think that someone is dumb just because they haven't read the specific book that Randall is parodying in a given comic? Or because they're not familiar with a specific programming language or Unix command? IMHO the tagline *is* funny precisely because very few people can actually "get" all the comics without an explanation. Suggesting that anyone who isn't part of the 0.1% of the population who share all of Randall's abilities and references, is dumb, can't be anything but a joke. Adding to the lot those who can't get the comics because they're blind doesn't make the joke more offensive. It's a sad world where political correctness kills all forms of humor.<br />
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On the other hand, the tagline is not an essential part of the site and if a significant number want it removed, so be it.<br />
Zetfr 10:46, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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:Well not everybody's mind works the same way, and some people legitimately cannot grasp humor very easily. They may come to read the explanations precisely because they can't recognize what about a given comic is supposed to be humorous, and they likewise may not be able to tell that the tagline is just a joke. Besides, the tagline is equating a lack of knowledge with a lack of intelligence, which also makes it inaccurate and kind of kills the humor for those who stop and think about it.<br />
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:I personally agree with the above "Because nobody knows everything." approach. I would suggest something along the lines of "Because you won't always get the joke." --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.134|108.162.242.134]] 11:06, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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:: This sounds like a bunch of dumb people coming together and suggesting that the rest of people should be more like them (joke intended) [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 15:33, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: +1 on this. '''Keep'''. --[[User:SlashMe|SlashMe]] ([[User talk:SlashMe|talk]]) 20:15, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''removal''' [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 11:01, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Mostly agree with Zetfr, it is a rather obvious joke, and this is a website about a webcomic which is mostly about fun, it would be different if this was some serious news portal, but it isn't, and in my humble opinion people who can't take a joke shouldn't even be here. There will always be ranters and people who get offended, we should not let them make decisions for us. I sincerely believe vast majority of people, blind or otherwise, understand it. [[User:Jaalenja|Jaalenja]] ([[User talk:Jaalenja|talk]])<br />
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:I agree with Zetfr. If a user doesn't understand that it is a joke, then he won't understand XKCD's jokes, either, no matter how much explaination he can get.<br />
:--[[User:Lou Crazy|Lou Crazy]] ([[User talk:Lou Crazy|talk]]) 12:12, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
::I also agree with the above, and like the part of Zetfr about because you need a reader to use the page you do not need to be offended by an obvious joke --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:28, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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if i had a vote i'd say change the "because you're dumb" from text to a picture with alt text of something slightly less rude. "because you're using a screenreader," perhaps. although that would show up on mouseover. meh. whatever. --13:01, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:and someone isn't "entitled" because they get annoyed about something that doesn't annoy you. as a sighted person i don't even look at the headers on the page. i would imagine that since the text in question is at the top of the page he has to listen to it every single time the page is refreshed. which is annoying enough if it's not insulting. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.161|141.101.106.161]] 13:06, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:It is bad to have the alt-text saying something differently, but since the current tagline is not offensive to non-blind people then why would it be offensive to a blind person. [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 15:24, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''keep''' -- Blind people do not have to come to this site, they can just use xkcd.com directly and if that is not working for blind people then that is Randall's problem not ours. The tag line has been there for years while I have noticed it before and used the site and I have never been offended, if a blind person is offended maybe they should stop using the internet. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.109|162.158.255.109]] 15:18, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
: I second that -- the tag line does not appear to offend non-blind people, it should not offend blind people either [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 15:24, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Voting '''KEEP''' -- the tag line is a joke, and who is to say that blind people cannot be dumb [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 15:24, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''keep''' as well. I don't see any reason to change it; it's not a jab at disabled people, blind or otherwise. The site is called '''explain'''xkcd, and everything here centers around explaining the comic, not being a transcription service. (If that's not the case, then maybe other things need changing too.) I always thought the tagline fit nicely with the "sarcasm" part of xkcd's own tagline. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.26|108.162.216.26]] 15:26, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''KEEP and satisfy both sides'''. If you examine the HTML, or use [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/fangs-screen-reader-emulator/ Fangs] (free screen reader), you may notice there is a jump-to-nav div element that lets people with screen readers jump to various parts of the page. The jump-to-nav div is only a few HTML lines below the tagline. I'd recommend:<br />
# Moving the jump-to-nav div to '''before''' the tagline<br />
# Adding a "Jump to Transcript" link in the jump-to-nav div.<br />
# Test it with [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/fangs-screen-reader-emulator/ Fangs] in Firefox to simulate a screen reader.<br />
This way, screen-reader users can jump to the transcript and don't have to hear the tagline every time they visit an explainxkcd.com page.<br />
-- [[User:Hat|Hat]] ([[User talk:Hat|talk]]) 15:44, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Consider "Do you get it now?" [[Special:Contributions/198.41.235.11|198.41.235.11]] 16:09, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''keep''': it's reasonable and no change is warranted<br />
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I like the suggestion of '''keeping''' the current tagline, but changing it to an '''image with alttext''' saying something like "because you're using a screenreader". I also vote to move the link to the transcript to above the tagline. [[User:Rileysci|Rileysci]] ([[User talk:Rileysci|talk]]) 17:32, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: Great idea, but here's an even better one: '''Keep''' the tagline for visual browsers, but '''add code''' such as [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/672156/is-there-a-way-to-write-content-that-screen-readers-will-ignore <code> CSS { speak: none; } and aria-hidden="true"</code>] that prevents it from being spoken by screen readers. -- [[User:Frankie|Frankie]] ([[User talk:Frankie|talk]]) 15:31, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I get the joke and I'm not offended by it, but it seems to me that it really sticks out on this site and it doesn't seem consistent with Randall's sense of humor. Everyone on this site is very inclusive and eager to share all perspectives and points of view. I come here both to see the humor that I have the knowledge to understand and to learn more about the world the way Randall sees it. In short, I come here to be one of the lucky 10,000. In fact, I would suggest that as the tag line, "Congratulations! You're one of today's lucky 10,000!". Inside joke that can link to the comic (http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1053:_Ten_Thousand) and it is welcoming. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.170|108.162.245.170]] 18:44, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
: +1 on this. '''Change''' [[User:Jkshapiro|Jkshapiro]] ([[User talk:Jkshapiro|talk]]) 03:45, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
: +1 on this. '''Change'''<br />
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I vote '''keep'''. In case it is not kept then it should be changed to something completely different. Te idea of making a title text to an image I really dislike, although I even more dislike adding anything to the existing one to either refer to people coming for the transcript or making excuses for the obvious joke. This has been a part of the page forever, I have seen it almost every time I come here. To begin with I did feel dumb sometimes, but I was never offended by it, just amused. But of course an explain page is for those who did not get the joke. And there are other pages that explains the comic. I do not know if they have a transcript? But I'm happy to know that some people must really enjoy the detailed transcripts that I usually try to provide. I had just not though about the blind perspective. I more use the transcript to make sure every one agrees on what is seen in the images of the comic. Having said all this, I must admit that the best suggestion for a change so far is the one posted above my post (about the lucky 10,000). :-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:28, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote keep, for exactly the reasons explained by Zeftr above. Changing it to an image with alt text would be OK also. [[User:Miamiclay|Miamiclay]] ([[User talk:Miamiclay|talk]]) 20:45, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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:I vote '''Change''' it because it is too easily mistaken as an insult instead of a joke. At least change it to ''Because you are stupid''.... Ah, maybe instead ''Because xkcd is far beyond common knowledge'' or ''Because hardly anyone gets everything'' or ''Because it is usually nerdly esoteric even for geeks''. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.46|108.162.221.46]] 21:39, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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:I vote '''Change'''. I have never been a big fan of the tagline. I don't know everything, but I am certainly not dumb. Also, I echo the reference to (http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1053:_Ten_Thousand). This comic has always been about expanding knowledge, not making you feel guilty for not knowing something.<br />
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:'''Change''': I realize the "It's because you're dumb" tagline follows the sarcastic nature of Randall's humor, but there are enough people who don't get or appreciate that sort of humor and are likely to be more offended by it, special needs or no. Here's my suggestion: "For those of us who don't get it." [[User:KieferSkunk|KieferSkunk]] ([[User talk:KieferSkunk|talk]]) 21:59, 8 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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At what point is "enough" people offended? I've only seen evidence of several (https://xkcd.com/1070/) visually impaired users actually offended by the site, along with a couple people who didn't specify their visual ability. I don't know the traffic on this site, but I would expect it to be on the order of 10^4 or higher. So is this discussion about changing something that a handful of people find offensive? Or is there an actual problem of something inappropriate on the site. If this is all about a couple people finding something offensive, I imagine a few christians might take issue with (https://xkcd.com/709/). Should we start another discussion about accommodating them? Or add a disclaimer that the views expressed by Randall Munroe are his own and do not reflect those of this site? [[User:Beardmcbeardson|Beardmcbeardson]] ([[User talk:Beardmcbeardson|talk]]) 01:25, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
: So you vote to '''keep''' -- right? [[User:Spongebog|Spongebog]] ([[User talk:Spongebog|talk]]) 04:30, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Slightly Change'''-- make it more obviously tongue in cheek. "It's cause we're dumb" or "For those of us who need it" I agree with the point about not complying with people on the internet who can't behave like adults, however I've never found the line particularly funny. Also change the jump-to-nav, as that would just get annoying to hear it every time you open up the site. I am not recommending changing it based on the imagined offenses of others. I just think it could be funnier.[[User:NotLock|NotLock]] ([[User talk:NotLock|talk]]) 06:29, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I like changing to "For those of us who need it"<br />
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'''Keep''' Trying to satisfy everyone is like trying to understand every comic. It probably won't happen. As an example, using the 'one of 10 000' example provided above can insult a bunch of people that are not from the States simply because the comic (and the reference to the comic for that matter) will make them feel left out. My other reasons for voting keep have all been mentioned already. People get insulted so easily, let's try not to encourage this behavior by rewarding it. [[User:Bon|Bon]] ([[User talk:Bon|talk]]) 07:16, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''Change''' because I find it slightly offensive myself. If we change it, we should replace it with something that everybody would interpret as humorous, e.g. "Because we can't all be rocket scientists". [[User:Condor70|Condor70]] ([[User talk:Condor70|talk]]) 08:25, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep'''. Next thing we know, liberal arts majors will complain about xkcd science being offensive. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.91.229|141.101.91.229]] 10:12, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote for '''change''' or '''remove'''. Regarding the former, while I know it's supposed to be a joke, I never found it humorous myself and, unlike others that wrote before me, I don't think it relates to the humor or sarcasm used by Randall. It being offensive is not part of my motivation for my vote. I agree with some of the suggestions written up to now. Regarding the latter, I don't really think it's existence is necessary. Regardless, changing the div things is a must. [[User:GuiRitter|GuiRitter]] ([[User talk:GuiRitter|talk]]) 16:25, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote for '''change'''. You could keep much of the humour by changing it to something like "because ignorance '''can''' be cured". [[User:Farnz|Farnz]] ([[User talk:Farnz|talk]])<br />
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If I may vote (as a happy international user of this site, but not yet a contributor), one more vote for '''Keep''' - at least as "don't change now, because of this specific request, because of perceived offensiveness". For several reasons, which have been mentioned already:<br />
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a) I think it's funny. It also fits perfectly with the overall XKCD humor. And the same line of thinking as the book "You are now less dumb" from "YouAreNotSoSmart.com".<br />
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b) It's so obviously generic (directed at everyone reading it) I fail to understand how it can be interpreted as insult instead of irony. Even worse: I fail to understand why it should be _especially_ insulting to blind people. Having a transcript for them to use is nice, but it's merely one of the aspects this site provides (and it's not even at the top nor are there pages "transcript only", so blind are no primary audience)<br />
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c) If this site decides to actually help blind people more, how about: putting the tagline in the image (so it's not "read every time"), put the transcript at the top / provide pages with only transcripts, so that the original XKCD can be consumed prior to the explanations here (just as non-blind users would see it)<br />
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d) this request follows the current Outragism trend, so I do suspect that it's not actually blind people feeling offended, but privileged SJWs thinking about who might possibly feel offended, bringing change to the world where it's not beneficial even for those they claim to support. Comparable to PETA.<br />
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While I'm at it - THANK YOU for this site. Most XKCD I mostly understand. But due to being an international reader, some aspects of American Culture I need explainXKCD to grasp, and other aspects it's just nice to see more details, cross-references with other comics, and hidden gems. <br />
[[User:Zefiro|Zefiro]] ([[User talk:Zefiro|talk]]) 18:46, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:I'm an "international user", too, and I suppose a lot of users of this site are international users who need to be explained some xkcd jokes that would be obvious to any native English speaker living in the US. I don't have an opinion about changing the tagline or keeping it, but I would like to notice that "Because you are dumb" is the kind of joke that would need an explanation - it would be hard for me to tell if it's a joke or an insult. Therefore, an easier joke could have some advantage.--[[User:Pere prlpz|Pere prlpz]] ([[User talk:Pere prlpz|talk]]) 22:16, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote for '''change.''' I know it's a joke, but it's not particularly funny, and can easily be mistaken for an insult. [[User:Ekedolphin|Ekedolphin]] ([[User talk:Ekedolphin|talk]]) 20:13, 9 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I agree with Trlkly (and Isaac(https://xkcd.com/1448/)), more information is needed. The purpose of this site is to explain xkcd (obviously, from the name) so people come here primarily to seek knowledge or a better understanding about xkcd. As long as the explanations or the explainers don't act like white hat (https://xkcd.com/1386/), there should be no reason to take the tagline seriously.--[[User:Beardmcbeardson|Beardmcbeardson]] ([[User talk:Beardmcbeardson|talk]]) 01:20, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote KEEP, but I do support the idea of moving the jump-to to above the tagline. I believe that the tagline is obviously a joke, and that pleaing everyone is nigh impossible. I also strongly oppose the proposal to change it to an image with an alt-text of "because you're using a screen reader." Finally, I do not believe we should change the tagline. We should, if anything, remove it altogether. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.20|173.245.54.20]] 03:33, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Slightly Change''' - I like 199.27.130.198's idea, "Just in case you feel dumb." [[User:Mateussf|Mateussf]] ([[User talk:Mateussf|talk]]) 04:44, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''Change''', preferably to something like "The ''Anti'' Thing Explainer; Simple Stuff in Complicated Words!" Only, you know, more complicated to improve the joke. [[User:KitsunePhoenix|Amaroq (KitsunePhoenix)]] ([[User talk:KitsunePhoenix|talk]]) 05:01, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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What about: it's cause you need more context. I also don't like the current tagline, because dumbness would be more the inability to understand than a lack of knowledge.<br />
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'''Change''' - First thing first, as suggested, move the jump-to-nav div to before the tagline and add a "Jump to Transcript" link in the jump-to-nav div.<br />
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Then also change the tagline: it's not that good, and not that in line with the xkcd humor - it's actually ''directly opposed'' to the spirit of [[1053]]. Some better ones have already been suggested:<br />
*"Some comics may be funnier than they appear"<br />
*"Congratulations! You're one of today's lucky 10,000!"<br />
*"because sometimes we all need a little help"<br />
''Or'' we could even have a bunch of good ones like that out of which one is selected at random when the page is loaded --[[User:Jules.LT|Jules.LT]] ([[User talk:Jules.LT|talk]]) 09:17, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I like the joke in the tag line (some of us come here because they are to stupid or to lazy to lookup all the information xkcd is joking about)<br />
but I also find it to direct to the user. I want to add some suggestions to Jules.LT [[User:SirKitKat|sirKitKat]] ([[User talk:SirKitKat|talk]]) 10:01, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
* "Error loading tagline, click here to retry."<br />
* "Because it is Monday morning."<br />
* "Because you like explaining jokes."<br />
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I think people coming here and complaining because "dumb" appears to be aimed at insulting the blind are hilarious, because another meaning for "dumb" is "unable to speak." If people who were "dumb" in this way were complaining because we are using the other meaning of "dumb" it would be awkward, but degree of visual acuity is not open for the same misinterpretation. [[User:Swordsmith|Swordsmith]] ([[User talk:Swordsmith|talk]])<br />
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'''KEEP''' for the same reasons as [[User:Zefiro|Zefiro]]. If change is necessary, fix it so the screen reader doesnt say it aloud. (This ensures the change is propagated to those who have no other recourse for sightless XKCD enjoyment, and is not a ploy by SJWs who can't take sarcastic humor (why are they reading XKCD in the first place?) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.40|108.162.221.40]] 14:06, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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It is super obviously not intended seriously, because xkcd is a technical comic that nobody will understand entirely on the first pass. If it's true, then everybody is dumb. Boo hoo.<br />
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The guy in question is under the mistaken impression that Randall runs this site and maliciously hides his transcripts under the tagline. He's also very angry about a lot of things. Sighted people have to look at the tagline every time it loads too, it's at the top of the page.<br />
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I vote '''Keep''' because I hate negotiating with terrorists. If it has the effect of filtering out people who enjoy being outraged, then it's doing a service. Image search "stephen fry offensive".<br />
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I'd be fine with moving the jump-to-nav div. I'm absolutely against making it an image with a different tagline, because then we would be depriving blind people of the joke. I'm absolutely against changing it to something less offensive. I would settle for removing it entirely, or changing it to something more offensive, such as "It's 'cause you're dumb, and get offended over dumb shit."<br />
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Or, you know, make a transcribexkcd.com site. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.217.203|108.162.217.203]] 16:39, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Change''' to one of the cool new suggestions I've seen. I've always been sad about this tagline, and while I love XKCD humor, I just don't think the tagline is funny. It makes me hesitate and sometimes decide not to share this site with others who I think would love the humor, but not the tagline. The issue keeps coming up, and this is just one more way that it irritates people and causes hassle. It's obvious to me that we should find a new tagline, or just drop it for the time being. [[User:Nealmcb|Nealmcb]] ([[User talk:Nealmcb|talk]]) 17:39, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Change''' The word "dumb" used as slang for "unintelligent" or "uneducated" is offensive and many better suggestions have been proposed, which retain the wry humor without the offense. Hiding behind "it's just a joke" is beneath the standards of this site. {{unsigned ip|108.162.245.134|18:12, 10 February 2016 (UTC)}}<br />
:It's not hiding behind "just a joke", it IS the joke. It's tongue-in-cheek. It's so obviously false that you have to intentionally ignore the joke and manufacture offense about something benign. I'll give you that it's not that funny. It's also not that offensive. Why are we talking about something so petty. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.11|108.162.221.11]] 21:11, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep'''. I feel like a blind person being insulted by the implication that being sightless somehow makes them unintelligent is a pretty far leap of logic. Not being able to see has no bearing whatsoever on your actual mental acuity. How many actual complaints have there been? One, a few, lots? I don't know, but if it was a significant number I might change my mind. As it stands, though, I think it's pretty clear in the site description that this site is meant for people who don't understand the comic due to its focus on obscure topics and use of technical jargon, being written by a former NASA robot technician with a bent for Linux. Using disabilities as an insult is something I don't condone, but in this case I think it's a case of certain individuals being overly sensitive. Thinking a word as mild as "dumb" is offensive is a bit much, especially since it's often used in contexts other than "uneducated" or "stupid" - I use it to describe myself all the time when I can't word proper-like. I think of it more as "scatter-brained". --[[User:KingStarscream|KingStarscream]] ([[User talk:KingStarscream|talk]]) 18:55, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Change''' I feel like the "Because we can't all be rocket scientists" tagline suggested above is great; I always found the tagline to be a bit annoying because I often know all of a comic except a small part, and I come here for that. It's just unnecessarily confrontational and Randall himself has expressed in https://xkcd.com/1386/ and https://xkcd.com/1053/ that he doesn't agree with insulting ignorance. {{unsigned ip|198.41.235.179|19:06, 10 February 2016 (UTC)}}<br />
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'''Change AND Keep''' I get the original joke, but I love some of the new ones too. Randomly rotating tag line appear is my vote, BUT let's make the tag line clickable so that we can explain the tag line .... for those of us who don't get the joke! {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.10|19:12, 10 February 2016 (UTC)}}<br />
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'''Keep''', but change the jump-to-nav, and maybe make the tagline clickable. I like the tagline. Someone already said this, but this is explainxkcd, not readxkcd. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.63|108.162.216.63]] 19:37, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''Keep''', because it's been there for so long! I remember coming here years ago and looking for the references I didn't get, and the tagline was already there. It's a legacy thing, the one thing remaining from the old website in the new fancy wiki format. [[Special:Contributions/198.41.226.204|198.41.226.204]] 20:47, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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For all you people being offended and claiming that the tagline is contrary to the spirit of xkcd, I give you [https://xkcd.com/386/ xkcd.com/386]. This entire argument is offensive to me, can we remove it? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.11|108.162.221.11]] 21:20, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep''' The referenced posting is obviously a troll. And xkcd has transcripts so the story of the self proclaimed blind person with diabetes does not make sense. --23:43, 10 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Rather than "cuz you're dumb" which both asserts a trait and uses what might not be the best word choice, why not something like "Because you might be ignorant"? Dumb, after all, isn't remediable, though ignorance is. (Also, a consideration, "dumb" can mean "mute," so if there's something with screenreading for blindness, that could be read as assuming more than one disability? ("blind and dumb" akin to "deaf and dumb"?) // Possibly do something akin to the warning on the comic's site itself: "Because you might be a liberal arts major." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.61|108.162.221.61]] 00:22, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep''' because risk of accidental offence is never a good reason to rewrite comedy. If community wants to change suggest "Explaining Xtremely Klever Comedic Drawings"; if only to troll those who insist that the letters XKCD must stand for something (which it doesn't) [[User:Kev|Kev]] ([[User talk:Kev|talk]]) 00:37, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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The issue seems to boil down to:<br />
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Is it funny?<br />
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Is it overly offensive?<br />
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And therefore:<br />
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Is it worth it?<br />
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Throwing in my opinion, however small:<br />
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It's amusing to me.<br />
The joke is clear, and universal. Offence may be taken equally by anyone reading.<br />
It fits well.<br />
Possibly have a hidden link for those offended. A rotating tag line could include more jokes, but...<br />
By all means move the navigation.<br />
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An explain explainxkcd page that is linked to might work, in the spirit of metahumour.<br />
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However, it may not be as serious an issue, as the tag line is easy to ignore. Just moving HTML a bit seems like a logical, cheap and easy solution, and then we can test it. Please note that this has no technical knowledge behind it, just a reading of the above.<br />
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So, my vote goes to '''keep''', and shuffle HTML or, in order, link, replace with rotating, modify, remove.<br />
Harmless fun. Possibly have a cookie-based option to permanently hide the tag line.<br />
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.160|108.162.250.160]] 00:56, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Apologies, I have broken formatting in the last few edits, trying to fix it...[[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.160|108.162.250.160]] 00:57, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: My vote is '''change''', and it's not because of blind people. Let me run you through a very common scenario for new users:<br />
:* You have a person who generally thinks of themselves as quite smart.<br />
:* They read the comics and find most of them extremely funny.<br />
:* They come across a comic they just can't understand.<br />
:* They stare at it for minutes, wondering why they just can't get the joke.<br />
:* Pride already bruised, they eventually give up and turn to Google.<br />
:* "Explain xkcd! That's exactly what I'm looking for!"<br />
:* Click the link.<br />
:* "Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb"<br />
:* Gee, what a lovely welcome. Not.<br />
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: Insulting your users the first time you meet them is '''''terrible''''' practice. You're pointing at them and laughing that they didn't understand the joke. You're kicking somebody when they're already down. OK, that is exaggeration, but when you look at the line as a new user, it's not friendly and welcoming; it doesn't encourage you to return. It's just bad UX.<br />
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: Now, we could overlook the directed insult if it was indeed funny, but it really isn't. There's nothing witty about it, nothing punny about it, no double-entendres or sly references. It's just an insult. <br />
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: Legacy is no reason to keep something that doesn't work. Just because something wasn't picked up as bad practice 5 years ago doesn't mean that it isn't bad practice. Can you imagine if Microsoft kept Clippy around for "legacy reasons"?<br />
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: It would be one thing if it were kept because there were no other options, but ''so many'' fantastic alternatives have been suggested:<br />
:* '''It's 'cause we're dumb''' -- Changes it from an insult directed at one person to a statement with an inclusive sense of community. It saying that, hey, you may not understand all the comics, but neither do we! Let's learn together!<br />
:* '''Congratulations! You're one of today's lucky 10,000!''' -- Direct reference to comic which celebrates filling gaps in one's knowledge. Also, as a comic reference, most people won't get it the first time, so make it a link and use it to draw people further in to this wiki!<br />
:* '''Some comics may be funnier than they appear''' -- Actually humorous, containing reference to a very common message we're all familiar with (objects in the mirror may be closer than they appear). Also alludes to the hidden depths to many of the comics, where additional levels of meaning are revealed the more about the subject one knows, which is what this wiki is trying to reveal.<br />
:* '''Error loading tagline, click here to retry.''' -- Looks like the kind of joke you'd actually find in the comments. Clicking the tagline should then do something completely unrelated to reloading the tagline (I dunno, set off some cool JS magic).<br />
:* '''Because it is Monday morning.''' -- Should only be shown on Mondays. Can easily be implemented with parser functions.<br />
:* '''Because sometimes we all need a little help''' -- Gives an understanding tone that's comforting to new users.<br />
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: '''TL;DR''': The current tagline is unnecessarily confrontational and projects a bad welcome to new users, and there is nothing particularly clever/funny/important about the current tag line to recommend keeping it, especially with ''so many'' better suggestions on offer. Put it this way, if you were seeing "It's 'cause you're dumb" tag as a suggestion to add to this wiki today, would you choose it over the other options? No? Then make like an old meme and "Let It Go!" [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.157|108.162.249.157]] 05:49, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: I think the above comment is a perfect example of different mindsets. I discovered this wiki in exactly the way you described. But I was not offended in anyway when seeing the tagline, which I did almost immediately. Rather, it got a little chuckle out of me along with a thought along the lines of "Haha, yeah, maybe I am dumb." If you get offended by such a tagline, it suggests to me that you are not all that certain about your own intelligence in the first place. It's a static bit of text. It was not aimed at the person reading it, it was aimed at EVERYONE reading it. EDIT-I realize this post could be seen as offensive or a personal attack, which it's not, please read the "you" not as the poster of the above mentioned comment, but as a generic for any person reading the comment. [[User:Bon|Bon]] ([[User talk:Bon|talk]]) 07:11, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: If I remember correctly I've heard it origonally was a pic of Blackhat saying it. Would it be possible to use that on this site. It seems like a decent solution? (I haven't read all of this so I don't know if this has been suggested sorry if it has). Like people have said no one gets all of xkcd, as a nonAmerican there is also a lot of references I don't get. Getting offenend over this does seems pretty pathetic to me. I also use this site for non explanation reasons, that is it often links together comics which is handy, and people often post cool links. But as others have pointed out this site isn't transcriptxkcd or linkxkcd it's explainxkcd, so that's what it should be meant for. Claiming i's offensive o the visually impaired seems pretty silly. All in all, maybe it could do with tweaking to make it more obvious but IMO it's a solid '''keep''' [[User:Halfhat|Halfhat]] ([[User talk:Halfhat|talk]]) 11:22, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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::I vote '''change''', for the reasons the Halfhat above listed. I also never thought "It's 'cause you're dumb." really fit with this wiki. --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.33|141.101.104.33]] 12:57, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:::I can't believe we've become such a limp-wristed baby society that we can't even have a joke like "It's 'cause you're dumb" as the tagline. Nobody would reasonably get offended at it. '''Keep.''' [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.33|108.162.221.33]] 13:35, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''keep'''. Blind people have to realize they're not the only ones reading this site. This site was created to explain the comic, not purely to provide a transcript of the comic - that's just icing. [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 14:27, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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If there ever really was a single person who took the tag line seriously, then it was just telling them the truth. I vote '''keep'''. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.90|162.158.255.90]] 19:15, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''Keep, or otherwise, Change'''. My opinion: It is not offensive, and I find it humourous. As I am very interested in the maths and the sciences, and I am very nerdy, I do often understand the jokes in each comic. However, sometimes I don't quite get it. This wiki is very good for that, because it collates many people's views and expertise on the comic. If the vote is overall to change, I am a fan of "Because sometimes we all need a little help." [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.29|173.245.54.29]] 21:18, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''change''': I've always been a bit unsettled by it myself. Some deaf readers may be more insulted by it than blind ones. vote for "'''Cause you're #dumb''" (or perhaps another NOT symbol... so only people that don't understand are insulted... and the tagline can be linked to a page that explains why it isn't an insult) [[User:Edo|Edo]] ([[User talk:Edo|talk]]) 23:16, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''KEEP'''. I actually had the feeling the fellow who complained may not understand sarcasm very well. Regardless, the tagline to me is remarkably funny and one of the things I always point out to folks when I first turn them on to XKCD. I worry they will stop following XKCD if they don't understand a post, which is why I am especially glad your site exists. There are many types of humor that will be lost on folks. Myself, for example. I was just railing to my friends about how much I did not like a recent popular vine which showed a guy, kinda probably the father, scaring a very young child strapped in a cat seat, by yelling in horror as the cats convertible roof was closed. Because I did not grow up watching laugh-tracked America's Funniest (sic) Home Video segments, I am not conditioned for casual schadenfreude-driven videos. But I know that's just me. I don't want to limit free-speech merely because it is not for me. Regardless, I really just want you to '''KEEP''' it because to me it is darn funny and just the sort of humor most of the folks who enjoy XKCD appreciate. --[[User:Hugo|Hugo]] ([[User talk:Hugo|talk]]) 23:25, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I will also vote '''keep'''. While it ''might'' be considered offensive, it's really no more "offensive" than XKCD itself. Lest we forget the line at the bottom of every comic page:<br />
:Warning: this comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and '''advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)'''.<br />
I don't see how "It's 'cause you're dumb." is any worse. [[User:Schiffy|<font color="000999">Schiffy</font>]] ([[User_talk:Schiffy|<font color="FF6600">Speak to me</font>]]|[[Special:Contributions/Schiffy|<font color="FF0000">What I've done</font>]]) 23:52, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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:: I don't think it's offensive, it's more childish, which may be off-putting for first time readers. Hence I vote for '''change'''. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.216|199.27.130.216]] 01:12, 14 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''Keep''', per the reasoning of, among other people, Zefiro. I like the tagline a lot and don't see much at all, if anything, that's wrong with it. Like Hugo, I feel like it's a bit of ''entirely'' appropriate humor. [[User:APerson|APerson]] ([[User talk:APerson|talk!]]) 00:36, 12 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''change'''. I know it's supposed to be a joke, but it seems out of place and not particularly funny, and it could discourage potential readers. I don't have an idea for a new tagline, but plenty of good ones have been suggested here. [[User:Cheese Lord Eggplant|Cheese Lord Eggplant]] ([[User talk:Cheese Lord Eggplant|talk]]) 03:13, 12 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep''' better sums up my vote, and I wish to explain why. I understand the views (as stated above) that it might discourage potential viewers, but I have seen enough well-put arguments that point out why it should not be removed for the arguments on the other side of the debate. However, I do understand that sightless users would get pretty pissed off at being told that they're dumb over and over. Is there perhaps a way to hide the text from programs designed to assisted the disabled? I have a couple of suggestions.<br />
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Perhaps it can instead simply be an image, and can even be done in a more stylized text that hints at the humour behind it (no, I have no specific suggestions). This image should not have the words it says in the meta-text within it. I just think it's not worth removing it over, it's kind of funny (or very funny, depending who you ask), replacement suggestions kinda make it bland, and this is a way to avoid having sightless people get told they're dumb over and over. The stylization is just a suggestion, because most alternative taglines I've heard don't sound up to par compared to it. Just anything to point out the sarcastic and purely humorous intentions.<br />
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I'd like to enforce my suggestion of having an image with no meta-text that can be read by bringing up that explainxkcd.com can hardly ''lose'' popularity if for the sensitive minority they don't have a tagline (especially if this tagline they are not aware of could be construed as offensive). 'Cause seriously, who's going to go tell a blind person "hey man the tagline for this site is insulting to you want to hear it?" so they'll just not learn of its existence and go on peacefully. So: Image, stylized to clearly express humour, with no program-interpretable meta-text for the blind to hear. I'd like this opinion to be closely considered, and I'd love to hear intelligent replies. ''For all intents and purposes,'' I vote '''Keep''', but to address the issue proactively and adaptively to get the best for both worlds.<br />
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I would like to point out one change I would definitely agree with, however. The commenter at 108.162.249.157 not far up suggests "It's 'cause we're dumb", and I would totally back that. That one change could make a world of difference for some people. --[[User:Znayx|Znayx]] ([[User talk:Znayx|talk]]) 09:15, 12 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: "It's cause we're dumb" is actually a pretty acceptable change in my opinion. I still vote keep, but wouldn't mind seeing that one. Right now the no tagline version looks lonely. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.40|108.162.221.40]] 14:56, 12 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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::For the record, I would oppose a change of "It's cause we're dumb" because it's simply not as funny (the joke benefits from it sounding like it's a mock insult) and for the reasons in my main post right below this one that I see no reason to change the tagline which should not offend or be taken personally by someone who has enough sense of humour and intelligence to enjoy xkcd. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 17:25, 12 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
::This brings up the point that it is indeed a mock insult, and one that everyone gets when they visit the site, those with perfect vision are insulted just as much as the blind, or white, or black, etc... [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.34|108.162.221.34]] 00:34, 13 February 2016 (UTC) Sam<br />
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I would vote '''keep''' as it is. I am mindful of offensive content, but context is key. This is a website whose primary purpose is explaining a humour-based webcomic that touches on topics that require some intelligence to really enjoy. The tagline is obviously (I hope) tongue-in-cheek. "if you need explanation of this sometimes very technical and specialized and sometimes ambiguous webcomic, you're clearly a moron". I think that most people on this site and elsewhere would consider those who enjoy xkcd (a webcomic that often concerns itself with science, history, technology, etc.) to be relatively intelligent. Just perhaps not in every particular area (as noted right at the top of this discussion). I also think it is clear that this is a wiki an thus the tagline is directed to everyone, even the people who wrote the tagline. We're all here because we're "dumb" in the sense of occasionally needing (or at least enjoying) a deeper explanation for the comics. If someone who is blind is using the site other than for its originally intended purpose, and it helps them, that's awesome. But that doesn't mean the tagline must acknowledge all possible uses of the site. Just the thesis statement of the site, which is "this site is for explaining something you might not understand". If there are blind people who use this site just to read the comic and never to need or enjoy the explanations, then I guess they are smarter than me. I do not personally believe in changing the tagline of the entire community because it doesn't apply to one small group that is using the site for a different purpose than its intentions (again, not knocking them for using the site at all, but seriously, don't walk into McDonalds and go "''I eat here because my doctor says I need more sodium, and I actually hate the food. I'm offended by your "I'm loving it" tagline. Change it!''". Or complain about Disneyland's slogan because you suffer from depression.). I would also have expected anyone who reads xkcd often enough to bother coming to this site just to do so because of their blindness would have a sense of humour and would understand the context in which the tagline was intended, and not take it personally. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 17:25, 12 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:I really agree with basically everything TheHypo writes, both here and his above comment on the reason "we're dumb" would not work at all. The idea with keeping the text but only as an image could be used, but I just do not like that we change this because someone made a ''troll complaint'' somewhere, regardless of him being blind or not; that is just one more good reason to keep it. Then again if we really wish to make it better for blind people, then by all means use an image. But keep the text in the image then! If you do enjoy xkcd then you should be able to spot the humor, and with the way Randall himself keep on mocking people on his own page, and in his comics, then why should this not fit well in with this explain page, and why should we not keep on doing what we have been doing so far? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 22:19, 13 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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How about '''Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're ''dumb*''.''' (''*Or don't get the joke because it is either outside your area of expertise or in a format that isn't accessible to you'') - [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.23|141.101.70.23]] 04:48, 13 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Change'''. I've always realized it was a joke, but I think we could do a bit better. How about, "Some comics may be funnier than they appear" as suggested by 199.27.130.198? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.42|173.245.54.42]] 19:35, 13 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Change'''. When I first started reading this wiki and noticed the tagline, I wasn't offended, and I realized it was a joke. But it also gave me an impression that this wiki is run by immature people as this is a childish insult, used as joke. Naturally, I wasn't too keen on following thissite closely and would only visit here when there's a comic that I don't understand at all. Thankfully, after reading through multiple explanations, I no longer think that the writers are immature and as I started reading other explanations, I started coming here even for the comics that I understand. My point is, it took me couple of months to warm towards explainxkcd and most people aren't that persistent/ give the chance to prove. So we are making lot of people to alienate with the site just at the tagline, even before they get to the content. I vote for '''Some comics may be funnier than they appear'''. [[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.216|199.27.130.216]] 01:07, 14 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep''' would be my vote. Today's society puts too much emphasis on protecting people's feelings, to the point that some people have onion-paper-thin skins, too thin to operate effectively when out in public! I feel this complaint falls under this category. Such over sensitivity shouldn't seriously be catered to. Politely listened to and considered, at most. Bending to such things just encourages people to be more sensitive.<br />
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The way I see it, you CANNOT enjoy xkcd without being smarter than average, or you'd have to turn to xkcd Explain for every single comic! It cannot be fun to require being walked through every single one. Conversely, I doubt there's very many of these smart people who are smart enough to get every joke (and every nuance) without assistance. Therefore it should be clear that is is a simple tongue-in-cheek joke, you don't really mean it seriously. It should be taken in the tone that it's meant, and it offends me when people don't.<br />
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For example, right now I'm at a bar at a Valentine's Day event. As I'm hopelessly single, this day is problematic for me, especially to be in public. I COULD ask that people refrain from love stuff, from flaunting their relationship, etc., that I'm here for other reasons. But as an intelligent adult I realize this would be unreasonable, that many people, especially most here tonight, enjoy the love stuff, enjoy Valentine's Day. It is certainly not their fault I don't, not directly, and they should not be held responsible for my discomfort.<br />
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If the final vote is for Change, I like "It's because '''we're''' dumb", or "we're all dumb", be inclusive to reduce how derogatory it sounds. Remember, while sightless people might find this site useful, the primary reason for it IS because we're dumb, i.e. we need help getting the joke. - NiceGuy1[[Special:Contributions/198.41.235.215|198.41.235.215]] 04:53, 14 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Wait, so they think they're smarter than me? I'm offended! ;-)<br />
Okay so I'm not. I almost voted keep because the primary raison d'être of exkcd is not for blind people. It was created specifically for people who need help understanding some of the science, math, and arcana behind the humor.<br />
But you know what? "It's 'cause you're dumb" is not that funny. Some of the suggestions are better. So I vote "'''CHANGE'''". [[User:Saspic45|Saspic45]] ([[User talk:Saspic45|talk]]) 07:30, 14 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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How about "Explain xkcd: It's 'cause we're dumb."? This has more of a feeling of inclusiveness and camaraderie to me, as in we're all equals more-or-less in the face of RM's brilliance and having a good time enjoying the material together. Came up with it about a year ago, because as it is the tagline struck me as a bit harsh, and have said it that way in my mind ever since.<br />
Edit: Ok, I see this has been suggested, so +1 for that minor change.<br />
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'''Change.''' While I didn't notice it at first, I was pretty offput when I did. As someone who has some trouble catching sarcasm all the time, I was excited when I found this site -- it helps me with not only things outside my knowledge, but also lets me check when something ''is'' being sarcastic. And when I finally noticed that tagline, even though I knew it couldn't be directed straight at me, it still sort of felt like it. I've been called dumb nearly throughout my life for not catching sarcasm which others seem to understand immediately, and it doesn't exactly feel nice (or in the spirit of XKCD!) to have that little reminder floating there. It's not even worded to be funny, either, just sorta cold. Sarcastically saying someone is dumb for not getting sarcasm... it's a vicious loop. And when there are so many other options -- many of which have fun puns or a much more friendly feel -- why are people so attached to this one? And from what it seems, a lot of people seem attached to it purely for the purpose of being stubborn against people who don't like it. Plus, why is it such an awful thing to try to make people feel more welcome? Jeez, guys. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.11|108.162.216.11]] 21:57, 14 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Change it please. I see it all the time, and it feels SO condescending. I often check out the site to get more information about a topic in the scope of a given strip, or to see if there's any subtext outside of the primary joke, and it ALWAYS feels like the site is insulting my ability to understand "simple humor". I understand that it's supposed to be a tongue-in-cheek joke, but I hate it. I think it should either be changed to one of the previous suggestions, or use a rotating set of taglines, or it should just be removed completely, because I utterly dislike the way it currently is. [[Special:Contributions/130.215.123.52|130.215.123.52]] 12:27, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Definitely '''change''' - I'm surprised what it was doing there in the first place - but I do not like the "we're dumb" version either. My current favorite is "Because we all need a little help", as it is equally directed at both the non-joke-understanding audience and the screenreading audience; but I definitely like "Some comics may be funnier than they appear" and, to a lesser extent, "You're one of today's lucky 10,000" (not sure, actually, whether that one would benefit from a link to the relevant comic). <small>Incidentally, how did the previous guy manage to post four hours in the future? Or is the AM/PM to 24h conversion broken?</small> --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.81.88|141.101.81.88]] 08:39, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Wow, this blew up... I never found the tagline particularly funny, but I honestly can't believe so many people appear to be offended by it. If someone is dumb enough to believe it is specifically aimed at them, not realise that it is humor, and think it is actually worth getting upset about, then the tagline is perfectly justified. Should be changed to "Please click here if you are easily offended", with a link to Disney.com, (or 4chan/b/...) --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 12:09, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''change'''. Even smart humans need positive words. Many of the proposed alternative with only positive words suits me fine. [[User:MGitsfullofsheep|MGitsfullofsheep]] ([[User talk:MGitsfullofsheep|talk]]) 13:25, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''keep''', but modify the Skip to Content tags to bypass it. It's humorous, and there's no such thing as a humorous tag line that won't offend '''someone'''. Can pretty much guarantee that if it's changed to something else, some wag will start a discussion about how that new subtitle offends them... {{unsigned|Danemcg|13:39, 15 February 2016 (UTC)}}<br />
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If it's not too late, I vote '''keep''', I regularly view the site for detailed information about comic topics and am always amused to read the tag line. I hope the poor fellow who tallies our votes here will mind that we're likely an unrepresentative group - if you're offended, you're likely to turn out, where a contented user (nearly myself) might just pass by. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.36|108.162.216.36]] 14:34, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''keep'''. Anyone who's actually offended by this is way to sensitive...[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.11|108.162.216.11]] 15:09, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Change'''. Never found it funny. We can do better. [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 16:12, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Change'''. It offends too many people (myself included, although more at first than now) to be kept. [[User:Z|Z]] ([[User talk:Z|talk]]) 16:57, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I too vote '''change''' if it's not too late. Not because it's particularly offensive but more because it's not funny or xkcd-ish enough to justify any offence it may or may not cause. I prefer some of the suggestions we've had:<br />
* Congratulations! You're one of today's lucky 10,000! (with, of course, a link to the relevant comic)<br />
* '''Some comics may be funnier than they appear.''' This one is my favourite and I feel it captures very well my main reason for using explainxkcd<br />
::[[Special:Contributions/141.101.106.149|141.101.106.149]] 21:12, 15 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''Keep'''. If we legitimately had a large group of blind people who were offended at this tagline, I would be in support of changing it. However, the only supposedly blind person who we know of that takes offense was obviously a belligerent individual. Do we really want to take a guy who says "I've found more intelligent, compassionate, humane, wise, sympathetic, inclusive, and infinitely funnier *dingleberries* than [Randall Munroe].*Rude gesture*" seriously? do we really want some ranting asshole somewhere to dictate what our site does or does not do? seriously? [[User:VfiftyV|VfiftyV]] ([[User talk:VfiftyV|talk]]) 00:11, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I vote '''change'''. I've always disliked the tagline, it's a bland and obvious "joke" that's at odds with the friendly, clever tone of both the comics and the rest of this site. Even if it's clear we don't mean it, calling every visitor to this site dumb, with no further context, just isn't setting a good example for the kind of *clever* sarcasm that Randall uses. We can do better. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.32|108.162.221.32]] 01:12, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep''' because it's clearly meant as a joke. It makes no sense to change this site over one person's "offense" that the unaffiliated xkcd site isn't blind-friendly enough.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.142.217|162.158.142.217]] 02:31, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep'''. Anyone with a sense of humor can understand that it's at least humorous. And, the primary purpose of the site ''is'' to... explain the comics, mainly to those who don't understand them. If it does get read out loud to every blind person who visits, then please, by all means, '''Change''' the layout at least to keep that from happening. But it shouldn't be removed due to half-baked complaints. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.168|108.162.245.168]] 02:57, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I've already voted above, but I would like to call out the sightlessness issue as a red herring. One of the premises of accessible design is that all users get the same content, although perhaps in different ways, so I think we're going in the wrong direction in proposing to change or hide the text for blind users but not for everyone else. If we're to keep it, then let us keep it for all. If we're to change it, then let us change it (to the same thing) for all. If we're to remove it, then let us remove it for all. [[User:Jkshapiro|Jkshapiro]] ([[User talk:Jkshapiro|talk]]) 04:22, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Alright, I've tallied up the votes twice and counted 36-31 the first time, and 39-32 the second time. Both times were majority keep, though there was still a strong showing for people wanting to change it. I've fixed and restored the black hat figure who was supposed to be speaking the tagline back in the old blog days, and I turned the tagline off for screen readers since the blind may only need us for the transcript, and accessibility for the blind is a big part of why we had a transcript to begin with. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 07:44, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:I think this is a great compromise. And cool that it is Black Hat's line. I did not know this used to be the case. Is it correct that the font color has also been turned gray so it is not so prominent? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:45, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
::Yeah, back when this site was a blog, [https://web.archive.org/web/20130118141641/http://www.explainxkcd.com/ the tagline was Black Hat's line.] [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=MediaWiki:Tagline&action=history looking at the edit history for the tagline], it looks like we've made some vague attempts to restore black hat's face next to the tagline before, but mediawiki doesn't process markup in that area. I did a little bit of CSS magic this time round to fix it properly this time. He's a little fuzzy though, could be better. The tagline's always been gray though. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 08:57, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: Just before I start, since I'm an IP user and therefore hard to identify (should probably make an account one of these days, but oh well), I just want to quickly mention that I am the same person as [[Special:Contributions/108.162.249.157|108.162.249.157]] who posted on the 11 Feb.<br />
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: Now that's out of the way, I want to say that I disagree with the outcome decided for this post. While I appreciate the attempt to compromise by having it look a bit more like Black Hat is saying the line, I still think that the substance of the arguments against the current tag line are much stronger than the arguments for keeping it. The arguments for keeping it all basically boil down to "It's a joke and it's been there forever so there is no need to change and anyone who suggests otherwise should just man the f*** up." Nowhere have I seen anyone in the keep-camp argue as to why none of the alternatives are just as good or better than the current line. Pretty much, the only reason ever given to stick to the current tag line is that it's the status quo.<br />
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: On the other hand, you have many, many people pointing out that the tagline is offensive and that, even if the reader does understand it to be a joke, it's not a particularly clever one and provides a rather unwelcoming atmosphere. What many of the people in the keep-camp are ignoring is the fact that not everybody has a high level of self-confidence, and that being called dumb, even if the intention is tongue-in-cheek, just comes off as hostile and drives people away. It is also true that all tone of voice suggesting sarcasm is completely lost in text, which is why over at the [http://doctorwho.answers.wikia.com/wiki/Doctor_Who_Answers:Policies#Additional Doctor Who Answers Wiki] we specifically point this out in our policy of civility towards fellow users. This wiki is very different from that one in many ways, but I don't think it would be dumb to look at what others have noticed and learn from their mistakes, especially since that particular wording was added due to a bad misunderstanding leading from lost sarcasm. There has already been somebody here who admits they find understanding sarcasm to be difficult. Should we really be calling them dumb? Furthermore, the quote seems to directly contradict Randall's attitude towards ignorance, summed up so perfectly in [[1053: Ten Thousand]]. We should be welcoming ignorant, or "dumb", people in the hopes of enlightening them with the wisdom of the community here. Singling them out as dumb isn't going to help them. <br />
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: Finally, I fear the reason there aren't more change votes are because many of the people who were put off by the tagline simply never came back to this wiki after their first visit. I wouldn't be surprised if reader retention rates increased if you changed the tagline, and if the number of readers who convert to users also increases if the community provided a more friendly first-impression.<br />
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: Now, I know that I have raised this all before, along with many of the other people who voted for change, and it still doesn't seem to have made an impact of the people who try to insist that an insult with no wit or humour is "just a joke". I think the best way for us to prove that the tagline needs to change is to conduct a little experiment. Let's look at a list of commonly supported alternatives:<br />
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:# '''It's 'cause we're dumb''' <br />
:# '''Congratulations! You're one of today's lucky 10,000!'''<br />
:# '''Some comics may be funnier than they appear'''<br />
:# '''Because sometimes we all need a little help'''<br />
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: Explanations for why these taglines are better than the current have already been provided. I challenge anyone reading this post from the keep-camp to explain why "It's 'cause you're dumb" is better than each of those taglines individually, without falling back on arguments of legacy or that the people reading the line are thin-skinned wusses. If reasonable counter-arguments can be made against each of those lines in favour of the current one, then I will back down. Until then, I cannot accept that the battle of ideas has chosen the current tagline. There are just so many better alternatives that are funnier, more in-line with the xkcd spirit, and above all, are welcoming to new readers into the community instead of turning them away the moment they reach the front door. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.157|108.162.250.157]] 11:28, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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:: Dude, you are not getting how voting and democracy works. The people who are proposing a change, are the equivalent of lobbyist --having lots of lobbyist does not equate to "strong support". None of these lobbyist have been able to agree on a single rewording, so they are not arguing for the same cause. On the the other hand there are thousands of of visitors (voters), of those who actually voted, voted to keep and not go with the suggestions of the lobbyists. Had there on the other-hand been a majority for change, the what would the change be? At best we would have to consolidate the suggestions (candidates), and since there is no term limit on tag-lines, the existing one should be a running candidate as well, and then make an eating contest between all the possible candidates [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.109|162.158.255.109]] 19:50, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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OK, I'll take a stab at it. "It's 'cause you're dumb" is better than any of these because it is funnier than any of these. It's funny for the same reason that the titles of numerous books, "XXX for Dummies" are funny. In fact, if it weren't such an obvious rip-off, the tag line could be "xkcd for Dummies", which would be the same joke.<br />
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:# '''It's 'cause we're dumb''' is sort of awkward, and why would I want an explanation for something I didn't understand from a bunch of dummies, anyway? I want somebody smart to explain it to the dummy - me - who didn't get the joke.<br />
:# '''Congratulations! You're one of today's lucky 10,000!''' is meaningless, and therefore not funny, unless you click on it and then let Randall tell you the joke behind that punch line. I do love the sentiment now that I've seen that comic, and somehow linking to that comic as an explanation of what explainxkcd.com is all about is a great idea, but as a tag line, by itself, it just isn't funny.<br />
:# '''Some comics may be funnier than they appear''' is sort of cute, as it relates to the warning in rear-view mirrors, but it is so actually true in the case of xkcd that it loses some of its funniness by being a serious explanation of why the explainxkcd.com site is valuable.<br />
:# '''Because sometimes we all need a little help''' - is sweet, sympathetic, and inclusive; it's just not very funny.<br />
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By contrast, "It's 'cause you're dumb" grabbed me the first time I saw it as being relevant to why explainxkcd.com is a great site, and equally importantly, it made me laugh. Maybe it is to be expected that among the viewers of a site dedicated to explaining jokes there will be a reasonable percentage that don't get this particular joke, either. Maybe the solution is a link on that line to a page that explains the "It's 'cause you're dumb" joke in the way xkcd jokes are explained: "It's funny because you are not really dumb, you just maybe didn't get some very esoteric reference, and you'll enjoy the humor of xkcd more when that reference is explained. But, when jokes need to be explained, it is common for people to feel like they must be stupid, so we make a joke about that feeling. It's not really pointed at you in particular; after all, this is a published web-site - the folks who wrote it probably don't even know you." [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.41|108.162.221.41]] 18:44, 16 February 2016<br />
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'''Change''', kind of. How about this: "Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're <strike>dumb</strike> of average intelligence." Maybe even include a (hidden) link to [[1386: People are Stupid]]. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.220.17|108.162.220.17]] 23:42, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: (I landed in an edit conflict with the person above, so my comments do not take their response into account.)<br />
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: Thank you 108. You actually provided a decent rebuttal against the counterproposal, which has been lacking until this time. While I do not agree with all your points, I can actually see your point-of-view. Personally, I think that if we're going to use it as a reference to the "___ for Dummies" books, it needs to be clearer so people don't take it as an insult, but otherwise I understand your points.<br />
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: @162: As my friend, one of the greatest admins on one of the biggest non-Wikipedia wikis, says, wikis are not democracies. It is the idea with the best supporting arguments that wins, not the idea with the most votes, as many people support certain ideas for superficial reasons that are not aligned with the overall aim of improving the wiki to attract more readers/editors and improve content. Especially with such a close vote, I would put more emphasis on the quality of the arguments than the pure numbers of supports/opposes.<br />
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: Looking at the proper counter-arguments finally provided, I would shift the counter-proposal for a new tagline to tagline 3 suggested above: '''Some comics may be funnier than they appear'''. From above, I can see the argument against 1 being that people don't want help from dummies, 2 will probably be obscure for new users and may alienate them upon entry, and 4 is just too soppy. 3 however is funny, it's accessible, and it's actually funnier in my opinion because it actually ''does'' describe exactly what we do here. To the new user, it will at first just be a mildly amusing reference (still funnier than the current line in my opinion) but it will take on a new meaning and relevance as people use this wiki more, and the gradual realisation of relevance will make the tagline even more appropriate and amusing. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.163|108.162.250.163]] 23:59, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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I’m the lurker who suggested “Some comics are funnier than they appear.” I was bemused to see it get any traction at all, since it’s not that hysterically funny, and perhaps incomprehensible outside the US where convex car mirrors aren’t etched “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.”<br />
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Wow, am I glad I didn’t create an account here when posting it!<br />
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I expected to see more spit-balling in kind, not an outpouring of orneriness from a majority of this obviously intelligent community who are apparently too stubborn to admit that there could possibly be anything wrong with greeting newcomers, “It’s ‘cause you’re dumb.” I took the starting point of the thread to be the obviousness that ANYTHING ELSE would be better than that.<br />
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I also expected the admin to deliberate a little harder, showing how he evaluated arguments and suggestions and tried to do the right thing, rather than just counting votes. Notwithstanding the facade of democracy in his benevolent dictatorship, he also doesn’t seem to have taken into account that the effect of NOT changing the tagline—-thus continuing to alienate a lot of users and potential contributors like me-—far, FAR outweighs any potential backlash from the old guard who are married to it. What are they going to do, rage-quit because they didn’t get their way? Because something on their favorite wiki got **gasp!** CHANGED?<br />
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Boo hoo, I didn’t get my way on a small thing which doesn’t really matter. At all. I only followed up here because I noticed the banner soliciting user input had changed. However, the ugly tone of this little tempest in a teapot has certainly convinced me that this community isn’t worth joining or contributing to. I reserve the right to continue lurking, but I’m sure as hell turning my AdBlock back on.[[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.198|199.27.130.198]] 07:10, 17 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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Scott Adams (of Dilbert fame) said "We're all idiots 99% of the time about 99% of things. It's the 1% that makes up for all the rest." Learning begins by owning your dumb. [[User:Bob Stein - VisiBone|Bob Stein - VisiBone]] ([[User talk:Bob Stein - VisiBone|talk]]) 16:12, 17 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep'''. I felt offended -- but -- so what. It is true. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.91.169|141.101.91.169]] 21:20, 17 February 2016 (UTC) Martin<br />
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* '''Keep''' It is funny. People are not made of glass, not even dumb ones. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.172|108.162.245.172]] 23:15, 17 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: ''199 wrote:"I was bemused to see it get any traction at all, since it’s [...] perhaps incomprehensible outside the US where convex car mirrors aren’t etched “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.”"''<br />
: You don't need to worry about that. American culture has spread throughout the world so thoroughly that I assume most English speakers will understand it. I myself am an Aussie, who spent most of her childhood living in Europe, and I understood the reference perfectly. And while it might not be "hysterically funny", it is certainly more universally funny than the insult.<br />
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: Admins, please heed what 199 said in the rest of his/her message. You have yet another example in a long line of people being turned off from this wiki community because they don't like the attitude of this statement, nor the stubborn adherence to it despite so many people pointing out how wrong it is. You are aware that "It was just a joke" is a common defence bullies make, right? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.250.157|108.162.250.157]] 00:53, 18 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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So, @Davidy22, can you add a "Jump to Transcript" link in the jump-to-nav div, and move the jump-to-nav div to before the tagline in the HTML? Thank you! [[User:Hat|Hat]] ([[User talk:Hat|talk]]) 08:58, 18 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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At 12,000 words this discussion has beaten the H0/HO discussion on wikipedia... How long until we beat Star Trek Into Darkness??? --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 12:10, 18 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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'''Keep'''. I like the humour in it. 18.February 2016 12:40 (UTC) Fabian<br />
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XKCD provides transcripts about a week after a new comic comes out, so saying that blind readers require explainxkcd is a bit of an overstatement (although to be honest the official transcripts are somewhat vague). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.70.217|141.101.70.217]] 19:45, 18 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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: Generally most transcripts gets completed within hours of the comics being posted. More complex ones can take longer, and there is sometimes a bit of back and forth as far as layout is concerned, but the content tends to be there pretty quickly. --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 09:35, 19 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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"Explain xkcd: extra knowledge, see discussions." I wish I'd thought of that one a week ago. And Randall says it's not an acronym, eh? [[Special:Contributions/199.27.130.198|199.27.130.198]] 09:21, 19 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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:Ah crap... that's actually really good. I'd have supported this had it been mentioned earlier, even though I voted to keep the current. [[User:Schiffy|<font color="000999">Schiffy</font>]] ([[User_talk:Schiffy|<font color="FF6600">Speak to me</font>]]|[[Special:Contributions/Schiffy|<font color="FF0000">What I've done</font>]]) 02:39, 20 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
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For what it's worth, if the matter is ever re-opened, I'd vote to '''change''' to one of the alternate suggestions -- I quite like "extra knowledge, see discussions" but many others would be fine. The current one is a poor way to greet newcomers; it certainly gave ''me'' pause. Perhaps I've been sensitized by the general uptick in incivility in many places in recent years, but I'm actively avoiding forums and sites that appear to be encouraging rudeness. If one disregards that header, it becomes clear that this site isn't like that, but one has to get past that header first. [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 17:32, 15 October 2020 (UTC)<br />
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'''Change''' because the only justification to keep it seems to be "It's just a joke why are people always so offended at everything" [[User:256.256.256.256|<font color="800080">256.256.256.256</font>]] ([[User talk:256.256.256.256|<font color="0000FF">talk about me behind my</font>]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ/ <font color="0000FF">back</font>]) 12:55, 20 January 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I’d say '''change''' it. It’s not funny, it’s never been funny and it never will be funny. Why does a tag line have to be funny any way? All it needs to be is memorable and eye catching. I personally like “congratulations you’re one of today’s lucky 10,000” it’s a direct reference to an existing comic and encourages learning more.<br />
:I agree, so '''change''' from me. —[[User:While False|While False]] ([[User:While False/explain xkcd museum|'''museum''']] | [[User talk:While False|talk]] | [[special:Contributions/While_False|contributions]] | [[special:Log/While_False|logs]] | [[Special:UserRights/While_False|rights]] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:While_False&printable=yes printable version] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:While_False&action=info page information] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:WhatLinksHere/User:While_False what links there] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:RecentChangesLinked&days=30&from=&target=User%3AWhile_False related changes] | [https://www.google.com Google search] | current time: {{CURRENTTIME}}) 18:27, 8 December 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Concerning recent spam ==<br />
<br />
In light of the recent and large amount of spam that we've been seeing, I've revoked new users of the right to create and move pages, as well as access to the write api. If your account is three days old and has 10 or more edits under it, you will still be allowed to create and move pages. This will end when the spambots decide to leave. To the person who's doing this, don't ruin this for the other people who use this site. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 19:36, 11 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:In light of the recent burst of spam, creation of talk pages will also be shut off for new users. We will create an empty talk page for new comics in place of this feature. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 06:47, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
: So what will you do in three days when the spambot can create new pages again? [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 07:58, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
::They have to hit both criteria. The flaw there is that spambots have also demonstrated themselves to be capable of editing pages, but I'm not sure what to do for that aside from look for a better captcha. If it comes to it, I'll write my own. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 08:05, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
aw man. tfw another troll already beat me to the punch {{unsigned ip|108.162.216.62|20:02, 12 February 2016 (UTC)}}<br />
<br />
@Davidy22: Maybe we should use something like [[MW:Extension:TitleBlacklist]] or [[MW:Manual:Combating spam#.24wgSpamRegex]]. --[[User:SlashMe|SlashMe]] ([[User talk:SlashMe|talk]]) 14:25, 16 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:Hum. I'll take a look when I get home. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 05:02, 17 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:: Sigh, it's getting out of hand again... --[[User:SlashMe|SlashMe]] ([[User talk:SlashMe|talk]]) 15:19, 18 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:::Alright, I'm not sure what's happening here. This is what's in the localsettings file:<br />
<br />
$wgGroupPermissions['user']['createtalk'] = false;<br />
$wgGroupPermissions['autoconfirmed']['createtalk'] = false;<br />
<br />
:::I don't know why this doesn't work. Probably well overdue for a mediawiki upgrade, but I have midterms and papers coming up. This timing is inconvenient. The title blacklist is for a newer mediawiki version, I'll lock and upgrade this weekend. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 16:07, 18 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:::For now, I'll try removing talk page creation rights from all non-admin users. I'll make the talk pages for new explanations. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 16:09, 18 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:::Alright, I made a test account and I realised I'm very dumb. I forgot to turn off createtalk for all, so people could still make talk pages. I've also added mandatory email verification. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 23:34, 18 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
::::See tagline ;-) --[[User:SlashMe|SlashMe]] ([[User talk:SlashMe|talk]]) 01:51, 19 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:::::I do want to find/write a better CAPTCHA though, none of these measures I've taken stop account creation, so the spammers might try just shoving a million accounts at us. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 03:03, 19 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
:::Oooh nevermind forcing email verification turns off anonymous editing. Don't want to go that far, and it didn't stop that one spammer anyways. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 00:17, 19 February 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Will verifying my email turn off the CAPTCHA ==<br />
<br />
Pretty much what the section title says. I find the way the captcha works here kinda annoying, since I submit and then get the CAPTCHA. I'd be willing to put in my email address if it would stop the CAPTCHA, but, otherwise, I don't see any point in doing so.<br />
<br />
If it does stop the CAPTCHA, I would suggest mentioning this in the preferences as one of the benefits of adding an email, and perhaps point it out on the page when the CAPTCHA appears. <br />
<br />
IF not, then will I just have the CAPTCHA forever? Or will it go away once I put in enough edits? Or do I need to do something else? <br />
<br />
[[User:Trlkly|Trlkly]] ([[User talk:Trlkly|talk]]) 00:10, 1 March 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:The email address is optional, we have it set up so that users less than 3 days old with less than 10 edits will have to fill in a CAPTCHA when they edit. It's set up that way to limit and make the damage that spambots can inflict much easier to fix. You appear to have cleared the 10 edit boundery today, so you should be able to start editing CAPTCHA free now. Giving people a way to bypass the anti spam window by providing an email address is an idea though, I'll see if I can't write a plugin for that after I'm done with finals. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 01:24, 1 March 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Why does Mediawiki look so "old" all of a sudden? ==<br />
<br />
Screendhots: [http://i.imgur.com/smN1a45.png][http://i.imgur.com/qdpxhdY.png]<br />
<br />
I've tried this in three browsers, and they all look the same. [[User:KangaroOS|Kangaro]][[User talk:KangaroOS|OS]] 12:56, 4 April 2016 (UTC)<br />
:High traffic, high load, everything is on fire. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 16:28, 4 April 2016 (UTC)<br />
:: Man ! The fire started by Randall is out of control.. It has been so long, and this is looking very ugly. Did wiki go in "printer-friendly version only" mode ? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.56|162.158.255.56]] 04:10, 5 April 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
(H'rm - realized I posted this in the wrong place - further discussion should go [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Technical#Stylesheets not working?|here]].) [[User:KangaroOS|Kangaro]][[User talk:KangaroOS|OS]] 15:20, 5 April 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Annoying ad ==<br />
<br />
From the anti-noscript text shown when an ad is blocked by noscript: "our ads are restricted to unobtrusive images and slow animated GIFs."<br />
<br />
Yet the ad blocked features a drawing of a woman in her underwear. I find this very obtrusive.<br />
<br />
Also, can you get rid of the captcha needed to even view content on this site using Tor? https://support.cloudflare.com/hc/en-us/articles/203306930-Does-CloudFlare-block-Tor- {{unsigned ip|162.158.17.66|02:15, 8 August 2016 (UTC)}}<br />
:Looked through our bids, a guy who was auto approved used the privelidge to put that ad up. I cancelled the ad, if he puts it up again he's getting banned. I'll get on the tor options in cloudflare. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 02:41, 10 August 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Random Question ==<br />
Since this is the miscellaneous section, I assume I can ask a question based on anything, even if it's not XKCD or wiki-related. Am I correct? Or is there another place to do that? --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 16:21, 9 November 2016 (UTC)<br />
:Nothing expressly forbids it, but do remember the purpose of the site. If you want to ask a question not related to xkcd or the site, there is likely another, better outlet for your question on the internet. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 17:14, 9 November 2016 (UTC)<br />
:Ah. Okay. Just making sure. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 17:47, 9 November 2016 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== "What if: Hide the Atmosphere" question ==<br />
<br />
At the end, Randall notes one "may not want to" dig out Texas, and the guy in the illustration mentions "specifically requesting" something. As someone not from the USA, I don't know what he's referring to. Could someone please explain it? {{unsigned ip|172.68.51.28|20:00, 8 February 2017 (UTC)}}<br />
:It's a reference to {{w|Don't Mess with Texas}}. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 20:52, 9 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Blinking advert ==<br />
<br />
There's an ad for something called Goliath Fallen that blinks occasionally. A static picture would be fine but the blinking is distracting --[[User:Figvh|Figvh]] ([[User talk:Figvh|talk]]) 04:22, 27 September 2017 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== What is Randall Munroe's wife's name? ==<br />
I am curious--haven't been able to find it. {{unsigned ip|162.158.62.141|05:51, 27 October 2017 (UTC)}}<br />
:We accept privacy. Ask Randall himself. [[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 14:21, 19 May 2018 (UTC)<br />
:We could refer to her as Megan, based on the character even despite its' "everywoman" stance. Megan is represented as Randall's wife in the ''_ Years'' comic series (with Randall being the supportive main Cueball character), as well as in other comics where Randall is represented as a Cueball in a comic with a Megan. {{unsigned ip|172.70.130.6|18:56, 26 July 2021 (UTC)}} 18:52, 26 Jul 2021 (UTC)<br />
::Also, broken signing because I forgot that <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki> was a thing. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.6|172.70.130.6]] 18:56, 26 July 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== 5 bucks that most of these are spambots. ==<br />
<br />
[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:Log&offset=20180212191150&limit=20&type=newusers&user=&page=&tagfilter=&subtype=]<br />
<br />
🤔<br />
<br />
[[User:DPS2004|DPS2004&#39;); DROP TABLE users;--]] ([[User talk:DPS2004|talk]]) 19:07, 12 February 2018 (UTC)<br />
:I tried "DROP TABLE users;" but then I lost my login... ;)<br />
:The more serious thing is that when the Captcha was broken (after 31 March) that bots were too dumb but with the new reCaptcha V2 this happens again.<br />
:But since those users take no further actions and IPs also can edit here it doesn't seem to be a problem. Nevertheless old users with zero edits may be purged in the future.<br />
:[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 14:17, 19 May 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Header pointing to FAQ implies content that doesn't exist ==<br />
<br />
"All explain xkcd editors should check the latest update at the Editor FAQ. We now support LaTeX..."<br />
<br />
Strangely, the FAQ doesn't mention LaTex once.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.210.34|172.69.210.34]] 15:06, 8 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:You're right but the (yet last) question "How do I enter mathematical or chemical formulas?" belongs to this. The Math functionality uses LaTeX syntax and I will mention this. I thought people who know the markup <code><nowiki><math>...</math></nowiki></code> do know that it's based on LaTeX. Nevertheless reading this {{w|Help:Displaying a formula|manual}} is mandatory. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 16:08, 8 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Unable to create own user page? ==<br />
<br />
Hi, I'm a new user here. When I try to put info on my user page it says I don't have permission to create it. Same applies for my talk page. Please help.[[User:VannaWho|VannaWho]] ([[User talk:VannaWho|talk]]) 07:18, 13 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:I've clarified the corresponding section in the [[explain xkcd:Editor FAQ|Editor FAQ]]. You will become a trusted user after a few more edits, but right now I've created your user and talk page. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 12:57, 13 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Thanks. I'm looking forwards to becoming an active member of the community here.[[User:VannaWho|VannaWho]] ([[User talk:VannaWho|talk]]) 13:09, 13 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
Thank You for the info!<br />
[[User:GetPunnedOn]]<br />
::Extra info, for GetPunnedOn (and others, but you're needing to he told this a lot, GPO...). Please use the full signature (those four tildes: <code><nowiki>~~~~</nowiki></code>), to let us know that, in this case, you posted your reply at 23:30, 21 May 2023 UTC, as we knew what date and times in 2018 the prior users posted. Not even sure you'll read this/etc, so leaving it as an open message to anyone else who stumbles this way without otherwise picking up on the other hints to do so. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.206|172.71.178.206]] 08:52, 22 May 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== 2018 ==<br />
<br />
This probably only means something to me, but has anyone else noted that we are approaching comic 2018 in 2018? I don't think any other comic has been posted in in the year its number represents. Maybe the sign of the apocalypse? Or like all the other signs of the apocalypse, just a random occurrence. I am interested in seeing if it is memorialized in some way. {{unsigned ip|172.69.33.239|20:44, 22 June 2018 (UTC)}}<br />
:Please do not forget to sign your comments. Nevertheless the apocalypse was already here: [[998: 2012]]. And a comic with the name 2018 was published last December ([[1935: 2018]]). The comic number 2018 will probably happen on July 11 and the number 2019 will be two days later on July 13 (ohhh, it's a Friday...). --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 08:41, 23 June 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Random Kettle ==<br />
<br />
Hello, so I had https://xk3d.xkcd.com/880/ open for an extended amount of time. When I came back to it today, I had a random blue kettle that was not on any other of my xkcd pages, and it would change locations every time i refreshed. (I have several screenshots, just not sure how to upload here.)<br />
<br />
It went away when the back page button was pressed, but does anybody know what or WHY this kettle was there? {{unsigned|DeathFox4|00:08, 11 October 2018 (UTC)}}<br />
:Please do not forget to sign your comments. You probably want to talk about this matter here: [[Talk:880: Headache]]. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:44, 11 October 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Where to ask questions to find a specific comic? ==<br />
<br />
Hello, <br />
<br />
Someone searching for a specific comic has gotten me to try to find a place to ask the community, but haven't found any? <br />
<br />
[https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/9uzvqv/help_me_find_the_one_where/]<br />
<br />
kind regards, <br />
Dodo --[[User:Dodo|Dodo]]<br />
:Please sign your posts with <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki> because then we also see a timestamp of your comment. That's important because we could see that your question from reddit was solved there slightly after your post here. It's from SMBC and not xkcd. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:55, 8 November 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Incomplete "Created by a _" Tag Jokes ==<br />
<br />
I'm not lobbying for their return or anything, I'm just curious why they were removed. Or rather, why the incomplete tag was rewritten to discourage them. It was a good bit of comedy, and their removal makes it seem like this wiki is trying to be more serious than it really needs to be, IMO. [[User:CJB42|CJB42]] ([[User talk:CJB42|talk]]) 19:18, 9 November 2018 (UTC)<br />
:I'm the creator of the BOT which initially presented a new page by honestly mentioning it was NOT created by a human. Years later, people started to make that joke. Sometimes it was really funny, but you can't repeat a joke for over hundreds of times, not funny and stupid attempts to reach that first jokes. And that incomplete tag is meant to be there for mentioning what's wrong or missing, sadly most editors don't use it for this reason. Nonetheless a nice joke is still welcome there, but it should be funny and not just an urge to present a "joke." --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:51, 9 November 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== xkcd.wtf ==<br />
<br />
Hi everyone, I've recently made this small project http://xkcd.wtf/ . It's not yet finished, but somehow Big Goog' picked it up, so I thought I'll go live. It is important to me to announce it here first, since it uses explainxkcd's API and wouldn't be possible without all of you. <br />
<br />
Originally, this was meant to be a Uni project, but the course was cancelled and the already purchased domain sat dormant for many months. Just recently, I picked it up and made a first prototype in Perl, then I undertook the painful process of rewriting it as a buzzword-compliant Javascript Single Page Application (so my server doesn't have to proxy everything). It sometimes craps out, because xkcd's API is awful (the 'real' one doesn't have CORS, the c.xkcd.com one is often offline) [[User:Gir|//gir.st/]] ([[User talk:Gir|talk]]) 22:19, 12 November 2018 (UTC)<br />
:Nice, I know you have many skills in programming. What's the purpose of this project?<br />
:Funny findings: The TLD isn't welcome always like here "In June 2012, Ryan Singel of Wired predicted that the .wtf domain would not be applied by anyone." and my own first investigation:<br />
:<code>[root@localhost ~]# whois xkcd.wtf</code><br />
:<code>No whois server is known for this kind of object.</code><br />
:I'm running CentOS with no pending updates...<br />
:Besides kidding, it works great and could be a good presentation on pages using a bad layout here. My goal is still to get this site much more mobile compliant, but there are still also issues on parts you don't use. Nonetheless let me know if you need help, hoping you will help here in the future too. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:49, 13 November 2018 (UTC)<br />
::hi, sorry I missed your post! The purpose was to do this as a university project, but the course was cancelled after I bought the domain in anticipation of it. not wanting it to go to waste, I've implemented it in my spare time. the whois error is strange; it works on Fedora (which queries whois.donuts.co (no m)). I may come back to your offer for help (thanks) and definitely won't be leaving explainxkcd.com (my expertise lies with computer topics, and there weren't many comics about that recently. that's why I've quieted down a bit) [[User:Gir|//gir.st/]] ([[User talk:Gir|talk]]) 17:03, 18 November 2018 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== xkcd Sorting Options ==<br />
Is there any way to sort xkcd comics by size? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.77.80|141.101.77.80]] 04:37, 4 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
:What size? The pictures, the explanation, or what? Explanations are changed every day. So, for what purpose is this idea? --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 18:21, 15 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
::I can see some benefit in being able to sort explanations by size as some of the earlier comics have fairly short explanations that could be expanded, but I'm not sure this is worth the effort of setting up a sort function. I don't know why you would want to sort the images by size other than perhaps for general interest. [[User:A(l)Chemist|AlChemist]] ([[User talk:A(l)Chemist|talk]]) 10:55, 16 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
:::A small sized explanation doesn't say anything about it's quality. IMHO in contrast there are many overwhelming explanations which are far too long, TL;DR... --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 12:32, 16 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
::::I agree. Most of the early explanations are just fine. I was just trying to guess why they were suggesting a sort function. [[User:A(l)Chemist|AlChemist]] ([[User talk:A(l)Chemist|talk]]) 14:15, 16 February 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== 1204: Detail has the incorrect picture ==<br />
<br />
Not sure where to put this but just look at the title. Not sure how one changes it, but a typo was fixed and usually the newest picture is used. [[User:Netherin5|Netherin5]] ([[User talk:Netherin5|talk]]) 14:15, 19 March 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Regarding the alt-right trolls ==<br />
Safe to say everything they leave is deletable, ''including'' the little "jew reverted my edits, help!" complaint they almost always leave on the discussion pages? --[[User:Youforgotthisthing|Youforgotthisthing]] ([[User talk:Youforgotthisthing|talk]]) 00:53, 12 April 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Is the "It's 'cause you're dumb" tagline a relic of the past? ==<br />
<br />
Yes, I'm going there, because this issue isn't going away.<br />
<br />
I read through the entirety of the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Miscellaneous#Sightless_readers_offended_by_the_.22It.27s_.27cause_you.27re_dumb.22_tagline. Explain XKCD tagline debate from 2016], and I have to admit, I was surprised. I had not considered that there would be so many people in support of this tagline, nor that the debate had been going on this long. I was actually sure that most people were in agreement with me that it's unnecessarily insulting and demeaning. It seems that isn't the case.<br />
<br />
The main argument from the Keep side appears to be that "it's just a joke". Here are some examples of that sentiment:<br />
<br />
* "Suggesting that anyone who isn't part of the 0.1% of the population who share all of Randall's abilities and references, is dumb, can't be anything but a joke."<br />
* "it is a rather obvious joke"<br />
* "If a user doesn't understand that it is a joke, then he won't understand XKCD's jokes, either, no matter how much explaination he can get."<br />
* "I always thought the tagline fit nicely with the "sarcasm" part of xkcd's own tagline."<br />
* "It's not hiding behind "just a joke", it IS the joke. It's tongue-in-cheek. It's so obviously false that you have to intentionally ignore the joke and manufacture offense about something benign."<br />
* "It's amusing to me. The joke is clear, and universal. Offence may be taken equally by anyone reading. It fits well."<br />
* "Looks like the kind of joke you'd actually find in the comments."<br />
* "I can't believe we've become such a limp-wristed baby society that we can't even have a joke like "It's 'cause you're dumb" as the tagline. Nobody would reasonably get offended at it."<br />
* "If there ever really was a single person who took the tag line seriously, then it was just telling them the truth."<br />
* "the joke benefits from it sounding like it's a mock insult"<br />
* "I doubt there's very many of these smart people who are smart enough to get every joke (and every nuance) without assistance. Therefore it should be clear that is is a simple tongue-in-cheek joke, you don't really mean it seriously. It should be taken in the tone that it's meant, and it offends me when people don't."<br />
* "It's 'cause you're dumb" grabbed me the first time I saw it as being relevant to why explainxkcd.com is a great site, and equally importantly, it made me laugh."<br />
<br />
I like to think that I do understand xkcd's humor very well - even the more subtle aspects of it, like Randall's perpetual social paranoia, his sarcasm at common failings of societies and organizations, his absurdism, his childlike wonder at the things we don't know. I love it, it makes me laugh and it makes me happy.<br />
<br />
I am not a delicate snowflake, and I believe firmly that we should not allow people to use "being offended" as a weapon of control to take away freedoms or to force their agenda on others. That kind of behavior should rightfully be challenged and resisted.<br />
<br />
However, I am not arguing on the basis of offense. I believe that I actually have a solid, reasonable foundation for my case for change that can be accepted by all, if I can argue it effectively enough. Because you see... I never got the joke.<br />
<br />
When I came to Explain XKCD for the first time, and saw the "It's 'cause you're dumb" tagline, my reaction was "Well, that isn't true, and it's a bit childish." It didn't come across as sarcasm to me; it comes across more like the kind of boorish flippancy expected of an anonymous imageboard, where being crude is the local currency. Mentally, I just couldn't fit it with what I saw as an otherwise fine mission of collaboratively explaining a very clever webcomic as a service to readers all over the world. And I didn't like it. It's not the kind of tone that I enjoy in a community.<br />
<br />
"I don't like it" is not, of course, an argument, and would be a poor foundation from which to make my case - particularly as I am up against people who insist that the tagline ''is'' xkcd's humor and tone. So instead, I would like to argue this case: '''I think that this is what xkcd's tone ''used to be'', and that it isn't what xkcd's tone is ''now'''''.<br />
<br />
The "It's 'cause you're dumb" tagline is actually ''ten years old''. It originally appeared in a different context; it was in the header image for the Explain XKCD blog.<br />
<br />
[[File:explain xkcd blog header image.png|center]]<br />
<br />
The image of Black Hat insulting Cueball is subtly different to what the tagline is now, and so I think some of the nuance - that might soften the joke or make it less antagonistic - has been lost. I have a theory that this is part of the reason why people are so polarized on whether the tagline is insulting or not, because I suspect that some people are remembering this older version. However, that's away from the point.<br />
<br />
My point is this: it is no longer 2009 and things have changed.<br />
<br />
xkcd, and Randall himself, have changed - Randall has published more than 1500 comics in that time, as well as books dedicated to explaining science and technology in his unique, witty style. He loves knowledge and discovery and celebrates the little things that people find interesting, often standing up to defend such pursuits against those who might otherwise dismiss them. That is xkcd to me. And I submit that Explain XKCD has, in those ten years, outgrown the tagline as well, We are, I think, more encyclopedists than agitators. If most people on this wiki are like me, they find pleasure in carefully unraveling the mystery of an xkcd comic and creating a resource that's as useful as can be. The tagline serves no purpose, in that case, other than to drive away contributors.<br />
<br />
We shouldn't be afraid to offend. But I don't think we should offend needlessly. I think we're better than that.<br />
<br />
[[User:Hawthorn|Hawthorn]] ([[User talk:Hawthorn|talk]]) 21:29, 15 July 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I really like the old banner, and think that the tone fits well with many of the older comics. But I agree with you that most of the newer comics have a less childish tone to them, where it is not as fitting. Also having it as a tagline instead of a banner makes it less obvious to be a character-statement. It is not an important issue to me, but I agree with you. After all explainxkcd is a site, for the lucky [[Ten Thousand]] each day. [[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 07:36, 16 July 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Pageviews? ==<br />
<br />
Any idea how many pageviews, on average, this wiki gets? I'm not looking for any detailed breakdown or historical stats, just a rough average for the main page each day. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.23.57|172.69.23.57]] 02:21, 8 August 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'd be really curious to know which pages are the most viewed on this website. Which comics are the most unintelligible to people? [[Special:Contributions/173.245.54.201|173.245.54.201]] 23:01, 15 March 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== xkcd site's fine print ==<br />
<br />
I just noticed the fine print on the xkcd site, under the comics list: "xkcd.com is best viewed with Netscape Navigator 4.0 or below on a Pentium 3±1 emulated in Javascript on an Apple IIGS at a screen resolution of 1024x1. Please enable your ad blockers, disable high-heat drying, and remove your device from Airplane Mode and set it to Boat Mode. For security reasons, please leave caps lock on while browsing."<br />
<br />
Is there an explanation for the above? (copied from xkcd's homepage on 8/8/19)<br />
<br />
<br />
My first thought was "Those are low requirements". Then the "on an Apple IIGS" tripped me up. (I know so little of Apple software use that I can't say that portion is incorrect.) I like the humor of the screen resolution (although I think only computers could read it) and the suggested mode.<br />
<br />
M.Striker<br />
(didn't realize that this was an edit and not a message; deleted my included e-mail)<br />
<br />
:The text you mentioned is explained at [[footnote]]. I guess you are new to this wiki/project? Feel free to improve any of the sites you find (many can be found by using the search function), or to comment/discuss the pages in the discussion section. If you want to sign your comments on here or in a comment section (with or without an existing account), you can use four "~"-symbols. (Do not wory, it will not show you actual IP adress). [[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 06:18, 9 August 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Randall NYT excerpt from "How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems" ==<br />
<br />
FYI, Randall has an article in Tuesday's ''New York Times'': [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/13/science/what-makes-a-red-sky-at-night-and-at-morning.html "What Makes a Red Sky at Night (and at Morning)"]. It's an excerpt from "How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems." [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 03:34, 15 August 2019 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== More ads? ==<br />
<br />
Is it me, or are there now a ton of extra advertisements on this site? There is one between every paragraph of explanation. At least, when viewed with a mobile browser. It's a huge distraction, so I'm going to be enabling an adblocker.<br />
<br />
: I would also like to file a complaint. [[User:Benjaminikuta|Benjaminikuta]] ([[User talk:Benjaminikuta|talk]]) 03:10, 9 April 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: [[user:Davidy22]] If hosting expense is the problem, would it be possible to move to miraheze? [[User:Benjaminikuta|Benjaminikuta]] ([[User talk:Benjaminikuta|talk]]) 11:54, 19 May 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::: Hello? Anyone there? [[User:Benjaminikuta|Benjaminikuta]] ([[User talk:Benjaminikuta|talk]]) 06:55, 8 July 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Should we* reference xkcd.com "black lives matter" banner ==<br />
<br />
I consume almost all my xkcd directly from explain xkcd. So i only visit xkcd.com rarely.<br />
<br />
I had been wondering why Randall was avoiding referencing the black lives matter movement which is clearly topical.<br />
<br />
But i note that xkcd.com has a banner featuring Cueball saying "black lives matter".<br />
<br />
Should we do the same?<br />
<br />
* my apologies if we already do<br />
<br />
[[User:Boatster|Boatster]] ([[User talk:Boatster|talk]]) 06:01, 11 June 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I'm not entirely sure if I understand the question. We list most (all?) the variants of Randall's banners on the [[:xkcd Header text]] page, and as of Tuesday (a bit late), that includes the Black Lives Matter banner. We also acknowledge it in [[2315: Eventual Consistency#Trivia]] as the first comic that ran after the banner went up. There's reason to ask if this wiki should give banners in general more prominent treatment, and question is raised on [[:Talk:xkcd Header text]].<br />
:But are you asking if ExplainXKCD should adopt its own editorial position and feature a banner? I think it's really hard for wikis to make high-level editorial decisions like that. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 06:28, 11 June 2020 (UTC)<br />
:: this was the question. And I hadn't looked hard enough. Thank you<br />
:: no, not suggesting we do editorial, but glad we recognise what Randall has done. Cheers [[User:Boatster|Boatster]] ([[User talk:Boatster|talk]]) 12:30, 11 June 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== is scraping this site ok? ==<br />
<br />
Hi everyone! Some days ago I scraped explainxkcd to get the webcomics' content, and created an interactive network chart where nodes are comics and two nodes share a link if they have words in common. (It's here: https://www.fluentdata.tech/visualizing-the-xkcd-comics-network-using-google-vision-spacy-and-d3/)<br />
<br />
However, looking back I don't know if I had permission to actually scrape this site. Where can I get this information? Is scraping OK?<br />
:From [[explain xkcd:Copyrights]], "The Explain XKCD wiki is generally licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 license (CC-BY-SA-3.0). This means that you can freely reuse our content, but you have to say where you got it — if you're sharing on the internet, a link back to the article is appropriate." So yes, scraping this site is allowed, but you should credit the site.<span> — [[User:Sqrt-1|The <b>𝗦𝗾𝗿𝘁-𝟭</b>]] <sup>[[User talk:Sqrt-1|<span style="color: blue">talk</span>]] [[Special:Contributions/Sqrt-1|<span style="color: blue">stalk</span>]]</sup></span> 03:43, 5 March 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== So what happened to the site? ==<br />
Just curious, but it was down last night (June 14, Eastern Daylight time's night) and this morning has reverted to February. This is not a complaint, it's curiosity and a willingness to help out. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 15:41, 15 June 2021 (UTC)<br />
:I'm curious too. It was down on the morning of Friday the 11th & is currently back up showing last Wednesday the 9th's comic. A post asking about it on [https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/nxrm65 r/xkcd] got over 140 upvotes in 3 days. [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 16:30, 15 June 2021 (UTC)<br />
::The page was down for more than four days. Problem is there seem to be no administrators attached to explain xkcd anymore, so no one who actually knows anything replies to these posts... :-/ So if the page goes down permanently there seems to be no one who still uses this page, who knows what to do... [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:03, 16 June 2021 (UTC)<br />
:::That would be a shame since a ton of good content would be lost. Somebody somewhere needs to be paying the bills for the site to be hosted though. Don't they know what happens to the product they're paying for? [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 13:01, 16 June 2021 (UTC)<br />
::::Indeed, is there anyway we can contribute to the upkeep of the site? --[[Special:Contributions/141.101.76.182|141.101.76.182]]<br />
<br />
== Stuck? ==<br />
So, nothing yet for the August 7, 2021 comic? I normally see the main page update within an hour of the new xkcd appearing. Not complaining, just hoping nothing is wrong. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 20:43, 7 August 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Help finding a specific comic. ==<br />
<br />
I've been trying to find this specific comic but I can not find it anywhere. It's the one where a character suggests going to another building to avoid companies like Google and Facebook and tries to leave only to find the doors (and windows?) replaced with walls. Turns out Google and Facebook bought all the buildings and removed all doors so people can only use their services.<br />
: (Above unsigned post by [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.65|108.162.245.65]] 04:38, 28 October 2021 (UTC).)<br />
: 99% sure that's not an xkcd (though it does sound entertaining). You might try asking on r/xkcd, they can often ID even non-xkcd comics.<br />
: Please sign your posts. [[User:Esogalt|Esogalt]] ([[User talk:Esogalt|talk]]) 05:32, 28 October 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Update/further correct the Bots pages? ==<br />
<br />
Seeing an edit to [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/explain_xkcd:Bots the site's meta-page on Bots] (and making a minor grammatical edit myself), the current and seemingly unfixable inactivity of DgbrtBOT and its replacement by Theusaof... (though not, yet, as an officially recognised member of the Bots group?) makes the statement "There are 3 bots" dubiously correct, depending upon how you count them. As a humble IP unconnected to any 'bot, I am neither confident enough in the facts to revise all the relevent details nor able to do much about it (not even create the above page's Talk-space) but maybe someone else here can muster up both qualities. So over to you..? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.36|172.70.91.36]] 11:48, 1 December 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Countdown Timer ==<br />
<br />
Does anyone know what the timer in the upper right corner of the website is? As of writing, it's around "20D 20H 20M" (ha ha). Is this for some kind of event I don't know about (I mean, I don't keep track of that sort of thing, so I wouldn't usually know anyway, but still), or is this just something weird Randall's doing that we're all going to find out together?<br />
<br />
Just curious.<br />
(Tidal Rose)<br />
<br />
:Yes, I've been wondering, too. I can't find any good explanation anywhere for it -- I looked on Reddit, etc. I guess he really is keeping it a secret -- perhaps a book announcement. -- [[Special:Contributions/162.158.255.253|162.158.255.253]] 00:51, 11 January 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It appears that the accompanying image may also be updating (not minute to minute at the moment). Curious to see what this little black line does! (My bet is that it's a new book as well)<br />
<br />
:My first thought was counting down to Webb reaching L2, but it's a couple days late for that... looks to be approximately 10AM Eastern on January 31, though my datemath is probably not too good when the local hour is <6. [[User:Davidhbrown|Davidhbrown]] ([[User talk:Davidhbrown|talk]]) 05:49, 12 January 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The image has definitely updated!<br />
<br />
Is there a place where the progressive images are archived? [[User:Fuzzymo|Fuzzymo]] ([[User talk:Fuzzymo|talk]]) 01:00, 14 January 2022 (UTC)<br />
:There is a [[Countdown_in_header_text|page structure]] now created for it. Go directly to [[Countdown_in_header_text/images|the /images sub-page]] for the captured series-so-far. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.43|162.158.159.43]] 04:37, 14 January 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
The exact time it's counting down to is Monday, January 31, 2022 at 10 AM EST (Munroe's time zone) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.165|108.162.229.165]] 23:55, 14 January 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Could it be for [https://www.nationaldaystoday.com/national-backward-day/ National Backward Day?]<br />
:Already mentioned (and mostly rejected?) in the ''real'' conversation about this. (See the [[Countdown in header text]] page, etc, if you haven't already.) Not sure what the plane would have to do with it, unless it turns out to be flying backwards when we see movement lines. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.155|172.70.162.155]] 17:53, 25 January 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== What if 103 ==<br />
<br />
Why is it "not quite a coincidence" that the titanic was traveling at about the same speed when it hit bottom as when it hit the iceberg?<br />
: 1. please sign your posts! 2. im guessing the joke is that it wasnt moving [[Special:Contributions/108.162.221.201|108.162.221.201]] 17:09, 25 August 2022 (UTC)Bumpf<br />
:: What are you talking about? Its speed was around 20.5 kts at the time of impact.<br />
<br />
== Syndication comic: uploaded with no number, link to xkcd doesn't work? ==<br />
<br />
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Syndication<br />
<br />
In the title, the page is very broken and there's no evidence Randall Munroe ever uploaded this. Someone in the comments theorises it's a fan uploaded comic pretending to be official. Any way to find out? [[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 08:08, 14 October 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Concerning a certain editor ==<br />
<br />
I'm puzzled and slightly worried as to the motives of [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?limit=50&title=Special%3AContributions&contribs=user&target=Gadget-HotCat&namespace=&tagfilter=&start=&end= a given named editor]. Having made direct comments myself (and seen others do so), albeit only as an IP, I'm concerned as to their potentially reckless nature. As messages to(/in reply to) them have done very little to get a valid explanation, I thought I should note the case slightly more formally. They seemed quite helpful when they started to post (at a time of notable vandalism, and I'm reluctant to jump to any adverse conclusion about that) and I obviously cannot speak of their time beyond this submission, but I find an overwhelming amount of their most recent interactions to be (to put it charitably) naive, despite clearly the intelligence to use advanced Wiki markup/etc.<br />
<br />
I welcome a ready and willing editor. Moreover one who has bothered to get an accountable account, more than I have ever done! I would be happy to see them usefully contribute further, but could they perhaps realise (or accept, if they already know) that the drive to submit random and (pretty much always) unexplanatory content is not useful to anyone. And that's all I wish to say, right now. As much of a nudge as I want to make for the moment. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.64|141.101.99.64]] 14:45, 28 November 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== xkcd Volume 0 ==<br />
xkcd Volume 0 is a collection of chosen comic strips - but there's also red-text found scattered though pages, usually as some type of cypher or code. Because of that, can an authorized user create a stub for [[xkcd Volume 0]] so that the codes can be documented, or does that risk too much of a copyright violation? --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.241.56|108.162.241.56]] 00:10, 29 January 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Russia ==<br />
Is there a comic that mentions Russia? Omg Omg Omg {{unsigned|Omg omg omg Бельков|23:02, 19 March 2023 (UTC)}}<br />
:@[[User:Omg omg omg Бельков|Omg omg omg Бельков]]: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?search=russia&title=Special%3ASearch&go=Go Let me use the search bar]. ~ [[user:megan|Megan]] <sup>she</sup>/<sub>her</sub> <sup>[[user talk:megan|talk]]</sup>/<sub>[[special:contribs/megan|contribs]]</sub> 23:25, 19 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
:Might be a good idea if the mods had a look at the following accounts, BTW:<br />
:"Omg сайт вместо гидры", "Omg omg omg Бельков", "Omgomg", "Площадка omg", "Darknet omg omg", "Ссылка на omgomg", "Омгомгомг магазин", "Омгомгомг сайт", "Омгомгомг ссылка", "Омг сайт магазин", "Омг ссылка", "Омг тор ссылка", "Площадка omg ссылка", "Сайт омг омг ссылка", "Сайт omg onion", "Сайт omg shop", "Сайт omgomg", "Omgomgomg ссылка", "Omg omg market onion", "Omg onion", "Omg online", "Omg shop ссылка", "Omg web net", "Omgomg гидра", "Omgomg замена гидре", "Omgomg market", "Omgomg tor", "Omgomgomg магазин", "Omgomgomg сайт", "Omg omg сайт зеркало", "Omg omg ссылка онион", "Omg omg сайт аналог гидры", "Omg зеркало", "Omg аналог гидры", "Omg вместо гидры", "Omg даркнет", "Omg дарк", "Omg маркет", "Omg omg площадка тор", "Omg онион", "Omg площадка даркнета", "Omg площадка новая", "Omg площадка торговая", "Omg ссылка", "Omg dark", "Omg darknet", "Omg market", "Omg omg даркнет", "Omg omg магазин ссылка", "Omg omg площадка отзывы", "Omg omg площадка сайт", "Зеркало ссылка омг"<br />
:Wasn't particularly concerned, but then one decided to have a go at posting. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.185|172.69.79.185]] 23:51, 19 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Edit War ==<br />
An edit war has occurred on this page. Three topics were added and then removed. One user got banned. It seemed that the "Miscellaneous" is not actually miscellaneous. I can't create any talk pages, either. [[User:ClassicalGames|ClassicalGames]] ([[User talk:ClassicalGames|talk]]) 03:40, 31 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Spammers are being impersonated. <span>[[User:ClassicalGames|Clas]]</span>rch 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Connect spam ==<br />
It seems that the pages with "Connect" in their titles tend to receive spam posts. [[User:Memo Spike Connector|2503: Memo Spike Connector]] ([[User talk:Memo Spike Connector|talk]]) 08:05, 31 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Did this happen on Wikipedia too? [[User:ColorfulGalaxy|ColorfulGalaxy]] ([[User talk:ColorfulGalaxy|talk]]) 10:40, 31 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Note for spammers: Do not rely on our group or others such as [[User:Memo Spike Connector]] to revert your edits. [[User:ColorfulGalaxy|ColorfulGalaxy]] ([[User talk:ColorfulGalaxy|talk]]) 10:46, 31 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== April fools day ==<br />
April fools day is coming. Let's predict what [[Randall]] will post for the day. [[User:Memo Spike Connector|2503: Memo Spike Connector]] ([[User talk:Memo Spike Connector|talk]]) 08:05, 31 March 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: Uh, oh, April Fool's Day has already passed and there doesn't seem to be any related comics this year. [[User:ColorfulGalaxy|ColorfulGalaxy]] ([[User talk:ColorfulGalaxy|talk]]) 20:14, 2 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: Seems like they've seen our trying to predict the April Fools comic. [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 23:35, 3 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Public sandbox ==<br />
<br />
What are the public sandbox pages used for? The "Main Page sandbox" was originally intended for testing the main page features, but then it received a lot of off-topic comments. [[User:ColorfulGalaxy|ColorfulGalaxy]] ([[User talk:ColorfulGalaxy|talk]]) 20:24, 2 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:The [[:Template:sandbox]] page received spam posts recently, with some user repeatedly trying to put words under another person's pen. I'm afraid someone will start using chatbots to spam in the future. [[User:ClassicalGames|ClassicalGames]] ([[User talk:ClassicalGames|talk]]) 07:03, 4 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:The above issue seems to have been resolved. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.135.43|172.69.135.43]] 02:07, 10 May 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::And then a mysterious "fanmade comic" appeared. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.174|172.69.22.174]] 02:08, 10 May 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::For the record, [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Miscellaneous&diff=prev&oldid=312713 massive editing has occured] here, which is clearly debatable. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.35|172.70.90.35]] 08:33, 10 May 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Editor guide for specific category ==<br />
<br />
Could you add an editor guide on how to add this category to pages? Some user did it wrongly a while ago. https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Category:Comics_sharing_name<br />
<br />
I can't create talk pages. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.230|162.158.166.230]] 09:30, 6 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Vector images don't work==<br />
The vector images don't show up on my browser. [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 22:59, 8 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
:Which vector images, and which bowser? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.184|172.69.79.184]] 23:29, 8 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::There is supposed to be a vector image on the top of this page, just above the "Contents" block. It seems to be that none of the vector images show up normally on this computer. [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 23:48, 8 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::I used a new browser and it failed again. [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 08:06, 9 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
::::But ''which'' browser(s)? I mean, if you're using Lynx, then you probably won't get native inline SVG rendering support, ever. If you're using NCSA Mosaic then you definitely need to change to something a bit newer ''anyway''. If you're using the latest Chrome/Firefox/Edge/whatever then I'd be surprised if it doesn't work. And if it's ''only on this site'' (i.e. that similarly embedded graphics work elsewhere), then that's a whole other line of enquiry.<br />
::::Help us to help you, if you have indeed got a problem (and perhaps explain how you found the problem, too, to know how you detected the anomaly). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.9|141.101.98.9]] 12:29, 9 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Solar system category ==<br />
<br />
Could the category for the solar system be possibly created? There are several comics related. [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 07:13, 11 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
:Hey! You don't need to make an admin request. In proposals 1.49 there's where you can propose categories, and if you think it's a good idea/get support you can just go ahead and make it. [[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 09:44, 18 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Categorization problem ==<br />
<br />
Just now, I found two user pages lying in the [[:Category:Internet]] category. Could we possibly create a categorization template so that user pages that transcluded a comic page will not be categorized? We can also solve the problem that puts the Main Page in various theme categories. [[User:CategoryGeneral|CategoryGeneral]] ([[User talk:CategoryGeneral|talk]]) 03:38, 14 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
:I've blanked one of the sandboxes. The other one doesn't belong to our group. [[User:ClassicalGames|ClassicalGames]] ([[User talk:ClassicalGames|talk]]) 03:46, 14 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
::Nice sentiments, but please stop feigning talking to yourself or using [[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2293:_RIP_John_Conway&diff=prev&oldid=310329 your own edits to justify your various unnecessary aliases]]...<br />
::There really do not need to be 'personal sandboxes', and the use made of the sandboxes is not useful. Many things that a Sandbox is used for could be done simply by the "Show preview", and certainly it isn't supposed to be a notepad for unrelated junk. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.67|172.70.85.67]] 08:11, 14 April 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Help with Creating a User Page ==<br />
<br />
I'm a relatively new user, and I decided "I should probably make a user page," but for some reason it says that I "do not have permission to create this page" even though it's <i>my</i> page. [[User:Trogdor147|Trogdor147]] ([[User talk:Trogdor147|talk]]) 03:08, 7 June 2023 (UTC)<br />
:Check the user page now! [[User:Z1mp0st0rz|Z1mp0st0rz]] ([[User talk:Z1mp0st0rz|talk]]) 15:24, 24 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
::Thanks! To everyone redirected here via my previous comments, click here -> [[User:Trogdor147|Trogdor147]] ([[User_talk:Trogdor147|talk]]) 00:17, 4 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Versailles-Rose-style cultural export ==<br />
<br />
America has already banned cultural export from several places, but this happened again in [[Talk:2781: The Six Platonic Solids]]. That is illegal. It should be taken seriously. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.134.71|172.69.134.71]] 23:55, 2 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
:Presuming you're refering to that thing edited out in [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2781:_The_Six_Platonic_Solids&diff=prev&oldid=316742 this edit], if I thought I understood the original comment, then I'm darned if I can work out what your official objection to it is.<br />
:If I thought the original wasn't just CG being CG, I'd revert that removal for being nonsensical. No "inciting illegality", so far as I can see, so no need to remove the comment or complain about it.<br />
:You're not CG (or an off-site ally) wearing an IP cloak to do other typical CG-like things, such as we've seen many times before, are you? Don't do that, if so. I won't be restoring the original, but you need to establish better reasons for editorialising a Talk page's contributions.<br />
:...but, if anyone is going to edit things around again, I hope they also put a suitably attributed {{template|unsigned ip}} on the other most recent appended line, ok? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.16|172.70.86.16]] 10:11, 3 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
: He restored that offensive line. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.22.17|172.69.22.17]] 23:49, 7 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
: Not sure what's going on here, but the nonsense language makes me suspect bots, in which case maybe just ban the IP. [[User:Hawthorn|Hawthorn]] ([[User talk:Hawthorn|talk]]) 23:43, 9 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
:: Difficult, with IPs. I'm one but not the type you want to ban, if you can take my word on that. It all depends on which Cloudflare gateway(s) you get routed through, and then which 'local' IP you happen to get assigned as from interaction to interaction.<br />
:: Personally I suspect an idiot (a human, but an idiot. Or maybe an entire off-site group of idiots who are playing some sort of group game using our site as the playing-board. If it's automated (which is more difficult to do reliably than direct human trolling, realistically) then it's still an idiotically set up auto-trolling with no clear usefulness beyond 'because we can'. Nobody bothered to answer me as to why, but that just reinforces my feeling that there's no legitimate reasons behind any of it. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.97|172.71.242.97]] 09:10, 10 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::That post appeared back again. That's kind of hidden cultural reference. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.154.17|172.71.154.17]] 23:46, 9 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
::Too hidden. As I asked before (but it was deleted) explain it to us. Or me, at least. If tou actually have a point, we can help you. But you don't, I suspect. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.97|172.71.242.97]] 09:10, 10 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
There is a hidden reference to another country's culture. Many Americans hate that country. We do not allow such countries' culture to invade our website. Our website is American. EDIT: Those captchas are way too hard. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.154.156|172.71.154.156]] 23:42, 10 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
:Still obtuse. And, I suspect, also incorrect. Which country? China <!-- That's it. -->? North Korea? Canada? You can say, you know... Free speech exists, with no overriding legal prohibition against even mentioning whatever enemy nation you consider as beyond the pale for 'many'. Perhaps you aren't allowed to incite hatred (not sure if it's a legal thing, but it would be a generally established forum policy) but merely mentioning a general emnitity arising from the distrust of all things mapleleafian can be done without fear or favo(u)r. Educate us. Make us understand the issue, that we might never again fall into the trap of razy lacism or accidentally mention beavers in polite company... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.130|172.70.85.130]] 08:23, 11 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
:: Click the "edit" button and you'll see that. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.166.204|162.158.166.204]] 23:02, 11 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Twix re-referencing ==<br />
<br />
Nearly put this as an HTML comment in the Social Media category (it has no Talk). Not sure if this should be under Proposals/Maintenance/Co-ordination in here (please move there, if you feel strongly it does belong in any of these). But probably needs saying.<br />
<br />
Just seen one (out of many!) Twitter-referencing articles entirely rebranded to say "X" instead (and "x" for "tweet", etc). Which I felt a mistake. Reverted and added a single "now rebranded as..." caveat to the original mention, given the comic concerned was clearly Twitter-branded (older look, too), and this seemed a better solution.<br />
<br />
I just want to express my opinion (and thus ask if I'm truly rolling with the consensus) that "now known as "X" is perhaps the besr direction to go. As and when, not necessarily as a splurge of appended edits to ''every'' Twitter-referencing page right this minute. (For one thing, it could so easily be rebranded/retrobranded/debranded altogether in the near future if either sanity prevails or greater insanity piles upon that already seen.)<br />
<br />
Clear Twitter-era comics certainly don't need "tweets" changed to... whatever gets settled on as the proper term for post-Twitter tweets. "Twixes"? Yeah, nobody really knows that, yet, anyway. When (inevitably) a comic arises referencing "X (formerly known as Twitter)" then the referencing can be reversed. If/when Wikipedia renames/redirects accordingly then maybe that'll be a cue to (as we editors come across them in other edit contexts) change <code><nowiki>{{w|Twitter}}</nowiki></code> to something like <code><nowiki>{{w|X (Social media)|Twitter}}</nowiki></code> to avoid hitting the redirect, or whatever makes sense by then. But I would resist big changes to legacy references (i.e. pre-July 2023) and imagine that well-meaning editors that do try to help by almost 'keyboard/leopard' mass changing be discouraged/pre-empted.<br />
<br />
But that's IMHO. I think it should potentially be a conversation, here, rather than me being a full on vigilante-reverter (and others having their own ideas) just because *I* have a particular impression of what's suitable to maintain site style. For the present. And potentially in years to come when the fate of The Media Formerly Known As Twitter might have transformed yet again and Randall's œuvre (perhaps still being drawn, thrice Earth-weekly, from his Lunar south-pole penthouse 'retirement' suite, or else from his official AI mind-mapped legal successor-entity!) continues to attract new readers for whom this "Twitter" thing needs actual explaining, even though they've used MuskMedia's 'æMotifier' quantum-netlink ever since they got their first cranial emotion-transceiver implant inserted and become a fully accredited voting Martian Citizen! (Or, alternatively, it's become as unknown to most people as AskJeeves/Geocities/Fidonet because it's a sidelined or even completely defunkt thing.)<br />
<br />
So, yeah, ''waaay'' too early to do crazy site-wide edits, but perhaps agree on what we might do right now on a throttled back basis. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.197|141.101.98.197]] 09:46, 2 August 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== wait what? (is this "view a bunch of html" thing intentional?) ==<br />
<br />
so i was trying to see the rss feed because i was curious and ended up with the page showing me a bunch of html code for some reason. what is going on???<br />
<br />
also just realized half of the "[something][/something]" thing you use in forums to, for example, post something as a spoiler is basically html but with square brackets instead of whatever these are called (the ones that look like this: "<>") [[User:An user who has no account yet|An user who has no account yet]] ([[User talk:An user who has no account yet|talk]]) 18:30, 5 September 2023 (UTC)<br />
:{{w|RSS}} is, or should be, based upon XML (eXtensible Markup Language). Which is basically the 'core' of many common markup languages, especially HTML (or XHTML, as it has been standardised). You're really supposed to use an RSS ''reader'' utility to parse the 'html code' and present it in a more human-readable way. (Although it's also fairly easy to human-read the RSS and scan for details of interest, so long as you have at least an inkling of what you're looking at and for.)<br />
:Regarding the forum <code>[code]...[/code]</code> stuff, I ''think'' you're speaking of {{w|BBCode}}, which I think is intended to be a handy solution to allowing only ''sanitised'' markup to be posted by any given forum's random, rambling and potentially rabid users with something to say. If you're happy to allow a contributor to render a <code><nowiki><b></b></nowiki></code> tag (or with <code><nowiki><strong></strong></nowiki></code>, or via a CSS property, etc), your forum back-end translates the allowable <code>[b]...[/b]</code> into that mandated browser-friendly form.<br />
:But if anyone tried to use any actual <X>-tag directly, then it gets sanitised into <code>&amp;lt;X&amp;gt;</code>. This means that ''unless the forum explicitly allows it'' (and in a form that the browser understands, might need a .js/.css extension to execute it in modern browsers) one couldn't <code><blink><marquee>Blink A Marquee</marquee></blink></code> within any arbitrary post text...<br />
:And also, with such lightweight "Bulletin Board Code" and neutralised 'original raw HTML', you can also stop many of the possible techniques for someone trying direct script-injection or even just rendering follow-up messages liable to inheriting an opened (but not closed) formatting from more freely used HTML.<br />
:(I'm not entirely sure if 'markup security' is the prime reason for using it, and I know some weird and disruptive loopholes have occasionally still had to be closed in the parsing/conversion rules, but it seems to me as good an impetus as any.) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.8|172.71.242.8]]<br />
<br />
== Is it possible to add a feature that keeps track of all viewed comics so that you specifically view unseen comics only? ==<br />
<br />
I'm trying to read every xkcd comic, and I believe I have done so, but I still have a small doubt in my head. Would it be possible, even if only on explainxkcd to keep track of comics viewed? If not, is it possible to create a program that can do this locally or would I just need to go back through all of them? {{unsigned|SteveTheNoob|10:40, 12 October 2023 (UTC)}}<br />
<br />
: I'm not aware of anything simple that might (say) work as a <nowiki>{{Special:RandomUnreadOnly}}</nowiki> restriction, if that's what you're looking for. You(/everyone with a named account) probably need a "read list" page off your userspace that gets updated by a bit of "Visited!" embedded template/code/scripting attached to every relevent page (probably limited by being 'noinclude'd) and can be checked before it suggests your next landing spot (Random or otherwise). It would be a bit contrived. Even more so if you store page details ''with'' a last-viewed timestamp (either to allow you to revisit upon an update or to just allow pages seen early on to be occasionally revisited), which I'd suggest would be useful. But if it's an internal wiki page (rather than browser-side) it would probably be visible to anyone (write-restricted, I imagine) and I'm not sure that's a wise move.<br />
: Too late to necessarily help you, but the aspiring completist could simply progress logically (not 'Special:Random'ly) from Comic 1 on up (or the current latest on down, with future 'latest's being a different progression to track) and keep a note of where you've got to after each binge-session of Next/Previous following. That'd catch most of the comics, less those that are unnumbered for various reasons. It could be done wikiwise with a variation on the 'Latest Comic' (global) tracker, but again with a Userspace page. Or just a browser extention, updating a Bookmark/Favourites link or just jot it down on a bit of paper. Some of these would take far less effort than trying to a implement per-user shared-but-private wikimedia solution bespoke to the exacting needs of this particular Wiki. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.205|172.70.91.205]] 13:28, 12 October 2023 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== While False ==<br />
<br />
There’s now over a year ago since [[user:While False|While False]] contributed for the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:While_False&diff=303753&oldid=301370|Barry-Larry-very last time]. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.222.5|162.158.222.5]]<br />
<br />
:While False’s “Explain xkcd museum” can be found [[User:While False/explain xkcd museum|here]]. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.222.44|162.158.222.44]]<br />
<br />
== Furries ==<br />
<br />
Someone has been adding vaguely-relaged pages to [[:Category:Furries]]. Is this okay? This person's criteria seem to be that anything related to anthropomorphic animals (including anything related to Narnia) is "furry"; they also consider anything pertaining to knots or cheese graters to be furry-related. (The knot and grater things are NSFW inside jokes within the furry fandom.)<br />
<br />
My opinion is that anything with anthropomorphic animals is close enough to fall under the furry category (after all, anthropomorphic animals are basically what define the furry fandom), but individual Narnia-related pages don't need to be tagged as furry. [[:Category:Chronicles of Narnia]] being a subcat of Furries is enough IMO. As for knots and graters, I don't think those also should be enough to tag someone.<br />
<br />
What do you all think? {{unsigned ip|172.71.146.55|04:38, 1 February 2024 (UTC)}}<br />
<br />
:My opinion: that it must depict furries subculture or its ''unambiguous'' inspirations.<br />
:I see that [[:Category:Chronicles of Narnia]] has been labeled such, but this implies that [[969: Delta-P]] (amongst others) includes furries.<br />
:I'd also argue that merely 'talking animals' aren't sufficient to be "furrie". [[1503: Squirrel Plan]] (not catted... yet!) are still ultimately scuiromorphic squirrels. 'Intelligent' animals, and 'translator-microbed' for our benefit, but barely different in depiction from any [[635: Locke and Demosthenes|other typical appearance]]. YMMV.<br />
:And if a long-standing comic has not been given a long-standing category ''until you 'spot' the connection'', then it might be obscure and need (in-line) justification. See the markup (and edit-history) of the Lowercase in [[739: Malamanteau]] as an example of perhaps why and how.<br />
:...in particular, when someone made [[1762: Moving Boxes]] an example of "Furries", someone else thought it was (improperly) due to the word "Hooves", when it was really due to "Knots". Equally improperly, IMO, given that various types of knot were mentioned in the Explanation, but certainly no references there to Furries (or even to more 'obvious' kinks than furry-fandom, with or without extant categories or obvious interest by Randall). Personally, I thought it had been about the word "Kits" (c.f. "cubs"), not that I agreed with that assertion either. So do add an in-line comment, and it ''might'' help justify it to future editors who don't see what you see. Still arguable, but at least avoids arguing cross-purposes.<br />
:''To summarise'', unless you consider everything with Animals in it (or at least every one with animals being [[928: Mimic Octopus|'odd' in any human-relatable way]]) as potential Furries-fodder, it really must be obviously referencing Furrie-subculture. Enough to be considered worthy a mention in the Explanation as well, not just because of a tenuous word-association or imagery inadvertently triggering an obscure personal interests. (There's a comic that specifically makes me think "Caramel", but it has nothing intrinsically to do with (e.g.) [[:Category:Food]]. I know why it makes me think that, but wouldn't consider it meaningful to ''anyone'' else. Even if it might for a small subculture, however, it still wouldn't actually be a valid category to apply if there was no reason for Randall to have had that same association in mind.)<br />
:Categories should not include much more true material than they reasonably need to, just on the offchance that there's a totally unintended link. (And if ''all'' the Narnia references need cat:Furries, they also need cat:Animals. I might argue that cat:Religion is at least as necessary, just for every mention/hint of Aslan. But I wouldn't actually flood that option, either.) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.207|172.71.242.207]] 10:49, 1 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
::I think there are enough pages in the category as of right now (22:16, 9 March 2024 (UTC)), but seeing as I don't know all the references (what's so funny about knots and cheese graters?) it's obvious that I'm just William Shatner's generation 💅 descendant who pretends to be a furry for clout online. So I'm not sure whether you should trust me. --[[User:AndroidTheLucario|Your favorite aura doggo]] ([[User talk:AndroidTheLucario|talk]]) 22:16, 9 March 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== What is the significance of the word "crap" here? ==<br />
<br />
I often see vague references to "crap" in discussions on this wiki, but I don't understand the meaning. Of course, I *do* know what the literal definition of "crap" is; I just don't know the significance here. It doesn't seem to be a word used particularly often in xkcd, so what is the significance here? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.49|108.162.245.49]] 02:28, 7 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
:I think you're refering to the escapades of a particular idiot (and possibly copycats). The actions conducted might well be refered to by various verb forms/etc of the word.<br />
:Though there are 'legitimate' uses of the word in comics, in context, I don't think there is any particular Randallesque significance that you need to worry about. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.55|172.71.178.55]] 04:55, 7 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
::Thank you! What did the particular idiot do? [[Special:Contributions/172.71.150.62|172.71.150.62]] 22:46, 8 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::Just particularly low-vocabulary/high-volume/zero-creativity nuisance editing Probably doesn't need dignifying by further explanation, and really not worth dwelling on. But this was just one particular type of nuisance, dealt with just as many other nuisances (by whatever hand) also were/will be. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.212|172.70.91.212]] 02:05, 9 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Is ReCAPTCHA really necessary? ==<br />
<br />
I worry that I might be opening up a can of worms here, but here goes. For various personal reasons I don't like setting up accounts with things unless I really, really need to. I'm sure I'm not the only one. There are also people who can't set up accounts because they don't have an email address. Because we're not logged in, every time we want to make any edit or post any comment on any part of this Wiki, we have to go through multiple laborious ReCAPTCHAs. I'm sure the irony isn't lost on the rest of you that CAPTCHA/ReCAPTCHA is the butt of more than a few jokes on various XKCD comics, which imply that they are disingenuous processes whose real purpose is to farm out stultifyingly mundane computing tasks to a captive audience. Furthermore, I am editing on mobile, which can present formatting problems, rendering the ReCAPTCHA (and, by extension, my editing) impossible to complete. I know there are other ways in which this Wiki combats spam, so do we really need ReCAPTCHAs? Removing them would make this site considerably more accessible to eccentrics and Luddites such as myself. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.13|172.70.85.13]] 18:23, 17 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
:I'm guessing you weren't here for the crap incident? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.41.120|162.158.41.120]] 23:22, 17 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
:Speaking as an accountless luddite (long term active and non-lurking contributor; I ''choose'' not to clutter myself with yet another account, inventing yet another apt username when I don't actually have to), it ''can'' be annoying to have to do a round or two of Traffic Light or Tractor identification. But, given the number of obvious fake accounts, it may be that removing the control would release a deluge of one-shot spams that are currently caught.<br />
:It's less trouble than the extra issue of having done a CAPTCHA successfully, submitting a ticked contribution, the explainxkcd server complaining of overload/whatever (error 503, I think) and then the necessary refresh-submit moans that I ''didn't'' give a CAPTCHA (logical enough... the side-server confirmation data probably loses synchronicity against the 'new' POST submission). And not even sure whether an other-than-CAPTCHA solution could handle that type of fail-over any better. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.163.49|172.70.163.49]] 10:52, 18 April 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Why do all the comic updates feel late to me? I only ever see them on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and weekends. ==<br />
<br />
I'm in the same time zone as Randall, so it could just be a sleep schedule thing tbh. [[User:Psychoticpotato|Psychoticpotato]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 21:29, 13 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
:Quick poll of server-times for explainxkcd's BOT back to mid-February suggests that significantly more than half were before midnight Randall Mean Time (or Randall Daylight Time). That said, a long long experience has taught me not to fret the "only see it the next morning" ones (my time). They keep coming. 2916 was an outlier (almost 29 hours longer to arrive than 2910 did, assuming that wasn't a BOT delay that I'm not aware of).<br />
:In this sample, it went from an earliest time of 11:37 (servertime, remember), Q1 at 18:12, Q2 at 22:03, Q3 at 03:11 (still pre-midnight, for you and him), and the latest was 16:31 the day after. Mondays seem to be a bit lagged over Wednesdays and Fridays but, outliers apart, there doesn't seem to be much in it.<br />
:I could do a far longer sampling (I can recall of a couple-of-days-delayed ones that arrived ''eventually'', but at least officially kept the MWF cycles going. not counting delayed-specials/etc), but there's not much to be seen recently to concern me. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.190|172.69.79.190]] 23:32, 13 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== New users can't create pages ==<br />
<br />
Hey, you know how new users can't create their own user pages? Well, it turns out that new users can't create ''any'' pages. Could this be the autoconfirm thing? {{unsigned|PDesbeginner|14:56, 20 June 2024 (UTC)}}<br />
:If you think about it, you'll realise that it's probable that new users can't create user pages '''exactly because''' they can't create ''any'' pages... ;) But that state of affairs won't last long, if you're patient.<br />
:...Until then, petitioning for (say) a new Category (with sufficient examples to provide a reason for it) might get you helped out by a sympathetic existing page-creator. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.90|172.70.91.90]] 19:45, 20 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Minor edit/Watch this page ==<br />
<br />
Before I save an edit, how do I decide which checkbox to select? [[User:PDesbeginner|PDesbeginner]] ([[User talk:PDesbeginner|talk]]) 14:57, 21 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
:I use the "minor edit" for fixing (my own) typos and when adding links or such to the(my) text. I never used the "watch" option but I guess you can use it to receive mail notifications if someone changes the page [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 10:57, 2 July 2024 (UTC)<br />
:I did a test and it turns out that the "Watch this page" box makes the page get automatically added to your watchlist when you save the edit. Thanks for the help with when to select the minor edit box, but does anyone know what it actually does? [[User:PDesbeginner|PDesbeginner]] ([[User talk:PDesbeginner|talk]]) 20:07, 6 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
::From my experience of other wiki sites (where I have an account, thus get to see such options), it's not much more than a bit of administrivia, to allow you to mark anything that you consider not bothersome in any way (de-doubling unnecessary whitespace, trivial typo-correction, etc.) and thus letting others selectively ignore such tweaks (at least until they start to wonder why an article has gained/lost several paragraphs as part of an apparently "minor edit").<br />
::If it has any functional utility beyond just a handy user-flag, I haven't seen it. And no doubt there are those who would ''especially'' check (or have 'Bots check) so-called-minor edits, just to make sure they really are. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.203|172.70.162.203]] 23:07, 6 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
::Thanks! [[User:PDesbeginner|PDesbeginner]] ([[User talk:PDesbeginner|talk]]) 16:58, 7 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Hi! ==<br />
<br />
How are all you beautiful people doing? I'm quite alright myself. [[User:Psychoticpotato|P?sych??otic?pot??at???o ]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 03:03, 11 July 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Red text ==<br />
I found red text in the "Flowchart" comic explanation. Could you deal with it? [[User:CategoryGeneral|CategoryGeneral]] ([[User talk:CategoryGeneral|talk]]) 08:58, 30 July 2024 (UTC)<br />
:In [[1195: Flowchart]]? I don't see any there.<br />
:There are similarly named comics, and plenty of furtyer comics "that have a flowchart" so perhaps try at least telling us the number of the one you mean. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.145|172.70.86.145]] 18:44, 30 July 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== The future ==<br />
<br />
You know, we're not too far from a future where each and every edit to this website will have paragraphs of critical commentary. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.245.210|108.162.245.210]] 23:49, 19 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Comic # 2974 explanation ==<br />
<br />
Someone please hug the editor of the explanation of comic #2974. They seem a little depressed. I noticed your nitpickyness and I cared. Thank you. Also you made me laugh a bunch. {{unsigned ip|172.70.111.167|13:28, 21 August 2024 (UTC)}}<br />
:I don't see that myself (though there will be a number of editors, maybe the bits you mean are less obvious now) although hugs are rarely a bad idea (being careful in cases of sunburn, dermititis, excessive blisters or bubonic infections of various kinds) so free (but entirely optional!) hugs all round. Just because not all symptoms of depression are particularly obvious anyway. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.17|172.70.162.17]] 14:37, 21 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Comic #3000 ==<br />
Y’all, we’re getting scarily close to comic 3000. Any bets on what it’ll be about? [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 02:17, 23 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
:I'll get back to you on that in a couple of months... ;) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.164|172.70.162.164]] 04:39, 23 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
::I myself think that it’s going to be a continuation of the <code><nowiki>[[Category:xkcd Phones|xkcd phones]]</nowiki></code> series. [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 20:49, 26 August 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::(You probably meant to use something like <code><nowiki>[[:Category:xkcd Phones|xkcd phones]]</nowiki></code>, which appears as the now clickable: [[:Category:xkcd Phones|xkcd phones]] ...or something similar. FYI.) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.62|141.101.98.62]] 20:36, 26 September 2024 (UTC)<br />
nothing, you get nothing >:[ [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 07:06, 24 October 2024 (UTC)<br />
It was SOOO disappointing and just a regular comic :( [[User:Thehydraclone|Thehydraclone]] ([[User talk:Thehydraclone|talk]]) 22:23, 2 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Trouble finding comic about how kids read too many comics ==<br />
<br />
Iirc, it was a comic that had newspaper quotes from various times in history. One was that kids read too many comics, one was that kids look out the window too much. Maybe one on too many video games, and/or too much tv. And maybe one on reading. Anyway, I'm having trouble finding it because the keywords are too vague. And "xkcd comic" just brings me to the homepage. Any help would be appreciated 🙏 [[Special:Contributions/172.70.131.6|172.70.131.6]] 04:30, 13 September 2024 (UTC)<br />
:[[1601|1601: Isolation]] [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 15:33, 13 September 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Correct name ==<br />
<br />
What’s the correct name for this wiki? ExplainXKCD is what I use, but there’s also Explainxkcd or explainxkcd or explain xkcd. Please advise for all of us pedantic editors. [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 00:55, 22 September 2024 (UTC)<br />
:A question for the ages. The case of "xkcd" itself is officially all lowered, and all domain names are inherently caseless, whilst xkcd's (usual) comic-text is sᴍᴀʟʟᴄᴀᴘs (or, rather, partly camel-cased SᴍᴀʟʟCᴀᴘs). If I don't use "explainxkcd" I might go for "ExplainXkcd" or "explainXkcd" (the latter two probably wrong, but at least adds degrees of parsability, maybe with some cringing). There's even a [[:File:Logo.png|case]] (NPI!) to call it "EXPLAINxkcd", but I wouldn't. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.26.138|172.71.26.138]] 10:15, 22 September 2024 (UTC)<br />
::I’ve also noticed that if you substitute x for 23, k for 11, c for 3, and d for 4, as that is the order that they appear in the English alphabet, those four numbers add up to 42, or the answer to life, the universe and everything else. Is this intentional? Has anybody else noticed this? [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 21:41, 14 October 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::[[xkcd#Meaning of xkcd|Yes]] [[Special:Contributions/172.68.205.150|172.68.205.150]] 22:36, 14 October 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Coincidence ==<br />
<br />
I just used the random page feature and got comic [[498: Secretary: Part 5]] twice in a row and got [[496: Secretary: Part 3]] on the third!<br />
Its not important but I just think its neat[[User:Pego|Pego]] ([[User talk:Pego|talk]])<br />
<br />
== Horrendously Cursed numbers ==<br />
<br />
I need them. Currently, my favorite (which I found by a whole lot of guesswork) is 2^2.321928094886. It equals 5. -[[User:Psychoticpotato|P?sych??otic?pot??at???o ]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 23:35, 28 October 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It happened to bring a typo on page [[1506: xkcloud]] to my attention. [[User:ConscriptGlossary|ConscriptGlossary]] ([[User talk:ConscriptGlossary|talk]]) 04:02, 3 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== 2024 Harris banner ==<br />
<br />
Will there be an article archiving and explaining the Harris banner on xkcd.com as of my typing this? https://imgs.xkcd.com/news/harris_news@2x.png [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 01:51, 4 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
:Check [[Header text]]. [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 03:36, 4 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
::Thanks. [[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 04:29, 4 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== IP Editing Doesn’t Make Sense ==<br />
<br />
I've read various arguments for why IP editing is allowed, or even a 'good idea'. I've read none that was compelling. Here are my reasons why I think it's not a good idea, and why it should be banned:<br />
<br />
Per {{w|WP:ISU}}, user names that imply shared use are not allowed, so why is editing using an IP address allowed, given that IP addresses usually are shared? If the logic behind this policy is that an edit must be traceable to an individual editor, not a collective entity, then allowing anonymous editing from an IP address flies squarely in the face of that.<br />
IP editing accounts for a large chunk of vandalism, disruptive editing, BLP violations, etc., and stopping it would reduce the cleanup workload for other editors.<br />
Using multiple IP addresses, either intentionally or unintentionally, fragments a user's edit history, and makes it difficult, in some cases virtually impossible, to detect editing patterns and decipher intentions.<br />
The 'hassle' of registering really is not great, and therefore I don't buy the argument that mandatory registration would make it difficult to recruit new editors.<br />
It's too easy for a registered editor to get around certain rules (such as creators not being allowed to remove speedy tags from their own articles) by logging out and editing under IP.<br />
The whole malarkey about hiding IP addresses, allegedly for privacy reasons (!), would go away if IP editing weren't an option.<br />
To be clear, I think everyone should be able to access the site without registering, and anyone should be allowed to edit, just not edit without registering. In that sense it's not that different from using a public library: you're welcome to browse the collection, access the reference section, etc. without anyone asking you any questions, but if you want to take a book home, you need to get a library card from the nice librarian first.<br />
<br />
And a further clarification: I've nothing against users who edit under IP; my issue is with the system which allows this. As long as it is allowed, users are of course welcome to make use of this. I just think it shouldn't be allowed {{unsigned|IP Addresses Don’t Make Sense|23:25, 14 November 2024 (UTC)}}<br />
:As an habitual IP, far for it for me to get involved in the argument. I will say that sometimes think it'd be nice to have a "history" that proves my actual involvement (the other day I came across a contribution from 2013 that was clearly mine), but those moments pass when I see how easy (too easy) it is to have gotten myself an account. Witness the various accounts that get conjoured up on a whim, 'yourself' included... You're not helping the cause by doing this.<br />
:If you're a named user, normally, then you're just giving more reasons for locking everyone into far more restrictions than your nominal argument suggests, and forgetting how much non-disrupting (indeed, fixing) behaviour is also done by everyone. The perfect situation? Maybe not. But there are worse ones, for anyone who has thought about it for any time. Do you want ''my'' suggestions? I've got a whole shopping list of them, but you won't want to hear about them. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.227|172.69.194.227]] 03:38, 15 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== when did xkcd jump the shark ==<br />
like, when exactly do you feel xkcd jumped the shark (if at all)? [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 12:45, 28 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
:If it has, than put me down as "likes shark-jumping". I've been directly enjoying (if not always as caught up with as I am these days) xkcd since before [[195: Map of the Internet]] (quite possibly back into only double-figures, but hard to know what I later rewound back to; or quite how far back I subsequently joined the fora and/or started explainxkcding, as both histories are shrouded behind data that's either now lost or inconveniently anonymised).<br />
:Not everything is as geeky as that, but it doesn't have to be. Horses for courses, naturally. (Perhaps lasagna?) If ''everyone'' who had such a moment actually decides to tell you their answer, probably could be up to 3000 or so distinct replies. ("It was the flying ferret" "Those spiders always did it for me" ...) ''To clarify, there may be many valid answers, but the people who would give them are far more likely not to be here to answer your question. If anybody ''does'' hover around here and want to give a definite answer of why they no longer like xkcd, then bear in mind that they're more the exception than the rule. Twice-over!'' [[Special:Contributions/172.71.122.102|172.71.122.102]] 14:22, 28 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
::Hi, 42.book.addict here to put in my own two cents (check my user page on why I’m an IP). I would like to comment that I have noticed that I very much enjoy the older (albeit lower quality and resolution) comics than before. I think that I like the old xkcd strips more because they were much more geeky and nerdy than now, as well as more funny and witty. I feel like Randall has adapted the strip to appeal to a larger audience, which in turn lowered how much I enjoyed it (as I’m a massive nerd/geek). I can’t give an exact number, because the Covid-19 comics were highly enjoyable and are more of an outlier. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.167.117|162.158.167.117]] 17:33, 28 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== How do I add userboxes to my page? ==<br />
I saw a user with userboxes and I want to be able to continue developing my personal page. Can anyone tell my how? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 19:51, 25 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Probably the easiest thing is to look at the source of any page that has something you want to use. 'Edit', the page. You can just copy what's there, if you understand all the {{}} stuff, or even just remember what to put in those {{}}s, etc. Perhaps you could try a bit of in-situ exiting (Preview if you want modify to understand, but ''don't'' fully Save... at least not until you're working back in your own userspace).<br />
:Not knowing how much you know about wikisyntax/markup, I could be either overexplaining or explaining entirely over your head by saying something like the following, but ''if'' it's useful (now, or once you've started), then you're welcome:<br />
:*You can use templates by editing in the {{template|template}} text, with the appropriate name there.<br />
:*Some of them accept/need parameters, which you use by adding a "|" symbol after the name and then a parameter. Add more parameters by adding further "|", for first(, second, third, etc) parameters, as necessary, if that's how the template concerned works.<br />
:*Some templates accept/need "|paramName=paramData" for certain things that can control control (look at any comic page, and how the {{template|comic}} is used, and note that "whitespace is (relatively) free"!), so look out for that.<br />
:*Templates can nest... A {{template|notice}} might have a {{template|w}}(ikipedia link) within it. And there's a whole flow-control 'language' of making complex branching decisions so don't be surprised to see loads of {s and }s (usually doubled, ''perhaps'' tripled, and singly in 'wikitable' markup) in things you're trying to use.<br />
:*Then there's the rest of the wikimarkup... Simple formatting to linking (external website, page on this wiki, interwiki formats (though some of those have templates ready to simplify!), etc). There's some things (handy relevent shortcuts) unique to this site, other things fairly universal. The ''general'' userbox format isn't that different from many other wikiprojects, but you may find something or other a bit more 'tuned' to our needs.<br />
:*Try things out. Remember: "Show Preview" is your friend. (There's also the Sandboxes, but you usually don't need to fully save something, leaving its remnants in a page history, to learn thst it works... Or, more usefully, that it doesn't (or not as you expect).<br />
:...any use? Could be telling you things you actually know, or you're about to ask about the {}s again. But at least look at the userbox markup, that you want to emulate, and then apply what you already can deduce to some testing to see what the bits you ''can't'' deduce actually do. Then you may have nice questions which are more straightforward (or at least direct!) for us to answer. ;)<br />
:And this is my general advice to anyone (where I'm unsure what level of experience they're thrning up with). If it becomes clear that more technical replies are needed (assuming I can give them!), or if we need to go back to more basic principles, then I would adjust. But you have at least been able to do ''some'' edits, so probably don't need module 1 part 1 of Wiki 101. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.4|172.70.85.4]] 22:38, 25 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
: My advice? Copy a box from the source of a user page that has them (copy the text within the braces, including the braces), and mess with some of the parameters until you get what you want. If you feel like you can understand it, you can also look at the {{template|userbox}} template and try to see what the possible parameters are, but the template is pretty complicated. I'm pretty sure that all of the parameters are named, so the order shouldn't matter. [[User:Firestar233|guess who]] ([[User talk:Firestar233|if you desire conversing]] | [[Special:Contributions/Firestar233|what i have done]]) 03:55, 26 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Who is this? ==<br />
what is [[User:Lettherebedarklight]]?<br />
:They're a user of this wiki, just like you. They might have caught your attention because they're currently [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:Lettherebedarklight&oldid=367915 edit warring with an admin] and seem to be resolutely [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:Lettherebedarklight&action=history against the idea of having a normal signature or talk page]. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 20:57, 8 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::no, I mean his user page just redirects to his user talk - [[User:Bb777|Bb777]] ([[User talk:Bb777|talk]]) 23:47, 9 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Exactly! See the second and third links in my message --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:45, 10 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Visual editing ==<br />
<br />
why is the visual editor not here yet? - [[User:Bb777|Bb777]] ([[User talk:Bb777|talk]]) 23:23, 15 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Because the only person who has access to the backend has gone dark and nobody else has access (which is also why the site is collapsing). You can read more about this in the Technical and Admin requests portals. At this point, we're lucky the wiki hasn't completely broken down already. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 08:59, 16 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Noting that the visual editor gives a chance of ''really'' weird markup (WYSIWYG, yes... probably, but there's plenty of chance to do [[2109: Invisible Formatting|silly''' '''things]] that you'd never do if you actually saw the code).<br />
::Though the site isn't actually collapsing. It always has a chance ''of'' collapsing, of course, just like any site (fully maintained or not). but the running issues with it are either non-serious things that updating won't help (continual 'spam attack' attempts, though it can be shown that it's already set up to be pretty proofed against most of them and most attacks continue to be dumber than the age-old system set up to prevent them from doing too much, with a high proportuon of the rest still dumber than the 'Bot that currently adds even more protection, and ultimately even those that get past that get handled by the existing userbase) or easily avoided issues (you can't use MathML like you used to be able to, but there's alternatives to that in most circumstances). [[Special:Contributions/172.68.205.92|172.68.205.92]] 16:13, 16 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:by owner of the wiki, you mean (the mysterious) [[User:Jeff]]? - [[User:Bb777|Bb777]] ([[User talk:Bb777|talk]]) 00:29, 17 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Precisely --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 16:36, 17 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== soup ==<br />
<br />
what is [[Template:soup]] for? - [[User:Bb777|Bb777]] ([[User talk:Bb777|talk]]) 00:44, 17 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:I guess it's a userbox, [[User:Certified_nqh/userbox|see some examples here]]. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 16:36, 17 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== deleting pages ==<br />
<br />
does anyone here know how to delete pages? {{unsigned|Bb777|16:10, 25 March 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:You add "<nowiki>[[Category: Pages to delete]]</nowiki>" and hope an admin eventually deletes it. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 16:46, 25 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Google Chrome is now (again) truncating TITLE TEXT in webpages incl. XKCD ==<br />
<br />
Greetings,<br />
As of early April 2025, we’ve noticed that Google Chrome is no longer displaying to us the complete TITLE TEXT when we mouseover an XKCD image. This appears to be a regression of earlier-reported issues, going back 12 years or more.<br />
<br />
We’ve been using m.xkcd.com on my mobile devices, and we may begin to prefer it on desktop as well, since the mobile rendering is the best way we’ve found to access the complete Title Text without browser interference.<br />
<br />
Coming here because, perhaps, many readers of ExplainXKCD might need explained why the Title Text no longer makes a lot of sense with the ellipses, and also, we’ve no idea how to access the remainder of the text from the browser UI, without going into DevTools or something.<br />
<br />
'''Note: This also affects images and Title Text here on Explainxkcd itself!!!'''<br />
<br />
We’re using a ChromeOS Chromebook, Stable channel:<br />
Version 134.0.6998.183 (Official Build) (64-bit)<br />
<br />
<br />
[[User:Elizium23|Elizium23]] ([[User talk:Elizium23|talk]]) 22:28, 4 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:In my experience with Chrome for Android, it just doesn't have the space to display the text in the window that it gives. (Latest comic ends with "an emitted SIm card hitting...") That also happens with (my prefered choice of browser) Firefox for Android. (''That'' ends with "a emitted SIM card hitting the side ...", for reference.) It's just a function of the screen-real-estate and the fitting it in with all the "Copy link / Share link / Share image / [etc]" options that this interface needs.<br />
:Don't know about ChromeOS and Chromebook, all that much, but I get the impression it works more with the tablet paradigm rather than a normal laptop one (like the one I'm usong here, which gives a nice hover-text rendition of the whole job), and assumes and/or is a lower resolution so subject to such pixelated real-estate issues as I mention.<br />
:That applies to the xkcd.com site. Here on explainxkcd.com it displays as (the beginning, and then) "and you listen very carefully..." on one line and then the URL of "explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/File:decay_chain_2x.png" on the next, above the various "click options". I ''believe'' that's to do with the fact that the explainxkcd image is an href (which gets represented in that space too), whereas the xkcd.com one is perfectly happy to just give me (as much as it can of) the "title=..." parameter of the img-tag.<br />
:...and I've learnt not to worry about that. It's a technical limit that isn't any website's fault (well, maybe it's the fault of ''having'' too long a title-text), and the best that any browser under the circumstances can do.<br />
:There's two ''or three'' main ways of seeing the whole thing though:<br />
:#Go and edit the URL to add "view-source:" in front of it, and look at the source (that's how it works for Android Chrome, I imagine it's how it works in ChromeOS Chrome, it also works in both Windows and Android Firefox, and seems to be industry standard). Awkward, perhaps, to narrow down the appropriate length of markup tagging and read it straight, but it's there.<br />
:#*Noting that a recent update of the Android Chrome started to make the ''default'' action of a URL of "view-soirce:<validURL>" to open a search up on the "view-soirce:<validURL>" line. One has to be careful to eschew using the enter/return key as that makes use of the "magnifying glass" option, you have to choose the second (non-default) "globe-like thing" option which depicts "yes, use this exact 'address'". No, I don't know what they messed with, and why they messed with it, and it's not the only thing that has changed recently with the UI that I really rather they hadn't changed, but took a while for me to dig up an answer about that so I freely share it in anticipation of it being important to someone else who remains similarly confused.<br />
:#Easiest thing is to come here to explainxkcd, and don't bother with the hover-over (or whatever-you-do-to-get-the-title-text) text, at all. It's written beneath all (or nearly all?) Explanation Page images in plain sight. No hovering needed. Should be complete, unless the BOT (or someone who later comes along) has managed to mess it up, but then somebody (else) will probably fix it to how it really should be, and any remaining pecularities gets documented in the Explanation and/or its Talk.<br />
:#There's also maybe dedicated xkcd viewers (I've got three installed from the Android store, just because I haven't yet decided that any one does everything I want it to do: "xkcd", "xkcd Browser" and "XKCDroid") that do at least try to be more hassle-free with their presentation of the hover-over title text. Don't know if you have such options under the ChromeOS system, but with even Windows going for 'app store' functionality behind it (not that I use it, save for very particular elements) I would rather hope that there'd be ports/clones of similar functionality that you can look at.<br />
:I can easily imagine that the crew behind Chrome have indeed been messing around with your particular build. Like I said, things keep changing to my own instance, althugh the biggest problem I have is often that when editing it doesn't recognise the need to pop up the on-screen keyboard until I've changed tabs away from the editing page and back again, then I can actually do something (beyond cut/copy/paste actions, which sometimes is enough). But that's probably not going to affect you like it does me.<br />
:And I don't use any "m.site.url" version of anything, if I can help it. Most mobile-site implementations tend to assume that I'm viewing in extreme portrait mode (which I'm not) and rearrange themselves in a way that really doesn't work in my prefered landscape orienttion, and that's just the start. As I don't do this, the above testing/examples I give was all done on "(explain)xkcd.com", not "m.xkcd.com" or whatever. But I don't see that it'll make a material difference to my checks and enumerations I've just done on your behalf. And still, hopefully, helps you understand my conclusion that... well, use one or other of my 'get arounds' (number 2?) and let Chromebook Chrome go and do whatever it feels like with hovertexts, 'cos you're not too bothered about it. Sound good? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.58.5|172.70.58.5]] 23:46, 4 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== An apology ==<br />
<br />
Hello. I am a former vandal; I am the one who ran the "crap" bot and posted the Soviet flags; I also did smaller-scale vandalism several times. I'm not sure exactly when I quit, but it's been a year or two. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused, and I won't do it again. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.158.116|172.71.158.116]] 16:10, 5 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Care to explain what your reasoning was? --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 17:25, 5 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::I didn't really have any reasoning; I just (stupidly) thought it was funny. I don't want to reveal my exact age, but I was in my early-to-mid teen years then; it was just immature "humor." [[Special:Contributions/172.69.23.125|172.69.23.125]] 21:58, 5 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
== is this HTML?==<br />
I wonder if this is HTML. <nowiki><h1> Is this h1? </h1></nowiki> [note by [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:26, 2 October 2025 (UTC): nowikied because breaks toc] [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!|Aprilfoolsupdate!]] ([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 04:43, 15 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
:turns out h1 is the same as == [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!|Aprilfoolsupdate!]] ([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 04:43, 15 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Actually, it's not, if you check.<br />
:Wiki ==ed header is:<br />
::<code><nowiki><h2><span class="mw-headline" id="is_this_HTML.3F">is this HTML?</span></nowiki></code> (+ the thing that gives you the "[edit]" link, etc, to the end of the h2-entity)<br />
:Wiki 'forced' H1 is:<br />
::<code><nowiki><h1><span class="mw-headline" id="Is_this_h1.3F">Is this h1?</span></h1></nowiki></code> (and nothing else)<br />
:It's not ''very'' obvious, but H1/= and H2/== are actually ''slightly'' different.<br />
<nowiki><H1>H1 text...</H1></nowiki> [note by [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:26, 2 October 2025 (UTC): nowikied because breaks toc]<br />
<H2>H2 text...</H2><br />
<H3>For contrast, this is H3</H3><br />
:Let's just say that the full range from = to ====== match H1 to H6 (give or take other differences, and I haven't checked what even greater "="-strings might or might not do), but mixing established wikimarkup and XML-family markup is best done with care and with good reason (e.g. to deliberately not invoke Table Of Contents-type sectioning? ...no, apparently not even that!).<br />
:And you know that there's always the Sandbox pages (or, even better, edit something, Preview it, view the Preview's source and then ''don't "Save Changes"'' ...unless you still need to for some other reason) as a better alternative to 'asking' ultimately rhetorical questions in here. (And inviting potentially rhetorical answers, like this one.)<br />
:You seem to have an enquiring mind, which is good. But remember that "a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing". I'm only giving you a bit of ''extra'' knowledge here, but also adding about the caution you should take. Please don't be a nuisance with it, unintentionally or otherwise. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.216.104|162.158.216.104]] 06:53, 15 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== How do I create a user page for myself? ==<br />
<br />
I do not know how to create a user page for myself {{unsigned|Log of n|15:50, 16 May 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:It helps if you remember to sign things. But it looks like you ''might'' be able to create it (account old enough and contributed enough).<br />
:If you see the redlinked links to your (non-existing, at first) "User:" and "User talk:" pages, in your usual signature (or the one I gave you, just above), you should be able to click on them and get the option to create them to put things in. Other places you can find those redlinks is in page-histories, your user-contributions and the RecentChanges list, in various slightly different ways. Or, having created User: space, click on the (redlinked) Discussion tab, or vice-versa.<br />
:Try it, see if it works. If it doesn't, then ''anyone'' can create those pages for you (who can create any), but I don't think that's necessary for you. If you get rebuffed, let us know and someone will either give you better instructions or help you out directly.<br />
:(The reverse is true, too: if you can create your own User: pages, you can create ''anybody else's'' who needs them, and more besides. But probably best if you don't just go finding redlinks and making them non-red, just because you can. Hold off on that, as it's too easy to create pages for long-idle accounts, spam-accounts or even regular editors who ''don't want'' their pages (yet?). If a very new account asks, maybe ''they'' need help, not yet having reached the threshold, but more experienced people often oblige after not too long. Follow their lead, learn from them before going mad with power... ;)<br />
:...should this be in the FAQ? Isn't it already? Without getting exact about the thresholds needed (in case they're adjusted, if nothing else), I'm sure this could be written there. I'd check, but it's not like I can edit it (or create pages) as I currently am. Nor do I feel the need to. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.182|172.70.91.182]] 17:31, 16 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== I found a comic site. ==<br />
<br />
It's called euge.ca and it's a lot inspired by XKCD. Could we explain it together? [[User:ExplainEuge.ca|ExplainEuge.ca]] ([[User talk:ExplainEuge.ca|talk]]) 08:42, 12 June 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Could we do that in my user page? [[User:ExplainEuge.ca|ExplainEuge.ca]] ([[User talk:ExplainEuge.ca|talk]]) 08:43, 12 June 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::But your user page isn’t created... there, now it is [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 12:37, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:How's that related to xkcd? We don't explain things "inspired by" xkcd... --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 13:02, 12 June 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Lonely Comic explanations ==<br />
<br />
It’s kinda strange to see some of the earlier comics have just a few paragraphs and minimal discussions while others have dozens of paragraphs (ok, maybe not that much, but you get the idea) and hundreds of discussions. I felt lonely when visiting those lonely explanations [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!|Aprilfoolsupdate!]] ([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 02:35, 1 July 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Feel free to mark them as incomplete if they don't explain the comic enough! However, most of the early xkcd comics were simple drawings or simple jokes that didn't need a long explanation. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 17:15, 19 July 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Leaderboard score ==<br />
<br />
What does the score on the leaderboard mean? What are the rules of score? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 07:03, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== User box ==<br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = ?| info = Can someone tell me what’s a userbox?| float = right}} [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 12:31, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:You'll find a lot more answers if you type the same thing on google and add "Wikipedia" at the end: https://www.google.com/search?q=Can+someone+tell+me+what%E2%80%99s+a+userbox%3F+wikiepdia&num=10&newwindow=1&udm=14&sxsrf=AE3TifO4CvTB3NGTONgx7ci3eXPbJh2B1g%3A1754574833361&uact=5 --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 13:54, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== [[:Category:Artificial Intelligence]] ==<br />
<br />
We have a category titled "Artificial Intelligence" ([[:Category:Artificial Intelligence]]). Shouldn't that be [[:Category:Artificial intelligence]] with a lower-case "i"? --[[Special:Contributions/208.59.176.206|208.59.176.206]] 01:02, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Tricky. Wikipedia has it as {{w|Artificial intelligence}}, and use it as the mid-sentence "artificial intelligence", but also have {{w|Wikipedia:WikiProject Artificial Intelligence}}. It's something that ''can'' be used as a compound-noun title (thus deserves full title-case), unless you're wondering "if, one day, perhaps, we will truly encounter an artificial intelligence of some kind", in unironic use of the original words.<br />
:For most purposes, I think, in the comics "AI" (the abbreviated title of the subject) is used/meant, so I suspect that it'd be the more titular umbrella of things (including, or at least aspiring to, AGI, etc) that applies.<br />
:I don't see any obvious wikipedia discussions about whether or not to (have) capitalise(d) the term. I suspect that it just was assumed as default and everyone understands that a discussion of "artificial intelligence" can be refered to as "AI", there, but wouldn't complain about any variation other than "ai". ;) Whether umbrella title or 'just words' is used here... I don't think it matters (i.e. no change needed, meaning least fuss in not 'correctiny' it in all the places it would need to be). But a question could still be asked, in case there's a different consensus from my own 'feeling' about this. [[Special:Contributions/92.23.2.228|92.23.2.228]] 10:14, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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== What if pic explain ==<br />
<br />
Can someone explain to me what is {{brda}}? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:58, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:That'd depend upon what the person who created {{template|brda}} meant it to be, and I'd ask them, not the community. (I've just asked them, myself, for my own curiosity. Or, rather if I can help them do what they thought they wanted to do.) Probably just an experiment. Maybe one that didn't work, because of not knowing how to do what they wanted to do. Or possibly even why they wanted it in the first place.<br />
:As has been said, before, it's very easy to create site pages (if you can at all), though it might be best to ask others first for advice, if you're fairly new to the whole concept. [[Special:Contributions/92.23.2.228|92.23.2.228]] 17:33, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Ah, that was you...<br />
:So... I guess you're asking what the actual picture is, then? (And is that reason why you created the template, or something else?)<br />
:It's an image that's present (in 'footnote-3') in that particular What-If article, which says ">Here's an image which is great for annoying a few specific groups of people:", and following the appearance of the "'''Br'''eaking '''Ba'''d" logo (using the chemical symbols for Bromine and Barium, as a stylistic choice). And I'd say that it probably annoys (amongst other people):<br />
:*Chemists, who might or might not know of {{w|Davyum}}, but either way know that it doesn't mean anything.<br />
:*Fans of Breaking Bad<br />
:*Fans of Twilight (perhaps, though why this and not the non-footnote "Twilight: Breaking Dawn" 'poster' below?<br />
:*People who think that images shouldn't appear in popover 'footnotes'<br />
:*People whose browsers ''can't show'' images in such footnotes (or even show the popover footnotes themselves)...<br />
:I'm sure you could think of a few others, perhaps even something that you yourself are. Were you possibly annoyed for not knowing what the image was? ;) [[Special:Contributions/92.23.2.228|92.23.2.228]] 17:47, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== store ==<br />
<br />
the store is back online wtf: https://store.xkcd.com/ (wikilink: [[Store]]) [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:09, 31 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
: "Opening soon"... -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 16:40, 31 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Yup" [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 13:08, 1 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:The [https://uni.xkcd.com/ Unixkcd] command "buy stuff" also works again now. [[User:PDesbeginner|PDesbeginner]] ([[User talk:PDesbeginner|talk]]) 04:17, 11 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
::What happened when it didn't work? It could be added to [[unixkcd]]. [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 11:20, 13 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Random Explanation Button bias towards newer articles ==<br />
<br />
I've consistently noticed that the Random Explanation button below the comic is more likely to give newer explanation pages. I clicked the button 10 times and 8 of the resulting pages had an index above 3000. Is this an intentional part of the feature, or is this an issue? {{unsigned ip|169.199.168.188|21:12, 1 October 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:I don't know if there's a bias been built in, it would need some active effort to have made it so. (Like I think it was the early iPod shuffle that was truly as (pseudo-)random as it could be, but this could result in an immediate repeat, or consecutive tracks being 'randomly consecutive', which was interpreted as a pattern - i.s. not just an occasional coincidence. They rewrote the algorithm to make it actually ''less'' fair, random-wise, but increase the ''perceived randomness''.)<br />
:I believe the Random Page In Category page is being used to implement a comics-only (plus certain others?) 'landing' for the Random button. Unless there's either an inherent bias towards (say) newer articles in the backend-code, could it be signs of the list of possible comics being truncated?<br />
:I just tried it myself. Decided in advance to commit to three sets of "ten random pages", to avoid a gambler's fallacy of stopping early or continuing too long, based upon the ravages/rewards of luck. But three lots (30 in total) should even out 'statistical blips' to a large degree. Interesting results:<br />
:*First ten= [[verizon]] (yes, one of those 'non-comic comics'), 2974, [[ngram charts]] (!), 3112, 1086, 3094, 1039, 3089, 3113, 111<br />
:**...well, high-biases, so far. And the two non-numeric ones are fairly recentlyadded pages, but on the last 'roll of the dice' it proves it ''does'' have access to historic ones, so not likely an accidental "only choose from the 1024 most recent pages" error, or some other value (though 1086 is also just before even a 2048-most-recent cutoff, too).<br />
:*Second ten= 3120, 3106, 270, 3120 (again!), 510, 2726, 3142, 3133, 3112, 1000<br />
:**...still a 3000+ bias, but still no obvious absolute reason for it.<br />
:*Third ten= 3125, 3136, [[verizon]] (again!), 3109, 3141, 3124, 3146, 515, 3123, 3095<br />
:**...just as strange. Makes me wonder if I should have aimed for ten 'tens', but not as a post-facto decision.<br />
:Median number (excluding the no-number comics) is 3109, mean is 2459ish. Two numbers seen twice (3112 and 3120, plus [[verizon]] reappeared), perhaps more than expected through chance, and both in the 3000+ range (though counting them only singly doesn't 'unskew' the averages much). Unlikely results?<br />
:Of course, someone who tries the same test for themself ''could'' end up with an equal sub-1000 apparent bias, from a reversion to the mean. Or, if it's truly a fair random result, a perfectly sane-looking evenish distribution. Still, on the above results, I'd dig into the fairness of the category-chooser, but that code is beyond my sight. Or double-check that the particular composite Category being chosen from doesn't (for example) include 3000+ comic numbers multiple times, making their choosing a significantly more significant chance than otherwise.<br />
:I'll leave that to those that last edited the sidebar (which I used) or Comic template (which has its own call-out 'Random' button, which may or may not be the same thing). [[Special:Contributions/82.132.215.9|82.132.215.9]] 01:51, 2 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Hi, yes they are the same thing, and I have no idea why this is happening. All pages are correctly included in the list, you can check at [[:Category:All pages]]. Any help would be appreciated!!! [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:24, 2 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::it's because the random button [https://colinmorris.github.io/blog/unpopular-wiki-articles isn't random]. see also [https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T200703 T200703]. [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 05:34, 9 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::: :( ㅤ [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:48, 9 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::I think this would need Jeff to go in and tweak the button to make it truly random, although that might make it seem less so... --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 16:39, 30 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::::As it is right now, the random button feels very much not random, so I think any change would help loads. [[User:Willintendo|Willintendo]] ([[User talk:Willintendo|talk]]) 20:26, 23 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
:: I feel that we need to address the {{w|XY problem}} present here. What is the Random button for? Who uses the Random button? Why do they use it? Is it an important and indispensable tool, or just a toy? Personally, I see no utility in it; simply a novelty or something to fall back on when we are bored of aimless doomscrolls. The interesting part is that “fixing” or adjusting the distribution is more or less a straightforward database issue and not one of coding. But, is there some reason here on this wiki for anyone to expend the labor and time for such a task? Surely we have bigger fish to fry? [[User:Elizium23|Elizium23]] ([[User talk:Elizium23|talk]]) 22:28, 23 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
:::If people want to jump to a random comic, they can have the explanation ready if they don't understand it, so it's better than using Randall's "Random" button on xkcd. When it works, at least... [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 07:54, 1 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
::::That is a complete tautology. In no way does that get to the root question here: why would anyone want a "random comic"? [[User:Elizium23|Elizium23]] ([[User talk:Elizium23|talk]]) 10:44, 1 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
:::::Because they want to browse xkcd comics in a random order, as they are used to doing on [https://xkcd.com xkcd.com]. [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 16:55, 3 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
:::::The random comic utility allows users to peruse the wiki in a fashion that shows them 'fresh' content. Searching sequentially (or via chaining links) often runs into 'runs' of comics that have already been (or recently been) read. This is likely why the site 'xkcd.com' has a random button in the centre of its navigation controls. However, the button there actually provides random content - while on this wiki, a strong bias for the 3000+ comics makes it show you the same ~200 comics around 25% of the time (from 250 samples I did, see [https://imgur.com/a/NFvUP9G graph]). This does noticeably impact the experience of random comics, though whether that is worth the effort fixing is another question. [[User:Sameldacamel34|Sameldacamel34]] ([[User talk:Sameldacamel34|talk]]) 08:19, 4 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
::::::You see, it is quite instructive that all replies must resort to tautologies and circular reasoning in order to justify this flawed feature. Do we need to engage in “The {{w|Five whys}}” to drill down to the root of what we’re after here? Because if we have nothing but a superficial justification, then this feature is really, really unnecessary after all. [[User:Elizium23|Elizium23]] ([[User talk:Elizium23|talk]]) 11:19, 4 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
::::::If someone really did seek “fresh content” here on this particular wiki, all you need to do is run a normal RNG, because literally all of our articles are sequentially numbered according to xkcd publication. Just run your RNG and put a random number, and there is your fresh article content. I know it’s not “built in”... but who is really bothered? [[User:Elizium23|Elizium23]] ([[User talk:Elizium23|talk]]) 11:36, 4 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
:::::::The situation is that the "Random" button was always assumed to operate as truly biasless PRNG, and may well have been in the past. It was news to everyone to learn that (after much effort of making the Random Button randomly select only upon comics ''and'' comic-like-pages, but still specifically ''not'' Talk-pages for the same, Community Portal, Categories, etc, all of which may be intetresting but not a "Random comic") we ended up with a now drastically obvious update-time biased version, or however one might better briefly describe it.<br />
:::::::There's no superficial tautology in that the Random Comic button would be used by anyone wishing to see a Random Comic. It was probably the original main justifiction, even before it was made to be so comic-specific, and it remains the current justification. Regardless of whether it now (or even earlier, before it was noticed) didn't necessarily work as flawlessly as assumed once {{diff|377541|this particular change}} was made in all good faith.<br />
:::::::Please do not insult people about something that you clearly did not understand, or pay attention to on the previous occasions when both this problem and the actual proposed/implemented MediaWiki navbar changes were being discussed at length. If you have a ''solution'' to this, however, I'm sure those that can implement said solution would be happy to listen to your greater wisdom in this matter. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 15:30, 4 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
::::::::It is by no means a personal insult to tell y'all that you are relying on a tautology, but it does indeed insult my intelligence, and that of onlookers, to insist that it is somehow not a tautology that “the Random button is used to see a random explanation”. Get real. [[User:Elizium23|Elizium23]] ([[User talk:Elizium23|talk]]) 01:04, 5 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
:::::::::[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVMgtv9oIM4 Ok, friend...] [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 12:03, 5 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
:::::::::The 'previous' button allows the user to view the previous comic. This, combined with the 'next', 'skip to first', and 'skip to end buttons', give the ability to browse sequentially - both to navigate back and forth among recent comics and to view the whole archive in chronological order. The 'random' button permits non-sequential navigation - to jump to fresh content (much like a shuffle feature on a playlist). While I agree that it serves a more novel purpose than the other navigation buttons, it is still used and found useful by many here on this wiki. Of course, I could manually do RNG (as I did in my testing) but it is a common enough thing to warrant a button - hence why the button exists. The issue is that the button is decidedly not random - enough for people to notice.<br />
:::::::::Also, please point out where in this reply and my above reply where I used "X implies X therefore X is true" as an argument. I believe I provided an explanation on why people want a 'random comic' per your question. Functional random button. Why? People want random comics. Why? Because other methods of browsing show repetitive and recently seen content. Why? Overly familiar content is less engaging and doesn't prompt any new lines of thought. Why? Because people want to continue engaging in Randall's content and how the community interacts and interprets his art. Why? (I'm sure you can figure this last one out) [[User:Sameldacamel34|Sameldacamel34]] ([[User talk:Sameldacamel34|talk]]) 16:04, 9 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
::::::::::I like using the random button quite a lot, it's a different, more free-feeling way to browse comics (especially if you haven't read all of them). Even if someone dosen't feel like there's a need for a specific feature, other people may like that feature is a valuable inclusion. It's similar to how someone may feel like the inclusion of button remapping in a video game is redundant and useless, but there are many who like the options and use those features to their full effects. [[User:Willintendo|Willintendo]] ([[User talk:Willintendo|talk]]) 14:20, 20 March 2026 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'm pretty sure the "Random comic" button in the sidebar is also biased; even when it picks an older comic, it seems to pick the same one or two dozen older comics every time. Are we using RANDU, or some other PRNG that's only marginally better than the one in [[221]]? [[User:Promethean|Promethean]] ([[User talk:Promethean|talk]]) 02:08, 27 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
:The old random button on the sidebar used to take people to this link: https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Random However, now the link takes people to https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:RandomInCatagory/All_pages Interestingly, the old link still works great, and seems to take you to a completely unbiased random page. If we simply switched the link on the sidebar and even the random button, I think the issue would be totally resolved (I know the old link because I saved it as one of my bookmarks to pull up a random page at any time). [[User:Willintendo|Willintendo]] ([[User talk:Willintendo|talk]]) 14:20, 20 March 2026 (UTC)<br />
::I think (I didn't take part in the decision, but I remember the switch), it was because [[Special:Random]] doesn't just take you to ''comic'' pages, but potentially anything in the main-space of articles (not Talk:, etc). Though there's an overwhelming number of them, and the few non-[4321: Comic Name] pages that aren't 'honourary' comics (thus got let back in to the Random Comic process via fiddling them into a suitable Category for [[Special:RandomInCategory]] to use) are also either interesting or a rare case of needing to ask for a new Random example that satisfies mofe. So perhaps if we revert to plain-old-Random, it would be acceptable. But "Random Page" would be a better description, lest we get complaints about an anomolous link to the record of all xkcd site headers, or somesuch... ;) Just a consideration, if anyone's seriously pondering that. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.236.193|82.132.236.193]] 16:38, 20 March 2026 (UTC)<br />
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== I need to find this specific comic or I will explode ==<br />
<br />
I FORGET WHICH ONE IT IS BUT THERE'S A COMIC THAT HAS AIRBRUSHIGN PAINT SLITS... I KNOW THAT PHRASE IS USED BUT I CAN'TT FIND IT ANYWEHRWE HGELP -[[User:Psychoticpotato|P?sych??otic?pot??at???o ]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 16:21, 20 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Assuming you mean "Airbrushing paint slits"... Nothing comes to my mind, ''or'' to the obvious searches (sub-searches/variations/etc). One of the 5-Minute Copies has "Airbrush" as a label of the not-so-hot 'cover girl' image, but that's not really matching anything else. Then there's [[967: Prairie]] which plays on the twin-slit experiment. And plenty of even less relevent ones. Always possible it's somewhere outside of 'regular' xkcd.com (or what-ifs) that isn't really mentioned here ''or'' on via a more general internet search, so is it one of those things that might be semi-paywalled?<br />
:Perhaps something more about it (and better typed?) would be useful. [[Special:Contributions/2.98.65.8|2.98.65.8]] 23:20, 20 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::what exactly do you mean by "semi-paywalled"? i don't know of anything that Randall makes us pay for aside from the books, and i've got all of those save for ''What If? 10th Anniversary''. again, i can't find it anywhere. even on page 2 of google. [shudder] -[[User:Psychoticpotato|P?sych??otic?pot??at???o ]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 17:51, 24 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::There were some items, in particular the [[New York Times: Good Question]] items, that aren't ''totally'' open-access.<br />
:::As you don't realise this, I'm guessing there's no reason why your 'missing' comic might have been there. But, like the prior respondant, I can't recall anything else that sounds like what you describe. That wasn't already mentioned. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.209|82.132.245.209]] 06:13, 25 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== bakeries? ==<br />
nevermind I found one {{unsigned|Headphones the stickman|19:36, 5 December 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
<br />
== how to add a comic to a category? ==<br />
I don't know how to add a comic to a catergory, how do I do this? [[User:Qwertyuiopfromdefly|Qwertyuiopfromdefly]] ([[User talk:Qwertyuiopfromdefly|talk]]) 03:19, 24 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
:If you edit a page and scroll down to the bottom, you may see how it is in the existing categories it is in. That does not apply to things that get added due to templates (e.g. the current latest comic has: Comics from 2026, Comics from January, Friday comics, Incomplete explanations, Incomplete transcripts), but many(/most?) comics have directly added ones (for the same example, currently: Comics featuring Cueball, Comics featuring Ponytail, Physics, Chemistry).<br />
:Just copy the format for one of those (latter), from either the current comic or another (if the one you're intending has nothing in already). Or copy the exact Category tag from another comic already with that tag (easily found through the given Category index).<br />
:It doesn't really matter ''where'' you put the Category tag, in the page, but it is considered best practice to put it at the bottom, below the "Discussion insertion" 'code'. Hint: if you edit the Transcript section, or instead the Trivia/last non-Discussion subsection, that makes for less scrolling down to find that, even on long Explanation pages... ;)<br />
:BTW, you can practically add ''any'' category name you like, but I'd suggest not making a new one up (to become red-text category link, until created). If you think there's a need for a new category, suggest it (in the Discussion for the page you started thinking of it in, at a bare minimum, and mention/link all the other candidates you'll have in mind), and let there be a discussion. That lets other voices address possible issues of format/wording (like "Comics featuring Cueball" is how we do that kind of thing, not "Comics with Cueball in") or even spelling. Or if you had an idea for a "Paperclips" category, thinking of two suitably 'linked' comics (...I'm talking hypothetical, here!), but someone else can point out that "Office Supplies" (I'd say "Stationary", but that'snprobably not as common a US term) will cover the countless comics with rubber bands, drawing pins, etc (US: elastic bands/pushpins, yes?) and be even more useful. At least until there's enough paperclip/etc parodies to make a new sub-/super-category relationships between Paperclip and Office Supplies.<br />
:But don't worry too much about that, this is where the initial discussion with people who've seen it before, here and elsewhere, may be useful, It saves anyone having to add an unwise new category to the "to be deleted" category.<br />
:It's also why I didn't just say "type <code><nowiki>[[this]]</nowiki></code>" as a direct answer. If you look at what's done, and understand the principles, it's better than just being handheld through it then having to guess what to do when something different is needed. (Also learning oddities, like linking pages to categories without ''adding'' them to it, or non-default orderings on the Category index.)<br />
:Hope that helps. Although there are probably more than enough "just do this, this and this" wiki-tutorials out there, as well. Maybe not exactly tuned to the this site's practices, but they might give you useful information that I've forgotten to. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.236.44|82.132.236.44]] 13:02, 24 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: thank you!!! [[User:Qwertyuiopfromdefly|Qwertyuiopfromdefly]] ([[User talk:Qwertyuiopfromdefly|talk]]) 04:21, 25 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Wikidata ==<br />
<br />
Wikidata has items for pretty much every strip of xkcd, so I have a couple of things to say. Firstly, it might be helpful to have each explanation include a link to the corresponding Wikidata item. Secondly, if anyone wants to help flesh out the Wikidata items, for example by adding links to this site, that would be really helpful. In particular, 2193 and on need a fair bit of work, adding titles, links to explainxkcd, and so on. [[User:lp0 on fire|<span style="color:#c56030;background:inherit;">lp0&nbsp;on&nbsp;fire</span>]]&nbsp;[[User talk:lp0 on fire|<span style="color:#64cea0;background:inherit">()</span>]] 16:36, 30 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
:So, there's Wikidata pages that link to the comics. And you're suggesting that our pages (that link to the comics) should link to the Wikidata pages that link to the comics? And that the we take information already on here and put them on there?<br />
:That's how I read it, but something tells me that I've not understood it all correctly. (Or even most?) [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 20:54, 30 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
::Yes, that's about right (the Wikidata pages also link to explainxkcd). Wikidata is a database that stores structured information, rather than prose like we have here, and copying some information there can help with making the information more widely accessible. [[User:lp0 on fire|<span style="color:#c56030;background:inherit;">lp0&nbsp;on&nbsp;fire</span>]]&nbsp;[[User talk:lp0 on fire|<span style="color:#64cea0;background:inherit">()</span>]] 10:55, 31 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
:In terms of Wikidata and other WMF projects, it is generally frowned-upon to try and use "off-wiki" spaces to coordinate "on-wiki" activity. (This forum would be considered "off-wiki" from that perspective.) This may be considered "meat puppetry" and grounds for blocks or bans.<br />
:However, it seems that any systematic linking from explainxkcd into Wikidata would be a great idea. There should be a template and a field for it so that we can treat each comic equally, because it would mean adding a lot of links, and linking nearly every single comic to be released in the future. [[User:Elizium23|Elizium23]] ([[User talk:Elizium23|talk]]) 20:52, 31 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
::I suggest a trivial insert into [[Template:comic]] the ''option'' of a "wikidata=" field, to give a suitable onward hyperlink, if and only if given. (Although, to be fancy, one could even make the null/blank case of the input create somethng like a "<nowiki>[[Category:Comic lacks wikidata information]]</nowiki>" membership.) Then let people add this as and when (and perhaps get theusaf to change theusafBOT to prefill it as a blank). Or, in all likelihood, someone will go on a binge to do as many of them as they find time.<br />
::But I'd give the regulars (Kynde, Favifake, etc) an opportunity to discuss the details first, before actually messing with that. Or indeed creating a brand new template, as the alternate standalone method. Just to make sure it's not treading on any other toes. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 21:30, 31 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
:::I'm not too understanding about why to link Wikidata onto this wiki. It says on the Wikidata Introduction page that it is {{quote|"a free, collaborative, multilingual, secondary knowledge base, collecting structured data to provide support for ''[...]'' the other wikis of the Wikimedia movement"}} and so on. Unless we ''need'' this data for botting purposes, I don't really see how it would be helpful. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 01:30, 1 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
:I'm not sure I understand the purpose of adding this? Why would a reader want to open the Wikidata item for a comic, what can they find on Wikidata that they can't find here? [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 07:52, 1 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Suggestions for Randall ==<br />
<br />
Below are some things that I feel can be improved on the xkcd website<br />
These things would improve it (at least for me) greatly, and would also make a lot of sense to add just because<br />
<br />
1.Links to the other xkcd websites<br />
2.Favorited or saved comics<br />
3.A little text bar where you can type in the number of a comic and it'll show it<br />
4.At the top of the website, there is a little box with the title and a sign showing when it updates. There's a lot of white space there. It doesn't really need to get fixed, but I just think it looks weird<br />
5.Individual comic explanations (or a link to the explainxkcd page of that comic)<br />
6.On the 'push notifications' one, there is a way you can install xkcd as an app into your computer. It would be nice if you could download it from anywhere on the website<br />
<br />
These are just suggestions, and I recognize that they would be hard to do. But it would be super cool if they were added. {{unsigned|Haddoniscool|23:49, 24 February 2026 (UTC)}}<br />
:Unfortunately, we cannot make Randall do anything. He might read this message, but there is no guarantee. You could reach out to him at contact@xkcd.com, email the website's sysop at davean@xkcd.com, or ask [[User:FaviFake]] to email him for you, as he got Randall's personal email address. Hope this helps! [[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font:11pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#5CA7CF">tor</span><span style="color:#F08DB0">i :3</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font:8pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#9E9E9E">talk </span><span style="color:#F08DB0">to </span><span style="color:#5CA7CF">me!</span>]]</span></sup> 00:29, 25 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
::To be clear, I got Randall's email address from an old wayback machine link; I just didn't want to post it so publicly because he likely removed it for a reason. You can also find it on reddit by searching it on google :) [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 10:34, 28 February 2026 (UTC) <br />
:My own replies to this:<br />
:#There have been links to the officially sanctioned fora/forums (until after they got broken), shop, etc, on xkcd.com, and currently the mass of links is the "Archive / What If? / About / Feed•Email / TW•FB•IG / -Books- / What If? 2 / WI?•TE•HT" text, which ''seems'' to already be what you're asking for,<br />
:#A lot of work to get right... it'd require something akin to a login (which doesn't exist, currently), or at least a pseudo-login via a cookie-drop you have to configure, for something that you can do at least as well through your own browser's Bookmarksz<br />
:#...like the address bar of your browser sort of works? (Just do "xkcd.com/'''whatever number'''" in that, or edit/add the number, as you're already on that site.) I think I must not understand your request, though.<br />
:#Sometimes it has more things in it, right now it doesn't.<br />
:#Randall doesn't 'explain' his comics (usually!) he just puts them out there and ''we'' then try to work out what the (sometimes non-obvious) reasons are behind various bits in them. But, to follow up with the browser address-bar trick, when on a comic (say "xkcd.com/'''4321'''", except for a number that e ists), try putting "exp" in front of that (i.e. "expxkcd.com/'''4321'''")... Someone set that up to get you to the relevent page ''here'' in as simple a way (3rd-party, because we're not part of Randall's official domain) as possible. Going to "expxkcd.com" ''without'' a number (e.g. modifying the official "latest comic" page of just "xkcd.com") brings you to the latest explainxkcd.com comic page, too.<br />
:#That was a 'special' comic thing... I'm half surprised he left it all working (without, as you suggest, adding a perpetual link to the "any old comic" page-surround) rather than prune it back once it wasn't the current easteregg that it originally was...<br />
:But, as basically already said, none of us here (that any of us admit to) are either collaborating directly with Randall or Randall himself. We're 'just' a hobbyist-community of (somewhat) like-minded fans of his work, and very little chance that any suggestions here will get implemented. (On how to change xkcd.com, at least. You ''might'' get lucky if you have an explainxkcd.com change that you want to suggest. Unless it's "upgrade it to the latest mediawiki version", or similar... ;) ) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.238.95|82.132.238.95]] 03:26, 25 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Confusing matrices transcript ==<br />
<br />
some of the comics in category confusing matrcies have tables as the transcript, which is i think not good accoridng to faq, I am going to mark incomplete now [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 09:24, 1 April 2026 (UTC)</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=408980User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2026-03-28T13:43:41Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The Small Bang</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
Account created: April 1, 2025 (on April fool’s, lol)<br />
<br><br />
==Where to find me==<br />
<nowiki>Sky: Children of the light</nowiki><br />
<br><br />
Minecraft (bedrock)<br />
<br><br />
Discord<br />
<br><br />
IRL if you can<br />
<br><br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br><br />
==My skills & hobbies==<br />
Procrastination<br />
<br><br />
Tell you later<br />
<br><br />
==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
<br><br />
==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
<br />
==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]<br />
<br />
==list of all users==<br />
[[Special:ListUsers|All Users]]<br />
<br />
==Tumbleweed==<br />
{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Header.png|900px|center]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=408979User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2026-03-28T13:43:02Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: added skills</p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The Small Bang</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
Account created: April 1, 2025 (on April fool’s, lol)<br />
<br><br />
==Where to find me==<br />
<nowiki>Sky: Children of the light</nowiki><br />
<br><br />
Minecraft (bedrock)<br />
<br><br />
Discord<br />
<br><br />
IRL if you can<br />
<br><br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br><br />
==My skills & hobbies==<br />
Procrastination<br />
<br><br />
Tell you later<br />
<br><br />
==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
<hr><br />
<br />
==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
<br />
==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]<br />
<br />
==list of all users==<br />
[[Special:ListUsers|All Users]]<br />
<br />
==Tumbleweed==<br />
{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Header.png|900px|center]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Coordination&diff=408705explain xkcd:Community portal/Coordination2026-03-23T11:10:43Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* confusing matricies transcript */ new section</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude>{{Community links}}<br />
<br />
{|-<br />
|valign="top" width="100%"|[[File:Crystal Clear teamwork.png|left|120px]] <big><big><b>Coordination</b></big></big><br />
<br />
<i>Community-managed page for coordinating content editing and maintenance tasks intended<br>to aid communication, understanding, and coordination between the [[explain xkcd]] wiki community members.</i> {{AddNewSection|Page=Explain XKCD:Community portal/Coordination|Text=<small>(+post)</small>}}<br />
|}<br />
</noinclude><br />
== Issue dates ==<br />
Hi Jeff,<br />
<br />
As i'm creating pages I struggle with the issue dates of comics. I've added a comment to all pages that contain the (unknown/incorrect) dates. Is there a way to research those dates? --[[User:Rikthoff|Rikthoff]] ([[User talk:Rikthoff|talk]])<br />
: [http://xkcd.com/archive/] if you mouse over the comic name, it will have the date. --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] ([[User talk:Jeff|talk]]) 18:26, 3 August 2012 (EDT)<br />
<br />
- if you mouse over comic name in "Archive" section of xkcd.com. Older comics(1-44 or so) might be found in [http://liveweb.archive.org/http://xkcd-drawings.livejournal.com/?skip=40 livejournal archive][[User:Bpothier|B. P.]] ([[User talk:Bpothier|talk]]) 18:35, 3 August 2012 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Should we consider using "2012-08-03" style dates and letting localization "do the right thing"? Most pages so far use "August 3, 2012" style dates, with a few incorrectly doing "August 3rd, 2012"... Presumably the template could do the localizing/localising...--[[User:Bpothier|B. P.]] ([[User talk:Bpothier|talk]]) 18:39, 3 August 2012 (EDT)<br />
<br />
: The date is also available with the [http://xkcd.com/json.html JSON API], which I'm going to use for the [[User_talk:Jeff#Automatic_Import|import]]. I use <nowiki>{{#dateformat: year-month-day}}</nowiki>, MediaWiki should figure out the correct way to display it based on your preferences. --[[User:SlashMe|SlashMe]] ([[User talk:SlashMe|talk]]) 18:47, 3 August 2012 (EDT)<br />
<small>Moved from [[User talk:Jeff]]. --''[[User:Philosopher|Philosopher]]''&nbsp;<sup>[[User talk:Philosopher|Let us reason together.]]</sup> 00:15, 4 August 2012 (EDT)</small><br />
<br />
== Date? ==<br />
<br />
How do I find the date a comic was first posted (to put in the comic header here?) [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 12:26, 3 August 2012 (EDT)<br />
<br />
<small>Moved from [[Talk:Main Page]]. --''[[User:Philosopher|Philosopher]]''&nbsp;<sup>[[User talk:Philosopher|Let us reason together.]]</sup> 00:43, 4 August 2012 (EDT)</small><br />
<br />
Original posting date is listed on xkcd's [[http://xkcd.com/archive/ archive page]] as hover-text for each post. The first 44 comics are all listed as 2006-01-01. Many of these were previously posted on the [[http://liveweb.archive.org/http://xkcd-drawings.livejournal.com/?skip=40 livejournal site]], and some dates can be found/inferred by checking there.--[[User:Bpothier|B. P.]] ([[User talk:Bpothier|talk]]) 17:49, 7 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== To do list ==<br />
<br />
I suggest a todo list to be added here so newcomers will have an idea of concrete things they can do to help. I'll start by moving some items I've been collecting on my user page. Feel free to add more :)<br />
<br />
'''Things to do'''<br />
* Complete all entries from the [[List of all comics]]<br />
* [[Special:WantedPages]] lists pages that have links to them but haven't been created yet.<br />
* More topics that could be covered here besides the comics themselves:<br />
** our [https://twitter.com/explainxkcd twitter account]<br />
** the xkcd irc channel (and [http://wiki.xkcd.com its wiki])<br />
** the xkcd blag<br />
** the xkcd forum<br />
** other sites explaining xkcd ([http://xkcdexplained.com/], [http://xkcd.wikia.com], [http://xkcdexplained.wikia.com], [http://xkcdexplainedexplained.tumblr.com/archive], maybe invite members+content of the other wikis in once we're established?)<br />
<br />
'''Maintenance'''<br />
* Redirects should be created from the "File:number.png" format to the "File:title.png" format.<br />
* categorization (make sure these lists are empty):<br />
** [[Special:UncategorizedCategories]]<br />
** [[Special:UncategorizedFiles]]<br />
** [[Special:UncategorizedPages]]<br />
** [[Special:WantedCategories]]<br />
* building the web of links:<br />
** [[Special:DeadendPages]] (pages with no links to other pages)<br />
** [[Special:LonelyPages]] (pages that aren't linked to by any others)<br />
* other<br />
** [[Special:DoubleRedirects]]<br />
**: (Took a chunk out of these the good ol' fashioned way, but there's got to be a wiff of Perl or Python to automate this... ? -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 14:44, 9 August 2012 (UTC))<br />
**:: Well, there's [https://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/mwclient/ mwclient], a Python interface to the mediawiki API which I've used to move the comics to the new names. We could certainly create scripts to perform maintenance tasks and share the snippets here on the wiki. Automated tools will be useful while we establish standards early on. If you'd like help getting started, let me know. --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 19:40, 9 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
** convert [[Special:LinkSearch/en.wikipedia.org|wikipedia links]] to the <nowiki>{{w|Lorem ipsum}}</nowiki> format<br />
** use lowercase xkcd everywhere on the wiki (see [http://xkcd.com/about/ How do I write "xkcd"?])<br />
<br />
There are more maintenance reports at [[Special:SpecialPages]], for inspiration :) --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 06:45, 6 August 2012 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: I'd love one of these "To Do" lists for admins as well! :) I'm always forgetting what I need to do! --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] ([[User talk:Jeff|talk]]) 02:35, 12 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
::: There actually isn't much to do that needs admin permissions around here. Right I can think of only a handful of admin-specific tasks:<br />
:::* Keeping an eye on [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Admin requests]] for stuff other editors might need<br />
:::* Keeping an eye on [[:Category:Pages to delete]] (currently populated by {{tl|spam}}), delete the pages, block the spammers<br />
:::* Updating the main page and watching <br />
:::* Implementing any changes, agreed by the community, that require editing Mediawiki pages<br />
:::Maybe others will have other items to add to the list, but for the most part, the things that need to be done are available to all editors: adding the missing comic explanations, describing characters, categorizing, etc. --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 19:13, 12 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Checking the above lists, here are the current stats:<br />
* 0 [[Special:UncategorizedCategories]] (OK)<br />
* 2,000+ [[Special:UncategorizedFiles]], most of them being part of the [[Time]] comic<br />
* 2 [[Special:UncategorizedPages]], both related to the same [[Time]] comic<br />
* a few [[Special:WantedCategories]], all from Babel templates on userpages i believe.<br />
Just a FWIW or TWIMC. :) -- [[Special:Contributions/173.245.51.210|173.245.51.210]] 16:11, 8 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
:The time-related pages can be fixed trivially. The wanted categories are kinda impossible to clear up, as userpages are typically off-limits to everyone except the owner of the userpage, unless they're a spambot. We've made pretty good progress on everything else though. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 16:43, 8 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
::The wanted categs can be cleared up by ''creating'' them, and adding them to the categ hierarchy. I'm just not familiar enough with said hierarchy. -- [[Special:Contributions/173.245.51.210|173.245.51.210]] 17:09, 8 November 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Date categories ==<br />
I'm not sure the "[[:Category:Comics by month|Comics by month]]", by weekday, etc. Will be much useful, unless for those interested in running some stats. It might be more interesting to have specific months, such as [[:Category:Comics from May 2011]] and so on. What do you think? --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 06:45, 6 August 2012 (EDT)<br />
: That was actually next for me: #time:year-month, but I wanted to study the globalization implications. I prefer over-categorizing rather than under-categorizing, since it's comparatively cheap. The assumption is that categories are the same as tags on the old site, and that mediawiki affords us some extra ways to automatically categorize pages in addition to the manual forms starting to emerge (by character, by subject, etc.) To paraphrase an old prof: you can't study what you don't measure; I've been wanting to see if, for example, Monday comics deal certain subjects, while Friday comics deal with another, etc. Not everybody's cup of tea, but of value perhaps to some, and insanely cheap to support both mentally and for the software. -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 13:51, 7 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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I also used it to find some date typos for Saturday/Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday comics, which should usually be empty - except for some early entries from livejournal... --[[User:Bpothier|B. P.]] ([[User talk:Bpothier|talk]]) 21:50, 17 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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It does make it look a bit messy down by the categories... maybe we can skip one or two of these date categories, if people don't still find them useful? [[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 21:22, 23 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
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== Page names ==<br />
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I think we should use the comic number '''and''' the title as the page name. Like so: "112: Baring My Heart". This would allow comics to be sorted by order in categories, but the pages would still have human-readable names for those of us who don't memorize all xkcd comic numbers ;) Thoughts? --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 07:23, 6 August 2012 (EDT)<br />
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:I agree, for another reason: for instance [[YouTube]] could be either the title of a page explaining how YouTube is referenced in xkcd, or the title of the explanation for comic #202 (titled "YouTube"). I don't know if I'm being clear here, but as we do not control the titles of the comics, that could create confusion with other pages. So using something like [[202: YouTube]] would ensure disambiguation without being really complicated or awkward... And actually prefixing the comic title with its number seems quite relevant to me.<br />
:<small>Additionally, that would solve potential problems such as [[Exoplanets]]: comic [[786]] or [[1071]]?</small><br />
:[[User:Cos|Cos]] ([[User talk:Cos|talk]]) 14:33, 6 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
::Beat me to the punch; agreed. Numbers are unique and sequential, but not altogether that meaningful. Names are meaningful but (as we've seen) not unique. Some combination of both would be called for. We'd need to have the plain numbers redirect to the new topic (some double-redirects would need to be fixed up?) and the names would too (with at least one disambiguation page for now, and who knows: maybe more to come?) -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 13:55, 7 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
::Following up on the YouTube discussion above, I'm wondering if we should leverage namespaces more: main:topic is implicitly ''xkcd:topic'' (ie ''main:YouTube'' discusses the xkcd comic, while ''ref:YouTube'' is the place where the pop-culture reference of YouTube is discussed.) Either that, or some other name decoration, such as ''YouTube Explained'', or ... -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 13:59, 7 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
::: Agreed. Number and the name together. --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] ([[User talk:Jeff|talk]]) 16:08, 7 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
:::: Looks like we have consensus. I'll move the pages (I've been meaning to learn how to use [https://sourceforge.net/projects/mwclient mwclient] anyway :D) --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 18:01, 7 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
:::: {{done}}, all current pages have been moved. However, I am not sure whether we should keep a space after the colon. What do you guys think? Should it be "112: Baring My Heart" or "112:Baring My Heart"? --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 18:20, 7 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
::::: Also, I just realized MediaWiki doesn't allow colons in image Filenames. One solution could be using something like [[:File:786. Exoplanets.png]] or [[:File:786-Exoplanets.png]], but then perhaps we'd have to change the pages name too, for consistency? I'll try to investigate what is the reasoning behind this restriction. --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 18:50, 7 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
:::::: Ok, it seems like it's a matter of setting <code><nowiki>$wgIllegalFileChars = '';</nowiki></code> in LocalSettings.php (because it is set as <code>$wgIllegalFileChars = ':';</code> in DefaultSettings.php). <s>Jeff, could you do that please?</s> --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 19:13, 7 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
:::::::: Nevermind, we will probably use a different naming pattern instead. --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 20:05, 9 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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::::::: I guess this is my bad for not ciming in on this discussion earlier, but I frankly think that the #: Name is a worse way of doing it just for the reasons of system resources. #:Name is fine from a user standpoint with the '''caveat''' that # and Name both redirect to #:Name. The problem is that this requires 2 redirects minimum for every comic, and the redirect itself takes a bit more time for each article to load, and (as I understand from wikipedia and its dislike of double redirects), every redirect adds to the system load. So if every article lookup by users (who will undoubtedly type either the number or the name, but rarely both) is a redirect, the system load is going to go up.<br />
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::::::: As an aside, assuming Jeff is able to install the Cite Extension to add citation referencing (and even if he doesn't), I was expecting to try to create some sort of template in the concept of {{tl|cite comic}} where you could basically pass a single variable (e.g. the comic number) and it would create a proper citation for that comic. Similarly, this naming format will perhaps require a template something like {{tl|comicno}} with a comic number field just to create a quick link that is visibly appealing and links properly to the comic with that number. (ie: {comicno|18} would produce a link like "[[18: Snapple|Snapple]]" or something). I'm wondering though if anyone has any coding ideas for how we might accomplish this other than the hardcode all the titles into a template. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 19:26, 7 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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::::::: PS: I did some mild digging on another wiki, ''Star Trek'''s Memory Alpha wiki, and although all of its episode articles are now titled "episode title (episode)" to avoid disambiguation, which allows you to an episode template by calling the title (which template appends "(episode)" to every entry), they DO have a title-display template: [http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Template:Titles Template:Titles] - with a template subpage for every single episode setting out how the mouseover text should be displayed. It would be possible to do such a template for xkcd just so that comic numbers can be crossreferenced to titles... [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 20:30, 7 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
:::::::: (Hoping this is the right number of colons for proper indentation... ;-) Redirects are one thing, and while probably resulting in possibly two page serves (isn't it really just two hits to the db?) they're natively supported by mediawiki. Even so, if performance is proven to be a real (not just conjectured) problem, can we do something clever, perhaps, with transclusion? Either the number transcludes the title, or vice versa? Might be a case of pre-optimization, though; in the back of my mind, it seems that the rendering engine puts as much effort into transcluding to expand templates as it would to expand a redirect in situ: either case is just a query to the DB to expand the contents of said item. (Enough rambling; anybody have any concrete metrics on this?) -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 06:23, 9 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
:::::::::Hi folks. Just thought I'd state that redirects are completely safe. They don't add any noticeable loading time for the users and the extra resources used by the server are so minor that it's akin to the resources used to type a character in notepad. Pages are also aggressively cached (by default, anyway). If you're interested, the way redirects work in Mediawiki isn't like most other sites handle redirects. It's not loading a page that makes you load another page. Rather, all content is stored in an SQL database. The content is stored under a certain name (eg, "#: Hello World!"). A redirect simply tells Mediawiki to look for the content under a different name. Slightly more work for the server (don't worry, they can handle it), but the page is delivered to the user in roughly the same period of time (if we want to be technical, the page will be slightly larger, due to the "Redirected from whatever" line added to the page (which is mostly there for the purpose of making it easier to fix incorrect redirects). I don't have metrics, but can assure you that it's almost no difference in the end result. {{User:Omega/sig}} 09:11, 9 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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I've been thinking about this some more, and I believe we should choose a different pattern for the page names.<br />
* First, use another separator between comic number and name, since colon is forbidden in files. A simple alternative would be "Comic title (number)", as in [[Michael Phelps (1092)]]. This would additionally allow us to use the {{w|Help:Pipe trick|pipe trick}} when linking to a comic, since content in parenthesis is automatically stripped out: <nowiki>[[Michael Phelps (1092)|]]</nowiki> results in [[Michael Phelps (1092)|Michael Phelps]]. Another effect of this is that by dropping the colon naming scheme we would remove ambiguity with the namespace system, which also uses colons to separate namespaces from pagenames.<br />
* Second, we should probably follow IronyChef's suggestion above and move them to a specific namespace, such as [[Comic:Michael Phelps (1092)]]. Other namespaces could be added for more topics, such as [[Character:Cueball]], [[xkcd:Randall]] (or [[Meta:Randall]]), [[Topic:Velociraptors]], etc. Not only we would be able to generate lists of pages without resorting to categories (which have to be added manually), but we would get lot's of "Random X" for free (random comic, random character, random topic, etc.)<br />
What do you guys think? --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 14:29, 9 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
:P.s. - Proper category sorting of the comics would be dealt with by the {{tl|comic}} template, which would also pad the numbers with zeroes to ensure 100 comes after 2, etc.<br />
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::+1 on the parens... (but does that mean my recent double-redirect-fixups have been for naught? {{xkcd|541|(grin)}}) ... I couldn't put my finger on it and didn't articulate it earlier, but the fact that colon needed special attention by the software left me a bit uneasy (there must be a reason for them doing that, like namespaces perhaps) so using parentheses-es-es (as {{xkcd|297|long}} as we {{xkcd|859|close}} them <nowiki>{{explain|312|properly}}</nowiki>) seems more the mediawiki way. -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 15:03, 9 August 2012 (UTC) (I know you folks don't like my propensity to (over?)categorize, but <nowiki>[[Category:Parentheses]]</nowiki> is just too irresistible... ;-)<br />
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:I think, that all of this seem unnecessary complication to me. I don't see any problem with the current system. I think something like [[1092: Michael Phelps]] flows well, is quite readable and easy to insert "as is" in the text (see the links to other comics in [[1048: Emotion]] for instance). As I understand, we would want the image files to be titled exactly the same way as their corresponding article; why, where is the need for that? (to me the simplest way, and most relevant maybe, would be to name them exactly as they are on xkcd.com; maybe with a prefix, like "xkcd - ", so that it cannot mess with other existing images such as from Commons).<br />
:I don't see the point of creating namespaces such as "Character", "Topic", etc.; what is the problem with [[Beret Guy]], [[Randall Munroe]], [[Velociraptors]], and such? with namespaces one will have to put each topic in one box (and one only), where will you put things like [[Stick figure]] or [[My Hobby]] or any other thing that will pop up without clearly belonging to one of these boxes? ''[[1077: Home Organization|just give up]]!'' :-)<br />
:About the "Random X", I like the idea that on xkcd.com, you can get a random ''comic'' (because that's all what is there), but in here you can get a random whatever: you may get a comic explanation, a character, a topic or anything, because in here there is all that.<br />
:I don't think the colon in the comic page names will pose any problem, it cannot mess with anything as long as it is preceded by a number only.<br />
:''In the end,'' I think that adding the number in the comic page names was a good choice, because there would have been real issues otherwise, but for now I would say : "don't fix what is not broken", KISS, and "just give up". :-)<br />
:[[User:Cos|Cos]] ([[User talk:Cos|talk]]) 16:14, 9 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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:: I have to agree with this. The existing page names are fine in my book, and I don't see any benefits of renaming them all (again). Concerning the random, though, I mentioned an extension in proposals that would allow us to choose a "random page in a category". I don't really care one way or another about character topics. Seem like a lot of maintenance when we don't even have a quarter of the comics explained yet, but whatever. Concerning the image names, I think that simply using the same name as it appears on xkcd is fine. Images are a bit of a "backend", that people don't usually search for (rather, they'd search for the comic and find the image on that page). As well, since all images are hosted on xkcd, they won't be any file name conflicts amongst the comics. {{User:Omega/sig}} 18:04, 9 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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::: Good points (and puns!), all of you. I'd like to address a few specific points (I'll highlight the key takeaways for your convenience):<br />
:::* '''I still prefer parenthesis''' for the simple reason that colons mess with the concept of namespaces (not that it has any effect on the software, which can cope quite well; I'm speaking from a user point of view). Besides, one of the reasons I proposed for having the number first was automatic category sorting, but that backfired (cf. #2 vs. #100).<br />
:::* Re rationale for having image files titled like the comics is that it would allow automatic image inclusion via the {{tl|comic}} template. However, having the prefix is not crucial for that (hadn't thought of this before), so I'll go ahead and remove my suggestion above to allow colons in filenames.<br />
:::* Note that there's no problem with "conflicts" with Commons images: an image uploaded here simply takes precedence regarding an image uploaded to commons under the same name (e.g. [[:File:Irony.jpg]] vs. [[commons:File:Irony.jpg]]). That said, while external conflicts aren't a problem, internal ones are (e.g. [[Exoplanets]]). That, coupled with the "it's just a backend" point made by Omega, is a good argument to '''use the original filenames''' (also, less overhead when uploading a new comic)<br />
:::* I understand the argument against a single primary way to classify a page using namespaces. The category system is more flexible as it allows many-to-many relationships. However, I must point out that the examples you give are no problem at all: [[Meta:Stick figure]] and [[Topic:My Hobby]] ;) So '''I'm still not convinced that using custom namespaces is a bad idea''' or a lost cause or that it won't scale up well. Besides, it makes it very clear what a reader will find on that page (explainxkcd.com/wiki/Topic:Velociraptors is a pretty self-explanatory url). And again, it allows us to use the random feature that is natively implemented on mediawiki, rather than an extension. And "random whatever" is still available, of course :)<br />
:::* IronyChef, by all means, please create [[:Category:Parentheses]] :D<br />
::: --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 20:05, 9 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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:::If we're going to use the numbers in the titles, it seems logical to have the number come first so that comics are essentially sortable by number rather than alphabetically by title; although this probably can be taken care of by changing the sort title, thoug this could be tedious.<br />
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:::I don't support new namespaces for comics and characters and whatnot. I don't see what it adds to the wiki, and it just makes the links to each comic page ''even longer'' (no one will EVER correctly search for '''Comic:Snapple (18)''' on their first attempt).<br />
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:::I am not claiming to be an expert on redirects. My comment was based on wikipedia pages like {{w|Wikipedia:Double redirects}} where it clearly suggests in the lead that double redirects "waste server resources". I assume this applies (at to a lesser degree) to single redirects. They may not be needless waste like double redirects, but they they do use resources. Granted wikipedia has far larger servers and much more traffic, so it may be more relevant to them than here, but it still would appear to be a resource issue; Database queries are still resource hogs, even if they are simple ones. Not suggesting they aren't safe, but if every comic load is basically a redirect, that is still two queries every time instead of just the occasional one. I'm fine with it; I'm just pointing out the issue. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 16:20, 10 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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::::The reason that double redirects are bad is that linking a redirect to another redirect (a double redirect) causes the first redirect to simply display the content of the second redirect (rather than actually redirecting the page). This appears as simply an arrow and a link (a soft redirect). It uses more system resources because an actual page has to be loaded and displayed, forcing the user to manually click the link and display the proper page (whereas a single redirect would load the correct page and display it). So in other words, a double redirect forces two pages to be loaded, while a single redirect only loads one page, more or less the same as if you went to the actual page title. {{User:Omega/sig}} 21:35, 10 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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::::: Also, regarding the sorting argument for using numbers first: I was the one who originally proposed that, but I overlooked the fact that sorting won't work unless we use padding (e.g. "0001: Comic title"), which is kind of a hack. MediaWiki supports category sort keys natively, so we should be taking advantage of them rather than relying on a specific page title format to achieve the same effect.<br />
::::: As for the namespaces, I think I've presented my arguments for that above; let me know if any of them are unclear. I accept that one may disagree with them, but not that there ''aren't'' any benefits. Note that '''nobody''' will correctly seach for whatever page title we use, unless we use only the numbers as the final title, which I think we all agree is not desirable. --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 11:25, 11 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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::::::Thanks for the double-redirect explanation, Omega. To Waldir; I think people would also correctly search for Comic Titles, at times. Some more than others, for sure. But if you are on XKCD reading a comic that has a title printed, and you want to come here and read the explanation, You would most likely search for either the number or the title that is displayed at xkcd.com. That said, if it's not a resource hog, and we can find a GOOD way to create links to comics easily (ie: I can type in {explain|123} and actually get a proper looking link to that comic's page, I'm cool with that. I really think it will add a lot of time to the edit process to have to manually type in 123: Title for every link to another comic. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 14:32, 13 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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== Comic Display - another new template ==<br />
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I see that the latest comics have changed over to {{tl|comicbox}} from {{tl|comic}}. This might be in response to today's tall narrow comic. I don't see any recent discussions about the {{tl|comicbox}} template. We really need to come to some form of consensus on the comic display issue. I am really not a fan of the {{tl|comicbox}} template, as I arrive at the homepage today and I don't understand what I'm seeing. There is no indication that the text on the right is the Explanation. I wasn't sure if part of it was title text or not. I figured it out, but it's not the easiest thing to see. I also don't think the navbuttons jutting right up against the top of the comic display box looks good.<br />
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Eithe way, where I'm going with this is that I think we need to come to a consensus on the form and template used for comic pages. If we choose comicbox, or comic or some other template, it's all good; but we should be editing ONE template to get it working and looking the way we want; rather than bouncing between many templates and creating new ones. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 16:26, 10 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
:Yeah, I was really confused at first, and scrambled through the discussions trying to find what happened. To be honest, I'm more of a fan of the {{tl|comic}} template, with the explanation under a header explaining so. Not to mention with {{tl|comicbox}}, I'm suddenly unsure of what to do with the transcripts. For comparison, [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1093:_Forget&oldid=6199 here] is the {{tl|comic}} template, while [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1093:_Forget&oldid=6209 here] is the {{tl|comicbox}} template. At any rate, no matter what template we're using (I personally prefer {{tl|comic}}, but don't really care that much provided all comics use the same template), I agree that we need some kind of consensus to determine how we're formatting the page. {{User:Omega/sig}} 21:31, 10 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
::Ditto on the confusion (augmented by the confusion of finding where the pertinent discussion has gotten off to; they seem to slip from page to page between visits... ) Anyway, I'm guessing this is a ''de-gustibus'' matter, but regardless of the respective virtues of either template, to my eye the template today's comic was changed to has <nowiki>{{explain|1070|a couple}}</nowiki> cosmetic shortcomings: <br />
::* The typeface is larger than normal. Just a personal preference, but it should be scaled 100% vs adjacent normal wiki text; readers can change the level of zoom if that's too small. Also, <br />
::* the image is vertically centered, so in the case of a disproportionately long explanation (like today's) it appears too far down the page; it really needs to be top-aligned, with the title text close underneath it. Further, <br />
::* for this vertical layout, there's a lot of wasted vertical space when the explanation is so much longer than the image. Rather than having two rigid columns, have we considered '''float:left''' or '''float:right''' style attributes on the image, so that whatever text is left flows to fill the entire space below the image?<br />
:: Finally, to tie this all up with a bow, (and perhaps raising an issue that may have been raised before; I don't recall, because of the shifting locations of discussions hereabouts) ... Is there a need for images to always be shown at 100% size, especially for the more extremely sized ones? Seems to me that the images here really only need to fulfill a refresher role, and clicks through the image should take the reader to the full-sized image on xkcd.com. Legally, I know we have the right to host the images here. But morally, it seems like we shouldn't be taking too much traffic away from xkcd.com as it is RM's bread and butter. Our value-add is the in the form of explanations: long as we can visually tie these explanations with the comic (by having something bigger than a thumbnail, but somewhat smaller than full size, especially for odd-shaped ones) I think we're on the positive side. Thotz? -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 05:23, 11 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
:::I agree with you on all points, although I'm really not a fan of having the text either beside or under the comic. I'd rather it be the same in all cases. In which case, having the text beside the comic won't do, as wide comics wouldn't be very supportive of that. Also, if the explanation is considerably longer than the comic, it just looks a bit strange to me. Float left/right would fix that, but would be a bit harder to implement with the title text (eg, if the title text and image are inside a float left div, does that div have a fixed width or does a long title text push it over?). All in all, I'd rather the text always be below the comic. It's consistent and less problematic. Regarding the size of comics, I'd rather we use the full size in all cases except the "large" comics (defined as the comics that are shown at a reduced size on xkcd itself, such as [[1079: United Shapes]]). Why? Because when I'm reading an explanation to a comic I don't understand, I'm constantly referencing the explanation with the comic itself. Having to open a new tab each time would make that a bit less convenient. {{User:Omega/sig}} 06:38, 11 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
::::For visual experimentation, I've made the theoretically uncontroversial changes of text size (it's now expressed as relative percentage rather than absolute px) and I made the image top-aligned, so comics like <nowiki>{{explain|1093}}</nowiki> show the image near the top of the explanation, despite the explanation being many multiples of that image's height; we can change that back if we don't like them. There are other changes I'd like to make (see above) but I'll wait for general agreement on that (not to mention which template to use.) -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 15:39, 12 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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:::::To respond to all of the previous comments; I echo IronyChef's thought - I built into {{tl|comic}} an imagesize attribute because I believe that the comic should be a managable size on this site; generally not more than say 400px; this creates a "click to enlarge" link which takes the user to the imgae's page. Although I previously thought that a balance needs to be kept because people may start coming to the wiki to read xkcd in the first instance instead of xkcd.com, I also agree with Omega's point that it's potentially unfair to Randall to entice traffic away from xkcd.com. This strengthens my belief that larger comics should be kept to a reasonable size.<br />
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:::::Not sure if I said it in this thread, I think we have to look at the purpose of the box itself. In my eyes, the box is designed (like an infobox) to basically show the user the basic facts. Not user-added material or encyclopedia text. The box, in my view, is there to present all of the info about the comic that actually comes from xkcd. The image, the alt text, the title, date and number. Adding the explanation in the box basically makes the explanation look official as part of the comic. The primary content of this site is the explanations. If anything should go under proper wiki-format headers, it's that (in my opinion). The transcript is technically official content, but as I've said elsewhere, in my view, the transcript is secondary info that the comic already contains; it doesn't need to be in the infobox. IronyChef has indentified and fixed a lot of my minor cosmetic issues with the comicbox template, and there are others I don't like either (the title font is a little too weak and the top of the box is touching the bottom of the nav buttons. Don't like those, but again, easily fixable).<br />
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::::: I also think while there may be instances like the "Forget" comic which is a list-form comic where having a long vertical list explanation works, a long vertical list is often harder to read and follow than a full-page-width explanation. (even "Forget" has each line of explanation end up being several lines long in {{tl|comicbox}} format.) Worse, the potential to want to fit in the box may limit users from adding to explanations which we shouldn't encourage. If the explanation is twice as long as the comic, there's nothing wrong with that, and it shouldn't look bad by going inside the template. I appreciate the attempt that the verticle comicbox makes to not waste space (using the two-column method) but I don't think this is the way to do it. I think shrinking the comic (and accepting that there will be space on either side) is the best way. As I say, 375px or 400px seem like logical limiters for most comics. This is explainxkcd, so you shouldn't have to scroll way down to get to the explanation. I too sometimes like to view the comic and explain at the same time to check notes as Omega suggests, but I can do that by control+click or shift+clicking the image to enlarge, and comparing in separate windows by tiling them or just switching back and forth - with a larger comic, you'd have to scroll up and down to read both the comic and the explanation anyway. I find I lose my place in the text when I do that. alt+Tabbing for me generally is easier to keep my place in both windows.<br />
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:::::The one thing from {{tl|comicbox}} that I do like is that the box is shaded slightly bluegray. I like the separation that creates; on the other hand, xkcd.com has comics posted on white; does it hurt the integrity of any comics to have them posted on blue-grey instead of white? I'd consider changing the background of {{tl|comic}} to a blue-gray (though perhaps lighter than the one on comicbox) if people like that. That's my thoughts[[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 15:10, 13 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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{{outdent|:::::}}<br />
{{tl|ComicBox}} just got a major redesign. It looks more like {{tl|comic}}, but with the addition of a vertical comic mode. Also, bear in mind that {{tl|comic}} doesn't use white for the background. For comics like "Forget", take a look at [[Forget comicbox]]. Looks ok? <span style="font-size: 90%; background: #eee; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; border: 2px solid #ddd; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-left-radius: 15px; border-bottom-left-radius: 15px;">&nbsp;[[User:Grep|grep]]</span><span style="font-size: 90%; background: #eee; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; border: 2px solid #ddd; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px;">[[User_talk:Grep|talk]]&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: 90%; background: #eee; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; border: 2px solid #ddd; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-right-radius: 15px; border-bottom-right-radius: 15px;">15:27, 20 August 2012 (UTC)</span><br />
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:As noted on [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Proposals#Comic Templates]], there is no need to start a new thread there there there is already a thread on the topic here (which you've posted to). Also, if your post was "which template should we use when?" it's not really a "proposal" for the proposals page, and better fits here under coordination.<br />
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:That said, I thought this topic was fairly well resolved. Jeff endorsed {{tl|Comic}} in the [[#Header_template]] discussion on this page, and this subsequent discussion seemed to resolve as well with no real consensus that a change from {{tl|comic}} was necessary or beneficial. I don't see the benefit of continuing to build new templates that basially duplicate existing templates with one extra function (vertical mode). That could have been built into the existing template, if it were deemed necessary.<br />
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:I personally think there are still pluses and minuses to doing things vertically; It looks a little cluttered to have the comic up on one size and the explanation on the other. If you don't have a high-resolution desktop or you want a non-maximized window, there may not be much space for the explanation which may end up with two or three words per line and be hard to read and annoying. "Forget" was a comic featuring a long list; this made for a very long listed explanation. Most long comics will not have explanations longer than the comic, and we'll have a lot of whitespace to the right of the comic. It just looks cluttered to me. I like having the navbar centered above the comic, not the page (and also in the enclosed comic box). That's personal preference though. I think the better design for vertical comics (is just to reduce their size and put them in the standard box. They otherwise take up too much space. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 16:48, 20 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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*I am not a fan of the discontinuity that comicbox creates as the explanation runs longer than the image. I also feel that we should focus on improving the existing {{tl|comic}} instead of further developing new templates. - [[User:Shine|Shine]] ([[User talk:Shine|talk]]) 21:38, 20 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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== Template for New Comics ==<br />
<br />
To clarify, I'm not talking about a template like {{tl|comic}} or {{tl|comicbox}}, but rather a form to cut/paste for new comics. I'm rather new to large editing of MediaWiki pages, so I'm interested in learning of better ways of doing things.<br />
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Recently, I've been copy/pasting [[User:Blaisepascal/newcomictemplate]] to set up the basic form of the page, then editing the various sections. This ensures I get the major bits. I still have to copy/paste the transcript from xkcd.com, fill in the {{tl|comic}} template, and make the number and title redirects by hand.<br />
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Is there a better way? Is there anything my template is missing? [[User:Blaisepascal|Blaisepascal]] ([[User talk:Blaisepascal|talk]]) 14:06, 21 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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:I've created a ruby script that can be given a comic number and it will spit out a text file with the comic template filled out, the transcript, and the comic discussion template. I've finally gotten it to the point that it is usable, so that's why I'm talking about it. It still doesn't pull explanations from the blog, but that's a whole ball of wax in and of itself. I'm on Linux so it's easy to run it and have it spit out files, I assume on Windows if you have ruby installed there is a way to run ruby scripts from the command prompt. Can't tell you where things will pop out, probably in the directory you run it in, but I haven't tested it on Windows yet. I'm also continuing to work on it, so don't assume that any version you download is the final product. Oh, it also spits out the redirect line you put in the number and title pages so you can just copy/paste that.<br />
:I made it because I was going to drive myself insane making hundreds of pages without some kind of automation. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 07:24, 25 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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::{{tl|create}} was created as a template for the comic list so that it could be autoloaded into comics by linking from [[List of all comics]]. That functionality doesn't seem to be working, unfortunately. For that reason, I added a "transcript" of the create text as documentation on that template. If you goto {{tl|create}}, you will find a template for new comic creation. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 20:20, 27 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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== The name of the ponytail character ==<br />
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I remember the community having a name for the female ponytail character (I don't recall if there is a male ponytail character, but in the interest of being complete). Was it simply Ponytail?<br />
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In any case, she seems to recur enough to deserve her own Category:Comics featuring ... page. But I don't want to go create it without knowing what we can agree on is her name. So, pony (wow, didn't intend that pun) up your 2 cents. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 17:28, 20 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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:This comic http://xkcd.com/322/ calls a ponytail'ed female Joanna. Is this the same character as ponytail? She might be different. Community input please. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 01:26, 23 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
::It sounds plausible. Few of the characters are named, and it looks like Ponytail (compare, for example, Elaine Roberts as an adult, who has light hair, but doesn't wear it in a ponytail). The one concern is that in 322, she is clearly acquainted with Black Hat, and in 405 she appears to be friends with Danish, yet Black Hat and Danish don't know each other -- unless he tracked her down via Joanna... [[User:Blaisepascal|Blaisepascal]] ([[User talk:Blaisepascal|talk]]) 04:41, 23 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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== The name of Black Hat's girlfriend ==<br />
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[[Black Hat]] has a girlfriend, introduced in [[377: Journal 2]]. She has thicker hair than Megan, and is seen (in [[405: Journal 3]] to be friends with [[Ponytail]]. Is there community-accepted name for her?<br />
:: No, not yet. She seems to have a personality similar to [[Black Hat]] himself --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] ([[User talk:Jeff|talk]]) 15:48, 22 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
:::I don't really want to create a "Category:Comics featuring Black Hat's girlfriend" if there is a better solution, that's all. [[User:Blaisepascal|Blaisepascal]] ([[User talk:Blaisepascal|talk]]) 15:57, 22 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
::::In my own head I've been calling her Summer because she looks like how Randall draws Summer Glau (not a good argument, granted), and in some of the comics she shows up she reminds me of Summer's characters. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 17:41, 22 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
:::::Or we could call her Dearest or Darling or Danish http://xkcd.com/515/ [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 20:32, 22 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
::::::OK, I've gone with [[Danish]]. [[User:Blaisepascal|Blaisepascal]] ([[User talk:Blaisepascal|talk]]) 22:18, 22 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
:::::::P.S. I love you for that. You have my eternal respect. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 22:35, 22 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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Also, now someone needs to update the Characters nav box to include Danish. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 22:51, 22 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
:I found the template on my own (aren't I a [[1032|grown up professional]]?) and updated it. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 22:53, 22 August 2012 (UTC)<br />
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== Can we turn off page creation for non-logged in users ==<br />
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I'm not very familiar with mediawiki, so I don't know if this would be hard or not. But, it would stop the drive-by spam attacks (the ones that don't create accounts anyway, such nice bots).<br />
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My secondary goal in doing this would be to get [[Special:Contributions/72.252.145.183|72.252.145.183]] and [[Special:Contributions/207.204.86.3|207.204.86.3]] to make accounts so that there is a way to get a hold of them, give them some feedback, and have them stop adding/spamming spurious categories. Both of them are creating pages with poor/non-existent explanations, sections for the transcript but missing the transcript, haphazardly adding pre-existing categories and adding tons of one-off categories which do nothing to enhance explain xkcd.<br />
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[[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 19:02, 13 September 2012 (UTC)<br />
:Tag any such comics with {{[[Template:Comic-stub|Comic-stub]]}} and you or someone else can fix it ^^--[[User:Relic|Relic]] ([[User talk:Relic|talk]]) 00:01, 24 September 2012 (UTC)<br />
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::I guess you succeeded then ;) I have learned from my mistakes that I made as an anon ([[Special:Contributions/Btx40|take a look]])<br />
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::Why didn't you post on [[User talk:72.252.145.183]] or [[User talk:207.204.86.3]] (IPs have talk pages too)? I would have noticed it on either of them. It made me think that this community was more hostile than Wikipedia, which I also have [[wikipedia:User:Btx40|an account]] for --[[User:Btx40|Btx40]] ([[User talk:Btx40|talk]]) 21:14, 11 April 2013 (UTC)<br />
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== Tagline categories! ==<br />
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It finally struck me that there's that great line sitting top-right on the xkcd site. Yes the [[tagline]]. So, I've created pages for [[:Category:Language|Language]], [[:Category:Romance|Romance]], [[:Category:Math|Math]] already existed. But, I don't have time right now to go hunting down examples of [[:Category:Sarcasm|Sarcasm]]. Can I enlist the help of all the beautiful editors here to go tagging crazy? (Ok, not crazy like insane, but please do comb through everything for these) [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 19:47, 22 October 2012 (UTC)<br />
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== Image updates on xkcd ==<br />
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Once in a while, Randall changes the image of a particular comic (usually after someone here spotted an error!); for instance, that is the case for [http://xkcd.com/1122/ xkcd 1122 on Electoral Precedents]. It would be nice to still be able to see the original image(s) here as well as the updated version, as the discussion usually references the previous version(s) and therefore sometimes doesn't make sense without the original image in those cases. Also, consider this as a mild suggestion to update the mentioned image on its explanation page. Sorry if I've put this in the wrong place... --[[User:Jay|Jay]] ([[User talk:Jay|talk]]) 14:54, 29 October 2012 (UTC)<br />
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:For these most recent comics, someone usually uploads the version that goes public at midnight, and then corrections are uploaded on top of that. As part of the MediaWiki software, you can click on the image, which will take you to its file page, which allows you to see all the versions of the image back to its first creation. I, personally, am not sure if it's possible to link directly to a previous version, but it is there at least.<br />
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:Unfortunately, due to an image resizing bug, (that we all hope is being worked on, but it's been months with no progress and no word of work or progress, so hope is dwindling) for larger images you won't be able to see it, until you click on the broken file link which will just take you to the image.<br />
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:Hope that helps some. --[[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]] ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 16:35, 29 October 2012 (UTC)<br />
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== The Great Spam Attack Of Thanksgiving 2012 ==<br />
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I believe I have now dealt with all the spam that has accumulated on the wiki. I've gone through Recent Changes and personally checked every anonymous edit since 5 this morning, and looked through every new page created. If I've missed something, please edit the page and put {{tl|spam}} at the top. Thank you to all the new editors that stepped up and went to work in the trenches while the rest of us were off stuffing our faces. I think special thanks goes out to [[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] and [[User:TheOriginalSoni|TheOriginalSoni]]. I believe what happened is, the first major attack was met with a tepid response of about a month's temp block for all the IPs. But this time, for the flagrant vandalizers they are now on an indefinite ban.<br />
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Please, as you continue to notice spam or vandalization, use the {{tl|spam}} template, or add [[:Category:Pages to delete]] to the page (in the event that it's a newly created page). Leave a comment in your edit summary about vandalization clean up and someone with the power to, will deal with it.<br />
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--[[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]<span title="I'm an admin. I can help.">_a</span> ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 06:38, 24 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
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:Marked a wee bit that you missed. Typical, I take a day-long trip into China and an unholy mess of spam happens. May I suggest captchas for all anonymous edits for now? I would also like to get all the explanations done, or at least the ones from the blog, so that we can get the /wiki/ out of the URL to throw some of the spammers. The wall-of-text spammers all seem to include links to spam on other poor abused wikis, and I've noticed that all of those wikis also have a /wiki/ somewhere in there URL. It probably won't stop the new anon spammer, but we could probably restrict page creation to registered users only once we're done filling in all the old XKCD pages to cull those twats out too. [[User:Davidy22|<span title="I want you."><u><font color="purple" size="2px">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><sup><font color="indigo" size="1px">22</font></sup></span>]][[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>(talk)</tt>]] 09:27, 24 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
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:I have again dealt with the second wave of spam this Thanksgiving holiday (in the U.S. It's the only thing I can think that would be the cause.) and protected a few pages that seem to be repeat targets. If this is any indication of what major US holidays are like we need to get the administration (*ahem* Jeff) to delegate more controls to more users, and more A.I. spam fighting than we currently have (none). There has to be tricks that Wikipedia is using to fight spam. If we get this much, I can't imagine what the wikipedia servers have to daily stand up against, they must have spam fighting tricks, and not just hordes of people that can delete new pages that anonymous spam bots create. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]<span title="I'm an admin. I can help.">_a</span> ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 07:13, 25 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
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::Wikipedia has cluebot, which looks at page blanking and text insertion by anonymous users and reverts suspicious behavior automagically. I could ask cluebot's creator if we could lift the code for use here. It'll be like XERXES.ai, except it'll look for spam instead of spelling errors. [[User:Davidy22|<span title="I want you."><u><font color="purple" size="2px">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><sup><font color="indigo" size="1px">22</font></sup></span>]][[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>(talk)</tt>]] 07:16, 25 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
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::Aight, so Cluebot runs off a [https://github.com/cluenet/cluebotng core engine] with a dataset of previous vandalism to work from. We can set the files up on a raspberry pi or something, leave it running and connected to the web and feed it a backlog of past spam to teach it what to look for. Gonna do it after this hellish pile of work is over, unless someone wants to ninja me again. [[User:Davidy22|<span title="I want you."><u><font color="purple" size="2px">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><sup><font color="indigo" size="1px">22</font></sup></span>]][[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>(talk)</tt>]] 07:50, 25 November 2012 (UTC)<br />
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:::Cluebot sounds like a wonderful thing to have around here. When I have free time I might try to develop a basic bot that catches the basic kinds of spam and vandals we see here. (Spammers create a user account, create a random page and link to a random page on the internet; Vandals almost always leave an 18 character mixed lower/upper alphanumeric comment and are anonymous, that's unique enough it should be easily catchable)<br />
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==Trivia and transcript placement==<br />
The placement of the trivia sections are not consistent on the wiki; sometimes they are placed above the transcript and sometimes below.<br />
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The trivia sections are often fun to read, and a good complement to the explanation. On the other hand I have a hard time imagining people coming here to read transcripts (I remember someone suggested collapsable boxes for them). I'm afraid trivia sections below the transcript "disappears" and sometimes won't be noticed at all (especially if the transcript is long). Therefore I propose that trivia sections should follow the explanation, and that the transcripts should be at the bottom of the page.<br />
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Another reason for this is that the dividing line between explanation and trivia is not always clear. The end of the explanations tend to accumulate trivia-like information. The natural thing is to just "crop off" a trivia section, where deemed appropriate, and not to move stuff to and fro around the block of transcript. –St.nerol (talk) 15:15, 6 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
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:I agree that trivia sections, if present, should come before the transcript. By the way, I think this thread would be more appropriate for the Coordination section of the community portal. If you agree, please move it there. Waldir (talk) 16:32, 6 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
::Moved from Proposals to Coordination! –[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 23:02, 6 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
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:If an explanation contains trivia, that's an issue with the trivia being in the wrong place. Trivia is supposed to contain information that's only tangentially relevant to the comic at hand, and should be kept to the end of the page to keep the rest of the page free of clutter. Also, the comic discussion is at the bottom of every explanation page, but that doesn't seem to have deterred anyone from finding in. We could fix up some kind of collapse box for the transcripts though, since they do tend to be unneeded for most comics. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u><font color="purple" title="I want you">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><font color="indigo" size="4px">²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 00:16, 7 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Alright, I've done a mockup for what the transcript collapse box could look like. It's in our sandbox, like?'''[[User:Davidy22|<u><font color="purple" title="I want you">David</font><font color="green" size="3px">y</font></u><font color="indigo" size="4px">²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 01:16, 7 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
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::It looks good!<br />
::I'm not sure it is so easy to differentiate between tangentially relevant, more relevant, and explanatory information. I think there will always be a hazy zone of borderline examples. (By the way, should the explanation/trivia division be based on how ''relevant'' the information is, or on how ''explanatory'' it is?)<br />
::Now that we're getting a collapsible box; where should we place it? I still don't think it is logical to have it between explanation and trivia (if present), but it will matter less. Maybe we should move it up to the top again? –[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 10:24, 8 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
:::Trivia in most wikis is reserved for all the junk that doesn't add value to the main purpose of the article. In our case, that would be information that doesn't serve to explain comics, which is what people who visit the site come here looking for. The transcript is useful for cases where an image is ambiguous or easily mistaken, although it's not entirely needed for every comic. If the trivia section ever contains anything that enhances the comic explanation more than the transcript does, it's in the wrong section.<br />
:::The transcript template is probably going to have to get OK'ed by all the other editors round here before we make it a thing. It's quite a big change to make, and we'll have to change every existing page if we want to add it. We'd probably put it where we usually put the transcript if we do add it in though. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|purple|David}}<font color=green size=3px>y</font></u><font color=indigo size=4px>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 10:44, 8 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
::::Yeah, I hope that the other guys turns up and says something too. Still, the trivia/transcript placement is not standardized, so we need to decide together what's more natural. <br />
::::*Do we want the transcript in a box?<br />
::::*Do we want it on the bottom of the page, or directly below the explanation, or on the top of the page?<br />
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::::It ''is'' a borderland between explaining a comic and giving background information, connections to other comics, etc. There's no borderland between those and transcript. Also, all trivia sections I've seen so far has enhanced the explanations more than the transcript. (Probably because I didn't feel need to read it). –[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 16:10, 8 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
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::::If one actually needs/wants to read the transcript, one presumably wants to compare it directly with how the comic looks. That would be the good reason to place the box close to the comic. –[[User:St.nerol|St.nerol]] ([[User talk:St.nerol|talk]]) 16:12, 8 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
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::::<strike>Sorry I dropped off the face of the planet for a while there. The run up to Spring Break nearly killed me (that's not as figurative as you'd think). I'll write a proper response in the morning, or late afternoon, after I've had enough sleep to recover from ~2 weeks of ~3 hours of sleep a night. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]<span title="I'm an admin. I can help.">_a</span> ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 08:58, 9 March 2013 (UTC)</strike><br />
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::::I think that Trivia belongs at the bottom of the page. We didn't start with putting transcripts on the explanation page, so there isn't a law passed down from the founders to let us know how to slaughter our sheep as sacrifice (wait, that's something else). However, in keeping with Wikipedia's tradition, we put tangentially related information into its own category at the bottom of the page.<br />
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::::What defines tangentially related? Well, most of our editors seem to have a good grasp on it, so I didn't think it was necessary to spell out hard and fast rules. I think the group of people that read xkcd frequently are also prone to become draconian, pedantic, rules lawyers, so I hesitate to suggest that we need to impose too much more structure than what we can glean from Wikipedia's many years of existence. This is how I categorize it:<br />
::::*The explanation, which is the main point of the site, should explain all cultural, technological, mathematical, scientific, visual, and linguistic gags that Randall includes.<br />
::::*The transcript, which helps to ensure that people aren't mis-reading the comic. This is also valuable for accessibility, as blind people cannot read images (not yet, OCR isn't that good), which is why I think Randall should publish transcript data as he posts the comics. So, I support the creation of a transcript when the comic first posts, but about a week later someone should go back and replace it with the transcript that Randall publishes so that anything we interpret incorrectly will be corrected.<br />
::::*Discussion. Since we transclude the discussion onto the explanation page anything that comes up as a result of the comic will often be commented on here. E.g. "Did you guys see Reddit blew up after Randall called them out in this comic? [link]"<br />
::::*And lastly trivia. My template test for this one is "Is this really important trivia, but it doesn't add one hoot to the explanation? Then it should go here." What jumps to my mind every time I think of this is [[Click and Drag]]. That is a prime example of a trivia section. It doesn't explain the comic, but it is meta-information about the comic.<br />
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::::Why last? Because if the community cares about the points of trivia someone will bring it up. So that content already exists on the page. Duplicating that and putting it up higher makes no sense. What's even worse is having an Explanation, content directly about the comic; Trivia, an interlude with some information that's fun to know and you can stump people at xkcd meet-ups but otherwise useless; and Transcripts, which is directly about the comic again.<br />
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::::I would say that Trivia should actually go at the bottom of the page, but the transclusion of the discussion page makes that ugly to my eye. But it should go underneath the Transcript. Not all of the world are "fully functional" "Average" (capital 'A' Average) and "Normal" (capital 'N' Normal) humans, and consideration needs to be spent on them. And the transcript is more relevant information about the comic than any trivia is. If there is trivia that is more relevant than the transcript, it should be worked into the explanation. If a transcript gets long and you believe scrolling is a tedious, laborious task that only proto-humans had to deal with, then add a <code><nowiki>__TOC__</nowiki></code> (the TOC is ugly because of the comic discussion template, which is another discussion) underneath the comic template.<br />
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::::--[[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]<span title="I'm an admin. I can help.">_a</span> ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 12:02, 14 March 2013 (UTC) <br />
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:: I think the transcript could be integrated into [[template:comic]], instead of being a separate template, and use a softer and more neutral color (light gray, for example) in the heading. Apart from these details, I agree with the collapsing of the transcript, and being collapsed, its placement isn't really problematic. Right under the comic sounds ok to me. --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 02:04, 10 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
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:::I think this would be a good option. If the transcript were in the comic template, such that it was comic image, title text, transcript, this would be a good option for screen readers, so that the explanation would be read after the transcript. I am quite in favor of this. [[User:Lcarsos|lcarsos]]<span title="I'm an admin. I can help.">_a</span> ([[User talk:Lcarsos|talk]]) 12:02, 14 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
::::I made a couple of halfhearted attempts at doing that box integration, but it's not as easy as copypasting it into the right place. Will get it done when I'm less busy. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|purple|David}}<font color=green size=3px>y</font></u><font color=indigo size=4px>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:29, 14 March 2013 (UTC)<br />
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== Trivia section for the early comics? ==<br />
<br />
I noticed that the early xkcd comics that were [[:Category:Posted on LiveJournal|posted on livejournal]] sometimes have no real explanation (since there is really nothing much to explain), but feature a separate trivia section that mentions the original order, an alternative title text and/or a quote by Randall. Number [[7]] is a good example for it. I was wondering if it were not more practical to integrate the trivia section into the explanation text. Of course, it is strictly speaking not an explanation of the comic's ''contents'', but other explanations give meta information about the comic as well. As somebody in the section above has already mentioned: It is a thin line. I think, a separate trivia section only makes sense when there is 1) a full explanation of the comic that would otherwise be cluttered and 2) the trivia section contains technical meta information that does not add to the understanding of the comic (see [[1110]] for example). I think it more to the point to remove the trivia sections for the early comics altogether, but I thought I ask before anybody has to revert everything ;) -- [[User:LotharW|LotharW]] ([[User talk:LotharW|talk]]) 12:40, 18 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
:That's still trivia that should probably stay in the trivia section, although the explanations for those comics do need work. Even if it's just to inform that reader that the earlier xkcd comics were more doodle-y than modern xkcd. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 22:53, 18 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== To all Admins: IP User pages ==<br />
<br />
Since IP addresses are often dynamic the IP user pages should stay empty. If a user wants a user page he just can sign in here and there is no problem with links to former IP posts. Editing IP user pages produce just chaos.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 17:44, 19 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
:You're assuming that because some IP addresses are dynamic, we should bar IPs from creating userpages. For one, that's not true and [[User:50.151.2.168]] has been editing from the same address for a good half year. We cannot force IPs to do anything; see {{w|WP:HUMAN}}. IPs necessarily forfeit admin candidacy and the ability to edit semi-protected pages because of security concerns, but that's the extent of their restrictions on this wiki. {{w|User:76.117.247.55}} is a rather good example of an established IP with his own userpage on mainline Wikipedia. Also, {{w|WP:PAPER}} can likely be applied here; the disk space that a single redirect page takes up is insignificant, and mediawiki is designed to still perform well with many pages in it's database. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 18:15, 19 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
::I did know you would do an answer like this. But I still fully disagree on this, an IP user is still dynamic and if those users don't like to sign in here they should not have user privileges.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 16:58, 20 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
:::The only answer I have to that is {{w|WP:HUMAN}}. Our IP users are just as valuable as our registered ones, and they are privy to all benefits that regular users receive except ones that could become problematic with shared IP addresses, like admin candidacy/privileges. That IP has edited from their address for longer than many registered users stay active. IPs are human too. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 19:22, 20 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
:::: As someone who prefers not using an account here, I fully agree with David. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.62.222|173.245.62.222]] 08:17, 30 December 2013 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== "Its Cause Your Dumb" ==<br />
<br />
I'm interested in moving away from this tagline. Originally it made sense in our old blog logo in which it was Black Hat saying it, but now out of context it sounds way more condescending. I know people like it, but I don't think it is necessary to sit on the top of every page. --[[User:Jeff|<b><font color="orange">Jeff</font></b>]] ([[User talk:Jeff|talk]]) 16:38, 30 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
:Adding the thumbnail of Black Hat back in would be trivial. We can either add it back in, or cut/change it entirely. I'm fine either way, though I did enjoy the old tagline. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 19:54, 30 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
::''Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.'' is still great. Black Hat is just telling the truth. But this and the "explainxkcd.com/X" should be moved to the bottom of the header.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:29, 30 October 2013 (UTC)<br />
::: I'd like to see Black Hat saying it, but maybe at the bottom of the logo instead. [[User:Halfhat|Halfhat]] ([[User talk:Halfhat|talk]]) 20:40, 13 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Now the black hat image is rather blurry.<br />
<br />
== Transcript Section ==<br />
<br />
I've not been able to find any real sort of guideline which says what we do and do not include in the Transcript. From the explanation for [[Talk:1322:_Winter|Strip 1322: Winter]], how much "action" should we be notating in the Transcript. There comes a point when the Transcript becomes a Script and can be used to reenact the strip. If this was the original intention, then perhaps we should state that somewhere. I suggest any text, in English or otherwise should be included either verbatim or described, and other symbols which are not directly related to the actors, such as music notes, charts, graphs, and other objects which significantly affect the plot of the strip. Obviously some good judgement should be exercised and there may be exceptions which crop up. I'd like to hear other comments and views, thanks. [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 14:00, 28 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
:The transcript should be detailed enough that a blind user can tell what happened in the comic. It's there to tell people what happened in the comic image if they were otherwise unable to tell without the transcript. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 16:35, 28 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
::Aha! Thanks for clearing that up. Is that posted anywhere? [[User:Jarod997|Jarod997]] ([[User talk:Jarod997|talk]]) 21:05, 28 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
:::It‘s somewhere in the old discussion where the standard page layout was determined. If you dig through old community portal topics, you‘ll probably find it. Eventually. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 06:35, 29 January 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== We need a name for the "Total Douchebag" ==<br />
<br />
I did say it [[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Proposals#New_Character_2 here]] but I think it was the wrong section and I got no responces any way he appears in and [[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/435:_Purity 435]], [[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/796:_Bad_Ex 796]], [[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/826:_Guest_Week:_Zach_Weiner_(SMBC) 826 (guest week)]] and [[http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/964:_Dorm_Poster 964]] possibly more. I got a good pic of him too.[[User:Halfhat|Halfhat]] ([[User talk:Halfhat|talk]]) 19:35, 3 March 2014 (UTC)<br />
:Something smug sounding like Beyond Hat would be good.[[User:Halfhat|Halfhat]] ([[User talk:Halfhat|talk]]) 19:41, 3 March 2014 (UTC)<br />
::If he shows up in another comic, I'll start a vote to add him. The name "douchebag" has been contested and changed in the past by various anons for justified reasons and I'm sure there's less judgmental names that we could give him, like Goatee. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 22:44, 3 March 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Undocumented Feature ==<br />
<br />
Why is the daily incomplete explanation ''still'' [[1305: Undocumented Feature]]? At this point, the explanation is complete, and it's been the daily incomplete for several days, if not weeks. [[User:Z|Z]] ([[User talk:Z|talk]]) 18:52, 4 June 2014 (UTC)<br />
:Oh, damn, I've been a bit busy recently. I'll get that started again. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 20:20, 4 June 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Should we have a category for comics with secret messages? ==<br />
<br />
Should we have a category for comics with secret messages? Like [[1005: SOPA]]. [[User:Ausr|Ausr]] ([[User talk:Ausr|talk]]) 16:32, 15 June 2014 (UTC)<br />
:How many of them are there? Categories need to apply to a decent number of comics before we make them. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 22:36, 15 June 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Incomplete explanation of the day - Template changed? ==<br />
<br />
Has the template of the "incomplete explanation of the day" box changed?<br />
<br />
I'm sure the title of the incomplete page used to be a link, but now it appears in bold, and not a link... {{unsigned|Pudder|12:54, 29 September 2014 (UTC)}}<br />
:It'll look like that if you're on the page that it links to, or if mediawiki messes up. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 16:42, 29 September 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Incomplete Explanation of the Day needs updating ==<br />
<br />
For the last few days, the IED has been set to 887: Future Timeline, when the page has already been set to complete. Is there a specific person in charge of IED, or could I just go ahead and change it whenever I see that the page has been completed?<br />
I'm not entirely sure if this is the correct section of the Community Portal for this question, but I would like to know. [[User:Kirdneh|Kirdneh]] ([[User talk:Kirdneh|talk]]) 18:05, 15 December 2014 (UTC)<br />
:Uh, I do the changing there. I don't do this usually, but I actually think the tag should be readded; the original reason if I recall correctly for the tag being there was that the big ol' table of predictions listed in the comic wasn't complete, and the roots for each one aren't obvious to everyone reading; see the one on 32 bit timestamps, which means little to people unfamiliar with Unix timestamps. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 21:28, 15 December 2014 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Requesting a Third Opinon on 1317: Theft ==<br />
<br />
There are two competing interpretations of [[1317: Theft]] (see the end of the discussion for details), leading to its being marked incomplete. Could some other editors take a look? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.191|108.162.216.191]] 14:15, 11 March 2015 (UTC)<br />
: Two unresolved questions. First, is the character in the comic Randall or Hairy? Second, is the character show the victim of identity theft or the perpetrator? [[User:Djbrasier|Djbrasier]] ([[User talk:Djbrasier|talk]]) 18:51, 11 March 2015 (UTC)<br />
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== Most character pages are missing infoboxes ==<br />
<br />
Please add them if possible. There are two types of character infoboxes currently, "character infobox" for when the category page is "Comics featuring '''''Name'''''"; while "character infobox 2" is for when the character page serves as its own category page. {{unsigned|17jiangz1|15:17, 31 March 2015 (UTC)}}<br />
<br />
== Lander ==<br />
Philae has woken up!!! Randal has updated [[1446: Landing]] as a result. I'm about to go out, but can someone please start recording any new comics! --[[User:Pudder|Pudder]] ([[User talk:Pudder|talk]]) 15:11, 14 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
:I'm on it'''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 11:05, 15 June 2015 (UTC)<br />
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== Image issues ==<br />
<br />
Can someone fix [[:File:radiation.png]]? {{User:17jiangz1/signature|15:54, 25 August 2015}}<br />
:Wait a little bit, cache takes time to update. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 16:58, 25 August 2015 (UTC)<br />
:Thanks, it's okay now. {{User:17jiangz1/signature|10:20, 26 August 2015}}<br />
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== New comic, not on the main site. ==<br />
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http://www.gatesnotes.com/Health/XKCD-Marks-the-Spot It's about Polio eradication [[User:Halfhat|Halfhat]] ([[User talk:Halfhat|talk]]) 13:45, 31 October 2015 (UTC)<br />
:The page already exists, at [[World Polio Day]]. Not a fan of doing these supplemental comics personally, but the page is there for you to improve if you want to. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 17:19, 31 October 2015 (UTC)<br />
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== Manually added 1678 ==<br />
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Hello, I manually added comic 1678, since the bot didn't seem to. I think I did everything, but since I'm not familiar with the process someone might want to double-check. [[User:SG 01|SG 01]] ([[User talk:SG 01|talk]]) 15:21, 9 May 2016 (UTC)<br />
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== Title text in transcript ==<br />
<br />
Not sure if this has been asked before, but why don't we include the title text in the transcript? -misterblue28<br />
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:Probably because the transcript is for people who can't see the image, but the title text isn't part of the image - it's in plain text underneath the image. [[User:Danish|Danish]] ([[User talk:Danish|talk]]) 23:07, 27 January 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Category syntax ==<br />
<br />
How do you put pages in a category? I tried inserting links manually and it said "this category has no pages or media." [[User:Some user|Some user]] ([[User talk:Some user|talk]]) 04:06, 29 July 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Hi Some user, it's a little backwards, but to add a page to a category, you have to instead ''add the category to the page''. In other words, for the page that you want to be included in the category, edit that page and add a <code><nowiki>[[Category:Example Category]]</nowiki></code> link to the bottom of the page (where <code>Example Category</code> is the name of the desired category); after you save it, the page will magically appear in the category. See [https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Categories#Adding_a_page_to_a_category here] for more info. – [[User:Yfmcpxpj|Yfmcpxpj]] ([[User talk:Yfmcpxpj|talk]]) 02:42, 29 September 2020 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== 2475: Health Drink ==<br />
I believe that the "simple country nanoenzyme developer" comment refers to the [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SimpleCountryLawyer Simple Country Lawyer trope]. [[User:Elizium23|Elizium23]] ([[User talk:Elizium23|talk]]) 19:32, 15 June 2021 (UTC)<br />
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== Citation no longer needed? ==<br />
It seems like the inclusion of the {{Citation needed}} tag is getting less popular. Should these be removed or should they be allowed? [[User:Cwallenpoole|Cwallenpoole]] ([[User talk:Cwallenpoole|talk]]) 14:56, 30 December 2021 (UTC)<br />
:{{Citation needed}}... Less popular? I've just seen a retro-edit that added three (or four) CNs in a very old article. I don't think it has lost its popularity. It could be argued that it has lost its clarity (but only through overuse). I see no need to purge this feature, though of course anybody could hunt down and purge those instances they considered to be in excess (YMMV!) and anybody else could splurge them out again (with personal opinions again being the driving force).<br />
:If you are indicating a personal opinion that CNs should ''not'' be being used, anywhere, say it straight. I think you'd be outvoted on the issue, but it would be more useful than just proclaiming it isn't used (clearly wrong).<br />
:Overuse is bad, removing it isn't practical or desirable (you'd be reverted in an instant). Welcome to the complications of collaborative editing from a diverse group of fans. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.125|162.158.159.125]] 15:45, 30 December 2021 (UTC)<br />
:: oh, I find it absolutely hilarious, but I have also seen people removing them. I just want to make sure it's still OK to add them. [[User:Cwallenpoole|Cwallenpoole]] ([[User talk:Cwallenpoole|talk]]) 16:56, 30 December 2021 (UTC)<br />
:::Some people have less tolerance for them, definitely. If "The sky is blue**, water is wet**, fire is hot** and cats meow**" is marked up in each (or most) of the **-points then I would not be surprised or disappointed to see that de-CNed. If you ask me, the balance would be once used for every two or three articles (and in the ''best'' one of those two or three, nothing actually contentious or even not-always-true like the blue sky statement, but of course they could bunch up at times by looking wider around for each set of 'best's), but don't ask me to judge the best examples. And that's still an awful lot of total uses! Others would have differing thresholds/tolerances. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.22|172.70.86.22]] 20:03, 30 December 2021 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== New admins ==<br />
<br />
Been skimming around edit histories to see what I've missed and now I have candidates in mind for promotion to admin. I've linked a bureaucrat to this section who can promote any of the following who consent to promotion:<br />
<br />
*[[User:Jacky720]]: Contribution log going back to 2016, heavy contributor in recent anti-vandalism effort<br />
*[[User:Theusaf]]: Creator of the current comic update bot<br />
*[[User:Kynde]]: Editor for a decade, although may want to stay regular user<br />
'''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 02:06, 8 May 2022 (UTC)<br />
:I consent. I'm not super active, but I visit explainxkcd multiple times a week and maintain the bot. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 07:29, 8 May 2022 (UTC)<br />
:: done [[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] [[User:Jeff|<b><font color="orange">Jeff</font></b>]] ([[User talk:Jeff|talk]]) 19:02, 8 May 2022 (UTC)<br />
: I want to be clear that with the exception of the anti-vandalism script (which I did not write) I haven't been very active lately. Maybe I just find a lot of pages in an already-acceptable state. Still, I'm reading the wiki. So if the requirement is only ''presence'' and ''judgement'' rather than ''activity'', I'll take the post. Is it? [[User:Jacky720|That's right, Jacky720 just signed this]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|contribs]]) 11:25, 10 May 2022 (UTC)<br />
::I sought out a fair number of people so that the load would be more distributed. The duties that adminship adds are just things like banning users and protecting pages, regular users can already fix content related things and vandalism. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:41, 10 May 2022 (UTC)<br />
::: Slow as hell, but i did it. [[User:Jacky720]] and [[User:Kynde]] [[User:Jeff|<b><font color="orange">Jeff</font></b>]] ([[User talk:Jeff|talk]]) 17:36, 22 May 2022 (UTC)<br />
::::Thanks Jeff. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:56, 23 May 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I will accept being an admin. But I would like to know how to get hold of for instance Davidy or Jeff, so we can contact someone with more knowledge or power over this site, when it breaks down or is attacked again. Any way this can be arranged? And then I would also like to know what being an admin means here. Which powers do we get? I have not tried being an admin of anything before ;-) [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:13, 10 May 2022 (UTC)<br />
:I've always contacted jeff via twitter, which is linked via his userpage, though we've been in contact over email too. I don't use my twitter account for anything else otherwise, and I'm mostly dead on a lot of social media but I have the same username on github and I do use that site a fair bit if you want to contact me via alternate means. [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:ListGroupRights You can see the full set of rights each role has here], but the ones that'll come up the most are probably the rollback button, bans and page protection/deletion. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:41, 10 May 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== One-click undo script for reverting vandalism ==<br />
<br />
I've made an extremely crude script to expedite vandalism removal at [[User:CRLF/OneClickUndo.js]]; basically, it changes all "undo" links to work without the confirmation screen. Simple as that and hopefully helpful for cleaning up this mess!<br />
<br />
I'm hoping to also make something that can work on contribs pages, but my scripting skills aren't that great. <br />
<br />
Also, if you are aware of any scripts that do this better (I hope there are), please share them here. [[User:CRLF|CRLF]] ([[User talk:CRLF|talk]]) 02:20, 21 May 2022 (UTC)<br />
:Update: I have added the functionality to have this on contribution pages; it should create a link "[revert]" next to each page name that allows you to similarly revert in one click. There is one known glitch though, that it doesn't really work if a user has edited the same page multiple times, so to alleviate that I recommend ticking the "Only show edits that are latest revisions" box on the contribs list. I hope this tool will be helpful in combating future vandalism.<br />
:I almost forgot to mention, the way you install this script is by adding the following text to the bottom of [[Special:MyPage/common.js]] (sorry, only for autoconfirmed users):<br />
:<code><nowiki>mw.loader.load('//www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:CRLF/OneClickUndo.js&action=raw&ctype=text/javascript'); // [[User:CRLF/OneClickUndo.js]]</nowiki></code><br />
:Hope this helps! [[User:CRLF|CRLF]] ([[User talk:CRLF|talk]]) 03:04, 21 May 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Semi-persistant gambling portal ads being attempted... ==<br />
<br />
There have been a number of link-insertions made over the last few weeks (some returning to where they'e previously reverted out), seemingly of various groups of sites under the name "<two letters>+portmanteau('''C A S I''' n o & s i '''M I L E''')", here written slightly obtusely to diffuse giving them any of the SEO credit they seek, but anyone interested should be able to get enough of the gist to then find examples of their spamming. Usually the two letters are for '''AU'''stralia or '''N'''ew '''J'''ersey, but I think there have been others.<br />
<br />
A quick search seems not to give any 'core' business name precursor to the state/country regionalisation part, they seem to have just gone straight to the localised domains. And searching for them indicates they're popping up in many an odd place 'out there'. Like a site reviewing walking(/zimmer?)-frames, or (strangely, as it's the AU-branded site) "looking for developers in the Chicago area", so they're poking away out there. But we're just as busily poking them back out again by reverting, both myself and (I've noted) other major contributors/maintainers.<br />
<br />
But making an official(ish) note. If anybody gets an automated content de-publishing mechanism up (e.g. for the C R A P style of stuff) then maybe they can figure out this one enough to also counter its reappearance.<br />
<br />
As a direct example, dive into what occured to cause [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=850:_World_According_to_Americans&curid=6034&diff=286767&oldid=286591 this pairing of edit/undo-edit]... (Easy enough to check, by clicking things, but I'm not giving an easily search-spiderable link that promotes their site like they might want!) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.32|141.101.99.32]] 14:50, 13 June 2022 (UTC)<br />
:Unlike the SEO spam that gets stopped normally, I suspect this is a human solving captchas to insert links, so automated measures would have to be cat and mouse blacklisting link insertions probably, if we got an auto reverter bot up. '''[[User:Davidy22|<u>{{Color|#707|David}}<font color=#070 size=3>y</font></u><font color=#508 size=4>²²</font>]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 02:48, 14 June 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Transcript standards ==<br />
<br />
I was just wondering, what is our policy on formatting in transcripts? Tables, text size, color, italics, etc. [[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 23:35, 7 September 2022 (UTC)<br />
:The idea is no tables, IIRC, though I know of exceptions that do use them. Other in-situ formatting should be allowable but (if important) actually stated in the :[Description] tags, or somehow.<br />
:One of the ideas is that a screen-reader should be able to reliably inform someone of what they might not be able to see. And, depending upon the reader can probably read "½" accurately, may be able to read "1/2" at least in an understandable manner, could perhaps handle "<sup>1</sup>/<sub>2</sub>" without (much) more confusing, yet may find something like "<table style="display: inline-table; line-height: 0.6em; vertical-align: middle; font-size:7pt; text-size-adjust: none;"><tr><td><u>1</u></td></tr><tr><td>2</td></tr></table>" (<code><nowiki><table style="display: inline-table; line-height: 0.6em; vertical-align: middle; font-size:7pt; text-size-adjust: none;"><tr><td><u>1</u></td></tr><tr><td>2</td></tr></table></nowiki></code>) makes for something of no real sense to the reader or the listener to the reader or both.<br />
:Secondary is that maybe a search for "red text" should reveal all comics with red text (not easy to do on digging ingo HTML style formatting alone), though I'm sure that the relevent transcripts are so standardised.<br />
:Not the expert on the issue, just how I've seen it posited elsewhere (but inconsistently, at that). [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.225|172.70.85.225]] 00:47, 8 September 2022 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== What is [[:Category:Meta]] for? ==<br />
<br />
I've stumbled upon [[:Category:Meta]], and it seemed so random. Three of the 4 books were on it, but I removed them because there already is a category for Randall's books. There are also pages like Browser extension, Characters, the Countdown in header text... what do all those pages have in common? (The category description doesn't help.). [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 10:49, 3 July 2023 (UTC)<br />
:Update i emptied it and replaced it with Category:explain xkcd, so now we have Category:Root category that only contains Category:xkcd (actual content) and Category:explain xkcd (wiki stuff) --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:52, 3 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
::I delete it now and has thus removede the links from this post. This is where it linked: [[:Category:xkcd]]. And FaviFake has actually made it go there not to [[:Category:explain xkcd]]. [[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:09, 4 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::I think I initially directed it to [[:Category:explain xkcd]] but then noticed where it was linked, and moved the redirect. But I'm not sure. Anyways, Thanks! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 17:58, 4 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== What's going on with the incomplete comics? ==<br />
<br />
I've noticed a the number dropping rapidly, and I'm worried people/someone is just removing incomplete tags randomly from pages. If not, it's great that these are getting done, but I remember some very large/complicated comics that couldn't just be finished quickly. The edit history is pretty spammy, it's hard to find the source. [[User:Mushrooms|Mushrooms]] ([[User talk:Mushrooms|talk]]) 08:49, 11 January 2024 (UTC)<br />
:People ''have'' been removing the Incomplete tags from pages. Not so much "randomly" as actually removing them from some of the latest few. Even going so far as to remove such a tag from an article not yet a day old. (Really too soon, IMO. There are always going to be people who take ''at least'' a day to check in to discover the latest comic's item, and then produce some personal take on it that makes what was there "not yet complete" to reasonable eyes.)<br />
:The whole Incompleteness thing has developed, anyway. Originally, it was even a matter of whether a page ''existed'' for a comic (catching up/backfilling with earlier-than-the-wiki comics) until at least placeholders/blank explanations for them all were created by users and Bots. Then "incomplete" was a tag used to identify the created comics that hadn't been properly filled in with intelligent (or sufficient) explanations.<br />
:Even that era is now over, as it is rare that someone doesn't rock up with an explanation for a new comic within an hour or so of it being editable. The Incomplete tag has co-evolved as a community side-joke as to what (other than a Bot) created this particular page. Which some people seem not to have realised as they (in good faith, no doubt) de-Incomplete a number of recent pages at a time.<br />
:Not that I think one should never remove the tags, but my opinion is:<br />
:*If someone has just edited (more?) info into a page, they shouldn't have the hubris to consider it now complete thanks to their own 'final' work, let someone else have that say; assuming they don't have more to say (or a revert/back-edit/correction of their own), having their own ideas of how 'complete' it became,<br />
:*If the comic is less than a week old, many people may have been familiar with (and happy with) the thorough explanation... but that occasional guy or gal who only checks in every Wednesday/weekend/whenever, when they have time to browse all their favourite webcomic metasites, ''could'' bring along an insight that everyone else missed - technically, they could do this (and do?) for even more ancient examples that they've yet to notice, but "giving the 'regulars' (<= those that are not also ''hyper''frequent) a week or so" a shot at working on an Incomplete page seems like courtesy,<br />
:*As the developed joke is that an early editor adds the 'community comment' about which non-BOT entity/process created the page, give everyone familiar with this the chance to ''have seen'' each prime example, this includes the once-a-week individual(s), from the above point, even if they have nothing new to add,<br />
:**...as a meta to this, generally one of the first editors to discover the BOTted page (or maybe the one that did the temporarily tardy BOT's work!) will make their mark on it by so editing (I personally consider it poor form to ''only'' "first!" a page by editing this tag and then doing nothing more to fill in even just the Transcript, BTW, but YMMV). Obviously, not all such spontaneous jokes are top-notch funny (to all people), but one need not go in later and 'rejoke it' just for one's own ego (at least as much as the "first!"er type). It loses its cultural impact if (as per one recent page) it becomes a competition to keep on changing the tag indefinitely. Respect the joke that you may find there (spelling/formatting errors aside?), enjoy it, feel smug that you "would have done it better" (more smug than actually doing it, only for your "better" to be in turn bested/wiped by someone else soon after). There are some very clever BOT-replacements that have been done (I've tried a few, myself, but can't/won't claim to be the genius editor of any of the good ones) and I have an offline list of many of these, but that's perhaps a little ''too'' meta for explainxkcd...<br />
:*Finally, the editors who go through 'wiping' a series of Incompletes at a time (even as recent as with the present day's released comic) tend to show willing and eager wiki-editing capabilities, but are clearly 'new' to not realise the value (beyond the original intention) placed upon the tag. The kind of people who might not yet realise that the Citation Needed has an explainxkcd 'twist' to it (or, having realised the twist, think that they're the first person to consider how funny it would be to use that tag ''at least twice a paragraph, or even multiple times in a single sentence...''. I welcome fresh editors, but I know what some of them feel. I remember being annoying to the 'old guard' on a BBS during pre-Web era... even back then, the best advice really was to lurk, observe, contribute sparingly... even now, in fact, I still tend to be oververbose, but at least I don't overdo the same thing (addition or removal of things) to ridiculuous degrees like I did practically a third of a century ago.<br />
:...not that I expect the above to match everyone's feelings (even a majority?), nor to claim authority (far from it, I like being an occasional commentator without the pressures of responsibility). And anyone who ''might'' benefit from this exposition is unlikely to read it (soon) anyway!<br />
:But I can definitely provide my insight on the original question (yes, they're being removed, not ''really'' randomly). And, if there's anything particularly likely to draw my attention to there being '[[386: Duty Calls|something wrong]] on a somewhat historic xkcd explanation' then it's someone removing the Incomplete tag and getting me to read it "for old times' sake" (to find obvious typos, grammatical mixups, broken links or just plain awkward/missing elements). Occasionally, I'll even restore the Incomplete tag because, whatever subsequent fix I might or might not do myself, it's not my call to say that it's "perfect".<br />
:Though obviously edits can (and do) still occur with-or-without. Which leads back to my valuing the tags as these days more cultural than a strict tally of completeness/lack-of-it. There's no reason why they shouldn't be removed, but generally not a batch at a time. Barring long and still not fully resolved 'megacomics'/interactives, perhaps around a fortnight or a month before (at the rough rate of three a week, to match the new comics gaining the tags) might be sufficient and not excessive. Leaving on the order of 5-10 'recent' Incompletes, plus any hangovers that are still potentially expandable (Gravity-like, or Umwelt).<br />
:Can't stop the eager editors who have much more slimline ideas, and could displease those who think the meta-joke trumps the actual Incompleteness marking and should hang around indefinitely, but this is my own broadly happy middle-ground. Not that anyone asked. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.43.181|172.69.43.181]] 15:14, 11 January 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::I apologize if this goes off-topic, but I recently made an early BOT replacement "joke" that was unnecessarily crudely worded and I just want to say I wish I hadn't done that. If I'm in a rush to add the first draft of a transcript, basic category details or alike, and want to act quick to avoid potential edit conflicts, from now on I'll let the BOT field be untouched if I can't spontaneously think of anything worthwhile to type there. [[User:Asdf|Asdf]] ([[User talk:Asdf|talk]]) 13:18, 14 January 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::Something that's funny at two o'clock in the morning (but not even necessarily then, nor need it require alcohol/sugar/etc) is often not quite so much after some thought. But sometimes it ''is'', so we can't blame you for having a go. ;) I suppose I'd say that if it hasn't already been squished by a more savvy future editor, you should just take the first opportunity to improve (or roll-back) your not so good ideas, once you're in a more objective/critical mindset.<br />
:::On-topic, one also shouldn't "decide to de-Incomplete comics" without much thought. And if you're doing several at the same time you should at least have been monitoring them; not just choose one to remove it from, then click "Next/Previous" and wipe that one off, rinse-and-repeat. If I see multiple removals in the Recent history then I'm inclined to believe it's an ideological act, not from any considered review. If you really want to, save up the 'next' one for the day after (at least make it look like you slept on it), etc, and you're still capable of expunging seven of them a week, as opposed to the usual generation of them at three per week. You can still 'win', without looking like a total jobsworth. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.28|172.70.90.28]] 16:28, 14 January 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== File sizes ==<br />
Hey, just noticed that a lot of the older xkcd comic files, especially the ones done by hand back when DgbrtBOT and TheusafBOT created yet, are all ___.png, while nowadays TheusafBOT uploads ___-2x.png files. Should we change the old files and make them all 2x, or should we just keep it like that? [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 17:20, 15 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
:IMO (for what it's worth), leave them as they are. Anybody ''really'' wanting the _2x version (where they exist, as they haven't all got them) can grab them from the source site.<br />
:It's actually a bit wasteful to upload the _2x and constrict them to display at non-2x sizes (and not to restrict them ''will'' often cause Explain-page misrendering that needs resolving again), but it was a fairly recent choice made by Theusaf to change their 'bot to upload the _2x rather than the long-term practice of the 'standard' size. Regularising everything would be require one image upload and (at least!) one page-source change to handle the change and I can think of just one maybe good reason to do so, vs. several fairly reasonable reasons not to bother.<br />
:On balance, it'd be a thankless task, and probably create problems for other people. I know that, if you think you have time to do it, you might take this as a challenge... but I honestly think it's not worth it. Let TheusafBOF do its thing (and Theusaf, or others, intervene when it hits a new odd exception that breaks its purposeful current uploading policy) and leave the old stuff alone. Until, and unless, there's a legitimate reason to update individual comic images (e.g. Randall posted corrections; like prompted a recent re-upload, though that needed redoing anyway..!). [[Special:Contributions/172.69.194.95|172.69.194.95]] 21:08, 15 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== ChatGPT edits ==<br />
<br />
What's the policy on AI driven edits of the wiki? On 2933, an edit by [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/Kyrodes Kyrodes] (new user) directly overwrote multiple previous edits to insert a chatgpt-written edit which had pretty bad flow. I don't exactly know if I should revert it or not, but it's a little worrying. [[User:Eelitee|Eelitee]] ([[User talk:Eelitee|talk]]) 21:35, 17 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
:I'd treat them like any other edit. If it worsens the explanation, it should be rolled back. If it improves it, it should be kept and improved upon more by other editors. if it removes information, however small or insignificant, that information should immediately be put back in or the edit should be reverted. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:44, 3 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== New Category: Comics with a link to them on the xkcd homepage ==<br />
<br />
I think there should be a category for comics with a link to them on the xkcd homepage. These comics currently are:<br />
* [[556: Alternative Energy Revolution]],<br />
* [[150: Grownups]],<br />
* [[730: Circuit Diagram]],<br />
* [[162: Angular Momentum]],<br />
* [[688: Self-Description]],<br />
and,<br />
* [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline]]. [[User:PDesbeginner|PDesbeginner]] ([[User talk:PDesbeginner|talk]]) 14:35, 21 June 2024 (UTC)<br />
:There is, it's called [[:Category:Footer comics]] --[[User:B_for_brain|B for brain]] ([[User_talk:B_for_brain|talk]]) ([https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg4bo-hj-mDyOOUp_Yp0pug youtube channel] [https://bforbrain.weebly.com/ wobsite (supposed to be a blag)]) 09:24, 3 November 2024 (UTC)<!--<br />
:(EDIT: I don't know why that's not showing up, it is in the source. If you don't want to check the source, it's at [[:Category:Footer_comics]])<br />
:(DOUBLE EDIT: It's still not showing up! Please help.)<br />
::You're all good, I fixed it for you. You forgot to add a colon after the double-square brackets, which added Community portal/Coordination to the footer comics instead of mentioning the category. Fun! [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:32, 3 November 2024 (UTC)--><br />
<br />
== Popular Comics ==<br />
The Popular Comics category is quite arbitrary and there doesn’t seem to be much of a criteria to determine which comics are popular or not, would it be prudent to mark the category for deletion? If this category is wanted, could a criteria please be determined? Thanks, [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 19:22, 7 October 2024 (UTC)<br />
:I scheduled it for deletion a few days ago, i was also wondering who creted it. It could be argued it's a duplicate of the Footer comics category. I did the same for the Unnumbered comics category, which was a duplicate of the Extra comics category iirc [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:28, 3 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Reaching out to Jeff == <br />
How’s this message? Feel free to correct me on anything or suggest things to add. [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 18:41, 3 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hi Jeff, <br />
I'm a regular editor from ExplainXKCD, the wiki that you own. I'm reaching out because there are a lot of “chores” on ExplainXKCD that should probably be done that only you can do. About 4-8 weeks ago, the website started spitting out a lot of errors. The whole community was receiving 503 Errors,"Server is down" messages, and broken CSS pages. I reached out on r/xkcd, talked to all semi-active sysadmins (Jacky720, Theusaf, Kynde, and Davidy22 replied, all of them said they couldn't help) to no avail. Although they have mostly stopped, could you please maybe dig into the server to find out why they happened to see if they will happen again? Thanks. I understand that you probably have a job (digging around, you seem to be a fantasy football podcaster? Football season has started, right? No judgment C:) and have great reasons to not check the wiki that often, but please respond as soon as you can so that something like this can’t happen again. We also desperately need a new ‘crat so that new admins can be promoted if needed, like 2022 when spambots attacked the wiki. On that note, we need new admins. User Dtgriscom is a very good candidate, as you had made him a temp-admin before (and he wishes to keep the position). I would also not be against being an admin, as I am fairly active and am quite dedicated towards the project. User FaviFake is also a great candidate. From what I’ve seen, some users have strongly recommended updating the MediaWiki software to the most recent version. Email confirmation is also broken, which means that users who have forgotten their passwords cannot recover their accounts. Furthermore, TheusafBOT is a BOT, and should (obviously) be given BOT status. Inactive admins, such as Markhurd (passed, confirmed on his English Wikipedia user page), Lcarsos (last edit was 2021 after a 6 year lapse), Dgbrt (last edit 2019), Mynotoar (last edit 2016), and Philosopher (last edit 2023, said that didn’t really use sysop tools) should all be de-sysopped. I hope that I’m not being too pushy as a 14 year old who barely knows anything about “the real world” and “working” and wikis, but there is quite a long to-do list for you. I believe that since you own the wiki, you should be obligated to do these “chores” or give responsibility to someone else (server access, promote them to ‘crat status, etc.) Again, please respond as soon as you can. Thank you. <br />
Sincerely, <br />
-42.book.addict<br />
:Dammit, I can’t DM him without X Premium since he isn’t following me. Anybody else have other ideas? I can try to email Davidy22 for Jeff’s email? [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 19:24, 3 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
::Update: I have successfully gotten Jeff’s email from Davidy22. I have sent him the email, hopefully he’ll respond soon. Cheers! -42.book.addict [[Special:Contributions/162.158.167.48|162.158.167.48]] 17:58, 20 November 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::Hi all, the link attached is a screenshot of a Tweet/X that I'm afraid to send. Shall I? https://ibb.co/VqDYH7n '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 00:11, 18 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
::::Tweeted to him. Awaiting a response now. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 21:44, 24 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::::Tweeted a message to [[explain xkcd|@Actually]][https://x.com/ActuallyBerg Berg] about the issues, seeing if he can reach out to Jeff in any other way than this wiki, Reddit, Twitter, email, etc. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 01:18, 29 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==The [[What If? chapters|'''''What If?'' article index''']] project==<br />
Hey everyone,<br />
<br />
I'm not sure if you noticed the banner of the site, but for the last few weeks a group of [[Talk:What If? chapters|incredibly talented editors]] have been redesigning the [[What If? chapters|'''index of ''What If?'' articles''']] from the ground up. Among other things, we've merged two huge tables, added a TON of additional info, created complex templates, and made [[What If? chapters|dozens and dozens of other improvements]]. I believe that, as a wiki, we should have a complete and detailed index of all what if? articles, [[List of all comics (full)|just like we do for the comics]], and we're getting so close to that goal! We mostly only need to add the missing explanations, improve the existing ones, and add the questions and answer summary from the books (plus other things).<br />
<br />
We would love your help! We've prepared a [[What If? chapters|to-do list]] at the top of the page, containing everything that needs to be done, if you're interested. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 17:30, 2 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Asking Randall some questions on behalf of the wiki ==<br />
<br />
Hey everyone! I tried contacting Randall to ask him when he replaced comic [[36: Scientists]], and he replied! You can read the conversation and a summary of what happened [[User:FaviFake|on my user page]]. Among other things, he gave me the official release date, April 28th, and, after I asked, he told me he might reply to more simple questions! If y'all have some technical or administrative questions, I could ask them directly to him. If you're interested, there are many more details about this [[User:FaviFake|here]]. Thanks! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 18:26, 21 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==New thingy!==<br />
<br />
I found a NYT article showing a comic Randall did for a high school science textbook. It's this: [[:File:Inside Body.jpg]]. Should we add an explanation? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 16:56, 9 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Individual headings in Talk pages ==<br />
<br />
Greetings,<br />
I have added a few Talk page comments, with unique headings, and I've noticed recently that some editors are going through those talk pages and deleting all headings, [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3192:_Planetary_Alignment&diff=next&oldid=403346 example 1]; [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3191:_Superstition&diff=403498&oldid=403237 example 2], leaving the result quite unreadable and unsorted. Is there a "style guide" or documented consensus that headings are not permitted on Talk pages? Is this a standard across this entire Wiki that I should be aware of? Are there any other "style guides" or "manual of style" beyond the "Editing FAQ" that would inform these decisions? Thank you. [[User:Elizium23|Elizium23]] ([[User talk:Elizium23|talk]]) 06:15, 19 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
:Nope. The same IP did both of those edits; I don't know why. I think headers are useful, and if someone adds one before their comment then it shouldn't be removed by someone else.<br />
<br />
:That IP has done a lot of what seems like good edits, starting three months ago, so assuming it's one person it doesn't seem like they're a vandal. -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 13:16, 19 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
::Addendum (to my following reply direct to Elizium, but this in response to Dtgriscom with whom I found myself Edit Conflicting):<br />
::If it was an IP (not me, I'm sure, but hard to prove that - and there's non-zero possibility of us even both sitting in the same small range of IPs), it's possible they've also been around for years and so honestly following the established 'unwritten rules' as much as any directive.<br />
::You'll also get 'established names' doing this, either knowing that it's more consistent this way or perhaps having been brow-beaten into this way of thinking by prior editors. (Either way, though, apparently thinking it's better this way.)<br />
::Now, though, I m going to go and check the exact examples that happened. You never know, I might have a completely different idea of whether or not it's vandalism (or just 'sloppy re-editing'), and have to interfere myself... ;) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.8|82.132.244.8]] 14:28, 19 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
:::Addendum-to-addendum: Well, they were indeed an 82-block editor, like me (currently), but could have been 'closer' still (c.f. subnet/8 and subnet/24 coincidences!). Yeah, those two edits were benign, IMO, and aimed more towards page consistency with practically zero ill effects as far as readability. Discussion page conversations flit around like butterflies, labelling some of them (but not all) can be more confusing than just taking them as they are, really. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.8|82.132.244.8]] 14:45, 19 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:It's not universal (as I'm sure you'll notice), but ==title== headers (and especially =title= ones) have been historically discouraged for several reasons. One of which might have been the tendency to appear on the Explanation Page (or Main Page) TOC, due to being a transcluded part of them.<br />
:(That's why Explanations 'base' themselves with == level headers, to not confuse with the primary = level ones on the front page, and === level may have therefore been prefered in Discussion segments at one time or a other. Though there may currently be a NOTOC-type directive applied to stop that kind of 'header inheritance' anyway. I know there was some recent editing of the templates/whatever to do additional noinclude stuff at the Explanation/Discussion boundary, too, but I forget the full details without checking.)<br />
<br />
:Another is that ''unless'' the next person to append a new 'zero indent' topic also supplies an appropriately new header, they're either adding a 'continuation' to a sub-subject (that they may now not be talking about) or have to find the last comment before ''any'' header and add their throwaway no-header item in with the "not yet headered" initial run.<br />
:(Far simpler to just contextually have zero discussion headers and treat it as a chronological flat set of unrelated new comments. By root comment, that is; skipping later indented 'replies' apended after specific old comments. Not elegant, but readable.)<br />
<br />
:The ''most'' acceptable form of Discussion header, over the years, is to use a ";"-prefixed line (technically misusing the ";dictionary:definition" markup syntax). It gives what is basically a visual header-like prominance ''without'' any of the unwanted semantic functionality.<br />
:Some editors who edit away "==headers==" will perhaps convert them to ";headers". Other editors may make the Header+FollowingText into a 'cold open' of plain text, with only so much of the original Header (zero, some, all) being left as non-headed intro as seems necessary.<br />
<br />
:Broad examples of that latter are:<br />
*Useless header<br />
::'''Hiya!'''<br />
::I just want to say "First!" --signed<br />
:...becomes...<br />
::I just want to say "First!" --signed<br />
:...While not begrudging the 'first-tag', the header is even more throwaway<br />
*Cut-down header<br />
::'''The thing about dinosaurs - A few thoughts'''<br />
::While the velociraptor will [...]<br />
:...perhaps becomes...<br />
::The thing about dinosaurs is that, while the velociraptor will [...]<br />
:...a bit of artistic applied to keep the 'main' part of the header.<br />
*Full context header<br />
::'''The table should be as per <comic-link>'''<br />
::The reason being, that both are trying to display [...]<br />
:...becomes...<br />
::The table should be as per <comic-link>. The reason being, that both are trying to display [...]<br />
:...it's basically the first sentence of the contribution, and what comes after needs it to make any sense.<br />
<br />
:Not that there's a particular hard and fast rule to this (see the FAQ page for any 'expected standards' that are codified, or links onwards). The more general practice is that you let everyone say the ''words'' how they like, in Discssion sections (i.e. Talk:Comic pages), but others may well make the formatting more consistent with community expectations. If the community starts to expect headers (as they might already for long/complicated comics, or meta-aside 'post comic-comment commentaries', just not for most cases) or feel the need to otherwise (re)arrange things, someone might do it differently. (But it'd be undesirable to run through every prior Discussion section and try to reconstruct the headers that aren't/weren't there.)<br />
<br />
:From an inertial POV, yes "unique headings" might be accepted, but I don't recall any recent example where their loss/conversion has been more detrimental than the restoration of the standing headerless practice has made more consistent, sitewise. (YMMV!)<br />
:I also can't remember doing any of these 'prunings' myself, in very recent history (do recall some prunings happening... probably to your ones), but I've done my fair share and I know that I don't just throw them away without thinking. I'd always try to uphold the original author's (non-formatting) intent. And if I saw a less useful 'header decapitation' I might either improve how it's been done ''or'' revert it (perhaps semicoloning it, along the way) because it 'felt' right to have a header to me.<br />
<br />
:But this is a community of new-bugs and old-farts and plenty in-between (I'm certainly far more 'fart' than 'bug'), and I'm hoping to give you a little insight into what I know of this site's 'unwritten rules' on this subject. (Whatever the written ones might say! ;) )<br />
:A discussion of style is useful, of course. Whether the long standing editors will change (or the constant influx of newbies get it any more 'right' first time!) is another question. :p [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.8|82.132.244.8]] 14:28, 19 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
::My take is a) talk page formatting isn't a big deal, and b) reasonable comments by other users on talk pages (and I think those headers were such) shouldn't be edited or removed without a clear edit comment as to why. Otherwise you confuse and bemuse other editors. (And, we have bigger fish to fry.) -- [[User:Dtgriscom|Dtgriscom]] ([[User talk:Dtgriscom|talk]]) 15:10, 19 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
:::I have absolutely no objection to being bemused... ;) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.8|82.132.244.8]] 15:28, 19 January 2026 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== 226 has an undetermined character ==<br />
<br />
It's either [[Blondie]] or [[Miss Lenhart]], and I don't know which. [[User:Qwertyuiopfromdefly|Qwertyuiopfromdefly]] ([[User talk:Qwertyuiopfromdefly|talk]]) 04:55, 4 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== confusing matricies transcript ==<br />
<br />
some of the comics in category confusing matrcies have tables as the transcript, which is i think not good accoridng to faq, sorry i cant help because i am on a kindle(the ebook(yes)) [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 11:10, 23 March 2026 (UTC)</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1681:_Laser_Products&diff=4086981681: Laser Products2026-03-23T11:02:19Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1681<br />
| date = May 16, 2016<br />
| title = Laser Products<br />
| image = laser_products.png<br />
| titletext = ERRORS: HAIR JAM. COLOR-SAFE CONDITIONER CARTRIDGE RUNNING LOW. LEGAL-SIZE HAIR TRAY EMPTY, USING LETTER-SIZE HAIR ONLY.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
This comic takes three {{w|laser|laser-based}} technologies - laser eye surgery, laserjet printers, and laser hair removal - and conflates them, with humorous results. These are illustrated through reviews by users of the resulting combinations. For the original combinations, the reviews are highly positive. For the new combinations, most are negative, because most of these new "technologies" are ill-conceived and possibly harmful.<br />
<br />
'''{{w|Laser eye surgery}}''' gets a positive review, since it has successfully corrected the reviewer's vision, so that they no longer require glasses. There are a range of laser eye surgeries to correct near- and far-sightedness, as well as various other conditions. {{w|LASIK}}, one of the more common laser eye surgeries, works by using lasers to cut open the cornea and ablate a small amount of the lens.<br />
<br />
'''Laser eye removal''' would be very painful, and thus the review is negative, stating that the reviewer had read the description incorrectly, likely believing it to be one of the real combinations on the chart. The screams of pain expressed in the review have the humorous implication that the review is being typed directly after the ill-advised procedure, though this may just be an after-the-fact expression of the reviewer's feelings. If they produced the review without aid, this would probably have been made more difficult as a result of the surgery (unless only one eye was removed). At least in animal surgery, however, laser eye removal [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smK0NYUtoqk does exist](WARNING: EXPLICIT/GRAPHIC CONTENT).<br />
<br />
'''Laser eye printer''' refers to printing on (or possibly ''of'') an eyeball, which only prompts a disgusted "Eww" response. Both probably can find their applications, either in adding images onto ones eyes or creating artificial eyes for implantation, but would probably be quite disgusting to operate for many people.<br />
<br />
'''Laser jet surgery''' could be performing maintenance on a jet with lasers, which would be potentially dangerous and error-prone.{{Citation needed}} Alternatively, it could mean laser surgery done on a human from a jet aircraft, using a laser mounted to it. The human being operated on could be aboard that aircraft, on another aircraft, or on land: in any case, it does not sound like a safe approach. Another interpretation is that it could refer to surgery using a jet made of lasers, which is even worse, as it would probably cause the entire body to be disintegrated.{{Citation needed}} Yet another interpretation is that the procedure would implant parts of a jet into one's body. The statement's ambiguity may contribute the reviewer's concern, or the reviewer could be nervous over the fact that it would be a very difficult and delicate procedure and trying it could easily go horribly wrong.<br />
<br />
'''Laser jet removal''' appears to be the destruction of jets with lasers, which apparently works, but angered the Federal Aviation Administration, and probably resulted in legal consequences for the reviewer. This could be a reference to [https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/lasers/ the real FAA concern] of the many incidents of [http://www.laserpointersafety.com/laser-hazards_aircraft/laser-hazards_aircraft.html people using laser pointers] against aircraft. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_Weapon_System "Laser Jet Removal"] actually exists as a military weapon system, though it's primarily meant to be used against jet ''missiles'', rather than jet planes.<br />
<br />
'''LaserJet printer''' is a popular {{w|HP LaserJet|line of Hewlett Packard laser printers}}. {{w|Laser printing}} is a technology which uses a laser to electrically charge a drum so that it collects ink in the form of the image to be printed, before transferring it to paper. The printer seems to work well for the reviewer, as it has been given a positive review.<br />
<br />
'''Laser hair surgery''' turns out to be a fancy name for cutting hair with a laser -- an overengineered, and potentially dangerous, technique for achieving the same results that you could with clippers and scissors. It is rated neutrally, since it did the job, but the reviewer found the name confusing and they disliked the smell of burning hair.<br />
<br />
'''{{w|Laser hair removal}}''' is the process of destroying hair follicles with bursts of laser light to prevent the growth of unwanted hair. This appears to have been effective for the reviewer.<br />
<br />
'''Laser hair printer''' appears to be a bizarre printer that uses hair in place of paper, or perhaps as the construction material for a {{w|3D printing|3D printer}}. Unsurprisingly, this just creates disgusting messes of hair and keeps jamming the printer, resulting in a negative review. The title text extends this joke, giving some common printer error messages amended for the hair printer. A paper jam is when paper gets stuck in the workings of the printer, usually because it was creased, or more than one sheet fed in at once; in the hair printer this becomes a hair jam. An inkjet printer requires replaceable ink cartridges, and when the ink is used up this will usually result in an ink cartridge running low error; the hair printer appears to require cartridges of {{w|hair conditioner}}. As an additional twist, it uses color-safe conditioner, a product intended to prevent the washing out of dye from the user's hair; here, it presumably protects the color of the printed image or item. Legal and Letter are {{w|Paper_size#North_American_paper_sizes|paper sizes}} used in North America; apparently, the same terms are used for standard supplies of hair for the hair printer. It is not clear what role lasers play in this process; perhaps it is some form of {{w|3D printing processes#Stereolithography|vat photopolymerisation}}, which suggests the existence of a 'pre-polymer liquid hair'.<br />
<br />
Laser eye removal has been mentioned before, see the lower right part of the [[1619: Watson Medical Algorithm]] chart.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript | there shouldnt be tables in the transcript}}<br />
:[Heading above the table:]<br />
:Online Reviews of Laser Products<br />
<br />
:[A three by three table with one word to the far left, from which three lines split out and goes to three words just left of each of the three rows. Above each column is three other words. Below in the table are nine reviews with star rating on a five star scale. The actual rating is indicated with black stars and also use half filled stars in the rating system. The ratings are written in the table in square brackets.]<br />
:{| class="wikitable"<br />
!colspan="2"|<br />
! ...surgery<br />
! ...removal<br />
! ...printer<br />
|-<br />
!rowspan="3"|Laser<br />
! eye...<br />
| [4 1/2 stars]<br>"I don't need<br>glasses anymore!"<br><br> || [1/2 star]<br>"Aaaaaaa! Misread<br>the description!<br>Aaaaaaaaaaaa!!" || [1 star]<br>"Eww."<br><br><br><br />
|-<br />
! jet...<br />
| [1 1/2 stars]<br>"Too nervous<br>to try it."<br><br> || [2 1/2 stars]<br>"Effective, but<br>the FAA got<br>''really'' mad." || [4 stars]<br>"Prints great!"<br><br><br><br />
|-<br />
! hair...<br />
| [2 1/2 stars]<br>"Confusing term<br>for haircut.<br>Burning smell." || [4 stars]<br>"Great results!"<br><br><br> || [1/2 star]<br>"Disgusting, won't<br>turn off, jams<br>constantly."<br><br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Charts]]<br />
[[Category:Online reviews]]<br />
[[Category:Confusion matrices]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3221:_Landscape_Features&diff=4084463221: Landscape Features2026-03-19T02:12:30Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 3221<br />
| date = March 18, 2026<br />
| title = Landscape Features<br />
| image = landscape_features_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 537x454px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = 'Well, there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot.' --a geologist who's trying to cover up the fact that they didn't hear your question<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|This page was created by a MANTLE HOTSPOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br />
<br />
This comic is a map of the United States, purporting to explain some of the most significant geologic/human activity in each region. For each area it names one major mechanism (plate tectonics, erosion, volcanism, etc.) which it claims is responsible for the majority of interesting formations and features.<br />
<br />
Many of these causes are summarized in a single word answer, which doesn't do much to explain a complex landscape. A few phrases are longer but still don't actually explain much. And some areas are just labeled "geology". <br />
<br />
The title text plays off the fact that a large part of geology is concerned with activity in the mantle, so explaining some geologic feature by saying "there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot" does not give much information. Saying this would let a distracted geologist buy time while responding to a missed question. Many of Earth's seemingly out-of-place features (e.g., {{w|Hawaii hotspot}}, {{w|Iceland}}, the {{w|Snake River Plain}} in Idaho, etc.) form from such mantle hotspots. Thus, it's an easy go-to explanation for many of the geological features people are often most curious about.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|-<br />
! Location<br />
! Description<br />
! Explanation<br />
|-<br />
| Adirondack Mountains<br />
| ???<br />
| The Adirondack Mountains are made of billion-year-old rock but were uplifted relatively recently, within the last 5–10 million years. They’re still rising today despite being far from any plate boundary, forming a dome with no clear tectonic cause, [[3141|thus the "???" due to an ongoing mystery as to their formation]]. <br />
|-<br />
| Most of northern conterminous U.S.<br />
| glaciers<br />
| During the {{w|Last Glacial Period}}, this area was covered by {{w|Laurentide Ice Sheet|an ice sheet}} that left its marks on the landscape, in the form of {{w|moraines}}, {{w|eskers}}, {{w|glacial erratics}}, etc.<br />
|-<br />
| Appalachian Mountains<br />
| continents colliding<br />
| {{w|Geology of the Appalachians}}<br />
|-<br />
| Near Mississippi & Ohio Rivers<br />
| rivers<br />
| {{w|Ohio_River#Geology|Ohio River Geology}}<br />
|-<br />
| Southeastern U.S.<br />
| farming<br />
| Landscape changes from {{w|cotton production in the United States}}, due to the presence of the {{w|Black Belt (geological formation)}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Southern Florida<br />
| ongoing disputes between limestone and water<br />
| {{w|Karst}} topography<br />
|-<br />
| Southern Missouri/Northern Arkansas<br />
| geology<br />
| The {{w|Ozark Mountains}}, which are composed primarily of ancient limestone and {{w|dolomite}}, form a rugged landscape characterized by hills, caves, and springs. Prolonged erosion of these soluble rocks has produced extensive karst features, including sinkholes and underground rivers.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Great Plains}}<br />
| farming<br />
| The lack of other major events left the terrain relatively level, and areas were historically shaped by either herds of bison or indigenous agriculture, both limiting the growth of forests. "Farming" is likely a reference to the more recent mix of large-scale crop farming (especially staples like wheat and corn) and herding (bison replace by cattle).<br />
|-<br />
| Central Idaho/Yellowstone<br />
| a supervolcano<br />
| The {{w|Snake River Plain}} is an area of high-elevation flat plain in the otherwise contiguous Rocky Mountains. It was formed by the movement of the continental plate over the {{w|Yellowstone Hotspot}}.<br />
|-<br />
| American West surrounding Idaho/Yellowstone<br />
| geology<br />
| [[3162]]<br />
|-<br />
| Immediately off of West coast up to the Four Corners<br />
| volcanoes<br />
| A combination of various {{w|volcanic field}}s of different origins, including {{w|Cascade Volcanoes}} in the Pacific Northwest, {{w|Albuquerque volcanic field}} in New Mexico, {{w|San Francisco volcanic field}} in Arizona, and {{w|San Juan volcanic field}} in Colorado.<br />
|-<br />
| Eastern Washington<br />
| megafloods<br />
| Most likely a reference to the {{w|Missoula floods}} and the {{w|Bonneville flood}}, a series of floods caused by glacial ice dam failures causing massive lakes to flood large regions of present-day eastern Washington. These floods actually continued all the way to the Pacific Ocean, altering the shape of the {{w|Columbia River Gorge}} and flooding much of the {{w|Willamette River}} in western Oregon. The comic may have simplified these to avoid bisecting the adjacent zones along the coast.<br />
|-<br />
| West Coast<br />
| a plate tectonic speedrun<br />
| Most likely a reference to the significant tectonic activity on the western coast of the US, caused by the collisions of the {{w|Juan de Fuca plate}}, {{w|Pacific plate}}, and the {{w|North American plate}}, as part of the {{w|Ring of Fire}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Desert Southwest<br />
| water and time<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Northern Alaska<br />
| geology<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Aleutian Islands<br />
| volcanoes<br />
| The Aleutian Islands are a continuation of the Alaskan {{w|Aleutian Range}}, and form part of the {{w|Ring of Fire}}. Most of the islands in the chain bear signs of being formed by volcanoes, and many volcanic cones still exist on the islands today.<br />
|-<br />
| Southeast Alaska<br />
| glaciers<br />
| This part of Alaska (including {{w|Glacier National Park (U.S.)|Glacier National Park}}) and western Canada has many glaciers that are still carving the landscape.<br />
|-<br />
| Hawaiian island chain<br />
| volcanoes<br />
| Hawaii, including the {{w|Northwest Hawaiian Islands}}, and seamounts northwest of it were formed by a tectonic plate moving over a hotspot, with volcanoes erupting and forming land as it went. The entire chain can be seen [https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0555574,-176.5939317,4904085m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDMxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D here].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<h1>Feature of Each State</h1><br />
Washington: Mega floods, a plates tectonics speedrun<br />
<br />
Idaho: a super volcano, geology<br />
<br />
Montana: geology, glaciers<br />
<br />
North Dakota: glaciers, farming<br />
<br />
<br />
This map with subdivisions follows up on a number of prior (non-[[:Category:Bad Map Projections|cursed]]) maps representing (supposed) geographical splits of some conversational outcome or other, such as [[1407: Worst Hurricane]] and [[2108: Carbonated Beverage Language Map]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[A small panel showing Cueball pointing toward the left and Ponytail standing to his right overlaps the top of a much larger panel containing a map.]<br />
:Cueball: What's up with this weird landscape?<br />
:Ponytail: Oh, it was caused by ...<br />
<br />
:[The larger panel shows a map of the United States, with southern Canada, northern Mexico, and most of Cuba and the Bahamas visible as well. An inset at lower left shows Alaska along with part of northwest Canada, with a smaller inset showing Hawaii. International borders and coastlines are indicated in black, and state borders are indicated in gray. Red lines divide the United States into irregularly shaped zones (the red lines indicating zones do not cross into the neighboring countries, except in the Alaska inset), with each zone being labeled with red text. Each text label begins with "..." to indicate that it is the conclusion of Ponytail's sentence. The following are the labels used:]<br />
:[Main map:]<br />
:... a plate tectonics speedrun<br />
:... volcanoes<br />
:... megafloods<br />
:... a supervolcano<br />
:... geology<br />
:... water and time<br />
:... glaciers<br />
:... rivers<br />
:... continents colliding<br />
:... ???<br />
:... ongoing disputes between limestone and water<br />
:[On the main map, the label "... glaciers" appears three times in various places in the same contiguous zone that runs from Washington state to Maine. The label "... farming" appears twice, representing two separate zones, one that runs from Montana to Louisiana and the other that runs from New Jersey to Mississippi. The label "... geology" appears twice on the main map, representing two separate zones, one that runs from Washington state to Texas and the other being a roughly circular region mostly in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.]<br />
:[Alaska inset:]<br />
:... geology<br />
:... volcanoes<br />
:... glaciers<br />
:[Hawaii inset:]<br />
:... volcanoes<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude><br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:US maps]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Geology]]<br />
[[Category:Volcanoes]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3221:_Landscape_Features&diff=4084453221: Landscape Features2026-03-19T02:11:50Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: Added what each state have</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 3221<br />
| date = March 18, 2026<br />
| title = Landscape Features<br />
| image = landscape_features_2x.png<br />
| imagesize = 537x454px<br />
| noexpand = true<br />
| titletext = 'Well, there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot.' --a geologist who's trying to cover up the fact that they didn't hear your question<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|This page was created by a MANTLE HOTSPOT. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br />
<br />
This comic is a map of the United States, purporting to explain some of the most significant geologic/human activity in each region. For each area it names one major mechanism (plate tectonics, erosion, volcanism, etc.) which it claims is responsible for the majority of interesting formations and features.<br />
<br />
Many of these causes are summarized in a single word answer, which doesn't do much to explain a complex landscape. A few phrases are longer but still don't actually explain much. And some areas are just labeled "geology". <br />
<br />
The title text plays off the fact that a large part of geology is concerned with activity in the mantle, so explaining some geologic feature by saying "there's speculation that it's due to a mantle hotspot" does not give much information. Saying this would let a distracted geologist buy time while responding to a missed question. Many of Earth's seemingly out-of-place features (e.g., {{w|Hawaii hotspot}}, {{w|Iceland}}, the {{w|Snake River Plain}} in Idaho, etc.) form from such mantle hotspots. Thus, it's an easy go-to explanation for many of the geological features people are often most curious about.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
|-<br />
! Location<br />
! Description<br />
! Explanation<br />
|-<br />
| Adirondack Mountains<br />
| ???<br />
| The Adirondack Mountains are made of billion-year-old rock but were uplifted relatively recently, within the last 5–10 million years. They’re still rising today despite being far from any plate boundary, forming a dome with no clear tectonic cause, [[3141|thus the "???" due to an ongoing mystery as to their formation]]. <br />
|-<br />
| Most of northern conterminous U.S.<br />
| glaciers<br />
| During the {{w|Last Glacial Period}}, this area was covered by {{w|Laurentide Ice Sheet|an ice sheet}} that left its marks on the landscape, in the form of {{w|moraines}}, {{w|eskers}}, {{w|glacial erratics}}, etc.<br />
|-<br />
| Appalachian Mountains<br />
| continents colliding<br />
| {{w|Geology of the Appalachians}}<br />
|-<br />
| Near Mississippi & Ohio Rivers<br />
| rivers<br />
| {{w|Ohio_River#Geology|Ohio River Geology}}<br />
|-<br />
| Southeastern U.S.<br />
| farming<br />
| Landscape changes from {{w|cotton production in the United States}}, due to the presence of the {{w|Black Belt (geological formation)}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Southern Florida<br />
| ongoing disputes between limestone and water<br />
| {{w|Karst}} topography<br />
|-<br />
| Southern Missouri/Northern Arkansas<br />
| geology<br />
| The {{w|Ozark Mountains}}, which are composed primarily of ancient limestone and {{w|dolomite}}, form a rugged landscape characterized by hills, caves, and springs. Prolonged erosion of these soluble rocks has produced extensive karst features, including sinkholes and underground rivers.<br />
|-<br />
| {{w|Great Plains}}<br />
| farming<br />
| The lack of other major events left the terrain relatively level, and areas were historically shaped by either herds of bison or indigenous agriculture, both limiting the growth of forests. "Farming" is likely a reference to the more recent mix of large-scale crop farming (especially staples like wheat and corn) and herding (bison replace by cattle).<br />
|-<br />
| Central Idaho/Yellowstone<br />
| a supervolcano<br />
| The {{w|Snake River Plain}} is an area of high-elevation flat plain in the otherwise contiguous Rocky Mountains. It was formed by the movement of the continental plate over the {{w|Yellowstone Hotspot}}.<br />
|-<br />
| American West surrounding Idaho/Yellowstone<br />
| geology<br />
| [[3162]]<br />
|-<br />
| Immediately off of West coast up to the Four Corners<br />
| volcanoes<br />
| A combination of various {{w|volcanic field}}s of different origins, including {{w|Cascade Volcanoes}} in the Pacific Northwest, {{w|Albuquerque volcanic field}} in New Mexico, {{w|San Francisco volcanic field}} in Arizona, and {{w|San Juan volcanic field}} in Colorado.<br />
|-<br />
| Eastern Washington<br />
| megafloods<br />
| Most likely a reference to the {{w|Missoula floods}} and the {{w|Bonneville flood}}, a series of floods caused by glacial ice dam failures causing massive lakes to flood large regions of present-day eastern Washington. These floods actually continued all the way to the Pacific Ocean, altering the shape of the {{w|Columbia River Gorge}} and flooding much of the {{w|Willamette River}} in western Oregon. The comic may have simplified these to avoid bisecting the adjacent zones along the coast.<br />
|-<br />
| West Coast<br />
| a plate tectonic speedrun<br />
| Most likely a reference to the significant tectonic activity on the western coast of the US, caused by the collisions of the {{w|Juan de Fuca plate}}, {{w|Pacific plate}}, and the {{w|North American plate}}, as part of the {{w|Ring of Fire}}.<br />
|-<br />
| Desert Southwest<br />
| water and time<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Northern Alaska<br />
| geology<br />
| <br />
|-<br />
| Aleutian Islands<br />
| volcanoes<br />
| The Aleutian Islands are a continuation of the Alaskan {{w|Aleutian Range}}, and form part of the {{w|Ring of Fire}}. Most of the islands in the chain bear signs of being formed by volcanoes, and many volcanic cones still exist on the islands today.<br />
|-<br />
| Southeast Alaska<br />
| glaciers<br />
| This part of Alaska (including {{w|Glacier National Park (U.S.)|Glacier National Park}}) and western Canada has many glaciers that are still carving the landscape.<br />
|-<br />
| Hawaiian island chain<br />
| volcanoes<br />
| Hawaii, including the {{w|Northwest Hawaiian Islands}}, and seamounts northwest of it were formed by a tectonic plate moving over a hotspot, with volcanoes erupting and forming land as it went. The entire chain can be seen [https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0555574,-176.5939317,4904085m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDMxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D here].<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
<h1>Feature of Each State</h1><br />
Washington: Mega floods, a plates tectonics speedrun<br />
Idaho: a super volcano, geology<br />
Montana: geology, glaciers<br />
North Dakota: glaciers, farming<br />
<br />
This map with subdivisions follows up on a number of prior (non-[[:Category:Bad Map Projections|cursed]]) maps representing (supposed) geographical splits of some conversational outcome or other, such as [[1407: Worst Hurricane]] and [[2108: Carbonated Beverage Language Map]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}<br />
<br />
:[A small panel showing Cueball pointing toward the left and Ponytail standing to his right overlaps the top of a much larger panel containing a map.]<br />
:Cueball: What's up with this weird landscape?<br />
:Ponytail: Oh, it was caused by ...<br />
<br />
:[The larger panel shows a map of the United States, with southern Canada, northern Mexico, and most of Cuba and the Bahamas visible as well. An inset at lower left shows Alaska along with part of northwest Canada, with a smaller inset showing Hawaii. International borders and coastlines are indicated in black, and state borders are indicated in gray. Red lines divide the United States into irregularly shaped zones (the red lines indicating zones do not cross into the neighboring countries, except in the Alaska inset), with each zone being labeled with red text. Each text label begins with "..." to indicate that it is the conclusion of Ponytail's sentence. The following are the labels used:]<br />
:[Main map:]<br />
:... a plate tectonics speedrun<br />
:... volcanoes<br />
:... megafloods<br />
:... a supervolcano<br />
:... geology<br />
:... water and time<br />
:... glaciers<br />
:... rivers<br />
:... continents colliding<br />
:... ???<br />
:... ongoing disputes between limestone and water<br />
:[On the main map, the label "... glaciers" appears three times in various places in the same contiguous zone that runs from Washington state to Maine. The label "... farming" appears twice, representing two separate zones, one that runs from Montana to Louisiana and the other that runs from New Jersey to Mississippi. The label "... geology" appears twice on the main map, representing two separate zones, one that runs from Washington state to Texas and the other being a roughly circular region mostly in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.]<br />
:[Alaska inset:]<br />
:... geology<br />
:... volcanoes<br />
:... glaciers<br />
:[Hawaii inset:]<br />
:... volcanoes<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<noinclude><br />
<br />
[[Category:Comics with color]]<br />
[[Category:US maps]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]<br />
[[Category:Geology]]<br />
[[Category:Volcanoes]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:42.book.addict&diff=408330User talk:42.book.addict2026-03-18T06:02:33Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* Just wanted to say hi */ new section</p>
<hr />
<div><center>'''Archive 1'''</center><br />
<center>[[File:archive.png]]</center><br />
<center>For old and irrelevant messages, see my [[User talk:42.book.addict/archive|archive!]]</center><br />
<br />
== introductions ==<br />
Just replying to your message (also dw no big deal for bothering me)<br />
You click on your username and there should be an edit box. --[[User:1234231587678|1234231587678]] ([[User talk:1234231587678|talk]]) 04:58, 7 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
:it says that i dont have permission to create the page…<br />
:There is currently no text in this page. You can search for this page title in other pages, or search the related logs, but you do not have permission to create this page. it says [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 19:33, 7 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I think you might have to wait some time (like a timer) until you can edit your own page... I think I only got to edit my page after 1 month of creating my account.--[[User:1234231587678|1234231587678]] ([[User talk:1234231587678|talk]]) 21:31, 7 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
:ok, thx [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 21:52, 7 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
My guess on where you live is somewhere in the GMT zone, so United Kingdom.--[[User:1234231587678|1234231587678]] ([[User talk:1234231587678|talk]]) 03:43, 8 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
:nope, im a california girl :) ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 05:04, 8 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
lol you never know with utc times --[[User:1234231587678|1234231587678]] ([[User talk:1234231587678|talk]]) 16:52, 8 February 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Depends what you wanted to do... ==<br />
<br />
Is the following what you intended?<br/><br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = [[File:trans_flag.png|45px]] | info = [[{{w|Transgender|This user is trans.}}]] | float = left }} <br/><br />
{{clear}}...or is even the [[]] part not what you want?{{clear}}<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = [[File:trans_flag.png|45px]] | info = {{w|Transgender|This user is trans.}} | float = left }} <br/><br />
{{clear}}As brief a guide as I can manage:<br />
*URL links use []. Although literal https://www.google.com will self-link without ''any'' wikimarkup, you probably don't want it to look like that most of the time.<br />
** Just give the URL, as in <code><nowiki>[https://www.google.com]</nowiki></code>, to get a [https://www.google.com] (i.e. a reference number), not the best way to do it. It can be organised better with a 'References' section, but we don't do that here (they do on wikipedia, but usually with other bits to it.<br />
** Better to give the URL and the text to use (after a space, a character that never appears raw in any proper URL). This can be <code><nowiki>[https://www.google.com Check It Out On Google!]</nowiki></code> or even <code><nowiki>[https://www.google.com https://www.microsoft.com (only kidding!)]</nowiki></code>, to give [https://www.google.com Check It Out On Google!] or [https://www.google.com https://www.microsoft.com (only kidding!)]... But perhaps best not to do the latter too much (I really didn't want to post that without the "(only kidding!)" part, in fact.)<br />
*Internalised wikilinks use the [[]]s.<br />
**Anything that can be found under the title, e.g. "2: Petit Trees (sketch)" (or, because of redirections, "2" and "Petit Trees (sketch)" go to the same spot, so <code><nowiki>[[2]], [[Petit Trees (sketch)]] and [[2: Petit Trees (sketch)]]</nowiki></code> gives you the literal links [[2]], [[Petit Trees (sketch)]] and [[2: Petit Trees (sketch)]]<br />
**Or use <code><nowiki>[[2: Petit Trees (sketch)|that comic with the little trees]]</nowiki></code>, additional text separated by the 'pipe' symbol (i.e. "|"), to link to [[2: Petit Trees (sketch)|that comic with the little trees]]<br />
**You can also link across to articles on other 'wikimedia family' sites, but I'm not going to try to summarise that, as the primary reason to do that is to go to an actual Wikipedia article, and there's a template set up to do that ''very'' nicely, already (and also a few other places, like Wiktionary, and some not-really-wikis with a similar philosphy like TVTropes). If in doubt, do it as a URL link ''or'' find a place where someone else has clearly markuped a link to the same site as you want to link to.<br />
*So, anyway, Wikilink templates use the {{template|w}}-template, with one or two paramaters (pipe-separated). (It shortcuts the thing you'd maybe use [[]]s for<br />
**Using <code><nowiki>{{w|article}}</nowiki></code> gives you a link to "{{w|Article}}" (it capitalises the first character, even if you don't)<br />
**Using <code><nowiki>{{w|article|with alternate text}}</nowiki></code> gives you a link there but "{{w|article|with alternate text}}"<br />
**If the article name has whitespace (or other 'URL-unfriendly' characters) in it, those characters in the URL (which you wouldn't want to use) will be rendered as something URL-friendly. The URL for "Whitespace (programming language)", for example, is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitespace_(programming_language) but you wouldn't normally use that so literally in any case, and definitely not when you can significanty shorten it with the {{template|w}} notation.<br />
***What you can do is (without 'alternate link text') render it as <code><nowiki>{{w|Whitespace_(programming_language)}}</nowiki></code> - i.e. {{w|Whitespace_(programming_language)}} - but that's not nice to see 'rendered raw' when you ''want'' the spaces. You could give it alternate text via <code><nowiki>{{w|Whitespace_(programming_language)|Whitespace (programming language)}}</nowiki></code> to give {{w|Whitespace_(programming_language)|Whitespace (programming language)}} ...but that's wasteful and unnecessary.<br />
***Instead, just do <code><nowiki>{{w|Whitespace (programming language)}}</nowiki></code> (that's the literal copy of the article's own page title, from the rendered page) - and shows as {{w|Whitespace (programming language)}} - which is good. Although <code><nowiki>{{w|Whitespace (programming language)|the programming language called Whitespace}}</nowiki></code> might be the best way to seemlessly link to {{w|Whitespace (programming language)|the programming language called Whitespace}} ...depends what you want to appear there.<br />
***And you can link to header anchors pretty much ''like'' the URL of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitespace_(programming_language)#History by using <code><nowiki>{{w|Whitespace (programming language)#History|the history of Whitespace}}</nowiki></code> to have you show {{w|Whitespace (programming language)#History|the history of Whitespace}} or whatever else you might want to use.<br />
**Also, for the use of a link which is singular but which you would like to include as the plural (usually the "...s" or "...es" version), you could use article-name first parameter and ''pluralised'' article name as second, but instead of <code><nowiki>{{w|Plural|Plurals}}</nowiki></code>, for a link to the {{w|Plural|Plurals}}, you can save yourself a lot of effort by doing <code><nowiki>{{w|Plural}}s</nowiki></code> to also give you a linke to {{w|Plural}}s. Magic, eh? And it also works with <code><nowiki>{{w|Ox}}en</nowiki></code> to link the different standard plural of {{w|Ox}}en to the article for "Ox" (better than linking to the word for {{w|Oxen}}, which ends up redirecting to {{w|Ox}} anyway).<br />
...so, anyway, that's the basics. And a few not-so-basics. So if the solutions to your tagging issue aren't already solved (or even if they are!), you might have enough info here to kludge it into whatever form of infobox info text you ''really'' wanted to use. Ok? Probably far too much info for you to absorb in one go, but covers loads of interesting possibilities. About the only thing you don't want to do is wikilink straight to the word "trans", at that'll be a disambiguation page. And there's also no way (or reason?) to use the terms "trans man"/"trans woman" as the pluralised "trans men"/"trans women" versions via the "directly add the plural suffix" thing, of course. :P Anyway, FYI. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.38.217|162.158.38.217]] 20:40, 25 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
::oh my god thank you so much [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 19:38, 27 May 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Welcome back, Tori! ==<br />
<br />
How's life? [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 18:47, 1 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
:Eh, it’s fine. I just came back from New York on a ''very'' stressful flight-missed the original one, did my Language Arts homework on the flight, and came back to California at 2 am. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#db97bf">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#97b6db">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:26, 2 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Comics with inverted brightness. ==<br />
<br />
At the most arbitrary, I'd suggest that, just maybe, ''panes'' with inverted brightness fulfil the category requirements, or perhaps a bit of white text because it happens to be written on a more shaded bit of background, but I'm unsure that the {{diff|358698|lavatory signs}} strictly invoke inverted brightness (if real signs exist that are light-on-dark, which at least some of them are, this makes it an ''un''inverted depiction of one of them), and I'm unhappy with your (presumed) linking of this category for a {{diff|358691|tree silhouette}} (it shows the perfectly cromulant situation of bright sky behind a relatively dark tree, again not inverted, merely drawn for contrast).<br />
<br />
An interesting example is something like [[811: Starlight]]. The stars (white spots on floodfilled black background) really shouldn't be considered inverted (black stars on white sky would be inverted; it's only that the category specifically mentions night ''and'' space scenes makes it valid from that perspective), but the text and stickfigures/etc ''are'' definitely inverted (all due to the background they're on).<br />
<br />
It's just my opinion, but I don't think that any patch of black-floodfill (especially in just a fraction of a pane or two, within an otherwise normal multi-pane comic) around a white detail is automatically ripe for marking as inverted. I'll reluctantly accept "night sky" or "space" (but only with stars... no "entirely featureless black, through a window/porthole") as cause for being classed as Inverted, due to the category explanation. But feel that the true "inversion" is where there is [[566: Matrix Revisited|pane inversion]] which results in white text and/or (character) stickfigures upon black background as a definite contrast to 'normality'. Before you go too far with HotCatting some things that I'd feel compelled to revert (as I'm very tempted with the tree silhouette, and almost certain I should with the Gents-signs, for example...). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.119|141.101.98.119]] 19:12, 5 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Hey again, I know we have some bad blood but...==<br />
Hey 42, it's Z1m. I know we haven't seen each other in a while (who am I kidding, it's a wiki; I meant talked) Can you do the little welcome thing so I can edit my talk page? Thanks! [[User:Maybe Bill Cipher|An anonymous Gravity Falls expert]] ([[User talk:Maybe Bill Cipher|talk]]) 19:26, 10 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
:Why can’t you use your old account? '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 21:38, 10 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
::I forgot my pass :skull: [[User:Maybe Bill Cipher|An anonymous Gravity Falls expert]] ([[User talk:Maybe Bill Cipher|talk]]) 22:33, 10 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::SMH. Done. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 22:37, 10 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
::::Thanks! [[User:Maybe Bill Cipher|An anonymous Gravity Falls expert]] ([[User talk:Maybe Bill Cipher|talk]]) 22:42, 10 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==I FORGOT MY PASS AGAIN ASDFGHJK<SAHFJEWIUBEIUWDBHIVHJ==<br />
Help :( [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|Help I&#39;m not OK]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 18:49, 13 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
:''sigh'' '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 19:41, 13 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
:I KNOW I'M A DINGUS DON'T LOOK AT ME LEAV EME TO MY BASIC YELLOW DORITO SHAME [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|Do not click on this link if you wish to keep your soul]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]])<br />
<br />
==Hi (3==<br />
Sorry if I'm bothering you too much, just wanted to say hi. {{unsigned|Definitely Bill Cipher|15:19, 17 December 2024 (UTC)}}<br />
:Please sign your comments with <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki> '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:05, 17 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
::Sorry [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|A dream demon]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 19:10, 17 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::It’s fine, as long as you remember. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 20:51, 17 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
::::So, uh... do you wanna take this to my talk page and we can talk or... [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|A dream demon]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 21:18, 17 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Congrats==<br />
:I checked and you're the contributor today that has made the most edits. I'm on the leaderboard too, but not in the top three *0(*. Anyway, I just wanted to congratulate you. Talk to me anytime! [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:52, 19 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
::Ok, that’s nice. I’ve stopped viewing Contribution Scores as a measurement of my editing ability-it only measures how many points and how many pages I have edited, not the quality of my edits or how much of an impact they have on the wiki. A bot can spam and get onto the All-Time Top 50 Leaderboard, but that's not reflective of its helpfulness (none). '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:49, 19 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
:::I remain free from all such objectivity by staying firmly off the list. I ''could'' flatter myself that I deserve a place, for all my (useful?) work over the last 10+ years, but... no definitive tallying and I don't even fool myself that this statement can be believed. Which is liberating. No temptation to "edit for editing's sake", and remaining blissfully unaware how much time I must have spent not doing ''other'' important things. But that's just me (assuming you accept my account), and please don't consider this as downplaying the known-and-named contributors (current and past) who have made a more attributable contribution. Horses for courses. You (both) be you, and who knows where any of us might be in another ten years; hopefully managing to create a net positive outcome for the world, as the only thing that ''anybody'' should aspire to.[[Special:Contributions/172.69.43.182|172.69.43.182]] 17:18, 19 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Bluey news just dropped. ==<br />
<br />
https://youtu.be/ititZcuih8E?si=_9ceRfwc52qfa5Tu [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 20:23, 19 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
:NOOOO '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 21:25, 19 December 2024 (UTC)<br />
::wait, what?--[[User:Bb777|me, hi]] ([[User talk:Bb777|talk]]) 16:53, 3 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Deleting User Talk Pages ==<br />
I noticed that you added some user talk pages into the pages to be deleted category. Even if they are an IP address and only have one comment, they still probably shouldn't be deleted. I only noticed because you had marked my talk page. [[User:Firestar233|guess who]] ([[User talk:Firestar233|if you want to]] | [[Special:Contributions/Firestar233|what i have done]]) 09:19, 1 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
:As I commented over on your page (sorry, didn't spot this, yet), I think that it's perfectly legitimate to correct (by ''requesting'' deletion) the creation of IP-based User and User Talk namespace pages. The intended source/target can never make any proper use of them, and they are instead left open to disproportionately high chance of ''improper'' use.<br />
:IPs ''may'' have been more reliably associated with particular login-less users (such as myself) in the earliest days of the site, but it's not just the current proxy-provider that makes it likely that anyone coming here is effectively randomised. A 2015-era commentator almost certainly doesn't have the exact same IP ''from their ISP'' (which is Cloudflared away, anyway), unless they've taken great trouble to maintain statically upon it, and that's presuming that they haven't switched providers and/or routing hardware in the last decade, to further muddle it up.<br />
:So far, I haven't seen any communications to a User Talk:<IP> page that deserves preserving (and User:<IP> stuff tends to be worse, thankfully rarer), but if a named user (who may or may not be currently active, or have had their own Talk page) contributes anything 'untrivial' then you could perhaps copy it to their own (newly created, if necessary?) user-page, or to whatever article Talk page it's identifiably about. Admonations not to delete Incomplete-templates and nice messages of agreement about some Conan-related link-finding are not al all that level of preservable conversation (well, not even a dialogue, as they weren't even acknowledged!), as 'recent' examples.<br />
:Anyway, marking for deletion still requires that someone ''actually'' deletes them. Currently, '42' can't do that. (They're clearly eager to be helpful, but not yet admin-material.) Realistically, it will need someone else to actually do that bit. And I think the current 'someone else' concerned isn't overly eager to delete things not related to more current unwanted contributions. I'd have done a bit more cleaning up, myself, but by deliberately having kept out of consideration for such responsibiity, it's not something I should actively complain about. ;) [[Special:Contributions/141.101.98.186|141.101.98.186]] 13:00, 1 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Hiiiii==<br />
:Heya, 42! Just wanted to check in because I left for winter break and I thought 'I wonder how she's doing?'<br />
:If I'm being annoying, you can just say so and I'll leave you alone.<br />
:Anyway, I'm gonna go comic hop. Talk to me anytime! [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|Come and talk!]]) 15:15, 7 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
::I’m fine. I went skiing in {{w|Heavenly Mountain Resort|Tahoe}} 5 days during winter break and also went to {{w|Point Reyes Station}}. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 22:50, 7 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Cool, if you wanna talk I'm here (3 [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:35, 9 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== I heard about the wildfires. ==<br />
<br />
Are you safe? Are you alright? [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 08:43, 8 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
:That’s SoCal, not the Bay Area, so I’m all good. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 10:10, 8 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Any luck with Jeff? ==<br />
<br />
It’s been a while since you’ve put up the “banner” on your page. Has he responded yet? [[User:Apollo11|Apollo11]] ([[User talk:Apollo11|talk]]) 22:23, 8 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Nope. I’ve emailed Davidy22 and he responded, but he doesn’t have server access. I tried on Gmail, Reddit, X, asked @ActuallyBerg from [[explain xkcd#History|the old forum]] who’s apparently a friend with Jeff on both X and Bluesky. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 22:25, 8 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Damn… that’s slightly (very) worrying. Good job for trying tho [[User:Apollo11|Apollo11]] ([[User talk:Apollo11|talk]]) 22:57, 8 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Yeah…I’m just going to keep on trying, seeing if I can solve some of the problems remotely. Not too sure what much I can do about the ‘crat situation though. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 22:59, 8 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Well good luck [[User:Apollo11|Apollo11]] ([[User talk:Apollo11|talk]]) 23:07, 8 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== {{w|WP:REMOVED}} ==<br />
kindly stop adding it back. thank you. [[user talk:lettherebedarklight|youtu.be/miLcaqq2Zpk]] 15:53, 10 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
:very well. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:05, 10 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
::ok, that's the limit. {{w|WP:NOBAN|don't post on my talk page again.}} if you wish to fiddle with minutae, go to wikipedia, where that sort of thing is appreciated. i'll also note that no one else has complained about my signature, only you. [[user talk:lettherebedarklight|youtu.be/miLcaqq2Zpk]] 10:13, 11 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::touche. to be honest, grabbing at your throat for a simple signature issue got a bit boring after a couple days. have a nice day! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 11:28, 11 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Talk Page added to "pages to delete ==<br />
Hey, I noticed you added my talk page to the "pages to delete" category. Why? I don't really want my talk page deleted. <span style="color:#0645AD"> Qoiuoiuoiu (talk) </span> 16:29, 10 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Sorry, changed it. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 17:58, 10 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
::If you want my advice (no reason you do...), do a little more checking of the page history. ''And'' that of the partner page (compare User: <-> User Talk), where it exists. You might find a few of the ones that you marked for deleting weren't created, unused and abandoned, but actually 'in use' (even if not directly).<br />
::You're eager, and I still completely support IP-related pages being marked for deletion (remembering that you don't have the power to ''actually'' delete them... which is probably a relief to a small handful of actal users, like the above), but maybe dial it back a bit so that you don't make a few more taggings that need to be reverted... Build up a personal 'hitlist', maybe, but do more poking around and keep it down to a handful of the 'best' candidaates that you find, not a couple of a dozen in quick order, which I think you did yesterday.... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.25|162.158.74.25]]<br />
:::I did check the Page history of [[User talk:Qoiuoiuoiu]] though, and saw that it was created by [[User:While False]]. I also checked the User Page, and saw that it was edited slightly to change While False’s announcement. Because the entire purpose of [[User talk:Qoiuoiuoiu]] was to presumably reduce red links, I tagged [[:Category:Pages to delete]]. Checking page history and user pages honestly doesn’t take that much time, and I checked them for every single page (I think). Upon [[User:Qoiuoiuoiu|Qoiuoiuoiu’s]] complaint, I removed the Category and added a comment so that the talk page has a purpose. I believe that I was in the right to tag them in this case, and that is my decision. Although I do like the idea of the “hitlist”, and will create one. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 19:46, 10 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Bluey ==<br />
<br />
I can't believe you watch a ''children's'' show like Bluey. You should watch an ''adult'' show, like my personal favourite, {{w|My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic}} ;). [[User:Beanie|<span style="text-shadow:0 0 5px black;font-size:11pt;color:#dddddd">Beanie]]</span> [[User talk:Beanie|<sup><span style="text-shadow:0 0 3px black;font-size:8pt;color:#dddddd">talk]]</span></sup> 19:38, 11 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
:[https://gamejolt.com/games/sonic/783884 nah I'm sending you to the green hills for that one buddy] /j [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 20:39, 11 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
:LMFAOOO '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 22:38, 11 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== "Shared named" comics... ==<br />
<br />
Not too sure about the shared-name status for "Advent Calendar", "Advent Calendar Advent Calendar" and "Advent" (more clear if there was "Advent Calendars", the AVAV ''might'' be deemed a copy (literally!) of AV, but it'd be a stretch to link the A to the AV and thus also the AVAV), but you can't really put just one comic in the Shared Name category, can you? If you're happy for it, then do it for all of them. And, when you do, might be a good idea to put the markup comment after the category membership tag with an explanation of which one(s) you're linking it with, to avoid random editors getting the wrong idea (or ''no'' idea) on spotting it... [[Special:Contributions/162.158.33.252|162.158.33.252]] 00:26, 12 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Why do you have a hitlist? ==<br />
<br />
Please don't put me on there 😭😭😭 [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 13:53, 17 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
:It’s for user pages/talk pages to delete. It’s fine, you’re fine, everybody’s fine (except for me i have a flu) '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 23:59, 17 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Ykkkkkk, I bet Jeff’s heir would be easier to contact… Just saying…… [[User:Apollo11|Apollo11]] ([[User talk:Apollo11|talk]]) 17:01, 18 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::which would be the next ‘crat with server control, someone who doesn’t exist yet since Jeff still needs to promote them. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 23:17, 18 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::: dammit [[User:Apollo11|Apollo11]] ([[User talk:Apollo11|talk]]) 15:53, 20 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==We're cooked==<br />
You-know-who became president on MLK Day. We're so cooked, 42. [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 19:23, 22 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
:as a Brit I too am concerned [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 14:36, 30 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Yeh i'm scared [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:21, 31 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::yayyyyy politics [[User:Apollo11|Apollo11]] ([[User talk:Apollo11|talk]]) 16:38, 31 January 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Different name in ContributionScores? ==<br />
<br />
Hi 42<br />
<br />
I just realized that in the [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:ContributionScores ContributionScores] you are listed as Victoria. How come you manage to have two different names on this wiki? Is that some error? It is confusing at least.<br />
<br />
Keep up the good work --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:20, 4 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
:I noticed that too! What's your secret?--[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 15:06, 4 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
::haha, there’s no secret. my name’s victoria, but i also go by tori. that’s why if you look up at old messages, some people refer to me as victoria or tori. if you want to keep on calling me 42, or 42.book.addict, that’s completely fine! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:05, 4 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Yeah I guess what i was asking is how you managed to change your name on the leaderboard! I can't figure it out haha. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 17:11, 4 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::oh, that’s easy-you just change it in your preferences. find the real name box, and input whatever you want. some people might find it confusing, and you might need to explain to people the difference, like this converstaion right now. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 17:18, 4 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::Oh, cool! Thanks. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 17:53, 4 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Well if it is a part of the wiki I guess it is fine. But I think it is a bit confusing that we cannot see the user name of the person on the leaderboard. So it would be great if the name in the leader-board could also change to 42. But I guess that is not possible? As you know I'm made an admin, but also I have way to little knowledge of programming and wiki etc. And full time job, other hobbies and two kids, one of which seems to be older than 42. So it is not your age, but 42 comes from your love of Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy? (Big fan me-self). Impressive the amount of work you have put into the wiki in such a short time. I have been a member since October 2013. I still remember [[Talk:30: Donner|my first comment]] on explain, actually made it before I signed up and then added my signature after signing up a few days later ;-) Back then I used much more time on explain. Had actually not intended to become admin. But second time I was asked, and with no active admins I accepted. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:39, 5 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Oh, nice! Never knew that you were a parent. i ''could'' remove the Victoria from the leaderboard by blanking my real name in preferences, but honestly, I’d rather not. There are tons of other people with a situation like this, and I don’t think that it’ll cause much confusion. I’m always happy to explain why it’s listed as Victoria or not! (BTW, Victoria is literally on my User Page) '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:20, 5 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Well we usually do not now much about each other and I had not read your user page before I found out you where also Victoria. Not sure what you mean by Victoria being on you user page. I searched on it and found no hit for Victoria... But no big problem. Just a bit confusing. Just stay on the leaderboard. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 08:26, 9 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::weird...i could've sworn that i added it to my user page. i'll add it now to try to reduce confusion in the future. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#A9C6CA">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#516874">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 17:09, 9 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== You into Friday Night Funkin? ==<br />
<br />
tldr it's a silly Newgrounds-inspired rhythm game with literally hundreds if not thousands of mods. you should get into it if you're not already <br />
<br />
[[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 11:19, 18 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
:moved this to the bottom so you'd be more likely to see this haha [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 11:03, 17 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
::no-i don’t play rhythm games. moved it back up for chronological order. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:34, 18 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Contacting Randall ==<br />
<br />
Hey Victoria! Sorry to hear about your mental health issues, I hope you're getting better.<br />
<br />
Here's some good news: I tried contacting Randall to ask him when he replaced comic [[36: Scientists]], and he replied! It's weird that Randall is easier to reach than the owner of this wiki... You can read the conversation and a summary of what happened [[User:FaviFake|on my user page]]. Among other things, he gave me the official release date, April 28th, and, after I asked, he told me he might reply to more simple questions! If you have some technical or administrative questions, I could ask them directly to him. If you're curious, there are more details about this [[User:FaviFake|here]]. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 18:32, 21 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==oof==<br />
:I'm so sorry, 42. I go to therapy and picked up a couple things, so if you need me, I'm here. You can leave a message on my talk page anytime and we can yap about whatever. Hang in there 0) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:35, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Uncooperating User ==<br />
<br />
Hi 42<br><br />
You originally wrote regarding [[User talk:Lettherebedarklight]] here:<br> [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Admin_requests#Uncooperating_User|Uncooperating User]]<br><br />
I warned him not to change his signature to a link and also not deleting his talk page. But he has not complied. But now I saw your comment on his user page, after I rolled back his latest deletion... Regarding wiki policy. And since I do not go much into this I need some help here. I do not have time to read up on this. I'm just so unlucky as to be the only admin still active here... Not by my own wish. Maybe FaviFake should also say something here? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 06:39, 5 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:I believe this is what's happening: 42 originally noticed the user's signature, which is clearly a violation of the Wikipedia policy, and you warned them. They didn't cooperate, and then you warned them again, but this time you also told them to not blank their talk page (and to not redirect it), which wasn't among the things 42 pointed out. Because of this, she mentioned they're allowed to blank their talk page and redirect it to their user page, but not to have a signature that looks like an external link. And now, as you can see in [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:FaviFake&diff=367780&oldid=367750 this edit of theirs], they have done both things. The signature is not allowed, but blanking their page is. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 16:56, 5 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::But if they blanck their talk page, then I cannot discuss the issues that are in violation of with their signature. So how can this be an acceptable conduct. Maybe blanking their user page but not the talk page...? As far as I can see his signature link still go to his user talk page, and not to the rickroll link, you have to copy paste that to get rolled... But if it is a problem, should I then block him for being uncooperative? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:52, 7 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::I don't know, 42 pointed it out because she was confused by the link. i'm not really an expert in Wikipedia policy either. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 18:22, 7 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Formatting ==<br />
<br />
Just wondering why you're using awkward formatting on your user page when you could easier use:<br />
*Foo<br />
*Bar<br />
**Baz subthing<br />
**Bat subthing<br />
*Flibble<br />
...etc? No need for BRs and NBSPs. Can be combined with colon-leveling (though can also replace it). Swap *s for #s to get (nested) numbered lists, or *# for indented numbers with #* continuing the numbers around sub-bullets (starts to get complicated, but it's an option) if you decided you need to. Maybe it's a choice you're making, but FYI if you haven't already picked up the bullet-point syntax in all your time here.<br/><br />
Anyway, just perhaps whilst you're active again. No problem if you don't make use of this information now/ever. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.133|172.71.178.133]] 07:56, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:I never knew that-thank you! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 15:55, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== so why do you wanna to delete [[user talk:物灵]]? ==<br />
<br />
he and i were both from another website. i chose to chat with him here because i don't want Zhou Chenxiao to revert my edit. why you want to delete? [[User:Translated ORK|Translated ORK]] ([[User talk:Translated ORK|talk]]) 09:56, 21 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:I will say this, here, in case you don't get to read my other note. This is not a refugee camp for conversations displaced from elsewhere. There's not even any chat goin on because it's all just you. (If there's another site where ''he'' is one-sidedly 'replying' to ''you'' , then I bet that place is equally bemused and unamused.)<br />
:I can't speak for 42, but I'm not surprised someone else here wants to do that.<br />
:Elsewhere you talk of Free Speech, but I think you might be confused. As well as the ''{{w|Gratis versus libre}}'' issue, this extends to what is written below any submission you are making: "Please note that all contributions to explain xkcd may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors." Consensus may decide that the point you make is not worth the having been made. (Later, consensus may also decide that a removal/re-edit is bad and ''restore'' it, but that is a community issue to resolve.)<br />
:This is as close to democracy as we can get (but, unlike the ''original'' democracy, we also let women and all kinds of other people 'vote'! ;) ), with shades of anarchy and the only totalitarian elements being when certain pages are locked-down/deleted by a designated admin who is probably acting upon community feeling (or on behalf of it, seeing where it is heading). It's a system that works (mostly hands-off). And you still can't falsely shout "Fire!" in a crowded theater without push-back. Does that make sense? (@UT, also @42...) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.26.36|172.71.26.36]] 10:50, 21 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Seconded. I explicitly said in my edit summary that I deleted the content for being off-topic. Thanks to the IP for responding for me! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 15:20, 21 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Thirded. (Is that a word?) --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 06:26, 22 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Welcome Back!==<br />
I'm unsure as to whether we've met. I think we were editing at the same time for a period. Anyways, hello Tori (if I may call you that). Welcome back to the wiki! :) --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:14, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:hi, thanks so much for the welcome! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 03:59, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Please see my user page.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 16:42, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Thank you for your apology. And it's no big deal with my time-bio's boring anyways lol '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:43, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Mark April Fool's Sandbox for deletion?==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!/Sandbox]] should be marked for deletion, I feel. It has been removed from his watchlist and provides nothing useful to the wiki. [[Special:Contributions/204.137.100.1|204.137.100.1]] 15:04, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Deleted by --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:20, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== From /sig Talk Page (adminship) ==<br />
<br />
Just so you know, 42, you'd make a great admin. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 18:18, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==An odd question for someone who would know the answer==<br />
<br />
Would it be allowed if you created a template for your sig (e.g. 42sig/DSBSig?) Could be useful for those with long usernames. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 15:59, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:why would you need a template? <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki> works just fine... '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:17, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Well, it would allow for more characters. This is why I ask, as both you and I have had issues setting up signatures due to long usernames. Setting your signature up as <nowiki>{{SigTemplateName}}</nowiki> in preferences would have it automatically display your signature when typing <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 16:20, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::More characters ''would'' be nice, but creating a bunch of templates only available for use for a single person would be less than ideal. What if we had a template called "sig", and inside was wikitext encoded so that when we called <nowiki>{{sig|User:XYZ}}</nowiki>; it could paste in the custom signature for XYZ? This is a pretty interesting idea-I'll reach out on the proposals portal and ask FaviFake to see if there's support for this. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:32, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::That.... That could work! Great idea! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 16:34, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::A bonus of that is that it's basically a sig museum, where you can browse other people's sigs and get inspired by them. There is the downside of people being able to edit other's sigs tho. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 16:37, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::::The idea of a sig museum is actually super cool-we could also add interesting signatures that were used by other users before to put on showcase. We could also make it so that only autoconfirmed users can edit it (and there's enough active users that any vandalism would probably be reverted quickly enough). '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:43, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::Honestly, forgot about that. I wonder what they say. FaviFake hasn't been active in a bit, so maybe we could reach out to kynde? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 17:17, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::::::It's probably fine. Contribution history says that it's only been a week-he very well may be on vacation or too busy to work. Give it some time. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 18:16, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::::I know, it's just weird. I've almost never seen FaviFake not edit for more than a day. {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|19:14, 29 August 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
::::::::::hi im back. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 14:26, 31 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::::::::Go check the proposals board! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font:9pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#89CFF0">4</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">2</span><span style="color:#D3D3D3">.</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">b</span><span style="color:#89CFF0">o</span><span style="color:#89CFF0">o</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">k</span><span style="color:#D3D3D3">.</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">a</span><span style="color:#89CFF0">d</span><span style="color:#89CFF0">d</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">i</span><span style="color:#D3D3D3">c</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">t</span></span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font:6pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#89CFF0">T</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">a</span><span style="color:#D3D3D3">l</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">k</span><span style="color:#89CFF0"> </span><span style="color:#89CFF0">t</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">o</span><span style="color:#D3D3D3"> </span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">m</span><span style="color:#89CFF0">e</span><span style="color:#89CFF0">!</span></span>]]</sup>''' 19:16, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:I have seen you proposal and I must say I really hope you are not planning on making this your signature fro now on 42!<br />
:<nowiki><span style="font:9pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#89CFF0">4</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">2</span><span style="color:#D3D3D3">.</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">b</span><span style="color:#89CFF0">o</span><span style="color:#89CFF0">o</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">k</span><span style="color:#D3D3D3">.</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">a</span><span style="color:#89CFF0">d</span><span style="color:#89CFF0">d</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">i</span><span style="color:#D3D3D3">c</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">t</span></span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font:6pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#89CFF0">T</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">a</span><span style="color:#D3D3D3">l</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">k</span><span style="color:#89CFF0"> </span><span style="color:#89CFF0">t</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">o</span><span style="color:#D3D3D3"> </span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">m</span><span style="color:#89CFF0">e</span><span style="color:#89CFF0">!</span></span>]]</nowiki><br />
:It is very confusing for the next editor, and I just tried to comment on your proposal when you posted it and could not understand what I was seeing in the editor (as I got there first because of edit conflict). Please stop using this as your signature! --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:22, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Got it. I'll change it and see if I can find another solution. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 19:33, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::I personally think we should move forward with the template idea. That way, the wikitext would show <nowiki>{{sig|UserXYZ}}</nowiki> instead of the full wikitext. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 19:42, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Also, I created a pride sig that is almost 1400 characters long.... yeah we need a way to not show the full wikitext. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 19:44, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Sorry for the late reply. I think that we should '''''not''''' go ahead with the template idea. It's unnecessary and will clog up the server, both in readability and server load. Please look at my response in the proposals board. Thanks! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 19:06, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== "fact" template (un)tagging. ==<br />
<br />
The <nowiki>{{fact}}</nowiki> template was (it was deleted? I missed that!) redirected to the <nowiki>{{Citation needed}}</nowiki> template. I think maybe replacing the "fact" with "Citation needed" might have been a better change than nowiki-ing the now-broken tags, in the cases you did that.<br />
<br />
And then there were all the demonstrative examples (two or three in things I historically wrote, I notice, in various Talk: pages... under a historical range of IPs). Assuming you really want to edit other people's signed Talk contributions at all (not generally done, though I'm ambivalent about you 'tidying up' things where I only included "fact" as then-current, alongside the other examples), it would seem to be no more work to just refactor the phrasings to no longer have that in the list of (say) {{template|citation needed}}, {{template|Citation Needed}}, {{template|cn}}, etc, to no great loss of meaning.<br />
<br />
But I appreciate you probably took some time to hunt down all <nowiki>{{fact}}</nowiki> examples (and at least one <nowiki>{{template|fact}}</nowiki>, I think). Plus the Fact/CN set of tags ''are'' sometimes overused, IMO, so a few less versions (put almost everywhere that anyone vaguely thought amusing) is certainly gratifying from ''that'' perspective. ;) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.43|82.132.245.43]] 22:55, 10 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==It's alright :)==<br />
None taken :) I myself know I am prone to that sort of thing. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 19:18, 16 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:sorry, what? '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 19:57, 16 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Second item on the hitlist. Sorry about the confusion. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 19:59, 16 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Ah, I see. It's no problem! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 20:02, 16 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==So, about that wikitext signature...==<br />
Yeah... I wanna make it red and yellow with (talk) replaced by (yap here) and it's in Comic Sans... if you could help me out please. [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 20:24, 19 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Ok, I'll work on it if I find the time! Shouldn't take me more than 5-10 minutes though '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 04:34, 22 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:It really depends on the shades of red and yellow you want. Use <nowiki><span style="color:#hexcode">yap here</span></nowiki> for each of the colors you want. Search 'google color picker' on Google and it gives you a hex code finder. I do not know how those fonts work though...--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 17:22, 26 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Fonts... well, if you put in a style to with with "Comic Sans", then you probably want to try a style element like <code>font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', 'Chalkboard SE', 'Comic Neue', sans-serif;</code>, because not everywhere will have (perhaps not want!) MS Comic Sans and you would have to fail-back to various alternatives and (if all else fails) whatever generic SS font there is.<br />
:Personally, though I'd not bother. Comic Sans is pretty much a Marmite font, and trying hard to make ''everyone'' experience something like the marmite taste (even those who normally do not) could annoy people.<br />
:It'd also take up a lot of your allowable 'signature length quota' to add these (and more?) fail-throughs to the appropriate list. Though you could just give the single correct font ''for you'', and accept that it just won't do anything out of the ordinary for other people, too (which probably suits them down to the ground).<br />
:Oh, and I'd also ''never'' recommend that you upload anything that you want in a personally-chosen font as an image, and embed that image as a pixel-perfect (but accessibility-deficient and text-scale-non-respecting!) alternative. [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 00:10, 27 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
I'd also never recommend that you upload anything that you want in a personally-chosen font as an image<br />
::100% (it also breaks enwiki's signature policies) --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 12:57, 29 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Is this wiki dying?==<br />
Lately, I've noticed a gradual decrease in the amount of daily contributions. Have you been noticing this too, or is that just me? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 14:32, 3 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:If I may contribute, ahead of 42... It's been busier and it's been quieter, even just within both of your own usernames' 'lifetimes'. Perhaps more (fellow, but clearly not as long-term) IPs, but hard to tell since whatever happened to not squash us down into the Cloudfare gateway IP ranges, etc.<br />
:New comics still don't stay unExplained for long. And there's not so much traffic, or indeed vanalism in the worst cases, that it's hard to keep on top of anything that arises. I'd say there's still a community, albeit loose and ad hoc (in different ways to other online communities I'm party to, or have been).<br />
:But I've not emperically compared 'now' with any given historical snapshots. This is just my impression. Please do this, if you feel like it. The number of edits done on yesterday's date, in prior years, perhaps. Or the dates of the past week, to even out the spikes on 'comic days' vs non-comic days. ''Might'' show year-on-year fluctuations, together with background noise.<br />
:...sorry, meant to say less, not to totally pre-empt Victoria. But maybe she still has things to say, perhaps even in total disagreement with my above thoughts! [[Special:Contributions/82.132.239.95|82.132.239.95]] 15:48, 3 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::I mostly agree with these sentiments. I do feel like we used to have a more active past and would work fervently on documenting large projects such as April Fool's comics, Hoverboard, Time, etc. We do have a bit of backlog on Collector's Edition, but we put in a LOT of work into the What If? project. Places that we should tackle are probably the less known xkcd pages, secret comics, and of course Collector's Edition. <br />
::Personally, I've had a lot less time to dedicate towards working on this project just because of how busy I am. I've had midterms, projects, and sports to juggle, resulting in almost no free time that I can spend. Circumstances change. Maybe other editors are also getting more busy. Who knows? Anyways, this isn't a race. We don't have any deadlines to reach, so any progress we make, regardless of pace, is good. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 19:58, 3 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==1==<br />
54 52 41 4f 53 4e 49 53 53 49 4g 4f 20 4g 4f 45 20 4g 46 20 46 4g 55 52 3b 20 58 56 45 52<br />
<br />
XIP EPFTO'U MPWF B GFX NPSF OVNCFST {{unsigned ip|204.137.100.1|20:23, 12 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:What? <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 21:08, 12 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::There may be (intentional?) coding errors in that top one. Or it was double-encoded, thanks to the lower one. So my advice is to crack the second one first.<br />
::But fairly trivial, both of them.<br />
::You can probably do the second in your head, by a single easy step, once you work out what does and doesn't matter.<br />
::The first is a bit more technical, it helps if you're used to low-level data storage (ok, probably not actually in your wheelhouse, but not too hard to discover) ''and'' initially needs to be have the second code's thing unapplied to it to make logical sense.<br />
::My advice is to have fun working it out. And expect three more (or two... but I don't think the second is "the second") to look at, if the author is true to their word. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.30|82.132.244.30]] 21:25, 12 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Huh. The first bit almost reminds me of a hexadecimal, but that doesn't have 'g' <br />
:::Second part is shifted ROT1 in a Caesar Cipher (used a decoder). Translates to 'WHO DOESN'T LOVE A FEW MORE NUMBERS'. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 21:39, 12 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Update: CacheSleuth's multi decoder thinks top line is a bacon cipher. No clue. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 21:43, 12 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::Remember, I said that the second cipher had probably been applied also to the first. You're closer to the solution than you think. ;) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.30|82.132.244.30]] 21:48, 12 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
{{outdent|:::::}}<br />
Are you behind this? Anyway, I'll try to apply a ROT-1, then see if it decides from hex. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 22:21, 12 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Results! TRANSMISSION ONE OF FOUR: XVER.<br />
:I wonder what XVER means... <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 22:24, 12 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Not me, I was just nerdsniped. Note that the next one popped up on Favi's pages. It also has a nonsense final 'word', meaning yet to be resolved.<br />
::If you prefer to keep talking about it, here, I'll pop back later and see if you've figured it out (I know what it is, but not why it is!), without necessarily spoiling it right now.<br />
::(PS, sorry, 42, I know you're probably not involved in this, maybe not interested even. Ba'al: Unless we hear from 42, if you're wanting to keep looking at this, maybe transfer the conversation/copy the original items over to your space? Obviously I've got nowhere better for it, but its up to you and you're interested in this now.) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.223|82.132.245.223]] 22:47, 12 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::I personally have no interest, but you can feel free to keep on working on it. DSB, if you want to keep on cracking it, I can move it over to your page. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 23:51, 12 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Editing other people's words? ==<br />
<br />
I mean, in Explanations, etc, you can redo anything that has previously been edited, that's the point of any Wiki articles. No issues with that.<br />
<br />
But you're 'correcting' signed (or, indeed unsigned) Talk comments. However badly spelt, you shouldn't really be changing things for them like that. Perhaps they like things to be spelt the way they're spelling them, perhaps they ''intend'' that version of the word. Perhaps the word they intended isn't the one you think is intended and you've changed the entire meaning by making it 'differently more correct'.<br />
<br />
Append the signature-replacements that they lack, yes. ''Perhaps'' re-indent things (though I've had things reindented for me, in the past, but by a misunderstandng which then makes it look like I'm replaying to something else). Very possibly changing a [bare-wiki-URL] to a {{template|w}}-type version doesn't matter too much, but... that's the point, it doesn't ''really'' matter. Warts and all. You could tell a regular named-user about the convention to use the 'w'/'wiktionary'/'tvtropes' things, so that it saves you work tuning up the Explanations where they've used the long-hand (and/or inefficient) link-forms, but there's no need to neaten up 'messy' Talk comments, and ''very'' occasionally there might be very real need to not do so.<br />
<br />
See {{w|Wikipedia:TPO}} for Wikipedia's policy, which isn't ''necessarily'' the one here (even if its the line I wouldn't normally try to cross). Though you'll see it still appreciates changes in lines with {{w|Wikipedia:TPFIXFORMAT}} and {{w|Wikipedia:TPFIXLAYOUT}}, amongst others. [[Special:Contributions/2.98.65.8|2.98.65.8]] 22:11, 14 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Agreed. Getting things signed is perfectly fine, and, as long as you don't change the appearance of a link, you can optimize that as well. But please refrain from editing the message that's given in the comment. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 22:19, 14 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:e.g. [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1120:_Blurring_the_Line&curid=5005&diff=390955&oldid=369184 this edit], where you changed 'coloured' to 'colored'. That is just a regional spelling of the word, commonly used in British English. It's not even a misspelling! <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 22:23, 14 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Ah, looks like you spotted it too. Did a part-revert of that exact example (but only that!), as a passive example, not knowing you'd found it and pointed it out here.<br />
::And I can't help it if all y'all can't spell properly, thanks to Noah Webster. ;) [[Special:Contributions/2.98.65.8|2.98.65.8]] 23:14, 14 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::I understand that it is British spelling, thank you very much. Please see {{diff|14586|here}} for the original comment and {{diff|17180|here}} where [[User:Weatherlawyer]] changed it. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 01:07, 15 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Additionally, [[explain xkcd:Editor FAQ#How do I enter links to other pages?|the FAQ page]] says all explainxkcd.com and en.wikipedia.org links should be written with <code>[[ ]]</code> and <code> <nowiki>{{w| }}</nowiki> </code> respectively around them. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 01:22, 15 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::({{diff|83069|You actually meant this change by Weatherlawyer...}} Which shouldn't have been done, so my redoing of it was in error. Though the trivia of it makes ''all'' our actions around it equally inexplicable.)<br />
::::The FAQ is not a commandment that "everything that is not like that should be made like that". As far as neatening up an Explanation is concerned, you'd of course be rewriting and making it the best-practice w-template version, if it had been originally left as [] or bare-URL, because the original writer did not know/care about the handy site-standard. But it doesn't really mean that there's a need to mess about with the normally-inviolate bones of past Talk-comments. Its a lot of unnecessary work, at best.<br />
::::And something like the "As Slow as Possible" bit in {{diff|390995|this edit}} arguably makes it flow less obviously. It originally namechecked ''As Slow as Possible'' and then helpfully offered the URL, at the end, as a bare reference. More 'properly' written it would have had a the w-tagged put around the first mention, which is in its own context, but the bare-URL at the end basically said "and this is a URL that explains it" that's actually nicely in line with the bare-URL line in the FAQ.<br />
::::If (as it looks like) you're just zooming through looking for every bare wikipedia.org link and 'converting' it, without looking into it further, you're probably missing something. And slowing down the generally excellent work, that you're doing, in giving everything 'unsigned' its historic details. It's your time, but going to far in such editorialising can be unproductive. Even when not actually a bit counterproductive. [[Special:Contributions/2.98.65.8|2.98.65.8]] 20:44, 15 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::Alright. I'll put more of my attention in signing comments and give less of it towards this issue. Thanks for your feedback! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 23:39, 15 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
{{outdent|:::::}}<br />
Why did you make [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2347:_Dependency&diff=prev&oldid=391211 this edit], where you fully deleted a comment left by an IP? What was the point of that? <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 18:19, 19 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:If you mean the "German Television ... Log4j" one, that was moved (a long way) further down, not deleted. Did not really check why, possibly thematically to fit it with other comments, and/or timstamp order of new comments not replying to anything earlier, but I'm just guessing and didn't try to reconcile it fully (once I'd seen it pop up 'later' in the scroll-down). [[Special:Contributions/82.132.236.44|82.132.236.44]] 18:44, 19 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Ok, I see you put it back (without removing the second copy), but you broke things. By using "::;" it set it as double-indented and then as a ";terminology:definition" pair, which activated upon the ":" in the time-stop given. So deleted it again. There's still the new version, lower down, that I just mentioned.<br />
:Also reverted a deity/diety spelling error (actual one, I'm sure, not a mistaken one) just because it's still "editing other people's comments", the point made above, and frowned upon in this context. I haven't bothered to check how many other ones have happened, hidden in the midst of rearrangements by either of you, but that was very obviously different. It's an unforced error that someone made in a comment. Don't try to polish it, in case you're adding further errors by misunderstanding, like the first deity->diety change. (For all I know, DIETYBOUNCE is correct... Though it does sound more like a slimming supplement!) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.236.44|82.132.236.44]] 19:07, 19 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::[https://queue.acm.org/blogposting.cfm?id=74439 Deitybounce is correct]. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 20:12, 19 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::It is (almost certainly) {{diff|196415|their own edit}}, though. It's a bad habit to change things. It's not ''brilliant'' to have to try to change them back (see my initial error), but best things like that don't change in the first place. Both of you, please. Then others like me and ^^them^^ don't feel the need to try to make it authentically incorrect again. [[Special:Contributions/2.98.65.8|2.98.65.8]] 23:24, 19 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Change to Comic (sandbox) template ==<br />
<br />
I'm guessing it didn't work (just seen your sandbox changes), and I'll also know why it didn't. But I'm going to suggest you leave that to one of the others. There's slightly more to it than just duplicating the opening 'if', and you probably need to get your head around their solution rather than just prod at it all on your own. Enlightenment ''will'' come, but it may take patience... ;) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.236.65|82.132.236.65]] 08:52, 23 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Yeah-that's basically what I concluded and I haven't touched the template since. I think I'm more suited towards doing repetitive, tedious tasks anyways C: '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 17:42, 23 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==How do you receive Notifications?==<br />
You said you receive watchlist notifications in the summary of [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User%3A42.book.addict&type=revision&diff=391911&oldid=391885 this edit]. How do you do that? I thought the email system was broken. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 14:21, 2 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Let's decrease that number, shall we?==<br />
11k images, all uncategorized... on it. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 18:57, 2 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
:I like how you think C: '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 21:11, 2 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
::I periodically check recent changes, and it's funny to see our different methods work in tandem. You're a bit faster, but there's a slight lull when you're refilling your taskbar with tabs, and I catch up. Our methods are almost equal. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#FF0000">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#00873E">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 22:24, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::It is funny! Have you checked the Discord server? I sent a photo of my keyboard layout for reference :3 '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 22:25, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::I'm an idiot, aren't I..... ''sigh''... welp, we've got just under a thousand images left, so i should have nothing left to mess up in a bit. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#FF0000">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#00873E">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 01:42, 5 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::Welp, we've got about 150 images left. Personally, I don't trust myself with them. I have no clue where to put them. So, I'll leave them to you for both our sakes. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#FF0000">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#00873E">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 16:57, 5 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::::I noticed your summary lol. What's nice is, after a while, I just spaced out and when I came back, I'd done all but 100 of the remaining frames of Time. I'll go back to... a more normal schedule. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#FF0000">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#00873E">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 18:29, 5 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==A little leaderboard notice==<br />
With your latest push, you've officially become a more prolific editor than every other non-admin and non-bot user to ever edit the wiki. You're now 5th all-time, behind Kynde, Davidy22, ThusafBOT, and Waldir. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#FF0000">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#00873E">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 19:34, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Not that I really deserve it. Most of the people I've passed were/are on the wiki for far longer than I have and have contributed a lot more. I don't really see it as an achievement TBH. You've also pushed into the Top 10, with your absolutely mental 2451 score this week. If you keep up your pace you can definitely push at least 5k this week-today's only your 2nd day, no? Try to take a break-it's probably not healthy for you to be working for so long doing the same menial task over and over again. There's no rush! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 19:38, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Tbh I don't feel I deserve it either. It feels weird. I was expecting a slow rise towards the top. Suddenly seeing myself in 8th is odd. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#FF0000">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#00873E">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 19:41, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Knowing how much work you had to do to complete the task, I fully expected you to get there eventually...<br />
:::Though you're making me dizzy (and I had to increase my "Recent Changes" view to ''at least'' 1000 items, in order to not miss any changes that ''aren't'' by you( two)... ;)<br />
:::(I know I could hide minor edits, but not sure that anybody else hasn't snuck through a 'minor' edit I want to see having happened. Also could hide "registered users", but that'd obscure anyone that's not also an IP like me... again...)<br />
:::Anyway, the last '1000 view' seemed to cover just a ''tad'' over three hours of both your edits. And I had to scroll through carefully to try to spot anything that's (probably!) not a "File:" item and hasn't had either of your usernames as the sole-(or co-!)editor. And dive in on the occasional one that was like that, just to satisfy myself that you've not messed something up. (Unlikely... but... a lot of edits, a lot of little chances... maybe you'd slip up, and ''maybe'' maybe I'd spot it and correct it for you... ;) )<br />
:::Can't wait for you to finish... Both because it's then finsihed and ''also'' no longer currently happening. But at the same time I'm definitely not to keen on encouraging you to accelerate the process much more than you're doing now! It'd not beright for me to ask you to dial it back, but I could definitely live with that. :P [[Special:Contributions/78.144.255.82|78.144.255.82]] 20:04, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::You could also exclude the File namespace from your Recent Changes page... (select Files in your namespace drop down bar and invert selection) '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 20:07, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::Shifting from 7th to 8th gear, about halfway through the straightaway at the Circuit de Hermanos Rodriguez. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#FF0000">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#00873E">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 20:23, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::I'm really not keen on filtering ''anything'' out, really, because (if I do something like filter out the "File:" examples entirely) there's always a chance that something that isn't your work gets hidden from me, just because it ''looks'' like your work. (Also, you'll forgive me for keeping an eye out for those errors that I'm ''sure'' you won't make, but might!) I just am happier if I just 'get my eye in', and look for anything more odd-looking than the usual, no matter what the mix of similarities and differences between a 'filterable' target. Designing a 'very cautious filter' is a lot more work than just doing it in my head while scrolling. [[Special:Contributions/78.144.255.82|78.144.255.82]] 20:41, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::::Ok, feel free to take your time. I'll probably stop throughout the day and might not touch it after 1pm because I have other things to attend to. Cheers! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 20:43, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Coordination idea==<br />
Btw, I've done up to frame 1592. Maybe I could start from the end and work backwards, while you continue forwards, and we meet in the middle? Just a thought.<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#FF0000">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#00873E">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 20:20, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br><br />
We could also go the other way around, if you prefer. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#FF0000">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#00873E">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 20:21, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
:First one works with me. Here's also my current strategy: I open up about 50-80 tabs (as many as my Chromebook can handle without lagging). I've copied the text below and paste it in if the page is empty. If the page has Licensing but not Category, I use CTRL-A to select everything and CTRL-V to replace it with my copied text. If there's other text pertaining to the image hashes, I just do a quick SHIFT-UP twice and delete the Licensing, then paste in. After saving, I use CTRL-W to quickly close the tab and move on to the next one. Rinse and repeat.<br />
<nowiki>== Licensing ==<br />
{{XKCD file}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Helper comic images (1190)]]</nowiki><br />
:--'''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 20:25, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Hello! ==<br />
You seem very cool based on your user page. I'm new to this wiki, but I saw you mentioned a long backlog of files that need categorizing. I am very much willing to help with that (it's a thing I can do while procrastinating about writing {{w|User:lp0 on fire/Drafts/Beate Pokorny|something useful}}, which in turn is procrastination about doing {{w|real life|something important}}) so if you just tell me where to find the uncategorized things and which categories are relevant then I will have a go. [[User:lp0 on fire|<span style="color: #c56030">lp0&nbsp;on&nbsp;fire</span>]]&nbsp;[[User talk:lp0 on fire|<span style="color: #64cea0">()</span>]] 20:42, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Alright, I have a couple of initial questions. How familiar are you with MediaWiki and Wikitext? Do you understand the differences between Helper categories and Comic images? And do you understand how XKCD licensing works? This is just to get an understanding of what I have to explain. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 20:46, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
::I have never heard the term "helper category" before, nor do I have any specific understanding of "comic image" other than presumably an image that is actually taken from [https://xkcd.com xkcd.com]. I am reasonably competent with most normal aspects of wikitext, though I've never written a template and would probably panic and run away if someone asked me to write an edit filter. I'm here from enwiki where I am at least somewhat active, so I understand the basics of how to write/edit and so forth. I believe xkcd is licensed under {{w|CC BY-NC 2.5}} (with the exception of [[1167]] which is also licensed under {{w|CC BY-SA 4.0}}) and I understand broadly what that means, but I'm not a lawyer by any means. [[User:lp0 on fire|<span style="color: #c56030">lp0&nbsp;on&nbsp;fire</span>]]&nbsp;[[User talk:lp0 on fire|<span style="color: #64cea0">()</span>]] 20:59, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Sorry, should've been a lot clearer. But here's the quick runthrough. Currently, DollarStoreBa'al and I are working on categorizing still frames of the Comic [[1190: Time]]. You can work on categorizing [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?limit=100&title=Special%3AContributions&contribs=user&target=TheusafBOT&namespace=6&tagfilter=&topOnly=1&newOnly=1&start=&end= comic images]. You don't really need to know about the stuff that I asked you-the bot already handled most of it. All you need to do is copy paste <nowiki>[[Category:Comic images]]</nowiki> into the file page. Good luck! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 21:21, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Oh right, I was wondering why there was a problem since there are only 3175 comics. Forgot about Time. I'll get going doing this if I have some time and nothing productive to do. Thanks (: [[User:lp0 on fire|<span style="color: #c56030">lp0&nbsp;on&nbsp;fire</span>]]&nbsp;[[User talk:lp0 on fire|<span style="color: #64cea0">()</span>]] 21:39, 3 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==A Barnstar for you!==<br />
{| style="border: 1px solid gray; background-color: #fdffe7;"<br />
|rowspan="2" style="vertical-align:middle;" | [[File:Tireless Categorization Barnstar.png|100px]]<br />
|rowspan="2" |<br />
|style="font-size: x-large; padding: 0; vertical-align: middle; height: 1.1em;" | '''The Tireless Categorization Barnstar'''<br />
|-<br />
|style="vertical-align: middle; border-top: 1px solid gray;" | You did a very good job on the image categorization project. Also, you somehow managed to locate and fix all my mistakes on top of that. That deserves a Barnstar! <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#FF0000">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#00873E">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 17:05, 8 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
|}<br />
:Agreed! Great work, both of you! [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 16:22, 18 December 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Welcome back!==<br />
Honestly, 'we'll see' is basically what we say with everything going on right about now lol. Glad to see you. <!--things have been...very stressful for us lately, haven't they...-->--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#3c2004">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#1E0F00">Converse</span>]]</sup> (BLM) 16:56, 4 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
:pfffft, yeah... :C thanks though! [[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font:9pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#89CFF0">tor</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">i :3</span></span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font:6pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#D3D3D3">talk </span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">to </span><span style="color:#89CFF0">me!</span></span>]]</sup> 01:26, 5 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
::BTW, the 'section' thing on the talk page has been there since early December 2025. Looks like Lp0 on Fire added it... for some reason. [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:42.book.addict&diff=prev&oldid=397274 here's the edit if you're curious]. No clue why. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#3c2004">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#1E0F00">Converse</span>]]</sup> (BLM) 14:14, 10 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
:::Hm, ok. Thanks for letting me know [[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font:9pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#5CA7CF">tor</span><span style="color:#F08DB0">i :3</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font:6pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#9E9E9E">talk </span><span style="color:#F08DB0">to </span><span style="color:#5CA7CF">me!</span>]] 20:18, 10 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Personal attacks ==<br />
<br />
Greetings; if you wish to personally attack me, then I welcome you to conduct the attacks on my User Talk page. I see no need to waste every editor's time on a project talk page. I think we should focus on improving the category. That being said, I expressed no opinion about any editor at all. In fact, my scenario was completely hypothetical. I was using ''reductio ad absurdum''. If you want to attack hypothetical scenarios with speculative adjectives, again, I will direct you to [[User talk:Elizium23]]. Thank you for your attention to this matter! [[User:Elizium23|Elizium23]] ([[User talk:Elizium23|talk]]) 06:48, 10 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
:My apologies. I have shifted my comment here. It would be greatly enjoyable if you were a bit less condescending? "Insufferable, redundant, and monotonous" are all phrases that indicate that you believe yourself better than us. Can't you just be a bit more respectful? This website isn't even related to politics or any controversial topics-the wiki's just a passion project for us to explain xkcd. I would also like to make some additional points. Personally. I think that it isn't wasting everyone's time by talking on a project's talk page. It is their choice on whether or not they wish to read the discussion. If it does not relate to them, I see no reason in them reading through it. And if they do, that is a choice on their own part. I have also seen that you have made attacks and opinions on editors before, as you can see below:<br />
{{quote|I also hope that you accept responsibility for wasting everybody's time.}}<br />
{{quote|because your shitty justification on the Admin Portal talk page does not constitute a policy, random IPv4 with no reputation.}} <br />
:(please note that it is up to an individual to decide if they want to register an account on this wiki or not. being an ip editor does not necessarily discredit them or their opinions) <br />
{{quote|nobody knows what the hell you did before a couple weeks ago}}<br />
{{quote|You are utterly wasting our time and you are proving that you hate regular editors with accounts, and you care more about trolls and spammers than about editors who are trying to do something constructive here. You are wasting our time, our free time, our volunteer time, that we're trying to give to this wiki.}}<br />
{{quote|That is idiotic and reprehensible}}<br />
:Plus, you say that your scenario was completely hypothetical. What about ''my'' hypothetical on the [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Admin_requests#Removing_disruptive_material|community portal]] last week? Am I automatically wrong because I have a different viewpoint than you? You accuse me of having "created another strawman to set on fire", when I was trying to compromise and explore how we could possibly put your idea into action, given that there was consensus of course. None of us get paid to do this, and we don't have to deal with your bullshit. I'm tired of all the sarcasm and BS. I'm tired of all the double standards. So please, cut it out. I'm not saying that you don't bring up any good points, or that your point of view is completely invalid, but it would be nice to have civil conversations without you constantly sniping at us.Please, hold yourself accountable first before you come for us. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font:9pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#89CFF0">tor</span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">i :3</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font:6pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#D3D3D3">talk </span><span style="color:#FFB7CE">to </span><span style="color:#89CFF0">me!</span>]]''' 07:10, 10 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
::Yes, you are right, and I am sorry for those conversations, and I regret them. I brought too much emotion and frustration. And my attitude is uncalled-for. I apologize and I am very sorry for causing offense to you and others who work on this wiki here. I hope that we will not repeat these conflicts. I do not wish to be embroiled in them or continue any, whether I started them or not. I hope that I can promise to straighten out from now on. Thank you. [[User:Elizium23|Elizium23]] ([[User talk:Elizium23|talk]]) 07:38, 10 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
:::Thank you for your response. I look forward to collaborating together in the future. And I really hope that we, as a community, can see some immediate, real change moving forward. That being said, I really do appreciate your apology. It takes someone a lot more courage to admit that they were wrong than to keep on insisting that they were right. [[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font:9pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#5CA7CF">tor</span><span style="color:#F08DB0">i :3</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font:6pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#9E9E9E">talk </span><span style="color:#F08DB0">to </span><span style="color:#5CA7CF">me!</span>]]</span></sup> 07:42, 10 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Minor Edit Reminder==<br />
Thank you for fixing my mistakes! Please remember to make sure your edits are minor, though. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#3c2004">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#1E0F00">Converse</span>]]</sup> (BLM) 21:23, 11 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
:oh, right. thanks for the reminder! [[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font:11pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#5CA7CF">tor</span><span style="color:#F08DB0">i :3</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font:8pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#9E9E9E">talk </span><span style="color:#F08DB0">to </span><span style="color:#5CA7CF">me!</span>]]</span></sup> 00:30, 12 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Good Idea!==<br />
I saw how you linked the FAQ instead of creating the pages. I honestly think that should be the standard procedure instead of creating someone else's pages, because that always leads to the person who asked creating other user's pages at random. I think you and I both did that in our early careers. So, yeah, I just wanted to compliment your judgement there. :)--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#3c2004">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#1E0F00">Converse</span>]]</sup> (BLM) 15:59, 20 February 2026 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Please fix your broken signature ==<br />
<br />
Your signature has an unclosed <nowiki><span></nowiki> tag that messes up transclusion of Talk pages into article pages, resulting in the word <nowiki><div></nowiki> overlapping the words "Add comment" at, e.g., the bottom of [[3219:_Planets_and_Bright_Stars]].<br><br />
See discussion at https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk%3A3219%3A_Planets_and_Bright_Stars&type=revision&diff=408118&oldid=408111.<br><br />
In of itself, this kind of problem is an excellent reason not to use fancy signatures, and also the coloring and faintness of your signature make it incredibly annoying and hard to read (indeed, it makes me annoyed just reading your comments! I wonder if that's true more editors than not?). In any event, the problem appears to be because you have:<br />
<br />
:<nowiki><br />
[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font:11pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#5CA7CF">tor</span><span style="color:#F08DB0">i :3</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font:8pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#9E9E9E">talk </span><span style="color:#F08DB0">to </span><span style="color:#5CA7CF">me!</span>]]</span></sup><br />
</nowiki><br />
<br />
When it should be:<br />
<br />
:<nowiki><br />
[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font:11pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#5CA7CF">tor</span><span style="color:#F08DB0">i :3</span></span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font:8pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#9E9E9E">talk </span><span style="color:#F08DB0">to </span><span style="color:#5CA7CF">me!</span>]]</span></sup><br />
</nowiki><br />
<br />
that is, in redline:<br />
:<nowiki><br />
[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font:11pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#5CA7CF">tor</span><span style="color:#F08DB0">i :3</span></nowiki><span style="color:blue; font-weight: bold"><nowiki></span></nowiki></span><nowiki>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font:8pt Cormorant Garamond"><span style="color:#9E9E9E">talk </span><span style="color:#F08DB0">to </span><span style="color:#5CA7CF">me!</span>]]</span></sup><br />
</nowiki><br />
<br />
which closes the initial font span before the superscript starts.<br />
<br />
Let me know if you would like me to setup a sandbox page that demonstrates this problem a bit more clearly—it seemed a waste of a page creation, but happy to do it.<br />
<br />
Please fix your signature so your talk comments stop disrupting the wiki by their very existence. It would be a good time to consider dropping the flamboyent signature altogether and using something that regular people can read without hurting their eyes. There is a place for expressiveness, but you have overdone it (objectively, since you have broken "the world"). Thank you. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 14:03, 14 March 2026 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Please note that another editor has [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3219:_Planets_and_Bright_Stars&diff=prev&oldid=408152 repaired your signature in the above-referenced talk page], so the problem is no longer visible there. This does help confirm my diagnosis of the problem. The problem remains visible in other places, e.g., [[3209: Plums]]. {{unsigned|JohnHawkinson|16:41, 14 March 2026 (UTC)}}<br />
<br />
== Just wanted to say hi ==<br />
<br />
Hi :) 42. Can’t believe I’m on this site for almost a year already! The last April fools only seems like a year ago! [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 06:02, 18 March 2026 (UTC)</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=408329User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2026-03-18T05:56:55Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: Added some stuff</p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The Small Bang</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
Account created: April 1, 2025 (on April fool’s, lol)<br />
<br><br />
==Where to find me==<br />
<nowiki>Sky: Children of the light</nowiki><br />
<br><br />
Minecraft (bedrock)<br />
<br><br />
Discord<br />
<br><br />
IRL if you can<br />
<br><br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br />
==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
<hr><br />
<br />
==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
<br />
==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]<br />
<br />
==list of all users==<br />
[[Special:ListUsers|All Users]]<br />
<br />
==Tumbleweed==<br />
{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Header.png|900px|center]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=408209User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2026-03-16T05:37:59Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The Small Bang</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
==Where to find me==<br />
<nowiki>Sky: Children of the light</nowiki><br />
<br><br />
Minecraft (bedrock)<br />
<br><br />
Discord<br />
<br><br />
IRL if you can<br />
<br><br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br />
==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
<hr><br />
<br />
==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
<br />
==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]<br />
<br />
==list of all users==<br />
[[Special:ListUsers|All Users]]<br />
<br />
==Tumbleweed==<br />
{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Header.png|900px|center]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=408208User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2026-03-16T05:37:12Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: Added stuff</p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The Small Bang</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
==Where to find me==<br />
<nowiki>Sky: Children of the light</nowiki><br />
Minecraft (bedrock)<br />
Discord<br />
IRL if you can<br />
<br><br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br />
==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
<hr><br />
<br />
==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
<br />
==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]<br />
<br />
==list of all users==<br />
[[Special:ListUsers|All Users]]<br />
<br />
==Tumbleweed==<br />
{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Header.png|900px|center]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=408143User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!2026-03-14T10:12:27Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: Death message</p>
<hr />
<div>==If you want your user page created, tell me==<br />
<br />
==Talking with [[user:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
No way am I that cool man. <br />
<br />
By the way, here's a way to create a userbox:<br />
{Userbox | border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = ;) | info = <nowiki>[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!|This user _____ ]]</nowiki> | float = left}}. Thank [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher]] for this, I learned it from him. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:05, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Oh, I'm sorry. Misunderstood your request. Userboxes are used on user pages to add supplemental information. I have one or two on my user page if you want to look at those. By the way, I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'the numbers'. Please clarify if you can. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:09, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::like these numbers <nowiki> border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | </nowiki> [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 14:18, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::border-c controls the color of the userboxes border, between 1 and 255. Border-s is the thickness of the border. info-s is the font of the text inside the userbox... I think. Honestly not sure. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:22, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::Thanks anyway [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 14:24, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::You're welcome! Always happy to help. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:28, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Can we help you..? ==<br />
<br />
So, {{template|brda}} seems to have been an experiment. To what end? Can we help you make your original idea work? [[Special:Contributions/92.23.2.228|92.23.2.228]] 17:26, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::I just don’t want to write the link down so I used a template. I just don’t understand what does that picture mean, and I need someone to help me explain.<br />
::: *cringe* ...well, hope you can use what I gave you over on the other page, then.<br />
:::Slightly more confused, myself, about the need for a template. Thought you'd maybe be wanting to include the image (ebedded, or as a link) in a signature or even something you'd want to manually enter in multiple places. Never mind. [[Special:Contributions/92.23.2.228|92.23.2.228]] 00:18, 11 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::I'll go further, in explaining this. '''It might look complicated''', but [[3126: Disclaimer|that's just the way I am]], and you might even understand it so well that you can spot several errors I made in writing it. (I claim no monopoly on understanding, or even infallibility.) If not, it's here for re-reading later.<br />
:::Whatever 'pops out' of a template appears on the page that calls it. If you "subst:" it, it works that thing out and makes it permanent, otherwise whenever you browse the calling page it asks the template what it currently says and uses that.<br />
:::You can use potentially complicated dynamic 'markup' in your template that you ''could'' have used directly in the outer page, but don't want to have to apply each time. Or use the template in multiple places and don't want to have to re-edit each instance if you ever need to change it... instead just change the template and (as long as you didn't subst: it, of course) it gets corrected everywhere it gets used. And, you can pass parameters to the template, which can be used in the dynamic logic of how it presents itself in any particular use, so you can have it do "sort of the same thing", but differently according to the situation.<br />
:::#A simple example of the first is {{template|Citation needed}}, which easily inserts the 'fake <sup>&#91;[[285: Wikipedian Protester#top|''citation&nbsp;needed'']]&#93;</sup> text', without having to worry about re-writing it accurately enough every time.<br />
:::#A very common example of the second is {{template|LATESTCOMIC}} which is asked to hold the very latest comic number. At the time of writing, 3126, at the time of reading, {{LATESTCOMIC}}. Right now, those two values will appear identical, but I used the "subst:" on the first one, as I did the "Citation needed", so that whatever is current is inserted as if I wrote it straight. Once the next comic gets added to the wiki, the second number will change, and keep changing, without me ever re-editing this page.<br />
:::#Probably the example of the third type that you will have noticed (maybe even used) more is the {{template|w}} template for 'easy' wikipedia linking. Though as every single comic page uses the {{template|comic}} template at its start (so complicated, with so many parameters, you may not have realised that it is even a {{}}-thing!), that's one example of how each individual use of a given template can give you subtly (or very! or anywhere inbetween...) different looks in different places.<br />
:::#*On top of that, there is internal dynamic markup that looks at ''what page it is being called from'' (or with a more simple markup, whether it's being viewed directly or transposed into a 'parent' page, or ''only'' being seen when transposed into a 'parent' page), so it can (for example) stop some aspects of text in a Comic page (of the latest comic) from being seen alongside the rest when it is inserted into the Main wiki page.<br />
:::As you can see, '''this can get complicated''', especially when templates do multiple or all of the above, at the same time. I'm not expecting you to take in the full potential of what templates are useful for, just trying to give you an indication of what they are used and useful for.<br />
:::Meanwhile, you had to 'write down' the link in {{template|brda}} in order to ''not'' write down the link in the place(s) you 'wrote down' the template instead. And, testing it (or maybe initialising it, as a red link) aside, the only place it seems you wanted it to be 'wrote down, but not by writing it down' was on the question in the Portal page. It saved you no work (or difficulty), and in fact slowed things down compared to just using it straight. So it didn't help you with point #1, above.<br />
:::Similarly, while you ''could'' have intended it to perhaps say "the thing I currently most want someone to explain is <insert latest thing>", where you just have to alter the <insert latest thing> elsewhere (without finding and editing where you mention it), it was named to suggest that you were never going to change the contents, referencing the current contents. And asking a question, getting answers then potentially 'silently' changing the question (but leaving the answers) isn't exactly useful. You'd be best to think of a different way of doing "At the moment, I'm most interested in <insert latest thing>" as a rolling record.<br />
:::I think what the above IP was imagining, though, was that you had wanted to do a Trout-or Whale-like template, but starting from the ground up. You were going to refine how the image (eventually, when properly marked-up) displayed, choose left/right/central justification, subtitle/surtitle, boundary box, etc, in one spot, perhaps even later change the image used from the What-If site version to your own freshly edited and uploaded (to here, presumably) animated-gif version, or potentially a more subtle edit. But by then you might have used the template-transclusion in several places, which you wouldn't now need to re-edit individually as you've changed the source 'page'.<br />
:::Also, it's worth noting that using templates for purely static content (at least between manual edits) is an organisational choice ''not too different'' from just transcluding a normal 'non-template' page itself. And the boundaries are blurred in the case of how the Main Page of this wiki uses nested templates and 'normal' transclusion to show the latest edit of the latest comic explanation in there at all times. But let us not get hooked up over such minutiæ, just yet. ;) With many authors, many ideas, much fine-tuning and jury-rigging of ad hoc mechanisms and back-end automation, you'll find blurred lines (and probably intentionally blurrable, from the way that the wikimedia framework was set up — itself a mass of bolts and screws from different developers across different timescales, or even the same developers with different ideas over time!) all over the place.<br />
:::Understanding it all is a lofty aim, and I'm only an amateur analyst of some small parts of it. Understanding ''the general concepts'', however, can act as a future springboard to such greater things and ways of thinking, even beyond the sphere of wikis themselves. Be curious, but also thoughtful. More haste, less speed. {{tvtropes|IceCreamKoan|<Insert further profound-sounding epithet here...>}} [[Special:Contributions/82.132.236.103|82.132.236.103]] 13:11, 11 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==moved stuff==<br />
<br />
Haha nice try<br />
<br />
:I'm just wondering what you are trying to do? And why? As you seem happy to still use this page. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.239.232|82.132.239.232]] 11:57, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Can you please un-move your User and Talk page? It's confusing and not in the format that is used here. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:46, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I concur. Also, Thx$store caused me quite the scare when my talk page was suddenly marked for deletion. I feel we should both remember to talk to experienced editors (namely Victoria, FaviFake, or Kynde) before making templates. They can get messy. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:37, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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I don’t know how to unmove though. [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 23:36, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Technically, it wouod be just a 'move back', what you did to move ot, reverse the from/to.<br />
:(There ''may'' be an "undo move" ability, but even a normal edit revert is just "re-edit to replace the newer stuff with the older stuff again", with a bit of text autoadded to the edit summary that says what you asked it to go back from, when it comes down to it. Rewinding anything can be done 'manually', to much the same effect. Of course, it all leaves edit histories and, possibly, whole legacy page-entries.)<br />
:Just avoid leaving a redirect from the 'old' ('older new') location to point to the 'new' ('older old', i.e. original) location, which might be an option given to you. But I've never seen this particular wiki's moving-pages, not having an account and presume (from what I've seen of past moves) that that's something set to have to actively tick to happen.<br />
:Just read the instructions and descriptions on and around the various bits of the webform/controls. You used them once, I think you can use them again.<br />
:Or ''ask'' someone else to do it, who is already well grounded in how to sort out this situation, if you're still unsure. An admin (''the'' admin) might correct blatantly wrong things for you (whether or not you think you want them to), but I'm sure other 'regular' users with a bit of editing under their belt can do almost anything other than actually deleting "To be deleted" pages, so long as they know they're not treading on anybody's toes.<br />
:I can't do anything myself, through deliberate choice, not being a registered user. But I've been around long enough that I hope I can at least advise you (or anyone else who'll take notice) well enough how to work it out for yourself. You really just need to think a little and make sure that what you're doing makes sense. And not to just go ahead and do random things 'because you can', tempting as that may be. ;) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.174|82.132.245.174]] 09:48, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::I think 'unmove' is an admin-only ability. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:43, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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==Tumbleweed==<br />
1: I belive tumbleweed is just a template that you use when you want to jokingly say that a page is dead (hasn't been updated in a long time). It's used in user pages to show that someone is probably not going to continue updating a certain section or the entire page.<br><br />
2: I have no clue what you did, but I had to revert your edit on my talk page. I'm not sure how, but you somehow managed to replace the entire convo about the signature issue with the tumbleweed? Thanks for reaching out! <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 16:57, 9 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:If you look at what was removed closely (as I actually did, after an initial idea that something else was involved), there was a <code><nowiki>{{w|wikilink]]</nowiki></code>, typoed to not close with the double-curly but the double-square.<br />
:I think this parsed with a closing double-curly in AFU's contribution to 'absorb' everything from that point onward to this new end-point (effectively hiding everything in the middle).<br />
:Of course, it's never a bad idea to Preview what is submitted. Which might have made it obvious, and could have cut down on the seven or eight edits. But, hey, {{tvtropes|TalkingIsAFreeAction|not that this is important}}... ;) [[Special:Contributions/2.98.65.8|2.98.65.8]] 20:50, 9 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
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==update==<br />
In case you’re wondering, I’m not dead. I also happen to forget my password, but I found it. [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 10:12, 14 March 2026 (UTC)</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:DollarStoreBa%27al&diff=390459User talk:DollarStoreBa'al2025-11-09T04:47:25Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* Tumble weed */ new section</p>
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<div>Speak through the interdimentional portal<br />
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==General Chitchat and such==<br />
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)<br />
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:Thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 19:11, 25 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:hi btw :) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:11, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
::hello, how are you doing this fine morning, my dear fellow? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:03, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
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==Hiyo==<br />
: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)<br />
:: Bello. me editor guy who edit much. edit fun! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:00, 3 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::hahahahaha edit fun indeed. [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:20, 4 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Question: How do you add those user boxes that you have on your page? Those would be nice to have. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:52, 6 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::copy and paste this and remove the nowiki tag: <br />
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<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:<br />
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<nowiki>{{Userbox | border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = ;) | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|This user _____ ]] | float = left}}</nowiki><br />
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[[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:50, 11 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::::Dude thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 13:48, 17 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::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)<br />
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==Wow==<br />
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)<br />
:Yes. Yes you are. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:43, 25 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::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)<br />
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::: No need. Also, I see you're from Louisiana. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 03:44, 29 March 2025 (UTC)]]<br />
::::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)<br />
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==The 5s and Es and Os==<br />
Reply to this if you've figured out what the meaning of the thingy on my user page is.<br />
:it's base 3 [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 09:07, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: :O [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:31, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: Nope! I'll give you a hint: talk to sam. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 14:33, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
https://voca.ro/1Akmh0zRqa8Q [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 16:02, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:uhhh...[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 20:41, 11 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
::sorry, that's not it. Don't know what to say to that.[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:54, 14 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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You have one week! Hint: beep boooop --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 16:30, 6 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:Morse code? [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 19:33, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::Morse code of what? You are very, very close.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:47, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
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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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 14:44, 13 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:It's better than [[2869: Puzzles]] [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 11:11, 14 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
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== Want to do some repetitive work? ==<br />
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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)<br />
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:What exactly would I be doing to get these features to work? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::If it isn't super-complex wikitext things I can totally help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]</sup> 19:21, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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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.<br />
[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1:_Barrel_-_Part_1&diff=374851&oldid=373457 You can follow this example]. The steps are:<br />
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Start from [[4|comic number 4]]:<br />
#Based on the short sentence written above the explanation, add "ognumber =", "ogprev =", and "ognext =" (so the navbar can work)<br />
#Add "oglink =", and move ONLY the link from "before" to "oglink" (so from HTTPS://..... until the end of the link, move that to "oglink")<br />
#Now, from the edit preview, copy the original title.<br />
#Delete everything in "before =" now that you moved the link<br />
#Add "ogtitle =" and paste the original title that you copied.<br />
#Finally, in "titletext", add two couples of apostrophes (<nowiki>''</nowiki>) in these places: https://imgur.com/a/BewKKr1<br />
#Now save the changes, and click the new white "Next >" button you just created to go to the next one!<br />
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)<br />
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me am do. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[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]</sup></sup> 20:51, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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: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)<br />
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Hey, I don't really understand where I'm supposed to put these. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:01, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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Nevermind, I got this. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:05, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
: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.<br />
:I'll let you know when you can continue. Thanks! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 21:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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alright, sounds good! Dang tho. Let me know and I'll get right back to it. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 13:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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: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)<br />
::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)<br />
:::So sorry about that, I noticed those random Html elements. Thought they were part of the bug. oops. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:16pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 22:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::No worries! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 11:05, 26 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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==The mistake==<br />
===Kynde's talk page===<br />
You might want to expedite the actual deletion of [[User:User:User:User:User:User/Mr. Beast is trying to aquire my bones]] (and its User Talk counterpart). I believe the editor concerned was sleep-deprived (but wouldn't put it past being instead a chemical imbalance of some legal ''or'' illegal kind). I'd have added the Pages To Delete category, but there's already a few of those hanging around unfulfilled... [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.176|82.132.246.176]] 17:02, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::Ok man, I created that page because I wanted somewhere that would <br />
*Be private (which it is. It's impossible to create the account User:User:User:User:User. I checked.)<br />
*Affect Nobody (which it shouldn't. The only person it's affecting is you.)<br />
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You've also [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:DGAF&diff=prev&oldid=385114 vandalized] [[Template:DGAF]], which I created, is inspired by 42.book.addict, and affects nobody but me. This makes me think that you're just looking through my contributions and immediately flagging things you frame as 'wrong'. This is not only incredibly creepy, but is also completely pointless. I'm a high school student on the internet. Also, I believe you're the same person who insulted me about DSBContribs, which I no longer use, and was fixed. Just stop and let me do my own thing. Amusedly and angrily, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:11, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Given other recent activity, it ''looked'' like another example of {{diff|385026|editing whilst insensible}} (together with statements about returning to school, put me in mind the situation of which the {{w|Eternal September}} was the next step). i.e. honest errors of judgement.<br />
:To term the "UserUserUser..." space 'private' is erroneous. It can be seen by anyone. It can be ''edited'' by anyone. Though, by convention, only the User Talk should be edited by anyone other than the ultimate named User. Which you aren't, BTW... create for someone else, ''if you must'', if they're too new and unwilling to wait the trivial amount of time before they can. Creating the spaces for someone who didn't request help or ''doesn't even exist'' needs some form of justification that you're well short of.<br />
:It affects everyone if random, meaningless and context-free pages are added to the wiki 'just for fun'. Data isn't free. Storage isn't limitless. Potentially obscuring real useful (on-topic) information with stupid semi-vandalism (that I didn't think you'd do intentionally, based upon prior behaviour), is not something I expected. But it looked like a momentary lapse that (being on the scene) I tried to helpfully deal with as much as I could. (If I'd have been an Admin, myself, I ''would'' have just deleted them. 'Luckily' for you, I have no interest in that amount of leverage, I'm sticking what anyone can do, perhaps the next person along would have reacted the same, or worse.)<br />
:No, I'm not stalking you. All edits are visible, you made edits, I saw them. I remember DSBContribs (or similar, if it's what I think you mean), but didn't recall it was your work. And others, including a named user, 'insulted' you about that. Or, as I recall, questioned the reasoning behind it, and didn't get a sensible answer. So 0lease accept my apologies. It seems that you ''are'' the kind of person to create useless pages like these last few. If I had known that, I wouldn't have come here suggesting that they were in error, but come here to just draw Kynde's attention to them as effectively being vandalism.<br />
:And, because your template page tried to link to a non-existing wiki page, I also just made it go somewhere that works. That was before reading here how this may well have been culpably intentional, so again was done out of more good faith helpfulness than it turns out I should have been employing.<br />
:That's regardless of your age, BTW. Whether you're at "High School" in the US, at maybe 14-18+ years old, or a High School like I attended where I am (and many years ago), which was for 11-16+ then workplaces or college (then maybe uni) beckoned. You don't need to be older to be more sensible about these things, and you don't need to be young to act idiotically.<br />
:And, lucky you, you get this shiny wiki (and everything else) to work with. I had no access to the Internet until I was 18 (though, at that time, the web itself hadn't been invented, let alone wikis), and of course made my own goofs (asked whether I needed to buy an estamp to send an email!).<br />
:But let me not bore you. I'm not in control here, only a fellow traveller who would give advice and assistance to those who might need it, and cares perhaps more than you might 'give a fuck' about various corners of the online world, like this. Reasoning over, lecture finished, friendly advice concluded. I just shoved it all in one reply to save you the trouble of having to deal with an impatiently slow conversation. And to not keep 'pinging' Kynde's email notification more than necessary (sorry Kynde!)... [[Special:Contributions/82.132.247.23|82.132.247.23]] 20:47, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::Do you wish to know something? I'm 14. User:User:User:User:User is (and I checked) completely impossible to create, as shown in this image: [[File:refutation.png]] But, if you wish, I shall make it a subpage of my own account. <br />
::Yes, of course it's ''technically'' public, but unless people specifically search for that page (which is still a subpage, btw), it won't affect anybody. Also, I'd like to point out, everybody editing any page is the ''whole point'' of a wiki. Yes, storage isn't limitless. Very cool. At this point, that page is a drop in the ocean of data already contributed by all the rest of these pages (including the lecture you just added, which is ''more'' bytes than the pages I created).<br />
::Thank you for that edit, by the way. When I previewed it, it showed that it did go to the correct page ({{w|Wikipedia:Don't-give-a-fuckism}}), so I published it that way. However, your edits make it seem like you're definitely stalking me. From what I've seen, all you've done is edit recent comic pages and berate me (and Kynde) about my mistakes. <br />
::DSBContribs was my work. I did, however, provide a sensible reason as to why I created it. If you didn't see it, here it is:<br />
<br />
::DSBContribs was created specifically for my signature. At the time I created this, I had no idea what subpages were and I was running out of characters on my signature. I created it because I thought it wouldn't be a hindrance to the wiki and it would save me precious characters on my signature.<br />
::However, I do still apologize, even if the insulting on the template was a ''bit'' far and not in the least helpful. I will move Mr.Beast is trying to aquire my bones to a subpage of my own. I will fix that template (which was not useless) and subsequently delete the content from the three unnecessary redirects. I had no intention of vandalizing the wiki, as I've stated multiple times. No page I create is meant to be vandalism in any way, and I try to do my best to help the wiki be the best it can be. Sometimes it gets boring being 'sensible' all the time (especially in IB classes, where I regularly have 3+ hours of homework/night), and I wanted some sort of way to let all the wild shit that my ADHD makes out. That's what came out. Again, I truly apologize.<br />
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I bid thee well on wherever the journey of life may take thee, fellow traveler. May we see each other again, be it in life, in death, or in the cursed month of Jancember. Take Care.<br />
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Ba'al, teenage Soul-Eater, out.<br />
<br />
:Wow that was a long read. I do give a f**k about not having such a template her so I deleted that instantly! I'm going to wait till you have moved relevant content of the user:user page somewhere with a more sensible name. ASnd no I do not think you should just write random gibberish on any pages here. And no I do not think we should have such a confusing page on here. So yes I will delete it eventually. If there is anything valuable on the page, make a different page, call it your sandbox or something, I don't know, but not something which is impossible for me or any one else to find out what it is supposed to be, like this many times user page. We have so many random users being created and many of them begin to spam us and has to be blocked. I do really not have the time to such a debate as the one here, so I hope you will do as I say and we can end this nicely. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:38, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Something you probably didn't see: The fact that I did move the page to a sandbox YESTERDAY. Good day, and make Jeff proud. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:42, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::No I did not see as I do not stalk anyone here: So I can then delete [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/User:DollarStoreBa%27al/Mr._Beast_is_trying_to_aquire_my_bones this page] now? And please try not to insult me with any mention of Jeff. He is no longer active and no one has any contact with him on these pages. I'm not happy about being the only active admin here, but you should reply decently! Thanks. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:45, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Well, I never accused you of stalking (unless you were the IP in disguise), and I never meant to insult you with making Jeff proud. I like to imagine him as a father looking at his millionaire son with pride. If you wish to, delete the page. Go ahead, it won't affect anyone. Except me. And maybe mystery British(?) IP. This feud is over, and has been for hours. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:57, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::DollarStoreBa'al, I would very strongly recommend you to relax a bit and stop being so attacking/condescending. A lot of your edits don't make sense and aren't helping or contributing towards the growth and improvement of this wiki, so of course other users will be confused and annoyed. Maybe take a break from editing for a bit and mull over your edits for a bit? '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:01, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::You're right. 42. You're always right :) --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 16:07, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::::I'm so sorry. You don't need to forgive me for this. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 16:26, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
===My talk page===<br />
<br />
N 19:49 heADer TExt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:49 hEaDeR tEXt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:46 hEaDeR TeXt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:46 HEADER TEXT (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:45 header Text (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:45 Header Text (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
...now that I know you're doing stupid and unnecessary things deliberately, I won't try to provide help. And you, of course won't be taking my friendly advice, so I'll try not to disturb you further, if I can help it. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.82|82.132.244.82]] 20:57, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:I KNEW YOU WERE STALKING MY EDITS! Now that you have discovered that I've done unnecessary edits (which are only affecting you), try zooming out a little. Specifically, to the 2,000 bytes I added to [[What if? Chapters]]. I didn't get almost 300 contribution score by doing meme edits all day. Besides, three of those are genuinely useful, and I'm not going to listen to a random IP with maybe 10 edits tops telling me how to edit a wiki. If you want to fix my work, go right ahead. That's what wikis are for. I invite you to fix everything. If you stop stalking my contributions page.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 23:07, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Also, I would like to point out that it's harder to get more unfriendly than making a template which only links to my user page insult me, thereby vandalizing my user page. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 23:11, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::There was going to be no further reply, but you need to know these things:<br />
::;I KNEW YOU WERE STALKING MY EDITS!<br />
::Read what I said. All edits are visible. That's an extract from that list of all edits via the Recent Changes link. You are not being 'stalked'. Though, if I ''could'' easily do so, I'd now specifically hide all your edits and let absolutely ''anyone'' else work out what (if anything) to do in response.<br />
::;Specifically, to the 2,000 bytes I added to [[What if? Chapters]].<br />
::That looked good, as far as I saw it. Would you have me edit something that didn't need editing, just to congratulate you for a job adequately done? There was something I ''might'' have changed, but so trivial that I actively chose not to, and I am now thankful of that.<br />
::;I didn't get almost 300 contribution score by doing meme edits all day.<br />
::Good for you, if the contribution score means so much to you. Quality over quantity is better, and doesn't have a hand macro to show it. But you do you, if you're chasing the scoreboard rankings alone.<br />
::;and I'm not going to listen to a random IP with maybe 10 edits tops telling me how to edit a wiki.<br />
::As you point out, elsewhere, my IP ''will'' keep changing. (And I'm not the only person who may have appeared on any given IP.) I shudder to think how many edits I've made here, in reality, but shall I show you edits by various IPs across a decade or so and claim them as mine? No, because the merit (or otherwise) of one's latest contribution is all that matters. I'm usually happy to be an anon-IP, amongst other anon-IPs and named-users (both venerable and fleetingly transient alike). <br />
::;If you stop stalking my contributions page.<br />
::I can reassure you that I've probably never even looked at ''your'' specific contributions page, certainly not for a long time. I normally only ever check those to check whether "one-edit vandals" have perhaps made other edits that had temporarily slipped under the collective radar, but I don't think I had ever considered you as one of them, before, even back when you were new here. (How long is that? Six months. Two years? Maybe a bit longer?I could look it up easily by checking your contribs page, but I'm now firmly resolved to not do that, for your sake.)<br />
::<br />
::If any what I have written reads as less than polite, it's perhaps partly my exasperation leaking through. By the time I felt the need to add another word to "unnecessary", above, I can see that this had happened. For which I am sorry.<br />
::But text-only communications, like this, also tend to be read in a way that the reader's mood dictates. And I think some of my more straightforward initial contributions got misread at your end, tinted with reflected emotion.<br />
::And, please, let this be it. The world doesn't need to see this, nor does the server need it being added to, and of course there's no alternative backchannel to conduct a lengthy private conversation about it all. I shall read what you reply, just because it's hard to ''not'' read anything that isn't deleted/overwritten, but please no more needless creation of fake user pages (or, indeed, IP user pages). Unnecessary and as likely to be removed as anything else out there. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.228|82.132.244.228]] 05:07, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It is probable that you didn't see the reply I gave you on Kynde's talk page. Here is that reply: <br />
<br />
:Do you wish to know something? I'm 14. User:User:User:User:User is (and I checked) completely impossible to create, as shown in this image: [[File:refutation.png]] But, if you wish, I shall make it a subpage of my own account.<br />
:Yes, of course it's technically public, but unless people specifically search for that page (which is still a subpage, btw), it won't affect anybody. Also, I'd like to point out, everybody editing any page is the whole point of a wiki. Yes, storage isn't limitless. Very cool. At this point, that page is a drop in the ocean of data already contributed by all the rest of these pages (including the lecture you just added, which is more bytes than the pages I created).<br />
:Thank you for that edit, by the way. When I previewed it, it showed that it did go to the correct page (Wikipedia:Don't-give-a-fuckism), so I published it that way. However, your edits make it seem like you're definitely stalking me. From what I've seen, all you've done is edit recent comic pages and berate me (and Kynde) about my mistakes.<br />
:DSBContribs was my work. I did, however, provide a sensible reason as to why I created it. If you didn't see it, here it is:<br />
<br />
:DSBContribs was created specifically for my signature. At the time I created this, I had no idea what subpages were and I was running out of characters on my signature. I created it because I thought it wouldn't be a hindrance to the wiki and it would save me precious characters on my signature.<br />
:However, I do still apologize, even if the insulting on the template was a bit far and not in the least helpful. I will move Mr.Beast is trying to aquire my bones to a subpage of my own. I will fix that template (which was not useless) and subsequently delete the content from the three unnecessary redirects. I had no intention of vandalizing the wiki, as I've stated multiple times. No page I create is meant to be vandalism in any way, and I try to do my best to help the wiki be the best it can be. Sometimes it gets boring being 'sensible' all the time (especially in IB classes, where I regularly have 3+ hours of homework/night), and I wanted some sort of way to let all the wild shit that my ADHD makes out. That's what came out. Again, I truly apologize. I hope this marks the end of this little spat we've had.<br />
I bid thee well on wherever the journey of life may take thee, fellow traveler. May we see each other again, be it in life, in death, or in the cursed month of Jancember. Take Care.<br />
<br />
Ba'al, teenage Soul-Eater, out.<br />
<br />
:See my reply there: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/User_talk:Kynde#On_Template:DGAF_and_User:User:User:User:User:User.2FMr._Beast_is_trying_to_aquire_my_bones Reply] --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:42, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: I just did, and I did just respond. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:43, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==My Mistakes==<br />
=== Your signature is in violation of {{w|WP:SIGAPP}} ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
Changed to 14pt. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:14pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 13:02, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
FINE --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:14, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
:: I thought the issue was the height? Doesn't the wiki use 12pt font, which that Sig is? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:27, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::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)<br />
<br />
=== Mass-deleting links ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
===Creating someone's User pages, without being asked===<br />
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)<br />
:Yup, I also pointed it out. In case you missed my reply to your message, here's a copy: <br />
:”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)<br />
::Sorry about that. Just trying to help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:34, 28 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
=== NEWS ===<br />
<br />
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?<br />
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:48, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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]]<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
=== Why [...] is DSBContribs a thing? ===<br />
<br />
Did you seriously have to create a page in the main namespace with the sole purpose of redirecting to your user contributions page?<br />
<br />
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).<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
::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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::: Hi, it's me (on a different IP because I'm at home now).<br />
:::: I'm sorry for being so aggressive in my original comment, I thought you were a grown adult, not a teen. ("think is an 8-year old" is incorrect btw, I was saying you were "acting like an 8 year old", but that itself was too harsh).<br />
:::: I made stupid mistakes too when I was around your age, and I should have assumed good faith rather than take such an aggressive tone.<br />
:::: Sorry for that, and good luck with school! [[Special:Contributions/90.219.64.93|90.219.64.93]] 13:50, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::: I accept your apology with open arms. I truly hope we can work together to improve the wiki in the future. Best regards, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:11, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
=== Possessive and contracted "its"/"it's". ===<br />
<br />
This also confused me, oh so many years ago. Then I was given a handy way of knowing ''which'' was the exception, which has served me well, and I've never had to second-guess myself. (Naturally, I've probably typoed/thinkoed it wrong, unconsciously... But since then I've never had a moment of doubt when I've deliberately kept myself/others correct.) Maybe it'll help you. - I tried to summarise it in the edit I made to the message concerned, but ''not enough space'' to do it justice...<br />
#The possessive version is "its". It is one of a number of "irregular possessives", "his" instead of "him's"/, "hers" instead of "her's", "theirs" instead of "they's"/"them's".<br />
#*Basically all the very common and basic pronoun-based possessives that (as I think of it, although not entirely correctly) were added to the language ''long before'' anybody actually tried to regularise the use of possessives, so just stuck that way. If it belongs to "him", "her", "me" "you", "us", "them" ''and'' "it", you're in the realms of using a completely irregular possessive, none of which use apostrophes.<br />
#*''Personally'', I think that "one" (the equally 'basic', IMO, impersonal pronoun) should be included in that. Not for the likes of {{w|Ones' complement}} (that's belonging to (a number of) digit-ones), but in the "{{w|One (pronoun)|one}} is speaking sense. But (as noted in that last link), it isn't. So don't do that.<br />
#This leaves the contractive version as the one that uses the apostrophe. With two interesting caveats:<br />
#*There ''are'' irregular contractions. The word "forecastle" contracts to "fo'c'sle" or "fo'c's'le", which is a lot more overkill than other similarly complicated contractions. And "will not" becomes "won't" (or, some suggest, just "wont", though that's also a different word), despite not having the right set of letters in the right order to remain after (at least) the "not"->"n't" contraction.<br />
#*In reporting speech, where someone says "it's just something I want to say", use it without fear. But, when writing, I find that (except for ''very'' casual use, essentially speaking in text ...or of course when tending to write in abbreviations/limited space) it's{{asic}} just much better to write "it is", in full. Can't(cannot) be written wrong, couldn't(/could not) be read wrong.<br />
#Oh, and then theres "its'", the plural-(non-irregular-)possessive, which ''could'' be used in certain circumstances... "There are loads of ''its'' in this text, without apostrophes... please check that each ''its''' punctuation is correct!". But... not a common occurance. (Far less than "belonging to the word 'it'", the sole reason to use possessive "it's".) ;)<br />
<br />
...TL;DR;, irregular possesive "its" because of all the other irregular possessive pronouns that have words of their own. And you might just find it easier to uncontract "it's", most of the time, ''especially'' if you're still not entirely sure about it. (Or, perhaps, you're happy to not let go of such a minor degree of gravitas, and it's not transcriped real-world enunciation, which might even feature such monstrosities as "couldn't've" as the contraction of "could not have"!)<br />
<br />
Don't know if that helps, or is understandable, but there you are. Overexplained and overly rambling, as it is..! [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 21:51, 22 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:While you have way too much time on your hands, it'sn't (it is not) hard to understand, so thank you! As I said, <i>it's</i> basically my only grammatical flaw, so this helps tremendously. Damn my brain and <i>its</i> grammatical irregularities. <i>Its</i> a pleasure to talk with you! Sincerely, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 00:40, 23 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Definitely didn't just make a mistake on an it's. After reading a full page worth of why not to. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 00:44, 23 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==excuse me==<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
==template==<br />
<br />
What is a template? What’s a {{Trout}} and {{Whale}}?<br />
<br><br />
If it looks weird, click edit [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 12:20, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:41, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::how can I create one? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:21, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:::Here's something that may be able to help: {{AprilFoolsHelp}} --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:43, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::thxxxxxxxxx [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:::::You are very welcome! I hope you are excited to start contributing to the wiki! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::::By the way, please don't be afraid to ask me any questions at all. If I can, I will help! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:48, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::::Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]], which is <nowiki>{{Thx$store}}</nowiki> (if I can call you that)<br />
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==Template Tips==<br />
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:<br />
*Templates are easy to create.<br />
*It's useful to learn from other templates.<br />
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.<br />
: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.<br />
:To the above, I'd add:<br />
:*Know what purpose your template will have.<br />
: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.<br />
: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'.<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
:While this is very useful, it would be nice if you posted this on [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!]]'s talk page. He's the one learning the ropes, and it would probably be very useful to him. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 17:47, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Requests/favors==<br />
If you need anything done, reach out to me! I'll let you know what I can do to help you! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:49, 15 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hi [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]], are you good enough to have the link to my user page? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 01:57, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Done! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:56, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
==Hello again Darling :D==<br />
I'm back after the summer hello sir O) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 13:59, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:A fellow school-based follower of the truth, I see! Welcome back, and I wish thee well on your adventures. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:00, 26 August 2025 (UTC) P.S. I use monobook style now.<br />
<br />
==Category thing==<br />
Hey, can someone tell me why my talk page is on 'pages to delete?' {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|18:08, 27 August 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:I have tracked it down to {{diff|383609|this edit}} by [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!]], where they used a (fairly useless and unnecessary) template (that they created themselves) called <nowiki>Template:Thx$store</nowiki> to thank you for helping to teach them the process of creating a new template. Since I marked that template for deletion, when the comment calls for the template, it also marks your talk page for deletion. I have changed it so that the template is replaced with the text that it would substitute in and your page is no longer marked for deletion. Also signed off your unsigned comment. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 18:30, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::When someone says "I have tracked it down" you know they mean business. Thanks, that's quite reassuring. Another mystery IP (not sure if it's the same guy as today) did warn him not to make meaningless templates. Of course, I also made a meaningless template, so.... --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:33, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Do you not learn? ==<br />
<br />
You say that you've learned from your mistakes, yet I don't see any changes. You say that you're an incoming 9th grader and that's somehow an excuse for your immaturity, but I'm also a 9th grader and can compose myself perfectly fine. You say that you won't do the same mistakes again, yet you still create useless pages. How many more are you going to create? I really don't want to be yelling at you like this, but I just don't think you'll be able to change without it. FYI, I've marked User:DSB and the /C pages for deletion. Grow up. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 21:41, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Look. You aren't a bad person. In fact, I wholeheartedly believe that your passion can turn into a positive thing for this wiki. The thing is, you have a tendency to try to fix things by doing even more things, often panicking and making the situation worse. I've already told you this before, but I'll reemphasize it for you. '''TAKE A BREAK.''' Go for some walks. Work on your homework. Talk to people. Hang out with some friends. Don't just spend all your time on here. Trust me, I made the same mistake before. I would recommend a couple days of rest. See how it feels! It might hurt in the beginning, but nobody NEEDS you on here so badly to work on things to the point of such fanatic editing. I don't think Kynde, FaviFake, or any of the other editors hate you, to be honest. We're all just annoyed that you seem to not listen to our advice and keep on making the same mistakes. It's fine to make mistakes-that's how we learn! But you need to stop worrying so much and just step away from the screen for a bit. (Also, I'd recommend talking to a friend or a trusted adult. Your /PRIVATE page seems to be filled with quite a bit of self-hatred. Don't listen to that voice in your head. She's a bitch and none of it is true. I've dealt with poor mental health too. In fact, that's one of the reasons why I had left for so long. You should try to get these feelings out in a healthy way, instead of taking it out yourself or spending all your time online. Nobody thinks you're stupid. You just need to learn how things are done around here. If that's on a steep learning curve, so be it. Just keep on pushing through, and listen to people more.) And finally, you ''can'' make subpages, but try to reduce the number that you have. Think to yourself before you make one: do I TRULY need this? Will it help me out positively in the long run? If not, just put it in another section of your userpage (or make a proper sandbox!). Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk, and I wish you all a good night. Tori, signing off. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 04:05, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::Take a break / Hey, our kid is pretty great / Run away with us for the summer / Let's go upstate / Eliza, I've got so much on my plate / We can all go stay with my father<br />
<br />
::There's a lake I know (I know) / In a nearby park (I'd love to go) / You and I can go when the night gets dark / '''I will try to get away''' <br />
<br />
::Such a good song, Lin cooked with that one. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:03, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== are you ok? ==<br />
<br />
do you need help? [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 06:11, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Would you prefer to get a Blog? ==<br />
<br />
User pages are sufficient to give an idea of who you are, and User Talk ones for people to talk to you about your contributions/etc.<br />
<br />
Maybe create sub-pages if you have a relevant site-related project and need 'a space' for them. Such as, as an off-the-wall example, "a list of all the instances of comics that have less than the average number of vowels in them". Perhaps in the hope that it'll be appreciated and made into a more regular page.<br />
<br />
But from what I've seen of your 'contributions' this week, none of that applies. Drunk-typing? Well, ''probably'' not if you're still so far underage that you probably don't have decent access to anything stronger than wine-gums, but definitely you weren't in full control of your keyboard. We've other people on here, as young as you, and have had even younger ones. If we can actually believe what anybody reveals about theirselves. (I'm a 111-year old hobbit, by the way.) You've been one of the most immaturely-acting people here who haven't actually been '''obviously''' trying to vandalise this site, and I'm sure you've strained the patience of pretty much everyone.<br />
<br />
But you're not the first to go a little wild, like this. And - dare I say it - some of those who went on to be mainstays of this site got over the novelty of "anyone can edit (almost) anything", and possibly a rush of teenage hormones messing up their judgement. May I suggest you ''take a deep breath'' and work out what it is that you're doing that is creating such friction and push-back? I've seen you being a reasonable contributor before, and it's not even been all bad over the last week or so.<br />
<br />
And you may have personal life changes going on. Those hormones, issues at home/school/elsewhere, general worries about the state of the world that you're growing up into... maybe a combination of them, or some of these things even ''causing'' some of the others. It happens. You're not alone ...even if one of the key issues is actually in feeling alone! But this is not necessarily the place to try to reshape the world like this.<br />
<br />
How about you stick a little more to just xkcd matters, for the time being. There are plenty of other ways, and places, to run through whatever it is that you might be going through, and it might be best to balance things a bit more 'worklike' here than too much 'at play', like it looks like you're doing at the moment. Rebalance back to 'just enough of each' later.<br />
<br />
And if you ''do'' get somewhere to blog, you'll even have a lot more control. Create anything you want (more or less, within the T&Cs of the service), not worrying about other people editing it, and probably even later cleanly delete anything you no longer want (with no pesky Page History open for everyone to read). You could even put a link to your blog here in your User space, if you want to. At least the blog that you want to connect to yourself here. (You can have an xkcd-adjacent one, ''and'' one to cry out in anguish if you so wish. And a third to... well, you get the idea.) And the skills to maintain blog code is a bit more 'real-world' than the purely wiki-related markup you learn here, and you can still learn the wiki-markup in parallel with getting to grips with HTML or other popular {{w|Content management system}} markup, giving you a few more useful lifeskills that ''merely'' being eventually a master wiki-guru.<br />
<br />
How does that sound? Please do stay, but please also consider if everything you're doing is strictly necessary. I see I'm not the only one driven to try to explain this to you. And for some reason I thought I might be able to quickly suggest a solution to this little quandry. (No, it hasn't actually been that quick, has it.) If you really don't like what I say here... delete it. And I'll say no more. Or just tell me to mind my own business. I've probably got some other things to do around here, if our other old-hand editors don't get there before me! [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 22:34, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I really should, shouldn't I... I'll try to find one. Yesterday and today have mainly been focused on What If? Chapters and a potential new project with Tori (Have you met her? She's lovely) about Sigs. Today has mainly been the latter, with a bit of the former, and some sig ideas I've been working on. I've been trying to stick to more useful matters. For example, /WORKPAGE currently contains drafts of some unfinished What If? Chapters I've been working on. So, I have been attempting to work on more xkcd-related matters. Is it ok if you could <br />
<br />
:But, I shall heed your advice. I shall get a blog (not blood, autocorrect). Do you have any recommendations for where to start?<br />
<br />
:One last thing: Could you show me one of the apparent 'drunk typing' incidents? I edit on my school Chromebook, so I wouldn't be surprised if the keyboard decided to be weird. Thank you for the advice! Once, again, I shall heed it. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 22:51, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Oh, and by the way, I will not delete this thread. Also, how do you access the internet in Valinor?<br />
::'Drunkeness', or whatever it was, was very evident in something like {{diff|385245|here}}. More mundane 'misuse of the keyboard' issues are the times you add multiple linefeeds between very simple statements. You need to do two line-feeds to 'separate the paragraphs', any more than that is not normally visually necessary at all, and can ''look'' like you weren't even paying full attention at the time, however well-written the line-fragments between are. If it weren't for the fact that there were actual (sort-of-)discernable words in there, the 'drunk' one could also have perhaps been a "cat walked on my keyboard" issue. Were you and the cat ''both'' trying to use the keyboard? (Or one of you trying to walk on it, the other trying to type on it. One way round or the other?) I think it's that kind of thing that got people initially concerned about you. Help us to help you (to help yourself?), maybe. [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 02:10, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::i don't think the help is strictly necessary, but, as I said before, do you have any suggestions for places to make a blog? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 18:30, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::I don't blog, so nothing from personal experience. I bet you could use some Google-Fu (or Bing-Fu, or DuckDuckGo-Fu, or AltaVista-Fu, or AskJeeves-Fu, or...) to find a few such solutions, then look at all their offerings (check their wikipedia pages..? and, yeah, add some Wiki-Fu to the previous list of ways in which to search) and decide which one works for you. Or which two or three, and try them out with either completely identical aims in mind or initially split up your interests (one's your sports-appreciation, another is about what your favourite TV is, a third being your humorous observations about things you see every day, ...), then you can keep running the one(s) that turn out to work for you.<br />
::::You know what you currently want, better than me or aanyone. [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 23:50, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::If you need a blog, and don't know what platforms to use, I'd recommend making a Google Site or Wordpress blog. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 19:10, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== {{w|Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/ltbdl}} ==<br />
<br />
they think we're the same person, ha. [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 02:29, 2 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:I did not think this is what I would come back to. That's wild and hilarious. <br />
<br />
:They are raeb<br />
<br />
:And I am Dollar<br />
<br />
:And we are not the same person<br />
<br />
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:42, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::OMG THEY BANNED YOU WTF? I've pleaded your case, but idk if they'll respond. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:49, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Okay, wait a second. A checkuser does checks on User IPs. If you were found guilty, that means that you were editing under the same IP as me. By any chance, do you go to school in Lincoln, NE? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 14:04, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::one, revert your case pleading, it's silly and won't help, and two, we're "very unlikely" to be the same person according to checkuser, don't panic. maybe link them here. (i don't go to school in lincoln.) [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 15:00, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::Ok, now it's weird. I didn't know you couldn't have alt accounts, even if you explicitly stated that they were, indeed, alt accounts. Seems a bit strict if you ask me. Also, 1+1=Window, not Yes. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 22:53, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Can you please help me==<br />
I helped you with the userboxes. Now I need your help. How do I get my sig to be something besides what it is now? [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 19:34, 9 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Hi there, Tori here. If you want to change your signature, go to your preferences page on the top right of the website (it's next to your Talk page and Watchlist). Scroll down until you see the signatures section and change it. If you need help figuring out wikitext, feel free to shoot me a message on my [[user talk:42.book.addict|talk page]]! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 01:32, 10 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Template:what if? chapters ==<br />
<br />
Sorry, but what's the point of creating a template for what if chapters? What do you intend to use it for? '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:28, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:I intended it as a workaround in order to edit two pages at once. (those being the blog page and the chapters page). I noticed there was a discrepancy between the tables on the two pages, and I created a workaround for it. Also, it's faster than copy-pasting, now that the load times are astronomical. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 16:30, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Sounds good! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:40, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
Ok I'm sorry but I had to change it back. Here are a few drawbacks:<br />
#Now people reading our summaries can't edit them directly.<br />
#The history is gone. You should've moved the page, not copy and paste. Both for copyright attribution (see {{w|WP:CWW]]) and for maintenance, to see when and why something was added.<br />
#Now we need to transclude the table on 1 more page (servers!), and the pages that were already transcluding the page (except [[what if? (blog)]]) now are transcluding both the page AND the template.<br />
And most importantly: there wasn't any discrepancy between the pages that transcluded the pages, just as there is no discrepancy now. The table was the exact same.<br />
<br />
Could you explain what discrepancy you saw? The code and text behind the original [[What If? Chapters]] page, the blog page, the new template you created, and any other pages transcluding [[What If? Chapters]] was truly identical (and still is, just with the added issues listed above.).<br />
<br />
Also; templates are not supposed to be edited frequently. A template is created in order to save time writing the same code on dozens or hundreds of pages. The table both needs to be edited and is only transcluded on a few pages. These are the pages in which the page was transcluded: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/What_If%3F_chapters&hidelinks=1&hideredirs=1] --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 10:04, 4 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:There were just some chapter summaries I saw that were different between the blog page and the chapters page. I'm not angry about this, thanks for bringing up the points which I am not advanced enough to see. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 12:55, 6 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Huh, that's odd. The only difference between the two is that the last header cell on the left becomes highlighted in yellow when transcluded. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 19:16, 7 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Current signature. ==<br />
<br />
I've noticed that your signature does <all the fancy stuff><NEWLINE><space><timestamp>. Might be a good idea to remove the <NEWLINE> before the (presumably auto-appended) <space><timestamp> as it currently puts your<br />
timestamp like this.<br />
<br />
Which is ''probably'' not what you'd intended. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.74|82.132.245.74]] 20:47, 4 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:......Nope, didn't intend that. I'll see if I can fix it. (not signing this because... well, you know) --DSB {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|21:12, 4 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
::I've found the issue. I was trying to make my signature in times new roman using [[Template:TNR]]. This template uses div for it's styling. For some reason, it's inserting <nowiki></div></nowiki> between the signature and timestamp rather than after. Is there a way to get the <nowiki></div></nowiki> to go after the timestamp rather than before (which is what I was intending)? Thanks! --DSB {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|21:18, 4 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:::Standard advice is to not use div-tags in your custom .sig, for exactly this reason. You should be able to do the same (except for the undesired newline-forcing) with span-tagging where you invoked div-tags.<br />
:::The way it rendered (must basically have been subst:ed between what you used and how it renders), I didn't know you'd used the TNR template. If that's for character-length reasons then a "TNRspan" template (or something ''not'' four characters longer, if you're extremely tight for space) would have to be used.<br />
:::Or change the TNR so <code><nowiki>{{TNR|span=yes}}</nowiki></code> will specially 'return' you your no-Div version (that's the nice-looking version; you could also have it do something like responding to <code><nowiki>{{{1}}}</nowiki></code> being "s" or "1", if you can only afford to extend by two extra characters). That makes the one template dual-use, instead of making another template.<br />
:::TIMTOWTDI. But you'll know what you want to do, I can only give vague pointers. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.74|82.132.245.74]] 22:22, 4 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Weird. I changed the TNR template to <nowiki><span></nowiki> instead of <nowiki><div></nowiki>, but upon testing it's still doing that weird newline thing. {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|14:11, 5 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:::::Finally fixed. I can't get the timestamp to also be TNR, but at least it doesn't auto-newline. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::::That looks not too bad, though the timestamp is sans-serif again. Though ''might' in part be browser-dependant as to how it looks (mine may react only to the 'serif' and not the full 'Times New Roman', giving a TNR''-like'' serif-font that works good adjacent to the non-specific choice of sans-serif font. Also, at first glance, there's a mystery as to why the timestamp is '''''BOLD+ITALIC''' (or maybe STRONG+EMPHASIS, for the pedants).<br />
::::::The structure is probably as follows, rewritten just for visual representation/explanation. Formatting that you do is in ()s, my explanatory notes are in ** and * pairs:<br />
**start of 'fixed text' signature insertion**<br />
(SPANopen style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;")<br />
--<br />
(BOLD+ITALICstart)<br />
(LINKpage)User:DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(LINKtext)<br />
(SPANopen style="color:#E3C6BE")<br />
DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end:style="color:#E3C6BE")<br />
(LINKclose)<br />
(SUPERSCRIPTopen)<br />
(LINKpage)User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(LINKtext)<br />
(SPANopen style="color:#CC9A8B")<br />
Converse<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end:style="color:#CC9A8B")<br />
(LINKclose)<br />
(SUPERSCRIPTclose)<br />
*expected to be an /implied/ (BOLD+ITALICSclose), here*<br />
*check HTML source for why not?*<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end: style="font-family: Times New Roman...etc")<br />
**end of 'fixed text' signature insertion**<br />
**start of 'timestamp' signature insertion**<br />
*BOLD+ITALICS is still active?*<br />
*but all /other/ formats ended by the most recent (SPANclose)*<br />
14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
**end of 'timestamp' signature insertion**<br />
::::::Without looking at exactly what you're doing behind the scenes, I'm not ''entirely'' sure, but I think the {{template|TNR}} includes a close-Span tag, preventing that from 'rolling on' into the timestamp bit.<br />
::::::Exactly how the '''''BOLD+ITALIC''''' rolls on, I don't know without checking the HTML source. Might be an intentional function of the wikimarkup-to-HTML conversion that 'remembers' that formatting and reapplies it as necessary, at least until a 'forced' end-of-scope (end of a Div or P tag, a Br/Hr monotag, new ordered/unordered list item (or changing the list-level), table cell/row transitions, and then there's the next (same/different) ":"-prepended indented follow-up lines and (of course) double-newlines) to force even no-prefix lines into paragraph-breaks. All of these (and other less obvious wikimarkup scenarios) probably translate to a hard /div closure in the HTML.<br />
::::::Does {{template|TNR}} currently close its own Span? Does removing that Span-end let it 'roll on' over the timestamp? If you do that, does the insert-signature process close off all remaining Spans ''after'' the timestamp? (Normally, a signature is followed by a newline+newline or at least a newline+:nextlinehasindents, but if you add a P.S. comment after a timestamp that benefits from an unclosed formatting rlling through, does anything add a closure to stop it rolling through onto the P.S...? Can't test this, myself, directly, but it'd be interesting to find out!)<br />
::::::Note that I don't know if you intended TNR to be used anywhere else. But by changing it from Div-based to Span-based it changes how it looks if I "{{TNR|use it here}}", and if you then make it so that it open-Spans but never close-Spans then it would change the appearance of this paragraph even further.<br />
::::::...ouch. Actually, I had assumed it would currently (as 'span-only', opening and closing) not linefeed, browserside, but currently it adds a forced break, and doesn't even have any way of knowing how many indents (if any) to add before the continuation text.<br />
::::::Though if nobody else is using it for ''anything else'', it shouldn't matter. Just pointing out that (''if they are'') changes you make to fine-tune your signature ''could'' have collateral effects for other people who use TNR when it does one thing but then find that it's doing another thing.<br />
::::::Creating a template 'just for your own use' is Ok-ish, but you might just want to note its purpose and (current) peculiarities in case someone thinks that it's intended for a more general purpose, and in a more logical manner than you've had to make it 'work' just for you.<br />
::::::It's also known for templates to contain imbalanced markup, with either how it is used or the presence of a second 'closing' template (see {{template|cot}} and {{template|cob}}, that mark the 't'op and 'b'ottom of a 'co'llapsable area) making the final result properly balanced in the end. But mostly you'd expect internal closure of anything the template started, whether Spanny or Divvy in nature, or justify it and make it obvious without digging through the actual template-code itself.<br />
::::::But I don't know how useful all of this is, to you or those coming along afterwards (before or after further template tweaks, etc). I'm just trying to pass on everything I think could be helpful, knowing that a lot of it could be 'beyond helpful', i.e. actually quite irrelevent. If not incomprehsible. (If not wrong, given I can't even test many assumptions, directly!) But here it is, anyway. HTH, HAND. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.89|82.132.244.89]] 16:24, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::I'm using the TNR template because it looks cool, but it also does have a purpose. It's used in early Taglines and header texts. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 16:53, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::Having tried many things, I've found that including the TNR template at all is messing up the timestamp. I'll see if there's another way to include the template without that, but idk if there is a way. In the meantime, here's my new Sig: <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 17:25, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:{{outdent|:::::}}<br />
:((I researched,cchecked and wrote the following followup whilst you were replying, just aboce. You've answered some of my points, plus seem happy with as it is now, but still posting it given the thought I put into it... ;) Not that I actually think that it's necessary as helpful as I might have hoped it to be, in the end! Absolutely no reply expected, if you're happy to say nothing more.))<br />
:Ok, actually looked at the HTML source, now, neutering the 'raw' markup, whitespacing it and adding **commentary**:<br />
**start signature, fixed text**<br />
**default formatting**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
**formatting is now TNR**<br />
--<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>b><br />
**formatting is TNR+Bold**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>i><br />
**formatting is TNR+Bold+Italics**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>a href="/wiki/index.php/User:DollarStoreBa%27al" title="User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al"><br />
**formatting is TNR+B+I and a link..**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="color:#E3C6BE"><br />
**...which is coloured**<br />
DollarStoreBa'al<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**back to TNR+B+I link, no colour**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/a><br />
**back to TNR+B+I, no link<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>sup><br />
**TNR+B+I+Superscript**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>a class="mw-selflink selflink"><br />
**TNR+B++Sup and a link (to this page, in this specific instance)**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="color:#CC9A8B"><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup link is coloured**<br />
Converse<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup link, no colour**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/a><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup, no link**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/sup><br />
**TNR+B+I, normal-script again**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**this should have removed TNR, *and* the 'inner' B+I too...**<br />
** (Although this is not what you wanted, it's what you should get!) **<br />
**...but apparently we're now just with B+I**<br />
** (This might be my own browser's interpretation, not everyone's.) **<br />
**this is the inbuilt transition between fixed-sig and time-sig**<br />
**a space is here, then...**<br />
14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/i> ** (Your signature markup does not ask for this!) **<br />
**just Boldness left**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/b> ** (Your signature markup does not ask for this!) **<br />
**neutral format again**<br />
**end of signature**<br />
:What goes with the "TNR+B+I" going to "B+I", I don't know. Unless they've changed the HTML spec regarding this in the last decade or three.<br />
:The wiki-server back end was smart enough to add the close-Italics and close-Bold, at the end of the signature (''perhaps'', knowing that these were imminent a 'smart' error-checking by the browser's HTML-renderer let their formats persist, when otherwise they would not have? ...odd, but possible). Possibly it would have also closed the TNR-span, after the B-closure,cif not already asked to do so by the end of the TNR-template?<br />
:...so...<br />
:#First 'fix', remove the <code><nowiki><</nowiki>/span></code> from TNR. See how that affects any newly applied signatures (it won't change old ones).<br />
:#Also see how/if it changes the indent-loss above my "...ouch" line, above.<br />
:#''Also'' also chase down if TNR gets used ''anywhere else'' in this wiki, at the moment, and check that you've not broken anything else that other people might have used it for.<br />
:If the first fix works and the third thing isn't a problem (ignore the second issue, I'm happy for it to change), then you're sorted. Otherwise (no fix, or even further broken in ways that aren't any good for anyone) reverse the change to where it works best for everyone and accept it not working precisely how you think you want it.<br />
:If it fixes, as suggested, I'd also be interested how signing with <code><nowiki>~~~~ and more text</nowiki></code> works. (i.e. does it TNR the "and more text"?) Not that it's important, just my own curiosity.<br />
:And think about a more advanced explanation on TNR's page, if it's going to be 'an odd template' in any way, like being Span-opener without being a Span-closer.<br />
:That's all. Over to you, nothing more I can do (I could change TNR's code, but not then test it with your signature), but ''maybe'' I've done enough to help. Without too much confusion. I'll let you sort the rest out on your own, unless there's anything specific that arises to follow-up with. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.131|82.132.246.131]] 17:45, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::tbh I'm good. Besides, I have no clue how to convert that raw HTML into usable wikitext (idk how to code, planning to learn someday). Either way, works fine. Also, you commentary has made me realize how complex my sig actually is. Times New Roman+Bold+Italics, which is a link which is colored. {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|19:21, 5 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
<br />
<br><br />
<br />
== Tumble weed ==<br />
<br />
What’s a tumble weed. Like what’s this: <br />
<br />
<br><br />
<br />
span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}<br />
<br />
(Sorry I haven’t been on this site for so long, I forgot how to do everything)<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 04:47, 9 November 2025 (UTC)</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:DollarStoreBa%27al&diff=390458User talk:DollarStoreBa'al2025-11-09T04:45:36Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* Template:what if? chapters */</p>
<hr />
<div>Speak through the interdimentional portal<br />
<br />
==General Chitchat and such==<br />
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)<br />
<br />
:Thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 19:11, 25 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
:hi btw :) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:11, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
::hello, how are you doing this fine morning, my dear fellow? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:03, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Hiyo==<br />
: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)<br />
:: Bello. me editor guy who edit much. edit fun! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:00, 3 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::hahahahaha edit fun indeed. [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:20, 4 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Question: How do you add those user boxes that you have on your page? Those would be nice to have. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:52, 6 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::copy and paste this and remove the nowiki tag: <br />
<br />
<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:<br />
<br />
<nowiki>{{Userbox | border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = ;) | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|This user _____ ]] | float = left}}</nowiki><br />
<br />
[[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:50, 11 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::Dude thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 13:48, 17 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::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)<br />
<br />
==Wow==<br />
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)<br />
:Yes. Yes you are. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:43, 25 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::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)<br />
<br />
::: No need. Also, I see you're from Louisiana. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 03:44, 29 March 2025 (UTC)]]<br />
::::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)<br />
<br />
==The 5s and Es and Os==<br />
Reply to this if you've figured out what the meaning of the thingy on my user page is.<br />
:it's base 3 [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 09:07, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: :O [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:31, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: Nope! I'll give you a hint: talk to sam. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 14:33, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
https://voca.ro/1Akmh0zRqa8Q [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 16:02, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:uhhh...[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 20:41, 11 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
::sorry, that's not it. Don't know what to say to that.[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:54, 14 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
You have one week! Hint: beep boooop --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 16:30, 6 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Morse code? [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 19:33, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Morse code of what? You are very, very close.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:47, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 14:44, 13 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:It's better than [[2869: Puzzles]] [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 11:11, 14 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Want to do some repetitive work? ==<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
:What exactly would I be doing to get these features to work? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::If it isn't super-complex wikitext things I can totally help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]</sup> 19:21, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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.<br />
[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1:_Barrel_-_Part_1&diff=374851&oldid=373457 You can follow this example]. The steps are:<br />
<br />
Start from [[4|comic number 4]]:<br />
#Based on the short sentence written above the explanation, add "ognumber =", "ogprev =", and "ognext =" (so the navbar can work)<br />
#Add "oglink =", and move ONLY the link from "before" to "oglink" (so from HTTPS://..... until the end of the link, move that to "oglink")<br />
#Now, from the edit preview, copy the original title.<br />
#Delete everything in "before =" now that you moved the link<br />
#Add "ogtitle =" and paste the original title that you copied.<br />
#Finally, in "titletext", add two couples of apostrophes (<nowiki>''</nowiki>) in these places: https://imgur.com/a/BewKKr1<br />
#Now save the changes, and click the new white "Next >" button you just created to go to the next one!<br />
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)<br />
<br />
me am do. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[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]</sup></sup> 20:51, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
Hey, I don't really understand where I'm supposed to put these. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:01, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Nevermind, I got this. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:05, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
: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.<br />
:I'll let you know when you can continue. Thanks! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 21:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
alright, sounds good! Dang tho. Let me know and I'll get right back to it. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 13:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
::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)<br />
:::So sorry about that, I noticed those random Html elements. Thought they were part of the bug. oops. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:16pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 22:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::No worries! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 11:05, 26 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==The mistake==<br />
===Kynde's talk page===<br />
You might want to expedite the actual deletion of [[User:User:User:User:User:User/Mr. Beast is trying to aquire my bones]] (and its User Talk counterpart). I believe the editor concerned was sleep-deprived (but wouldn't put it past being instead a chemical imbalance of some legal ''or'' illegal kind). I'd have added the Pages To Delete category, but there's already a few of those hanging around unfulfilled... [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.176|82.132.246.176]] 17:02, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Ok man, I created that page because I wanted somewhere that would <br />
*Be private (which it is. It's impossible to create the account User:User:User:User:User. I checked.)<br />
*Affect Nobody (which it shouldn't. The only person it's affecting is you.)<br />
<br />
You've also [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:DGAF&diff=prev&oldid=385114 vandalized] [[Template:DGAF]], which I created, is inspired by 42.book.addict, and affects nobody but me. This makes me think that you're just looking through my contributions and immediately flagging things you frame as 'wrong'. This is not only incredibly creepy, but is also completely pointless. I'm a high school student on the internet. Also, I believe you're the same person who insulted me about DSBContribs, which I no longer use, and was fixed. Just stop and let me do my own thing. Amusedly and angrily, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:11, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Given other recent activity, it ''looked'' like another example of {{diff|385026|editing whilst insensible}} (together with statements about returning to school, put me in mind the situation of which the {{w|Eternal September}} was the next step). i.e. honest errors of judgement.<br />
:To term the "UserUserUser..." space 'private' is erroneous. It can be seen by anyone. It can be ''edited'' by anyone. Though, by convention, only the User Talk should be edited by anyone other than the ultimate named User. Which you aren't, BTW... create for someone else, ''if you must'', if they're too new and unwilling to wait the trivial amount of time before they can. Creating the spaces for someone who didn't request help or ''doesn't even exist'' needs some form of justification that you're well short of.<br />
:It affects everyone if random, meaningless and context-free pages are added to the wiki 'just for fun'. Data isn't free. Storage isn't limitless. Potentially obscuring real useful (on-topic) information with stupid semi-vandalism (that I didn't think you'd do intentionally, based upon prior behaviour), is not something I expected. But it looked like a momentary lapse that (being on the scene) I tried to helpfully deal with as much as I could. (If I'd have been an Admin, myself, I ''would'' have just deleted them. 'Luckily' for you, I have no interest in that amount of leverage, I'm sticking what anyone can do, perhaps the next person along would have reacted the same, or worse.)<br />
:No, I'm not stalking you. All edits are visible, you made edits, I saw them. I remember DSBContribs (or similar, if it's what I think you mean), but didn't recall it was your work. And others, including a named user, 'insulted' you about that. Or, as I recall, questioned the reasoning behind it, and didn't get a sensible answer. So 0lease accept my apologies. It seems that you ''are'' the kind of person to create useless pages like these last few. If I had known that, I wouldn't have come here suggesting that they were in error, but come here to just draw Kynde's attention to them as effectively being vandalism.<br />
:And, because your template page tried to link to a non-existing wiki page, I also just made it go somewhere that works. That was before reading here how this may well have been culpably intentional, so again was done out of more good faith helpfulness than it turns out I should have been employing.<br />
:That's regardless of your age, BTW. Whether you're at "High School" in the US, at maybe 14-18+ years old, or a High School like I attended where I am (and many years ago), which was for 11-16+ then workplaces or college (then maybe uni) beckoned. You don't need to be older to be more sensible about these things, and you don't need to be young to act idiotically.<br />
:And, lucky you, you get this shiny wiki (and everything else) to work with. I had no access to the Internet until I was 18 (though, at that time, the web itself hadn't been invented, let alone wikis), and of course made my own goofs (asked whether I needed to buy an estamp to send an email!).<br />
:But let me not bore you. I'm not in control here, only a fellow traveller who would give advice and assistance to those who might need it, and cares perhaps more than you might 'give a fuck' about various corners of the online world, like this. Reasoning over, lecture finished, friendly advice concluded. I just shoved it all in one reply to save you the trouble of having to deal with an impatiently slow conversation. And to not keep 'pinging' Kynde's email notification more than necessary (sorry Kynde!)... [[Special:Contributions/82.132.247.23|82.132.247.23]] 20:47, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Do you wish to know something? I'm 14. User:User:User:User:User is (and I checked) completely impossible to create, as shown in this image: [[File:refutation.png]] But, if you wish, I shall make it a subpage of my own account. <br />
::Yes, of course it's ''technically'' public, but unless people specifically search for that page (which is still a subpage, btw), it won't affect anybody. Also, I'd like to point out, everybody editing any page is the ''whole point'' of a wiki. Yes, storage isn't limitless. Very cool. At this point, that page is a drop in the ocean of data already contributed by all the rest of these pages (including the lecture you just added, which is ''more'' bytes than the pages I created).<br />
::Thank you for that edit, by the way. When I previewed it, it showed that it did go to the correct page ({{w|Wikipedia:Don't-give-a-fuckism}}), so I published it that way. However, your edits make it seem like you're definitely stalking me. From what I've seen, all you've done is edit recent comic pages and berate me (and Kynde) about my mistakes. <br />
::DSBContribs was my work. I did, however, provide a sensible reason as to why I created it. If you didn't see it, here it is:<br />
<br />
::DSBContribs was created specifically for my signature. At the time I created this, I had no idea what subpages were and I was running out of characters on my signature. I created it because I thought it wouldn't be a hindrance to the wiki and it would save me precious characters on my signature.<br />
::However, I do still apologize, even if the insulting on the template was a ''bit'' far and not in the least helpful. I will move Mr.Beast is trying to aquire my bones to a subpage of my own. I will fix that template (which was not useless) and subsequently delete the content from the three unnecessary redirects. I had no intention of vandalizing the wiki, as I've stated multiple times. No page I create is meant to be vandalism in any way, and I try to do my best to help the wiki be the best it can be. Sometimes it gets boring being 'sensible' all the time (especially in IB classes, where I regularly have 3+ hours of homework/night), and I wanted some sort of way to let all the wild shit that my ADHD makes out. That's what came out. Again, I truly apologize.<br />
<br />
I bid thee well on wherever the journey of life may take thee, fellow traveler. May we see each other again, be it in life, in death, or in the cursed month of Jancember. Take Care.<br />
<br />
Ba'al, teenage Soul-Eater, out.<br />
<br />
:Wow that was a long read. I do give a f**k about not having such a template her so I deleted that instantly! I'm going to wait till you have moved relevant content of the user:user page somewhere with a more sensible name. ASnd no I do not think you should just write random gibberish on any pages here. And no I do not think we should have such a confusing page on here. So yes I will delete it eventually. If there is anything valuable on the page, make a different page, call it your sandbox or something, I don't know, but not something which is impossible for me or any one else to find out what it is supposed to be, like this many times user page. We have so many random users being created and many of them begin to spam us and has to be blocked. I do really not have the time to such a debate as the one here, so I hope you will do as I say and we can end this nicely. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:38, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Something you probably didn't see: The fact that I did move the page to a sandbox YESTERDAY. Good day, and make Jeff proud. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:42, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::No I did not see as I do not stalk anyone here: So I can then delete [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/User:DollarStoreBa%27al/Mr._Beast_is_trying_to_aquire_my_bones this page] now? And please try not to insult me with any mention of Jeff. He is no longer active and no one has any contact with him on these pages. I'm not happy about being the only active admin here, but you should reply decently! Thanks. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:45, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Well, I never accused you of stalking (unless you were the IP in disguise), and I never meant to insult you with making Jeff proud. I like to imagine him as a father looking at his millionaire son with pride. If you wish to, delete the page. Go ahead, it won't affect anyone. Except me. And maybe mystery British(?) IP. This feud is over, and has been for hours. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:57, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::DollarStoreBa'al, I would very strongly recommend you to relax a bit and stop being so attacking/condescending. A lot of your edits don't make sense and aren't helping or contributing towards the growth and improvement of this wiki, so of course other users will be confused and annoyed. Maybe take a break from editing for a bit and mull over your edits for a bit? '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:01, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::You're right. 42. You're always right :) --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 16:07, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::::I'm so sorry. You don't need to forgive me for this. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 16:26, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
===My talk page===<br />
<br />
N 19:49 heADer TExt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:49 hEaDeR tEXt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:46 hEaDeR TeXt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:46 HEADER TEXT (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:45 header Text (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:45 Header Text (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
...now that I know you're doing stupid and unnecessary things deliberately, I won't try to provide help. And you, of course won't be taking my friendly advice, so I'll try not to disturb you further, if I can help it. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.82|82.132.244.82]] 20:57, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I KNEW YOU WERE STALKING MY EDITS! Now that you have discovered that I've done unnecessary edits (which are only affecting you), try zooming out a little. Specifically, to the 2,000 bytes I added to [[What if? Chapters]]. I didn't get almost 300 contribution score by doing meme edits all day. Besides, three of those are genuinely useful, and I'm not going to listen to a random IP with maybe 10 edits tops telling me how to edit a wiki. If you want to fix my work, go right ahead. That's what wikis are for. I invite you to fix everything. If you stop stalking my contributions page.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 23:07, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Also, I would like to point out that it's harder to get more unfriendly than making a template which only links to my user page insult me, thereby vandalizing my user page. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 23:11, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::There was going to be no further reply, but you need to know these things:<br />
::;I KNEW YOU WERE STALKING MY EDITS!<br />
::Read what I said. All edits are visible. That's an extract from that list of all edits via the Recent Changes link. You are not being 'stalked'. Though, if I ''could'' easily do so, I'd now specifically hide all your edits and let absolutely ''anyone'' else work out what (if anything) to do in response.<br />
::;Specifically, to the 2,000 bytes I added to [[What if? Chapters]].<br />
::That looked good, as far as I saw it. Would you have me edit something that didn't need editing, just to congratulate you for a job adequately done? There was something I ''might'' have changed, but so trivial that I actively chose not to, and I am now thankful of that.<br />
::;I didn't get almost 300 contribution score by doing meme edits all day.<br />
::Good for you, if the contribution score means so much to you. Quality over quantity is better, and doesn't have a hand macro to show it. But you do you, if you're chasing the scoreboard rankings alone.<br />
::;and I'm not going to listen to a random IP with maybe 10 edits tops telling me how to edit a wiki.<br />
::As you point out, elsewhere, my IP ''will'' keep changing. (And I'm not the only person who may have appeared on any given IP.) I shudder to think how many edits I've made here, in reality, but shall I show you edits by various IPs across a decade or so and claim them as mine? No, because the merit (or otherwise) of one's latest contribution is all that matters. I'm usually happy to be an anon-IP, amongst other anon-IPs and named-users (both venerable and fleetingly transient alike). <br />
::;If you stop stalking my contributions page.<br />
::I can reassure you that I've probably never even looked at ''your'' specific contributions page, certainly not for a long time. I normally only ever check those to check whether "one-edit vandals" have perhaps made other edits that had temporarily slipped under the collective radar, but I don't think I had ever considered you as one of them, before, even back when you were new here. (How long is that? Six months. Two years? Maybe a bit longer?I could look it up easily by checking your contribs page, but I'm now firmly resolved to not do that, for your sake.)<br />
::<br />
::If any what I have written reads as less than polite, it's perhaps partly my exasperation leaking through. By the time I felt the need to add another word to "unnecessary", above, I can see that this had happened. For which I am sorry.<br />
::But text-only communications, like this, also tend to be read in a way that the reader's mood dictates. And I think some of my more straightforward initial contributions got misread at your end, tinted with reflected emotion.<br />
::And, please, let this be it. The world doesn't need to see this, nor does the server need it being added to, and of course there's no alternative backchannel to conduct a lengthy private conversation about it all. I shall read what you reply, just because it's hard to ''not'' read anything that isn't deleted/overwritten, but please no more needless creation of fake user pages (or, indeed, IP user pages). Unnecessary and as likely to be removed as anything else out there. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.228|82.132.244.228]] 05:07, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It is probable that you didn't see the reply I gave you on Kynde's talk page. Here is that reply: <br />
<br />
:Do you wish to know something? I'm 14. User:User:User:User:User is (and I checked) completely impossible to create, as shown in this image: [[File:refutation.png]] But, if you wish, I shall make it a subpage of my own account.<br />
:Yes, of course it's technically public, but unless people specifically search for that page (which is still a subpage, btw), it won't affect anybody. Also, I'd like to point out, everybody editing any page is the whole point of a wiki. Yes, storage isn't limitless. Very cool. At this point, that page is a drop in the ocean of data already contributed by all the rest of these pages (including the lecture you just added, which is more bytes than the pages I created).<br />
:Thank you for that edit, by the way. When I previewed it, it showed that it did go to the correct page (Wikipedia:Don't-give-a-fuckism), so I published it that way. However, your edits make it seem like you're definitely stalking me. From what I've seen, all you've done is edit recent comic pages and berate me (and Kynde) about my mistakes.<br />
:DSBContribs was my work. I did, however, provide a sensible reason as to why I created it. If you didn't see it, here it is:<br />
<br />
:DSBContribs was created specifically for my signature. At the time I created this, I had no idea what subpages were and I was running out of characters on my signature. I created it because I thought it wouldn't be a hindrance to the wiki and it would save me precious characters on my signature.<br />
:However, I do still apologize, even if the insulting on the template was a bit far and not in the least helpful. I will move Mr.Beast is trying to aquire my bones to a subpage of my own. I will fix that template (which was not useless) and subsequently delete the content from the three unnecessary redirects. I had no intention of vandalizing the wiki, as I've stated multiple times. No page I create is meant to be vandalism in any way, and I try to do my best to help the wiki be the best it can be. Sometimes it gets boring being 'sensible' all the time (especially in IB classes, where I regularly have 3+ hours of homework/night), and I wanted some sort of way to let all the wild shit that my ADHD makes out. That's what came out. Again, I truly apologize. I hope this marks the end of this little spat we've had.<br />
I bid thee well on wherever the journey of life may take thee, fellow traveler. May we see each other again, be it in life, in death, or in the cursed month of Jancember. Take Care.<br />
<br />
Ba'al, teenage Soul-Eater, out.<br />
<br />
:See my reply there: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/User_talk:Kynde#On_Template:DGAF_and_User:User:User:User:User:User.2FMr._Beast_is_trying_to_aquire_my_bones Reply] --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:42, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: I just did, and I did just respond. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:43, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==My Mistakes==<br />
=== Your signature is in violation of {{w|WP:SIGAPP}} ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
Changed to 14pt. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:14pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 13:02, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
FINE --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:14, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
:: I thought the issue was the height? Doesn't the wiki use 12pt font, which that Sig is? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:27, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::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)<br />
<br />
=== Mass-deleting links ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
===Creating someone's User pages, without being asked===<br />
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)<br />
:Yup, I also pointed it out. In case you missed my reply to your message, here's a copy: <br />
:”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)<br />
::Sorry about that. Just trying to help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:34, 28 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
=== NEWS ===<br />
<br />
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?<br />
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:48, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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]]<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
=== Why [...] is DSBContribs a thing? ===<br />
<br />
Did you seriously have to create a page in the main namespace with the sole purpose of redirecting to your user contributions page?<br />
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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).<br />
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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.<br />
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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)<br />
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: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)<br />
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::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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:::: Hi, it's me (on a different IP because I'm at home now).<br />
:::: I'm sorry for being so aggressive in my original comment, I thought you were a grown adult, not a teen. ("think is an 8-year old" is incorrect btw, I was saying you were "acting like an 8 year old", but that itself was too harsh).<br />
:::: I made stupid mistakes too when I was around your age, and I should have assumed good faith rather than take such an aggressive tone.<br />
:::: Sorry for that, and good luck with school! [[Special:Contributions/90.219.64.93|90.219.64.93]] 13:50, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::: I accept your apology with open arms. I truly hope we can work together to improve the wiki in the future. Best regards, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:11, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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=== Possessive and contracted "its"/"it's". ===<br />
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This also confused me, oh so many years ago. Then I was given a handy way of knowing ''which'' was the exception, which has served me well, and I've never had to second-guess myself. (Naturally, I've probably typoed/thinkoed it wrong, unconsciously... But since then I've never had a moment of doubt when I've deliberately kept myself/others correct.) Maybe it'll help you. - I tried to summarise it in the edit I made to the message concerned, but ''not enough space'' to do it justice...<br />
#The possessive version is "its". It is one of a number of "irregular possessives", "his" instead of "him's"/, "hers" instead of "her's", "theirs" instead of "they's"/"them's".<br />
#*Basically all the very common and basic pronoun-based possessives that (as I think of it, although not entirely correctly) were added to the language ''long before'' anybody actually tried to regularise the use of possessives, so just stuck that way. If it belongs to "him", "her", "me" "you", "us", "them" ''and'' "it", you're in the realms of using a completely irregular possessive, none of which use apostrophes.<br />
#*''Personally'', I think that "one" (the equally 'basic', IMO, impersonal pronoun) should be included in that. Not for the likes of {{w|Ones' complement}} (that's belonging to (a number of) digit-ones), but in the "{{w|One (pronoun)|one}} is speaking sense. But (as noted in that last link), it isn't. So don't do that.<br />
#This leaves the contractive version as the one that uses the apostrophe. With two interesting caveats:<br />
#*There ''are'' irregular contractions. The word "forecastle" contracts to "fo'c'sle" or "fo'c's'le", which is a lot more overkill than other similarly complicated contractions. And "will not" becomes "won't" (or, some suggest, just "wont", though that's also a different word), despite not having the right set of letters in the right order to remain after (at least) the "not"->"n't" contraction.<br />
#*In reporting speech, where someone says "it's just something I want to say", use it without fear. But, when writing, I find that (except for ''very'' casual use, essentially speaking in text ...or of course when tending to write in abbreviations/limited space) it's{{asic}} just much better to write "it is", in full. Can't(cannot) be written wrong, couldn't(/could not) be read wrong.<br />
#Oh, and then theres "its'", the plural-(non-irregular-)possessive, which ''could'' be used in certain circumstances... "There are loads of ''its'' in this text, without apostrophes... please check that each ''its''' punctuation is correct!". But... not a common occurance. (Far less than "belonging to the word 'it'", the sole reason to use possessive "it's".) ;)<br />
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...TL;DR;, irregular possesive "its" because of all the other irregular possessive pronouns that have words of their own. And you might just find it easier to uncontract "it's", most of the time, ''especially'' if you're still not entirely sure about it. (Or, perhaps, you're happy to not let go of such a minor degree of gravitas, and it's not transcriped real-world enunciation, which might even feature such monstrosities as "couldn't've" as the contraction of "could not have"!)<br />
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Don't know if that helps, or is understandable, but there you are. Overexplained and overly rambling, as it is..! [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 21:51, 22 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:While you have way too much time on your hands, it'sn't (it is not) hard to understand, so thank you! As I said, <i>it's</i> basically my only grammatical flaw, so this helps tremendously. Damn my brain and <i>its</i> grammatical irregularities. <i>Its</i> a pleasure to talk with you! Sincerely, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 00:40, 23 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::Definitely didn't just make a mistake on an it's. After reading a full page worth of why not to. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 00:44, 23 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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==excuse me==<br />
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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)<br />
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==template==<br />
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What is a template? What’s a {{Trout}} and {{Whale}}?<br />
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If it looks weird, click edit [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 12:20, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:41, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::how can I create one? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:21, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:::Here's something that may be able to help: {{AprilFoolsHelp}} --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:43, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::thxxxxxxxxx [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:::::You are very welcome! I hope you are excited to start contributing to the wiki! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::::By the way, please don't be afraid to ask me any questions at all. If I can, I will help! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:48, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:::::::Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]], which is <nowiki>{{Thx$store}}</nowiki> (if I can call you that)<br />
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==Template Tips==<br />
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:<br />
*Templates are easy to create.<br />
*It's useful to learn from other templates.<br />
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.<br />
: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.<br />
:To the above, I'd add:<br />
:*Know what purpose your template will have.<br />
: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.<br />
: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'.<br />
: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)<br />
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:While this is very useful, it would be nice if you posted this on [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!]]'s talk page. He's the one learning the ropes, and it would probably be very useful to him. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 17:47, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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==Requests/favors==<br />
If you need anything done, reach out to me! I'll let you know what I can do to help you! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:49, 15 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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Hi [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]], are you good enough to have the link to my user page? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 01:57, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:Done! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:56, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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==Hello again Darling :D==<br />
I'm back after the summer hello sir O) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 13:59, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:A fellow school-based follower of the truth, I see! Welcome back, and I wish thee well on your adventures. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:00, 26 August 2025 (UTC) P.S. I use monobook style now.<br />
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==Category thing==<br />
Hey, can someone tell me why my talk page is on 'pages to delete?' {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|18:08, 27 August 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:I have tracked it down to {{diff|383609|this edit}} by [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!]], where they used a (fairly useless and unnecessary) template (that they created themselves) called <nowiki>Template:Thx$store</nowiki> to thank you for helping to teach them the process of creating a new template. Since I marked that template for deletion, when the comment calls for the template, it also marks your talk page for deletion. I have changed it so that the template is replaced with the text that it would substitute in and your page is no longer marked for deletion. Also signed off your unsigned comment. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 18:30, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::When someone says "I have tracked it down" you know they mean business. Thanks, that's quite reassuring. Another mystery IP (not sure if it's the same guy as today) did warn him not to make meaningless templates. Of course, I also made a meaningless template, so.... --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:33, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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== Do you not learn? ==<br />
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You say that you've learned from your mistakes, yet I don't see any changes. You say that you're an incoming 9th grader and that's somehow an excuse for your immaturity, but I'm also a 9th grader and can compose myself perfectly fine. You say that you won't do the same mistakes again, yet you still create useless pages. How many more are you going to create? I really don't want to be yelling at you like this, but I just don't think you'll be able to change without it. FYI, I've marked User:DSB and the /C pages for deletion. Grow up. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 21:41, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Look. You aren't a bad person. In fact, I wholeheartedly believe that your passion can turn into a positive thing for this wiki. The thing is, you have a tendency to try to fix things by doing even more things, often panicking and making the situation worse. I've already told you this before, but I'll reemphasize it for you. '''TAKE A BREAK.''' Go for some walks. Work on your homework. Talk to people. Hang out with some friends. Don't just spend all your time on here. Trust me, I made the same mistake before. I would recommend a couple days of rest. See how it feels! It might hurt in the beginning, but nobody NEEDS you on here so badly to work on things to the point of such fanatic editing. I don't think Kynde, FaviFake, or any of the other editors hate you, to be honest. We're all just annoyed that you seem to not listen to our advice and keep on making the same mistakes. It's fine to make mistakes-that's how we learn! But you need to stop worrying so much and just step away from the screen for a bit. (Also, I'd recommend talking to a friend or a trusted adult. Your /PRIVATE page seems to be filled with quite a bit of self-hatred. Don't listen to that voice in your head. She's a bitch and none of it is true. I've dealt with poor mental health too. In fact, that's one of the reasons why I had left for so long. You should try to get these feelings out in a healthy way, instead of taking it out yourself or spending all your time online. Nobody thinks you're stupid. You just need to learn how things are done around here. If that's on a steep learning curve, so be it. Just keep on pushing through, and listen to people more.) And finally, you ''can'' make subpages, but try to reduce the number that you have. Think to yourself before you make one: do I TRULY need this? Will it help me out positively in the long run? If not, just put it in another section of your userpage (or make a proper sandbox!). Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk, and I wish you all a good night. Tori, signing off. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 04:05, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::Take a break / Hey, our kid is pretty great / Run away with us for the summer / Let's go upstate / Eliza, I've got so much on my plate / We can all go stay with my father<br />
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::There's a lake I know (I know) / In a nearby park (I'd love to go) / You and I can go when the night gets dark / '''I will try to get away''' <br />
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::Such a good song, Lin cooked with that one. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:03, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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== are you ok? ==<br />
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do you need help? [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 06:11, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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== Would you prefer to get a Blog? ==<br />
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User pages are sufficient to give an idea of who you are, and User Talk ones for people to talk to you about your contributions/etc.<br />
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Maybe create sub-pages if you have a relevant site-related project and need 'a space' for them. Such as, as an off-the-wall example, "a list of all the instances of comics that have less than the average number of vowels in them". Perhaps in the hope that it'll be appreciated and made into a more regular page.<br />
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But from what I've seen of your 'contributions' this week, none of that applies. Drunk-typing? Well, ''probably'' not if you're still so far underage that you probably don't have decent access to anything stronger than wine-gums, but definitely you weren't in full control of your keyboard. We've other people on here, as young as you, and have had even younger ones. If we can actually believe what anybody reveals about theirselves. (I'm a 111-year old hobbit, by the way.) You've been one of the most immaturely-acting people here who haven't actually been '''obviously''' trying to vandalise this site, and I'm sure you've strained the patience of pretty much everyone.<br />
<br />
But you're not the first to go a little wild, like this. And - dare I say it - some of those who went on to be mainstays of this site got over the novelty of "anyone can edit (almost) anything", and possibly a rush of teenage hormones messing up their judgement. May I suggest you ''take a deep breath'' and work out what it is that you're doing that is creating such friction and push-back? I've seen you being a reasonable contributor before, and it's not even been all bad over the last week or so.<br />
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And you may have personal life changes going on. Those hormones, issues at home/school/elsewhere, general worries about the state of the world that you're growing up into... maybe a combination of them, or some of these things even ''causing'' some of the others. It happens. You're not alone ...even if one of the key issues is actually in feeling alone! But this is not necessarily the place to try to reshape the world like this.<br />
<br />
How about you stick a little more to just xkcd matters, for the time being. There are plenty of other ways, and places, to run through whatever it is that you might be going through, and it might be best to balance things a bit more 'worklike' here than too much 'at play', like it looks like you're doing at the moment. Rebalance back to 'just enough of each' later.<br />
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And if you ''do'' get somewhere to blog, you'll even have a lot more control. Create anything you want (more or less, within the T&Cs of the service), not worrying about other people editing it, and probably even later cleanly delete anything you no longer want (with no pesky Page History open for everyone to read). You could even put a link to your blog here in your User space, if you want to. At least the blog that you want to connect to yourself here. (You can have an xkcd-adjacent one, ''and'' one to cry out in anguish if you so wish. And a third to... well, you get the idea.) And the skills to maintain blog code is a bit more 'real-world' than the purely wiki-related markup you learn here, and you can still learn the wiki-markup in parallel with getting to grips with HTML or other popular {{w|Content management system}} markup, giving you a few more useful lifeskills that ''merely'' being eventually a master wiki-guru.<br />
<br />
How does that sound? Please do stay, but please also consider if everything you're doing is strictly necessary. I see I'm not the only one driven to try to explain this to you. And for some reason I thought I might be able to quickly suggest a solution to this little quandry. (No, it hasn't actually been that quick, has it.) If you really don't like what I say here... delete it. And I'll say no more. Or just tell me to mind my own business. I've probably got some other things to do around here, if our other old-hand editors don't get there before me! [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 22:34, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:I really should, shouldn't I... I'll try to find one. Yesterday and today have mainly been focused on What If? Chapters and a potential new project with Tori (Have you met her? She's lovely) about Sigs. Today has mainly been the latter, with a bit of the former, and some sig ideas I've been working on. I've been trying to stick to more useful matters. For example, /WORKPAGE currently contains drafts of some unfinished What If? Chapters I've been working on. So, I have been attempting to work on more xkcd-related matters. Is it ok if you could <br />
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:But, I shall heed your advice. I shall get a blog (not blood, autocorrect). Do you have any recommendations for where to start?<br />
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:One last thing: Could you show me one of the apparent 'drunk typing' incidents? I edit on my school Chromebook, so I wouldn't be surprised if the keyboard decided to be weird. Thank you for the advice! Once, again, I shall heed it. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 22:51, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::Oh, and by the way, I will not delete this thread. Also, how do you access the internet in Valinor?<br />
::'Drunkeness', or whatever it was, was very evident in something like {{diff|385245|here}}. More mundane 'misuse of the keyboard' issues are the times you add multiple linefeeds between very simple statements. You need to do two line-feeds to 'separate the paragraphs', any more than that is not normally visually necessary at all, and can ''look'' like you weren't even paying full attention at the time, however well-written the line-fragments between are. If it weren't for the fact that there were actual (sort-of-)discernable words in there, the 'drunk' one could also have perhaps been a "cat walked on my keyboard" issue. Were you and the cat ''both'' trying to use the keyboard? (Or one of you trying to walk on it, the other trying to type on it. One way round or the other?) I think it's that kind of thing that got people initially concerned about you. Help us to help you (to help yourself?), maybe. [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 02:10, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::i don't think the help is strictly necessary, but, as I said before, do you have any suggestions for places to make a blog? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 18:30, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::I don't blog, so nothing from personal experience. I bet you could use some Google-Fu (or Bing-Fu, or DuckDuckGo-Fu, or AltaVista-Fu, or AskJeeves-Fu, or...) to find a few such solutions, then look at all their offerings (check their wikipedia pages..? and, yeah, add some Wiki-Fu to the previous list of ways in which to search) and decide which one works for you. Or which two or three, and try them out with either completely identical aims in mind or initially split up your interests (one's your sports-appreciation, another is about what your favourite TV is, a third being your humorous observations about things you see every day, ...), then you can keep running the one(s) that turn out to work for you.<br />
::::You know what you currently want, better than me or aanyone. [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 23:50, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::If you need a blog, and don't know what platforms to use, I'd recommend making a Google Site or Wordpress blog. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 19:10, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== {{w|Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/ltbdl}} ==<br />
<br />
they think we're the same person, ha. [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 02:29, 2 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I did not think this is what I would come back to. That's wild and hilarious. <br />
<br />
:They are raeb<br />
<br />
:And I am Dollar<br />
<br />
:And we are not the same person<br />
<br />
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:42, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::OMG THEY BANNED YOU WTF? I've pleaded your case, but idk if they'll respond. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:49, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Okay, wait a second. A checkuser does checks on User IPs. If you were found guilty, that means that you were editing under the same IP as me. By any chance, do you go to school in Lincoln, NE? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 14:04, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::one, revert your case pleading, it's silly and won't help, and two, we're "very unlikely" to be the same person according to checkuser, don't panic. maybe link them here. (i don't go to school in lincoln.) [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 15:00, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::Ok, now it's weird. I didn't know you couldn't have alt accounts, even if you explicitly stated that they were, indeed, alt accounts. Seems a bit strict if you ask me. Also, 1+1=Window, not Yes. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 22:53, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Can you please help me==<br />
I helped you with the userboxes. Now I need your help. How do I get my sig to be something besides what it is now? [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 19:34, 9 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Hi there, Tori here. If you want to change your signature, go to your preferences page on the top right of the website (it's next to your Talk page and Watchlist). Scroll down until you see the signatures section and change it. If you need help figuring out wikitext, feel free to shoot me a message on my [[user talk:42.book.addict|talk page]]! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 01:32, 10 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Template:what if? chapters ==<br />
<br />
Sorry, but what's the point of creating a template for what if chapters? What do you intend to use it for? '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:28, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:I intended it as a workaround in order to edit two pages at once. (those being the blog page and the chapters page). I noticed there was a discrepancy between the tables on the two pages, and I created a workaround for it. Also, it's faster than copy-pasting, now that the load times are astronomical. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 16:30, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Sounds good! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:40, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
Ok I'm sorry but I had to change it back. Here are a few drawbacks:<br />
#Now people reading our summaries can't edit them directly.<br />
#The history is gone. You should've moved the page, not copy and paste. Both for copyright attribution (see {{w|WP:CWW]]) and for maintenance, to see when and why something was added.<br />
#Now we need to transclude the table on 1 more page (servers!), and the pages that were already transcluding the page (except [[what if? (blog)]]) now are transcluding both the page AND the template.<br />
And most importantly: there wasn't any discrepancy between the pages that transcluded the pages, just as there is no discrepancy now. The table was the exact same.<br />
<br />
Could you explain what discrepancy you saw? The code and text behind the original [[What If? Chapters]] page, the blog page, the new template you created, and any other pages transcluding [[What If? Chapters]] was truly identical (and still is, just with the added issues listed above.).<br />
<br />
Also; templates are not supposed to be edited frequently. A template is created in order to save time writing the same code on dozens or hundreds of pages. The table both needs to be edited and is only transcluded on a few pages. These are the pages in which the page was transcluded: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/What_If%3F_chapters&hidelinks=1&hideredirs=1] --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 10:04, 4 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:There were just some chapter summaries I saw that were different between the blog page and the chapters page. I'm not angry about this, thanks for bringing up the points which I am not advanced enough to see. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 12:55, 6 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Huh, that's odd. The only difference between the two is that the last header cell on the left becomes highlighted in yellow when transcluded. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 19:16, 7 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Current signature. ==<br />
<br />
I've noticed that your signature does <all the fancy stuff><NEWLINE><space><timestamp>. Might be a good idea to remove the <NEWLINE> before the (presumably auto-appended) <space><timestamp> as it currently puts your<br />
timestamp like this.<br />
<br />
Which is ''probably'' not what you'd intended. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.74|82.132.245.74]] 20:47, 4 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:......Nope, didn't intend that. I'll see if I can fix it. (not signing this because... well, you know) --DSB {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|21:12, 4 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
::I've found the issue. I was trying to make my signature in times new roman using [[Template:TNR]]. This template uses div for it's styling. For some reason, it's inserting <nowiki></div></nowiki> between the signature and timestamp rather than after. Is there a way to get the <nowiki></div></nowiki> to go after the timestamp rather than before (which is what I was intending)? Thanks! --DSB {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|21:18, 4 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:::Standard advice is to not use div-tags in your custom .sig, for exactly this reason. You should be able to do the same (except for the undesired newline-forcing) with span-tagging where you invoked div-tags.<br />
:::The way it rendered (must basically have been subst:ed between what you used and how it renders), I didn't know you'd used the TNR template. If that's for character-length reasons then a "TNRspan" template (or something ''not'' four characters longer, if you're extremely tight for space) would have to be used.<br />
:::Or change the TNR so <code><nowiki>{{TNR|span=yes}}</nowiki></code> will specially 'return' you your no-Div version (that's the nice-looking version; you could also have it do something like responding to <code><nowiki>{{{1}}}</nowiki></code> being "s" or "1", if you can only afford to extend by two extra characters). That makes the one template dual-use, instead of making another template.<br />
:::TIMTOWTDI. But you'll know what you want to do, I can only give vague pointers. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.74|82.132.245.74]] 22:22, 4 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Weird. I changed the TNR template to <nowiki><span></nowiki> instead of <nowiki><div></nowiki>, but upon testing it's still doing that weird newline thing. {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|14:11, 5 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:::::Finally fixed. I can't get the timestamp to also be TNR, but at least it doesn't auto-newline. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::::That looks not too bad, though the timestamp is sans-serif again. Though ''might' in part be browser-dependant as to how it looks (mine may react only to the 'serif' and not the full 'Times New Roman', giving a TNR''-like'' serif-font that works good adjacent to the non-specific choice of sans-serif font. Also, at first glance, there's a mystery as to why the timestamp is '''''BOLD+ITALIC''' (or maybe STRONG+EMPHASIS, for the pedants).<br />
::::::The structure is probably as follows, rewritten just for visual representation/explanation. Formatting that you do is in ()s, my explanatory notes are in ** and * pairs:<br />
**start of 'fixed text' signature insertion**<br />
(SPANopen style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;")<br />
--<br />
(BOLD+ITALICstart)<br />
(LINKpage)User:DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(LINKtext)<br />
(SPANopen style="color:#E3C6BE")<br />
DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end:style="color:#E3C6BE")<br />
(LINKclose)<br />
(SUPERSCRIPTopen)<br />
(LINKpage)User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(LINKtext)<br />
(SPANopen style="color:#CC9A8B")<br />
Converse<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end:style="color:#CC9A8B")<br />
(LINKclose)<br />
(SUPERSCRIPTclose)<br />
*expected to be an /implied/ (BOLD+ITALICSclose), here*<br />
*check HTML source for why not?*<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end: style="font-family: Times New Roman...etc")<br />
**end of 'fixed text' signature insertion**<br />
**start of 'timestamp' signature insertion**<br />
*BOLD+ITALICS is still active?*<br />
*but all /other/ formats ended by the most recent (SPANclose)*<br />
14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
**end of 'timestamp' signature insertion**<br />
::::::Without looking at exactly what you're doing behind the scenes, I'm not ''entirely'' sure, but I think the {{template|TNR}} includes a close-Span tag, preventing that from 'rolling on' into the timestamp bit.<br />
::::::Exactly how the '''''BOLD+ITALIC''''' rolls on, I don't know without checking the HTML source. Might be an intentional function of the wikimarkup-to-HTML conversion that 'remembers' that formatting and reapplies it as necessary, at least until a 'forced' end-of-scope (end of a Div or P tag, a Br/Hr monotag, new ordered/unordered list item (or changing the list-level), table cell/row transitions, and then there's the next (same/different) ":"-prepended indented follow-up lines and (of course) double-newlines) to force even no-prefix lines into paragraph-breaks. All of these (and other less obvious wikimarkup scenarios) probably translate to a hard /div closure in the HTML.<br />
::::::Does {{template|TNR}} currently close its own Span? Does removing that Span-end let it 'roll on' over the timestamp? If you do that, does the insert-signature process close off all remaining Spans ''after'' the timestamp? (Normally, a signature is followed by a newline+newline or at least a newline+:nextlinehasindents, but if you add a P.S. comment after a timestamp that benefits from an unclosed formatting rlling through, does anything add a closure to stop it rolling through onto the P.S...? Can't test this, myself, directly, but it'd be interesting to find out!)<br />
::::::Note that I don't know if you intended TNR to be used anywhere else. But by changing it from Div-based to Span-based it changes how it looks if I "{{TNR|use it here}}", and if you then make it so that it open-Spans but never close-Spans then it would change the appearance of this paragraph even further.<br />
::::::...ouch. Actually, I had assumed it would currently (as 'span-only', opening and closing) not linefeed, browserside, but currently it adds a forced break, and doesn't even have any way of knowing how many indents (if any) to add before the continuation text.<br />
::::::Though if nobody else is using it for ''anything else'', it shouldn't matter. Just pointing out that (''if they are'') changes you make to fine-tune your signature ''could'' have collateral effects for other people who use TNR when it does one thing but then find that it's doing another thing.<br />
::::::Creating a template 'just for your own use' is Ok-ish, but you might just want to note its purpose and (current) peculiarities in case someone thinks that it's intended for a more general purpose, and in a more logical manner than you've had to make it 'work' just for you.<br />
::::::It's also known for templates to contain imbalanced markup, with either how it is used or the presence of a second 'closing' template (see {{template|cot}} and {{template|cob}}, that mark the 't'op and 'b'ottom of a 'co'llapsable area) making the final result properly balanced in the end. But mostly you'd expect internal closure of anything the template started, whether Spanny or Divvy in nature, or justify it and make it obvious without digging through the actual template-code itself.<br />
::::::But I don't know how useful all of this is, to you or those coming along afterwards (before or after further template tweaks, etc). I'm just trying to pass on everything I think could be helpful, knowing that a lot of it could be 'beyond helpful', i.e. actually quite irrelevent. If not incomprehsible. (If not wrong, given I can't even test many assumptions, directly!) But here it is, anyway. HTH, HAND. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.89|82.132.244.89]] 16:24, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::I'm using the TNR template because it looks cool, but it also does have a purpose. It's used in early Taglines and header texts. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 16:53, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::Having tried many things, I've found that including the TNR template at all is messing up the timestamp. I'll see if there's another way to include the template without that, but idk if there is a way. In the meantime, here's my new Sig: <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 17:25, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:{{outdent|:::::}}<br />
:((I researched,cchecked and wrote the following followup whilst you were replying, just aboce. You've answered some of my points, plus seem happy with as it is now, but still posting it given the thought I put into it... ;) Not that I actually think that it's necessary as helpful as I might have hoped it to be, in the end! Absolutely no reply expected, if you're happy to say nothing more.))<br />
:Ok, actually looked at the HTML source, now, neutering the 'raw' markup, whitespacing it and adding **commentary**:<br />
**start signature, fixed text**<br />
**default formatting**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
**formatting is now TNR**<br />
--<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>b><br />
**formatting is TNR+Bold**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>i><br />
**formatting is TNR+Bold+Italics**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>a href="/wiki/index.php/User:DollarStoreBa%27al" title="User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al"><br />
**formatting is TNR+B+I and a link..**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="color:#E3C6BE"><br />
**...which is coloured**<br />
DollarStoreBa'al<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**back to TNR+B+I link, no colour**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/a><br />
**back to TNR+B+I, no link<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>sup><br />
**TNR+B+I+Superscript**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>a class="mw-selflink selflink"><br />
**TNR+B++Sup and a link (to this page, in this specific instance)**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="color:#CC9A8B"><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup link is coloured**<br />
Converse<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup link, no colour**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/a><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup, no link**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/sup><br />
**TNR+B+I, normal-script again**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**this should have removed TNR, *and* the 'inner' B+I too...**<br />
** (Although this is not what you wanted, it's what you should get!) **<br />
**...but apparently we're now just with B+I**<br />
** (This might be my own browser's interpretation, not everyone's.) **<br />
**this is the inbuilt transition between fixed-sig and time-sig**<br />
**a space is here, then...**<br />
14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/i> ** (Your signature markup does not ask for this!) **<br />
**just Boldness left**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/b> ** (Your signature markup does not ask for this!) **<br />
**neutral format again**<br />
**end of signature**<br />
:What goes with the "TNR+B+I" going to "B+I", I don't know. Unless they've changed the HTML spec regarding this in the last decade or three.<br />
:The wiki-server back end was smart enough to add the close-Italics and close-Bold, at the end of the signature (''perhaps'', knowing that these were imminent a 'smart' error-checking by the browser's HTML-renderer let their formats persist, when otherwise they would not have? ...odd, but possible). Possibly it would have also closed the TNR-span, after the B-closure,cif not already asked to do so by the end of the TNR-template?<br />
:...so...<br />
:#First 'fix', remove the <code><nowiki><</nowiki>/span></code> from TNR. See how that affects any newly applied signatures (it won't change old ones).<br />
:#Also see how/if it changes the indent-loss above my "...ouch" line, above.<br />
:#''Also'' also chase down if TNR gets used ''anywhere else'' in this wiki, at the moment, and check that you've not broken anything else that other people might have used it for.<br />
:If the first fix works and the third thing isn't a problem (ignore the second issue, I'm happy for it to change), then you're sorted. Otherwise (no fix, or even further broken in ways that aren't any good for anyone) reverse the change to where it works best for everyone and accept it not working precisely how you think you want it.<br />
:If it fixes, as suggested, I'd also be interested how signing with <code><nowiki>~~~~ and more text</nowiki></code> works. (i.e. does it TNR the "and more text"?) Not that it's important, just my own curiosity.<br />
:And think about a more advanced explanation on TNR's page, if it's going to be 'an odd template' in any way, like being Span-opener without being a Span-closer.<br />
:That's all. Over to you, nothing more I can do (I could change TNR's code, but not then test it with your signature), but ''maybe'' I've done enough to help. Without too much confusion. I'll let you sort the rest out on your own, unless there's anything specific that arises to follow-up with. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.131|82.132.246.131]] 17:45, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::tbh I'm good. Besides, I have no clue how to convert that raw HTML into usable wikitext (idk how to code, planning to learn someday). Either way, works fine. Also, you commentary has made me realize how complex my sig actually is. Times New Roman+Bold+Italics, which is a link which is colored. {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|19:21, 5 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
<br />
<br></div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:DollarStoreBa%27al&diff=390457User talk:DollarStoreBa'al2025-11-09T04:43:28Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div>Speak through the interdimentional portal<br />
<br />
==General Chitchat and such==<br />
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)<br />
<br />
:Thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 19:11, 25 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
:hi btw :) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:11, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
::hello, how are you doing this fine morning, my dear fellow? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:03, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Hiyo==<br />
: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)<br />
:: Bello. me editor guy who edit much. edit fun! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:00, 3 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::hahahahaha edit fun indeed. [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:20, 4 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Question: How do you add those user boxes that you have on your page? Those would be nice to have. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:52, 6 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::copy and paste this and remove the nowiki tag: <br />
<br />
<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:<br />
<br />
<nowiki>{{Userbox | border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = ;) | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|This user _____ ]] | float = left}}</nowiki><br />
<br />
[[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:50, 11 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::Dude thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 13:48, 17 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::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)<br />
<br />
==Wow==<br />
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)<br />
:Yes. Yes you are. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:43, 25 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::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)<br />
<br />
::: No need. Also, I see you're from Louisiana. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 03:44, 29 March 2025 (UTC)]]<br />
::::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)<br />
<br />
==The 5s and Es and Os==<br />
Reply to this if you've figured out what the meaning of the thingy on my user page is.<br />
:it's base 3 [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 09:07, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: :O [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:31, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: Nope! I'll give you a hint: talk to sam. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 14:33, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
https://voca.ro/1Akmh0zRqa8Q [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 16:02, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:uhhh...[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 20:41, 11 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
::sorry, that's not it. Don't know what to say to that.[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:54, 14 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
You have one week! Hint: beep boooop --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 16:30, 6 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Morse code? [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 19:33, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Morse code of what? You are very, very close.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:47, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 14:44, 13 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:It's better than [[2869: Puzzles]] [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 11:11, 14 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Want to do some repetitive work? ==<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
:What exactly would I be doing to get these features to work? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::If it isn't super-complex wikitext things I can totally help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]</sup> 19:21, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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.<br />
[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1:_Barrel_-_Part_1&diff=374851&oldid=373457 You can follow this example]. The steps are:<br />
<br />
Start from [[4|comic number 4]]:<br />
#Based on the short sentence written above the explanation, add "ognumber =", "ogprev =", and "ognext =" (so the navbar can work)<br />
#Add "oglink =", and move ONLY the link from "before" to "oglink" (so from HTTPS://..... until the end of the link, move that to "oglink")<br />
#Now, from the edit preview, copy the original title.<br />
#Delete everything in "before =" now that you moved the link<br />
#Add "ogtitle =" and paste the original title that you copied.<br />
#Finally, in "titletext", add two couples of apostrophes (<nowiki>''</nowiki>) in these places: https://imgur.com/a/BewKKr1<br />
#Now save the changes, and click the new white "Next >" button you just created to go to the next one!<br />
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)<br />
<br />
me am do. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[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]</sup></sup> 20:51, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
Hey, I don't really understand where I'm supposed to put these. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:01, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Nevermind, I got this. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:05, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
: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.<br />
:I'll let you know when you can continue. Thanks! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 21:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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alright, sounds good! Dang tho. Let me know and I'll get right back to it. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 13:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
::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)<br />
:::So sorry about that, I noticed those random Html elements. Thought they were part of the bug. oops. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:16pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 22:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::No worries! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 11:05, 26 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==The mistake==<br />
===Kynde's talk page===<br />
You might want to expedite the actual deletion of [[User:User:User:User:User:User/Mr. Beast is trying to aquire my bones]] (and its User Talk counterpart). I believe the editor concerned was sleep-deprived (but wouldn't put it past being instead a chemical imbalance of some legal ''or'' illegal kind). I'd have added the Pages To Delete category, but there's already a few of those hanging around unfulfilled... [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.176|82.132.246.176]] 17:02, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Ok man, I created that page because I wanted somewhere that would <br />
*Be private (which it is. It's impossible to create the account User:User:User:User:User. I checked.)<br />
*Affect Nobody (which it shouldn't. The only person it's affecting is you.)<br />
<br />
You've also [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:DGAF&diff=prev&oldid=385114 vandalized] [[Template:DGAF]], which I created, is inspired by 42.book.addict, and affects nobody but me. This makes me think that you're just looking through my contributions and immediately flagging things you frame as 'wrong'. This is not only incredibly creepy, but is also completely pointless. I'm a high school student on the internet. Also, I believe you're the same person who insulted me about DSBContribs, which I no longer use, and was fixed. Just stop and let me do my own thing. Amusedly and angrily, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:11, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Given other recent activity, it ''looked'' like another example of {{diff|385026|editing whilst insensible}} (together with statements about returning to school, put me in mind the situation of which the {{w|Eternal September}} was the next step). i.e. honest errors of judgement.<br />
:To term the "UserUserUser..." space 'private' is erroneous. It can be seen by anyone. It can be ''edited'' by anyone. Though, by convention, only the User Talk should be edited by anyone other than the ultimate named User. Which you aren't, BTW... create for someone else, ''if you must'', if they're too new and unwilling to wait the trivial amount of time before they can. Creating the spaces for someone who didn't request help or ''doesn't even exist'' needs some form of justification that you're well short of.<br />
:It affects everyone if random, meaningless and context-free pages are added to the wiki 'just for fun'. Data isn't free. Storage isn't limitless. Potentially obscuring real useful (on-topic) information with stupid semi-vandalism (that I didn't think you'd do intentionally, based upon prior behaviour), is not something I expected. But it looked like a momentary lapse that (being on the scene) I tried to helpfully deal with as much as I could. (If I'd have been an Admin, myself, I ''would'' have just deleted them. 'Luckily' for you, I have no interest in that amount of leverage, I'm sticking what anyone can do, perhaps the next person along would have reacted the same, or worse.)<br />
:No, I'm not stalking you. All edits are visible, you made edits, I saw them. I remember DSBContribs (or similar, if it's what I think you mean), but didn't recall it was your work. And others, including a named user, 'insulted' you about that. Or, as I recall, questioned the reasoning behind it, and didn't get a sensible answer. So 0lease accept my apologies. It seems that you ''are'' the kind of person to create useless pages like these last few. If I had known that, I wouldn't have come here suggesting that they were in error, but come here to just draw Kynde's attention to them as effectively being vandalism.<br />
:And, because your template page tried to link to a non-existing wiki page, I also just made it go somewhere that works. That was before reading here how this may well have been culpably intentional, so again was done out of more good faith helpfulness than it turns out I should have been employing.<br />
:That's regardless of your age, BTW. Whether you're at "High School" in the US, at maybe 14-18+ years old, or a High School like I attended where I am (and many years ago), which was for 11-16+ then workplaces or college (then maybe uni) beckoned. You don't need to be older to be more sensible about these things, and you don't need to be young to act idiotically.<br />
:And, lucky you, you get this shiny wiki (and everything else) to work with. I had no access to the Internet until I was 18 (though, at that time, the web itself hadn't been invented, let alone wikis), and of course made my own goofs (asked whether I needed to buy an estamp to send an email!).<br />
:But let me not bore you. I'm not in control here, only a fellow traveller who would give advice and assistance to those who might need it, and cares perhaps more than you might 'give a fuck' about various corners of the online world, like this. Reasoning over, lecture finished, friendly advice concluded. I just shoved it all in one reply to save you the trouble of having to deal with an impatiently slow conversation. And to not keep 'pinging' Kynde's email notification more than necessary (sorry Kynde!)... [[Special:Contributions/82.132.247.23|82.132.247.23]] 20:47, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Do you wish to know something? I'm 14. User:User:User:User:User is (and I checked) completely impossible to create, as shown in this image: [[File:refutation.png]] But, if you wish, I shall make it a subpage of my own account. <br />
::Yes, of course it's ''technically'' public, but unless people specifically search for that page (which is still a subpage, btw), it won't affect anybody. Also, I'd like to point out, everybody editing any page is the ''whole point'' of a wiki. Yes, storage isn't limitless. Very cool. At this point, that page is a drop in the ocean of data already contributed by all the rest of these pages (including the lecture you just added, which is ''more'' bytes than the pages I created).<br />
::Thank you for that edit, by the way. When I previewed it, it showed that it did go to the correct page ({{w|Wikipedia:Don't-give-a-fuckism}}), so I published it that way. However, your edits make it seem like you're definitely stalking me. From what I've seen, all you've done is edit recent comic pages and berate me (and Kynde) about my mistakes. <br />
::DSBContribs was my work. I did, however, provide a sensible reason as to why I created it. If you didn't see it, here it is:<br />
<br />
::DSBContribs was created specifically for my signature. At the time I created this, I had no idea what subpages were and I was running out of characters on my signature. I created it because I thought it wouldn't be a hindrance to the wiki and it would save me precious characters on my signature.<br />
::However, I do still apologize, even if the insulting on the template was a ''bit'' far and not in the least helpful. I will move Mr.Beast is trying to aquire my bones to a subpage of my own. I will fix that template (which was not useless) and subsequently delete the content from the three unnecessary redirects. I had no intention of vandalizing the wiki, as I've stated multiple times. No page I create is meant to be vandalism in any way, and I try to do my best to help the wiki be the best it can be. Sometimes it gets boring being 'sensible' all the time (especially in IB classes, where I regularly have 3+ hours of homework/night), and I wanted some sort of way to let all the wild shit that my ADHD makes out. That's what came out. Again, I truly apologize.<br />
<br />
I bid thee well on wherever the journey of life may take thee, fellow traveler. May we see each other again, be it in life, in death, or in the cursed month of Jancember. Take Care.<br />
<br />
Ba'al, teenage Soul-Eater, out.<br />
<br />
:Wow that was a long read. I do give a f**k about not having such a template her so I deleted that instantly! I'm going to wait till you have moved relevant content of the user:user page somewhere with a more sensible name. ASnd no I do not think you should just write random gibberish on any pages here. And no I do not think we should have such a confusing page on here. So yes I will delete it eventually. If there is anything valuable on the page, make a different page, call it your sandbox or something, I don't know, but not something which is impossible for me or any one else to find out what it is supposed to be, like this many times user page. We have so many random users being created and many of them begin to spam us and has to be blocked. I do really not have the time to such a debate as the one here, so I hope you will do as I say and we can end this nicely. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:38, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Something you probably didn't see: The fact that I did move the page to a sandbox YESTERDAY. Good day, and make Jeff proud. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:42, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::No I did not see as I do not stalk anyone here: So I can then delete [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/User:DollarStoreBa%27al/Mr._Beast_is_trying_to_aquire_my_bones this page] now? And please try not to insult me with any mention of Jeff. He is no longer active and no one has any contact with him on these pages. I'm not happy about being the only active admin here, but you should reply decently! Thanks. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:45, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Well, I never accused you of stalking (unless you were the IP in disguise), and I never meant to insult you with making Jeff proud. I like to imagine him as a father looking at his millionaire son with pride. If you wish to, delete the page. Go ahead, it won't affect anyone. Except me. And maybe mystery British(?) IP. This feud is over, and has been for hours. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:57, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::DollarStoreBa'al, I would very strongly recommend you to relax a bit and stop being so attacking/condescending. A lot of your edits don't make sense and aren't helping or contributing towards the growth and improvement of this wiki, so of course other users will be confused and annoyed. Maybe take a break from editing for a bit and mull over your edits for a bit? '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:01, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::You're right. 42. You're always right :) --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 16:07, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::::I'm so sorry. You don't need to forgive me for this. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 16:26, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
===My talk page===<br />
<br />
N 19:49 heADer TExt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:49 hEaDeR tEXt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:46 hEaDeR TeXt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:46 HEADER TEXT (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:45 header Text (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:45 Header Text (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
...now that I know you're doing stupid and unnecessary things deliberately, I won't try to provide help. And you, of course won't be taking my friendly advice, so I'll try not to disturb you further, if I can help it. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.82|82.132.244.82]] 20:57, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I KNEW YOU WERE STALKING MY EDITS! Now that you have discovered that I've done unnecessary edits (which are only affecting you), try zooming out a little. Specifically, to the 2,000 bytes I added to [[What if? Chapters]]. I didn't get almost 300 contribution score by doing meme edits all day. Besides, three of those are genuinely useful, and I'm not going to listen to a random IP with maybe 10 edits tops telling me how to edit a wiki. If you want to fix my work, go right ahead. That's what wikis are for. I invite you to fix everything. If you stop stalking my contributions page.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 23:07, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Also, I would like to point out that it's harder to get more unfriendly than making a template which only links to my user page insult me, thereby vandalizing my user page. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 23:11, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::There was going to be no further reply, but you need to know these things:<br />
::;I KNEW YOU WERE STALKING MY EDITS!<br />
::Read what I said. All edits are visible. That's an extract from that list of all edits via the Recent Changes link. You are not being 'stalked'. Though, if I ''could'' easily do so, I'd now specifically hide all your edits and let absolutely ''anyone'' else work out what (if anything) to do in response.<br />
::;Specifically, to the 2,000 bytes I added to [[What if? Chapters]].<br />
::That looked good, as far as I saw it. Would you have me edit something that didn't need editing, just to congratulate you for a job adequately done? There was something I ''might'' have changed, but so trivial that I actively chose not to, and I am now thankful of that.<br />
::;I didn't get almost 300 contribution score by doing meme edits all day.<br />
::Good for you, if the contribution score means so much to you. Quality over quantity is better, and doesn't have a hand macro to show it. But you do you, if you're chasing the scoreboard rankings alone.<br />
::;and I'm not going to listen to a random IP with maybe 10 edits tops telling me how to edit a wiki.<br />
::As you point out, elsewhere, my IP ''will'' keep changing. (And I'm not the only person who may have appeared on any given IP.) I shudder to think how many edits I've made here, in reality, but shall I show you edits by various IPs across a decade or so and claim them as mine? No, because the merit (or otherwise) of one's latest contribution is all that matters. I'm usually happy to be an anon-IP, amongst other anon-IPs and named-users (both venerable and fleetingly transient alike). <br />
::;If you stop stalking my contributions page.<br />
::I can reassure you that I've probably never even looked at ''your'' specific contributions page, certainly not for a long time. I normally only ever check those to check whether "one-edit vandals" have perhaps made other edits that had temporarily slipped under the collective radar, but I don't think I had ever considered you as one of them, before, even back when you were new here. (How long is that? Six months. Two years? Maybe a bit longer?I could look it up easily by checking your contribs page, but I'm now firmly resolved to not do that, for your sake.)<br />
::<br />
::If any what I have written reads as less than polite, it's perhaps partly my exasperation leaking through. By the time I felt the need to add another word to "unnecessary", above, I can see that this had happened. For which I am sorry.<br />
::But text-only communications, like this, also tend to be read in a way that the reader's mood dictates. And I think some of my more straightforward initial contributions got misread at your end, tinted with reflected emotion.<br />
::And, please, let this be it. The world doesn't need to see this, nor does the server need it being added to, and of course there's no alternative backchannel to conduct a lengthy private conversation about it all. I shall read what you reply, just because it's hard to ''not'' read anything that isn't deleted/overwritten, but please no more needless creation of fake user pages (or, indeed, IP user pages). Unnecessary and as likely to be removed as anything else out there. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.228|82.132.244.228]] 05:07, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It is probable that you didn't see the reply I gave you on Kynde's talk page. Here is that reply: <br />
<br />
:Do you wish to know something? I'm 14. User:User:User:User:User is (and I checked) completely impossible to create, as shown in this image: [[File:refutation.png]] But, if you wish, I shall make it a subpage of my own account.<br />
:Yes, of course it's technically public, but unless people specifically search for that page (which is still a subpage, btw), it won't affect anybody. Also, I'd like to point out, everybody editing any page is the whole point of a wiki. Yes, storage isn't limitless. Very cool. At this point, that page is a drop in the ocean of data already contributed by all the rest of these pages (including the lecture you just added, which is more bytes than the pages I created).<br />
:Thank you for that edit, by the way. When I previewed it, it showed that it did go to the correct page (Wikipedia:Don't-give-a-fuckism), so I published it that way. However, your edits make it seem like you're definitely stalking me. From what I've seen, all you've done is edit recent comic pages and berate me (and Kynde) about my mistakes.<br />
:DSBContribs was my work. I did, however, provide a sensible reason as to why I created it. If you didn't see it, here it is:<br />
<br />
:DSBContribs was created specifically for my signature. At the time I created this, I had no idea what subpages were and I was running out of characters on my signature. I created it because I thought it wouldn't be a hindrance to the wiki and it would save me precious characters on my signature.<br />
:However, I do still apologize, even if the insulting on the template was a bit far and not in the least helpful. I will move Mr.Beast is trying to aquire my bones to a subpage of my own. I will fix that template (which was not useless) and subsequently delete the content from the three unnecessary redirects. I had no intention of vandalizing the wiki, as I've stated multiple times. No page I create is meant to be vandalism in any way, and I try to do my best to help the wiki be the best it can be. Sometimes it gets boring being 'sensible' all the time (especially in IB classes, where I regularly have 3+ hours of homework/night), and I wanted some sort of way to let all the wild shit that my ADHD makes out. That's what came out. Again, I truly apologize. I hope this marks the end of this little spat we've had.<br />
I bid thee well on wherever the journey of life may take thee, fellow traveler. May we see each other again, be it in life, in death, or in the cursed month of Jancember. Take Care.<br />
<br />
Ba'al, teenage Soul-Eater, out.<br />
<br />
:See my reply there: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/User_talk:Kynde#On_Template:DGAF_and_User:User:User:User:User:User.2FMr._Beast_is_trying_to_aquire_my_bones Reply] --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:42, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: I just did, and I did just respond. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:43, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==My Mistakes==<br />
=== Your signature is in violation of {{w|WP:SIGAPP}} ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
Changed to 14pt. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:14pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 13:02, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
FINE --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:14, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
:: I thought the issue was the height? Doesn't the wiki use 12pt font, which that Sig is? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:27, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::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)<br />
<br />
=== Mass-deleting links ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
===Creating someone's User pages, without being asked===<br />
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)<br />
:Yup, I also pointed it out. In case you missed my reply to your message, here's a copy: <br />
:”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)<br />
::Sorry about that. Just trying to help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:34, 28 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
=== NEWS ===<br />
<br />
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?<br />
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:48, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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]]<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
=== Why [...] is DSBContribs a thing? ===<br />
<br />
Did you seriously have to create a page in the main namespace with the sole purpose of redirecting to your user contributions page?<br />
<br />
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).<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
::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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::: Hi, it's me (on a different IP because I'm at home now).<br />
:::: I'm sorry for being so aggressive in my original comment, I thought you were a grown adult, not a teen. ("think is an 8-year old" is incorrect btw, I was saying you were "acting like an 8 year old", but that itself was too harsh).<br />
:::: I made stupid mistakes too when I was around your age, and I should have assumed good faith rather than take such an aggressive tone.<br />
:::: Sorry for that, and good luck with school! [[Special:Contributions/90.219.64.93|90.219.64.93]] 13:50, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::: I accept your apology with open arms. I truly hope we can work together to improve the wiki in the future. Best regards, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:11, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
=== Possessive and contracted "its"/"it's". ===<br />
<br />
This also confused me, oh so many years ago. Then I was given a handy way of knowing ''which'' was the exception, which has served me well, and I've never had to second-guess myself. (Naturally, I've probably typoed/thinkoed it wrong, unconsciously... But since then I've never had a moment of doubt when I've deliberately kept myself/others correct.) Maybe it'll help you. - I tried to summarise it in the edit I made to the message concerned, but ''not enough space'' to do it justice...<br />
#The possessive version is "its". It is one of a number of "irregular possessives", "his" instead of "him's"/, "hers" instead of "her's", "theirs" instead of "they's"/"them's".<br />
#*Basically all the very common and basic pronoun-based possessives that (as I think of it, although not entirely correctly) were added to the language ''long before'' anybody actually tried to regularise the use of possessives, so just stuck that way. If it belongs to "him", "her", "me" "you", "us", "them" ''and'' "it", you're in the realms of using a completely irregular possessive, none of which use apostrophes.<br />
#*''Personally'', I think that "one" (the equally 'basic', IMO, impersonal pronoun) should be included in that. Not for the likes of {{w|Ones' complement}} (that's belonging to (a number of) digit-ones), but in the "{{w|One (pronoun)|one}} is speaking sense. But (as noted in that last link), it isn't. So don't do that.<br />
#This leaves the contractive version as the one that uses the apostrophe. With two interesting caveats:<br />
#*There ''are'' irregular contractions. The word "forecastle" contracts to "fo'c'sle" or "fo'c's'le", which is a lot more overkill than other similarly complicated contractions. And "will not" becomes "won't" (or, some suggest, just "wont", though that's also a different word), despite not having the right set of letters in the right order to remain after (at least) the "not"->"n't" contraction.<br />
#*In reporting speech, where someone says "it's just something I want to say", use it without fear. But, when writing, I find that (except for ''very'' casual use, essentially speaking in text ...or of course when tending to write in abbreviations/limited space) it's{{asic}} just much better to write "it is", in full. Can't(cannot) be written wrong, couldn't(/could not) be read wrong.<br />
#Oh, and then theres "its'", the plural-(non-irregular-)possessive, which ''could'' be used in certain circumstances... "There are loads of ''its'' in this text, without apostrophes... please check that each ''its''' punctuation is correct!". But... not a common occurance. (Far less than "belonging to the word 'it'", the sole reason to use possessive "it's".) ;)<br />
<br />
...TL;DR;, irregular possesive "its" because of all the other irregular possessive pronouns that have words of their own. And you might just find it easier to uncontract "it's", most of the time, ''especially'' if you're still not entirely sure about it. (Or, perhaps, you're happy to not let go of such a minor degree of gravitas, and it's not transcriped real-world enunciation, which might even feature such monstrosities as "couldn't've" as the contraction of "could not have"!)<br />
<br />
Don't know if that helps, or is understandable, but there you are. Overexplained and overly rambling, as it is..! [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 21:51, 22 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:While you have way too much time on your hands, it'sn't (it is not) hard to understand, so thank you! As I said, <i>it's</i> basically my only grammatical flaw, so this helps tremendously. Damn my brain and <i>its</i> grammatical irregularities. <i>Its</i> a pleasure to talk with you! Sincerely, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 00:40, 23 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Definitely didn't just make a mistake on an it's. After reading a full page worth of why not to. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 00:44, 23 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==excuse me==<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
==template==<br />
<br />
What is a template? What’s a {{Trout}} and {{Whale}}?<br />
<br><br />
If it looks weird, click edit [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 12:20, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:41, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::how can I create one? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:21, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::Here's something that may be able to help: {{AprilFoolsHelp}} --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:43, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::thxxxxxxxxx [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::You are very welcome! I hope you are excited to start contributing to the wiki! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::By the way, please don't be afraid to ask me any questions at all. If I can, I will help! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:48, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::::Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]], which is <nowiki>{{Thx$store}}</nowiki> (if I can call you that)<br />
<br />
==Template Tips==<br />
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:<br />
*Templates are easy to create.<br />
*It's useful to learn from other templates.<br />
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.<br />
: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.<br />
:To the above, I'd add:<br />
:*Know what purpose your template will have.<br />
: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.<br />
: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'.<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
:While this is very useful, it would be nice if you posted this on [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!]]'s talk page. He's the one learning the ropes, and it would probably be very useful to him. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 17:47, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Requests/favors==<br />
If you need anything done, reach out to me! I'll let you know what I can do to help you! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:49, 15 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hi [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]], are you good enough to have the link to my user page? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 01:57, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Done! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:56, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
==Hello again Darling :D==<br />
I'm back after the summer hello sir O) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 13:59, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:A fellow school-based follower of the truth, I see! Welcome back, and I wish thee well on your adventures. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:00, 26 August 2025 (UTC) P.S. I use monobook style now.<br />
<br />
==Category thing==<br />
Hey, can someone tell me why my talk page is on 'pages to delete?' {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|18:08, 27 August 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:I have tracked it down to {{diff|383609|this edit}} by [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!]], where they used a (fairly useless and unnecessary) template (that they created themselves) called <nowiki>Template:Thx$store</nowiki> to thank you for helping to teach them the process of creating a new template. Since I marked that template for deletion, when the comment calls for the template, it also marks your talk page for deletion. I have changed it so that the template is replaced with the text that it would substitute in and your page is no longer marked for deletion. Also signed off your unsigned comment. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 18:30, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::When someone says "I have tracked it down" you know they mean business. Thanks, that's quite reassuring. Another mystery IP (not sure if it's the same guy as today) did warn him not to make meaningless templates. Of course, I also made a meaningless template, so.... --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:33, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Do you not learn? ==<br />
<br />
You say that you've learned from your mistakes, yet I don't see any changes. You say that you're an incoming 9th grader and that's somehow an excuse for your immaturity, but I'm also a 9th grader and can compose myself perfectly fine. You say that you won't do the same mistakes again, yet you still create useless pages. How many more are you going to create? I really don't want to be yelling at you like this, but I just don't think you'll be able to change without it. FYI, I've marked User:DSB and the /C pages for deletion. Grow up. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 21:41, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Look. You aren't a bad person. In fact, I wholeheartedly believe that your passion can turn into a positive thing for this wiki. The thing is, you have a tendency to try to fix things by doing even more things, often panicking and making the situation worse. I've already told you this before, but I'll reemphasize it for you. '''TAKE A BREAK.''' Go for some walks. Work on your homework. Talk to people. Hang out with some friends. Don't just spend all your time on here. Trust me, I made the same mistake before. I would recommend a couple days of rest. See how it feels! It might hurt in the beginning, but nobody NEEDS you on here so badly to work on things to the point of such fanatic editing. I don't think Kynde, FaviFake, or any of the other editors hate you, to be honest. We're all just annoyed that you seem to not listen to our advice and keep on making the same mistakes. It's fine to make mistakes-that's how we learn! But you need to stop worrying so much and just step away from the screen for a bit. (Also, I'd recommend talking to a friend or a trusted adult. Your /PRIVATE page seems to be filled with quite a bit of self-hatred. Don't listen to that voice in your head. She's a bitch and none of it is true. I've dealt with poor mental health too. In fact, that's one of the reasons why I had left for so long. You should try to get these feelings out in a healthy way, instead of taking it out yourself or spending all your time online. Nobody thinks you're stupid. You just need to learn how things are done around here. If that's on a steep learning curve, so be it. Just keep on pushing through, and listen to people more.) And finally, you ''can'' make subpages, but try to reduce the number that you have. Think to yourself before you make one: do I TRULY need this? Will it help me out positively in the long run? If not, just put it in another section of your userpage (or make a proper sandbox!). Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk, and I wish you all a good night. Tori, signing off. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 04:05, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Take a break / Hey, our kid is pretty great / Run away with us for the summer / Let's go upstate / Eliza, I've got so much on my plate / We can all go stay with my father<br />
<br />
::There's a lake I know (I know) / In a nearby park (I'd love to go) / You and I can go when the night gets dark / '''I will try to get away''' <br />
<br />
::Such a good song, Lin cooked with that one. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:03, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== are you ok? ==<br />
<br />
do you need help? [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 06:11, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Would you prefer to get a Blog? ==<br />
<br />
User pages are sufficient to give an idea of who you are, and User Talk ones for people to talk to you about your contributions/etc.<br />
<br />
Maybe create sub-pages if you have a relevant site-related project and need 'a space' for them. Such as, as an off-the-wall example, "a list of all the instances of comics that have less than the average number of vowels in them". Perhaps in the hope that it'll be appreciated and made into a more regular page.<br />
<br />
But from what I've seen of your 'contributions' this week, none of that applies. Drunk-typing? Well, ''probably'' not if you're still so far underage that you probably don't have decent access to anything stronger than wine-gums, but definitely you weren't in full control of your keyboard. We've other people on here, as young as you, and have had even younger ones. If we can actually believe what anybody reveals about theirselves. (I'm a 111-year old hobbit, by the way.) You've been one of the most immaturely-acting people here who haven't actually been '''obviously''' trying to vandalise this site, and I'm sure you've strained the patience of pretty much everyone.<br />
<br />
But you're not the first to go a little wild, like this. And - dare I say it - some of those who went on to be mainstays of this site got over the novelty of "anyone can edit (almost) anything", and possibly a rush of teenage hormones messing up their judgement. May I suggest you ''take a deep breath'' and work out what it is that you're doing that is creating such friction and push-back? I've seen you being a reasonable contributor before, and it's not even been all bad over the last week or so.<br />
<br />
And you may have personal life changes going on. Those hormones, issues at home/school/elsewhere, general worries about the state of the world that you're growing up into... maybe a combination of them, or some of these things even ''causing'' some of the others. It happens. You're not alone ...even if one of the key issues is actually in feeling alone! But this is not necessarily the place to try to reshape the world like this.<br />
<br />
How about you stick a little more to just xkcd matters, for the time being. There are plenty of other ways, and places, to run through whatever it is that you might be going through, and it might be best to balance things a bit more 'worklike' here than too much 'at play', like it looks like you're doing at the moment. Rebalance back to 'just enough of each' later.<br />
<br />
And if you ''do'' get somewhere to blog, you'll even have a lot more control. Create anything you want (more or less, within the T&Cs of the service), not worrying about other people editing it, and probably even later cleanly delete anything you no longer want (with no pesky Page History open for everyone to read). You could even put a link to your blog here in your User space, if you want to. At least the blog that you want to connect to yourself here. (You can have an xkcd-adjacent one, ''and'' one to cry out in anguish if you so wish. And a third to... well, you get the idea.) And the skills to maintain blog code is a bit more 'real-world' than the purely wiki-related markup you learn here, and you can still learn the wiki-markup in parallel with getting to grips with HTML or other popular {{w|Content management system}} markup, giving you a few more useful lifeskills that ''merely'' being eventually a master wiki-guru.<br />
<br />
How does that sound? Please do stay, but please also consider if everything you're doing is strictly necessary. I see I'm not the only one driven to try to explain this to you. And for some reason I thought I might be able to quickly suggest a solution to this little quandry. (No, it hasn't actually been that quick, has it.) If you really don't like what I say here... delete it. And I'll say no more. Or just tell me to mind my own business. I've probably got some other things to do around here, if our other old-hand editors don't get there before me! [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 22:34, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I really should, shouldn't I... I'll try to find one. Yesterday and today have mainly been focused on What If? Chapters and a potential new project with Tori (Have you met her? She's lovely) about Sigs. Today has mainly been the latter, with a bit of the former, and some sig ideas I've been working on. I've been trying to stick to more useful matters. For example, /WORKPAGE currently contains drafts of some unfinished What If? Chapters I've been working on. So, I have been attempting to work on more xkcd-related matters. Is it ok if you could <br />
<br />
:But, I shall heed your advice. I shall get a blog (not blood, autocorrect). Do you have any recommendations for where to start?<br />
<br />
:One last thing: Could you show me one of the apparent 'drunk typing' incidents? I edit on my school Chromebook, so I wouldn't be surprised if the keyboard decided to be weird. Thank you for the advice! Once, again, I shall heed it. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 22:51, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Oh, and by the way, I will not delete this thread. Also, how do you access the internet in Valinor?<br />
::'Drunkeness', or whatever it was, was very evident in something like {{diff|385245|here}}. More mundane 'misuse of the keyboard' issues are the times you add multiple linefeeds between very simple statements. You need to do two line-feeds to 'separate the paragraphs', any more than that is not normally visually necessary at all, and can ''look'' like you weren't even paying full attention at the time, however well-written the line-fragments between are. If it weren't for the fact that there were actual (sort-of-)discernable words in there, the 'drunk' one could also have perhaps been a "cat walked on my keyboard" issue. Were you and the cat ''both'' trying to use the keyboard? (Or one of you trying to walk on it, the other trying to type on it. One way round or the other?) I think it's that kind of thing that got people initially concerned about you. Help us to help you (to help yourself?), maybe. [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 02:10, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::i don't think the help is strictly necessary, but, as I said before, do you have any suggestions for places to make a blog? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 18:30, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::I don't blog, so nothing from personal experience. I bet you could use some Google-Fu (or Bing-Fu, or DuckDuckGo-Fu, or AltaVista-Fu, or AskJeeves-Fu, or...) to find a few such solutions, then look at all their offerings (check their wikipedia pages..? and, yeah, add some Wiki-Fu to the previous list of ways in which to search) and decide which one works for you. Or which two or three, and try them out with either completely identical aims in mind or initially split up your interests (one's your sports-appreciation, another is about what your favourite TV is, a third being your humorous observations about things you see every day, ...), then you can keep running the one(s) that turn out to work for you.<br />
::::You know what you currently want, better than me or aanyone. [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 23:50, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::If you need a blog, and don't know what platforms to use, I'd recommend making a Google Site or Wordpress blog. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 19:10, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== {{w|Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/ltbdl}} ==<br />
<br />
they think we're the same person, ha. [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 02:29, 2 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I did not think this is what I would come back to. That's wild and hilarious. <br />
<br />
:They are raeb<br />
<br />
:And I am Dollar<br />
<br />
:And we are not the same person<br />
<br />
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:42, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::OMG THEY BANNED YOU WTF? I've pleaded your case, but idk if they'll respond. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:49, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Okay, wait a second. A checkuser does checks on User IPs. If you were found guilty, that means that you were editing under the same IP as me. By any chance, do you go to school in Lincoln, NE? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 14:04, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::one, revert your case pleading, it's silly and won't help, and two, we're "very unlikely" to be the same person according to checkuser, don't panic. maybe link them here. (i don't go to school in lincoln.) [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 15:00, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::Ok, now it's weird. I didn't know you couldn't have alt accounts, even if you explicitly stated that they were, indeed, alt accounts. Seems a bit strict if you ask me. Also, 1+1=Window, not Yes. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 22:53, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Can you please help me==<br />
I helped you with the userboxes. Now I need your help. How do I get my sig to be something besides what it is now? [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 19:34, 9 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Hi there, Tori here. If you want to change your signature, go to your preferences page on the top right of the website (it's next to your Talk page and Watchlist). Scroll down until you see the signatures section and change it. If you need help figuring out wikitext, feel free to shoot me a message on my [[user talk:42.book.addict|talk page]]! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 01:32, 10 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Template:what if? chapters ==<br />
<br />
Sorry, but what's the point of creating a template for what if chapters? What do you intend to use it for? '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:28, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:I intended it as a workaround in order to edit two pages at once. (those being the blog page and the chapters page). I noticed there was a discrepancy between the tables on the two pages, and I created a workaround for it. Also, it's faster than copy-pasting, now that the load times are astronomical. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 16:30, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Sounds good! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:40, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
Ok I'm sorry but I had to change it back. Here are a few drawbacks:<br />
#Now people reading our summaries can't edit them directly.<br />
#The history is gone. You should've moved the page, not copy and paste. Both for copyright attribution (see {{w|WP:CWW]]) and for maintenance, to see when and why something was added.<br />
#Now we need to transclude the table on 1 more page (servers!), and the pages that were already transcluding the page (except [[what if? (blog)]]) now are transcluding both the page AND the template.<br />
And most importantly: there wasn't any discrepancy between the pages that transcluded the pages, just as there is no discrepancy now. The table was the exact same.<br />
<br />
Could you explain what discrepancy you saw? The code and text behind the original [[What If? Chapters]] page, the blog page, the new template you created, and any other pages transcluding [[What If? Chapters]] was truly identical (and still is, just with the added issues listed above.).<br />
<br />
Also; templates are not supposed to be edited frequently. A template is created in order to save time writing the same code on dozens or hundreds of pages. The table both needs to be edited and is only transcluded on a few pages. These are the pages in which the page was transcluded: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/What_If%3F_chapters&hidelinks=1&hideredirs=1] --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 10:04, 4 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:There were just some chapter summaries I saw that were different between the blog page and the chapters page. I'm not angry about this, thanks for bringing up the points which I am not advanced enough to see. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 12:55, 6 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Huh, that's odd. The only difference between the two is that the last header cell on the left becomes highlighted in yellow when transcluded. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 19:16, 7 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Current signature. ==<br />
<br />
I've noticed that your signature does <all the fancy stuff><NEWLINE><space><timestamp>. Might be a good idea to remove the <NEWLINE> before the (presumably auto-appended) <space><timestamp> as it currently puts your<br />
timestamp like this.<br />
<br />
Which is ''probably'' not what you'd intended. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.74|82.132.245.74]] 20:47, 4 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:......Nope, didn't intend that. I'll see if I can fix it. (not signing this because... well, you know) --DSB {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|21:12, 4 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
::I've found the issue. I was trying to make my signature in times new roman using [[Template:TNR]]. This template uses div for it's styling. For some reason, it's inserting <nowiki></div></nowiki> between the signature and timestamp rather than after. Is there a way to get the <nowiki></div></nowiki> to go after the timestamp rather than before (which is what I was intending)? Thanks! --DSB {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|21:18, 4 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:::Standard advice is to not use div-tags in your custom .sig, for exactly this reason. You should be able to do the same (except for the undesired newline-forcing) with span-tagging where you invoked div-tags.<br />
:::The way it rendered (must basically have been subst:ed between what you used and how it renders), I didn't know you'd used the TNR template. If that's for character-length reasons then a "TNRspan" template (or something ''not'' four characters longer, if you're extremely tight for space) would have to be used.<br />
:::Or change the TNR so <code><nowiki>{{TNR|span=yes}}</nowiki></code> will specially 'return' you your no-Div version (that's the nice-looking version; you could also have it do something like responding to <code><nowiki>{{{1}}}</nowiki></code> being "s" or "1", if you can only afford to extend by two extra characters). That makes the one template dual-use, instead of making another template.<br />
:::TIMTOWTDI. But you'll know what you want to do, I can only give vague pointers. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.74|82.132.245.74]] 22:22, 4 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Weird. I changed the TNR template to <nowiki><span></nowiki> instead of <nowiki><div></nowiki>, but upon testing it's still doing that weird newline thing. {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|14:11, 5 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:::::Finally fixed. I can't get the timestamp to also be TNR, but at least it doesn't auto-newline. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::::That looks not too bad, though the timestamp is sans-serif again. Though ''might' in part be browser-dependant as to how it looks (mine may react only to the 'serif' and not the full 'Times New Roman', giving a TNR''-like'' serif-font that works good adjacent to the non-specific choice of sans-serif font. Also, at first glance, there's a mystery as to why the timestamp is '''''BOLD+ITALIC''' (or maybe STRONG+EMPHASIS, for the pedants).<br />
::::::The structure is probably as follows, rewritten just for visual representation/explanation. Formatting that you do is in ()s, my explanatory notes are in ** and * pairs:<br />
**start of 'fixed text' signature insertion**<br />
(SPANopen style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;")<br />
--<br />
(BOLD+ITALICstart)<br />
(LINKpage)User:DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(LINKtext)<br />
(SPANopen style="color:#E3C6BE")<br />
DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end:style="color:#E3C6BE")<br />
(LINKclose)<br />
(SUPERSCRIPTopen)<br />
(LINKpage)User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(LINKtext)<br />
(SPANopen style="color:#CC9A8B")<br />
Converse<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end:style="color:#CC9A8B")<br />
(LINKclose)<br />
(SUPERSCRIPTclose)<br />
*expected to be an /implied/ (BOLD+ITALICSclose), here*<br />
*check HTML source for why not?*<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end: style="font-family: Times New Roman...etc")<br />
**end of 'fixed text' signature insertion**<br />
**start of 'timestamp' signature insertion**<br />
*BOLD+ITALICS is still active?*<br />
*but all /other/ formats ended by the most recent (SPANclose)*<br />
14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
**end of 'timestamp' signature insertion**<br />
::::::Without looking at exactly what you're doing behind the scenes, I'm not ''entirely'' sure, but I think the {{template|TNR}} includes a close-Span tag, preventing that from 'rolling on' into the timestamp bit.<br />
::::::Exactly how the '''''BOLD+ITALIC''''' rolls on, I don't know without checking the HTML source. Might be an intentional function of the wikimarkup-to-HTML conversion that 'remembers' that formatting and reapplies it as necessary, at least until a 'forced' end-of-scope (end of a Div or P tag, a Br/Hr monotag, new ordered/unordered list item (or changing the list-level), table cell/row transitions, and then there's the next (same/different) ":"-prepended indented follow-up lines and (of course) double-newlines) to force even no-prefix lines into paragraph-breaks. All of these (and other less obvious wikimarkup scenarios) probably translate to a hard /div closure in the HTML.<br />
::::::Does {{template|TNR}} currently close its own Span? Does removing that Span-end let it 'roll on' over the timestamp? If you do that, does the insert-signature process close off all remaining Spans ''after'' the timestamp? (Normally, a signature is followed by a newline+newline or at least a newline+:nextlinehasindents, but if you add a P.S. comment after a timestamp that benefits from an unclosed formatting rlling through, does anything add a closure to stop it rolling through onto the P.S...? Can't test this, myself, directly, but it'd be interesting to find out!)<br />
::::::Note that I don't know if you intended TNR to be used anywhere else. But by changing it from Div-based to Span-based it changes how it looks if I "{{TNR|use it here}}", and if you then make it so that it open-Spans but never close-Spans then it would change the appearance of this paragraph even further.<br />
::::::...ouch. Actually, I had assumed it would currently (as 'span-only', opening and closing) not linefeed, browserside, but currently it adds a forced break, and doesn't even have any way of knowing how many indents (if any) to add before the continuation text.<br />
::::::Though if nobody else is using it for ''anything else'', it shouldn't matter. Just pointing out that (''if they are'') changes you make to fine-tune your signature ''could'' have collateral effects for other people who use TNR when it does one thing but then find that it's doing another thing.<br />
::::::Creating a template 'just for your own use' is Ok-ish, but you might just want to note its purpose and (current) peculiarities in case someone thinks that it's intended for a more general purpose, and in a more logical manner than you've had to make it 'work' just for you.<br />
::::::It's also known for templates to contain imbalanced markup, with either how it is used or the presence of a second 'closing' template (see {{template|cot}} and {{template|cob}}, that mark the 't'op and 'b'ottom of a 'co'llapsable area) making the final result properly balanced in the end. But mostly you'd expect internal closure of anything the template started, whether Spanny or Divvy in nature, or justify it and make it obvious without digging through the actual template-code itself.<br />
::::::But I don't know how useful all of this is, to you or those coming along afterwards (before or after further template tweaks, etc). I'm just trying to pass on everything I think could be helpful, knowing that a lot of it could be 'beyond helpful', i.e. actually quite irrelevent. If not incomprehsible. (If not wrong, given I can't even test many assumptions, directly!) But here it is, anyway. HTH, HAND. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.89|82.132.244.89]] 16:24, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::I'm using the TNR template because it looks cool, but it also does have a purpose. It's used in early Taglines and header texts. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 16:53, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::Having tried many things, I've found that including the TNR template at all is messing up the timestamp. I'll see if there's another way to include the template without that, but idk if there is a way. In the meantime, here's my new Sig: <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 17:25, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:{{outdent|:::::}}<br />
:((I researched,cchecked and wrote the following followup whilst you were replying, just aboce. You've answered some of my points, plus seem happy with as it is now, but still posting it given the thought I put into it... ;) Not that I actually think that it's necessary as helpful as I might have hoped it to be, in the end! Absolutely no reply expected, if you're happy to say nothing more.))<br />
:Ok, actually looked at the HTML source, now, neutering the 'raw' markup, whitespacing it and adding **commentary**:<br />
**start signature, fixed text**<br />
**default formatting**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
**formatting is now TNR**<br />
--<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>b><br />
**formatting is TNR+Bold**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>i><br />
**formatting is TNR+Bold+Italics**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>a href="/wiki/index.php/User:DollarStoreBa%27al" title="User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al"><br />
**formatting is TNR+B+I and a link..**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="color:#E3C6BE"><br />
**...which is coloured**<br />
DollarStoreBa'al<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**back to TNR+B+I link, no colour**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/a><br />
**back to TNR+B+I, no link<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>sup><br />
**TNR+B+I+Superscript**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>a class="mw-selflink selflink"><br />
**TNR+B++Sup and a link (to this page, in this specific instance)**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="color:#CC9A8B"><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup link is coloured**<br />
Converse<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup link, no colour**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/a><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup, no link**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/sup><br />
**TNR+B+I, normal-script again**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**this should have removed TNR, *and* the 'inner' B+I too...**<br />
** (Although this is not what you wanted, it's what you should get!) **<br />
**...but apparently we're now just with B+I**<br />
** (This might be my own browser's interpretation, not everyone's.) **<br />
**this is the inbuilt transition between fixed-sig and time-sig**<br />
**a space is here, then...**<br />
14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/i> ** (Your signature markup does not ask for this!) **<br />
**just Boldness left**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/b> ** (Your signature markup does not ask for this!) **<br />
**neutral format again**<br />
**end of signature**<br />
:What goes with the "TNR+B+I" going to "B+I", I don't know. Unless they've changed the HTML spec regarding this in the last decade or three.<br />
:The wiki-server back end was smart enough to add the close-Italics and close-Bold, at the end of the signature (''perhaps'', knowing that these were imminent a 'smart' error-checking by the browser's HTML-renderer let their formats persist, when otherwise they would not have? ...odd, but possible). Possibly it would have also closed the TNR-span, after the B-closure,cif not already asked to do so by the end of the TNR-template?<br />
:...so...<br />
:#First 'fix', remove the <code><nowiki><</nowiki>/span></code> from TNR. See how that affects any newly applied signatures (it won't change old ones).<br />
:#Also see how/if it changes the indent-loss above my "...ouch" line, above.<br />
:#''Also'' also chase down if TNR gets used ''anywhere else'' in this wiki, at the moment, and check that you've not broken anything else that other people might have used it for.<br />
:If the first fix works and the third thing isn't a problem (ignore the second issue, I'm happy for it to change), then you're sorted. Otherwise (no fix, or even further broken in ways that aren't any good for anyone) reverse the change to where it works best for everyone and accept it not working precisely how you think you want it.<br />
:If it fixes, as suggested, I'd also be interested how signing with <code><nowiki>~~~~ and more text</nowiki></code> works. (i.e. does it TNR the "and more text"?) Not that it's important, just my own curiosity.<br />
:And think about a more advanced explanation on TNR's page, if it's going to be 'an odd template' in any way, like being Span-opener without being a Span-closer.<br />
:That's all. Over to you, nothing more I can do (I could change TNR's code, but not then test it with your signature), but ''maybe'' I've done enough to help. Without too much confusion. I'll let you sort the rest out on your own, unless there's anything specific that arises to follow-up with. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.131|82.132.246.131]] 17:45, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::tbh I'm good. Besides, I have no clue how to convert that raw HTML into usable wikitext (idk how to code, planning to learn someday). Either way, works fine. Also, you commentary has made me realize how complex my sig actually is. Times New Roman+Bold+Italics, which is a link which is colored. {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|19:21, 5 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
<br />
<br><br />
<br />
==tumble weed==<br />
What’s a tumble weed. Like what’s this: <br />
<br />
<br><br />
<br />
span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}<br />
<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 04:41, 9 November 2025 (UTC)</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:DollarStoreBa%27al&diff=390456User talk:DollarStoreBa'al2025-11-09T04:42:27Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div>Speak through the interdimentional portal<br />
<br />
==General Chitchat and such==<br />
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)<br />
<br />
:Thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 19:11, 25 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
:hi btw :) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:11, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
::hello, how are you doing this fine morning, my dear fellow? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:03, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Hiyo==<br />
: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)<br />
:: Bello. me editor guy who edit much. edit fun! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:00, 3 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::hahahahaha edit fun indeed. [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:20, 4 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Question: How do you add those user boxes that you have on your page? Those would be nice to have. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:52, 6 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::copy and paste this and remove the nowiki tag: <br />
<br />
<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:<br />
<br />
<nowiki>{{Userbox | border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = ;) | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|This user _____ ]] | float = left}}</nowiki><br />
<br />
[[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:50, 11 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::Dude thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 13:48, 17 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::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)<br />
<br />
==Wow==<br />
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)<br />
:Yes. Yes you are. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:43, 25 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::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)<br />
<br />
::: No need. Also, I see you're from Louisiana. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 03:44, 29 March 2025 (UTC)]]<br />
::::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)<br />
<br />
==The 5s and Es and Os==<br />
Reply to this if you've figured out what the meaning of the thingy on my user page is.<br />
:it's base 3 [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 09:07, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: :O [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:31, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: Nope! I'll give you a hint: talk to sam. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 14:33, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
https://voca.ro/1Akmh0zRqa8Q [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 16:02, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:uhhh...[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 20:41, 11 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
::sorry, that's not it. Don't know what to say to that.[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:54, 14 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
You have one week! Hint: beep boooop --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 16:30, 6 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Morse code? [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 19:33, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Morse code of what? You are very, very close.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:47, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 14:44, 13 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:It's better than [[2869: Puzzles]] [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 11:11, 14 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Want to do some repetitive work? ==<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
:What exactly would I be doing to get these features to work? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::If it isn't super-complex wikitext things I can totally help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]</sup> 19:21, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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.<br />
[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1:_Barrel_-_Part_1&diff=374851&oldid=373457 You can follow this example]. The steps are:<br />
<br />
Start from [[4|comic number 4]]:<br />
#Based on the short sentence written above the explanation, add "ognumber =", "ogprev =", and "ognext =" (so the navbar can work)<br />
#Add "oglink =", and move ONLY the link from "before" to "oglink" (so from HTTPS://..... until the end of the link, move that to "oglink")<br />
#Now, from the edit preview, copy the original title.<br />
#Delete everything in "before =" now that you moved the link<br />
#Add "ogtitle =" and paste the original title that you copied.<br />
#Finally, in "titletext", add two couples of apostrophes (<nowiki>''</nowiki>) in these places: https://imgur.com/a/BewKKr1<br />
#Now save the changes, and click the new white "Next >" button you just created to go to the next one!<br />
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)<br />
<br />
me am do. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[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]</sup></sup> 20:51, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
Hey, I don't really understand where I'm supposed to put these. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:01, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Nevermind, I got this. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:05, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
: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.<br />
:I'll let you know when you can continue. Thanks! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 21:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
alright, sounds good! Dang tho. Let me know and I'll get right back to it. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 13:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
::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)<br />
:::So sorry about that, I noticed those random Html elements. Thought they were part of the bug. oops. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:16pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 22:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::No worries! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 11:05, 26 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==The mistake==<br />
===Kynde's talk page===<br />
You might want to expedite the actual deletion of [[User:User:User:User:User:User/Mr. Beast is trying to aquire my bones]] (and its User Talk counterpart). I believe the editor concerned was sleep-deprived (but wouldn't put it past being instead a chemical imbalance of some legal ''or'' illegal kind). I'd have added the Pages To Delete category, but there's already a few of those hanging around unfulfilled... [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.176|82.132.246.176]] 17:02, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Ok man, I created that page because I wanted somewhere that would <br />
*Be private (which it is. It's impossible to create the account User:User:User:User:User. I checked.)<br />
*Affect Nobody (which it shouldn't. The only person it's affecting is you.)<br />
<br />
You've also [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:DGAF&diff=prev&oldid=385114 vandalized] [[Template:DGAF]], which I created, is inspired by 42.book.addict, and affects nobody but me. This makes me think that you're just looking through my contributions and immediately flagging things you frame as 'wrong'. This is not only incredibly creepy, but is also completely pointless. I'm a high school student on the internet. Also, I believe you're the same person who insulted me about DSBContribs, which I no longer use, and was fixed. Just stop and let me do my own thing. Amusedly and angrily, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:11, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Given other recent activity, it ''looked'' like another example of {{diff|385026|editing whilst insensible}} (together with statements about returning to school, put me in mind the situation of which the {{w|Eternal September}} was the next step). i.e. honest errors of judgement.<br />
:To term the "UserUserUser..." space 'private' is erroneous. It can be seen by anyone. It can be ''edited'' by anyone. Though, by convention, only the User Talk should be edited by anyone other than the ultimate named User. Which you aren't, BTW... create for someone else, ''if you must'', if they're too new and unwilling to wait the trivial amount of time before they can. Creating the spaces for someone who didn't request help or ''doesn't even exist'' needs some form of justification that you're well short of.<br />
:It affects everyone if random, meaningless and context-free pages are added to the wiki 'just for fun'. Data isn't free. Storage isn't limitless. Potentially obscuring real useful (on-topic) information with stupid semi-vandalism (that I didn't think you'd do intentionally, based upon prior behaviour), is not something I expected. But it looked like a momentary lapse that (being on the scene) I tried to helpfully deal with as much as I could. (If I'd have been an Admin, myself, I ''would'' have just deleted them. 'Luckily' for you, I have no interest in that amount of leverage, I'm sticking what anyone can do, perhaps the next person along would have reacted the same, or worse.)<br />
:No, I'm not stalking you. All edits are visible, you made edits, I saw them. I remember DSBContribs (or similar, if it's what I think you mean), but didn't recall it was your work. And others, including a named user, 'insulted' you about that. Or, as I recall, questioned the reasoning behind it, and didn't get a sensible answer. So 0lease accept my apologies. It seems that you ''are'' the kind of person to create useless pages like these last few. If I had known that, I wouldn't have come here suggesting that they were in error, but come here to just draw Kynde's attention to them as effectively being vandalism.<br />
:And, because your template page tried to link to a non-existing wiki page, I also just made it go somewhere that works. That was before reading here how this may well have been culpably intentional, so again was done out of more good faith helpfulness than it turns out I should have been employing.<br />
:That's regardless of your age, BTW. Whether you're at "High School" in the US, at maybe 14-18+ years old, or a High School like I attended where I am (and many years ago), which was for 11-16+ then workplaces or college (then maybe uni) beckoned. You don't need to be older to be more sensible about these things, and you don't need to be young to act idiotically.<br />
:And, lucky you, you get this shiny wiki (and everything else) to work with. I had no access to the Internet until I was 18 (though, at that time, the web itself hadn't been invented, let alone wikis), and of course made my own goofs (asked whether I needed to buy an estamp to send an email!).<br />
:But let me not bore you. I'm not in control here, only a fellow traveller who would give advice and assistance to those who might need it, and cares perhaps more than you might 'give a fuck' about various corners of the online world, like this. Reasoning over, lecture finished, friendly advice concluded. I just shoved it all in one reply to save you the trouble of having to deal with an impatiently slow conversation. And to not keep 'pinging' Kynde's email notification more than necessary (sorry Kynde!)... [[Special:Contributions/82.132.247.23|82.132.247.23]] 20:47, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Do you wish to know something? I'm 14. User:User:User:User:User is (and I checked) completely impossible to create, as shown in this image: [[File:refutation.png]] But, if you wish, I shall make it a subpage of my own account. <br />
::Yes, of course it's ''technically'' public, but unless people specifically search for that page (which is still a subpage, btw), it won't affect anybody. Also, I'd like to point out, everybody editing any page is the ''whole point'' of a wiki. Yes, storage isn't limitless. Very cool. At this point, that page is a drop in the ocean of data already contributed by all the rest of these pages (including the lecture you just added, which is ''more'' bytes than the pages I created).<br />
::Thank you for that edit, by the way. When I previewed it, it showed that it did go to the correct page ({{w|Wikipedia:Don't-give-a-fuckism}}), so I published it that way. However, your edits make it seem like you're definitely stalking me. From what I've seen, all you've done is edit recent comic pages and berate me (and Kynde) about my mistakes. <br />
::DSBContribs was my work. I did, however, provide a sensible reason as to why I created it. If you didn't see it, here it is:<br />
<br />
::DSBContribs was created specifically for my signature. At the time I created this, I had no idea what subpages were and I was running out of characters on my signature. I created it because I thought it wouldn't be a hindrance to the wiki and it would save me precious characters on my signature.<br />
::However, I do still apologize, even if the insulting on the template was a ''bit'' far and not in the least helpful. I will move Mr.Beast is trying to aquire my bones to a subpage of my own. I will fix that template (which was not useless) and subsequently delete the content from the three unnecessary redirects. I had no intention of vandalizing the wiki, as I've stated multiple times. No page I create is meant to be vandalism in any way, and I try to do my best to help the wiki be the best it can be. Sometimes it gets boring being 'sensible' all the time (especially in IB classes, where I regularly have 3+ hours of homework/night), and I wanted some sort of way to let all the wild shit that my ADHD makes out. That's what came out. Again, I truly apologize.<br />
<br />
I bid thee well on wherever the journey of life may take thee, fellow traveler. May we see each other again, be it in life, in death, or in the cursed month of Jancember. Take Care.<br />
<br />
Ba'al, teenage Soul-Eater, out.<br />
<br />
:Wow that was a long read. I do give a f**k about not having such a template her so I deleted that instantly! I'm going to wait till you have moved relevant content of the user:user page somewhere with a more sensible name. ASnd no I do not think you should just write random gibberish on any pages here. And no I do not think we should have such a confusing page on here. So yes I will delete it eventually. If there is anything valuable on the page, make a different page, call it your sandbox or something, I don't know, but not something which is impossible for me or any one else to find out what it is supposed to be, like this many times user page. We have so many random users being created and many of them begin to spam us and has to be blocked. I do really not have the time to such a debate as the one here, so I hope you will do as I say and we can end this nicely. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:38, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Something you probably didn't see: The fact that I did move the page to a sandbox YESTERDAY. Good day, and make Jeff proud. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:42, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::No I did not see as I do not stalk anyone here: So I can then delete [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/User:DollarStoreBa%27al/Mr._Beast_is_trying_to_aquire_my_bones this page] now? And please try not to insult me with any mention of Jeff. He is no longer active and no one has any contact with him on these pages. I'm not happy about being the only active admin here, but you should reply decently! Thanks. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:45, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Well, I never accused you of stalking (unless you were the IP in disguise), and I never meant to insult you with making Jeff proud. I like to imagine him as a father looking at his millionaire son with pride. If you wish to, delete the page. Go ahead, it won't affect anyone. Except me. And maybe mystery British(?) IP. This feud is over, and has been for hours. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:57, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::DollarStoreBa'al, I would very strongly recommend you to relax a bit and stop being so attacking/condescending. A lot of your edits don't make sense and aren't helping or contributing towards the growth and improvement of this wiki, so of course other users will be confused and annoyed. Maybe take a break from editing for a bit and mull over your edits for a bit? '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:01, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::You're right. 42. You're always right :) --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 16:07, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::::I'm so sorry. You don't need to forgive me for this. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 16:26, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
===My talk page===<br />
<br />
N 19:49 heADer TExt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:49 hEaDeR tEXt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:46 hEaDeR TeXt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:46 HEADER TEXT (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:45 header Text (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:45 Header Text (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
...now that I know you're doing stupid and unnecessary things deliberately, I won't try to provide help. And you, of course won't be taking my friendly advice, so I'll try not to disturb you further, if I can help it. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.82|82.132.244.82]] 20:57, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:I KNEW YOU WERE STALKING MY EDITS! Now that you have discovered that I've done unnecessary edits (which are only affecting you), try zooming out a little. Specifically, to the 2,000 bytes I added to [[What if? Chapters]]. I didn't get almost 300 contribution score by doing meme edits all day. Besides, three of those are genuinely useful, and I'm not going to listen to a random IP with maybe 10 edits tops telling me how to edit a wiki. If you want to fix my work, go right ahead. That's what wikis are for. I invite you to fix everything. If you stop stalking my contributions page.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 23:07, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Also, I would like to point out that it's harder to get more unfriendly than making a template which only links to my user page insult me, thereby vandalizing my user page. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 23:11, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::There was going to be no further reply, but you need to know these things:<br />
::;I KNEW YOU WERE STALKING MY EDITS!<br />
::Read what I said. All edits are visible. That's an extract from that list of all edits via the Recent Changes link. You are not being 'stalked'. Though, if I ''could'' easily do so, I'd now specifically hide all your edits and let absolutely ''anyone'' else work out what (if anything) to do in response.<br />
::;Specifically, to the 2,000 bytes I added to [[What if? Chapters]].<br />
::That looked good, as far as I saw it. Would you have me edit something that didn't need editing, just to congratulate you for a job adequately done? There was something I ''might'' have changed, but so trivial that I actively chose not to, and I am now thankful of that.<br />
::;I didn't get almost 300 contribution score by doing meme edits all day.<br />
::Good for you, if the contribution score means so much to you. Quality over quantity is better, and doesn't have a hand macro to show it. But you do you, if you're chasing the scoreboard rankings alone.<br />
::;and I'm not going to listen to a random IP with maybe 10 edits tops telling me how to edit a wiki.<br />
::As you point out, elsewhere, my IP ''will'' keep changing. (And I'm not the only person who may have appeared on any given IP.) I shudder to think how many edits I've made here, in reality, but shall I show you edits by various IPs across a decade or so and claim them as mine? No, because the merit (or otherwise) of one's latest contribution is all that matters. I'm usually happy to be an anon-IP, amongst other anon-IPs and named-users (both venerable and fleetingly transient alike). <br />
::;If you stop stalking my contributions page.<br />
::I can reassure you that I've probably never even looked at ''your'' specific contributions page, certainly not for a long time. I normally only ever check those to check whether "one-edit vandals" have perhaps made other edits that had temporarily slipped under the collective radar, but I don't think I had ever considered you as one of them, before, even back when you were new here. (How long is that? Six months. Two years? Maybe a bit longer?I could look it up easily by checking your contribs page, but I'm now firmly resolved to not do that, for your sake.)<br />
::<br />
::If any what I have written reads as less than polite, it's perhaps partly my exasperation leaking through. By the time I felt the need to add another word to "unnecessary", above, I can see that this had happened. For which I am sorry.<br />
::But text-only communications, like this, also tend to be read in a way that the reader's mood dictates. And I think some of my more straightforward initial contributions got misread at your end, tinted with reflected emotion.<br />
::And, please, let this be it. The world doesn't need to see this, nor does the server need it being added to, and of course there's no alternative backchannel to conduct a lengthy private conversation about it all. I shall read what you reply, just because it's hard to ''not'' read anything that isn't deleted/overwritten, but please no more needless creation of fake user pages (or, indeed, IP user pages). Unnecessary and as likely to be removed as anything else out there. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.228|82.132.244.228]] 05:07, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It is probable that you didn't see the reply I gave you on Kynde's talk page. Here is that reply: <br />
<br />
:Do you wish to know something? I'm 14. User:User:User:User:User is (and I checked) completely impossible to create, as shown in this image: [[File:refutation.png]] But, if you wish, I shall make it a subpage of my own account.<br />
:Yes, of course it's technically public, but unless people specifically search for that page (which is still a subpage, btw), it won't affect anybody. Also, I'd like to point out, everybody editing any page is the whole point of a wiki. Yes, storage isn't limitless. Very cool. At this point, that page is a drop in the ocean of data already contributed by all the rest of these pages (including the lecture you just added, which is more bytes than the pages I created).<br />
:Thank you for that edit, by the way. When I previewed it, it showed that it did go to the correct page (Wikipedia:Don't-give-a-fuckism), so I published it that way. However, your edits make it seem like you're definitely stalking me. From what I've seen, all you've done is edit recent comic pages and berate me (and Kynde) about my mistakes.<br />
:DSBContribs was my work. I did, however, provide a sensible reason as to why I created it. If you didn't see it, here it is:<br />
<br />
:DSBContribs was created specifically for my signature. At the time I created this, I had no idea what subpages were and I was running out of characters on my signature. I created it because I thought it wouldn't be a hindrance to the wiki and it would save me precious characters on my signature.<br />
:However, I do still apologize, even if the insulting on the template was a bit far and not in the least helpful. I will move Mr.Beast is trying to aquire my bones to a subpage of my own. I will fix that template (which was not useless) and subsequently delete the content from the three unnecessary redirects. I had no intention of vandalizing the wiki, as I've stated multiple times. No page I create is meant to be vandalism in any way, and I try to do my best to help the wiki be the best it can be. Sometimes it gets boring being 'sensible' all the time (especially in IB classes, where I regularly have 3+ hours of homework/night), and I wanted some sort of way to let all the wild shit that my ADHD makes out. That's what came out. Again, I truly apologize. I hope this marks the end of this little spat we've had.<br />
I bid thee well on wherever the journey of life may take thee, fellow traveler. May we see each other again, be it in life, in death, or in the cursed month of Jancember. Take Care.<br />
<br />
Ba'al, teenage Soul-Eater, out.<br />
<br />
:See my reply there: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/User_talk:Kynde#On_Template:DGAF_and_User:User:User:User:User:User.2FMr._Beast_is_trying_to_aquire_my_bones Reply] --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:42, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: I just did, and I did just respond. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:43, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==My Mistakes==<br />
=== Your signature is in violation of {{w|WP:SIGAPP}} ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
Changed to 14pt. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:14pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 13:02, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
FINE --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:14, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
:: I thought the issue was the height? Doesn't the wiki use 12pt font, which that Sig is? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:27, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::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)<br />
<br />
=== Mass-deleting links ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
===Creating someone's User pages, without being asked===<br />
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)<br />
:Yup, I also pointed it out. In case you missed my reply to your message, here's a copy: <br />
:”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)<br />
::Sorry about that. Just trying to help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:34, 28 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
=== NEWS ===<br />
<br />
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?<br />
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:48, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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]]<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
=== Why [...] is DSBContribs a thing? ===<br />
<br />
Did you seriously have to create a page in the main namespace with the sole purpose of redirecting to your user contributions page?<br />
<br />
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).<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
::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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::: Hi, it's me (on a different IP because I'm at home now).<br />
:::: I'm sorry for being so aggressive in my original comment, I thought you were a grown adult, not a teen. ("think is an 8-year old" is incorrect btw, I was saying you were "acting like an 8 year old", but that itself was too harsh).<br />
:::: I made stupid mistakes too when I was around your age, and I should have assumed good faith rather than take such an aggressive tone.<br />
:::: Sorry for that, and good luck with school! [[Special:Contributions/90.219.64.93|90.219.64.93]] 13:50, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::: I accept your apology with open arms. I truly hope we can work together to improve the wiki in the future. Best regards, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:11, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
=== Possessive and contracted "its"/"it's". ===<br />
<br />
This also confused me, oh so many years ago. Then I was given a handy way of knowing ''which'' was the exception, which has served me well, and I've never had to second-guess myself. (Naturally, I've probably typoed/thinkoed it wrong, unconsciously... But since then I've never had a moment of doubt when I've deliberately kept myself/others correct.) Maybe it'll help you. - I tried to summarise it in the edit I made to the message concerned, but ''not enough space'' to do it justice...<br />
#The possessive version is "its". It is one of a number of "irregular possessives", "his" instead of "him's"/, "hers" instead of "her's", "theirs" instead of "they's"/"them's".<br />
#*Basically all the very common and basic pronoun-based possessives that (as I think of it, although not entirely correctly) were added to the language ''long before'' anybody actually tried to regularise the use of possessives, so just stuck that way. If it belongs to "him", "her", "me" "you", "us", "them" ''and'' "it", you're in the realms of using a completely irregular possessive, none of which use apostrophes.<br />
#*''Personally'', I think that "one" (the equally 'basic', IMO, impersonal pronoun) should be included in that. Not for the likes of {{w|Ones' complement}} (that's belonging to (a number of) digit-ones), but in the "{{w|One (pronoun)|one}} is speaking sense. But (as noted in that last link), it isn't. So don't do that.<br />
#This leaves the contractive version as the one that uses the apostrophe. With two interesting caveats:<br />
#*There ''are'' irregular contractions. The word "forecastle" contracts to "fo'c'sle" or "fo'c's'le", which is a lot more overkill than other similarly complicated contractions. And "will not" becomes "won't" (or, some suggest, just "wont", though that's also a different word), despite not having the right set of letters in the right order to remain after (at least) the "not"->"n't" contraction.<br />
#*In reporting speech, where someone says "it's just something I want to say", use it without fear. But, when writing, I find that (except for ''very'' casual use, essentially speaking in text ...or of course when tending to write in abbreviations/limited space) it's{{asic}} just much better to write "it is", in full. Can't(cannot) be written wrong, couldn't(/could not) be read wrong.<br />
#Oh, and then theres "its'", the plural-(non-irregular-)possessive, which ''could'' be used in certain circumstances... "There are loads of ''its'' in this text, without apostrophes... please check that each ''its''' punctuation is correct!". But... not a common occurance. (Far less than "belonging to the word 'it'", the sole reason to use possessive "it's".) ;)<br />
<br />
...TL;DR;, irregular possesive "its" because of all the other irregular possessive pronouns that have words of their own. And you might just find it easier to uncontract "it's", most of the time, ''especially'' if you're still not entirely sure about it. (Or, perhaps, you're happy to not let go of such a minor degree of gravitas, and it's not transcriped real-world enunciation, which might even feature such monstrosities as "couldn't've" as the contraction of "could not have"!)<br />
<br />
Don't know if that helps, or is understandable, but there you are. Overexplained and overly rambling, as it is..! [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 21:51, 22 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:While you have way too much time on your hands, it'sn't (it is not) hard to understand, so thank you! As I said, <i>it's</i> basically my only grammatical flaw, so this helps tremendously. Damn my brain and <i>its</i> grammatical irregularities. <i>Its</i> a pleasure to talk with you! Sincerely, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 00:40, 23 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Definitely didn't just make a mistake on an it's. After reading a full page worth of why not to. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 00:44, 23 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==excuse me==<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
==template==<br />
<br />
What is a template? What’s a {{Trout}} and {{Whale}}?<br />
<br><br />
If it looks weird, click edit [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 12:20, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:41, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::how can I create one? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:21, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:::Here's something that may be able to help: {{AprilFoolsHelp}} --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:43, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::thxxxxxxxxx [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:::::You are very welcome! I hope you are excited to start contributing to the wiki! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::::By the way, please don't be afraid to ask me any questions at all. If I can, I will help! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:48, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::::Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]], which is <nowiki>{{Thx$store}}</nowiki> (if I can call you that)<br />
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==Template Tips==<br />
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:<br />
*Templates are easy to create.<br />
*It's useful to learn from other templates.<br />
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.<br />
: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.<br />
:To the above, I'd add:<br />
:*Know what purpose your template will have.<br />
: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.<br />
: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'.<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
:While this is very useful, it would be nice if you posted this on [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!]]'s talk page. He's the one learning the ropes, and it would probably be very useful to him. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 17:47, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Requests/favors==<br />
If you need anything done, reach out to me! I'll let you know what I can do to help you! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:49, 15 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hi [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]], are you good enough to have the link to my user page? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 01:57, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Done! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:56, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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<br />
==Hello again Darling :D==<br />
I'm back after the summer hello sir O) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 13:59, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:A fellow school-based follower of the truth, I see! Welcome back, and I wish thee well on your adventures. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:00, 26 August 2025 (UTC) P.S. I use monobook style now.<br />
<br />
==Category thing==<br />
Hey, can someone tell me why my talk page is on 'pages to delete?' {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|18:08, 27 August 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:I have tracked it down to {{diff|383609|this edit}} by [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!]], where they used a (fairly useless and unnecessary) template (that they created themselves) called <nowiki>Template:Thx$store</nowiki> to thank you for helping to teach them the process of creating a new template. Since I marked that template for deletion, when the comment calls for the template, it also marks your talk page for deletion. I have changed it so that the template is replaced with the text that it would substitute in and your page is no longer marked for deletion. Also signed off your unsigned comment. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 18:30, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::When someone says "I have tracked it down" you know they mean business. Thanks, that's quite reassuring. Another mystery IP (not sure if it's the same guy as today) did warn him not to make meaningless templates. Of course, I also made a meaningless template, so.... --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:33, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Do you not learn? ==<br />
<br />
You say that you've learned from your mistakes, yet I don't see any changes. You say that you're an incoming 9th grader and that's somehow an excuse for your immaturity, but I'm also a 9th grader and can compose myself perfectly fine. You say that you won't do the same mistakes again, yet you still create useless pages. How many more are you going to create? I really don't want to be yelling at you like this, but I just don't think you'll be able to change without it. FYI, I've marked User:DSB and the /C pages for deletion. Grow up. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 21:41, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Look. You aren't a bad person. In fact, I wholeheartedly believe that your passion can turn into a positive thing for this wiki. The thing is, you have a tendency to try to fix things by doing even more things, often panicking and making the situation worse. I've already told you this before, but I'll reemphasize it for you. '''TAKE A BREAK.''' Go for some walks. Work on your homework. Talk to people. Hang out with some friends. Don't just spend all your time on here. Trust me, I made the same mistake before. I would recommend a couple days of rest. See how it feels! It might hurt in the beginning, but nobody NEEDS you on here so badly to work on things to the point of such fanatic editing. I don't think Kynde, FaviFake, or any of the other editors hate you, to be honest. We're all just annoyed that you seem to not listen to our advice and keep on making the same mistakes. It's fine to make mistakes-that's how we learn! But you need to stop worrying so much and just step away from the screen for a bit. (Also, I'd recommend talking to a friend or a trusted adult. Your /PRIVATE page seems to be filled with quite a bit of self-hatred. Don't listen to that voice in your head. She's a bitch and none of it is true. I've dealt with poor mental health too. In fact, that's one of the reasons why I had left for so long. You should try to get these feelings out in a healthy way, instead of taking it out yourself or spending all your time online. Nobody thinks you're stupid. You just need to learn how things are done around here. If that's on a steep learning curve, so be it. Just keep on pushing through, and listen to people more.) And finally, you ''can'' make subpages, but try to reduce the number that you have. Think to yourself before you make one: do I TRULY need this? Will it help me out positively in the long run? If not, just put it in another section of your userpage (or make a proper sandbox!). Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk, and I wish you all a good night. Tori, signing off. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 04:05, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::Take a break / Hey, our kid is pretty great / Run away with us for the summer / Let's go upstate / Eliza, I've got so much on my plate / We can all go stay with my father<br />
<br />
::There's a lake I know (I know) / In a nearby park (I'd love to go) / You and I can go when the night gets dark / '''I will try to get away''' <br />
<br />
::Such a good song, Lin cooked with that one. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:03, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== are you ok? ==<br />
<br />
do you need help? [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 06:11, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Would you prefer to get a Blog? ==<br />
<br />
User pages are sufficient to give an idea of who you are, and User Talk ones for people to talk to you about your contributions/etc.<br />
<br />
Maybe create sub-pages if you have a relevant site-related project and need 'a space' for them. Such as, as an off-the-wall example, "a list of all the instances of comics that have less than the average number of vowels in them". Perhaps in the hope that it'll be appreciated and made into a more regular page.<br />
<br />
But from what I've seen of your 'contributions' this week, none of that applies. Drunk-typing? Well, ''probably'' not if you're still so far underage that you probably don't have decent access to anything stronger than wine-gums, but definitely you weren't in full control of your keyboard. We've other people on here, as young as you, and have had even younger ones. If we can actually believe what anybody reveals about theirselves. (I'm a 111-year old hobbit, by the way.) You've been one of the most immaturely-acting people here who haven't actually been '''obviously''' trying to vandalise this site, and I'm sure you've strained the patience of pretty much everyone.<br />
<br />
But you're not the first to go a little wild, like this. And - dare I say it - some of those who went on to be mainstays of this site got over the novelty of "anyone can edit (almost) anything", and possibly a rush of teenage hormones messing up their judgement. May I suggest you ''take a deep breath'' and work out what it is that you're doing that is creating such friction and push-back? I've seen you being a reasonable contributor before, and it's not even been all bad over the last week or so.<br />
<br />
And you may have personal life changes going on. Those hormones, issues at home/school/elsewhere, general worries about the state of the world that you're growing up into... maybe a combination of them, or some of these things even ''causing'' some of the others. It happens. You're not alone ...even if one of the key issues is actually in feeling alone! But this is not necessarily the place to try to reshape the world like this.<br />
<br />
How about you stick a little more to just xkcd matters, for the time being. There are plenty of other ways, and places, to run through whatever it is that you might be going through, and it might be best to balance things a bit more 'worklike' here than too much 'at play', like it looks like you're doing at the moment. Rebalance back to 'just enough of each' later.<br />
<br />
And if you ''do'' get somewhere to blog, you'll even have a lot more control. Create anything you want (more or less, within the T&Cs of the service), not worrying about other people editing it, and probably even later cleanly delete anything you no longer want (with no pesky Page History open for everyone to read). You could even put a link to your blog here in your User space, if you want to. At least the blog that you want to connect to yourself here. (You can have an xkcd-adjacent one, ''and'' one to cry out in anguish if you so wish. And a third to... well, you get the idea.) And the skills to maintain blog code is a bit more 'real-world' than the purely wiki-related markup you learn here, and you can still learn the wiki-markup in parallel with getting to grips with HTML or other popular {{w|Content management system}} markup, giving you a few more useful lifeskills that ''merely'' being eventually a master wiki-guru.<br />
<br />
How does that sound? Please do stay, but please also consider if everything you're doing is strictly necessary. I see I'm not the only one driven to try to explain this to you. And for some reason I thought I might be able to quickly suggest a solution to this little quandry. (No, it hasn't actually been that quick, has it.) If you really don't like what I say here... delete it. And I'll say no more. Or just tell me to mind my own business. I've probably got some other things to do around here, if our other old-hand editors don't get there before me! [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 22:34, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I really should, shouldn't I... I'll try to find one. Yesterday and today have mainly been focused on What If? Chapters and a potential new project with Tori (Have you met her? She's lovely) about Sigs. Today has mainly been the latter, with a bit of the former, and some sig ideas I've been working on. I've been trying to stick to more useful matters. For example, /WORKPAGE currently contains drafts of some unfinished What If? Chapters I've been working on. So, I have been attempting to work on more xkcd-related matters. Is it ok if you could <br />
<br />
:But, I shall heed your advice. I shall get a blog (not blood, autocorrect). Do you have any recommendations for where to start?<br />
<br />
:One last thing: Could you show me one of the apparent 'drunk typing' incidents? I edit on my school Chromebook, so I wouldn't be surprised if the keyboard decided to be weird. Thank you for the advice! Once, again, I shall heed it. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 22:51, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Oh, and by the way, I will not delete this thread. Also, how do you access the internet in Valinor?<br />
::'Drunkeness', or whatever it was, was very evident in something like {{diff|385245|here}}. More mundane 'misuse of the keyboard' issues are the times you add multiple linefeeds between very simple statements. You need to do two line-feeds to 'separate the paragraphs', any more than that is not normally visually necessary at all, and can ''look'' like you weren't even paying full attention at the time, however well-written the line-fragments between are. If it weren't for the fact that there were actual (sort-of-)discernable words in there, the 'drunk' one could also have perhaps been a "cat walked on my keyboard" issue. Were you and the cat ''both'' trying to use the keyboard? (Or one of you trying to walk on it, the other trying to type on it. One way round or the other?) I think it's that kind of thing that got people initially concerned about you. Help us to help you (to help yourself?), maybe. [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 02:10, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::i don't think the help is strictly necessary, but, as I said before, do you have any suggestions for places to make a blog? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 18:30, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::I don't blog, so nothing from personal experience. I bet you could use some Google-Fu (or Bing-Fu, or DuckDuckGo-Fu, or AltaVista-Fu, or AskJeeves-Fu, or...) to find a few such solutions, then look at all their offerings (check their wikipedia pages..? and, yeah, add some Wiki-Fu to the previous list of ways in which to search) and decide which one works for you. Or which two or three, and try them out with either completely identical aims in mind or initially split up your interests (one's your sports-appreciation, another is about what your favourite TV is, a third being your humorous observations about things you see every day, ...), then you can keep running the one(s) that turn out to work for you.<br />
::::You know what you currently want, better than me or aanyone. [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 23:50, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::If you need a blog, and don't know what platforms to use, I'd recommend making a Google Site or Wordpress blog. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 19:10, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== {{w|Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/ltbdl}} ==<br />
<br />
they think we're the same person, ha. [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 02:29, 2 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:I did not think this is what I would come back to. That's wild and hilarious. <br />
<br />
:They are raeb<br />
<br />
:And I am Dollar<br />
<br />
:And we are not the same person<br />
<br />
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:42, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::OMG THEY BANNED YOU WTF? I've pleaded your case, but idk if they'll respond. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:49, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Okay, wait a second. A checkuser does checks on User IPs. If you were found guilty, that means that you were editing under the same IP as me. By any chance, do you go to school in Lincoln, NE? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 14:04, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::one, revert your case pleading, it's silly and won't help, and two, we're "very unlikely" to be the same person according to checkuser, don't panic. maybe link them here. (i don't go to school in lincoln.) [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 15:00, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::Ok, now it's weird. I didn't know you couldn't have alt accounts, even if you explicitly stated that they were, indeed, alt accounts. Seems a bit strict if you ask me. Also, 1+1=Window, not Yes. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 22:53, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Can you please help me==<br />
I helped you with the userboxes. Now I need your help. How do I get my sig to be something besides what it is now? [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 19:34, 9 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Hi there, Tori here. If you want to change your signature, go to your preferences page on the top right of the website (it's next to your Talk page and Watchlist). Scroll down until you see the signatures section and change it. If you need help figuring out wikitext, feel free to shoot me a message on my [[user talk:42.book.addict|talk page]]! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 01:32, 10 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Template:what if? chapters ==<br />
<br />
Sorry, but what's the point of creating a template for what if chapters? What do you intend to use it for? '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:28, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:I intended it as a workaround in order to edit two pages at once. (those being the blog page and the chapters page). I noticed there was a discrepancy between the tables on the two pages, and I created a workaround for it. Also, it's faster than copy-pasting, now that the load times are astronomical. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 16:30, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Sounds good! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:40, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
Ok I'm sorry but I had to change it back. Here are a few drawbacks:<br />
#Now people reading our summaries can't edit them directly.<br />
#The history is gone. You should've moved the page, not copy and paste. Both for copyright attribution (see {{w|WP:CWW]]) and for maintenance, to see when and why something was added.<br />
#Now we need to transclude the table on 1 more page (servers!), and the pages that were already transcluding the page (except [[what if? (blog)]]) now are transcluding both the page AND the template.<br />
And most importantly: there wasn't any discrepancy between the pages that transcluded the pages, just as there is no discrepancy now. The table was the exact same.<br />
<br />
Could you explain what discrepancy you saw? The code and text behind the original [[What If? Chapters]] page, the blog page, the new template you created, and any other pages transcluding [[What If? Chapters]] was truly identical (and still is, just with the added issues listed above.).<br />
<br />
Also; templates are not supposed to be edited frequently. A template is created in order to save time writing the same code on dozens or hundreds of pages. The table both needs to be edited and is only transcluded on a few pages. These are the pages in which the page was transcluded: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/What_If%3F_chapters&hidelinks=1&hideredirs=1] --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 10:04, 4 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:There were just some chapter summaries I saw that were different between the blog page and the chapters page. I'm not angry about this, thanks for bringing up the points which I am not advanced enough to see. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 12:55, 6 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Huh, that's odd. The only difference between the two is that the last header cell on the left becomes highlighted in yellow when transcluded. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 19:16, 7 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Current signature. ==<br />
<br />
I've noticed that your signature does <all the fancy stuff><NEWLINE><space><timestamp>. Might be a good idea to remove the <NEWLINE> before the (presumably auto-appended) <space><timestamp> as it currently puts your<br />
timestamp like this.<br />
<br />
Which is ''probably'' not what you'd intended. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.74|82.132.245.74]] 20:47, 4 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:......Nope, didn't intend that. I'll see if I can fix it. (not signing this because... well, you know) --DSB {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|21:12, 4 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
::I've found the issue. I was trying to make my signature in times new roman using [[Template:TNR]]. This template uses div for it's styling. For some reason, it's inserting <nowiki></div></nowiki> between the signature and timestamp rather than after. Is there a way to get the <nowiki></div></nowiki> to go after the timestamp rather than before (which is what I was intending)? Thanks! --DSB {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|21:18, 4 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:::Standard advice is to not use div-tags in your custom .sig, for exactly this reason. You should be able to do the same (except for the undesired newline-forcing) with span-tagging where you invoked div-tags.<br />
:::The way it rendered (must basically have been subst:ed between what you used and how it renders), I didn't know you'd used the TNR template. If that's for character-length reasons then a "TNRspan" template (or something ''not'' four characters longer, if you're extremely tight for space) would have to be used.<br />
:::Or change the TNR so <code><nowiki>{{TNR|span=yes}}</nowiki></code> will specially 'return' you your no-Div version (that's the nice-looking version; you could also have it do something like responding to <code><nowiki>{{{1}}}</nowiki></code> being "s" or "1", if you can only afford to extend by two extra characters). That makes the one template dual-use, instead of making another template.<br />
:::TIMTOWTDI. But you'll know what you want to do, I can only give vague pointers. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.74|82.132.245.74]] 22:22, 4 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Weird. I changed the TNR template to <nowiki><span></nowiki> instead of <nowiki><div></nowiki>, but upon testing it's still doing that weird newline thing. {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|14:11, 5 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:::::Finally fixed. I can't get the timestamp to also be TNR, but at least it doesn't auto-newline. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::::That looks not too bad, though the timestamp is sans-serif again. Though ''might' in part be browser-dependant as to how it looks (mine may react only to the 'serif' and not the full 'Times New Roman', giving a TNR''-like'' serif-font that works good adjacent to the non-specific choice of sans-serif font. Also, at first glance, there's a mystery as to why the timestamp is '''''BOLD+ITALIC''' (or maybe STRONG+EMPHASIS, for the pedants).<br />
::::::The structure is probably as follows, rewritten just for visual representation/explanation. Formatting that you do is in ()s, my explanatory notes are in ** and * pairs:<br />
**start of 'fixed text' signature insertion**<br />
(SPANopen style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;")<br />
--<br />
(BOLD+ITALICstart)<br />
(LINKpage)User:DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(LINKtext)<br />
(SPANopen style="color:#E3C6BE")<br />
DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end:style="color:#E3C6BE")<br />
(LINKclose)<br />
(SUPERSCRIPTopen)<br />
(LINKpage)User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(LINKtext)<br />
(SPANopen style="color:#CC9A8B")<br />
Converse<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end:style="color:#CC9A8B")<br />
(LINKclose)<br />
(SUPERSCRIPTclose)<br />
*expected to be an /implied/ (BOLD+ITALICSclose), here*<br />
*check HTML source for why not?*<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end: style="font-family: Times New Roman...etc")<br />
**end of 'fixed text' signature insertion**<br />
**start of 'timestamp' signature insertion**<br />
*BOLD+ITALICS is still active?*<br />
*but all /other/ formats ended by the most recent (SPANclose)*<br />
14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
**end of 'timestamp' signature insertion**<br />
::::::Without looking at exactly what you're doing behind the scenes, I'm not ''entirely'' sure, but I think the {{template|TNR}} includes a close-Span tag, preventing that from 'rolling on' into the timestamp bit.<br />
::::::Exactly how the '''''BOLD+ITALIC''''' rolls on, I don't know without checking the HTML source. Might be an intentional function of the wikimarkup-to-HTML conversion that 'remembers' that formatting and reapplies it as necessary, at least until a 'forced' end-of-scope (end of a Div or P tag, a Br/Hr monotag, new ordered/unordered list item (or changing the list-level), table cell/row transitions, and then there's the next (same/different) ":"-prepended indented follow-up lines and (of course) double-newlines) to force even no-prefix lines into paragraph-breaks. All of these (and other less obvious wikimarkup scenarios) probably translate to a hard /div closure in the HTML.<br />
::::::Does {{template|TNR}} currently close its own Span? Does removing that Span-end let it 'roll on' over the timestamp? If you do that, does the insert-signature process close off all remaining Spans ''after'' the timestamp? (Normally, a signature is followed by a newline+newline or at least a newline+:nextlinehasindents, but if you add a P.S. comment after a timestamp that benefits from an unclosed formatting rlling through, does anything add a closure to stop it rolling through onto the P.S...? Can't test this, myself, directly, but it'd be interesting to find out!)<br />
::::::Note that I don't know if you intended TNR to be used anywhere else. But by changing it from Div-based to Span-based it changes how it looks if I "{{TNR|use it here}}", and if you then make it so that it open-Spans but never close-Spans then it would change the appearance of this paragraph even further.<br />
::::::...ouch. Actually, I had assumed it would currently (as 'span-only', opening and closing) not linefeed, browserside, but currently it adds a forced break, and doesn't even have any way of knowing how many indents (if any) to add before the continuation text.<br />
::::::Though if nobody else is using it for ''anything else'', it shouldn't matter. Just pointing out that (''if they are'') changes you make to fine-tune your signature ''could'' have collateral effects for other people who use TNR when it does one thing but then find that it's doing another thing.<br />
::::::Creating a template 'just for your own use' is Ok-ish, but you might just want to note its purpose and (current) peculiarities in case someone thinks that it's intended for a more general purpose, and in a more logical manner than you've had to make it 'work' just for you.<br />
::::::It's also known for templates to contain imbalanced markup, with either how it is used or the presence of a second 'closing' template (see {{template|cot}} and {{template|cob}}, that mark the 't'op and 'b'ottom of a 'co'llapsable area) making the final result properly balanced in the end. But mostly you'd expect internal closure of anything the template started, whether Spanny or Divvy in nature, or justify it and make it obvious without digging through the actual template-code itself.<br />
::::::But I don't know how useful all of this is, to you or those coming along afterwards (before or after further template tweaks, etc). I'm just trying to pass on everything I think could be helpful, knowing that a lot of it could be 'beyond helpful', i.e. actually quite irrelevent. If not incomprehsible. (If not wrong, given I can't even test many assumptions, directly!) But here it is, anyway. HTH, HAND. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.89|82.132.244.89]] 16:24, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::I'm using the TNR template because it looks cool, but it also does have a purpose. It's used in early Taglines and header texts. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 16:53, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::Having tried many things, I've found that including the TNR template at all is messing up the timestamp. I'll see if there's another way to include the template without that, but idk if there is a way. In the meantime, here's my new Sig: <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 17:25, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:{{outdent|:::::}}<br />
:((I researched,cchecked and wrote the following followup whilst you were replying, just aboce. You've answered some of my points, plus seem happy with as it is now, but still posting it given the thought I put into it... ;) Not that I actually think that it's necessary as helpful as I might have hoped it to be, in the end! Absolutely no reply expected, if you're happy to say nothing more.))<br />
:Ok, actually looked at the HTML source, now, neutering the 'raw' markup, whitespacing it and adding **commentary**:<br />
**start signature, fixed text**<br />
**default formatting**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
**formatting is now TNR**<br />
--<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>b><br />
**formatting is TNR+Bold**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>i><br />
**formatting is TNR+Bold+Italics**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>a href="/wiki/index.php/User:DollarStoreBa%27al" title="User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al"><br />
**formatting is TNR+B+I and a link..**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="color:#E3C6BE"><br />
**...which is coloured**<br />
DollarStoreBa'al<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**back to TNR+B+I link, no colour**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/a><br />
**back to TNR+B+I, no link<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>sup><br />
**TNR+B+I+Superscript**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>a class="mw-selflink selflink"><br />
**TNR+B++Sup and a link (to this page, in this specific instance)**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="color:#CC9A8B"><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup link is coloured**<br />
Converse<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup link, no colour**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/a><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup, no link**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/sup><br />
**TNR+B+I, normal-script again**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**this should have removed TNR, *and* the 'inner' B+I too...**<br />
** (Although this is not what you wanted, it's what you should get!) **<br />
**...but apparently we're now just with B+I**<br />
** (This might be my own browser's interpretation, not everyone's.) **<br />
**this is the inbuilt transition between fixed-sig and time-sig**<br />
**a space is here, then...**<br />
14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/i> ** (Your signature markup does not ask for this!) **<br />
**just Boldness left**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/b> ** (Your signature markup does not ask for this!) **<br />
**neutral format again**<br />
**end of signature**<br />
:What goes with the "TNR+B+I" going to "B+I", I don't know. Unless they've changed the HTML spec regarding this in the last decade or three.<br />
:The wiki-server back end was smart enough to add the close-Italics and close-Bold, at the end of the signature (''perhaps'', knowing that these were imminent a 'smart' error-checking by the browser's HTML-renderer let their formats persist, when otherwise they would not have? ...odd, but possible). Possibly it would have also closed the TNR-span, after the B-closure,cif not already asked to do so by the end of the TNR-template?<br />
:...so...<br />
:#First 'fix', remove the <code><nowiki><</nowiki>/span></code> from TNR. See how that affects any newly applied signatures (it won't change old ones).<br />
:#Also see how/if it changes the indent-loss above my "...ouch" line, above.<br />
:#''Also'' also chase down if TNR gets used ''anywhere else'' in this wiki, at the moment, and check that you've not broken anything else that other people might have used it for.<br />
:If the first fix works and the third thing isn't a problem (ignore the second issue, I'm happy for it to change), then you're sorted. Otherwise (no fix, or even further broken in ways that aren't any good for anyone) reverse the change to where it works best for everyone and accept it not working precisely how you think you want it.<br />
:If it fixes, as suggested, I'd also be interested how signing with <code><nowiki>~~~~ and more text</nowiki></code> works. (i.e. does it TNR the "and more text"?) Not that it's important, just my own curiosity.<br />
:And think about a more advanced explanation on TNR's page, if it's going to be 'an odd template' in any way, like being Span-opener without being a Span-closer.<br />
:That's all. Over to you, nothing more I can do (I could change TNR's code, but not then test it with your signature), but ''maybe'' I've done enough to help. Without too much confusion. I'll let you sort the rest out on your own, unless there's anything specific that arises to follow-up with. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.131|82.132.246.131]] 17:45, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::tbh I'm good. Besides, I have no clue how to convert that raw HTML into usable wikitext (idk how to code, planning to learn someday). Either way, works fine. Also, you commentary has made me realize how complex my sig actually is. Times New Roman+Bold+Italics, which is a link which is colored. {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|19:21, 5 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
<br />
<br><br />
<br />
==tumble weed==<br />
What’s a tumble weed. Like what’s this: <br />
<br />
span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 04:41, 9 November 2025 (UTC)</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:DollarStoreBa%27al&diff=390455User talk:DollarStoreBa'al2025-11-09T04:41:39Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div>Speak through the interdimentional portal<br />
<br />
==General Chitchat and such==<br />
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)<br />
<br />
:Thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 19:11, 25 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
:hi btw :) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:11, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
::hello, how are you doing this fine morning, my dear fellow? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:03, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Hiyo==<br />
: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)<br />
:: Bello. me editor guy who edit much. edit fun! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:00, 3 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::hahahahaha edit fun indeed. [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:20, 4 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Question: How do you add those user boxes that you have on your page? Those would be nice to have. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:52, 6 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::copy and paste this and remove the nowiki tag: <br />
<br />
<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:<br />
<br />
<nowiki>{{Userbox | border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = ;) | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|This user _____ ]] | float = left}}</nowiki><br />
<br />
[[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:50, 11 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::Dude thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 13:48, 17 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::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)<br />
<br />
==Wow==<br />
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)<br />
:Yes. Yes you are. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:43, 25 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::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)<br />
<br />
::: No need. Also, I see you're from Louisiana. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 03:44, 29 March 2025 (UTC)]]<br />
::::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)<br />
<br />
==The 5s and Es and Os==<br />
Reply to this if you've figured out what the meaning of the thingy on my user page is.<br />
:it's base 3 [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 09:07, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: :O [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:31, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: Nope! I'll give you a hint: talk to sam. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 14:33, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
https://voca.ro/1Akmh0zRqa8Q [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 16:02, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:uhhh...[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 20:41, 11 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
::sorry, that's not it. Don't know what to say to that.[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:54, 14 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
You have one week! Hint: beep boooop --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 16:30, 6 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Morse code? [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 19:33, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Morse code of what? You are very, very close.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:47, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 14:44, 13 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:It's better than [[2869: Puzzles]] [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 11:11, 14 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Want to do some repetitive work? ==<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
:What exactly would I be doing to get these features to work? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::If it isn't super-complex wikitext things I can totally help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]</sup> 19:21, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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.<br />
[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1:_Barrel_-_Part_1&diff=374851&oldid=373457 You can follow this example]. The steps are:<br />
<br />
Start from [[4|comic number 4]]:<br />
#Based on the short sentence written above the explanation, add "ognumber =", "ogprev =", and "ognext =" (so the navbar can work)<br />
#Add "oglink =", and move ONLY the link from "before" to "oglink" (so from HTTPS://..... until the end of the link, move that to "oglink")<br />
#Now, from the edit preview, copy the original title.<br />
#Delete everything in "before =" now that you moved the link<br />
#Add "ogtitle =" and paste the original title that you copied.<br />
#Finally, in "titletext", add two couples of apostrophes (<nowiki>''</nowiki>) in these places: https://imgur.com/a/BewKKr1<br />
#Now save the changes, and click the new white "Next >" button you just created to go to the next one!<br />
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)<br />
<br />
me am do. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[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]</sup></sup> 20:51, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
Hey, I don't really understand where I'm supposed to put these. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:01, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Nevermind, I got this. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:05, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
: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.<br />
:I'll let you know when you can continue. Thanks! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 21:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
alright, sounds good! Dang tho. Let me know and I'll get right back to it. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 13:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
::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)<br />
:::So sorry about that, I noticed those random Html elements. Thought they were part of the bug. oops. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:16pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 22:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::No worries! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 11:05, 26 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==The mistake==<br />
===Kynde's talk page===<br />
You might want to expedite the actual deletion of [[User:User:User:User:User:User/Mr. Beast is trying to aquire my bones]] (and its User Talk counterpart). I believe the editor concerned was sleep-deprived (but wouldn't put it past being instead a chemical imbalance of some legal ''or'' illegal kind). I'd have added the Pages To Delete category, but there's already a few of those hanging around unfulfilled... [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.176|82.132.246.176]] 17:02, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Ok man, I created that page because I wanted somewhere that would <br />
*Be private (which it is. It's impossible to create the account User:User:User:User:User. I checked.)<br />
*Affect Nobody (which it shouldn't. The only person it's affecting is you.)<br />
<br />
You've also [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:DGAF&diff=prev&oldid=385114 vandalized] [[Template:DGAF]], which I created, is inspired by 42.book.addict, and affects nobody but me. This makes me think that you're just looking through my contributions and immediately flagging things you frame as 'wrong'. This is not only incredibly creepy, but is also completely pointless. I'm a high school student on the internet. Also, I believe you're the same person who insulted me about DSBContribs, which I no longer use, and was fixed. Just stop and let me do my own thing. Amusedly and angrily, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:11, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Given other recent activity, it ''looked'' like another example of {{diff|385026|editing whilst insensible}} (together with statements about returning to school, put me in mind the situation of which the {{w|Eternal September}} was the next step). i.e. honest errors of judgement.<br />
:To term the "UserUserUser..." space 'private' is erroneous. It can be seen by anyone. It can be ''edited'' by anyone. Though, by convention, only the User Talk should be edited by anyone other than the ultimate named User. Which you aren't, BTW... create for someone else, ''if you must'', if they're too new and unwilling to wait the trivial amount of time before they can. Creating the spaces for someone who didn't request help or ''doesn't even exist'' needs some form of justification that you're well short of.<br />
:It affects everyone if random, meaningless and context-free pages are added to the wiki 'just for fun'. Data isn't free. Storage isn't limitless. Potentially obscuring real useful (on-topic) information with stupid semi-vandalism (that I didn't think you'd do intentionally, based upon prior behaviour), is not something I expected. But it looked like a momentary lapse that (being on the scene) I tried to helpfully deal with as much as I could. (If I'd have been an Admin, myself, I ''would'' have just deleted them. 'Luckily' for you, I have no interest in that amount of leverage, I'm sticking what anyone can do, perhaps the next person along would have reacted the same, or worse.)<br />
:No, I'm not stalking you. All edits are visible, you made edits, I saw them. I remember DSBContribs (or similar, if it's what I think you mean), but didn't recall it was your work. And others, including a named user, 'insulted' you about that. Or, as I recall, questioned the reasoning behind it, and didn't get a sensible answer. So 0lease accept my apologies. It seems that you ''are'' the kind of person to create useless pages like these last few. If I had known that, I wouldn't have come here suggesting that they were in error, but come here to just draw Kynde's attention to them as effectively being vandalism.<br />
:And, because your template page tried to link to a non-existing wiki page, I also just made it go somewhere that works. That was before reading here how this may well have been culpably intentional, so again was done out of more good faith helpfulness than it turns out I should have been employing.<br />
:That's regardless of your age, BTW. Whether you're at "High School" in the US, at maybe 14-18+ years old, or a High School like I attended where I am (and many years ago), which was for 11-16+ then workplaces or college (then maybe uni) beckoned. You don't need to be older to be more sensible about these things, and you don't need to be young to act idiotically.<br />
:And, lucky you, you get this shiny wiki (and everything else) to work with. I had no access to the Internet until I was 18 (though, at that time, the web itself hadn't been invented, let alone wikis), and of course made my own goofs (asked whether I needed to buy an estamp to send an email!).<br />
:But let me not bore you. I'm not in control here, only a fellow traveller who would give advice and assistance to those who might need it, and cares perhaps more than you might 'give a fuck' about various corners of the online world, like this. Reasoning over, lecture finished, friendly advice concluded. I just shoved it all in one reply to save you the trouble of having to deal with an impatiently slow conversation. And to not keep 'pinging' Kynde's email notification more than necessary (sorry Kynde!)... [[Special:Contributions/82.132.247.23|82.132.247.23]] 20:47, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Do you wish to know something? I'm 14. User:User:User:User:User is (and I checked) completely impossible to create, as shown in this image: [[File:refutation.png]] But, if you wish, I shall make it a subpage of my own account. <br />
::Yes, of course it's ''technically'' public, but unless people specifically search for that page (which is still a subpage, btw), it won't affect anybody. Also, I'd like to point out, everybody editing any page is the ''whole point'' of a wiki. Yes, storage isn't limitless. Very cool. At this point, that page is a drop in the ocean of data already contributed by all the rest of these pages (including the lecture you just added, which is ''more'' bytes than the pages I created).<br />
::Thank you for that edit, by the way. When I previewed it, it showed that it did go to the correct page ({{w|Wikipedia:Don't-give-a-fuckism}}), so I published it that way. However, your edits make it seem like you're definitely stalking me. From what I've seen, all you've done is edit recent comic pages and berate me (and Kynde) about my mistakes. <br />
::DSBContribs was my work. I did, however, provide a sensible reason as to why I created it. If you didn't see it, here it is:<br />
<br />
::DSBContribs was created specifically for my signature. At the time I created this, I had no idea what subpages were and I was running out of characters on my signature. I created it because I thought it wouldn't be a hindrance to the wiki and it would save me precious characters on my signature.<br />
::However, I do still apologize, even if the insulting on the template was a ''bit'' far and not in the least helpful. I will move Mr.Beast is trying to aquire my bones to a subpage of my own. I will fix that template (which was not useless) and subsequently delete the content from the three unnecessary redirects. I had no intention of vandalizing the wiki, as I've stated multiple times. No page I create is meant to be vandalism in any way, and I try to do my best to help the wiki be the best it can be. Sometimes it gets boring being 'sensible' all the time (especially in IB classes, where I regularly have 3+ hours of homework/night), and I wanted some sort of way to let all the wild shit that my ADHD makes out. That's what came out. Again, I truly apologize.<br />
<br />
I bid thee well on wherever the journey of life may take thee, fellow traveler. May we see each other again, be it in life, in death, or in the cursed month of Jancember. Take Care.<br />
<br />
Ba'al, teenage Soul-Eater, out.<br />
<br />
:Wow that was a long read. I do give a f**k about not having such a template her so I deleted that instantly! I'm going to wait till you have moved relevant content of the user:user page somewhere with a more sensible name. ASnd no I do not think you should just write random gibberish on any pages here. And no I do not think we should have such a confusing page on here. So yes I will delete it eventually. If there is anything valuable on the page, make a different page, call it your sandbox or something, I don't know, but not something which is impossible for me or any one else to find out what it is supposed to be, like this many times user page. We have so many random users being created and many of them begin to spam us and has to be blocked. I do really not have the time to such a debate as the one here, so I hope you will do as I say and we can end this nicely. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:38, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Something you probably didn't see: The fact that I did move the page to a sandbox YESTERDAY. Good day, and make Jeff proud. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:42, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::No I did not see as I do not stalk anyone here: So I can then delete [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/User:DollarStoreBa%27al/Mr._Beast_is_trying_to_aquire_my_bones this page] now? And please try not to insult me with any mention of Jeff. He is no longer active and no one has any contact with him on these pages. I'm not happy about being the only active admin here, but you should reply decently! Thanks. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:45, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Well, I never accused you of stalking (unless you were the IP in disguise), and I never meant to insult you with making Jeff proud. I like to imagine him as a father looking at his millionaire son with pride. If you wish to, delete the page. Go ahead, it won't affect anyone. Except me. And maybe mystery British(?) IP. This feud is over, and has been for hours. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:57, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::DollarStoreBa'al, I would very strongly recommend you to relax a bit and stop being so attacking/condescending. A lot of your edits don't make sense and aren't helping or contributing towards the growth and improvement of this wiki, so of course other users will be confused and annoyed. Maybe take a break from editing for a bit and mull over your edits for a bit? '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:01, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::You're right. 42. You're always right :) --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 16:07, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::::I'm so sorry. You don't need to forgive me for this. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 16:26, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
===My talk page===<br />
<br />
N 19:49 heADer TExt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:49 hEaDeR tEXt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:46 hEaDeR TeXt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:46 HEADER TEXT (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:45 header Text (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:45 Header Text (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
...now that I know you're doing stupid and unnecessary things deliberately, I won't try to provide help. And you, of course won't be taking my friendly advice, so I'll try not to disturb you further, if I can help it. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.82|82.132.244.82]] 20:57, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I KNEW YOU WERE STALKING MY EDITS! Now that you have discovered that I've done unnecessary edits (which are only affecting you), try zooming out a little. Specifically, to the 2,000 bytes I added to [[What if? Chapters]]. I didn't get almost 300 contribution score by doing meme edits all day. Besides, three of those are genuinely useful, and I'm not going to listen to a random IP with maybe 10 edits tops telling me how to edit a wiki. If you want to fix my work, go right ahead. That's what wikis are for. I invite you to fix everything. If you stop stalking my contributions page.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 23:07, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Also, I would like to point out that it's harder to get more unfriendly than making a template which only links to my user page insult me, thereby vandalizing my user page. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 23:11, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::There was going to be no further reply, but you need to know these things:<br />
::;I KNEW YOU WERE STALKING MY EDITS!<br />
::Read what I said. All edits are visible. That's an extract from that list of all edits via the Recent Changes link. You are not being 'stalked'. Though, if I ''could'' easily do so, I'd now specifically hide all your edits and let absolutely ''anyone'' else work out what (if anything) to do in response.<br />
::;Specifically, to the 2,000 bytes I added to [[What if? Chapters]].<br />
::That looked good, as far as I saw it. Would you have me edit something that didn't need editing, just to congratulate you for a job adequately done? There was something I ''might'' have changed, but so trivial that I actively chose not to, and I am now thankful of that.<br />
::;I didn't get almost 300 contribution score by doing meme edits all day.<br />
::Good for you, if the contribution score means so much to you. Quality over quantity is better, and doesn't have a hand macro to show it. But you do you, if you're chasing the scoreboard rankings alone.<br />
::;and I'm not going to listen to a random IP with maybe 10 edits tops telling me how to edit a wiki.<br />
::As you point out, elsewhere, my IP ''will'' keep changing. (And I'm not the only person who may have appeared on any given IP.) I shudder to think how many edits I've made here, in reality, but shall I show you edits by various IPs across a decade or so and claim them as mine? No, because the merit (or otherwise) of one's latest contribution is all that matters. I'm usually happy to be an anon-IP, amongst other anon-IPs and named-users (both venerable and fleetingly transient alike). <br />
::;If you stop stalking my contributions page.<br />
::I can reassure you that I've probably never even looked at ''your'' specific contributions page, certainly not for a long time. I normally only ever check those to check whether "one-edit vandals" have perhaps made other edits that had temporarily slipped under the collective radar, but I don't think I had ever considered you as one of them, before, even back when you were new here. (How long is that? Six months. Two years? Maybe a bit longer?I could look it up easily by checking your contribs page, but I'm now firmly resolved to not do that, for your sake.)<br />
::<br />
::If any what I have written reads as less than polite, it's perhaps partly my exasperation leaking through. By the time I felt the need to add another word to "unnecessary", above, I can see that this had happened. For which I am sorry.<br />
::But text-only communications, like this, also tend to be read in a way that the reader's mood dictates. And I think some of my more straightforward initial contributions got misread at your end, tinted with reflected emotion.<br />
::And, please, let this be it. The world doesn't need to see this, nor does the server need it being added to, and of course there's no alternative backchannel to conduct a lengthy private conversation about it all. I shall read what you reply, just because it's hard to ''not'' read anything that isn't deleted/overwritten, but please no more needless creation of fake user pages (or, indeed, IP user pages). Unnecessary and as likely to be removed as anything else out there. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.228|82.132.244.228]] 05:07, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It is probable that you didn't see the reply I gave you on Kynde's talk page. Here is that reply: <br />
<br />
:Do you wish to know something? I'm 14. User:User:User:User:User is (and I checked) completely impossible to create, as shown in this image: [[File:refutation.png]] But, if you wish, I shall make it a subpage of my own account.<br />
:Yes, of course it's technically public, but unless people specifically search for that page (which is still a subpage, btw), it won't affect anybody. Also, I'd like to point out, everybody editing any page is the whole point of a wiki. Yes, storage isn't limitless. Very cool. At this point, that page is a drop in the ocean of data already contributed by all the rest of these pages (including the lecture you just added, which is more bytes than the pages I created).<br />
:Thank you for that edit, by the way. When I previewed it, it showed that it did go to the correct page (Wikipedia:Don't-give-a-fuckism), so I published it that way. However, your edits make it seem like you're definitely stalking me. From what I've seen, all you've done is edit recent comic pages and berate me (and Kynde) about my mistakes.<br />
:DSBContribs was my work. I did, however, provide a sensible reason as to why I created it. If you didn't see it, here it is:<br />
<br />
:DSBContribs was created specifically for my signature. At the time I created this, I had no idea what subpages were and I was running out of characters on my signature. I created it because I thought it wouldn't be a hindrance to the wiki and it would save me precious characters on my signature.<br />
:However, I do still apologize, even if the insulting on the template was a bit far and not in the least helpful. I will move Mr.Beast is trying to aquire my bones to a subpage of my own. I will fix that template (which was not useless) and subsequently delete the content from the three unnecessary redirects. I had no intention of vandalizing the wiki, as I've stated multiple times. No page I create is meant to be vandalism in any way, and I try to do my best to help the wiki be the best it can be. Sometimes it gets boring being 'sensible' all the time (especially in IB classes, where I regularly have 3+ hours of homework/night), and I wanted some sort of way to let all the wild shit that my ADHD makes out. That's what came out. Again, I truly apologize. I hope this marks the end of this little spat we've had.<br />
I bid thee well on wherever the journey of life may take thee, fellow traveler. May we see each other again, be it in life, in death, or in the cursed month of Jancember. Take Care.<br />
<br />
Ba'al, teenage Soul-Eater, out.<br />
<br />
:See my reply there: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/User_talk:Kynde#On_Template:DGAF_and_User:User:User:User:User:User.2FMr._Beast_is_trying_to_aquire_my_bones Reply] --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:42, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: I just did, and I did just respond. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:43, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==My Mistakes==<br />
=== Your signature is in violation of {{w|WP:SIGAPP}} ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
Changed to 14pt. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:14pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 13:02, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
FINE --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:14, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
:: I thought the issue was the height? Doesn't the wiki use 12pt font, which that Sig is? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:27, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::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)<br />
<br />
=== Mass-deleting links ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
===Creating someone's User pages, without being asked===<br />
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)<br />
:Yup, I also pointed it out. In case you missed my reply to your message, here's a copy: <br />
:”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)<br />
::Sorry about that. Just trying to help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:34, 28 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
=== NEWS ===<br />
<br />
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?<br />
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:48, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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]]<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
=== Why [...] is DSBContribs a thing? ===<br />
<br />
Did you seriously have to create a page in the main namespace with the sole purpose of redirecting to your user contributions page?<br />
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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).<br />
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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.<br />
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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)<br />
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: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)<br />
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::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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:::: Hi, it's me (on a different IP because I'm at home now).<br />
:::: I'm sorry for being so aggressive in my original comment, I thought you were a grown adult, not a teen. ("think is an 8-year old" is incorrect btw, I was saying you were "acting like an 8 year old", but that itself was too harsh).<br />
:::: I made stupid mistakes too when I was around your age, and I should have assumed good faith rather than take such an aggressive tone.<br />
:::: Sorry for that, and good luck with school! [[Special:Contributions/90.219.64.93|90.219.64.93]] 13:50, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::: I accept your apology with open arms. I truly hope we can work together to improve the wiki in the future. Best regards, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:11, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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=== Possessive and contracted "its"/"it's". ===<br />
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This also confused me, oh so many years ago. Then I was given a handy way of knowing ''which'' was the exception, which has served me well, and I've never had to second-guess myself. (Naturally, I've probably typoed/thinkoed it wrong, unconsciously... But since then I've never had a moment of doubt when I've deliberately kept myself/others correct.) Maybe it'll help you. - I tried to summarise it in the edit I made to the message concerned, but ''not enough space'' to do it justice...<br />
#The possessive version is "its". It is one of a number of "irregular possessives", "his" instead of "him's"/, "hers" instead of "her's", "theirs" instead of "they's"/"them's".<br />
#*Basically all the very common and basic pronoun-based possessives that (as I think of it, although not entirely correctly) were added to the language ''long before'' anybody actually tried to regularise the use of possessives, so just stuck that way. If it belongs to "him", "her", "me" "you", "us", "them" ''and'' "it", you're in the realms of using a completely irregular possessive, none of which use apostrophes.<br />
#*''Personally'', I think that "one" (the equally 'basic', IMO, impersonal pronoun) should be included in that. Not for the likes of {{w|Ones' complement}} (that's belonging to (a number of) digit-ones), but in the "{{w|One (pronoun)|one}} is speaking sense. But (as noted in that last link), it isn't. So don't do that.<br />
#This leaves the contractive version as the one that uses the apostrophe. With two interesting caveats:<br />
#*There ''are'' irregular contractions. The word "forecastle" contracts to "fo'c'sle" or "fo'c's'le", which is a lot more overkill than other similarly complicated contractions. And "will not" becomes "won't" (or, some suggest, just "wont", though that's also a different word), despite not having the right set of letters in the right order to remain after (at least) the "not"->"n't" contraction.<br />
#*In reporting speech, where someone says "it's just something I want to say", use it without fear. But, when writing, I find that (except for ''very'' casual use, essentially speaking in text ...or of course when tending to write in abbreviations/limited space) it's{{asic}} just much better to write "it is", in full. Can't(cannot) be written wrong, couldn't(/could not) be read wrong.<br />
#Oh, and then theres "its'", the plural-(non-irregular-)possessive, which ''could'' be used in certain circumstances... "There are loads of ''its'' in this text, without apostrophes... please check that each ''its''' punctuation is correct!". But... not a common occurance. (Far less than "belonging to the word 'it'", the sole reason to use possessive "it's".) ;)<br />
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...TL;DR;, irregular possesive "its" because of all the other irregular possessive pronouns that have words of their own. And you might just find it easier to uncontract "it's", most of the time, ''especially'' if you're still not entirely sure about it. (Or, perhaps, you're happy to not let go of such a minor degree of gravitas, and it's not transcriped real-world enunciation, which might even feature such monstrosities as "couldn't've" as the contraction of "could not have"!)<br />
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Don't know if that helps, or is understandable, but there you are. Overexplained and overly rambling, as it is..! [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 21:51, 22 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:While you have way too much time on your hands, it'sn't (it is not) hard to understand, so thank you! As I said, <i>it's</i> basically my only grammatical flaw, so this helps tremendously. Damn my brain and <i>its</i> grammatical irregularities. <i>Its</i> a pleasure to talk with you! Sincerely, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 00:40, 23 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::Definitely didn't just make a mistake on an it's. After reading a full page worth of why not to. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 00:44, 23 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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==excuse me==<br />
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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)<br />
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==template==<br />
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What is a template? What’s a {{Trout}} and {{Whale}}?<br />
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If it looks weird, click edit [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 12:20, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:41, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::how can I create one? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:21, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:::Here's something that may be able to help: {{AprilFoolsHelp}} --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:43, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::thxxxxxxxxx [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:::::You are very welcome! I hope you are excited to start contributing to the wiki! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::::By the way, please don't be afraid to ask me any questions at all. If I can, I will help! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:48, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:::::::Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]], which is <nowiki>{{Thx$store}}</nowiki> (if I can call you that)<br />
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==Template Tips==<br />
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:<br />
*Templates are easy to create.<br />
*It's useful to learn from other templates.<br />
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.<br />
: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.<br />
:To the above, I'd add:<br />
:*Know what purpose your template will have.<br />
: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.<br />
: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'.<br />
: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)<br />
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:While this is very useful, it would be nice if you posted this on [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!]]'s talk page. He's the one learning the ropes, and it would probably be very useful to him. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 17:47, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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==Requests/favors==<br />
If you need anything done, reach out to me! I'll let you know what I can do to help you! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:49, 15 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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Hi [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]], are you good enough to have the link to my user page? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 01:57, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:Done! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:56, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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==Hello again Darling :D==<br />
I'm back after the summer hello sir O) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 13:59, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:A fellow school-based follower of the truth, I see! Welcome back, and I wish thee well on your adventures. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:00, 26 August 2025 (UTC) P.S. I use monobook style now.<br />
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==Category thing==<br />
Hey, can someone tell me why my talk page is on 'pages to delete?' {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|18:08, 27 August 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:I have tracked it down to {{diff|383609|this edit}} by [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!]], where they used a (fairly useless and unnecessary) template (that they created themselves) called <nowiki>Template:Thx$store</nowiki> to thank you for helping to teach them the process of creating a new template. Since I marked that template for deletion, when the comment calls for the template, it also marks your talk page for deletion. I have changed it so that the template is replaced with the text that it would substitute in and your page is no longer marked for deletion. Also signed off your unsigned comment. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 18:30, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::When someone says "I have tracked it down" you know they mean business. Thanks, that's quite reassuring. Another mystery IP (not sure if it's the same guy as today) did warn him not to make meaningless templates. Of course, I also made a meaningless template, so.... --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:33, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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== Do you not learn? ==<br />
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You say that you've learned from your mistakes, yet I don't see any changes. You say that you're an incoming 9th grader and that's somehow an excuse for your immaturity, but I'm also a 9th grader and can compose myself perfectly fine. You say that you won't do the same mistakes again, yet you still create useless pages. How many more are you going to create? I really don't want to be yelling at you like this, but I just don't think you'll be able to change without it. FYI, I've marked User:DSB and the /C pages for deletion. Grow up. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 21:41, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Look. You aren't a bad person. In fact, I wholeheartedly believe that your passion can turn into a positive thing for this wiki. The thing is, you have a tendency to try to fix things by doing even more things, often panicking and making the situation worse. I've already told you this before, but I'll reemphasize it for you. '''TAKE A BREAK.''' Go for some walks. Work on your homework. Talk to people. Hang out with some friends. Don't just spend all your time on here. Trust me, I made the same mistake before. I would recommend a couple days of rest. See how it feels! It might hurt in the beginning, but nobody NEEDS you on here so badly to work on things to the point of such fanatic editing. I don't think Kynde, FaviFake, or any of the other editors hate you, to be honest. We're all just annoyed that you seem to not listen to our advice and keep on making the same mistakes. It's fine to make mistakes-that's how we learn! But you need to stop worrying so much and just step away from the screen for a bit. (Also, I'd recommend talking to a friend or a trusted adult. Your /PRIVATE page seems to be filled with quite a bit of self-hatred. Don't listen to that voice in your head. She's a bitch and none of it is true. I've dealt with poor mental health too. In fact, that's one of the reasons why I had left for so long. You should try to get these feelings out in a healthy way, instead of taking it out yourself or spending all your time online. Nobody thinks you're stupid. You just need to learn how things are done around here. If that's on a steep learning curve, so be it. Just keep on pushing through, and listen to people more.) And finally, you ''can'' make subpages, but try to reduce the number that you have. Think to yourself before you make one: do I TRULY need this? Will it help me out positively in the long run? If not, just put it in another section of your userpage (or make a proper sandbox!). Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk, and I wish you all a good night. Tori, signing off. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 04:05, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::Take a break / Hey, our kid is pretty great / Run away with us for the summer / Let's go upstate / Eliza, I've got so much on my plate / We can all go stay with my father<br />
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::There's a lake I know (I know) / In a nearby park (I'd love to go) / You and I can go when the night gets dark / '''I will try to get away''' <br />
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::Such a good song, Lin cooked with that one. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:03, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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== are you ok? ==<br />
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do you need help? [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 06:11, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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== Would you prefer to get a Blog? ==<br />
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User pages are sufficient to give an idea of who you are, and User Talk ones for people to talk to you about your contributions/etc.<br />
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Maybe create sub-pages if you have a relevant site-related project and need 'a space' for them. Such as, as an off-the-wall example, "a list of all the instances of comics that have less than the average number of vowels in them". Perhaps in the hope that it'll be appreciated and made into a more regular page.<br />
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But from what I've seen of your 'contributions' this week, none of that applies. Drunk-typing? Well, ''probably'' not if you're still so far underage that you probably don't have decent access to anything stronger than wine-gums, but definitely you weren't in full control of your keyboard. We've other people on here, as young as you, and have had even younger ones. If we can actually believe what anybody reveals about theirselves. (I'm a 111-year old hobbit, by the way.) You've been one of the most immaturely-acting people here who haven't actually been '''obviously''' trying to vandalise this site, and I'm sure you've strained the patience of pretty much everyone.<br />
<br />
But you're not the first to go a little wild, like this. And - dare I say it - some of those who went on to be mainstays of this site got over the novelty of "anyone can edit (almost) anything", and possibly a rush of teenage hormones messing up their judgement. May I suggest you ''take a deep breath'' and work out what it is that you're doing that is creating such friction and push-back? I've seen you being a reasonable contributor before, and it's not even been all bad over the last week or so.<br />
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And you may have personal life changes going on. Those hormones, issues at home/school/elsewhere, general worries about the state of the world that you're growing up into... maybe a combination of them, or some of these things even ''causing'' some of the others. It happens. You're not alone ...even if one of the key issues is actually in feeling alone! But this is not necessarily the place to try to reshape the world like this.<br />
<br />
How about you stick a little more to just xkcd matters, for the time being. There are plenty of other ways, and places, to run through whatever it is that you might be going through, and it might be best to balance things a bit more 'worklike' here than too much 'at play', like it looks like you're doing at the moment. Rebalance back to 'just enough of each' later.<br />
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And if you ''do'' get somewhere to blog, you'll even have a lot more control. Create anything you want (more or less, within the T&Cs of the service), not worrying about other people editing it, and probably even later cleanly delete anything you no longer want (with no pesky Page History open for everyone to read). You could even put a link to your blog here in your User space, if you want to. At least the blog that you want to connect to yourself here. (You can have an xkcd-adjacent one, ''and'' one to cry out in anguish if you so wish. And a third to... well, you get the idea.) And the skills to maintain blog code is a bit more 'real-world' than the purely wiki-related markup you learn here, and you can still learn the wiki-markup in parallel with getting to grips with HTML or other popular {{w|Content management system}} markup, giving you a few more useful lifeskills that ''merely'' being eventually a master wiki-guru.<br />
<br />
How does that sound? Please do stay, but please also consider if everything you're doing is strictly necessary. I see I'm not the only one driven to try to explain this to you. And for some reason I thought I might be able to quickly suggest a solution to this little quandry. (No, it hasn't actually been that quick, has it.) If you really don't like what I say here... delete it. And I'll say no more. Or just tell me to mind my own business. I've probably got some other things to do around here, if our other old-hand editors don't get there before me! [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 22:34, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:I really should, shouldn't I... I'll try to find one. Yesterday and today have mainly been focused on What If? Chapters and a potential new project with Tori (Have you met her? She's lovely) about Sigs. Today has mainly been the latter, with a bit of the former, and some sig ideas I've been working on. I've been trying to stick to more useful matters. For example, /WORKPAGE currently contains drafts of some unfinished What If? Chapters I've been working on. So, I have been attempting to work on more xkcd-related matters. Is it ok if you could <br />
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:But, I shall heed your advice. I shall get a blog (not blood, autocorrect). Do you have any recommendations for where to start?<br />
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:One last thing: Could you show me one of the apparent 'drunk typing' incidents? I edit on my school Chromebook, so I wouldn't be surprised if the keyboard decided to be weird. Thank you for the advice! Once, again, I shall heed it. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 22:51, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::Oh, and by the way, I will not delete this thread. Also, how do you access the internet in Valinor?<br />
::'Drunkeness', or whatever it was, was very evident in something like {{diff|385245|here}}. More mundane 'misuse of the keyboard' issues are the times you add multiple linefeeds between very simple statements. You need to do two line-feeds to 'separate the paragraphs', any more than that is not normally visually necessary at all, and can ''look'' like you weren't even paying full attention at the time, however well-written the line-fragments between are. If it weren't for the fact that there were actual (sort-of-)discernable words in there, the 'drunk' one could also have perhaps been a "cat walked on my keyboard" issue. Were you and the cat ''both'' trying to use the keyboard? (Or one of you trying to walk on it, the other trying to type on it. One way round or the other?) I think it's that kind of thing that got people initially concerned about you. Help us to help you (to help yourself?), maybe. [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 02:10, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::i don't think the help is strictly necessary, but, as I said before, do you have any suggestions for places to make a blog? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 18:30, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::I don't blog, so nothing from personal experience. I bet you could use some Google-Fu (or Bing-Fu, or DuckDuckGo-Fu, or AltaVista-Fu, or AskJeeves-Fu, or...) to find a few such solutions, then look at all their offerings (check their wikipedia pages..? and, yeah, add some Wiki-Fu to the previous list of ways in which to search) and decide which one works for you. Or which two or three, and try them out with either completely identical aims in mind or initially split up your interests (one's your sports-appreciation, another is about what your favourite TV is, a third being your humorous observations about things you see every day, ...), then you can keep running the one(s) that turn out to work for you.<br />
::::You know what you currently want, better than me or aanyone. [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 23:50, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::If you need a blog, and don't know what platforms to use, I'd recommend making a Google Site or Wordpress blog. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 19:10, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== {{w|Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/ltbdl}} ==<br />
<br />
they think we're the same person, ha. [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 02:29, 2 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I did not think this is what I would come back to. That's wild and hilarious. <br />
<br />
:They are raeb<br />
<br />
:And I am Dollar<br />
<br />
:And we are not the same person<br />
<br />
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:42, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::OMG THEY BANNED YOU WTF? I've pleaded your case, but idk if they'll respond. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:49, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Okay, wait a second. A checkuser does checks on User IPs. If you were found guilty, that means that you were editing under the same IP as me. By any chance, do you go to school in Lincoln, NE? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 14:04, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::one, revert your case pleading, it's silly and won't help, and two, we're "very unlikely" to be the same person according to checkuser, don't panic. maybe link them here. (i don't go to school in lincoln.) [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 15:00, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::Ok, now it's weird. I didn't know you couldn't have alt accounts, even if you explicitly stated that they were, indeed, alt accounts. Seems a bit strict if you ask me. Also, 1+1=Window, not Yes. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 22:53, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Can you please help me==<br />
I helped you with the userboxes. Now I need your help. How do I get my sig to be something besides what it is now? [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 19:34, 9 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Hi there, Tori here. If you want to change your signature, go to your preferences page on the top right of the website (it's next to your Talk page and Watchlist). Scroll down until you see the signatures section and change it. If you need help figuring out wikitext, feel free to shoot me a message on my [[user talk:42.book.addict|talk page]]! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 01:32, 10 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Template:what if? chapters ==<br />
<br />
Sorry, but what's the point of creating a template for what if chapters? What do you intend to use it for? '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:28, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:I intended it as a workaround in order to edit two pages at once. (those being the blog page and the chapters page). I noticed there was a discrepancy between the tables on the two pages, and I created a workaround for it. Also, it's faster than copy-pasting, now that the load times are astronomical. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 16:30, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Sounds good! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:40, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
Ok I'm sorry but I had to change it back. Here are a few drawbacks:<br />
#Now people reading our summaries can't edit them directly.<br />
#The history is gone. You should've moved the page, not copy and paste. Both for copyright attribution (see {{w|WP:CWW]]) and for maintenance, to see when and why something was added.<br />
#Now we need to transclude the table on 1 more page (servers!), and the pages that were already transcluding the page (except [[what if? (blog)]]) now are transcluding both the page AND the template.<br />
And most importantly: there wasn't any discrepancy between the pages that transcluded the pages, just as there is no discrepancy now. The table was the exact same.<br />
<br />
Could you explain what discrepancy you saw? The code and text behind the original [[What If? Chapters]] page, the blog page, the new template you created, and any other pages transcluding [[What If? Chapters]] was truly identical (and still is, just with the added issues listed above.).<br />
<br />
Also; templates are not supposed to be edited frequently. A template is created in order to save time writing the same code on dozens or hundreds of pages. The table both needs to be edited and is only transcluded on a few pages. These are the pages in which the page was transcluded: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/What_If%3F_chapters&hidelinks=1&hideredirs=1] --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 10:04, 4 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:There were just some chapter summaries I saw that were different between the blog page and the chapters page. I'm not angry about this, thanks for bringing up the points which I am not advanced enough to see. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 12:55, 6 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Huh, that's odd. The only difference between the two is that the last header cell on the left becomes highlighted in yellow when transcluded. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 19:16, 7 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Current signature. ==<br />
<br />
I've noticed that your signature does <all the fancy stuff><NEWLINE><space><timestamp>. Might be a good idea to remove the <NEWLINE> before the (presumably auto-appended) <space><timestamp> as it currently puts your<br />
timestamp like this.<br />
<br />
Which is ''probably'' not what you'd intended. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.74|82.132.245.74]] 20:47, 4 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:......Nope, didn't intend that. I'll see if I can fix it. (not signing this because... well, you know) --DSB {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|21:12, 4 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
::I've found the issue. I was trying to make my signature in times new roman using [[Template:TNR]]. This template uses div for it's styling. For some reason, it's inserting <nowiki></div></nowiki> between the signature and timestamp rather than after. Is there a way to get the <nowiki></div></nowiki> to go after the timestamp rather than before (which is what I was intending)? Thanks! --DSB {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|21:18, 4 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:::Standard advice is to not use div-tags in your custom .sig, for exactly this reason. You should be able to do the same (except for the undesired newline-forcing) with span-tagging where you invoked div-tags.<br />
:::The way it rendered (must basically have been subst:ed between what you used and how it renders), I didn't know you'd used the TNR template. If that's for character-length reasons then a "TNRspan" template (or something ''not'' four characters longer, if you're extremely tight for space) would have to be used.<br />
:::Or change the TNR so <code><nowiki>{{TNR|span=yes}}</nowiki></code> will specially 'return' you your no-Div version (that's the nice-looking version; you could also have it do something like responding to <code><nowiki>{{{1}}}</nowiki></code> being "s" or "1", if you can only afford to extend by two extra characters). That makes the one template dual-use, instead of making another template.<br />
:::TIMTOWTDI. But you'll know what you want to do, I can only give vague pointers. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.74|82.132.245.74]] 22:22, 4 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Weird. I changed the TNR template to <nowiki><span></nowiki> instead of <nowiki><div></nowiki>, but upon testing it's still doing that weird newline thing. {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|14:11, 5 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:::::Finally fixed. I can't get the timestamp to also be TNR, but at least it doesn't auto-newline. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::::That looks not too bad, though the timestamp is sans-serif again. Though ''might' in part be browser-dependant as to how it looks (mine may react only to the 'serif' and not the full 'Times New Roman', giving a TNR''-like'' serif-font that works good adjacent to the non-specific choice of sans-serif font. Also, at first glance, there's a mystery as to why the timestamp is '''''BOLD+ITALIC''' (or maybe STRONG+EMPHASIS, for the pedants).<br />
::::::The structure is probably as follows, rewritten just for visual representation/explanation. Formatting that you do is in ()s, my explanatory notes are in ** and * pairs:<br />
**start of 'fixed text' signature insertion**<br />
(SPANopen style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;")<br />
--<br />
(BOLD+ITALICstart)<br />
(LINKpage)User:DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(LINKtext)<br />
(SPANopen style="color:#E3C6BE")<br />
DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end:style="color:#E3C6BE")<br />
(LINKclose)<br />
(SUPERSCRIPTopen)<br />
(LINKpage)User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(LINKtext)<br />
(SPANopen style="color:#CC9A8B")<br />
Converse<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end:style="color:#CC9A8B")<br />
(LINKclose)<br />
(SUPERSCRIPTclose)<br />
*expected to be an /implied/ (BOLD+ITALICSclose), here*<br />
*check HTML source for why not?*<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end: style="font-family: Times New Roman...etc")<br />
**end of 'fixed text' signature insertion**<br />
**start of 'timestamp' signature insertion**<br />
*BOLD+ITALICS is still active?*<br />
*but all /other/ formats ended by the most recent (SPANclose)*<br />
14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
**end of 'timestamp' signature insertion**<br />
::::::Without looking at exactly what you're doing behind the scenes, I'm not ''entirely'' sure, but I think the {{template|TNR}} includes a close-Span tag, preventing that from 'rolling on' into the timestamp bit.<br />
::::::Exactly how the '''''BOLD+ITALIC''''' rolls on, I don't know without checking the HTML source. Might be an intentional function of the wikimarkup-to-HTML conversion that 'remembers' that formatting and reapplies it as necessary, at least until a 'forced' end-of-scope (end of a Div or P tag, a Br/Hr monotag, new ordered/unordered list item (or changing the list-level), table cell/row transitions, and then there's the next (same/different) ":"-prepended indented follow-up lines and (of course) double-newlines) to force even no-prefix lines into paragraph-breaks. All of these (and other less obvious wikimarkup scenarios) probably translate to a hard /div closure in the HTML.<br />
::::::Does {{template|TNR}} currently close its own Span? Does removing that Span-end let it 'roll on' over the timestamp? If you do that, does the insert-signature process close off all remaining Spans ''after'' the timestamp? (Normally, a signature is followed by a newline+newline or at least a newline+:nextlinehasindents, but if you add a P.S. comment after a timestamp that benefits from an unclosed formatting rlling through, does anything add a closure to stop it rolling through onto the P.S...? Can't test this, myself, directly, but it'd be interesting to find out!)<br />
::::::Note that I don't know if you intended TNR to be used anywhere else. But by changing it from Div-based to Span-based it changes how it looks if I "{{TNR|use it here}}", and if you then make it so that it open-Spans but never close-Spans then it would change the appearance of this paragraph even further.<br />
::::::...ouch. Actually, I had assumed it would currently (as 'span-only', opening and closing) not linefeed, browserside, but currently it adds a forced break, and doesn't even have any way of knowing how many indents (if any) to add before the continuation text.<br />
::::::Though if nobody else is using it for ''anything else'', it shouldn't matter. Just pointing out that (''if they are'') changes you make to fine-tune your signature ''could'' have collateral effects for other people who use TNR when it does one thing but then find that it's doing another thing.<br />
::::::Creating a template 'just for your own use' is Ok-ish, but you might just want to note its purpose and (current) peculiarities in case someone thinks that it's intended for a more general purpose, and in a more logical manner than you've had to make it 'work' just for you.<br />
::::::It's also known for templates to contain imbalanced markup, with either how it is used or the presence of a second 'closing' template (see {{template|cot}} and {{template|cob}}, that mark the 't'op and 'b'ottom of a 'co'llapsable area) making the final result properly balanced in the end. But mostly you'd expect internal closure of anything the template started, whether Spanny or Divvy in nature, or justify it and make it obvious without digging through the actual template-code itself.<br />
::::::But I don't know how useful all of this is, to you or those coming along afterwards (before or after further template tweaks, etc). I'm just trying to pass on everything I think could be helpful, knowing that a lot of it could be 'beyond helpful', i.e. actually quite irrelevent. If not incomprehsible. (If not wrong, given I can't even test many assumptions, directly!) But here it is, anyway. HTH, HAND. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.89|82.132.244.89]] 16:24, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::I'm using the TNR template because it looks cool, but it also does have a purpose. It's used in early Taglines and header texts. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 16:53, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::Having tried many things, I've found that including the TNR template at all is messing up the timestamp. I'll see if there's another way to include the template without that, but idk if there is a way. In the meantime, here's my new Sig: <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 17:25, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:{{outdent|:::::}}<br />
:((I researched,cchecked and wrote the following followup whilst you were replying, just aboce. You've answered some of my points, plus seem happy with as it is now, but still posting it given the thought I put into it... ;) Not that I actually think that it's necessary as helpful as I might have hoped it to be, in the end! Absolutely no reply expected, if you're happy to say nothing more.))<br />
:Ok, actually looked at the HTML source, now, neutering the 'raw' markup, whitespacing it and adding **commentary**:<br />
**start signature, fixed text**<br />
**default formatting**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
**formatting is now TNR**<br />
--<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>b><br />
**formatting is TNR+Bold**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>i><br />
**formatting is TNR+Bold+Italics**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>a href="/wiki/index.php/User:DollarStoreBa%27al" title="User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al"><br />
**formatting is TNR+B+I and a link..**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="color:#E3C6BE"><br />
**...which is coloured**<br />
DollarStoreBa'al<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**back to TNR+B+I link, no colour**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/a><br />
**back to TNR+B+I, no link<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>sup><br />
**TNR+B+I+Superscript**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>a class="mw-selflink selflink"><br />
**TNR+B++Sup and a link (to this page, in this specific instance)**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="color:#CC9A8B"><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup link is coloured**<br />
Converse<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup link, no colour**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/a><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup, no link**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/sup><br />
**TNR+B+I, normal-script again**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**this should have removed TNR, *and* the 'inner' B+I too...**<br />
** (Although this is not what you wanted, it's what you should get!) **<br />
**...but apparently we're now just with B+I**<br />
** (This might be my own browser's interpretation, not everyone's.) **<br />
**this is the inbuilt transition between fixed-sig and time-sig**<br />
**a space is here, then...**<br />
14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/i> ** (Your signature markup does not ask for this!) **<br />
**just Boldness left**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/b> ** (Your signature markup does not ask for this!) **<br />
**neutral format again**<br />
**end of signature**<br />
:What goes with the "TNR+B+I" going to "B+I", I don't know. Unless they've changed the HTML spec regarding this in the last decade or three.<br />
:The wiki-server back end was smart enough to add the close-Italics and close-Bold, at the end of the signature (''perhaps'', knowing that these were imminent a 'smart' error-checking by the browser's HTML-renderer let their formats persist, when otherwise they would not have? ...odd, but possible). Possibly it would have also closed the TNR-span, after the B-closure,cif not already asked to do so by the end of the TNR-template?<br />
:...so...<br />
:#First 'fix', remove the <code><nowiki><</nowiki>/span></code> from TNR. See how that affects any newly applied signatures (it won't change old ones).<br />
:#Also see how/if it changes the indent-loss above my "...ouch" line, above.<br />
:#''Also'' also chase down if TNR gets used ''anywhere else'' in this wiki, at the moment, and check that you've not broken anything else that other people might have used it for.<br />
:If the first fix works and the third thing isn't a problem (ignore the second issue, I'm happy for it to change), then you're sorted. Otherwise (no fix, or even further broken in ways that aren't any good for anyone) reverse the change to where it works best for everyone and accept it not working precisely how you think you want it.<br />
:If it fixes, as suggested, I'd also be interested how signing with <code><nowiki>~~~~ and more text</nowiki></code> works. (i.e. does it TNR the "and more text"?) Not that it's important, just my own curiosity.<br />
:And think about a more advanced explanation on TNR's page, if it's going to be 'an odd template' in any way, like being Span-opener without being a Span-closer.<br />
:That's all. Over to you, nothing more I can do (I could change TNR's code, but not then test it with your signature), but ''maybe'' I've done enough to help. Without too much confusion. I'll let you sort the rest out on your own, unless there's anything specific that arises to follow-up with. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.131|82.132.246.131]] 17:45, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::tbh I'm good. Besides, I have no clue how to convert that raw HTML into usable wikitext (idk how to code, planning to learn someday). Either way, works fine. Also, you commentary has made me realize how complex my sig actually is. Times New Roman+Bold+Italics, which is a link which is colored. {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|19:21, 5 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
<br />
==tumble weed==<br />
What’s a tumble weed. Like what’s this: <br />
span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 04:41, 9 November 2025 (UTC)</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:DollarStoreBa%27al&diff=390454User talk:DollarStoreBa'al2025-11-09T04:41:19Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div>Speak through the interdimentional portal<br />
<br />
==General Chitchat and such==<br />
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)<br />
<br />
:Thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 19:11, 25 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
:hi btw :) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:11, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
::hello, how are you doing this fine morning, my dear fellow? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:03, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Hiyo==<br />
: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)<br />
:: Bello. me editor guy who edit much. edit fun! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:00, 3 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::hahahahaha edit fun indeed. [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:20, 4 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Question: How do you add those user boxes that you have on your page? Those would be nice to have. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:52, 6 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::copy and paste this and remove the nowiki tag: <br />
<br />
<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:<br />
<br />
<nowiki>{{Userbox | border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = ;) | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|This user _____ ]] | float = left}}</nowiki><br />
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[[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:50, 11 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::::Dude thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 13:48, 17 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::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)<br />
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==Wow==<br />
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)<br />
:Yes. Yes you are. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:43, 25 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::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)<br />
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::: No need. Also, I see you're from Louisiana. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 03:44, 29 March 2025 (UTC)]]<br />
::::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)<br />
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==The 5s and Es and Os==<br />
Reply to this if you've figured out what the meaning of the thingy on my user page is.<br />
:it's base 3 [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 09:07, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: :O [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:31, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: Nope! I'll give you a hint: talk to sam. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 14:33, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
https://voca.ro/1Akmh0zRqa8Q [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 16:02, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:uhhh...[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 20:41, 11 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
::sorry, that's not it. Don't know what to say to that.[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:54, 14 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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You have one week! Hint: beep boooop --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 16:30, 6 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:Morse code? [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 19:33, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::Morse code of what? You are very, very close.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:47, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
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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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 14:44, 13 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:It's better than [[2869: Puzzles]] [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 11:11, 14 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
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== Want to do some repetitive work? ==<br />
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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)<br />
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:What exactly would I be doing to get these features to work? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::If it isn't super-complex wikitext things I can totally help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]</sup> 19:21, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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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.<br />
[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1:_Barrel_-_Part_1&diff=374851&oldid=373457 You can follow this example]. The steps are:<br />
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Start from [[4|comic number 4]]:<br />
#Based on the short sentence written above the explanation, add "ognumber =", "ogprev =", and "ognext =" (so the navbar can work)<br />
#Add "oglink =", and move ONLY the link from "before" to "oglink" (so from HTTPS://..... until the end of the link, move that to "oglink")<br />
#Now, from the edit preview, copy the original title.<br />
#Delete everything in "before =" now that you moved the link<br />
#Add "ogtitle =" and paste the original title that you copied.<br />
#Finally, in "titletext", add two couples of apostrophes (<nowiki>''</nowiki>) in these places: https://imgur.com/a/BewKKr1<br />
#Now save the changes, and click the new white "Next >" button you just created to go to the next one!<br />
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)<br />
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me am do. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[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]</sup></sup> 20:51, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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: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)<br />
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Hey, I don't really understand where I'm supposed to put these. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:01, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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Nevermind, I got this. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:05, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
: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.<br />
:I'll let you know when you can continue. Thanks! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 21:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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alright, sounds good! Dang tho. Let me know and I'll get right back to it. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 13:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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: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)<br />
::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)<br />
:::So sorry about that, I noticed those random Html elements. Thought they were part of the bug. oops. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:16pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 22:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::No worries! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 11:05, 26 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
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==The mistake==<br />
===Kynde's talk page===<br />
You might want to expedite the actual deletion of [[User:User:User:User:User:User/Mr. Beast is trying to aquire my bones]] (and its User Talk counterpart). I believe the editor concerned was sleep-deprived (but wouldn't put it past being instead a chemical imbalance of some legal ''or'' illegal kind). I'd have added the Pages To Delete category, but there's already a few of those hanging around unfulfilled... [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.176|82.132.246.176]] 17:02, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::Ok man, I created that page because I wanted somewhere that would <br />
*Be private (which it is. It's impossible to create the account User:User:User:User:User. I checked.)<br />
*Affect Nobody (which it shouldn't. The only person it's affecting is you.)<br />
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You've also [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:DGAF&diff=prev&oldid=385114 vandalized] [[Template:DGAF]], which I created, is inspired by 42.book.addict, and affects nobody but me. This makes me think that you're just looking through my contributions and immediately flagging things you frame as 'wrong'. This is not only incredibly creepy, but is also completely pointless. I'm a high school student on the internet. Also, I believe you're the same person who insulted me about DSBContribs, which I no longer use, and was fixed. Just stop and let me do my own thing. Amusedly and angrily, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:11, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Given other recent activity, it ''looked'' like another example of {{diff|385026|editing whilst insensible}} (together with statements about returning to school, put me in mind the situation of which the {{w|Eternal September}} was the next step). i.e. honest errors of judgement.<br />
:To term the "UserUserUser..." space 'private' is erroneous. It can be seen by anyone. It can be ''edited'' by anyone. Though, by convention, only the User Talk should be edited by anyone other than the ultimate named User. Which you aren't, BTW... create for someone else, ''if you must'', if they're too new and unwilling to wait the trivial amount of time before they can. Creating the spaces for someone who didn't request help or ''doesn't even exist'' needs some form of justification that you're well short of.<br />
:It affects everyone if random, meaningless and context-free pages are added to the wiki 'just for fun'. Data isn't free. Storage isn't limitless. Potentially obscuring real useful (on-topic) information with stupid semi-vandalism (that I didn't think you'd do intentionally, based upon prior behaviour), is not something I expected. But it looked like a momentary lapse that (being on the scene) I tried to helpfully deal with as much as I could. (If I'd have been an Admin, myself, I ''would'' have just deleted them. 'Luckily' for you, I have no interest in that amount of leverage, I'm sticking what anyone can do, perhaps the next person along would have reacted the same, or worse.)<br />
:No, I'm not stalking you. All edits are visible, you made edits, I saw them. I remember DSBContribs (or similar, if it's what I think you mean), but didn't recall it was your work. And others, including a named user, 'insulted' you about that. Or, as I recall, questioned the reasoning behind it, and didn't get a sensible answer. So 0lease accept my apologies. It seems that you ''are'' the kind of person to create useless pages like these last few. If I had known that, I wouldn't have come here suggesting that they were in error, but come here to just draw Kynde's attention to them as effectively being vandalism.<br />
:And, because your template page tried to link to a non-existing wiki page, I also just made it go somewhere that works. That was before reading here how this may well have been culpably intentional, so again was done out of more good faith helpfulness than it turns out I should have been employing.<br />
:That's regardless of your age, BTW. Whether you're at "High School" in the US, at maybe 14-18+ years old, or a High School like I attended where I am (and many years ago), which was for 11-16+ then workplaces or college (then maybe uni) beckoned. You don't need to be older to be more sensible about these things, and you don't need to be young to act idiotically.<br />
:And, lucky you, you get this shiny wiki (and everything else) to work with. I had no access to the Internet until I was 18 (though, at that time, the web itself hadn't been invented, let alone wikis), and of course made my own goofs (asked whether I needed to buy an estamp to send an email!).<br />
:But let me not bore you. I'm not in control here, only a fellow traveller who would give advice and assistance to those who might need it, and cares perhaps more than you might 'give a fuck' about various corners of the online world, like this. Reasoning over, lecture finished, friendly advice concluded. I just shoved it all in one reply to save you the trouble of having to deal with an impatiently slow conversation. And to not keep 'pinging' Kynde's email notification more than necessary (sorry Kynde!)... [[Special:Contributions/82.132.247.23|82.132.247.23]] 20:47, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::Do you wish to know something? I'm 14. User:User:User:User:User is (and I checked) completely impossible to create, as shown in this image: [[File:refutation.png]] But, if you wish, I shall make it a subpage of my own account. <br />
::Yes, of course it's ''technically'' public, but unless people specifically search for that page (which is still a subpage, btw), it won't affect anybody. Also, I'd like to point out, everybody editing any page is the ''whole point'' of a wiki. Yes, storage isn't limitless. Very cool. At this point, that page is a drop in the ocean of data already contributed by all the rest of these pages (including the lecture you just added, which is ''more'' bytes than the pages I created).<br />
::Thank you for that edit, by the way. When I previewed it, it showed that it did go to the correct page ({{w|Wikipedia:Don't-give-a-fuckism}}), so I published it that way. However, your edits make it seem like you're definitely stalking me. From what I've seen, all you've done is edit recent comic pages and berate me (and Kynde) about my mistakes. <br />
::DSBContribs was my work. I did, however, provide a sensible reason as to why I created it. If you didn't see it, here it is:<br />
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::DSBContribs was created specifically for my signature. At the time I created this, I had no idea what subpages were and I was running out of characters on my signature. I created it because I thought it wouldn't be a hindrance to the wiki and it would save me precious characters on my signature.<br />
::However, I do still apologize, even if the insulting on the template was a ''bit'' far and not in the least helpful. I will move Mr.Beast is trying to aquire my bones to a subpage of my own. I will fix that template (which was not useless) and subsequently delete the content from the three unnecessary redirects. I had no intention of vandalizing the wiki, as I've stated multiple times. No page I create is meant to be vandalism in any way, and I try to do my best to help the wiki be the best it can be. Sometimes it gets boring being 'sensible' all the time (especially in IB classes, where I regularly have 3+ hours of homework/night), and I wanted some sort of way to let all the wild shit that my ADHD makes out. That's what came out. Again, I truly apologize.<br />
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I bid thee well on wherever the journey of life may take thee, fellow traveler. May we see each other again, be it in life, in death, or in the cursed month of Jancember. Take Care.<br />
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Ba'al, teenage Soul-Eater, out.<br />
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:Wow that was a long read. I do give a f**k about not having such a template her so I deleted that instantly! I'm going to wait till you have moved relevant content of the user:user page somewhere with a more sensible name. ASnd no I do not think you should just write random gibberish on any pages here. And no I do not think we should have such a confusing page on here. So yes I will delete it eventually. If there is anything valuable on the page, make a different page, call it your sandbox or something, I don't know, but not something which is impossible for me or any one else to find out what it is supposed to be, like this many times user page. We have so many random users being created and many of them begin to spam us and has to be blocked. I do really not have the time to such a debate as the one here, so I hope you will do as I say and we can end this nicely. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:38, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::Something you probably didn't see: The fact that I did move the page to a sandbox YESTERDAY. Good day, and make Jeff proud. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:42, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::No I did not see as I do not stalk anyone here: So I can then delete [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/User:DollarStoreBa%27al/Mr._Beast_is_trying_to_aquire_my_bones this page] now? And please try not to insult me with any mention of Jeff. He is no longer active and no one has any contact with him on these pages. I'm not happy about being the only active admin here, but you should reply decently! Thanks. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:45, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Well, I never accused you of stalking (unless you were the IP in disguise), and I never meant to insult you with making Jeff proud. I like to imagine him as a father looking at his millionaire son with pride. If you wish to, delete the page. Go ahead, it won't affect anyone. Except me. And maybe mystery British(?) IP. This feud is over, and has been for hours. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:57, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::DollarStoreBa'al, I would very strongly recommend you to relax a bit and stop being so attacking/condescending. A lot of your edits don't make sense and aren't helping or contributing towards the growth and improvement of this wiki, so of course other users will be confused and annoyed. Maybe take a break from editing for a bit and mull over your edits for a bit? '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:01, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::::You're right. 42. You're always right :) --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 16:07, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:::::::I'm so sorry. You don't need to forgive me for this. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 16:26, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
===My talk page===<br />
<br />
N 19:49 heADer TExt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:49 hEaDeR tEXt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:46 hEaDeR TeXt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:46 HEADER TEXT (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:45 header Text (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:45 Header Text (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
...now that I know you're doing stupid and unnecessary things deliberately, I won't try to provide help. And you, of course won't be taking my friendly advice, so I'll try not to disturb you further, if I can help it. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.82|82.132.244.82]] 20:57, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:I KNEW YOU WERE STALKING MY EDITS! Now that you have discovered that I've done unnecessary edits (which are only affecting you), try zooming out a little. Specifically, to the 2,000 bytes I added to [[What if? Chapters]]. I didn't get almost 300 contribution score by doing meme edits all day. Besides, three of those are genuinely useful, and I'm not going to listen to a random IP with maybe 10 edits tops telling me how to edit a wiki. If you want to fix my work, go right ahead. That's what wikis are for. I invite you to fix everything. If you stop stalking my contributions page.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 23:07, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::Also, I would like to point out that it's harder to get more unfriendly than making a template which only links to my user page insult me, thereby vandalizing my user page. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 23:11, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::There was going to be no further reply, but you need to know these things:<br />
::;I KNEW YOU WERE STALKING MY EDITS!<br />
::Read what I said. All edits are visible. That's an extract from that list of all edits via the Recent Changes link. You are not being 'stalked'. Though, if I ''could'' easily do so, I'd now specifically hide all your edits and let absolutely ''anyone'' else work out what (if anything) to do in response.<br />
::;Specifically, to the 2,000 bytes I added to [[What if? Chapters]].<br />
::That looked good, as far as I saw it. Would you have me edit something that didn't need editing, just to congratulate you for a job adequately done? There was something I ''might'' have changed, but so trivial that I actively chose not to, and I am now thankful of that.<br />
::;I didn't get almost 300 contribution score by doing meme edits all day.<br />
::Good for you, if the contribution score means so much to you. Quality over quantity is better, and doesn't have a hand macro to show it. But you do you, if you're chasing the scoreboard rankings alone.<br />
::;and I'm not going to listen to a random IP with maybe 10 edits tops telling me how to edit a wiki.<br />
::As you point out, elsewhere, my IP ''will'' keep changing. (And I'm not the only person who may have appeared on any given IP.) I shudder to think how many edits I've made here, in reality, but shall I show you edits by various IPs across a decade or so and claim them as mine? No, because the merit (or otherwise) of one's latest contribution is all that matters. I'm usually happy to be an anon-IP, amongst other anon-IPs and named-users (both venerable and fleetingly transient alike). <br />
::;If you stop stalking my contributions page.<br />
::I can reassure you that I've probably never even looked at ''your'' specific contributions page, certainly not for a long time. I normally only ever check those to check whether "one-edit vandals" have perhaps made other edits that had temporarily slipped under the collective radar, but I don't think I had ever considered you as one of them, before, even back when you were new here. (How long is that? Six months. Two years? Maybe a bit longer?I could look it up easily by checking your contribs page, but I'm now firmly resolved to not do that, for your sake.)<br />
::<br />
::If any what I have written reads as less than polite, it's perhaps partly my exasperation leaking through. By the time I felt the need to add another word to "unnecessary", above, I can see that this had happened. For which I am sorry.<br />
::But text-only communications, like this, also tend to be read in a way that the reader's mood dictates. And I think some of my more straightforward initial contributions got misread at your end, tinted with reflected emotion.<br />
::And, please, let this be it. The world doesn't need to see this, nor does the server need it being added to, and of course there's no alternative backchannel to conduct a lengthy private conversation about it all. I shall read what you reply, just because it's hard to ''not'' read anything that isn't deleted/overwritten, but please no more needless creation of fake user pages (or, indeed, IP user pages). Unnecessary and as likely to be removed as anything else out there. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.228|82.132.244.228]] 05:07, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It is probable that you didn't see the reply I gave you on Kynde's talk page. Here is that reply: <br />
<br />
:Do you wish to know something? I'm 14. User:User:User:User:User is (and I checked) completely impossible to create, as shown in this image: [[File:refutation.png]] But, if you wish, I shall make it a subpage of my own account.<br />
:Yes, of course it's technically public, but unless people specifically search for that page (which is still a subpage, btw), it won't affect anybody. Also, I'd like to point out, everybody editing any page is the whole point of a wiki. Yes, storage isn't limitless. Very cool. At this point, that page is a drop in the ocean of data already contributed by all the rest of these pages (including the lecture you just added, which is more bytes than the pages I created).<br />
:Thank you for that edit, by the way. When I previewed it, it showed that it did go to the correct page (Wikipedia:Don't-give-a-fuckism), so I published it that way. However, your edits make it seem like you're definitely stalking me. From what I've seen, all you've done is edit recent comic pages and berate me (and Kynde) about my mistakes.<br />
:DSBContribs was my work. I did, however, provide a sensible reason as to why I created it. If you didn't see it, here it is:<br />
<br />
:DSBContribs was created specifically for my signature. At the time I created this, I had no idea what subpages were and I was running out of characters on my signature. I created it because I thought it wouldn't be a hindrance to the wiki and it would save me precious characters on my signature.<br />
:However, I do still apologize, even if the insulting on the template was a bit far and not in the least helpful. I will move Mr.Beast is trying to aquire my bones to a subpage of my own. I will fix that template (which was not useless) and subsequently delete the content from the three unnecessary redirects. I had no intention of vandalizing the wiki, as I've stated multiple times. No page I create is meant to be vandalism in any way, and I try to do my best to help the wiki be the best it can be. Sometimes it gets boring being 'sensible' all the time (especially in IB classes, where I regularly have 3+ hours of homework/night), and I wanted some sort of way to let all the wild shit that my ADHD makes out. That's what came out. Again, I truly apologize. I hope this marks the end of this little spat we've had.<br />
I bid thee well on wherever the journey of life may take thee, fellow traveler. May we see each other again, be it in life, in death, or in the cursed month of Jancember. Take Care.<br />
<br />
Ba'al, teenage Soul-Eater, out.<br />
<br />
:See my reply there: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/User_talk:Kynde#On_Template:DGAF_and_User:User:User:User:User:User.2FMr._Beast_is_trying_to_aquire_my_bones Reply] --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:42, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: I just did, and I did just respond. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:43, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==My Mistakes==<br />
=== Your signature is in violation of {{w|WP:SIGAPP}} ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
Changed to 14pt. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:14pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 13:02, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
FINE --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:14, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
:: I thought the issue was the height? Doesn't the wiki use 12pt font, which that Sig is? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:27, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::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)<br />
<br />
=== Mass-deleting links ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
===Creating someone's User pages, without being asked===<br />
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)<br />
:Yup, I also pointed it out. In case you missed my reply to your message, here's a copy: <br />
:”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)<br />
::Sorry about that. Just trying to help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:34, 28 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
=== NEWS ===<br />
<br />
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?<br />
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:48, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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]]<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
=== Why [...] is DSBContribs a thing? ===<br />
<br />
Did you seriously have to create a page in the main namespace with the sole purpose of redirecting to your user contributions page?<br />
<br />
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).<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
::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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::: Hi, it's me (on a different IP because I'm at home now).<br />
:::: I'm sorry for being so aggressive in my original comment, I thought you were a grown adult, not a teen. ("think is an 8-year old" is incorrect btw, I was saying you were "acting like an 8 year old", but that itself was too harsh).<br />
:::: I made stupid mistakes too when I was around your age, and I should have assumed good faith rather than take such an aggressive tone.<br />
:::: Sorry for that, and good luck with school! [[Special:Contributions/90.219.64.93|90.219.64.93]] 13:50, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::: I accept your apology with open arms. I truly hope we can work together to improve the wiki in the future. Best regards, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:11, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
=== Possessive and contracted "its"/"it's". ===<br />
<br />
This also confused me, oh so many years ago. Then I was given a handy way of knowing ''which'' was the exception, which has served me well, and I've never had to second-guess myself. (Naturally, I've probably typoed/thinkoed it wrong, unconsciously... But since then I've never had a moment of doubt when I've deliberately kept myself/others correct.) Maybe it'll help you. - I tried to summarise it in the edit I made to the message concerned, but ''not enough space'' to do it justice...<br />
#The possessive version is "its". It is one of a number of "irregular possessives", "his" instead of "him's"/, "hers" instead of "her's", "theirs" instead of "they's"/"them's".<br />
#*Basically all the very common and basic pronoun-based possessives that (as I think of it, although not entirely correctly) were added to the language ''long before'' anybody actually tried to regularise the use of possessives, so just stuck that way. If it belongs to "him", "her", "me" "you", "us", "them" ''and'' "it", you're in the realms of using a completely irregular possessive, none of which use apostrophes.<br />
#*''Personally'', I think that "one" (the equally 'basic', IMO, impersonal pronoun) should be included in that. Not for the likes of {{w|Ones' complement}} (that's belonging to (a number of) digit-ones), but in the "{{w|One (pronoun)|one}} is speaking sense. But (as noted in that last link), it isn't. So don't do that.<br />
#This leaves the contractive version as the one that uses the apostrophe. With two interesting caveats:<br />
#*There ''are'' irregular contractions. The word "forecastle" contracts to "fo'c'sle" or "fo'c's'le", which is a lot more overkill than other similarly complicated contractions. And "will not" becomes "won't" (or, some suggest, just "wont", though that's also a different word), despite not having the right set of letters in the right order to remain after (at least) the "not"->"n't" contraction.<br />
#*In reporting speech, where someone says "it's just something I want to say", use it without fear. But, when writing, I find that (except for ''very'' casual use, essentially speaking in text ...or of course when tending to write in abbreviations/limited space) it's{{asic}} just much better to write "it is", in full. Can't(cannot) be written wrong, couldn't(/could not) be read wrong.<br />
#Oh, and then theres "its'", the plural-(non-irregular-)possessive, which ''could'' be used in certain circumstances... "There are loads of ''its'' in this text, without apostrophes... please check that each ''its''' punctuation is correct!". But... not a common occurance. (Far less than "belonging to the word 'it'", the sole reason to use possessive "it's".) ;)<br />
<br />
...TL;DR;, irregular possesive "its" because of all the other irregular possessive pronouns that have words of their own. And you might just find it easier to uncontract "it's", most of the time, ''especially'' if you're still not entirely sure about it. (Or, perhaps, you're happy to not let go of such a minor degree of gravitas, and it's not transcriped real-world enunciation, which might even feature such monstrosities as "couldn't've" as the contraction of "could not have"!)<br />
<br />
Don't know if that helps, or is understandable, but there you are. Overexplained and overly rambling, as it is..! [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 21:51, 22 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:While you have way too much time on your hands, it'sn't (it is not) hard to understand, so thank you! As I said, <i>it's</i> basically my only grammatical flaw, so this helps tremendously. Damn my brain and <i>its</i> grammatical irregularities. <i>Its</i> a pleasure to talk with you! Sincerely, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 00:40, 23 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Definitely didn't just make a mistake on an it's. After reading a full page worth of why not to. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 00:44, 23 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==excuse me==<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
==template==<br />
<br />
What is a template? What’s a {{Trout}} and {{Whale}}?<br />
<br><br />
If it looks weird, click edit [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 12:20, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:41, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::how can I create one? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:21, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::Here's something that may be able to help: {{AprilFoolsHelp}} --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:43, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::thxxxxxxxxx [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::You are very welcome! I hope you are excited to start contributing to the wiki! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::By the way, please don't be afraid to ask me any questions at all. If I can, I will help! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:48, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::::Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]], which is <nowiki>{{Thx$store}}</nowiki> (if I can call you that)<br />
<br />
==Template Tips==<br />
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:<br />
*Templates are easy to create.<br />
*It's useful to learn from other templates.<br />
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.<br />
: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.<br />
:To the above, I'd add:<br />
:*Know what purpose your template will have.<br />
: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.<br />
: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'.<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
:While this is very useful, it would be nice if you posted this on [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!]]'s talk page. He's the one learning the ropes, and it would probably be very useful to him. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 17:47, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Requests/favors==<br />
If you need anything done, reach out to me! I'll let you know what I can do to help you! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:49, 15 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hi [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]], are you good enough to have the link to my user page? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 01:57, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Done! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:56, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
==Hello again Darling :D==<br />
I'm back after the summer hello sir O) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 13:59, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:A fellow school-based follower of the truth, I see! Welcome back, and I wish thee well on your adventures. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:00, 26 August 2025 (UTC) P.S. I use monobook style now.<br />
<br />
==Category thing==<br />
Hey, can someone tell me why my talk page is on 'pages to delete?' {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|18:08, 27 August 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:I have tracked it down to {{diff|383609|this edit}} by [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!]], where they used a (fairly useless and unnecessary) template (that they created themselves) called <nowiki>Template:Thx$store</nowiki> to thank you for helping to teach them the process of creating a new template. Since I marked that template for deletion, when the comment calls for the template, it also marks your talk page for deletion. I have changed it so that the template is replaced with the text that it would substitute in and your page is no longer marked for deletion. Also signed off your unsigned comment. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 18:30, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::When someone says "I have tracked it down" you know they mean business. Thanks, that's quite reassuring. Another mystery IP (not sure if it's the same guy as today) did warn him not to make meaningless templates. Of course, I also made a meaningless template, so.... --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:33, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Do you not learn? ==<br />
<br />
You say that you've learned from your mistakes, yet I don't see any changes. You say that you're an incoming 9th grader and that's somehow an excuse for your immaturity, but I'm also a 9th grader and can compose myself perfectly fine. You say that you won't do the same mistakes again, yet you still create useless pages. How many more are you going to create? I really don't want to be yelling at you like this, but I just don't think you'll be able to change without it. FYI, I've marked User:DSB and the /C pages for deletion. Grow up. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 21:41, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Look. You aren't a bad person. In fact, I wholeheartedly believe that your passion can turn into a positive thing for this wiki. The thing is, you have a tendency to try to fix things by doing even more things, often panicking and making the situation worse. I've already told you this before, but I'll reemphasize it for you. '''TAKE A BREAK.''' Go for some walks. Work on your homework. Talk to people. Hang out with some friends. Don't just spend all your time on here. Trust me, I made the same mistake before. I would recommend a couple days of rest. See how it feels! It might hurt in the beginning, but nobody NEEDS you on here so badly to work on things to the point of such fanatic editing. I don't think Kynde, FaviFake, or any of the other editors hate you, to be honest. We're all just annoyed that you seem to not listen to our advice and keep on making the same mistakes. It's fine to make mistakes-that's how we learn! But you need to stop worrying so much and just step away from the screen for a bit. (Also, I'd recommend talking to a friend or a trusted adult. Your /PRIVATE page seems to be filled with quite a bit of self-hatred. Don't listen to that voice in your head. She's a bitch and none of it is true. I've dealt with poor mental health too. In fact, that's one of the reasons why I had left for so long. You should try to get these feelings out in a healthy way, instead of taking it out yourself or spending all your time online. Nobody thinks you're stupid. You just need to learn how things are done around here. If that's on a steep learning curve, so be it. Just keep on pushing through, and listen to people more.) And finally, you ''can'' make subpages, but try to reduce the number that you have. Think to yourself before you make one: do I TRULY need this? Will it help me out positively in the long run? If not, just put it in another section of your userpage (or make a proper sandbox!). Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk, and I wish you all a good night. Tori, signing off. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 04:05, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Take a break / Hey, our kid is pretty great / Run away with us for the summer / Let's go upstate / Eliza, I've got so much on my plate / We can all go stay with my father<br />
<br />
::There's a lake I know (I know) / In a nearby park (I'd love to go) / You and I can go when the night gets dark / '''I will try to get away''' <br />
<br />
::Such a good song, Lin cooked with that one. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:03, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== are you ok? ==<br />
<br />
do you need help? [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 06:11, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Would you prefer to get a Blog? ==<br />
<br />
User pages are sufficient to give an idea of who you are, and User Talk ones for people to talk to you about your contributions/etc.<br />
<br />
Maybe create sub-pages if you have a relevant site-related project and need 'a space' for them. Such as, as an off-the-wall example, "a list of all the instances of comics that have less than the average number of vowels in them". Perhaps in the hope that it'll be appreciated and made into a more regular page.<br />
<br />
But from what I've seen of your 'contributions' this week, none of that applies. Drunk-typing? Well, ''probably'' not if you're still so far underage that you probably don't have decent access to anything stronger than wine-gums, but definitely you weren't in full control of your keyboard. We've other people on here, as young as you, and have had even younger ones. If we can actually believe what anybody reveals about theirselves. (I'm a 111-year old hobbit, by the way.) You've been one of the most immaturely-acting people here who haven't actually been '''obviously''' trying to vandalise this site, and I'm sure you've strained the patience of pretty much everyone.<br />
<br />
But you're not the first to go a little wild, like this. And - dare I say it - some of those who went on to be mainstays of this site got over the novelty of "anyone can edit (almost) anything", and possibly a rush of teenage hormones messing up their judgement. May I suggest you ''take a deep breath'' and work out what it is that you're doing that is creating such friction and push-back? I've seen you being a reasonable contributor before, and it's not even been all bad over the last week or so.<br />
<br />
And you may have personal life changes going on. Those hormones, issues at home/school/elsewhere, general worries about the state of the world that you're growing up into... maybe a combination of them, or some of these things even ''causing'' some of the others. It happens. You're not alone ...even if one of the key issues is actually in feeling alone! But this is not necessarily the place to try to reshape the world like this.<br />
<br />
How about you stick a little more to just xkcd matters, for the time being. There are plenty of other ways, and places, to run through whatever it is that you might be going through, and it might be best to balance things a bit more 'worklike' here than too much 'at play', like it looks like you're doing at the moment. Rebalance back to 'just enough of each' later.<br />
<br />
And if you ''do'' get somewhere to blog, you'll even have a lot more control. Create anything you want (more or less, within the T&Cs of the service), not worrying about other people editing it, and probably even later cleanly delete anything you no longer want (with no pesky Page History open for everyone to read). You could even put a link to your blog here in your User space, if you want to. At least the blog that you want to connect to yourself here. (You can have an xkcd-adjacent one, ''and'' one to cry out in anguish if you so wish. And a third to... well, you get the idea.) And the skills to maintain blog code is a bit more 'real-world' than the purely wiki-related markup you learn here, and you can still learn the wiki-markup in parallel with getting to grips with HTML or other popular {{w|Content management system}} markup, giving you a few more useful lifeskills that ''merely'' being eventually a master wiki-guru.<br />
<br />
How does that sound? Please do stay, but please also consider if everything you're doing is strictly necessary. I see I'm not the only one driven to try to explain this to you. And for some reason I thought I might be able to quickly suggest a solution to this little quandry. (No, it hasn't actually been that quick, has it.) If you really don't like what I say here... delete it. And I'll say no more. Or just tell me to mind my own business. I've probably got some other things to do around here, if our other old-hand editors don't get there before me! [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 22:34, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I really should, shouldn't I... I'll try to find one. Yesterday and today have mainly been focused on What If? Chapters and a potential new project with Tori (Have you met her? She's lovely) about Sigs. Today has mainly been the latter, with a bit of the former, and some sig ideas I've been working on. I've been trying to stick to more useful matters. For example, /WORKPAGE currently contains drafts of some unfinished What If? Chapters I've been working on. So, I have been attempting to work on more xkcd-related matters. Is it ok if you could <br />
<br />
:But, I shall heed your advice. I shall get a blog (not blood, autocorrect). Do you have any recommendations for where to start?<br />
<br />
:One last thing: Could you show me one of the apparent 'drunk typing' incidents? I edit on my school Chromebook, so I wouldn't be surprised if the keyboard decided to be weird. Thank you for the advice! Once, again, I shall heed it. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 22:51, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Oh, and by the way, I will not delete this thread. Also, how do you access the internet in Valinor?<br />
::'Drunkeness', or whatever it was, was very evident in something like {{diff|385245|here}}. More mundane 'misuse of the keyboard' issues are the times you add multiple linefeeds between very simple statements. You need to do two line-feeds to 'separate the paragraphs', any more than that is not normally visually necessary at all, and can ''look'' like you weren't even paying full attention at the time, however well-written the line-fragments between are. If it weren't for the fact that there were actual (sort-of-)discernable words in there, the 'drunk' one could also have perhaps been a "cat walked on my keyboard" issue. Were you and the cat ''both'' trying to use the keyboard? (Or one of you trying to walk on it, the other trying to type on it. One way round or the other?) I think it's that kind of thing that got people initially concerned about you. Help us to help you (to help yourself?), maybe. [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 02:10, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::i don't think the help is strictly necessary, but, as I said before, do you have any suggestions for places to make a blog? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 18:30, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::I don't blog, so nothing from personal experience. I bet you could use some Google-Fu (or Bing-Fu, or DuckDuckGo-Fu, or AltaVista-Fu, or AskJeeves-Fu, or...) to find a few such solutions, then look at all their offerings (check their wikipedia pages..? and, yeah, add some Wiki-Fu to the previous list of ways in which to search) and decide which one works for you. Or which two or three, and try them out with either completely identical aims in mind or initially split up your interests (one's your sports-appreciation, another is about what your favourite TV is, a third being your humorous observations about things you see every day, ...), then you can keep running the one(s) that turn out to work for you.<br />
::::You know what you currently want, better than me or aanyone. [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 23:50, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::If you need a blog, and don't know what platforms to use, I'd recommend making a Google Site or Wordpress blog. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 19:10, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== {{w|Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/ltbdl}} ==<br />
<br />
they think we're the same person, ha. [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 02:29, 2 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I did not think this is what I would come back to. That's wild and hilarious. <br />
<br />
:They are raeb<br />
<br />
:And I am Dollar<br />
<br />
:And we are not the same person<br />
<br />
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:42, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::OMG THEY BANNED YOU WTF? I've pleaded your case, but idk if they'll respond. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:49, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Okay, wait a second. A checkuser does checks on User IPs. If you were found guilty, that means that you were editing under the same IP as me. By any chance, do you go to school in Lincoln, NE? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 14:04, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::one, revert your case pleading, it's silly and won't help, and two, we're "very unlikely" to be the same person according to checkuser, don't panic. maybe link them here. (i don't go to school in lincoln.) [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 15:00, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::Ok, now it's weird. I didn't know you couldn't have alt accounts, even if you explicitly stated that they were, indeed, alt accounts. Seems a bit strict if you ask me. Also, 1+1=Window, not Yes. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 22:53, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Can you please help me==<br />
I helped you with the userboxes. Now I need your help. How do I get my sig to be something besides what it is now? [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 19:34, 9 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Hi there, Tori here. If you want to change your signature, go to your preferences page on the top right of the website (it's next to your Talk page and Watchlist). Scroll down until you see the signatures section and change it. If you need help figuring out wikitext, feel free to shoot me a message on my [[user talk:42.book.addict|talk page]]! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 01:32, 10 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Template:what if? chapters ==<br />
<br />
Sorry, but what's the point of creating a template for what if chapters? What do you intend to use it for? '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:28, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:I intended it as a workaround in order to edit two pages at once. (those being the blog page and the chapters page). I noticed there was a discrepancy between the tables on the two pages, and I created a workaround for it. Also, it's faster than copy-pasting, now that the load times are astronomical. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 16:30, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Sounds good! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:40, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
Ok I'm sorry but I had to change it back. Here are a few drawbacks:<br />
#Now people reading our summaries can't edit them directly.<br />
#The history is gone. You should've moved the page, not copy and paste. Both for copyright attribution (see {{w|WP:CWW]]) and for maintenance, to see when and why something was added.<br />
#Now we need to transclude the table on 1 more page (servers!), and the pages that were already transcluding the page (except [[what if? (blog)]]) now are transcluding both the page AND the template.<br />
And most importantly: there wasn't any discrepancy between the pages that transcluded the pages, just as there is no discrepancy now. The table was the exact same.<br />
<br />
Could you explain what discrepancy you saw? The code and text behind the original [[What If? Chapters]] page, the blog page, the new template you created, and any other pages transcluding [[What If? Chapters]] was truly identical (and still is, just with the added issues listed above.).<br />
<br />
Also; templates are not supposed to be edited frequently. A template is created in order to save time writing the same code on dozens or hundreds of pages. The table both needs to be edited and is only transcluded on a few pages. These are the pages in which the page was transcluded: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/What_If%3F_chapters&hidelinks=1&hideredirs=1] --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 10:04, 4 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:There were just some chapter summaries I saw that were different between the blog page and the chapters page. I'm not angry about this, thanks for bringing up the points which I am not advanced enough to see. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 12:55, 6 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Huh, that's odd. The only difference between the two is that the last header cell on the left becomes highlighted in yellow when transcluded. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 19:16, 7 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Current signature. ==<br />
<br />
I've noticed that your signature does <all the fancy stuff><NEWLINE><space><timestamp>. Might be a good idea to remove the <NEWLINE> before the (presumably auto-appended) <space><timestamp> as it currently puts your<br />
timestamp like this.<br />
<br />
Which is ''probably'' not what you'd intended. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.74|82.132.245.74]] 20:47, 4 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:......Nope, didn't intend that. I'll see if I can fix it. (not signing this because... well, you know) --DSB {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|21:12, 4 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
::I've found the issue. I was trying to make my signature in times new roman using [[Template:TNR]]. This template uses div for it's styling. For some reason, it's inserting <nowiki></div></nowiki> between the signature and timestamp rather than after. Is there a way to get the <nowiki></div></nowiki> to go after the timestamp rather than before (which is what I was intending)? Thanks! --DSB {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|21:18, 4 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:::Standard advice is to not use div-tags in your custom .sig, for exactly this reason. You should be able to do the same (except for the undesired newline-forcing) with span-tagging where you invoked div-tags.<br />
:::The way it rendered (must basically have been subst:ed between what you used and how it renders), I didn't know you'd used the TNR template. If that's for character-length reasons then a "TNRspan" template (or something ''not'' four characters longer, if you're extremely tight for space) would have to be used.<br />
:::Or change the TNR so <code><nowiki>{{TNR|span=yes}}</nowiki></code> will specially 'return' you your no-Div version (that's the nice-looking version; you could also have it do something like responding to <code><nowiki>{{{1}}}</nowiki></code> being "s" or "1", if you can only afford to extend by two extra characters). That makes the one template dual-use, instead of making another template.<br />
:::TIMTOWTDI. But you'll know what you want to do, I can only give vague pointers. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.74|82.132.245.74]] 22:22, 4 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Weird. I changed the TNR template to <nowiki><span></nowiki> instead of <nowiki><div></nowiki>, but upon testing it's still doing that weird newline thing. {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|14:11, 5 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:::::Finally fixed. I can't get the timestamp to also be TNR, but at least it doesn't auto-newline. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::::That looks not too bad, though the timestamp is sans-serif again. Though ''might' in part be browser-dependant as to how it looks (mine may react only to the 'serif' and not the full 'Times New Roman', giving a TNR''-like'' serif-font that works good adjacent to the non-specific choice of sans-serif font. Also, at first glance, there's a mystery as to why the timestamp is '''''BOLD+ITALIC''' (or maybe STRONG+EMPHASIS, for the pedants).<br />
::::::The structure is probably as follows, rewritten just for visual representation/explanation. Formatting that you do is in ()s, my explanatory notes are in ** and * pairs:<br />
**start of 'fixed text' signature insertion**<br />
(SPANopen style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;")<br />
--<br />
(BOLD+ITALICstart)<br />
(LINKpage)User:DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(LINKtext)<br />
(SPANopen style="color:#E3C6BE")<br />
DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end:style="color:#E3C6BE")<br />
(LINKclose)<br />
(SUPERSCRIPTopen)<br />
(LINKpage)User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(LINKtext)<br />
(SPANopen style="color:#CC9A8B")<br />
Converse<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end:style="color:#CC9A8B")<br />
(LINKclose)<br />
(SUPERSCRIPTclose)<br />
*expected to be an /implied/ (BOLD+ITALICSclose), here*<br />
*check HTML source for why not?*<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end: style="font-family: Times New Roman...etc")<br />
**end of 'fixed text' signature insertion**<br />
**start of 'timestamp' signature insertion**<br />
*BOLD+ITALICS is still active?*<br />
*but all /other/ formats ended by the most recent (SPANclose)*<br />
14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
**end of 'timestamp' signature insertion**<br />
::::::Without looking at exactly what you're doing behind the scenes, I'm not ''entirely'' sure, but I think the {{template|TNR}} includes a close-Span tag, preventing that from 'rolling on' into the timestamp bit.<br />
::::::Exactly how the '''''BOLD+ITALIC''''' rolls on, I don't know without checking the HTML source. Might be an intentional function of the wikimarkup-to-HTML conversion that 'remembers' that formatting and reapplies it as necessary, at least until a 'forced' end-of-scope (end of a Div or P tag, a Br/Hr monotag, new ordered/unordered list item (or changing the list-level), table cell/row transitions, and then there's the next (same/different) ":"-prepended indented follow-up lines and (of course) double-newlines) to force even no-prefix lines into paragraph-breaks. All of these (and other less obvious wikimarkup scenarios) probably translate to a hard /div closure in the HTML.<br />
::::::Does {{template|TNR}} currently close its own Span? Does removing that Span-end let it 'roll on' over the timestamp? If you do that, does the insert-signature process close off all remaining Spans ''after'' the timestamp? (Normally, a signature is followed by a newline+newline or at least a newline+:nextlinehasindents, but if you add a P.S. comment after a timestamp that benefits from an unclosed formatting rlling through, does anything add a closure to stop it rolling through onto the P.S...? Can't test this, myself, directly, but it'd be interesting to find out!)<br />
::::::Note that I don't know if you intended TNR to be used anywhere else. But by changing it from Div-based to Span-based it changes how it looks if I "{{TNR|use it here}}", and if you then make it so that it open-Spans but never close-Spans then it would change the appearance of this paragraph even further.<br />
::::::...ouch. Actually, I had assumed it would currently (as 'span-only', opening and closing) not linefeed, browserside, but currently it adds a forced break, and doesn't even have any way of knowing how many indents (if any) to add before the continuation text.<br />
::::::Though if nobody else is using it for ''anything else'', it shouldn't matter. Just pointing out that (''if they are'') changes you make to fine-tune your signature ''could'' have collateral effects for other people who use TNR when it does one thing but then find that it's doing another thing.<br />
::::::Creating a template 'just for your own use' is Ok-ish, but you might just want to note its purpose and (current) peculiarities in case someone thinks that it's intended for a more general purpose, and in a more logical manner than you've had to make it 'work' just for you.<br />
::::::It's also known for templates to contain imbalanced markup, with either how it is used or the presence of a second 'closing' template (see {{template|cot}} and {{template|cob}}, that mark the 't'op and 'b'ottom of a 'co'llapsable area) making the final result properly balanced in the end. But mostly you'd expect internal closure of anything the template started, whether Spanny or Divvy in nature, or justify it and make it obvious without digging through the actual template-code itself.<br />
::::::But I don't know how useful all of this is, to you or those coming along afterwards (before or after further template tweaks, etc). I'm just trying to pass on everything I think could be helpful, knowing that a lot of it could be 'beyond helpful', i.e. actually quite irrelevent. If not incomprehsible. (If not wrong, given I can't even test many assumptions, directly!) But here it is, anyway. HTH, HAND. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.89|82.132.244.89]] 16:24, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::I'm using the TNR template because it looks cool, but it also does have a purpose. It's used in early Taglines and header texts. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 16:53, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::Having tried many things, I've found that including the TNR template at all is messing up the timestamp. I'll see if there's another way to include the template without that, but idk if there is a way. In the meantime, here's my new Sig: <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 17:25, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:{{outdent|:::::}}<br />
:((I researched,cchecked and wrote the following followup whilst you were replying, just aboce. You've answered some of my points, plus seem happy with as it is now, but still posting it given the thought I put into it... ;) Not that I actually think that it's necessary as helpful as I might have hoped it to be, in the end! Absolutely no reply expected, if you're happy to say nothing more.))<br />
:Ok, actually looked at the HTML source, now, neutering the 'raw' markup, whitespacing it and adding **commentary**:<br />
**start signature, fixed text**<br />
**default formatting**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
**formatting is now TNR**<br />
--<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>b><br />
**formatting is TNR+Bold**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>i><br />
**formatting is TNR+Bold+Italics**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>a href="/wiki/index.php/User:DollarStoreBa%27al" title="User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al"><br />
**formatting is TNR+B+I and a link..**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="color:#E3C6BE"><br />
**...which is coloured**<br />
DollarStoreBa'al<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**back to TNR+B+I link, no colour**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/a><br />
**back to TNR+B+I, no link<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>sup><br />
**TNR+B+I+Superscript**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>a class="mw-selflink selflink"><br />
**TNR+B++Sup and a link (to this page, in this specific instance)**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="color:#CC9A8B"><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup link is coloured**<br />
Converse<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup link, no colour**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/a><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup, no link**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/sup><br />
**TNR+B+I, normal-script again**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**this should have removed TNR, *and* the 'inner' B+I too...**<br />
** (Although this is not what you wanted, it's what you should get!) **<br />
**...but apparently we're now just with B+I**<br />
** (This might be my own browser's interpretation, not everyone's.) **<br />
**this is the inbuilt transition between fixed-sig and time-sig**<br />
**a space is here, then...**<br />
14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/i> ** (Your signature markup does not ask for this!) **<br />
**just Boldness left**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/b> ** (Your signature markup does not ask for this!) **<br />
**neutral format again**<br />
**end of signature**<br />
:What goes with the "TNR+B+I" going to "B+I", I don't know. Unless they've changed the HTML spec regarding this in the last decade or three.<br />
:The wiki-server back end was smart enough to add the close-Italics and close-Bold, at the end of the signature (''perhaps'', knowing that these were imminent a 'smart' error-checking by the browser's HTML-renderer let their formats persist, when otherwise they would not have? ...odd, but possible). Possibly it would have also closed the TNR-span, after the B-closure,cif not already asked to do so by the end of the TNR-template?<br />
:...so...<br />
:#First 'fix', remove the <code><nowiki><</nowiki>/span></code> from TNR. See how that affects any newly applied signatures (it won't change old ones).<br />
:#Also see how/if it changes the indent-loss above my "...ouch" line, above.<br />
:#''Also'' also chase down if TNR gets used ''anywhere else'' in this wiki, at the moment, and check that you've not broken anything else that other people might have used it for.<br />
:If the first fix works and the third thing isn't a problem (ignore the second issue, I'm happy for it to change), then you're sorted. Otherwise (no fix, or even further broken in ways that aren't any good for anyone) reverse the change to where it works best for everyone and accept it not working precisely how you think you want it.<br />
:If it fixes, as suggested, I'd also be interested how signing with <code><nowiki>~~~~ and more text</nowiki></code> works. (i.e. does it TNR the "and more text"?) Not that it's important, just my own curiosity.<br />
:And think about a more advanced explanation on TNR's page, if it's going to be 'an odd template' in any way, like being Span-opener without being a Span-closer.<br />
:That's all. Over to you, nothing more I can do (I could change TNR's code, but not then test it with your signature), but ''maybe'' I've done enough to help. Without too much confusion. I'll let you sort the rest out on your own, unless there's anything specific that arises to follow-up with. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.131|82.132.246.131]] 17:45, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::tbh I'm good. Besides, I have no clue how to convert that raw HTML into usable wikitext (idk how to code, planning to learn someday). Either way, works fine. Also, you commentary has made me realize how complex my sig actually is. Times New Roman+Bold+Italics, which is a link which is colored. {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|19:21, 5 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
<br />
==tumble weed==<br />
What’s a tumble weed. Like what’s this: <br />
span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:DollarStoreBa%27al&diff=390453User talk:DollarStoreBa'al2025-11-09T04:40:30Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div>Speak through the interdimentional portal<br />
<br />
==General Chitchat and such==<br />
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)<br />
<br />
:Thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 19:11, 25 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
:hi btw :) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:11, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
::hello, how are you doing this fine morning, my dear fellow? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:03, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Hiyo==<br />
: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)<br />
:: Bello. me editor guy who edit much. edit fun! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:00, 3 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::hahahahaha edit fun indeed. [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:20, 4 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Question: How do you add those user boxes that you have on your page? Those would be nice to have. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:52, 6 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::copy and paste this and remove the nowiki tag: <br />
<br />
<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:<br />
<br />
<nowiki>{{Userbox | border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = ;) | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|This user _____ ]] | float = left}}</nowiki><br />
<br />
[[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:50, 11 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::Dude thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 13:48, 17 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::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)<br />
<br />
==Wow==<br />
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)<br />
:Yes. Yes you are. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:43, 25 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::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)<br />
<br />
::: No need. Also, I see you're from Louisiana. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 03:44, 29 March 2025 (UTC)]]<br />
::::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)<br />
<br />
==The 5s and Es and Os==<br />
Reply to this if you've figured out what the meaning of the thingy on my user page is.<br />
:it's base 3 [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 09:07, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: :O [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:31, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: Nope! I'll give you a hint: talk to sam. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 14:33, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
https://voca.ro/1Akmh0zRqa8Q [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 16:02, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:uhhh...[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 20:41, 11 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
::sorry, that's not it. Don't know what to say to that.[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:54, 14 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
You have one week! Hint: beep boooop --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 16:30, 6 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Morse code? [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 19:33, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Morse code of what? You are very, very close.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:47, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 14:44, 13 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:It's better than [[2869: Puzzles]] [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 11:11, 14 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Want to do some repetitive work? ==<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
:What exactly would I be doing to get these features to work? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::If it isn't super-complex wikitext things I can totally help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]</sup> 19:21, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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.<br />
[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1:_Barrel_-_Part_1&diff=374851&oldid=373457 You can follow this example]. The steps are:<br />
<br />
Start from [[4|comic number 4]]:<br />
#Based on the short sentence written above the explanation, add "ognumber =", "ogprev =", and "ognext =" (so the navbar can work)<br />
#Add "oglink =", and move ONLY the link from "before" to "oglink" (so from HTTPS://..... until the end of the link, move that to "oglink")<br />
#Now, from the edit preview, copy the original title.<br />
#Delete everything in "before =" now that you moved the link<br />
#Add "ogtitle =" and paste the original title that you copied.<br />
#Finally, in "titletext", add two couples of apostrophes (<nowiki>''</nowiki>) in these places: https://imgur.com/a/BewKKr1<br />
#Now save the changes, and click the new white "Next >" button you just created to go to the next one!<br />
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)<br />
<br />
me am do. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[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]</sup></sup> 20:51, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
Hey, I don't really understand where I'm supposed to put these. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:01, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Nevermind, I got this. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:05, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
: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.<br />
:I'll let you know when you can continue. Thanks! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 21:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
alright, sounds good! Dang tho. Let me know and I'll get right back to it. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 13:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
::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)<br />
:::So sorry about that, I noticed those random Html elements. Thought they were part of the bug. oops. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:16pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 22:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::No worries! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 11:05, 26 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==The mistake==<br />
===Kynde's talk page===<br />
You might want to expedite the actual deletion of [[User:User:User:User:User:User/Mr. Beast is trying to aquire my bones]] (and its User Talk counterpart). I believe the editor concerned was sleep-deprived (but wouldn't put it past being instead a chemical imbalance of some legal ''or'' illegal kind). I'd have added the Pages To Delete category, but there's already a few of those hanging around unfulfilled... [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.176|82.132.246.176]] 17:02, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Ok man, I created that page because I wanted somewhere that would <br />
*Be private (which it is. It's impossible to create the account User:User:User:User:User. I checked.)<br />
*Affect Nobody (which it shouldn't. The only person it's affecting is you.)<br />
<br />
You've also [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:DGAF&diff=prev&oldid=385114 vandalized] [[Template:DGAF]], which I created, is inspired by 42.book.addict, and affects nobody but me. This makes me think that you're just looking through my contributions and immediately flagging things you frame as 'wrong'. This is not only incredibly creepy, but is also completely pointless. I'm a high school student on the internet. Also, I believe you're the same person who insulted me about DSBContribs, which I no longer use, and was fixed. Just stop and let me do my own thing. Amusedly and angrily, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:11, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Given other recent activity, it ''looked'' like another example of {{diff|385026|editing whilst insensible}} (together with statements about returning to school, put me in mind the situation of which the {{w|Eternal September}} was the next step). i.e. honest errors of judgement.<br />
:To term the "UserUserUser..." space 'private' is erroneous. It can be seen by anyone. It can be ''edited'' by anyone. Though, by convention, only the User Talk should be edited by anyone other than the ultimate named User. Which you aren't, BTW... create for someone else, ''if you must'', if they're too new and unwilling to wait the trivial amount of time before they can. Creating the spaces for someone who didn't request help or ''doesn't even exist'' needs some form of justification that you're well short of.<br />
:It affects everyone if random, meaningless and context-free pages are added to the wiki 'just for fun'. Data isn't free. Storage isn't limitless. Potentially obscuring real useful (on-topic) information with stupid semi-vandalism (that I didn't think you'd do intentionally, based upon prior behaviour), is not something I expected. But it looked like a momentary lapse that (being on the scene) I tried to helpfully deal with as much as I could. (If I'd have been an Admin, myself, I ''would'' have just deleted them. 'Luckily' for you, I have no interest in that amount of leverage, I'm sticking what anyone can do, perhaps the next person along would have reacted the same, or worse.)<br />
:No, I'm not stalking you. All edits are visible, you made edits, I saw them. I remember DSBContribs (or similar, if it's what I think you mean), but didn't recall it was your work. And others, including a named user, 'insulted' you about that. Or, as I recall, questioned the reasoning behind it, and didn't get a sensible answer. So 0lease accept my apologies. It seems that you ''are'' the kind of person to create useless pages like these last few. If I had known that, I wouldn't have come here suggesting that they were in error, but come here to just draw Kynde's attention to them as effectively being vandalism.<br />
:And, because your template page tried to link to a non-existing wiki page, I also just made it go somewhere that works. That was before reading here how this may well have been culpably intentional, so again was done out of more good faith helpfulness than it turns out I should have been employing.<br />
:That's regardless of your age, BTW. Whether you're at "High School" in the US, at maybe 14-18+ years old, or a High School like I attended where I am (and many years ago), which was for 11-16+ then workplaces or college (then maybe uni) beckoned. You don't need to be older to be more sensible about these things, and you don't need to be young to act idiotically.<br />
:And, lucky you, you get this shiny wiki (and everything else) to work with. I had no access to the Internet until I was 18 (though, at that time, the web itself hadn't been invented, let alone wikis), and of course made my own goofs (asked whether I needed to buy an estamp to send an email!).<br />
:But let me not bore you. I'm not in control here, only a fellow traveller who would give advice and assistance to those who might need it, and cares perhaps more than you might 'give a fuck' about various corners of the online world, like this. Reasoning over, lecture finished, friendly advice concluded. I just shoved it all in one reply to save you the trouble of having to deal with an impatiently slow conversation. And to not keep 'pinging' Kynde's email notification more than necessary (sorry Kynde!)... [[Special:Contributions/82.132.247.23|82.132.247.23]] 20:47, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Do you wish to know something? I'm 14. User:User:User:User:User is (and I checked) completely impossible to create, as shown in this image: [[File:refutation.png]] But, if you wish, I shall make it a subpage of my own account. <br />
::Yes, of course it's ''technically'' public, but unless people specifically search for that page (which is still a subpage, btw), it won't affect anybody. Also, I'd like to point out, everybody editing any page is the ''whole point'' of a wiki. Yes, storage isn't limitless. Very cool. At this point, that page is a drop in the ocean of data already contributed by all the rest of these pages (including the lecture you just added, which is ''more'' bytes than the pages I created).<br />
::Thank you for that edit, by the way. When I previewed it, it showed that it did go to the correct page ({{w|Wikipedia:Don't-give-a-fuckism}}), so I published it that way. However, your edits make it seem like you're definitely stalking me. From what I've seen, all you've done is edit recent comic pages and berate me (and Kynde) about my mistakes. <br />
::DSBContribs was my work. I did, however, provide a sensible reason as to why I created it. If you didn't see it, here it is:<br />
<br />
::DSBContribs was created specifically for my signature. At the time I created this, I had no idea what subpages were and I was running out of characters on my signature. I created it because I thought it wouldn't be a hindrance to the wiki and it would save me precious characters on my signature.<br />
::However, I do still apologize, even if the insulting on the template was a ''bit'' far and not in the least helpful. I will move Mr.Beast is trying to aquire my bones to a subpage of my own. I will fix that template (which was not useless) and subsequently delete the content from the three unnecessary redirects. I had no intention of vandalizing the wiki, as I've stated multiple times. No page I create is meant to be vandalism in any way, and I try to do my best to help the wiki be the best it can be. Sometimes it gets boring being 'sensible' all the time (especially in IB classes, where I regularly have 3+ hours of homework/night), and I wanted some sort of way to let all the wild shit that my ADHD makes out. That's what came out. Again, I truly apologize.<br />
<br />
I bid thee well on wherever the journey of life may take thee, fellow traveler. May we see each other again, be it in life, in death, or in the cursed month of Jancember. Take Care.<br />
<br />
Ba'al, teenage Soul-Eater, out.<br />
<br />
:Wow that was a long read. I do give a f**k about not having such a template her so I deleted that instantly! I'm going to wait till you have moved relevant content of the user:user page somewhere with a more sensible name. ASnd no I do not think you should just write random gibberish on any pages here. And no I do not think we should have such a confusing page on here. So yes I will delete it eventually. If there is anything valuable on the page, make a different page, call it your sandbox or something, I don't know, but not something which is impossible for me or any one else to find out what it is supposed to be, like this many times user page. We have so many random users being created and many of them begin to spam us and has to be blocked. I do really not have the time to such a debate as the one here, so I hope you will do as I say and we can end this nicely. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:38, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Something you probably didn't see: The fact that I did move the page to a sandbox YESTERDAY. Good day, and make Jeff proud. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:42, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::No I did not see as I do not stalk anyone here: So I can then delete [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/User:DollarStoreBa%27al/Mr._Beast_is_trying_to_aquire_my_bones this page] now? And please try not to insult me with any mention of Jeff. He is no longer active and no one has any contact with him on these pages. I'm not happy about being the only active admin here, but you should reply decently! Thanks. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:45, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Well, I never accused you of stalking (unless you were the IP in disguise), and I never meant to insult you with making Jeff proud. I like to imagine him as a father looking at his millionaire son with pride. If you wish to, delete the page. Go ahead, it won't affect anyone. Except me. And maybe mystery British(?) IP. This feud is over, and has been for hours. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:57, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::DollarStoreBa'al, I would very strongly recommend you to relax a bit and stop being so attacking/condescending. A lot of your edits don't make sense and aren't helping or contributing towards the growth and improvement of this wiki, so of course other users will be confused and annoyed. Maybe take a break from editing for a bit and mull over your edits for a bit? '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:01, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::You're right. 42. You're always right :) --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 16:07, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::::I'm so sorry. You don't need to forgive me for this. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 16:26, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
===My talk page===<br />
<br />
N 19:49 heADer TExt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:49 hEaDeR tEXt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:46 hEaDeR TeXt (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:46 HEADER TEXT (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:45 header Text (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
N 19:45 Header Text (diff | hist) . . (+25) . . DollarStoreBa'al (talk | contribs) (Redirected page to Header text)<br />
...now that I know you're doing stupid and unnecessary things deliberately, I won't try to provide help. And you, of course won't be taking my friendly advice, so I'll try not to disturb you further, if I can help it. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.82|82.132.244.82]] 20:57, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:I KNEW YOU WERE STALKING MY EDITS! Now that you have discovered that I've done unnecessary edits (which are only affecting you), try zooming out a little. Specifically, to the 2,000 bytes I added to [[What if? Chapters]]. I didn't get almost 300 contribution score by doing meme edits all day. Besides, three of those are genuinely useful, and I'm not going to listen to a random IP with maybe 10 edits tops telling me how to edit a wiki. If you want to fix my work, go right ahead. That's what wikis are for. I invite you to fix everything. If you stop stalking my contributions page.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 23:07, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Also, I would like to point out that it's harder to get more unfriendly than making a template which only links to my user page insult me, thereby vandalizing my user page. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 23:11, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::There was going to be no further reply, but you need to know these things:<br />
::;I KNEW YOU WERE STALKING MY EDITS!<br />
::Read what I said. All edits are visible. That's an extract from that list of all edits via the Recent Changes link. You are not being 'stalked'. Though, if I ''could'' easily do so, I'd now specifically hide all your edits and let absolutely ''anyone'' else work out what (if anything) to do in response.<br />
::;Specifically, to the 2,000 bytes I added to [[What if? Chapters]].<br />
::That looked good, as far as I saw it. Would you have me edit something that didn't need editing, just to congratulate you for a job adequately done? There was something I ''might'' have changed, but so trivial that I actively chose not to, and I am now thankful of that.<br />
::;I didn't get almost 300 contribution score by doing meme edits all day.<br />
::Good for you, if the contribution score means so much to you. Quality over quantity is better, and doesn't have a hand macro to show it. But you do you, if you're chasing the scoreboard rankings alone.<br />
::;and I'm not going to listen to a random IP with maybe 10 edits tops telling me how to edit a wiki.<br />
::As you point out, elsewhere, my IP ''will'' keep changing. (And I'm not the only person who may have appeared on any given IP.) I shudder to think how many edits I've made here, in reality, but shall I show you edits by various IPs across a decade or so and claim them as mine? No, because the merit (or otherwise) of one's latest contribution is all that matters. I'm usually happy to be an anon-IP, amongst other anon-IPs and named-users (both venerable and fleetingly transient alike). <br />
::;If you stop stalking my contributions page.<br />
::I can reassure you that I've probably never even looked at ''your'' specific contributions page, certainly not for a long time. I normally only ever check those to check whether "one-edit vandals" have perhaps made other edits that had temporarily slipped under the collective radar, but I don't think I had ever considered you as one of them, before, even back when you were new here. (How long is that? Six months. Two years? Maybe a bit longer?I could look it up easily by checking your contribs page, but I'm now firmly resolved to not do that, for your sake.)<br />
::<br />
::If any what I have written reads as less than polite, it's perhaps partly my exasperation leaking through. By the time I felt the need to add another word to "unnecessary", above, I can see that this had happened. For which I am sorry.<br />
::But text-only communications, like this, also tend to be read in a way that the reader's mood dictates. And I think some of my more straightforward initial contributions got misread at your end, tinted with reflected emotion.<br />
::And, please, let this be it. The world doesn't need to see this, nor does the server need it being added to, and of course there's no alternative backchannel to conduct a lengthy private conversation about it all. I shall read what you reply, just because it's hard to ''not'' read anything that isn't deleted/overwritten, but please no more needless creation of fake user pages (or, indeed, IP user pages). Unnecessary and as likely to be removed as anything else out there. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.228|82.132.244.228]] 05:07, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
It is probable that you didn't see the reply I gave you on Kynde's talk page. Here is that reply: <br />
<br />
:Do you wish to know something? I'm 14. User:User:User:User:User is (and I checked) completely impossible to create, as shown in this image: [[File:refutation.png]] But, if you wish, I shall make it a subpage of my own account.<br />
:Yes, of course it's technically public, but unless people specifically search for that page (which is still a subpage, btw), it won't affect anybody. Also, I'd like to point out, everybody editing any page is the whole point of a wiki. Yes, storage isn't limitless. Very cool. At this point, that page is a drop in the ocean of data already contributed by all the rest of these pages (including the lecture you just added, which is more bytes than the pages I created).<br />
:Thank you for that edit, by the way. When I previewed it, it showed that it did go to the correct page (Wikipedia:Don't-give-a-fuckism), so I published it that way. However, your edits make it seem like you're definitely stalking me. From what I've seen, all you've done is edit recent comic pages and berate me (and Kynde) about my mistakes.<br />
:DSBContribs was my work. I did, however, provide a sensible reason as to why I created it. If you didn't see it, here it is:<br />
<br />
:DSBContribs was created specifically for my signature. At the time I created this, I had no idea what subpages were and I was running out of characters on my signature. I created it because I thought it wouldn't be a hindrance to the wiki and it would save me precious characters on my signature.<br />
:However, I do still apologize, even if the insulting on the template was a bit far and not in the least helpful. I will move Mr.Beast is trying to aquire my bones to a subpage of my own. I will fix that template (which was not useless) and subsequently delete the content from the three unnecessary redirects. I had no intention of vandalizing the wiki, as I've stated multiple times. No page I create is meant to be vandalism in any way, and I try to do my best to help the wiki be the best it can be. Sometimes it gets boring being 'sensible' all the time (especially in IB classes, where I regularly have 3+ hours of homework/night), and I wanted some sort of way to let all the wild shit that my ADHD makes out. That's what came out. Again, I truly apologize. I hope this marks the end of this little spat we've had.<br />
I bid thee well on wherever the journey of life may take thee, fellow traveler. May we see each other again, be it in life, in death, or in the cursed month of Jancember. Take Care.<br />
<br />
Ba'al, teenage Soul-Eater, out.<br />
<br />
:See my reply there: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/User_talk:Kynde#On_Template:DGAF_and_User:User:User:User:User:User.2FMr._Beast_is_trying_to_aquire_my_bones Reply] --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:42, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:: I just did, and I did just respond. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:43, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==My Mistakes==<br />
=== Your signature is in violation of {{w|WP:SIGAPP}} ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
Changed to 14pt. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:14pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 13:02, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
FINE --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:14, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
:: I thought the issue was the height? Doesn't the wiki use 12pt font, which that Sig is? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:27, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::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)<br />
<br />
=== Mass-deleting links ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
===Creating someone's User pages, without being asked===<br />
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)<br />
:Yup, I also pointed it out. In case you missed my reply to your message, here's a copy: <br />
:”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)<br />
::Sorry about that. Just trying to help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:34, 28 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
=== NEWS ===<br />
<br />
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?<br />
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:48, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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]]<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
=== Why [...] is DSBContribs a thing? ===<br />
<br />
Did you seriously have to create a page in the main namespace with the sole purpose of redirecting to your user contributions page?<br />
<br />
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).<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
::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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::: Hi, it's me (on a different IP because I'm at home now).<br />
:::: I'm sorry for being so aggressive in my original comment, I thought you were a grown adult, not a teen. ("think is an 8-year old" is incorrect btw, I was saying you were "acting like an 8 year old", but that itself was too harsh).<br />
:::: I made stupid mistakes too when I was around your age, and I should have assumed good faith rather than take such an aggressive tone.<br />
:::: Sorry for that, and good luck with school! [[Special:Contributions/90.219.64.93|90.219.64.93]] 13:50, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::: I accept your apology with open arms. I truly hope we can work together to improve the wiki in the future. Best regards, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:11, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
=== Possessive and contracted "its"/"it's". ===<br />
<br />
This also confused me, oh so many years ago. Then I was given a handy way of knowing ''which'' was the exception, which has served me well, and I've never had to second-guess myself. (Naturally, I've probably typoed/thinkoed it wrong, unconsciously... But since then I've never had a moment of doubt when I've deliberately kept myself/others correct.) Maybe it'll help you. - I tried to summarise it in the edit I made to the message concerned, but ''not enough space'' to do it justice...<br />
#The possessive version is "its". It is one of a number of "irregular possessives", "his" instead of "him's"/, "hers" instead of "her's", "theirs" instead of "they's"/"them's".<br />
#*Basically all the very common and basic pronoun-based possessives that (as I think of it, although not entirely correctly) were added to the language ''long before'' anybody actually tried to regularise the use of possessives, so just stuck that way. If it belongs to "him", "her", "me" "you", "us", "them" ''and'' "it", you're in the realms of using a completely irregular possessive, none of which use apostrophes.<br />
#*''Personally'', I think that "one" (the equally 'basic', IMO, impersonal pronoun) should be included in that. Not for the likes of {{w|Ones' complement}} (that's belonging to (a number of) digit-ones), but in the "{{w|One (pronoun)|one}} is speaking sense. But (as noted in that last link), it isn't. So don't do that.<br />
#This leaves the contractive version as the one that uses the apostrophe. With two interesting caveats:<br />
#*There ''are'' irregular contractions. The word "forecastle" contracts to "fo'c'sle" or "fo'c's'le", which is a lot more overkill than other similarly complicated contractions. And "will not" becomes "won't" (or, some suggest, just "wont", though that's also a different word), despite not having the right set of letters in the right order to remain after (at least) the "not"->"n't" contraction.<br />
#*In reporting speech, where someone says "it's just something I want to say", use it without fear. But, when writing, I find that (except for ''very'' casual use, essentially speaking in text ...or of course when tending to write in abbreviations/limited space) it's{{asic}} just much better to write "it is", in full. Can't(cannot) be written wrong, couldn't(/could not) be read wrong.<br />
#Oh, and then theres "its'", the plural-(non-irregular-)possessive, which ''could'' be used in certain circumstances... "There are loads of ''its'' in this text, without apostrophes... please check that each ''its''' punctuation is correct!". But... not a common occurance. (Far less than "belonging to the word 'it'", the sole reason to use possessive "it's".) ;)<br />
<br />
...TL;DR;, irregular possesive "its" because of all the other irregular possessive pronouns that have words of their own. And you might just find it easier to uncontract "it's", most of the time, ''especially'' if you're still not entirely sure about it. (Or, perhaps, you're happy to not let go of such a minor degree of gravitas, and it's not transcriped real-world enunciation, which might even feature such monstrosities as "couldn't've" as the contraction of "could not have"!)<br />
<br />
Don't know if that helps, or is understandable, but there you are. Overexplained and overly rambling, as it is..! [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 21:51, 22 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:While you have way too much time on your hands, it'sn't (it is not) hard to understand, so thank you! As I said, <i>it's</i> basically my only grammatical flaw, so this helps tremendously. Damn my brain and <i>its</i> grammatical irregularities. <i>Its</i> a pleasure to talk with you! Sincerely, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 00:40, 23 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Definitely didn't just make a mistake on an it's. After reading a full page worth of why not to. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 00:44, 23 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==excuse me==<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
==template==<br />
<br />
What is a template? What’s a {{Trout}} and {{Whale}}?<br />
<br><br />
If it looks weird, click edit [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 12:20, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:41, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::how can I create one? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:21, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::Here's something that may be able to help: {{AprilFoolsHelp}} --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:43, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::thxxxxxxxxx [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::You are very welcome! I hope you are excited to start contributing to the wiki! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::By the way, please don't be afraid to ask me any questions at all. If I can, I will help! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:48, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::::Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]], which is <nowiki>{{Thx$store}}</nowiki> (if I can call you that)<br />
<br />
==Template Tips==<br />
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:<br />
*Templates are easy to create.<br />
*It's useful to learn from other templates.<br />
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.<br />
: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.<br />
:To the above, I'd add:<br />
:*Know what purpose your template will have.<br />
: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.<br />
: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'.<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
:While this is very useful, it would be nice if you posted this on [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!]]'s talk page. He's the one learning the ropes, and it would probably be very useful to him. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 17:47, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Requests/favors==<br />
If you need anything done, reach out to me! I'll let you know what I can do to help you! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:49, 15 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hi [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]], are you good enough to have the link to my user page? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 01:57, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Done! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 15:56, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
==Hello again Darling :D==<br />
I'm back after the summer hello sir O) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 13:59, 26 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:A fellow school-based follower of the truth, I see! Welcome back, and I wish thee well on your adventures. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:00, 26 August 2025 (UTC) P.S. I use monobook style now.<br />
<br />
==Category thing==<br />
Hey, can someone tell me why my talk page is on 'pages to delete?' {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|18:08, 27 August 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:I have tracked it down to {{diff|383609|this edit}} by [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!]], where they used a (fairly useless and unnecessary) template (that they created themselves) called <nowiki>Template:Thx$store</nowiki> to thank you for helping to teach them the process of creating a new template. Since I marked that template for deletion, when the comment calls for the template, it also marks your talk page for deletion. I have changed it so that the template is replaced with the text that it would substitute in and your page is no longer marked for deletion. Also signed off your unsigned comment. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 18:30, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::When someone says "I have tracked it down" you know they mean business. Thanks, that's quite reassuring. Another mystery IP (not sure if it's the same guy as today) did warn him not to make meaningless templates. Of course, I also made a meaningless template, so.... --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:33, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Do you not learn? ==<br />
<br />
You say that you've learned from your mistakes, yet I don't see any changes. You say that you're an incoming 9th grader and that's somehow an excuse for your immaturity, but I'm also a 9th grader and can compose myself perfectly fine. You say that you won't do the same mistakes again, yet you still create useless pages. How many more are you going to create? I really don't want to be yelling at you like this, but I just don't think you'll be able to change without it. FYI, I've marked User:DSB and the /C pages for deletion. Grow up. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 21:41, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Look. You aren't a bad person. In fact, I wholeheartedly believe that your passion can turn into a positive thing for this wiki. The thing is, you have a tendency to try to fix things by doing even more things, often panicking and making the situation worse. I've already told you this before, but I'll reemphasize it for you. '''TAKE A BREAK.''' Go for some walks. Work on your homework. Talk to people. Hang out with some friends. Don't just spend all your time on here. Trust me, I made the same mistake before. I would recommend a couple days of rest. See how it feels! It might hurt in the beginning, but nobody NEEDS you on here so badly to work on things to the point of such fanatic editing. I don't think Kynde, FaviFake, or any of the other editors hate you, to be honest. We're all just annoyed that you seem to not listen to our advice and keep on making the same mistakes. It's fine to make mistakes-that's how we learn! But you need to stop worrying so much and just step away from the screen for a bit. (Also, I'd recommend talking to a friend or a trusted adult. Your /PRIVATE page seems to be filled with quite a bit of self-hatred. Don't listen to that voice in your head. She's a bitch and none of it is true. I've dealt with poor mental health too. In fact, that's one of the reasons why I had left for so long. You should try to get these feelings out in a healthy way, instead of taking it out yourself or spending all your time online. Nobody thinks you're stupid. You just need to learn how things are done around here. If that's on a steep learning curve, so be it. Just keep on pushing through, and listen to people more.) And finally, you ''can'' make subpages, but try to reduce the number that you have. Think to yourself before you make one: do I TRULY need this? Will it help me out positively in the long run? If not, just put it in another section of your userpage (or make a proper sandbox!). Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk, and I wish you all a good night. Tori, signing off. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 04:05, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Take a break / Hey, our kid is pretty great / Run away with us for the summer / Let's go upstate / Eliza, I've got so much on my plate / We can all go stay with my father<br />
<br />
::There's a lake I know (I know) / In a nearby park (I'd love to go) / You and I can go when the night gets dark / '''I will try to get away''' <br />
<br />
::Such a good song, Lin cooked with that one. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:03, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== are you ok? ==<br />
<br />
do you need help? [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 06:11, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Would you prefer to get a Blog? ==<br />
<br />
User pages are sufficient to give an idea of who you are, and User Talk ones for people to talk to you about your contributions/etc.<br />
<br />
Maybe create sub-pages if you have a relevant site-related project and need 'a space' for them. Such as, as an off-the-wall example, "a list of all the instances of comics that have less than the average number of vowels in them". Perhaps in the hope that it'll be appreciated and made into a more regular page.<br />
<br />
But from what I've seen of your 'contributions' this week, none of that applies. Drunk-typing? Well, ''probably'' not if you're still so far underage that you probably don't have decent access to anything stronger than wine-gums, but definitely you weren't in full control of your keyboard. We've other people on here, as young as you, and have had even younger ones. If we can actually believe what anybody reveals about theirselves. (I'm a 111-year old hobbit, by the way.) You've been one of the most immaturely-acting people here who haven't actually been '''obviously''' trying to vandalise this site, and I'm sure you've strained the patience of pretty much everyone.<br />
<br />
But you're not the first to go a little wild, like this. And - dare I say it - some of those who went on to be mainstays of this site got over the novelty of "anyone can edit (almost) anything", and possibly a rush of teenage hormones messing up their judgement. May I suggest you ''take a deep breath'' and work out what it is that you're doing that is creating such friction and push-back? I've seen you being a reasonable contributor before, and it's not even been all bad over the last week or so.<br />
<br />
And you may have personal life changes going on. Those hormones, issues at home/school/elsewhere, general worries about the state of the world that you're growing up into... maybe a combination of them, or some of these things even ''causing'' some of the others. It happens. You're not alone ...even if one of the key issues is actually in feeling alone! But this is not necessarily the place to try to reshape the world like this.<br />
<br />
How about you stick a little more to just xkcd matters, for the time being. There are plenty of other ways, and places, to run through whatever it is that you might be going through, and it might be best to balance things a bit more 'worklike' here than too much 'at play', like it looks like you're doing at the moment. Rebalance back to 'just enough of each' later.<br />
<br />
And if you ''do'' get somewhere to blog, you'll even have a lot more control. Create anything you want (more or less, within the T&Cs of the service), not worrying about other people editing it, and probably even later cleanly delete anything you no longer want (with no pesky Page History open for everyone to read). You could even put a link to your blog here in your User space, if you want to. At least the blog that you want to connect to yourself here. (You can have an xkcd-adjacent one, ''and'' one to cry out in anguish if you so wish. And a third to... well, you get the idea.) And the skills to maintain blog code is a bit more 'real-world' than the purely wiki-related markup you learn here, and you can still learn the wiki-markup in parallel with getting to grips with HTML or other popular {{w|Content management system}} markup, giving you a few more useful lifeskills that ''merely'' being eventually a master wiki-guru.<br />
<br />
How does that sound? Please do stay, but please also consider if everything you're doing is strictly necessary. I see I'm not the only one driven to try to explain this to you. And for some reason I thought I might be able to quickly suggest a solution to this little quandry. (No, it hasn't actually been that quick, has it.) If you really don't like what I say here... delete it. And I'll say no more. Or just tell me to mind my own business. I've probably got some other things to do around here, if our other old-hand editors don't get there before me! [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 22:34, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I really should, shouldn't I... I'll try to find one. Yesterday and today have mainly been focused on What If? Chapters and a potential new project with Tori (Have you met her? She's lovely) about Sigs. Today has mainly been the latter, with a bit of the former, and some sig ideas I've been working on. I've been trying to stick to more useful matters. For example, /WORKPAGE currently contains drafts of some unfinished What If? Chapters I've been working on. So, I have been attempting to work on more xkcd-related matters. Is it ok if you could <br />
<br />
:But, I shall heed your advice. I shall get a blog (not blood, autocorrect). Do you have any recommendations for where to start?<br />
<br />
:One last thing: Could you show me one of the apparent 'drunk typing' incidents? I edit on my school Chromebook, so I wouldn't be surprised if the keyboard decided to be weird. Thank you for the advice! Once, again, I shall heed it. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 22:51, 29 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Oh, and by the way, I will not delete this thread. Also, how do you access the internet in Valinor?<br />
::'Drunkeness', or whatever it was, was very evident in something like {{diff|385245|here}}. More mundane 'misuse of the keyboard' issues are the times you add multiple linefeeds between very simple statements. You need to do two line-feeds to 'separate the paragraphs', any more than that is not normally visually necessary at all, and can ''look'' like you weren't even paying full attention at the time, however well-written the line-fragments between are. If it weren't for the fact that there were actual (sort-of-)discernable words in there, the 'drunk' one could also have perhaps been a "cat walked on my keyboard" issue. Were you and the cat ''both'' trying to use the keyboard? (Or one of you trying to walk on it, the other trying to type on it. One way round or the other?) I think it's that kind of thing that got people initially concerned about you. Help us to help you (to help yourself?), maybe. [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 02:10, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::i don't think the help is strictly necessary, but, as I said before, do you have any suggestions for places to make a blog? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 18:30, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::I don't blog, so nothing from personal experience. I bet you could use some Google-Fu (or Bing-Fu, or DuckDuckGo-Fu, or AltaVista-Fu, or AskJeeves-Fu, or...) to find a few such solutions, then look at all their offerings (check their wikipedia pages..? and, yeah, add some Wiki-Fu to the previous list of ways in which to search) and decide which one works for you. Or which two or three, and try them out with either completely identical aims in mind or initially split up your interests (one's your sports-appreciation, another is about what your favourite TV is, a third being your humorous observations about things you see every day, ...), then you can keep running the one(s) that turn out to work for you.<br />
::::You know what you currently want, better than me or aanyone. [[Special:Contributions/92.17.62.87|92.17.62.87]] 23:50, 30 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::If you need a blog, and don't know what platforms to use, I'd recommend making a Google Site or Wordpress blog. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 19:10, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== {{w|Wikipedia:Sockpuppet investigations/ltbdl}} ==<br />
<br />
they think we're the same person, ha. [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 02:29, 2 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I did not think this is what I would come back to. That's wild and hilarious. <br />
<br />
:They are raeb<br />
<br />
:And I am Dollar<br />
<br />
:And we are not the same person<br />
<br />
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:42, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::OMG THEY BANNED YOU WTF? I've pleaded your case, but idk if they'll respond. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:49, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Okay, wait a second. A checkuser does checks on User IPs. If you were found guilty, that means that you were editing under the same IP as me. By any chance, do you go to school in Lincoln, NE? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 14:04, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::one, revert your case pleading, it's silly and won't help, and two, we're "very unlikely" to be the same person according to checkuser, don't panic. maybe link them here. (i don't go to school in lincoln.) [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 15:00, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::Ok, now it's weird. I didn't know you couldn't have alt accounts, even if you explicitly stated that they were, indeed, alt accounts. Seems a bit strict if you ask me. Also, 1+1=Window, not Yes. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 22:53, 3 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Can you please help me==<br />
I helped you with the userboxes. Now I need your help. How do I get my sig to be something besides what it is now? [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 19:34, 9 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Hi there, Tori here. If you want to change your signature, go to your preferences page on the top right of the website (it's next to your Talk page and Watchlist). Scroll down until you see the signatures section and change it. If you need help figuring out wikitext, feel free to shoot me a message on my [[user talk:42.book.addict|talk page]]! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 01:32, 10 September 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Template:what if? chapters ==<br />
<br />
Sorry, but what's the point of creating a template for what if chapters? What do you intend to use it for? '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:28, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:I intended it as a workaround in order to edit two pages at once. (those being the blog page and the chapters page). I noticed there was a discrepancy between the tables on the two pages, and I created a workaround for it. Also, it's faster than copy-pasting, now that the load times are astronomical. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 16:30, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Sounds good! '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:#3a795e">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#ce5f15">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:40, 3 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
Ok I'm sorry but I had to change it back. Here are a few drawbacks:<br />
#Now people reading our summaries can't edit them directly.<br />
#The history is gone. You should've moved the page, not copy and paste. Both for copyright attribution (see {{w|WP:CWW]]) and for maintenance, to see when and why something was added.<br />
#Now we need to transclude the table on 1 more page (servers!), and the pages that were already transcluding the page (except [[what if? (blog)]]) now are transcluding both the page AND the template.<br />
And most importantly: there wasn't any discrepancy between the pages that transcluded the pages, just as there is no discrepancy now. The table was the exact same.<br />
<br />
Could you explain what discrepancy you saw? The code and text behind the original [[What If? Chapters]] page, the blog page, the new template you created, and any other pages transcluding [[What If? Chapters]] was truly identical (and still is, just with the added issues listed above.).<br />
<br />
Also; templates are not supposed to be edited frequently. A template is created in order to save time writing the same code on dozens or hundreds of pages. The table both needs to be edited and is only transcluded on a few pages. These are the pages in which the page was transcluded: [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/What_If%3F_chapters&hidelinks=1&hideredirs=1] --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 10:04, 4 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
:There were just some chapter summaries I saw that were different between the blog page and the chapters page. I'm not angry about this, thanks for bringing up the points which I am not advanced enough to see. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">converse</span>]]</sup> 12:55, 6 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Huh, that's odd. The only difference between the two is that the last header cell on the left becomes highlighted in yellow when transcluded. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 19:16, 7 October 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Current signature. ==<br />
<br />
I've noticed that your signature does <all the fancy stuff><NEWLINE><space><timestamp>. Might be a good idea to remove the <NEWLINE> before the (presumably auto-appended) <space><timestamp> as it currently puts your<br />
timestamp like this.<br />
<br />
Which is ''probably'' not what you'd intended. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.74|82.132.245.74]] 20:47, 4 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:......Nope, didn't intend that. I'll see if I can fix it. (not signing this because... well, you know) --DSB {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|21:12, 4 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
::I've found the issue. I was trying to make my signature in times new roman using [[Template:TNR]]. This template uses div for it's styling. For some reason, it's inserting <nowiki></div></nowiki> between the signature and timestamp rather than after. Is there a way to get the <nowiki></div></nowiki> to go after the timestamp rather than before (which is what I was intending)? Thanks! --DSB {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|21:18, 4 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:::Standard advice is to not use div-tags in your custom .sig, for exactly this reason. You should be able to do the same (except for the undesired newline-forcing) with span-tagging where you invoked div-tags.<br />
:::The way it rendered (must basically have been subst:ed between what you used and how it renders), I didn't know you'd used the TNR template. If that's for character-length reasons then a "TNRspan" template (or something ''not'' four characters longer, if you're extremely tight for space) would have to be used.<br />
:::Or change the TNR so <code><nowiki>{{TNR|span=yes}}</nowiki></code> will specially 'return' you your no-Div version (that's the nice-looking version; you could also have it do something like responding to <code><nowiki>{{{1}}}</nowiki></code> being "s" or "1", if you can only afford to extend by two extra characters). That makes the one template dual-use, instead of making another template.<br />
:::TIMTOWTDI. But you'll know what you want to do, I can only give vague pointers. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.74|82.132.245.74]] 22:22, 4 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Weird. I changed the TNR template to <nowiki><span></nowiki> instead of <nowiki><div></nowiki>, but upon testing it's still doing that weird newline thing. {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|14:11, 5 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
:::::Finally fixed. I can't get the timestamp to also be TNR, but at least it doesn't auto-newline. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::::That looks not too bad, though the timestamp is sans-serif again. Though ''might' in part be browser-dependant as to how it looks (mine may react only to the 'serif' and not the full 'Times New Roman', giving a TNR''-like'' serif-font that works good adjacent to the non-specific choice of sans-serif font. Also, at first glance, there's a mystery as to why the timestamp is '''''BOLD+ITALIC''' (or maybe STRONG+EMPHASIS, for the pedants).<br />
::::::The structure is probably as follows, rewritten just for visual representation/explanation. Formatting that you do is in ()s, my explanatory notes are in ** and * pairs:<br />
**start of 'fixed text' signature insertion**<br />
(SPANopen style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;")<br />
--<br />
(BOLD+ITALICstart)<br />
(LINKpage)User:DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(LINKtext)<br />
(SPANopen style="color:#E3C6BE")<br />
DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end:style="color:#E3C6BE")<br />
(LINKclose)<br />
(SUPERSCRIPTopen)<br />
(LINKpage)User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al<br />
(LINKtext)<br />
(SPANopen style="color:#CC9A8B")<br />
Converse<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end:style="color:#CC9A8B")<br />
(LINKclose)<br />
(SUPERSCRIPTclose)<br />
*expected to be an /implied/ (BOLD+ITALICSclose), here*<br />
*check HTML source for why not?*<br />
(SPANclose, i.e. end: style="font-family: Times New Roman...etc")<br />
**end of 'fixed text' signature insertion**<br />
**start of 'timestamp' signature insertion**<br />
*BOLD+ITALICS is still active?*<br />
*but all /other/ formats ended by the most recent (SPANclose)*<br />
14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
**end of 'timestamp' signature insertion**<br />
::::::Without looking at exactly what you're doing behind the scenes, I'm not ''entirely'' sure, but I think the {{template|TNR}} includes a close-Span tag, preventing that from 'rolling on' into the timestamp bit.<br />
::::::Exactly how the '''''BOLD+ITALIC''''' rolls on, I don't know without checking the HTML source. Might be an intentional function of the wikimarkup-to-HTML conversion that 'remembers' that formatting and reapplies it as necessary, at least until a 'forced' end-of-scope (end of a Div or P tag, a Br/Hr monotag, new ordered/unordered list item (or changing the list-level), table cell/row transitions, and then there's the next (same/different) ":"-prepended indented follow-up lines and (of course) double-newlines) to force even no-prefix lines into paragraph-breaks. All of these (and other less obvious wikimarkup scenarios) probably translate to a hard /div closure in the HTML.<br />
::::::Does {{template|TNR}} currently close its own Span? Does removing that Span-end let it 'roll on' over the timestamp? If you do that, does the insert-signature process close off all remaining Spans ''after'' the timestamp? (Normally, a signature is followed by a newline+newline or at least a newline+:nextlinehasindents, but if you add a P.S. comment after a timestamp that benefits from an unclosed formatting rlling through, does anything add a closure to stop it rolling through onto the P.S...? Can't test this, myself, directly, but it'd be interesting to find out!)<br />
::::::Note that I don't know if you intended TNR to be used anywhere else. But by changing it from Div-based to Span-based it changes how it looks if I "{{TNR|use it here}}", and if you then make it so that it open-Spans but never close-Spans then it would change the appearance of this paragraph even further.<br />
::::::...ouch. Actually, I had assumed it would currently (as 'span-only', opening and closing) not linefeed, browserside, but currently it adds a forced break, and doesn't even have any way of knowing how many indents (if any) to add before the continuation text.<br />
::::::Though if nobody else is using it for ''anything else'', it shouldn't matter. Just pointing out that (''if they are'') changes you make to fine-tune your signature ''could'' have collateral effects for other people who use TNR when it does one thing but then find that it's doing another thing.<br />
::::::Creating a template 'just for your own use' is Ok-ish, but you might just want to note its purpose and (current) peculiarities in case someone thinks that it's intended for a more general purpose, and in a more logical manner than you've had to make it 'work' just for you.<br />
::::::It's also known for templates to contain imbalanced markup, with either how it is used or the presence of a second 'closing' template (see {{template|cot}} and {{template|cob}}, that mark the 't'op and 'b'ottom of a 'co'llapsable area) making the final result properly balanced in the end. But mostly you'd expect internal closure of anything the template started, whether Spanny or Divvy in nature, or justify it and make it obvious without digging through the actual template-code itself.<br />
::::::But I don't know how useful all of this is, to you or those coming along afterwards (before or after further template tweaks, etc). I'm just trying to pass on everything I think could be helpful, knowing that a lot of it could be 'beyond helpful', i.e. actually quite irrelevent. If not incomprehsible. (If not wrong, given I can't even test many assumptions, directly!) But here it is, anyway. HTH, HAND. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.244.89|82.132.244.89]] 16:24, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::I'm using the TNR template because it looks cool, but it also does have a purpose. It's used in early Taglines and header texts. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 16:53, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::Having tried many things, I've found that including the TNR template at all is messing up the timestamp. I'll see if there's another way to include the template without that, but idk if there is a way. In the meantime, here's my new Sig: <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;">--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#E3C6BE">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#CC9A8B">Converse</span>]]</sup></span> 17:25, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:{{outdent|:::::}}<br />
:((I researched,cchecked and wrote the following followup whilst you were replying, just aboce. You've answered some of my points, plus seem happy with as it is now, but still posting it given the thought I put into it... ;) Not that I actually think that it's necessary as helpful as I might have hoped it to be, in the end! Absolutely no reply expected, if you're happy to say nothing more.))<br />
:Ok, actually looked at the HTML source, now, neutering the 'raw' markup, whitespacing it and adding **commentary**:<br />
**start signature, fixed text**<br />
**default formatting**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
**formatting is now TNR**<br />
--<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>b><br />
**formatting is TNR+Bold**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>i><br />
**formatting is TNR+Bold+Italics**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>a href="/wiki/index.php/User:DollarStoreBa%27al" title="User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al"><br />
**formatting is TNR+B+I and a link..**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="color:#E3C6BE"><br />
**...which is coloured**<br />
DollarStoreBa'al<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**back to TNR+B+I link, no colour**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/a><br />
**back to TNR+B+I, no link<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>sup><br />
**TNR+B+I+Superscript**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>a class="mw-selflink selflink"><br />
**TNR+B++Sup and a link (to this page, in this specific instance)**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>span style="color:#CC9A8B"><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup link is coloured**<br />
Converse<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup link, no colour**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/a><br />
**TNR+B+I+Sup, no link**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/sup><br />
**TNR+B+I, normal-script again**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/span><br />
**this should have removed TNR, *and* the 'inner' B+I too...**<br />
** (Although this is not what you wanted, it's what you should get!) **<br />
**...but apparently we're now just with B+I**<br />
** (This might be my own browser's interpretation, not everyone's.) **<br />
**this is the inbuilt transition between fixed-sig and time-sig**<br />
**a space is here, then...**<br />
14:15, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/i> ** (Your signature markup does not ask for this!) **<br />
**just Boldness left**<br />
<nowiki><</nowiki>/b> ** (Your signature markup does not ask for this!) **<br />
**neutral format again**<br />
**end of signature**<br />
:What goes with the "TNR+B+I" going to "B+I", I don't know. Unless they've changed the HTML spec regarding this in the last decade or three.<br />
:The wiki-server back end was smart enough to add the close-Italics and close-Bold, at the end of the signature (''perhaps'', knowing that these were imminent a 'smart' error-checking by the browser's HTML-renderer let their formats persist, when otherwise they would not have? ...odd, but possible). Possibly it would have also closed the TNR-span, after the B-closure,cif not already asked to do so by the end of the TNR-template?<br />
:...so...<br />
:#First 'fix', remove the <code><nowiki><</nowiki>/span></code> from TNR. See how that affects any newly applied signatures (it won't change old ones).<br />
:#Also see how/if it changes the indent-loss above my "...ouch" line, above.<br />
:#''Also'' also chase down if TNR gets used ''anywhere else'' in this wiki, at the moment, and check that you've not broken anything else that other people might have used it for.<br />
:If the first fix works and the third thing isn't a problem (ignore the second issue, I'm happy for it to change), then you're sorted. Otherwise (no fix, or even further broken in ways that aren't any good for anyone) reverse the change to where it works best for everyone and accept it not working precisely how you think you want it.<br />
:If it fixes, as suggested, I'd also be interested how signing with <code><nowiki>~~~~ and more text</nowiki></code> works. (i.e. does it TNR the "and more text"?) Not that it's important, just my own curiosity.<br />
:And think about a more advanced explanation on TNR's page, if it's going to be 'an odd template' in any way, like being Span-opener without being a Span-closer.<br />
:That's all. Over to you, nothing more I can do (I could change TNR's code, but not then test it with your signature), but ''maybe'' I've done enough to help. Without too much confusion. I'll let you sort the rest out on your own, unless there's anything specific that arises to follow-up with. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.246.131|82.132.246.131]] 17:45, 5 November 2025 (UTC)<br />
::tbh I'm good. Besides, I have no clue how to convert that raw HTML into usable wikitext (idk how to code, planning to learn someday). Either way, works fine. Also, you commentary has made me realize how complex my sig actually is. Times New Roman+Bold+Italics, which is a link which is colored. {{unsigned|DollarStoreBa'al|19:21, 5 November 2025 (UTC)}}<br />
<br />
==tumble weed==<br />
What’s a tumble weed. Like <br />
span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=390452User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-11-09T04:22:34Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The Small Bang</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
<br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br />
==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
<hr><br />
<br />
==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
<br />
==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]<br />
<br />
==list of all users==<br />
[[Special:ListUsers|All Users]]<br />
<br />
==Tumbleweed==<br />
{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Header.png|900px|center]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=388375User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-10-08T00:55:20Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* Log */</p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The Small Bang</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
==Log==<br />
Others seem to like to have this, I should try!<br />
<br><br />
Sept 20: I haven’t visited this site for a long time! I’m back!!!<br />
<br><br />
Sept 30: wat da hail, what is wrong with me? I haven’t logged on for 10 days!<br />
<br><br />
Oct 8: Schooooooooool work!<br />
<br><br />
<br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br />
==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
<hr><br />
<br />
==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
<br />
==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]<br />
<br />
==list of all users==<br />
[[Special:ListUsers|All Users]]<br />
<br />
==Tumbleweed==<br />
{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Header.png|900px|center]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=388374User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-10-08T00:54:32Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* Log */</p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The Small Bang</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
==Log==<br />
Others seem to like to have this, I should try!<br />
<br><br />
Sept 20: I haven’t visited this site for a long time! I’m back!!!<br />
<br><br />
Sept 30: wat da hail, what is wrong with me? I haven’t logged on for 10 days!<br />
<br><br />
Oct 8: Schooooooooool work!<br />
<br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br />
==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
<hr><br />
<br />
==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
<br />
==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]<br />
<br />
==list of all users==<br />
[[Special:ListUsers|All Users]]<br />
<br />
==Tumbleweed==<br />
{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Header.png|900px|center]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=388235User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-10-06T09:39:48Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* list of all users */</p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The Small Bang</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
==Log==<br />
Others seem to like to have this, I should try!<br />
<br><br />
Sept 20: I haven’t visited this site for a long time! I’m back!!!<br />
<br><br />
Sept 30: wat da hail, what is wrong with me? I haven’t logged on for 10 days!<br />
<br><br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br />
==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
<hr><br />
<br />
==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
<br />
==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]<br />
<br />
==list of all users==<br />
[[Special:ListUsers|All Users]]<br />
<br />
==Tumbleweed==<br />
{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Header.png|900px|center]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=388234User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-10-06T09:39:18Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The Small Bang</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
==Log==<br />
Others seem to like to have this, I should try!<br />
<br><br />
Sept 20: I haven’t visited this site for a long time! I’m back!!!<br />
<br><br />
Sept 30: wat da hail, what is wrong with me? I haven’t logged on for 10 days!<br />
<br><br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br />
==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
<hr><br />
<br />
==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
<br />
==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]<br />
<br />
==list of all users==<br />
[[Special:ListUsers]]<br />
<br />
==Tumbleweed==<br />
{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Header.png|900px|center]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=478:_The_Staple_Madness&diff=388233478: The Staple Madness2025-10-06T09:36:00Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 478<br />
| date = September 19, 2008<br />
| title = The Staple Madness<br />
| image = the_staple_madness.png<br />
| titletext = Staple guns: because duct tape can't make that 'kaCHUNK' noise.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
Optimistic [[Beret Guy]] can never take life seriously. He loves to play with everything, and nothing is more exciting than {{w|Staple gun|a tool}} that sticks things together with an impressive ''kaCHUNK'' sound when he pulls the trigger, even on things that (definitely) shouldn't be stapled.<br />
<br />
Installing {{w|Debian}} is a pun on the installation of software, and the installation of real life things by attaching them to things. <br />
<br />
This comic may reference an engineering truism describing a similar scenario: "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." The truism's actual meaning refers to the scenario where when a novice has only learned to use one tool (such as one programming language), they may attempt to solve all problems using only that tool, which may end badly. This saying is referred to explicitly in [[801: Golden Hammer]].<br />
<br />
From just reading the comic by itself, one may presume that in the last panel, [[Cueball]] has been stapled to the ceiling (as obvious evidence to [[Megan]] that Beret Guy has indeed been abusing her staple gun). According to the comic's [http://xkcd.com/478/info.0.json official transcript], however, it is in fact God who is speaking. Due to Beret Guy's [[:Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy|strange powers]], it is rather likely that God has been stapled as well -- perhaps to the ceiling.<br />
<br />
{{w|Duct tape}}, thanks to its combination of tensile and adhesive strength, is commonly regarded as the ultimate do-it-yourself repair tool. Like a staple gun, it can also be used to stick things together. Although it does make a nice sound when pulling a strip out quickly, it does not make a loud ''kaCHUNK'' sound upon fixing two objects together.<br />
<br />
In [[291: Dignified]], Beret Guy hangs upside down and says (in the title text) that he has stapled his hat to his head to make it stay on. That may very well have been the inspiration for this comic.<br />
<br />
This was the fourth time the [[Megan#Name|name Megan]] was used in xkcd, the first time being in [[159: Boombox]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Beret Guy and Cueball standing.]<br />
:Beret Guy: [holding up a staple gun] I found Megan's staple gun!<br />
:Cueball: [facepalming] Oh no.<br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy kneeling over a laptop on the floor.]<br />
:Cueball: [from outside panel] Oh God, what are you--<br />
:Beret Guy: [stapling a DVD to the laptop] Installing Debian! ''kaCHUNK''<br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy standing over a table.]<br />
:Beret Guy: [stapling a sandwich together] Sandwiches! ''kaCHUNK kaCHUNK''<br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy running with the staple gun.]<br />
:Beret Guy: Must affix everything to everything!<br />
<br />
:[Unframed panel.]<br />
:''kaCHUNK kaCHUNK kaCHUNK kaCHUNK kaCHUNK kaCHUNK''<br />
<br />
:[Megan enters, holding a tote bag.]<br />
:Megan: ...Have you been abusing my staple gun?<br />
:Beret Guy: No.<br />
<!-- God is correct, as per official transcript --><br />
:Cueball: [Probably stapled to the ceiling] YES!<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Religion]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=478:_The_Staple_Madness&diff=388232478: The Staple Madness2025-10-06T09:35:44Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* Transcript */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 478<br />
| date = September 19, 2008<br />
| title = The Staple Madness<br />
| image = the_staple_madness.png<br />
| titletext = Staple guns: because duct tape can't make that 'kaCHUNK' noise.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
Optimistic [[Beret Guy]] can never take life seriously. He loves to play with everything, and nothing is more exciting than {{w|Staple gun|a tool}} that sticks things together with an impressive ''kaCHUNK'' sound when he pulls the trigger, even on things that (definitely) shouldn't be stapled.<br />
<br />
Installing {{w|Debian}} is a pun on the installation of software, and the installation of real life things by attaching them to things. <br />
<br />
This comic may reference an engineering truism describing a similar scenario: "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." The truism's actual meaning refers to the scenario where when a novice has only learned to use one tool (such as one programming language), they may attempt to solve all problems using only that tool, which may end badly. This saying is referred to explicitly in [[801: Golden Hammer]].<br />
<br />
From just reading the comic by itself, one may presume that in the last panel, [[Cueball]] has been stapled to the ceiling (as obvious evidence to [[Megan]] that Beret Guy has indeed been abusing her staple gun). According to the comic's [http://xkcd.com/478/info.0.json official transcript], however, it is in fact God who is speaking. Due to Beret Guy's [[:Category:Strange powers of Beret Guy|strange powers]], it is rather likely that God has been stapled as well -- perhaps to the ceiling.<br />
<br />
{{w|Duct tape}}, thanks to its combination of tensile and adhesive strength, is commonly regarded as the ultimate do-it-yourself repair tool. Like a staple gun, it can also be used to stick things together. Although it does make a nice sound when pulling a strip out quickly, it does not make a loud ''kaCHUNK'' sound upon fixing two objects together.<br />
<br />
In [[291: Dignified]], Beret Guy hangs upside down and says (in the title text) that he has stapled his hat to his head to make it stay on. That may very well have been the inspiration for this comic.<br />
<br />
This was the fourth time the [[Megan#Name|name Megan]] was used in xkcd, the first time being in [[159: Boombox]].<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[Beret Guy and Cueball standing.]<br />
:Beret Guy: [holding up a staple gun] I found Megan's staple gun!<br />
:Cueball: [facepalming] Oh no.<br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy kneeling over a laptop on the floor.]<br />
:Cueball: [from outside panel] Oh God, what are you--<br />
:Beret Guy: [stapling a DVD to the laptop] Installing Debian! ''kaCHUNK''<br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy standing over a table.]<br />
:Beret Guy: [stapling a sandwich together] Sandwiches! ''kaCHUNK kaCHUNK''<br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy running with the staple gun.]<br />
:Beret Guy: Must affix everything to everything!<br />
<br />
:[Unframed panel.]<br />
:''kaCHUNK kaCHUNK kaCHUNK kaCHUNK kaCHUNK kaCHUNK''<br />
<br />
:[Megan enters, holding a tote bag.]<br />
:Megan: ...Have you been abusing my staple gun?<br />
:Beret Guy: No.<br />
<!-- God is correct, as per official transcript --><br />
:Cueball: [Probably stapled to the ceiling]: YES!<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Religion]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=388231User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-10-06T09:27:34Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The Small Bang</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
==Log==<br />
Others seem to like to have this, I should try!<br />
<br><br />
Sept 20: I haven’t visited this site for a long time! I’m back!!!<br />
<br><br />
Sept 30: wat da hail, what is wrong with me? I haven’t logged on for 10 days!<br />
<br><br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br />
==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
<hr><br />
<br />
==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
<br />
==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]<br />
<br />
==Tumbleweed==<br />
{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Header.png|900px|center]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=387760User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-09-30T02:13:27Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The Small Bang</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
==Log==<br />
Others seem to like to have this, I should try!<br />
<br><br />
Sept 20: I haven’t visited this site for a long time! I’m back!!!<br />
<br><br />
Sept 30: wat da hail, what is wrong with me? I haven’t logged on for 10 days!<br />
<br><br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br />
==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
<hr><br />
<br />
==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
<br />
==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]<br />
<br />
==Tumbleweed==<br />
{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=387733User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-09-30T02:00:21Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Not telling</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
==Log==<br />
Others seem to like to have this, I should try!<br />
<br><br />
Sept 20: I haven’t visited this site for a long time! I’m back!!!<br />
<br><br />
Sept 30: wat da hail, what is wrong with me? I haven’t logged on for 10 days!<br />
<br><br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br />
==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
<hr><br />
<br />
==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
<br />
==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]<br />
<br />
==Tumbleweed==<br />
{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=387260User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-09-20T11:00:08Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Not telling</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
==Log==<br />
Others seem to like to have this, I should try!<br />
<br><br />
Sept 20: I haven’t visited this site for a long time! I’m back!!!<br />
<br><br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br />
==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
<hr><br />
<br />
==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
<br />
==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]<br />
<br />
==Tumbleweed==<br />
{{DISPLAYTITLE:<span style="font-size:0%">User:Letthere</span>be<span style="font-size:0%">d</span>ar<span style="font-size:0%">klight</span>}}<br />
{{crickets}}</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=387259User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-09-20T10:56:36Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Not telling</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
==Log==<br />
Others seem to like to have this, I should try!<br />
<br><br />
Sept 20: I haven’t visited this site for a long time! I’m back!!!<br />
<br><br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br />
==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
<hr><br />
<br />
==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
<br />
==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=385443User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-08-28T14:25:23Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div>==If you want your user page created, tell me==<br />
<br />
==Talking with [[user:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
No way am I that cool man. <br />
<br />
By the way, here's a way to create a userbox:<br />
{Userbox | border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = ;) | info = <nowiki>[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!|This user _____ ]]</nowiki> | float = left}}. Thank [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher]] for this, I learned it from him. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:05, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Oh, I'm sorry. Misunderstood your request. Userboxes are used on user pages to add supplemental information. I have one or two on my user page if you want to look at those. By the way, I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'the numbers'. Please clarify if you can. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:09, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::like these numbers <nowiki> border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | </nowiki> [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 14:18, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::border-c controls the color of the userboxes border, between 1 and 255. Border-s is the thickness of the border. info-s is the font of the text inside the userbox... I think. Honestly not sure. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:22, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::Thanks anyway [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 14:24, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::You're welcome! Always happy to help. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:28, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Can we help you..? ==<br />
<br />
So, {{template|brda}} seems to have been an experiment. To what end? Can we help you make your original idea work? [[Special:Contributions/92.23.2.228|92.23.2.228]] 17:26, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::I just don’t want to write the link down so I used a template. I just don’t understand what does that picture mean, and I need someone to help me explain.<br />
::: *cringe* ...well, hope you can use what I gave you over on the other page, then.<br />
:::Slightly more confused, myself, about the need for a template. Thought you'd maybe be wanting to include the image (ebedded, or as a link) in a signature or even something you'd want to manually enter in multiple places. Never mind. [[Special:Contributions/92.23.2.228|92.23.2.228]] 00:18, 11 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::I'll go further, in explaining this. '''It might look complicated''', but [[3126: Disclaimer|that's just the way I am]], and you might even understand it so well that you can spot several errors I made in writing it. (I claim no monopoly on understanding, or even infallibility.) If not, it's here for re-reading later.<br />
:::Whatever 'pops out' of a template appears on the page that calls it. If you "subst:" it, it works that thing out and makes it permanent, otherwise whenever you browse the calling page it asks the template what it currently says and uses that.<br />
:::You can use potentially complicated dynamic 'markup' in your template that you ''could'' have used directly in the outer page, but don't want to have to apply each time. Or use the template in multiple places and don't want to have to re-edit each instance if you ever need to change it... instead just change the template and (as long as you didn't subst: it, of course) it gets corrected everywhere it gets used. And, you can pass parameters to the template, which can be used in the dynamic logic of how it presents itself in any particular use, so you can have it do "sort of the same thing", but differently according to the situation.<br />
:::#A simple example of the first is {{template|Citation needed}}, which easily inserts the 'fake <sup>&#91;[[285: Wikipedian Protester#top|''citation&nbsp;needed'']]&#93;</sup> text', without having to worry about re-writing it accurately enough every time.<br />
:::#A very common example of the second is {{template|LATESTCOMIC}} which is asked to hold the very latest comic number. At the time of writing, 3126, at the time of reading, {{LATESTCOMIC}}. Right now, those two values will appear identical, but I used the "subst:" on the first one, as I did the "Citation needed", so that whatever is current is inserted as if I wrote it straight. Once the next comic gets added to the wiki, the second number will change, and keep changing, without me ever re-editing this page.<br />
:::#Probably the example of the third type that you will have noticed (maybe even used) more is the {{template|w}} template for 'easy' wikipedia linking. Though as every single comic page uses the {{template|comic}} template at its start (so complicated, with so many parameters, you may not have realised that it is even a {{}}-thing!), that's one example of how each individual use of a given template can give you subtly (or very! or anywhere inbetween...) different looks in different places.<br />
:::#*On top of that, there is internal dynamic markup that looks at ''what page it is being called from'' (or with a more simple markup, whether it's being viewed directly or transposed into a 'parent' page, or ''only'' being seen when transposed into a 'parent' page), so it can (for example) stop some aspects of text in a Comic page (of the latest comic) from being seen alongside the rest when it is inserted into the Main wiki page.<br />
:::As you can see, '''this can get complicated''', especially when templates do multiple or all of the above, at the same time. I'm not expecting you to take in the full potential of what templates are useful for, just trying to give you an indication of what they are used and useful for.<br />
:::Meanwhile, you had to 'write down' the link in {{template|brda}} in order to ''not'' write down the link in the place(s) you 'wrote down' the template instead. And, testing it (or maybe initialising it, as a red link) aside, the only place it seems you wanted it to be 'wrote down, but not by writing it down' was on the question in the Portal page. It saved you no work (or difficulty), and in fact slowed things down compared to just using it straight. So it didn't help you with point #1, above.<br />
:::Similarly, while you ''could'' have intended it to perhaps say "the thing I currently most want someone to explain is <insert latest thing>", where you just have to alter the <insert latest thing> elsewhere (without finding and editing where you mention it), it was named to suggest that you were never going to change the contents, referencing the current contents. And asking a question, getting answers then potentially 'silently' changing the question (but leaving the answers) isn't exactly useful. You'd be best to think of a different way of doing "At the moment, I'm most interested in <insert latest thing>" as a rolling record.<br />
:::I think what the above IP was imagining, though, was that you had wanted to do a Trout-or Whale-like template, but starting from the ground up. You were going to refine how the image (eventually, when properly marked-up) displayed, choose left/right/central justification, subtitle/surtitle, boundary box, etc, in one spot, perhaps even later change the image used from the What-If site version to your own freshly edited and uploaded (to here, presumably) animated-gif version, or potentially a more subtle edit. But by then you might have used the template-transclusion in several places, which you wouldn't now need to re-edit individually as you've changed the source 'page'.<br />
:::Also, it's worth noting that using templates for purely static content (at least between manual edits) is an organisational choice ''not too different'' from just transcluding a normal 'non-template' page itself. And the boundaries are blurred in the case of how the Main Page of this wiki uses nested templates and 'normal' transclusion to show the latest edit of the latest comic explanation in there at all times. But let us not get hooked up over such minutiæ, just yet. ;) With many authors, many ideas, much fine-tuning and jury-rigging of ad hoc mechanisms and back-end automation, you'll find blurred lines (and probably intentionally blurrable, from the way that the wikimedia framework was set up — itself a mass of bolts and screws from different developers across different timescales, or even the same developers with different ideas over time!) all over the place.<br />
:::Understanding it all is a lofty aim, and I'm only an amateur analyst of some small parts of it. Understanding ''the general concepts'', however, can act as a future springboard to such greater things and ways of thinking, even beyond the sphere of wikis themselves. Be curious, but also thoughtful. More haste, less speed. {{tvtropes|IceCreamKoan|<Insert further profound-sounding epithet here...>}} [[Special:Contributions/82.132.236.103|82.132.236.103]] 13:11, 11 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==moved stuff==<br />
<br />
Haha nice try<br />
<br />
:I'm just wondering what you are trying to do? And why? As you seem happy to still use this page. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.239.232|82.132.239.232]] 11:57, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Can you please un-move your User and Talk page? It's confusing and not in the format that is used here. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:46, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I concur. Also, Thx$store caused me quite the scare when my talk page was suddenly marked for deletion. I feel we should both remember to talk to experienced editors (namely Victoria, FaviFake, or Kynde) before making templates. They can get messy. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:37, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I don’t know how to unmove though. [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 23:36, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Technically, it wouod be just a 'move back', what you did to move ot, reverse the from/to.<br />
:(There ''may'' be an "undo move" ability, but even a normal edit revert is just "re-edit to replace the newer stuff with the older stuff again", with a bit of text autoadded to the edit summary that says what you asked it to go back from, when it comes down to it. Rewinding anything can be done 'manually', to much the same effect. Of course, it all leaves edit histories and, possibly, whole legacy page-entries.)<br />
:Just avoid leaving a redirect from the 'old' ('older new') location to point to the 'new' ('older old', i.e. original) location, which might be an option given to you. But I've never seen this particular wiki's moving-pages, not having an account and presume (from what I've seen of past moves) that that's something set to have to actively tick to happen.<br />
:Just read the instructions and descriptions on and around the various bits of the webform/controls. You used them once, I think you can use them again.<br />
:Or ''ask'' someone else to do it, who is already well grounded in how to sort out this situation, if you're still unsure. An admin (''the'' admin) might correct blatantly wrong things for you (whether or not you think you want them to), but I'm sure other 'regular' users with a bit of editing under their belt can do almost anything other than actually deleting "To be deleted" pages, so long as they know they're not treading on anybody's toes.<br />
:I can't do anything myself, through deliberate choice, not being a registered user. But I've been around long enough that I hope I can at least advise you (or anyone else who'll take notice) well enough how to work it out for yourself. You really just need to think a little and make sure that what you're doing makes sense. And not to just go ahead and do random things 'because you can', tempting as that may be. ;) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.174|82.132.245.174]] 09:48, 28 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::I think 'unmove' is an admin-only ability. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#023020">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User_talk:DollarStoreBa'al|<span style="color:#000080">'''''converse'''''</span>]]</sup> 13:43, 28 August 2025 (UTC)</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=385442User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-08-28T14:23:49Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Not telling</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
Thanks [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br />
==My FFA sandboxxxxx==<br />
[[user:Aprilfoolsupdate!/Sandbox | sandboxxxxxxxxxxx]]<br />
<br><br />
<br />
==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
<hr><br />
<br />
==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
<br />
==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=385355User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-08-27T23:36:47Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div>Haha nice try<br />
<br />
:I'm just wondering what you are trying to do? And why? As you seem happy to still use this page. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.239.232|82.132.239.232]] 11:57, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Can you please un-move your User and Talk page? It's confusing and not in the format that is used here. '''[[User:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:9pt;color:pink">42.book.addict</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:42.book.addict|<span style="font-family:Cormorant Garamond;font-size:6pt;color:#B1E4E3">Talk to me!</span>]]</sup>''' 16:46, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I concur. Also, Thx$store caused me quite the scare when my talk page was suddenly marked for deletion. I feel we should both remember to talk to experienced editors (namely Victoria, FaviFake, or Kynde) before making templates. They can get messy. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 18:37, 27 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I don’t know how to unmove though. [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 23:36, 27 August 2025 (UTC)</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:3132:_Coastline_Similarity&diff=384918Talk:3132: Coastline Similarity2025-08-24T08:16:22Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div><!-- Please sign your posts with ~~~~ and don't delete this text. New comments should be added at the bottom. --><br />
<br />
Lol what [[User:SectorCorruptor|SectorCorruptor]] ([[User talk:SectorCorruptor|talk]]) 16:20, 22 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:Lol what --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 17:30, 22 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::Lol what [[User:Broseph|Broseph]] ([[User talk:Broseph|talk]]) 18:13, 22 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::Lol what [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 18:52, 22 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Lol what [[Special:Contributions/24.54.131.250|24.54.131.250]] 19:24, 22 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::Lol what [[Special:Contributions/2001:67C:2564:A301:C26:D05F:D5AA:CA02|2001:67C:2564:A301:C26:D05F:D5AA:CA02]] 21:46, 22 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::::Lol what [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 08:16, 24 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
^^^Plagerism at work^^^ [[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 02:18, 24 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
npcs [[user:lettherebedarklight|raeb]] 14:29, 23 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Plagiarism might refer to the designer of one of the coastlinescopying the design of the other one (a reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy).<br />
[[Special:Contributions/147.234.73.125|147.234.73.125]] 22:56, 22 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
I'm the comic "Coastline similarity" is likely a roof on "Cosine Similarity" which is used in software industry to measure how close two images are. This method is also used to detect plagiarism. {{unsigned ip|108.76.190.132|23:00, 22 August 2025}}<br />
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F***ing vandals. Best of luck, I'm gonna bunker down until this blows over. [[Special:Contributions/207.195.86.18|207.195.86.18]] 01:47, 24 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
EDIT: To the dumbs*** who apparently doesn't know how curse words are used: referring to "f***ing X" is a way of expressing HATRED towards X, not love.</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1992:_SafetySat&diff=3847431992: SafetySat2025-08-22T06:04:30Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* Trivia */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1992<br />
| date = May 11, 2018<br />
| title = SafetySat<br />
| image = safetysat.png<br />
| titletext = During launch, in the event of an unexpected sensor reading, SafetySat will extend prongs in all directions to secure itself and any other cubesats safely in the launch vehicle until the source of the problem can be determined.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{w|CubeSat}} is a standard format for small satellites that can fit in a 10&times;10&times;10&nbsp;cm format with a mass of less than 1.3&nbsp;kg. They have been widely used by academics for research satellites, and by both small and large companies. CubeSats have been discussed both before and after this comic, in [[1866: Russell's Teapot]] and [[2148: Cubesat Launch]].<br />
<br />
CubeSats are often launched as an additional payload on commercial launches but also deployed from the {{w|International Space Station}} at the {{w|Kibo (ISS module)|Kibo-Module}} or other airlocks. All these satellites are orbiting the Earth in a low orbit and since they have no propulsion system they also become a part of {{w|space debris}} when they are out of control; eventually they will reenter earth's atmosphere without any further hazard.<br />
<br />
Only a few days before this comic was released the first interplanetary CubeSats called {{w|Mars Cube One}} was launched together with NASA's probe {{w|InSight}} (now offline) aiming to the planet {{w|Mars}}.<br />
<br />
One of Randall's influences in creating this comic may have been [https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/satellites/fcc-accuses-stealthy-startup-of-launching-rogue-satellites controversy surrounding a commercial launch of a sub-CubeSat sized pico-satellite] from a launch site in India, after the company had previously been denied launch permission within the US, due to safety concerns.<br />
<br />
There are multiple safety rules to ensure that the CubeSat cannot damage the primary payload. However, the joke in this comic is that [[Randall]]'s design seeks to break as many rules as possible.<br />
<br />
Items clockwise from top left:<br />
<br />
;Rare-Earth Magnets<br />
:Violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.10.<br />
:{{w|Rare-earth magnets}} are very powerful magnets that have a high likelihood of messing up the functioning of nearby electronics, like other CubeSats. It might also cause the CubeSat to stick to other satellites, as the {{w|M-Cubed}} and {{w|Explorer-1 Prime}} CubeSats did.<br />
<br />
;BIC Mini-Lighter<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.1.3, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:Fire source, resting on the can of crude oil. The pressurized butane could also make the lighter burst, but in space without oxygen the lighter never would ignite. And even if the inside of the CubeSat contains some oxygen in weightlessness a flame would go out very soon, of course if it set off the crude oil or the guncotton then it would not matter, as the CubeSat would be destroyed.<br />
<br />
;SDR/{{w|Software-Defined Radio}} (Code Editable via Public Wiki)<br />
:Violates Title 47 CFR Part 97 § 97.207(b), in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.4.3.2.1<br />
:A radio which can be programmed to broadcast and receive in a range of frequencies, and formats. Software-Defined Radios are useful for development of new or modified wireless protocols, as well as for monitoring the raw waveform data of a transmission regardless of the protocols used. The radio in this comic is stated to run firmware which can be modified from a publicly editable Wikipedia-style webpage. Since anyone could change the radio's instructions, the radio could interfere with other satellites, or with the launch vehicle. This counts as a huge security risk, as ''anyone'' could edit it.<br />
<br />
;Laser Pointers (Fixed)<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 8.2.2, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:These three laser points will effectively point in 3 different random directions, which is not safe for other objects around this Cubesat. It depends on the power of the laser pointers but, in general a laser over 5 mW can heat up and damage things given enough time.{{Actual citation needed|reason=Why is a laser pointer dangerous?|date=May 2018}} Of course, with the satellite being in orbit it could potentially mess up the optical sensors of other satellites, but it would be a matter of chance. This could also be a reference to the book ''What If?'', specifically the chapter ''Laser Pointer''.<br />
<br />
;Laser Pointer (Hubble-Seeking)<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 8.2.2, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:Aiming a laser at a visible light telescope is potentially destructive to the telescope in question by damaging its optical sensors. This is because CCD & CMOS image sensors are designed to detect finite light sources, concentrated & focused by an optical lens. Lasers produce high light levels well beyond the (comparatively) very low intensity light which astronomical image sensors are designed to detect; The energy of these excess photons can heat up the circuits between rows of photosensitive cells to the point where they overheat and fuse. For much the same reason, originates the phrase "do not stare into laser with remaining eye". Unlike the fixed laser pointers above, this one would track and aim a laser at the Hubble, with potentially disastrous results.<br />
<br />
;CFCs/Ozone-depleting CFC Spritzer<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.3, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:{{w|Chlorofluorocarbons}} (CFCs) are fully halogenated paraffin hydrocarbons that contain only carbon, chlorine, and fluorine, produced as volatile derivative of methane, ethane, and propane. {{w|Freon}} is a common example of a CFC, and the use of CFCs has been linked to a depletion of the Earth's {{w|ozone layer}} leading many countries to ban their use. Thus spritzing CFCs in an area relatively close to the Ozone layer may be a bad idea.<br />
<br />
;Celebratory Firework<br />
: Violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.3.<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 13.2, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:Explosive fire source that could hit other satellites in the vicinity; Also potentially breaking the adjacent seal & igniting the crude oil behind it, turning it into crude oil that is also on fire. Could also set off the guncotton and result in an explosion that destroys the satellite. At the very least, the off-axis position of the firework within the CubeSat would most likely send the satellite into an uncontrolled spin, upon celebratory launch. <br />
<br />
;{{w|Crude Oil}}<br />
: Violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.6<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.1.3, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
: § 3.1.6 permits 100 Wh of stored chemical energy, or about 9.8ml of crude oil. There appears to be more than that.<br />
<br />
;Volatile Epoxy Seal<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.1.3, 12.1, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:Epoxy is a substance composed of long-chain molecules which exhibit very strong adhesive bonds. Many mixtures of epoxy are flammable & produce hazardous fumes when burned. If this particular epoxy seal fails, everything within splatter range gets coated in flammable crude oil.<br />
<br />
;Guncotton<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.1.3, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:A form of {{w|nitrocellulose}}; an explosive. Could be set off by the firework, the crude oil, or the spark plug. Nitrocellulose {{w|Philae_(spacecraft)#Landing_events|does not work reliably in vacuum and possibly caused a failure of Philae space probe}}.<br />
<br />
;Americium corners<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 9.1.1, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:{{w|Americium}} is a very dense and radioactive substance. Depending on the amount of americium involved, this alone could shoot the mass over the 1.3 kg mass limit. The isotope <sup>241</sup>Am is used in smoke detectors but also proposed for use in {{w|Radioisotope thermoelectric generator|radioisotope thermoelectric generators}} in spaceflight.<br />
<br />
;Spark Plug<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.1.3, 10.1.4, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:Fire ignition source, if connected to electricity; excess mass if not. The electrodes on the spark plug are next to the guncotton which could ignite if the spark plug fires. Additionally, sparks cause electromagnetic interference and electrical shorts.<br />
<br />
;Solar Panel (Found)<br />
:The quality of the solar panel and the power it produces would have to be investigated thoroughly before being cleared for space flight. Also, it isn't clear on the design exactly what, if anything, it is supposed to power, or if it is just excess mass.<br />
<br />
;Batteries (eBay)<br />
:The quality of batteries bought on auction sites can vary widely, and certain batteries exposed to conditions outside their design specifications can {{w|Battery_(electricity)#Explosion|explode or leak corrosive chemicals}}. These batteries might also be connected to the adjacent spark plug. Non-rechargable commercial batteries may leak or explode if a recharge is attempted, so if this is the intention of the Solar Panel, these would escalate into an even greater risk.<br />
<br />
;Wet Sand Dispenser<br />
:Violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.2, 3.4.3<br />
:Possible reference to the {{w|Kessler syndrome}}, which refers to a hypothetical situation wherein there are enough objects floating around in low earth orbit that collisions between objects might result in a "domino effect," each collision causing more collisions and breaking objects into smaller pieces of space debris, which increase the likelihood of further collisions. Wet sand exhibits a high grip:slip ratio, where the surface tension of the water tends to make particulates clingy. Sand (silica granules) can be very harmful to a wide variety of systems, due to its hardness & abrasive qualities. Depending upon the pattern of water sublimation in either shaded or sunlit zones, the exact behavior of various quantities of "wet sand" in low Earth-orbital space might be of interest to the designers of this and of other spacecraft.<br />
<br />
;Title text<br />
:Violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.4.4<br />
:{{Wiktionary|prong|Prong}}s that extend in the event of an unexpected sensor reading at launch could damage the rocket and/or nearby CubeSats/payloads. That the CubeSat reacts to an "unexpected" sensor reading - which could include any number of readings that aren't actually a problem - is also funny, as is the fact that this is described as "safely" securing the CubeSat and any surrounding CubeSats. Along with this, it is not unlikely that this CubeSat might be the source of any internal problem that might arise; in such a situation, having such a dangerous CubeSat further secure itself would be counterproductive, if spitefully entertaining.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A prototype for a small cube-shaped "CubeSat" satellite, with labels on various components.]<br />
<br />
:[Labeled on top:]<br />
:Rare-Earth Magnets<br />
:Bic Mini Lighter<br />
:Software-Defined Radio (code editable via a public wiki)<br />
<br />
:[Labeled on right:]<br />
:Laser Pointers (fixed)<br />
:Laser Pointer (Hubble-seeking)<br />
:Ozone-Depleting CFC Spritzer<br />
<br />
:[Labeled on bottom:]<br />
:Celebratory Firework<br />
:Volatile Epoxy Seal<br />
:Filler (Guncotton)<br />
<br />
:[Labeled on left:]<br />
:Americium Corners<br />
:Spark Plug<br />
:Solar Panel (found)<br />
:Batteries (eBay)<br />
:Wet Sand Dispenser<br />
<br />
:[Labeled from within drawing in white text on top of a black rectangle:] <br />
:Crude Oil<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:My CubeSat proposal was the first to be rejected for violating every design and safety requirement simultaneously.<br />
<br />
== Trivia ==<br />
*The normal sized image was originally broken at [[xkcd]] and the BOT uploaded that image here. It was just a gigantic Γ shape at first (though with a rounded corner). The problem was fixed soon, but it happened later again at comic [[1994: Repairs]].<br />
<br />
This seems to appear at [[2765: Escape Speed]]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Space probes]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1992:_SafetySat&diff=3847421992: SafetySat2025-08-22T06:04:09Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* Trivia */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1992<br />
| date = May 11, 2018<br />
| title = SafetySat<br />
| image = safetysat.png<br />
| titletext = During launch, in the event of an unexpected sensor reading, SafetySat will extend prongs in all directions to secure itself and any other cubesats safely in the launch vehicle until the source of the problem can be determined.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{w|CubeSat}} is a standard format for small satellites that can fit in a 10&times;10&times;10&nbsp;cm format with a mass of less than 1.3&nbsp;kg. They have been widely used by academics for research satellites, and by both small and large companies. CubeSats have been discussed both before and after this comic, in [[1866: Russell's Teapot]] and [[2148: Cubesat Launch]].<br />
<br />
CubeSats are often launched as an additional payload on commercial launches but also deployed from the {{w|International Space Station}} at the {{w|Kibo (ISS module)|Kibo-Module}} or other airlocks. All these satellites are orbiting the Earth in a low orbit and since they have no propulsion system they also become a part of {{w|space debris}} when they are out of control; eventually they will reenter earth's atmosphere without any further hazard.<br />
<br />
Only a few days before this comic was released the first interplanetary CubeSats called {{w|Mars Cube One}} was launched together with NASA's probe {{w|InSight}} (now offline) aiming to the planet {{w|Mars}}.<br />
<br />
One of Randall's influences in creating this comic may have been [https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/satellites/fcc-accuses-stealthy-startup-of-launching-rogue-satellites controversy surrounding a commercial launch of a sub-CubeSat sized pico-satellite] from a launch site in India, after the company had previously been denied launch permission within the US, due to safety concerns.<br />
<br />
There are multiple safety rules to ensure that the CubeSat cannot damage the primary payload. However, the joke in this comic is that [[Randall]]'s design seeks to break as many rules as possible.<br />
<br />
Items clockwise from top left:<br />
<br />
;Rare-Earth Magnets<br />
:Violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.10.<br />
:{{w|Rare-earth magnets}} are very powerful magnets that have a high likelihood of messing up the functioning of nearby electronics, like other CubeSats. It might also cause the CubeSat to stick to other satellites, as the {{w|M-Cubed}} and {{w|Explorer-1 Prime}} CubeSats did.<br />
<br />
;BIC Mini-Lighter<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.1.3, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:Fire source, resting on the can of crude oil. The pressurized butane could also make the lighter burst, but in space without oxygen the lighter never would ignite. And even if the inside of the CubeSat contains some oxygen in weightlessness a flame would go out very soon, of course if it set off the crude oil or the guncotton then it would not matter, as the CubeSat would be destroyed.<br />
<br />
;SDR/{{w|Software-Defined Radio}} (Code Editable via Public Wiki)<br />
:Violates Title 47 CFR Part 97 § 97.207(b), in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.4.3.2.1<br />
:A radio which can be programmed to broadcast and receive in a range of frequencies, and formats. Software-Defined Radios are useful for development of new or modified wireless protocols, as well as for monitoring the raw waveform data of a transmission regardless of the protocols used. The radio in this comic is stated to run firmware which can be modified from a publicly editable Wikipedia-style webpage. Since anyone could change the radio's instructions, the radio could interfere with other satellites, or with the launch vehicle. This counts as a huge security risk, as ''anyone'' could edit it.<br />
<br />
;Laser Pointers (Fixed)<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 8.2.2, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:These three laser points will effectively point in 3 different random directions, which is not safe for other objects around this Cubesat. It depends on the power of the laser pointers but, in general a laser over 5 mW can heat up and damage things given enough time.{{Actual citation needed|reason=Why is a laser pointer dangerous?|date=May 2018}} Of course, with the satellite being in orbit it could potentially mess up the optical sensors of other satellites, but it would be a matter of chance. This could also be a reference to the book ''What If?'', specifically the chapter ''Laser Pointer''.<br />
<br />
;Laser Pointer (Hubble-Seeking)<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 8.2.2, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:Aiming a laser at a visible light telescope is potentially destructive to the telescope in question by damaging its optical sensors. This is because CCD & CMOS image sensors are designed to detect finite light sources, concentrated & focused by an optical lens. Lasers produce high light levels well beyond the (comparatively) very low intensity light which astronomical image sensors are designed to detect; The energy of these excess photons can heat up the circuits between rows of photosensitive cells to the point where they overheat and fuse. For much the same reason, originates the phrase "do not stare into laser with remaining eye". Unlike the fixed laser pointers above, this one would track and aim a laser at the Hubble, with potentially disastrous results.<br />
<br />
;CFCs/Ozone-depleting CFC Spritzer<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.3, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:{{w|Chlorofluorocarbons}} (CFCs) are fully halogenated paraffin hydrocarbons that contain only carbon, chlorine, and fluorine, produced as volatile derivative of methane, ethane, and propane. {{w|Freon}} is a common example of a CFC, and the use of CFCs has been linked to a depletion of the Earth's {{w|ozone layer}} leading many countries to ban their use. Thus spritzing CFCs in an area relatively close to the Ozone layer may be a bad idea.<br />
<br />
;Celebratory Firework<br />
: Violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.3.<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 13.2, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:Explosive fire source that could hit other satellites in the vicinity; Also potentially breaking the adjacent seal & igniting the crude oil behind it, turning it into crude oil that is also on fire. Could also set off the guncotton and result in an explosion that destroys the satellite. At the very least, the off-axis position of the firework within the CubeSat would most likely send the satellite into an uncontrolled spin, upon celebratory launch. <br />
<br />
;{{w|Crude Oil}}<br />
: Violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.6<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.1.3, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
: § 3.1.6 permits 100 Wh of stored chemical energy, or about 9.8ml of crude oil. There appears to be more than that.<br />
<br />
;Volatile Epoxy Seal<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.1.3, 12.1, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:Epoxy is a substance composed of long-chain molecules which exhibit very strong adhesive bonds. Many mixtures of epoxy are flammable & produce hazardous fumes when burned. If this particular epoxy seal fails, everything within splatter range gets coated in flammable crude oil.<br />
<br />
;Guncotton<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.1.3, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:A form of {{w|nitrocellulose}}; an explosive. Could be set off by the firework, the crude oil, or the spark plug. Nitrocellulose {{w|Philae_(spacecraft)#Landing_events|does not work reliably in vacuum and possibly caused a failure of Philae space probe}}.<br />
<br />
;Americium corners<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 9.1.1, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:{{w|Americium}} is a very dense and radioactive substance. Depending on the amount of americium involved, this alone could shoot the mass over the 1.3 kg mass limit. The isotope <sup>241</sup>Am is used in smoke detectors but also proposed for use in {{w|Radioisotope thermoelectric generator|radioisotope thermoelectric generators}} in spaceflight.<br />
<br />
;Spark Plug<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.1.3, 10.1.4, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:Fire ignition source, if connected to electricity; excess mass if not. The electrodes on the spark plug are next to the guncotton which could ignite if the spark plug fires. Additionally, sparks cause electromagnetic interference and electrical shorts.<br />
<br />
;Solar Panel (Found)<br />
:The quality of the solar panel and the power it produces would have to be investigated thoroughly before being cleared for space flight. Also, it isn't clear on the design exactly what, if anything, it is supposed to power, or if it is just excess mass.<br />
<br />
;Batteries (eBay)<br />
:The quality of batteries bought on auction sites can vary widely, and certain batteries exposed to conditions outside their design specifications can {{w|Battery_(electricity)#Explosion|explode or leak corrosive chemicals}}. These batteries might also be connected to the adjacent spark plug. Non-rechargable commercial batteries may leak or explode if a recharge is attempted, so if this is the intention of the Solar Panel, these would escalate into an even greater risk.<br />
<br />
;Wet Sand Dispenser<br />
:Violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.2, 3.4.3<br />
:Possible reference to the {{w|Kessler syndrome}}, which refers to a hypothetical situation wherein there are enough objects floating around in low earth orbit that collisions between objects might result in a "domino effect," each collision causing more collisions and breaking objects into smaller pieces of space debris, which increase the likelihood of further collisions. Wet sand exhibits a high grip:slip ratio, where the surface tension of the water tends to make particulates clingy. Sand (silica granules) can be very harmful to a wide variety of systems, due to its hardness & abrasive qualities. Depending upon the pattern of water sublimation in either shaded or sunlit zones, the exact behavior of various quantities of "wet sand" in low Earth-orbital space might be of interest to the designers of this and of other spacecraft.<br />
<br />
;Title text<br />
:Violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.4.4<br />
:{{Wiktionary|prong|Prong}}s that extend in the event of an unexpected sensor reading at launch could damage the rocket and/or nearby CubeSats/payloads. That the CubeSat reacts to an "unexpected" sensor reading - which could include any number of readings that aren't actually a problem - is also funny, as is the fact that this is described as "safely" securing the CubeSat and any surrounding CubeSats. Along with this, it is not unlikely that this CubeSat might be the source of any internal problem that might arise; in such a situation, having such a dangerous CubeSat further secure itself would be counterproductive, if spitefully entertaining.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A prototype for a small cube-shaped "CubeSat" satellite, with labels on various components.]<br />
<br />
:[Labeled on top:]<br />
:Rare-Earth Magnets<br />
:Bic Mini Lighter<br />
:Software-Defined Radio (code editable via a public wiki)<br />
<br />
:[Labeled on right:]<br />
:Laser Pointers (fixed)<br />
:Laser Pointer (Hubble-seeking)<br />
:Ozone-Depleting CFC Spritzer<br />
<br />
:[Labeled on bottom:]<br />
:Celebratory Firework<br />
:Volatile Epoxy Seal<br />
:Filler (Guncotton)<br />
<br />
:[Labeled on left:]<br />
:Americium Corners<br />
:Spark Plug<br />
:Solar Panel (found)<br />
:Batteries (eBay)<br />
:Wet Sand Dispenser<br />
<br />
:[Labeled from within drawing in white text on top of a black rectangle:] <br />
:Crude Oil<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:My CubeSat proposal was the first to be rejected for violating every design and safety requirement simultaneously.<br />
<br />
== Trivia ==<br />
*The normal sized image was originally broken at [[xkcd]] and the BOT uploaded that image here. It was just a gigantic Γ shape at first (though with a rounded corner). The problem was fixed soon, but it happened later again at comic [[1994: Repairs]].<br />
<br />
This seems to appear at [[2765:Escape Speed]]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Space probes]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1992:_SafetySat&diff=3847411992: SafetySat2025-08-22T06:02:44Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* Trivia */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1992<br />
| date = May 11, 2018<br />
| title = SafetySat<br />
| image = safetysat.png<br />
| titletext = During launch, in the event of an unexpected sensor reading, SafetySat will extend prongs in all directions to secure itself and any other cubesats safely in the launch vehicle until the source of the problem can be determined.<br />
}}<br />
<br />
==Explanation==<br />
{{w|CubeSat}} is a standard format for small satellites that can fit in a 10&times;10&times;10&nbsp;cm format with a mass of less than 1.3&nbsp;kg. They have been widely used by academics for research satellites, and by both small and large companies. CubeSats have been discussed both before and after this comic, in [[1866: Russell's Teapot]] and [[2148: Cubesat Launch]].<br />
<br />
CubeSats are often launched as an additional payload on commercial launches but also deployed from the {{w|International Space Station}} at the {{w|Kibo (ISS module)|Kibo-Module}} or other airlocks. All these satellites are orbiting the Earth in a low orbit and since they have no propulsion system they also become a part of {{w|space debris}} when they are out of control; eventually they will reenter earth's atmosphere without any further hazard.<br />
<br />
Only a few days before this comic was released the first interplanetary CubeSats called {{w|Mars Cube One}} was launched together with NASA's probe {{w|InSight}} (now offline) aiming to the planet {{w|Mars}}.<br />
<br />
One of Randall's influences in creating this comic may have been [https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/satellites/fcc-accuses-stealthy-startup-of-launching-rogue-satellites controversy surrounding a commercial launch of a sub-CubeSat sized pico-satellite] from a launch site in India, after the company had previously been denied launch permission within the US, due to safety concerns.<br />
<br />
There are multiple safety rules to ensure that the CubeSat cannot damage the primary payload. However, the joke in this comic is that [[Randall]]'s design seeks to break as many rules as possible.<br />
<br />
Items clockwise from top left:<br />
<br />
;Rare-Earth Magnets<br />
:Violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.10.<br />
:{{w|Rare-earth magnets}} are very powerful magnets that have a high likelihood of messing up the functioning of nearby electronics, like other CubeSats. It might also cause the CubeSat to stick to other satellites, as the {{w|M-Cubed}} and {{w|Explorer-1 Prime}} CubeSats did.<br />
<br />
;BIC Mini-Lighter<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.1.3, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:Fire source, resting on the can of crude oil. The pressurized butane could also make the lighter burst, but in space without oxygen the lighter never would ignite. And even if the inside of the CubeSat contains some oxygen in weightlessness a flame would go out very soon, of course if it set off the crude oil or the guncotton then it would not matter, as the CubeSat would be destroyed.<br />
<br />
;SDR/{{w|Software-Defined Radio}} (Code Editable via Public Wiki)<br />
:Violates Title 47 CFR Part 97 § 97.207(b), in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.4.3.2.1<br />
:A radio which can be programmed to broadcast and receive in a range of frequencies, and formats. Software-Defined Radios are useful for development of new or modified wireless protocols, as well as for monitoring the raw waveform data of a transmission regardless of the protocols used. The radio in this comic is stated to run firmware which can be modified from a publicly editable Wikipedia-style webpage. Since anyone could change the radio's instructions, the radio could interfere with other satellites, or with the launch vehicle. This counts as a huge security risk, as ''anyone'' could edit it.<br />
<br />
;Laser Pointers (Fixed)<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 8.2.2, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:These three laser points will effectively point in 3 different random directions, which is not safe for other objects around this Cubesat. It depends on the power of the laser pointers but, in general a laser over 5 mW can heat up and damage things given enough time.{{Actual citation needed|reason=Why is a laser pointer dangerous?|date=May 2018}} Of course, with the satellite being in orbit it could potentially mess up the optical sensors of other satellites, but it would be a matter of chance. This could also be a reference to the book ''What If?'', specifically the chapter ''Laser Pointer''.<br />
<br />
;Laser Pointer (Hubble-Seeking)<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 8.2.2, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:Aiming a laser at a visible light telescope is potentially destructive to the telescope in question by damaging its optical sensors. This is because CCD & CMOS image sensors are designed to detect finite light sources, concentrated & focused by an optical lens. Lasers produce high light levels well beyond the (comparatively) very low intensity light which astronomical image sensors are designed to detect; The energy of these excess photons can heat up the circuits between rows of photosensitive cells to the point where they overheat and fuse. For much the same reason, originates the phrase "do not stare into laser with remaining eye". Unlike the fixed laser pointers above, this one would track and aim a laser at the Hubble, with potentially disastrous results.<br />
<br />
;CFCs/Ozone-depleting CFC Spritzer<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.3, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:{{w|Chlorofluorocarbons}} (CFCs) are fully halogenated paraffin hydrocarbons that contain only carbon, chlorine, and fluorine, produced as volatile derivative of methane, ethane, and propane. {{w|Freon}} is a common example of a CFC, and the use of CFCs has been linked to a depletion of the Earth's {{w|ozone layer}} leading many countries to ban their use. Thus spritzing CFCs in an area relatively close to the Ozone layer may be a bad idea.<br />
<br />
;Celebratory Firework<br />
: Violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.3.<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 13.2, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:Explosive fire source that could hit other satellites in the vicinity; Also potentially breaking the adjacent seal & igniting the crude oil behind it, turning it into crude oil that is also on fire. Could also set off the guncotton and result in an explosion that destroys the satellite. At the very least, the off-axis position of the firework within the CubeSat would most likely send the satellite into an uncontrolled spin, upon celebratory launch. <br />
<br />
;{{w|Crude Oil}}<br />
: Violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.6<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.1.3, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
: § 3.1.6 permits 100 Wh of stored chemical energy, or about 9.8ml of crude oil. There appears to be more than that.<br />
<br />
;Volatile Epoxy Seal<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.1.3, 12.1, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:Epoxy is a substance composed of long-chain molecules which exhibit very strong adhesive bonds. Many mixtures of epoxy are flammable & produce hazardous fumes when burned. If this particular epoxy seal fails, everything within splatter range gets coated in flammable crude oil.<br />
<br />
;Guncotton<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.1.3, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:A form of {{w|nitrocellulose}}; an explosive. Could be set off by the firework, the crude oil, or the spark plug. Nitrocellulose {{w|Philae_(spacecraft)#Landing_events|does not work reliably in vacuum and possibly caused a failure of Philae space probe}}.<br />
<br />
;Americium corners<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 9.1.1, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:{{w|Americium}} is a very dense and radioactive substance. Depending on the amount of americium involved, this alone could shoot the mass over the 1.3 kg mass limit. The isotope <sup>241</sup>Am is used in smoke detectors but also proposed for use in {{w|Radioisotope thermoelectric generator|radioisotope thermoelectric generators}} in spaceflight.<br />
<br />
;Spark Plug<br />
: Does not conform to AFSPCMAN 91-710, Volume 3 § 10.1.3, 10.1.4, in turn violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.7<br />
:Fire ignition source, if connected to electricity; excess mass if not. The electrodes on the spark plug are next to the guncotton which could ignite if the spark plug fires. Additionally, sparks cause electromagnetic interference and electrical shorts.<br />
<br />
;Solar Panel (Found)<br />
:The quality of the solar panel and the power it produces would have to be investigated thoroughly before being cleared for space flight. Also, it isn't clear on the design exactly what, if anything, it is supposed to power, or if it is just excess mass.<br />
<br />
;Batteries (eBay)<br />
:The quality of batteries bought on auction sites can vary widely, and certain batteries exposed to conditions outside their design specifications can {{w|Battery_(electricity)#Explosion|explode or leak corrosive chemicals}}. These batteries might also be connected to the adjacent spark plug. Non-rechargable commercial batteries may leak or explode if a recharge is attempted, so if this is the intention of the Solar Panel, these would escalate into an even greater risk.<br />
<br />
;Wet Sand Dispenser<br />
:Violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.1.2, 3.4.3<br />
:Possible reference to the {{w|Kessler syndrome}}, which refers to a hypothetical situation wherein there are enough objects floating around in low earth orbit that collisions between objects might result in a "domino effect," each collision causing more collisions and breaking objects into smaller pieces of space debris, which increase the likelihood of further collisions. Wet sand exhibits a high grip:slip ratio, where the surface tension of the water tends to make particulates clingy. Sand (silica granules) can be very harmful to a wide variety of systems, due to its hardness & abrasive qualities. Depending upon the pattern of water sublimation in either shaded or sunlit zones, the exact behavior of various quantities of "wet sand" in low Earth-orbital space might be of interest to the designers of this and of other spacecraft.<br />
<br />
;Title text<br />
:Violates CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 13 § 3.4.4<br />
:{{Wiktionary|prong|Prong}}s that extend in the event of an unexpected sensor reading at launch could damage the rocket and/or nearby CubeSats/payloads. That the CubeSat reacts to an "unexpected" sensor reading - which could include any number of readings that aren't actually a problem - is also funny, as is the fact that this is described as "safely" securing the CubeSat and any surrounding CubeSats. Along with this, it is not unlikely that this CubeSat might be the source of any internal problem that might arise; in such a situation, having such a dangerous CubeSat further secure itself would be counterproductive, if spitefully entertaining.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[A prototype for a small cube-shaped "CubeSat" satellite, with labels on various components.]<br />
<br />
:[Labeled on top:]<br />
:Rare-Earth Magnets<br />
:Bic Mini Lighter<br />
:Software-Defined Radio (code editable via a public wiki)<br />
<br />
:[Labeled on right:]<br />
:Laser Pointers (fixed)<br />
:Laser Pointer (Hubble-seeking)<br />
:Ozone-Depleting CFC Spritzer<br />
<br />
:[Labeled on bottom:]<br />
:Celebratory Firework<br />
:Volatile Epoxy Seal<br />
:Filler (Guncotton)<br />
<br />
:[Labeled on left:]<br />
:Americium Corners<br />
:Spark Plug<br />
:Solar Panel (found)<br />
:Batteries (eBay)<br />
:Wet Sand Dispenser<br />
<br />
:[Labeled from within drawing in white text on top of a black rectangle:] <br />
:Crude Oil<br />
<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:My CubeSat proposal was the first to be rejected for violating every design and safety requirement simultaneously.<br />
<br />
== Trivia ==<br />
*The normal sized image was originally broken at [[xkcd]] and the BOT uploaded that image here. It was just a gigantic Γ shape at first (though with a rounded corner). The problem was fixed soon, but it happened later again at comic [[1994: Repairs]].<br />
<br />
This seems to appear at [[escape speed]]<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Space probes]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:DollarStoreBa%27al&diff=384434User talk:DollarStoreBa'al2025-08-18T15:08:27Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div>Hi! Talk here if you want, my life is ever-changing. swears are fine :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
{{Whale}}<br />
<br />
<br />
==General Chitchat and such==<br />
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)<br />
<br />
:Thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 19:11, 25 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
:hi btw :) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:11, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
::hello, how are you doing this fine morning, my dear fellow? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:03, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Hiyo==<br />
: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)<br />
:: Bello. me editor guy who edit much. edit fun! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:00, 3 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::hahahahaha edit fun indeed. [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:20, 4 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Question: How do you add those user boxes that you have on your page? Those would be nice to have. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:52, 6 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::copy and paste this and remove the nowiki tag: <br />
<br />
<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:<br />
<br />
<nowiki>{{Userbox | border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = ;) | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|This user _____ ]] | float = left}}</nowiki><br />
<br />
[[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:50, 11 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::Dude thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 13:48, 17 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::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)<br />
<br />
==Wow==<br />
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)<br />
:Yes. Yes you are. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:43, 25 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::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)<br />
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::: No need. Also, I see you're from Louisiana. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 03:44, 29 March 2025 (UTC)]]<br />
::::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)<br />
<br />
==The 5s and Es and Os==<br />
Reply to this if you've figured out what the meaning of the thingy on my user page is.<br />
:it's base 3 [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 09:07, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: :O [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:31, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: Nope! I'll give you a hint: talk to sam. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 14:33, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
https://voca.ro/1Akmh0zRqa8Q [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 16:02, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:uhhh...[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 20:41, 11 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
::sorry, that's not it. Don't know what to say to that.[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:54, 14 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
You have one week! Hint: beep boooop --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 16:30, 6 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Morse code? [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 19:33, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Morse code of what? You are very, very close.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:47, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 14:44, 13 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:It's better than [[2869: Puzzles]] [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 11:11, 14 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Want to do some repetitive work? ==<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
:What exactly would I be doing to get these features to work? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::If it isn't super-complex wikitext things I can totally help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]</sup> 19:21, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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.<br />
[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1:_Barrel_-_Part_1&diff=374851&oldid=373457 You can follow this example]. The steps are:<br />
<br />
Start from [[4|comic number 4]]:<br />
#Based on the short sentence written above the explanation, add "ognumber =", "ogprev =", and "ognext =" (so the navbar can work)<br />
#Add "oglink =", and move ONLY the link from "before" to "oglink" (so from HTTPS://..... until the end of the link, move that to "oglink")<br />
#Now, from the edit preview, copy the original title.<br />
#Delete everything in "before =" now that you moved the link<br />
#Add "ogtitle =" and paste the original title that you copied.<br />
#Finally, in "titletext", add two couples of apostrophes (<nowiki>''</nowiki>) in these places: https://imgur.com/a/BewKKr1<br />
#Now save the changes, and click the new white "Next >" button you just created to go to the next one!<br />
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)<br />
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me am do. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[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]</sup></sup> 20:51, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
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Hey, I don't really understand where I'm supposed to put these. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:01, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Nevermind, I got this. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:05, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
: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.<br />
:I'll let you know when you can continue. Thanks! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 21:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
alright, sounds good! Dang tho. Let me know and I'll get right back to it. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 13:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
::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)<br />
:::So sorry about that, I noticed those random Html elements. Thought they were part of the bug. oops. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:16pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 22:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::No worries! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 11:05, 26 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
==My Mistakes==<br />
=== Your signature is in violation of {{w|WP:SIGAPP}} ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
Changed to 14pt. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:14pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 13:02, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
FINE --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:14, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
:: I thought the issue was the height? Doesn't the wiki use 12pt font, which that Sig is? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:27, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::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)<br />
<br />
=== Mass-deleting links ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
===Creating someone's User pages, without being asked===<br />
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)<br />
:Yup, I also pointed it out. In case you missed my reply to your message, here's a copy: <br />
:”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)<br />
::Sorry about that. Just trying to help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:34, 28 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
=== NEWS ===<br />
<br />
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?<br />
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:48, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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]]<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
=== Why [...] is DSBContribs a thing? ===<br />
<br />
Did you seriously have to create a page in the main namespace with the sole purpose of redirecting to your user contributions page?<br />
<br />
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).<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
::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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::: Hi, it's me (on a different IP because I'm at home now).<br />
:::: I'm sorry for being so aggressive in my original comment, I thought you were a grown adult, not a teen. ("think is an 8-year old" is incorrect btw, I was saying you were "acting like an 8 year old", but that itself was too harsh).<br />
:::: I made stupid mistakes too when I was around your age, and I should have assumed good faith rather than take such an aggressive tone.<br />
:::: Sorry for that, and good luck with school! [[Special:Contributions/90.219.64.93|90.219.64.93]] 13:50, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::: I accept your apology with open arms. I truly hope we can work together to improve the wiki in the future. Best regards, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:11, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==excuse me==<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
==template==<br />
<br />
What is a template? What’s a {{Trout}} and {{Whale}}?<br />
<br><br />
If it looks weird, click edit [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 12:20, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:41, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::how can I create one? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:21, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::Here's something that may be able to help: {{AprilFoolsHelp}} --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:43, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::thxxxxxxxxx [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::You are very welcome! I hope you are excited to start contributing to the wiki! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::By the way, please don't be afraid to ask me any questions at all. If I can, I will help! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:48, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::::{{Thx$store}}, which is <nowiki>{{Thx$store}}</nowiki> (if I can call you that)<br />
<br />
==Template Tips==<br />
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:<br />
*Templates are easy to create.<br />
*It's useful to learn from other templates.<br />
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.<br />
: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.<br />
:To the above, I'd add:<br />
:*Know what purpose your template will have.<br />
: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.<br />
: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'.<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
:While this is very useful, it would be nice if you posted this on [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!]]'s talk page. He's the one learning the ropes, and it would probably be very useful to him. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 17:47, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Requests/favors==<br />
If you need anything done, reach out to me! I'll let you know what I can do to help you! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:49, 15 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hi [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]], are you good enough to have the link to my user page? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 01:57, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:I did all that and didn't realize you'd moved it. You would just need to type <code><nowiki>[[explain xkcd:User: Aprilfoolsupdate!]]</nowiki></code> to link to that page directly. For a custom title, insert a pipe after the page name, and type what the custom link should be (e.g.<code><nowiki>[[explain xkcd:User: Aprilfoolsupdate!|April Fools Update!]]</nowiki></code> --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 12:58, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
"::These would appear as [[explain xkcd:User: Aprilfoolsupdate!]] and [[explain xkcd:User: Aprilfoolsupdate!|April Fools Update!]] respectively. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 12:58, 18 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Can you delete those? I prefer if no one sees them [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 15:08, 18 August 2025 (UTC)</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:DollarStoreBa%27al&diff=384415User talk:DollarStoreBa'al2025-08-18T01:57:35Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: /* Requests/favors */</p>
<hr />
<div>Hi! Talk here if you want, my life is ever-changing. swears are fine :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
{{Whale}}<br />
<br />
<br />
==General Chitchat and such==<br />
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)<br />
<br />
:Thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 19:11, 25 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
:hi btw :) [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:11, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
::hello, how are you doing this fine morning, my dear fellow? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:03, 27 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Hiyo==<br />
: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)<br />
:: Bello. me editor guy who edit much. edit fun! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:00, 3 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::hahahahaha edit fun indeed. [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:20, 4 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::::Question: How do you add those user boxes that you have on your page? Those would be nice to have. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 16:52, 6 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::copy and paste this and remove the nowiki tag: <br />
<br />
<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:<br />
<br />
<nowiki>{{Userbox | border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = ;) | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|This user _____ ]] | float = left}}</nowiki><br />
<br />
[[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:50, 11 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::Dude thanks! [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 13:48, 17 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::::::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)<br />
<br />
==Wow==<br />
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)<br />
:Yes. Yes you are. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:43, 25 March 2025 (UTC)<br />
::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)<br />
<br />
::: No need. Also, I see you're from Louisiana. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 03:44, 29 March 2025 (UTC)]]<br />
::::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)<br />
<br />
==The 5s and Es and Os==<br />
Reply to this if you've figured out what the meaning of the thingy on my user page is.<br />
:it's base 3 [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 09:07, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: :O [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 14:31, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:: Nope! I'll give you a hint: talk to sam. [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 14:33, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
https://voca.ro/1Akmh0zRqa8Q [[User:CalibansCreations|'''<span style="color:#ff0000;">Caliban</span>''']] ([[User talk:CalibansCreations|talk]]) 16:02, 9 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
:uhhh...[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 20:41, 11 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
::sorry, that's not it. Don't know what to say to that.[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:54, 14 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
You have one week! Hint: beep boooop --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 16:30, 6 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:Morse code? [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 19:33, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::Morse code of what? You are very, very close.--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:47, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 14:44, 13 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:It's better than [[2869: Puzzles]] [[User:BobcatInABox|BobcatInABox]] ([[User talk:BobcatInABox|talk]]) 11:11, 14 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
== Want to do some repetitive work? ==<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
:What exactly would I be doing to get these features to work? [[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 17:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::If it isn't super-complex wikitext things I can totally help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]</sup> 19:21, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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.<br />
[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1:_Barrel_-_Part_1&diff=374851&oldid=373457 You can follow this example]. The steps are:<br />
<br />
Start from [[4|comic number 4]]:<br />
#Based on the short sentence written above the explanation, add "ognumber =", "ogprev =", and "ognext =" (so the navbar can work)<br />
#Add "oglink =", and move ONLY the link from "before" to "oglink" (so from HTTPS://..... until the end of the link, move that to "oglink")<br />
#Now, from the edit preview, copy the original title.<br />
#Delete everything in "before =" now that you moved the link<br />
#Add "ogtitle =" and paste the original title that you copied.<br />
#Finally, in "titletext", add two couples of apostrophes (<nowiki>''</nowiki>) in these places: https://imgur.com/a/BewKKr1<br />
#Now save the changes, and click the new white "Next >" button you just created to go to the next one!<br />
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)<br />
<br />
me am do. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[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]</sup></sup> 20:51, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
Hey, I don't really understand where I'm supposed to put these. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:01, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Nevermind, I got this. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 21:05, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
: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.<br />
:I'll let you know when you can continue. Thanks! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 21:18, 24 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
alright, sounds good! Dang tho. Let me know and I'll get right back to it. --[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |DollarStoreBa'al]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al | Converse]]<sup>[https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa%27al My life choices]</sup></sup> 13:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
::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)<br />
:::So sorry about that, I noticed those random Html elements. Thought they were part of the bug. oops. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:16pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 22:45, 25 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::No worries! --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 11:05, 26 April 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
<br />
==My Mistakes==<br />
=== Your signature is in violation of {{w|WP:SIGAPP}} ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
Changed to 14pt. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:14pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 13:02, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
FINE --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:14, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
:: I thought the issue was the height? Doesn't the wiki use 12pt font, which that Sig is? --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 15:27, 1 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::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)<br />
<br />
=== Mass-deleting links ===<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
===Creating someone's User pages, without being asked===<br />
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)<br />
:Yup, I also pointed it out. In case you missed my reply to your message, here's a copy: <br />
:”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)<br />
::Sorry about that. Just trying to help! --[[User:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|DollarStoreBa&#39;al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa&#39;al|talk]]) 15:34, 28 February 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
=== NEWS ===<br />
<br />
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?<br />
--'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 20:48, 8 May 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
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]]<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
=== Why [...] is DSBContribs a thing? ===<br />
<br />
Did you seriously have to create a page in the main namespace with the sole purpose of redirecting to your user contributions page?<br />
<br />
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).<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
::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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[DSBContribs |'''''My life choices''''']] 05:01, 6 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::: Hi, it's me (on a different IP because I'm at home now).<br />
:::: I'm sorry for being so aggressive in my original comment, I thought you were a grown adult, not a teen. ("think is an 8-year old" is incorrect btw, I was saying you were "acting like an 8 year old", but that itself was too harsh).<br />
:::: I made stupid mistakes too when I was around your age, and I should have assumed good faith rather than take such an aggressive tone.<br />
:::: Sorry for that, and good luck with school! [[Special:Contributions/90.219.64.93|90.219.64.93]] 13:50, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::: I accept your apology with open arms. I truly hope we can work together to improve the wiki in the future. Best regards, --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:11, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==excuse me==<br />
<br />
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)<br />
<br />
==template==<br />
<br />
What is a template? What’s a {{Trout}} and {{Whale}}?<br />
<br><br />
If it looks weird, click edit [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 12:20, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
: 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 |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:41, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::how can I create one? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:21, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::Here's something that may be able to help: {{AprilFoolsHelp}} --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:43, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::thxxxxxxxxx [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::You are very welcome! I hope you are excited to start contributing to the wiki! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:46, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
::::::By the way, please don't be afraid to ask me any questions at all. If I can, I will help! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 13:48, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
:::::::{{Thx$store}}, which is <nowiki>{{Thx$store}}</nowiki> (if I can call you that)<br />
<br />
==Template Tips==<br />
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:<br />
*Templates are easy to create.<br />
*It's useful to learn from other templates.<br />
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.<br />
: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.<br />
:To the above, I'd add:<br />
:*Know what purpose your template will have.<br />
: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.<br />
: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'.<br />
: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)<br />
<br />
:While this is very useful, it would be nice if you posted this on [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!]]'s talk page. He's the one learning the ropes, and it would probably be very useful to him. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 17:47, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
==Requests/favors==<br />
If you need anything done, reach out to me! I'll let you know what I can do to help you! --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 19:49, 15 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
<br />
Hi [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]], are you good enough to have the link to my user page? [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 01:57, 18 August 2025 (UTC)</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=384414User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-08-18T01:43:19Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div>Haha nice try</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=384413User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-08-18T01:42:45Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div>Hi guys I just moved my page.</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=384412User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-08-18T01:40:39Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[explain xkcd:User: Aprilfoolsupdate!]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=explain_xkcd:User:_Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=384408explain xkcd:User: Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-08-18T01:36:59Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: Aprilfoolsupdate! moved page User:Aprilfoolsupdate! to explain xkcd:User: Aprilfoolsupdate!: Just want to hide</p>
<hr />
<div><table class="infobox vcard"><br />
<tr><th colspan=2 class="fn" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; background-color:#BCD4E6;">Aprilfoolsupdate!</th></tr><br />
<tr><td colspan="2" class="{{{class|}}}" style="text-align:center; {{{headerstyle|}}}"><br />
<div><center><i>Aprilfoolsupdate!</i></center></div></td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Born date</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Not telling</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Planet</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">Earth {{Citation needed}}</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Language</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">English</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<th scope="row" style="text-align:left; line-height: 1.3em;">Stellar system</th><br />
<td class="{{{class|}}}" style="line-height: 1.3em;">The solar system</td></tr><br />
<tr class="{{{rowclass|}}}"><br />
<br><br />
Wow what? I can create my user page now! Yay! (And don’t edit my user page)<br />
<br><br />
==About me==<br />
very basic knowledge of html, like to use <nowiki><br></nowiki>. I want others to reply ASAP, but I want to have the last word, but I still want them to reply.<br />
<br><br />
==My signature==<br />
[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) <br />
<br><br />
I like my signature, don’t touch it.<br />
<br><br />
==Just a bunch of thanks to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
Thanks a lot to [[User:DollarStoreBa'al | DollarStoreBa'al]] for teaching me to make a template!<br />
<br><br />
{{Thx$store}}<br />
<br><br />
<br />
{{Userbox | border-c = #033 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = THX | info = [[User:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]] | float = right}}<br />
<br />
==My FFA sandboxxxxx==<br />
[[user:Aprilfoolsupdate!/Sandbox | sandboxxxxxxxxxxx]]<br />
<br><br />
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==User page creation==<br />
Tell me in the [[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]] page if you want to have your user page created.<br />
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==Leaderboard for top 50:==<br />
{{Special:ContributionScores/50/7/nosort,notools}}<br />
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==the leaderboard that is barely known==<br />
[[Special:ContributionScores#All time (Top 50)|This Leaderboard]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=384409User:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-08-18T01:36:59Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: Aprilfoolsupdate! moved page User:Aprilfoolsupdate! to explain xkcd:User: Aprilfoolsupdate!: Just want to hide</p>
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<div>#REDIRECT [[explain xkcd:User: Aprilfoolsupdate!]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=explain_xkcd_talk:User:_Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=384410explain xkcd talk:User: Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-08-18T01:36:59Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: Aprilfoolsupdate! moved page User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate! to explain xkcd talk:User: Aprilfoolsupdate!: Just want to hide</p>
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<div>==If you want your user page created, tell me==<br />
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==Talking with [[user:DollarStoreBa'al| DollarStoreBa'al]]==<br />
No way am I that cool man. <br />
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By the way, here's a way to create a userbox:<br />
{Userbox | border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | id = ;) | info = <nowiki>[[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!|This user _____ ]]</nowiki> | float = left}}. Thank [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher]] for this, I learned it from him. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:05, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:Oh, I'm sorry. Misunderstood your request. Userboxes are used on user pages to add supplemental information. I have one or two on my user page if you want to look at those. By the way, I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'the numbers'. Please clarify if you can. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:09, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::like these numbers <nowiki> border-c = #255 | border-s = 1 | info-s = 9 | </nowiki> [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 14:18, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:::border-c controls the color of the userboxes border, between 1 and 255. Border-s is the thickness of the border. info-s is the font of the text inside the userbox... I think. Honestly not sure. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:22, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::::Thanks anyway [[User:Aprilfoolsupdate!| <sup>April</sup><sub>fools</sub><sup><sub>update</sub></sup>!]]([[User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!|talk]]) 14:24, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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:::::You're welcome! Always happy to help. --'''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al |<span style="font-family:Atomic Age;font-size:12pt;color:red;">DollarStoreBa'al</span>]]<sup>[[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al |'''''Converse''''']]</sup>[[Special:Contributions/DollarStoreBa'al|'''''My life choices''''']] 14:28, 7 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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== Can we help you..? ==<br />
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So, {{template|brda}} seems to have been an experiment. To what end? Can we help you make your original idea work? [[Special:Contributions/92.23.2.228|92.23.2.228]] 17:26, 10 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
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::I just don’t want to write the link down so I used a template. I just don’t understand what does that picture mean, and I need someone to help me explain.<br />
::: *cringe* ...well, hope you can use what I gave you over on the other page, then.<br />
:::Slightly more confused, myself, about the need for a template. Thought you'd maybe be wanting to include the image (ebedded, or as a link) in a signature or even something you'd want to manually enter in multiple places. Never mind. [[Special:Contributions/92.23.2.228|92.23.2.228]] 00:18, 11 August 2025 (UTC)<br />
:::I'll go further, in explaining this. '''It might look complicated''', but [[3126: Disclaimer|that's just the way I am]], and you might even understand it so well that you can spot several errors I made in writing it. (I claim no monopoly on understanding, or even infallibility.) If not, it's here for re-reading later.<br />
:::Whatever 'pops out' of a template appears on the page that calls it. If you "subst:" it, it works that thing out and makes it permanent, otherwise whenever you browse the calling page it asks the template what it currently says and uses that.<br />
:::You can use potentially complicated dynamic 'markup' in your template that you ''could'' have used directly in the outer page, but don't want to have to apply each time. Or use the template in multiple places and don't want to have to re-edit each instance if you ever need to change it... instead just change the template and (as long as you didn't subst: it, of course) it gets corrected everywhere it gets used. And, you can pass parameters to the template, which can be used in the dynamic logic of how it presents itself in any particular use, so you can have it do "sort of the same thing", but differently according to the situation.<br />
:::#A simple example of the first is {{template|Citation needed}}, which easily inserts the 'fake <sup>&#91;[[285: Wikipedian Protester#top|''citation&nbsp;needed'']]&#93;</sup> text', without having to worry about re-writing it accurately enough every time.<br />
:::#A very common example of the second is {{template|LATESTCOMIC}} which is asked to hold the very latest comic number. At the time of writing, 3126, at the time of reading, {{LATESTCOMIC}}. Right now, those two values will appear identical, but I used the "subst:" on the first one, as I did the "Citation needed", so that whatever is current is inserted as if I wrote it straight. Once the next comic gets added to the wiki, the second number will change, and keep changing, without me ever re-editing this page.<br />
:::#Probably the example of the third type that you will have noticed (maybe even used) more is the {{template|w}} template for 'easy' wikipedia linking. Though as every single comic page uses the {{template|comic}} template at its start (so complicated, with so many parameters, you may not have realised that it is even a {{}}-thing!), that's one example of how each individual use of a given template can give you subtly (or very! or anywhere inbetween...) different looks in different places.<br />
:::#*On top of that, there is internal dynamic markup that looks at ''what page it is being called from'' (or with a more simple markup, whether it's being viewed directly or transposed into a 'parent' page, or ''only'' being seen when transposed into a 'parent' page), so it can (for example) stop some aspects of text in a Comic page (of the latest comic) from being seen alongside the rest when it is inserted into the Main wiki page.<br />
:::As you can see, '''this can get complicated''', especially when templates do multiple or all of the above, at the same time. I'm not expecting you to take in the full potential of what templates are useful for, just trying to give you an indication of what they are used and useful for.<br />
:::Meanwhile, you had to 'write down' the link in {{template|brda}} in order to ''not'' write down the link in the place(s) you 'wrote down' the template instead. And, testing it (or maybe initialising it, as a red link) aside, the only place it seems you wanted it to be 'wrote down, but not by writing it down' was on the question in the Portal page. It saved you no work (or difficulty), and in fact slowed things down compared to just using it straight. So it didn't help you with point #1, above.<br />
:::Similarly, while you ''could'' have intended it to perhaps say "the thing I currently most want someone to explain is <insert latest thing>", where you just have to alter the <insert latest thing> elsewhere (without finding and editing where you mention it), it was named to suggest that you were never going to change the contents, referencing the current contents. And asking a question, getting answers then potentially 'silently' changing the question (but leaving the answers) isn't exactly useful. You'd be best to think of a different way of doing "At the moment, I'm most interested in <insert latest thing>" as a rolling record.<br />
:::I think what the above IP was imagining, though, was that you had wanted to do a Trout-or Whale-like template, but starting from the ground up. You were going to refine how the image (eventually, when properly marked-up) displayed, choose left/right/central justification, subtitle/surtitle, boundary box, etc, in one spot, perhaps even later change the image used from the What-If site version to your own freshly edited and uploaded (to here, presumably) animated-gif version, or potentially a more subtle edit. But by then you might have used the template-transclusion in several places, which you wouldn't now need to re-edit individually as you've changed the source 'page'.<br />
:::Also, it's worth noting that using templates for purely static content (at least between manual edits) is an organisational choice ''not too different'' from just transcluding a normal 'non-template' page itself. And the boundaries are blurred in the case of how the Main Page of this wiki uses nested templates and 'normal' transclusion to show the latest edit of the latest comic explanation in there at all times. But let us not get hooked up over such minutiæ, just yet. ;) With many authors, many ideas, much fine-tuning and jury-rigging of ad hoc mechanisms and back-end automation, you'll find blurred lines (and probably intentionally blurrable, from the way that the wikimedia framework was set up — itself a mass of bolts and screws from different developers across different timescales, or even the same developers with different ideas over time!) all over the place.<br />
:::Understanding it all is a lofty aim, and I'm only an amateur analyst of some small parts of it. Understanding ''the general concepts'', however, can act as a future springboard to such greater things and ways of thinking, even beyond the sphere of wikis themselves. Be curious, but also thoughtful. More haste, less speed. {{tvtropes|IceCreamKoan|<Insert further profound-sounding epithet here...>}} [[Special:Contributions/82.132.236.103|82.132.236.103]] 13:11, 11 August 2025 (UTC)</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!&diff=384411User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate!2025-08-18T01:36:59Z<p>Aprilfoolsupdate!: Aprilfoolsupdate! moved page User talk:Aprilfoolsupdate! to explain xkcd talk:User: Aprilfoolsupdate!: Just want to hide</p>
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<div>#REDIRECT [[explain xkcd talk:User: Aprilfoolsupdate!]]</div>Aprilfoolsupdate!