explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2266: Leap Smearing

2020-02-11T06:20:04Z

Dakranon:

Although to be fair, leap seconds are confusing. [[User:Unpopular Opinions|Unpopular Opinions ]] ([[User talk:Unpopular Opinions|talk]]) 04:08, 11 February 2020 (UTC)

Leap seconds are idiotic. The only people who care about keeping the Earth tied to the time are astronomers. And no one cares about them.[[User:SDSpivey|SDSpivey]] ([[User talk:SDSpivey|talk]]) 04:56, 11 February 2020 (UTC)

I believe the actual time would be 11:42am (on the 11th of February). [[User:Dakranon|Dakranon]] ([[User talk:Dakranon|talk]]) 06:20, 11 February 2020 (UTC)

Talk:1057: Klout

2018-05-11T05:13:24Z

Dakranon:

Klout is looong dead now. I suppose this means it's niche and hipster, and it's fine to use it now. '''[[User:Davidy22|Davidy22]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 13:53, 8 January 2013 (UTC)
:its not dead... just not really as trendy anymore.--[[User:Calvsie|Calvsie]] ([[User talk:Calvsie|talk]]) 21:01, 12 December 2013 (UTC)

Any possible meaning in the fact that "clout" can mean a blow from a hand? I think it might be related, considering the site is called Klout and Randall requests being clouted, in a manner of speaking... {{unsigned ip|173.245.54.209}}

Replace "Klout" with "Google+" for modern relevance. [[User:Keavon|Keavon]] ([[User talk:Keavon|talk]]) 00:02, 10 November 2014 (UTC)
:Interacting with Google+ should not have anywhere close to Klout in "douchebagness", if any. [[User:Arifsaha|Arifsaha]] ([[User talk:Arifsaha|talk]]) 23:53, 5 December 2014 (UTC)
:Also, Randall does have a Google Plus. https://plus.google.com/111588569124648292310/posts [[User:Benjaminikuta|Benjaminikuta]] ([[User talk:Benjaminikuta|talk]]) 08:32, 17 February 2015 (UTC)

Never make something like this unretractable, just in case the business you now hate changes its focus and becomes something worthwhile.[[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.174|173.245.50.174]] 18:21, 7 September 2015 (UTC)
:Or it goes away entirely and something unrelated and much better by the same name appears later. --[[Special:Contributions/172.68.10.172|172.68.10.172]] 02:32, 9 March 2017 (UTC)
::Well, part one has happened. --[[User:Dakranon|Dakranon]] ([[User talk:Dakranon|talk]]) 05:13, 11 May 2018 (UTC)

871: Charity

2018-04-24T04:41:39Z

Dakranon: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 871
| date = March 11, 2011
| title = Charity
| image = charity.png
| titletext = I usually respond to someone else doing something good by figuring out a reason that they're not really as good as they seem. But I've been realizing lately that there's an easier way to handle these situations, and it involves zero internet arguments.
}}

==Explanation==

Organizations such as {{w|Steam (software)|Steam}} often offer sales where certain games are available for low prices--in order to compel or persuade buyers to make donations to worthwhile charities. [[Cueball]] is participating in one of these purchases (to fight {{w|malaria}}), but [[Megan]]'s snide denigration of Cueball's act of charity as inadequate and self-serving has dissuaded him from any act of charity at all. People donating to charity are in fact buying a feeling that they are good people doing good things. If you take this feeling away, many people stop donating, which is shown on the third panel.

However, whatever somebody's internal motivation was, charity is a good thing. Therefore the proper response, is to neither care what people say about you nor attack other people's charitable giving. The action that Randall recommends here is the right one, which is to donate anyway without caring about what others say or do. Clicking on the original image leads to [http://www.nothingbutnets.net the website of] {{w|Nothing But Nets}}, an organization that distributes mosquito bed nets in Africa for the eradication of malaria.

A subtext here is that the friendship between Cueball and Megan has been strained or even broken. Cueball has picked a new friend to talk to, who reacts positively to his decision.

In the title text, Randall expresses an opinion critical of "respond[ing] to someone else doing something good by figuring out a reason that they're not really as good as they seem", in part because supporting charity shouldn't cause "internet arguments."

==Transcript==
:Cueball: I'm going to buy this $10 game I want, and I'm donating $10 for malaria eradication.

:Megan: If you actually cared, you'd skip the game and donate all $20.
:Megan: What's more important? Games, or mosquito nets and medicine for kids?

:(Caption above the comic)
:Later:
:Cueball: I think I'm going to buy these two $10 games I want.
:Friend: Cool; which ones?

==Trivia==
Following the publication of this comic, comments responding to anti-malaria charities, celebrities who raise money for charity, and charity directors in general, by figuring out reasons that they're not really as good as they seem, were posted on [[Talk:871:_Charity|the discussion page for this comic]]. However, this did not lead to internet arguments.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]