explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:unixkcd

2026-03-03T22:13:47Z

Jacky720:

Red link... — [[User:Sqrt-1|The 𝗦𝗾𝗿𝘁-𝟭]] [[User talk:Sqrt-1|talk]] [[Special:Contributions/Sqrt-1|stalk]] 10:45, 11 October 2020 (UTC)

has skmone made an actual CLI based on these commands? [[Special:Contributions/172.69.214.224|172.69.214.224]] 02:12, 22 November 2023 (UTC)

The Konami Code isn't working for me, does anyone else have this problem? [[User:Psychoticpotato|Psychoticpotato]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 18:50, 10 May 2024 (UTC)

Should we consider this a comic? I don't know how to think about it. [[Blue Eyes]] wasn't a comic but we still consider it as one. --[[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 09:31, 22 February 2025 (UTC)

The moo still works after sudo rm -rf / (--no-preserve-root) {{unsigned ip|172.68.22.41|05:07, 16 April 2025}}

Entering the Konami code ~10^36^100^69 times makes the sun turn into a black hole. It might be unrelated to me doing it, but who's going to prove me wrong? [[User:GruefromZork|GruefromZork]] ([[User talk:GruefromZork|talk]]) 13:19, 2 May 2025 (UTC)

It looks like someone was writing the a/s/l for Galadriel and got cut off? I don't know enough about LOTR to try and fix that, but someone should. [[User:R128|R128]] ([[User talk:R128|talk]]) 01:05, 4 November 2025 (UTC)
:Fixed the broken wikilink (typo?) and fixed up/continued the abbreviated bit that came after, as I saw fit.
:Did ''not'' note, in that, that the age given is what Galadriel would have given around ''500 years'' before the events of the Hobbit/LOTR stories (if I've got that right, myself). But with the lack of other obvious 'F' elves, I'm happier to just assume it's her reply from elsewhen rather than a 'current' message from any unnamed/barely-mentioned fellow elfin born half a millenium after her. (Arwen was ''only'' a couple of millenia old, and came from Rivendell as well. And I'd honestly be hard pressed to recall ''any'' other female LOTR elf that featured in the prose, and not just a box in the geneology diagrams from the appendices. The ''real'' Tolkien scholars/book-memorisers could have other ideas, of course. Or identify which 'prequel' tales might have inspired this instance.) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.245.109|82.132.245.109]] 04:40, 4 November 2025 (UTC)

Looks like the Stallman background is broken in 2026. https://xkcd.com/unixkcd/over9000.png still exists, but https://uni.xkcd.com/unixkcd/over9000.png gives a 404. --[[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 22:13, 3 March 2026 (UTC)

155: Search History

2026-01-26T23:08:33Z

Jacky720: fix bakker bit

{{comic
| number = 155
| date = September 11, 2006
| title = Search History
| image = search_history.png
| titletext = SomethingAwful has a wonderful compilation of crazy AOL searches in their Weekend Web archives, 2006-08-13.
}}

==Explanation==
The comic references the {{w|AOL search data leak}}, where users had potentially identifying and embarrassing search histories published. [[Randall Munroe|Randall]], drawn as [[Cueball]], thus publishes his own potentially embarrassing searches in solidarity with the AOL users. All of his searches relate to his fear of dinosaurs, mainly {{w|velociraptors}}, as a consequence of the {{w|Jurassic Park (movie)|Jurassic Park}} movie he saw when younger. The search "{{w|Utahraptor}}" may be a reference to Dinosaur Comics, which xkcd has parodied in [[145: Parody Week: Dinosaur Comics]]. Alternatively, "Utahraptor" may be referenced because the raptors portrayed in Jurassic Park were much more like utahraptors than velociraptors in terms of size.

The title text refers to a document posted on a humor site (''very'' NSFW): [https://web.archive.org/web/20130721005347/https://www.somethingawful.com/weekend-web/aol-search-log/ part 1], [https://web.archive.org/web/20130814103859/https://www.somethingawful.com/weekend-web/aol-search-log-2/ part 2], [https://web.archive.org/web/20090212133929/http://www.somethingawful.com/d/weekend-web/aol-search-log-3.php part 3].

Although real search history displays the most recent search first, Randall has listed his searches chronologically for humorous buildup. Here is each search in order with an explanation given:

====Table====
{| class="wikitable"
!Search query
!Explanation
|-
|velociraptors
|Randall is curious about velociraptors and wants to learn about them.
|-
|site:imdb.com "jurassic park"
|The [https://imdb.com 'IMDb'] "Internet Movie Database" is a website devoted to documenting all aspects of films: cast & crew, quotes, plots, goofs, reviews, etc. Randall is now looking at the film Jurassic Park, and perhaps its sequels and other references; possibly reviewing it, but probably trying to extract all known 'facts' about the depiction of velociraptors and similar dinosaurs within it.
|-
|raptors
|Randall is continuing to research raptors, as he really wants to be safe against them. The word "raptor" is less formal and might suggest Randall starting to become scared of them.
|-
|dromaeosaurids
|{{w|Dromaeosauridae}} is the taxonomic family that encloses all types of raptor. Randall has chosen this scientific term in the hopes of learning more scientific and technical detail than his previous search gave.
|-
|utahraptor
|He now wants to get information about different raptors, so in this case {{w|Utahraptors}}.
|-
|"home depot" deadbolts
|Randall is now scared that raptors may attack him at home. Knowing that they can open doors in Jurassic Park, he thinks they may be able to pick or break locks and has chosen to install deadbolts. He is choosing to buy the deadbolts from {{w|The Home Depot|Home Depot}}, a common American home improvement store.
|-
|security home improvements
|He is now reinforcing his home more generally, possibly including other entry points that cannot be deadbolted, like windows.
|-
|surviving a raptor attack
|Randall's paranoia increases, and he now assumes his security measures will not hold up against raptors, or he will be attacked outside his home. In the event a raptor reaches him, he looks for advice on surviving a direct raptor attack.
|-
|robert bakker paleontologist
|{{w|Robert T. Bakker|Robert Bakker}} is an American paleontologist who has written the book ''Raptor Red'' about the life of a female Utahraptor. Randall has presumably included "paleontologist" to filter out results about {{w|Robert Bakker (rower)|Robert Bakker}}, the Dutch rower.
|-
|robert bakker "possible raptor sympathizer"
|The previous results about Robert Bakker's work led Randall to believe the paleontologist is a raptor sympathizer. This search would be made to try and find confirmation of this, but is unlikely to return results.
|-
|site:en.wikipedia.org surviving a raptor attack
| <code>site:</code> is a [https://searchengineland.com/what-you-can-learn-from-googles-site-operator-14052 Google operator]. Randall repeats his earlier survival query, but filtered to a site he considers reliable: {{w|Wikipedia}}, which is a generally comprehensive source but sometimes subject to vandalism and inaccuracy.
|-
|learning from mistakes in jurassic park
|If you google this search term, the results are largely about where Jurassic Park depicted its dinosaurs wrongly. But, given the themes of the rest of the searches, he probably wanted to know where those characters in Jurassic Park made mistakes in keeping the dinosaurs in captivity, or in dealing with the new dangers once they got loose, or both.
|-
|big-game rifles
|Randall wishes to purchase a rifle with which to shoot raptors, possibly based on a perceived failure to do so in Jurassic Park.
|-
|tire irons
|Realizing rifles did not work in the movie, or could fail in several other ways, he now wants {{w|tire irons}} to hit them with. Tire irons are heavy, so they should hurt raptors.
|-
|treating raptor wounds
|In the unlikely event that he gets wounded by a raptor and actually survives, he wants to know how to treat the wounds.
|-
|do raptors fear fire
|Randall is considering fighting off the raptors using fire, and wishes to know if it would be effective at scaring them.
|-
|how to make a molotov cocktail
|It's not clear whether the previous search results found that raptors fear fire. In the case they do, he wants to make flammable {{w|molotov cocktails}} to fight off raptors if needed.
|-
|do raptors fear death
|Randall upstages his "fear fire" search, as he now believes the raptors do not fear fire and may not fear death itself. If they do not fear death, he cannot hope to scare them off.
|-
|can raptors pick locks
|This search is actually more reasonable than most of the previous, backtracking to the original concern of securing his home against raptors. Alternatively, he is even more paranoid as he no longer wishes to risk leaving his home.
|-
|how to tell if my neighbors are raptors
|Randall is now completely paranoid about raptors. Even though velociraptors died out 71 million years ago, Randall thinks that his human neighbors may in fact be raptors in disguise (possibly advising him to be less scared of raptors), who he will also need to protect himself from or flee the neighborhood. As raptors cannot assume human form,{{citation needed}} this is a completely ridiculous and embarrassing punchline to the search history.
|}

==Transcript==
:[In a slim panel at the top of the comic Randall (drawn as Cueball) stands to the left and his speech is written in the rest of the panel to his right.]
:Randall: In solidarity with the many AOL users whose often embarassing web searches were released to the public, I offer a sample of my own search history:

:[The long panel beneath the first panel shows a screenshot of Google's front page. The Google logo is partly cut through the top third of the logo. It is in the typical Google color code. Beneath the logo are six links for where to search, one of them is black, because it is chosen, the others blue. One has a red super script indicating there are news there. Below is the search bar. To the right of this, there are three lines with links, for what type of search preferences etc.]
:<big>Google</big>
:'''Web'''   Images   VideoNew!   News   Maps   more>>

::Advanced search
::Preferences
::Language Tools

:[Below the search bar is a box with a thin line around, which comes up when Randall presses the bar, it has the following 20 entries that Google suggests for autocompletion:]
:velociraptors
:site:imdb.com "jurassic park"
:raptors
:dromaeosaurids
:utahraptor
:"home depot" deadbolts
:security home improvement
:surviving a raptor attack
:robert bakker paleontologist
:robert bakker "possible raptor sympathizer"
:site:en.wikipedia.org surviving a raptor attack
:learning from mistakes in jurassic park
:big-game rifles
:tire irons
:treating raptor wounds
:do raptors fear fire
:how to make a molotov cocktail
:do raptors fear death
:can raptors pick locks
:how to tell if my neighbors are raptors

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Randall Munroe]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Velociraptors]]
[[Category:Jurassic Park]]
[[Category:Google Search]]

155: Search History

2026-01-26T23:07:05Z

Jacky720: I'm not sure why this was removed, and the explanation still appears to consider the searches in reverse order. Chronological explanations.

{{comic
| number = 155
| date = September 11, 2006
| title = Search History
| image = search_history.png
| titletext = SomethingAwful has a wonderful compilation of crazy AOL searches in their Weekend Web archives, 2006-08-13.
}}

==Explanation==
The comic references the {{w|AOL search data leak}}, where users had potentially identifying and embarrassing search histories published. [[Randall Munroe|Randall]], drawn as [[Cueball]], thus publishes his own potentially embarrassing searches in solidarity with the AOL users. All of his searches relate to his fear of dinosaurs, mainly {{w|velociraptors}}, as a consequence of the {{w|Jurassic Park (movie)|Jurassic Park}} movie he saw when younger. The search "{{w|Utahraptor}}" may be a reference to Dinosaur Comics, which xkcd has parodied in [[145: Parody Week: Dinosaur Comics]]. Alternatively, "Utahraptor" may be referenced because the raptors portrayed in Jurassic Park were much more like utahraptors than velociraptors in terms of size.

The title text refers to a document posted on a humor site (''very'' NSFW): [https://web.archive.org/web/20130721005347/https://www.somethingawful.com/weekend-web/aol-search-log/ part 1], [https://web.archive.org/web/20130814103859/https://www.somethingawful.com/weekend-web/aol-search-log-2/ part 2], [https://web.archive.org/web/20090212133929/http://www.somethingawful.com/d/weekend-web/aol-search-log-3.php part 3].

Although real search history displays the most recent search first, Randall has listed his searches chronologically for humorous buildup. Here is each search in order with an explanation given:

====Table====
{| class="wikitable"
!Search query
!Explanation
|-
|velociraptors
|Randall is curious about velociraptors and wants to learn about them.
|-
|site:imdb.com "jurassic park"
|The [https://imdb.com 'IMDb'] "Internet Movie Database" is a website devoted to documenting all aspects of films: cast & crew, quotes, plots, goofs, reviews, etc. Randall is now looking at the film Jurassic Park, and perhaps its sequels and other references; possibly reviewing it, but probably trying to extract all known 'facts' about the depiction of velociraptors and similar dinosaurs within it.
|-
|raptors
|Randall is continuing to research raptors, as he really wants to be safe against them. The word "raptor" is less formal and might suggest Randall starting to become scared of them.
|-
|dromaeosaurids
|{{w|Dromaeosauridae}} is the taxonomic family that encloses all types of raptor. Randall has chosen this scientific term in the hopes of learning more scientific and technical detail than his previous search gave.
|-
|utahraptor
|He now wants to get information about different raptors, so in this case {{w|Utahraptors}}.
|-
|"home depot" deadbolts
|Randall is now scared that raptors may attack him at home. Knowing that they can open doors in Jurassic Park, he thinks they may be able to pick or break locks and has chosen to install deadbolts. He is choosing to buy the deadbolts from {{w|The Home Depot|Home Depot}}, a common American home improvement store.
|-
|security home improvements
|He is now reinforcing his home more generally, possibly including other entry points that cannot be deadbolted, like windows.
|-
|surviving a raptor attack
|Randall's paranoia increases, and he now assumes his security measures will not hold up against raptors, or he will be attacked outside his home. In the event a raptor reaches him, he looks for advice on surviving a direct raptor attack.
|-
|robert bakker paleontologist
|Robert Bakker is an American paleontologist who has written the book ''Raptor Red'' about the life of a female Utahraptor (see below). Randall has presumably included "paleontologist" to filter out results about {{w|Robert Bakker (rower)|Robert Bakker}}, the Dutch rower.
|-
|robert bakker "possible raptor sympathizer"
|The previous results about Robert Bakker's work led Randall to believe the paleontologist is a raptor sympathizer. This search would be made to try and find confirmation of this, but is unlikely to return results.
|-
|site:en.wikipedia.org surviving a raptor attack
| <code>site:</code> is a [https://searchengineland.com/what-you-can-learn-from-googles-site-operator-14052 Google operator]. Randall repeats his earlier survival query, but filtered to a site he considers reliable: {{w|Wikipedia}}, which is a generally comprehensive source but sometimes subject to vandalism and inaccuracy.
|-
|learning from mistakes in jurassic park
|If you google this search term, the results are largely about where Jurassic Park depicted its dinosaurs wrongly. But, given the themes of the rest of the searches, he probably wanted to know where those characters in Jurassic Park made mistakes in keeping the dinosaurs in captivity, or in dealing with the new dangers once they got loose, or both.
|-
|big-game rifles
|Randall wishes to purchase a rifle with which to shoot raptors, possibly based on a perceived failure to do so in Jurassic Park.
|-
|tire irons
|Realizing rifles did not work in the movie, or could fail in several other ways, he now wants {{w|tire irons}} to hit them with. Tire irons are heavy, so they should hurt raptors.
|-
|treating raptor wounds
|In the unlikely event that he gets wounded by a raptor and actually survives, he wants to know how to treat the wounds.
|-
|do raptors fear fire
|Randall is considering fighting off the raptors using fire, and wishes to know if it would be effective at scaring them.
|-
|how to make a molotov cocktail
|It's not clear whether the previous search results found that raptors fear fire. In the case they do, he wants to make flammable {{w|molotov cocktails}} to fight off raptors if needed.
|-
|do raptors fear death
|Randall upstages his "fear fire" search, as he now believes the raptors do not fear fire and may not fear death itself. If they do not fear death, he cannot hope to scare them off.
|-
|can raptors pick locks
|This search is actually more reasonable than most of the previous, backtracking to the original concern of securing his home against raptors. Alternatively, he is even more paranoid as he no longer wishes to risk leaving his home.
|-
|how to tell if my neighbors are raptors
|Randall is now completely paranoid about raptors. Even though velociraptors died out 71 million years ago, Randall thinks that his human neighbors may in fact be raptors in disguise (possibly advising him to be less scared of raptors), who he will also need to protect himself from or flee the neighborhood. As raptors cannot assume human form,{{citation needed}} this is a completely ridiculous and embarrassing punchline to the search history.
|}

==Transcript==
:[In a slim panel at the top of the comic Randall (drawn as Cueball) stands to the left and his speech is written in the rest of the panel to his right.]
:Randall: In solidarity with the many AOL users whose often embarassing web searches were released to the public, I offer a sample of my own search history:

:[The long panel beneath the first panel shows a screenshot of Google's front page. The Google logo is partly cut through the top third of the logo. It is in the typical Google color code. Beneath the logo are six links for where to search, one of them is black, because it is chosen, the others blue. One has a red super script indicating there are news there. Below is the search bar. To the right of this, there are three lines with links, for what type of search preferences etc.]
:<big>Google</big>
:'''Web'''   Images   VideoNew!   News   Maps   more>>

::Advanced search
::Preferences
::Language Tools

:[Below the search bar is a box with a thin line around, which comes up when Randall presses the bar, it has the following 20 entries that Google suggests for autocompletion:]
:velociraptors
:site:imdb.com "jurassic park"
:raptors
:dromaeosaurids
:utahraptor
:"home depot" deadbolts
:security home improvement
:surviving a raptor attack
:robert bakker paleontologist
:robert bakker "possible raptor sympathizer"
:site:en.wikipedia.org surviving a raptor attack
:learning from mistakes in jurassic park
:big-game rifles
:tire irons
:treating raptor wounds
:do raptors fear fire
:how to make a molotov cocktail
:do raptors fear death
:can raptors pick locks
:how to tell if my neighbors are raptors

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Randall Munroe]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Velociraptors]]
[[Category:Jurassic Park]]
[[Category:Google Search]]

3155: Physics Paths

2025-10-16T01:29:14Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ mention previous comics on a similar topic

{{comic
| number = 3155
| date = October 15, 2025
| title = Physics Paths
| image = physics_paths_2x.png
| imagesize = 433x663px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = If nothing else, that reasoning definitely overturns syllogisms.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a BOT trying to prove its value. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
[[Cueball]] wishes to validate his existence as a person. To do this, he turns to {{w|Albert Einstein}} as a role model, and attempts to replicate his success by making a revolutionary scientific discovery. After an indeterminate amount of time passes, Cueball laments that he has failed. At this point, the comic diverges into two timelines; one in which Cueball takes a healthy outlook on his failure, and one in which he falls into a self-destructive mode of thinking.

The first path, the "Healthy Path" has Cueball muse that perhaps this was a poorly-thought-out test of his value. The healthy path establishes that Cueball doesn't need a physics-overturning insight to have value. On the other hand, the "Path of Ruin" has Cueball angrily yell that the establishment must be stopping his insight from overturning physics. The path of ruin has Cueball take the idea that to have value, you must have a critical insight as constant. Thus, since, he has value, he must have an insight that overturns physics, and thus the establishment must be suppressing it.

This is the second comic in a row where Cueball tries to replicate Einstein's major contributions to physics.

Einstein had more than one "major insight". His "{{w|annus mirabilis papers}}" covered the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, the special theory of relativity, and mass-energy equivalence, all published in 1905.

The path of ruin seems a nod to John Baez's classic [https://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/crackpot.html Crackpot Index]. xkcd has mocked the idea of the physics community suppressing new ideas before, such as in [[675: Revolutionary]], or the "science thought police" in [[955: Neutrinos]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[Panel 1, Cueball has one hand out]

Cueball: Einstein had an Insight that overturned physics,
thus proving his value.

:[Panel 2, Cueball has one hand on his chin]

Cueball: I hope I have value. Ill try to have an insight that overturns physics, to check.

:[arrow pointing down with the caption below in between]

Time passes

:[arrow pointing down to Panel 3, which has Cueball with both of his hands out and up]

Cueball: On no! My insight didn't overturn physics! But I don't think I'm worthless...

:[Arrow from Panel 3 on the left labeled "Healthy path" points to a panel with Cueball with his hands on his chin:]

Cueball: Maybe this was not a well-thought-out test of my value.

:[Arrow from Panel 3 on the right labeled "Path of ruin" points to a panel with Cueball with his finger out and pointing up:]

Cueball: The establishment must be '''''suppressing''''' my insight!

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

2551: Debunking

2025-09-19T17:55:05Z

Jacky720: /* Table */ Fix line break on Billie Eilish claim

{{comic
| number = 2551
| date = December 6, 2021
| title = Debunking
| image = debunking.png
| titletext = Mark Zuckerberg has only neutral feelings toward Peppa Pig, who he understands is a fictional character, and he blames the coronavirus pandemic on other factors.
}}

==Explanation==
When writing a news article that "debunks" a claim (shows why it is false), writing its headline in the form "X is false" is [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/words-matter/201807/when-correcting-lie-dont-repeat-it-do-instead-2 discouraged]. The reason is that just repeatedly seeing "X", even if negated or followed by "is false", can make readers subconsciously believe it.

To avoid this, Randall as a journalist has worded his debunking articles in a positive sense. This makes for a confusing read if the reader has not heard of the original claim. The "original claims" allegedly being debunked here don't actually appear to have been made anywhere, and can only be inferred from the debunking.

Much of the debunking relies on setting simple facts straight, making for bizarrely banal headlines.

===Table===
{| class="wikitable"
!Article Headline
!Possible claim being debunked
|-
| AP photos show that Dr. Fauci's office contains a normal number of microwaves
| That {{w|Anthony Fauci}}'s office is subject to excessive microwaves, possibly an attack against Dr Fauci or as a weapon employed by him against visitors. Fauci is the head of the {{w| National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases}} in the US and is seen as the public face to the COVID-19 response in that country. US diplomats have been altering their lives due to an unexplained {{w|Havana syndrome}}, an early theory for which has been use of a microwave weapon. Microwaves can be part of a number of conspiracy theories ranging from health problems or manipulation of the public. However, because the headline references ''photographs'' to debunk the claim, the news article is apparently talking about the number of microwave ''ovens'' in his office. Either there is some miscommunication between the conspiracy theorists and debunkers, or the original claimant was fixated on Fauci's office appliances for some reason. Or they thought Fauci really liked microwave ovens.
The vague phrasing also implies that the number of microwaves pictured may be larger than most people would consider "normal" for an office, and that the article is defending that large number as "normal". Since microwaves are not typical office equipment, most offices will only have one or two microwaves in the break room, though someone with a private office (as Dr. Fauci has) might bring one of their own to have more privacy while eating.
|-
| Fact check: Singer Billie Eilish was born ''years'' after the TWA Flight 800 explosion
| A conspiracy theory linking {{w|Billie Eilish}} (born December 2001) with the {{w|TWA Flight 800}} crash in July 1996.
|-
| Vaccinated people can remove their hats without trouble by tugging upward, say doctors
| Vaccination has long been the subject of many, many conspiracy theories about potential side effects; this article could be commenting on any number of such, from claims that vaccines magnetize people (popular in June 2021), that vaccines cause one's head to swell thus making hats become tight, that vaccination makes one's head sticky or fuse to one's hat, that vaccination causes hats to become tighter, that vaccination causes one's inability to raise one's arm high enough to tug one's hat upward.
|-
| Physicists say Dorito powder is affected by gravity
| A claim that {{w|Doritos}} powder is not affected by gravity. For example, an anecdote around a local businessman discovering that objects levitate when sufficient powder is applied to them, or people misunderstanding dust floating under atmospheric turbulence as evidence of "antigravity".
|-
| Steering wheels will work normally on Dec 12th; make left and right turns as usual
| Faults (perhaps due to failures in the power steering system), triggered for example by solar storms or latent software bugs or a deliberate software hack, will cause cars to steer erratically on that date. December 12 is in fact "doomsday", but only in the sense of the {{w|doomsday rule}} for determining the day of the week.
|-
| CNN investigation: Santa's skin is dry and healthy this year, with the same amount of oil as before
| {{w|Santa Claus}} is suffering from oily skin, which can cause acne.
|-
| (Title text) Mark Zuckerberg has only neutral feelings toward Peppa Pig, who he understands is a fictional character, and he blames the coronavirus pandemic on other factors.
| That the founder of Facebook ({{w|Mark Zuckerberg}}) has strongly negative feelings toward the cartoon character {{w|Peppa Pig}}, believing her to be a real talking pig and the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, or maybe that he is a fan with some out-of-control behaviors towards "her". May be a reference to a [https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-pm-johnson-briefly-lost-words-speech-business-2021-11-22 recent speech] by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in which he expressed admiration for Peppa, much to the bewilderment of journalists.
|}

==Transcript==
:[Several news headlines are shown in boxes.]
:[Box 1] AP photos show Dr. Fauci's office contains a normal number of microwaves
:[Box 2] Fact check: singer Billie Eilish was born ''years'' after the TWA Flight 800 explosion
:[Box 3] Vaccinated people can remove their hats without trouble by tugging upward, say doctors
:[Box 4] Physicists say Dorito powder is affected by gravity
:[Box 5] Steering wheels will work normally on Dec 12th; make left and right turns as usual
:[Box 6] CNN investigation: Santa's skin is dry and healthy this year, with the same amount of oil as before
:[Caption below the panel:]
:I don't know whether the "Don't repeat the claim in the headline debunking it" thing works or not, but it definitely makes reading the news weird.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:COVID-19]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theory]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:Christmas]]

3126: Disclaimer

2025-08-10T18:29:05Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ The "both of them" joke reads better as being bad for the assumer first, and Randall second. Also, it's not that writing is bad, it's that this particular writing was a waste of his time.

{{comic
| number = 3126
| date = August 8, 2025
| title = Disclaimer
| image = disclaimer_2x.png
| imagesize = 346x396px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = You say no human would reply to a forum thread about Tom Bombadil by writing and editing hundreds of words of text, complete with formatting, fancy punctuation, and two separate uses of the word 'delve'. Unfortunately for both of us, you are wrong.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|If the academic integrity department asks, this page was NOT created by ChatGPT. Don’t remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic shows a message written by [[Cueball]] (likely representing [[Randall]]). The combination of a user profile image, metadata, and the body of text, suggest this is a posting on a forum. At the end—possibly as an automatically appended forum signature—he includes a disclaimer preemptively denying that the content was produced by ChatGPT, and that this is just the way he is.

{{w|ChatGPT}} is a {{w|large language model}}, a type of {{w|generative artificial intelligence}} designed to produce human-like text. In 2025, at the time of this comic’s release, tools like ChatGPT had become widely used for composing everything from professional emails to casual forum posts. Chatbots tend to be verbose. One side effect of this trend is that genuine, naturally long-form writing is sometimes mistaken for AI-generated content. People may become suspicious not only of length and thoroughness, but also of stylistic markers such as formally correct punctuation—particularly the {{w|Dash#Em_dash|em dash}}—which is uncommon among average internet users, but occasionally favored by ChatGPT.

The title text explains the context. It notes that some people claim no human would compose a meticulously organized essay about {{w|Tom Bombadil}}, a relatively minor character from ''The Lord of the Rings'', especially if it contains the word “delve.” This word is perceived as atypical in everyday conversation yet is frequently used by ChatGPT. Randall counters that he would write such an essay, and in fact has. The choice of “delve” may be a deliberate reference to Gandalf’s line in ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' about the Dwarves who “delved too greedily and too deep,” or perhaps to “Michel Delving,” the largest Hobbit settlement in the Shire, whose name literally means “large excavation.” He also says this is unfortunate for both of them: the person he's talking to for having jumped to the wrong assumption about the nature of the author, and Randall for having wasted so much of his time writing about a minor topic.

The presence of the em dash in the disclaimer further fuels the joke. Em dashes are seen by many as an indicator that a piece of text was AI-generated; although they have been a long-standing (even pre-GPT) feature of both Randall's comics and this site's user-written explanations, which of course does not disprove the more general observation being alluded to. The comic is also likely to be have been written specifically as a response to the releast of {{w|GPT-5}}, the day before this comic was published.

==Transcript==
:[A Cueball profile picture is shown next to five paragraphs of illegible text, which contains varied punctuation marks and two square-bracketed citations. The last paragraph in the essay is separated from the other paragraphs by a line with three dashes. Its single sentence is highlighted, and lines connect that illegible sentence to a box with an enlarged, legible version of the sentence.]
:Enlarged text: Not ChatGPT output—I’m just like this.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:I’ve had to start adding this disclaimer to my messages.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Artificial Intelligence]]
[[Category:LOTR]]

3083: Jupiter Core

2025-05-02T15:40:31Z

Jacky720: interwiki gaming

{{comic
| number = 3083
| date = April 30, 2025
| title = Jupiter Core
| image = jupiter_core_2x.png
| imagesize = 581x443px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Juno mission data suggests that Jupiter actually contains Matryoshka doll-style nested copies of every other planet in the Solar System.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created recently by A PLANET WITH FEELINGS. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

{{w|Jupiter}} is the largest planet in the {{w|Solar System}}, the fifth planet from the Sun, and the closest-in {{w|gas giant}}. The core of the planet is hidden by an enormous gaseous atmosphere, and this comic lists a number of theories about the structure of that core. The first two are theories that are or have been held by reputable planetary scientists (they can be found in the Wikipedia entry), while the rest are ridiculous ideas from [[Randall]]'s mind.

; Diffuse mix of heavy elements and metallic hydrogen

: This is the current leading theory suggested by measurements taken by NASA's {{w|Juno (spacecraft)|Juno}} probe, a spacecraft orbiting Jupiter since 2016.

; Rocky core with metallic hydrogen mantle

: This was one of the leading proposals prior to the Juno mission.

; Valuable treasure

: Unidentifiable objects that may be gemstones or precious metals, surrounded by dollar signs. May be a reference to the occasionally proposed idea that gas giant cores might be composed of diamond. This idea was mentioned in Arthur C. Clarke's ''{{w|2010: Odyssey Two}}'', and in ''{{w|2061: Odyssey Three}}'' the diamond is found as it was ejected from Jupiter at the end of 2010.

; Emergency backup Earth

: This would be a copy of the Earth that can be put into place once we finish destroying our planet. In popular science Jupiter is often described as a "protector" of Earth since its large gravitational field attracts asteroids that could otherwise hit Earth. This is extending this take to the point where Jupiter has a backup planet in case it fails its mission at protecting the Earth. "Emergency Backup Earth" was previously proposed as an [[1253: Exoplanet Names|exoplanet name]], and as changed to a different exoplanet [[1555: Exoplanet Names 2|later]]. Jupiter's core is not an exoplanet — if anything, it would be a planet, since it is located inside the Solar system.

; Regular planet pretending to be a gas giant to avoid attention

: The joke here is that there is secretly a 'regular' planet (whatever that means — presumably relatively Earth-like) which is shy or secretive and does not want attention, so it pretends to be a gas giant by hiding inside Jupiter. Of course, planets are not shy in real life, as they do not have feelings.{{cn}} The planet inside of Jupiter appears to be Earth-like, and most likely has reasonably advanced life on it, since the large support structures and large surrounding structure itself must presumably have been built by somebody. They're probably quite annoyed at us, considering we've [[1727: Number of Computers|dropped several probes into Jupiter]].

: This might be a reference to [[wikia:w:c:starwars:At Attin|At Attin]], a fictional planet in the {{w|Star Wars}} Cinematic Universe. At Attin is a planet that has an artificially created protective barrier designed to hide it from discovery, so as to conceal its production of [[wikia:w:c:starwars:At Attin Mint|Republic credits]]. The [[wikia:w:c:starwars:Barrier|barrier]] makes the much smaller planet within look like a gas giant and has artificial electrical storms, produced by electrical mines, that destroy any unauthorized ships from approaching the inner planet. At Attin appears in the Star Wars show {{w|Star Wars: Skeleton Crew|Skeleton Crew}} which was released only a few months prior to this comic.

; Hard ball from avocado

: This theory proposes that Jupiter's core is a giant avocado pit, which is the large seed located in the center of an avocado. The outer layers of Jupiter also appear to be the flesh and skin of an avocado in the drawing, thereby creating a very, very large avocado. If the total mass of Jupiter were converted to avocados, as seen in the image, Jupiter would represent over 95 quadrillion years' worth of global avocado production as of 2023.

; Baby Jupiter, still gestating

: This theory proposes that Jupiter is a life form which reproduces by carrying a baby version of itself as its core. While this is obviously not the case, it could provide large hints as to how the solar system originated if true. This also prompts questions as to Jupiter's sex, whether it {{w|Asexual_reproduction|reproduces asexually}} and, if not, who the other parent is. Recursion also has interesting effects here, as the small Jupiter must also have a core — it's unclear whether this would contain an even tinier Jupiter, and so on.

:The "theories" of {{w|Immanuel Velikovsky}} propose that Venus came into existence as a cometary body somehow ejected from Jupiter. This body supposedly spent some time bouncing around the solar system by a mechanism similar to quantum mechanics, producing effects described in the Bible, before settling down into its current orbit. (None of this is consistent with our understanding of physics.) The Baby Jupiter shown in the comic might be "born" in a similar manner.

:This is also reminiscent of the {{w|Doctor Who}} episode ''{{w|Kill the Moon}}'', in which it transpires that Earth's moon is in fact a giant egg, and eventually hatches a space creature which, before flying away, lays a replacement egg/moon in its place.

; No core; flat Earth conspiracists are wrong about Earth but right about Jupiter

: {{w|Modern flat Earth beliefs|Flat Earth}} is a debunked conspiracy theory that the Earth is not actually spherical, but flat, with some believing that world leaders are actively trying to hide this fact from the general public. This version of Jupiter proposes that while Earth may not be flat, Jupiter is, thereby not having a core at all.
: While we see the Flat Jupiter from an angle in this depiction, clearly for it to ''look'' spherical from Earth the disc of Jupiter (with 'fake phases' and even carefully adjusted shadows from the Jovian moons) must more or less face the Earth for most of the time. It is not known what arrangements were made to get the illusion past those images supposedly sent back from the various spacecraft that were passing by, or actually orbiting, Jupiter.

; {{w|Matryoshka doll}} (title text)

: Since Jupiter is by far the largest planet of the solar system (and in fact larger by both mass and volume than all other Solar System planets combined), it could hypothetically contain all other planets nested inside one another. The order from largest to smallest would be Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars and Mercury.

==Transcript==

:Current leading theories for what's in the center of Jupiter:

:[Variations of Jupiter. All except for the last are illustrated with a quartered 'solid segment' of the planet's 'atmosphere' removed to reveal the core.]

:[Jupiter with liquid material at its core]
:Diffuse mix of heavy elements and metallic hydrogen

:[Jupiter with a rocky core]
:Rocky core with metallic, hydrogen mantle

:[Jupiter with a pile of coins for a core, multiple dollar signs being shown]
:Valuable treasure

:[Jupiter with Earth for a core]
:Emergency backup Earth

:[Hollow Jupiter with a rocky planet in the middle, the outer layer held in place by inner supports]
:Regular planet pretending to be a gas giant to avoid attention

:[Jupiter with a smooth ball for a core]
:Hard ball from avocado

:[Jupiter with a small version of Jupiter for a core]
:Baby Jupiter, still gestating

:[Jupiter as a flat circle, with nothing chopped off]
:No core; flat Earth conspiracists are wrong about Earth but right about Jupiter

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Astronomy]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theory]]

2445: Checkbox

2025-04-23T00:34:42Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ fix section link

{{comic
| number = 2445
| date = April 1, 2021
| title = Checkbox
| image = 2445.png
| titletext = Check check check ... chhecck chhecck chhecck ... check check check
}}
{{TOC}}To experience the interactivity of the game, visit the {{xkcd|2445|original comic}}.

==Explanation==
This was the 11th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April fools' comic]] released by [[Randall]]. The previous fool's comic was [[2288: Collector's Edition]], which was delayed two days and released on Friday April 3, 2020. The next became [[2601: Instructions]] released on Friday April 1, 2022 (a regular release day). The comic looks similar to a loading screen. The actual comic (this "loading screen") consists of an animated gif of a {{w|checkbox}}, hence the name.

The frame is replaced with an interactive panel. In the center is a check box, which clears itself immediately when checked. In the bottom right is a mute button, which begins muted. By unmuting, and changing it to a loudspeaker, sounds are played when the check box is checked. This was the second [[:Category:Comics with audio|comic with audio]] on xkcd. The very similar April Fool's comic from the next year, [[2601: Instructions]], used audio, too. It also had only one element in the center, but not a check box, but a {{w|radio button}}.

Under the checkbox is a scrolling visual representation of the timing and duration of clicks in the check box, which also produce matching beeping sounds when unmuted. The representation consists of a dot for a short press, or a bar for a longer press. All long presses are represented by a bar of a pre-determined length; in other words, a longer press does not result in a longer bar.

By varying between brief and long presses, and brief and long intervals between presses, it is possible to enter characters in Morse code. The check box then begins operating by itself, producing sounds which can be decoded as Morse code. These responses are also printed in the browser's JavaScript console in both plain text and a textual representation of Morse code. If left without any initial input for 30 seconds it would send the message CQ (meaning "Seek You").

The title text hints at the use of Morse code in the comic; interpreting the "check" as a Morse code dot and the "chhecck" (a long check) as a Morse code dash gives ...---..., which is the Morse code for "SOS", the international distress signal. Incidentally, inputting the SOS signal gives "YOU TOO?".

For the majority of inputs, the check box responds with a random selection from the following list:
* COME AGAIN
* HUH
* NOT FOLLOWING
* SAY AGAIN
* TRY THAT AGAIN
* WHAT

Some keywords, however, have [[#Special Responses|special responses]].

===Unique header text===
This comic has a [[Header text#Unique_header_text|unique header text]], see [[Header text#Checkbox|the details here]]. Its header is:
:"This comic was put together by Max Goodhart, Patrick, Amber, Benjamin Staffin, Kevin Cotrone, and Michael Leuchtenburg."
Read Max's [https://chromakode.com/post/checkbox blog post] on development of the comic.

==Special Responses==
Sojourner is a Mars rover which has been referenced by Randall in the past and is the entity operating the morse code device.
*<code>'''.'''</code> represents a short signal
*<code>'''-'''</code> represents a long signal
*<code>'''/'''</code> represents pauses between words.

{| class="wikitable"
! Message → response
! Morse code
! Explanation
|-
|XKCD → FILE NOT FOUND
|<code>'''-..- -.- -.-. -..'''</code> → <code>'''..-. .. .-.. . / -. --- - / ..-. --- ..- -. -..'''</code>
|
|-
|XKCD → A CROSS THREE LETTERS
|<code>'''-..- -.- -.-. -..'''</code> → <code>'''.- / -.-. .-. --- ... ... / - .... .-. . . / .-.. . - - . .-. ...'''</code>
|A pun on "across three letters", how clues are sometimes given in crossword puzzles. Instead, the word "xkcd" is literally a cross (x), followed by three letters (kcd).
|-
|HI → HELLO! ANYBODY OUT THERE?
|<code>'''.... ..'''</code> → <code>'''.... . .-.. .-.. --- -.-.-- / .- -. -.-- -... --- -.. -.-- / --- ..- - / - .... . .-. . ..--..'''</code>
|Perhaps a reference to the Pink Floyd song "Is there anybody out there?"
|-
|HELLO → HELLO TO YOU TOO!
|<code>'''.... . .-.. .-.. ---'''</code> → <code>'''.... . .-.. .-.. --- / - --- / -.-- --- ..- / - --- --- -.-.--'''</code>
|
|-
|HELP → ENTER IMAGE NUMBER
|<code>'''.... . .-.. .--.'''</code> → <code>'''. -. - . .-. / .. -- .- --. . / -. ..- -- -... . .-.'''</code>
|See below; if you enter any number ≤ 2445 you will be linked to the corresponding xkcd comic.
|-
|HELP → YES PLEASE
|<code>'''.... . .-.. .--.'''</code> → <code>'''-.-- . ... / .--. .-.. . .- ... .'''</code>
|Sojourner mistakes the person inputting the morse code as offering help instead of asking for it.
|-
|ES → QUE
|<code>'''. ...'''</code> → <code>'''--.- ..- .'''</code>
|"Es" means "is" in Spanish, and "Qué" is "what".
|-
|WHAT → ECHO
|<code>'''.-- .... .- -'''</code> → <code>'''. -.-. .... ---'''</code>
|
|-
|ECHO → ECHO
|<code>'''. -.-. .... ---'''</code> → <code>'''. -.-. .... ---'''</code>
|
|-
|CHECK → MATE
|<code>'''-.-. .... . -.-. -.-'''</code> → <code>'''-- .- - .'''</code>
|Checkmate is the winning move in chess.
|-
|CHECKBOX → RADIO BUTTON
|<code>'''-.-. .... . -.-. -.- -... --- -..-'''</code> → <code>'''.-. .- -.. .. --- / -... ..- - - --- -.'''</code>
|This also works the other way around.
|-
|E (''repeat n times'') → E (''repeat n times'')
|<code>'''.'''</code>
|This only applies for n < 7. Also, n=6 returns 'AAAAAA' instead.
|-
|T (''repeat n times'') → T (''repeat n times'')
|<code>'''-'''</code>
|This only applies for n < 7.
|-
|E → E ''pause'' I → EIEIO
|<code>'''.'''</code> → <code>'''.'''</code> ''pause'' <code>'''..'''</code> → <code>'''. .. . .. ---'''</code>
|"E-I-E-I-O" is the refrain to the children's song {{w|Old MacDonald Had a Farm}}.
|-
|I (''repeat n times'') → I (''repeat n times'')
|<code>'''..'''</code> → <code>'''..'''</code> ''or'' <code>'''.. ...-'''</code> (IV) ''or'' <code>'''...-'''</code> (V)
|This only applies for n < 4. n=4 returns 'IV' and n=5 returns 'V', the Roman numerals for 4 and 5, respectively.
|-
|FLIPCOIN → HEADS ''or'' TAILS
|<code>'''..-. .-.. .. .--. -.-. --- .. -.'''</code> → <code>'''.... . .- -.. ...'''</code> ''or'' <code>'''- .- .. .-.. ...'''</code>
|
|-
|LOOK AROUND → NOT ENOUGH POWER
|<code>'''.-.. --- --- -.- / .- .-. --- ..- -. -..'''</code> → <code>'''-. --- - / . -. --- ..- --. .... / .--. --- .-- . .-.'''</code>
|Indicates that Sojourner doesn't have enough battery to swivel its camera head.
|-
|SEE → RED SOIL
|<code>'''... . .'''</code> → <code>'''.-. . -.. / ... --- .. .-..'''</code>
|References that Sojourner is on Mars. Mars is covered in red soil.
|-
|WHO ARE YOU ''or'' WHAT IS YOUR NAME → SOJOURNER
|<code>'''.-- .... --- / .- .-. . / -.-- --- ..-'''</code> ''or'' <code>'''.-- .... .- - / .. ... / -.-- --- ..- .-. / -. .- -- .'''</code> → <code>'''... --- .--- --- ..- .-. -. . .-.'''</code>
|Indicates that Sojourner is the operator of the morse code device.
|-
|SOJOURNER → CFM
|<code>'''... --- .--- --- ..- .-. -. . .-.'''</code> → <code>'''-.-. ..-. --'''</code>
|CFM is short for confirm. Sojourner is confirming that it's in control of the morse code device.
|-
|ET → PHONE HOME
|<code>'''. -'''</code> → <code>'''.--. .... --- -. . / .... --- -- .'''</code>
|This is a reference to the movie ET.
|-
|LS → DID YOU MEAN DIR
|<code>'''.-.. ...'''</code> → <code>'''-.. .. -.. / -.-- --- ..- / -- . .- -. / -.. .. .-.'''</code>
|These are both commands for viewing the files in a directory. LS is the traditional method in UNIX, whereas DIR is more associated with MS-DOS/Windows (although it also exists in UNIX).
|-
|DIR → ENTER IMAGE NUMBER
|<code>'''-.. .. .-.'''</code> → <code>'''. -. - . .-. / .. -- .- --. . / -. ..- -- -... . .-.'''</code>
|This references to the next input. DIR stands for directory.
|-
|(''any number ≤ 2445'') → (''loads xkcd comic in new tab'')
|
|Pulls up the xkcd comic corresponding to the number entered. Only works for comics published before this one.
|-
|MAKE ME A SANDWICH → NOT A CHANCE
|<code>'''-- .- -.- . / -- . / .- / ... .- -. -.. .-- .. -.-. ....'''</code> → <code>'''-. --- - / .- / -.-. .... .- -. -.-. .'''</code>
|A reference to [[149: Sandwich]]
|-
|SUDO MAKE ME A SANDWICH → NOT POSSIBLE HERE
|<code>'''... ..- -.. --- / -- .- -.- . / -- . / .- / ... .- -. -.. .-- .. -.-. ....'''</code> → <code>'''-. --- - / .--. --- ... ... .. -... .-.. . / .... . .-. .'''</code>
|Another reference to [[149: Sandwich]]
|-
|I LOVE YOU → LESS THAN THREE
|<code>'''.. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-'''</code> → <code>'''.-.. . ... ... / - .... .- -. / - .... .-. . .'''</code>
|"Less than three" represents the less than (<) symbol followed by the number three (3), which together form <3. This is commonly used to represent a heart.
|-
|<nowiki />:) → :D
|<code>'''---... -.--.-'''</code> → <code>'''---... -..'''</code>
|This gives a bigger version of a smile than the one entered.
|-
|<nowiki />:( → :C
|<code>'''---... -.--.'''</code> → <code>'''---... -.-.'''</code>
|Following the pattern from the above entry, this converts the sad face entered to a bigger frown.
|-
|<nowiki />;) → :O
|<code>'''-.-.-. -.--.-'''</code> → <code>'''---... ---'''</code>
|":O" is an {{w|emoticon}} depicting a surprised face.
|-
|<nowiki />:O → :X
|<code>'''---... ---'''</code> → <code>'''---... -..-'''</code>
|":X" is an emoticon depicting an embarrassed face.
|-
|UWU → OWO
|<code>'''..- .-- ..-'''</code> → <code>'''--- .-- ---'''</code>
|"{{w|uwu}}" is an emoticon depicting a cute face. "owo" is the open-eyed version of "uwu".
|-
|OWO → UWU
|<code>'''--- .-- ---'''</code> → <code>'''..- .-- ..-'''</code>
|See "UWU → OWO".
|-
|POG → YEET
|<code>'''.--. --- --.'''</code> → <code>'''-.-- . . -'''</code>
|Pog and yeet are both common interjections used on the Internet.
|-
|UNIX → (''opens comic [[unixkcd]]'')
|<code>'''..- -. .. -..-'''</code>
|[[unixkcd|April Fools' Day in 2010]]
|-
|GET YE FLASK → YE WISH! IF THERE WAS A FLASK IN THIS GAME, WE'D KNOW ABOUT IT.
|<code>'''--. . - / -.-- . / ..-. .-.. .- ... -.-'''</code> → <code>'''-.-- . / .-- .. ... .... -.-.-- / .. ..-. / - .... . .-. . / .-- .- ... / .- / ..-. .-.. .- ... -.- / .. -. / - .... .. ... / --. .- -- . --..-- / .-- . .----. -.. / -.- -. --- .-- / .- -... --- ..- - / .. - .-.-.-'''</code>
|
|-
|GET YE FLASK → YOU CANNOT GET YE FLASK
|<code>'''--. . - / -.-- . / ..-. .-.. .- ... -.-'''</code> → <code>'''-.-- --- ..- / -.-. .- -. -. --- - / --. . - / -.-- . / ..-. .-.. .- ... -.-'''</code>
|This response, as well as the previous one, are references to a recurring joke from {{w|Homestar Runner}}.
|-
|YO → YO
|<code>'''-.-- ---'''</code> → <code>'''-.-- ---'''</code>
|
|-
|DROP TABLE → HAHA NO
|<code>'''.... .- .... .- / -. ---'''</code> → <code>'''.... .- .... .- / -. ---'''</code>
|A reference to [[327: Exploits of a Mom]].
|-
|WHY → TO STUDY THE RED PLANET
|<code>'''.-- .... -.--'''</code> → <code>'''- --- / ... - ..- -.. -.-- / - .... . / .-. . -.. / .--. .-.. .- -. . -'''</code>
|Refers to Sojourners' misson on Mars.
|-
|EAT → I PHOTOSYNTHESIZE
|<code>'''. .- -'''</code> → <code>'''.. / .--. .... --- - --- ... -.-- -. - .... . ... .. --.. .'''</code>
|Sojourner is a rover, and therefore does not require food. For that matter, Sojourner also does not photosynthesize. It does, however, generate energy from light in a superficially similar manner using its solar panels.
|-
|BATTLE ''or'' FIGHT → THROW
|<code>'''-... .- - - .-.. .'''</code> ''or'' <code>'''..-. .. --. .... -'''</code> → <code>'''- .... .-. --- .--'''</code>
|
|-
|START → DID YOU MEAN START GAME?
|<code>'''... - .- .-. -'''</code> → <code>'''-.. .. -.. / -.-- --- ..- / -- . .- -. / ... - .- .-. - / --. .- -- . ..--..'''</code>
|References the below input.
|-
|STARTGAME → CHECK BACK LATER
|<code>'''... - .- .-. - --. .- -- .'''</code> → <code>'''-.-. .... . -.-. -.- / -... .- -.-. -.- / .-.. .- - . .-.'''</code>
|
|}
===Controls===

{| class="wikitable"
! Message → response
! Morse code
|-
|QUIET → (''turns the volume off'')
|<code>'''--.- ..- .. . -'''</code>
|-
|MUTE → (''turns the volume off'')
|<code>'''-- ..- - .'''</code>
|-
|BEEP → (''turns the volume on'')
|<code>'''-... . . .--.'''</code>
|}
See also the QRS and QRQ commands below

===Q codes and radio shorthand===
An explanation of Q codes can be found {{w|Q code|here}}.

{| class="wikitable"
! Message → response
! Morse code
! Explanation
|-
|CQ → CQD DE SOJ
|<code>'''-.-. --.-'''</code> → <code>'''-.-. --.- -.. / -.. . / ... --- .---'''</code>
|
|-
|SOS → YOU TOO?
|<code>'''... --- ...'''</code> → <code>'''-.-- --- ..- / - --- --- ..--..'''</code>
|Implies that Sojourner is also in need of help.
|-
|SOS → OH NO
|<code>'''... --- ...'''</code> → <code>'''--- .... / -. ---'''</code>
|
|-
|QRS → (''reduces playback speed'')
|<code>'''--.- .-. ...'''</code>
|
|-
|QRQ → (''increases playback speed'')
|<code>'''--.- .-. --.-'''</code>
|
|-
|QRA → QRA SOJOURNER
|<code>'''--.- .-. .-'''</code> → <code>'''--.- .-. .- / ... --- .--- --- ..- .-. -. . .-.'''</code>
|Usually, the answer would be a ship or a coast station, but here since "QRA" asks for who is the sender, Sojourner answers "Sojourner".
|-
|QRB → QRB 264 MILLION KM
|<code>'''--.- .-. -...'''</code> → <code>'''--.- .-. -... /..--- -.... ....- / -- .. .-.. .-.. .. --- -. / -.- --'''</code>
|The distance from Sojourner.
|-
|QRH → QRH 0.652 METERS
|<code>'''--.- .-. ....'''</code> → <code>'''--.- .-. .... / ----- .-.-.- -.... ..... ..--- / -- . - . .-. ...'''</code>
|Wavelength of Sojourner.
|-
|QRG → QRG PATHFINDER
|<code>'''--.- .-. --.'''</code> → <code>'''--.- .-. --. / .--. .- - .... ..-. .. -. -.. . .-.'''</code>
|Sojourner comes from {{w|Mars Pathfinder}}.
|-
|QRZ → QRZ SOJOURNER
|<code>'''--.- .-. --..'''</code> → <code>'''--.- .-. --.. / ... --- .--- --- ..- .-. -. . .-.'''</code>
|Sojourner is calling.
|-
|QRT → PLEASE DON'T GO
|<code>'''--.- .-. -'''</code> → <code>'''.--. .-.. . .- ... . / -.. --- -. .----. - / --. ---'''</code>
|Sojourner doesn't want the receiver to stop sending.
|-
|QTH → QTH ARES VALLIS
|<code>'''--.- - ....'''</code> → <code>'''--.- - .... / .- .-. . ... / ...- .- .-.. .-.. .. ...'''</code>
|Sojourner is situated in the {{w|Ares Vallis}}.
|-
|QSL → QSL
|<code>'''--.- ... .-..'''</code> → <code>'''--.- ... .-..'''</code>
|Sojourner does receive the messages.
|-
|73 → 73 KN
|<code>'''--... ...--'''</code> → <code>'''--... ...-- / -.- -.'''</code>
|"73" means "best regards". By saying "best regards", Sojourner ends the transmission.
|-
|CL → BYE
|<code>'''-.-. .-..'''</code> → <code>'''-... -.-- .'''</code>
|Since the receiver (a.k.a. the person who inputs in the comic) is closing, Sojourner replies with "bye".
|}

===FORTUNE===

{| class="wikitable"
! Message → response
! Morse code
! Explanation
|-
|F → DID YOU MEAN FORTUNE
|<code>'''..-.'''</code> → <code>'''-.. .. -.. / -.-- --- ..- / -- . .- -. / ..-. --- .-. - ..- -. .'''</code>
|
|-
|FORTUNE → OPEN ME
|<code>'''..-. --- .-. - ..- -. .'''</code> → <code>'''--- .--. . -. / -- .'''</code>
|
|-
|OPEN → ''returns one of the following fortunes''

1. A BEAUTIFUL SMART AND LOVING PERSON WILL BE COMING INTO YOUR LIFE

2. CHANGE IS HAPPENING IN YOUR LIFE SO GO WITH THE FLOW

3. COURTESY BEGINS IN THE HOME

4. DILIGENCE AND MODESTY CAN RAISE YOUR SOCIAL STATUS

5. EVERYWHERE YOU CHOOSE TO GO FRIENDLY FACES WILL GREET YOU

6. FOLLOW THE MIDDLE PATH NEITHER EXTREME WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY

7. FOR THE THINGS WE HAVE TO LEARN BEFORE WE CAN DO THEM WE LEARN BY DOING THEM

8. HELP IM BEING HELD PRISONER IN A CHINESE BAKERY

9. LIKE THE RIVER FLOW INTO THE SEA SOMETHING ARE JUST MEANT TO BE

10. MANS MIND ONCE STRETCHED BY A NEW IDEA NEVER REGAINS ITS ORIGINAL DIMENSIONS

11. MEDITATION WITH AN OLD ENEMY IS ADVISED

12. NEVER FEAR THE END OF SOMETHING MARKS THE START OF SOMETHING NEW

13. PERHAPS YOUVE BEEN FOCUSING TOO MUCH ON SAVING

14. SAVOR YOUR FREEDOM IT IS PRECIOUS

15. STAYING CLOSE TO HOME IS GOING TO BE BEST FOR YOUR MORALE TODAY

16. YOU ARE GENEROUS TO AN EXTREME AND ALWAYS THINK OF THE OTHER FELLOW

17. YOU HAVE AN UNUSUAL EQUIPMENT FOR SUCCESS USE IT PROPERLY

18. YOU SHOULD PAY FOR THIS CHECK BE GENEROUS

19. YOU WILL BE A GREAT SUCCESS BOTH IN THE BUSINESS WORLD AND SOCIETY

20. YOUR DREAMS ARE NEVER SILLY DEPEND ON THEM TO GUIDE YOU

21. YOUR INFINITE CAPACITY FOR PATIENCE WILL BE REWARDED SOONER OR LATER

22. YOUR MENTALITY IS ALERT PRACTICAL AND ANALYTICAL

23. YOUR MOODS SIGNAL A PERIOD OF CHANGE

24. FIRST THINK OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO THEN DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO

25. ADVENTURE CAN BE REAL HAPPINESS

26. SUCCESS IS GOING FROM FAILURE TO FAILURE WITHOUT LOSS OF ENTHUSIASM

|<code>'''--- .--. . -.'''</code> →

1. <code>'''.- / -... . .- ..- - .. ..-. ..- .-.. / ... -- .- .-. - / .- -. -.. / .-.. --- ...- .. -. --. / .--. . .-. ... --- -. / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -... . / -.-. --- -- .. -. --. / .. -. - --- / -.-- --- ..- .-. / .-.. .. ..-. .'''</code>

2. <code>'''-.-. .... .- -. --. . / .. ... / .... .- .--. .--. . -. .. -. --. / .. -. / -.-- --- ..- .-. / .-.. .. ..-. . / ... --- / --. --- / .-- .. - .... / - .... . / ..-. .-.. --- .--'''</code>

3. <code>'''-.-. --- ..- .-. - . ... -.-- / -... . --. .. -. ... / .. -. / - .... . / .... --- -- .'''</code>

4. <code>'''-.. .. .-.. .. --. . -. -.-. . / .- -. -.. / -- --- -.. . ... - -.-- / -.-. .- -. / .-. .- .. ... . / -.-- --- ..- .-. / ... --- -.-. .. .- .-.. / ... - .- - ..- ...'''</code>

5. <code>'''. ...- . .-. -.-- .-- .... . .-. . / -.-- --- ..- / -.-. .... --- --- ... . / - --- / --. --- / ..-. .-. .. . -. -.. .-.. -.-- / ..-. .- -.-. . ... / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / --. .-. . . - / -.-- --- ..-'''</code>

6. <code>'''. ...- . .-. -.-- .-- .... . .-. . / -.-- --- ..- / -.-. .... --- --- ... . / - --- / --. --- / ..-. .-. .. . -. -.. .-.. -.-- / ..-. .- -.-. . ... / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / --. .-. . . - / -.-- --- ..-'''</code>

7. <code>'''..-. --- .-. / - .... . / - .... .. -. --. ... / .-- . / .... .- ...- . / - --- / .-.. . .- .-. -. / -... . ..-. --- .-. . / .-- . / -.-. .- -. / -.. --- / - .... . -- / .-- . / .-.. . .- .-. -. / -... -.-- / -.. --- .. -. --. / - .... . --'''</code>

8. <code>'''.... . .-.. .--. / .. -- / -... . .. -. --. / .... . .-.. -.. / .--. .-. .. ... --- -. . .-. / .. -. / .- / -.-. .... .. -. . ... . / -... .- -.- . .-. -.--'''</code>

9. <code>'''.-.. .. -.- . / - .... . / .-. .. ...- . .-. / ..-. .-.. --- .-- / .. -. - --- / - .... . / ... . .- / ... --- -- . - .... .. -. --. / .- .-. . / .--- ..- ... - / -- . .- -. - / - --- / -... .'''</code>

10. <code>'''-- .- -. ... / -- .. -. -.. / --- -. -.-. . / ... - .-. . - -.-. .... . -.. / -... -.-- / .- / -. . .-- / .. -.. . .- / -. . ...- . .-. / .-. . --. .- .. -. ... / .. - ... / --- .-. .. --. .. -. .- .-.. / -.. .. -- . -. ... .. --- -. ...'''</code>

11. <code>'''-- . -.. .. - .- - .. --- -. / .-- .. - .... / .- -. / --- .-.. -.. / . -. . -- -.-- / .. ... / .- -.. ...- .. ... . -..'''</code>

12. <code>'''-. . ...- . .-. / ..-. . .- .-. / - .... . / . -. -.. / --- ..-. / ... --- -- . - .... .. -. --. / -- .- .-. -.- ... / - .... . / ... - .- .-. - / --- ..-. / ... --- -- . - .... .. -. --. / -. . .--'''</code>

13. <code>'''.--. . .-. .... .- .--. ... / -.-- --- ..- ...- . / -... . . -. / ..-. --- -.-. ..- ... .. -. --. / - --- --- / -- ..- -.-. .... / --- -. / ... .- ...- .. -. --.'''</code>

14. <code>'''... .- ...- --- .-. / -.-- --- ..- .-. / ..-. .-. . . -.. --- -- / .. - / .. ... / .--. .-. . -.-. .. --- ..- ...'''</code>

15. <code>'''... - .- -.-- .. -. --. / -.-. .-.. --- ... . / - --- / .... --- -- . / .. ... / --. --- .. -. --. / - --- / -... . / -... . ... - / ..-. --- .-. / -.-- --- ..- .-. / -- --- .-. .- .-.. . / - --- -.. .- -.--'''</code>

16. <code>'''-.-- --- ..- / .- .-. . / --. . -. . .-. --- ..- ... / - --- / .- -. / . -..- - .-. . -- . / .- -. -.. / .- .-.. .-- .- -.-- ... / - .... .. -. -.- / --- ..-. / - .... . / --- - .... . .-. / ..-. . .-.. .-.. --- .--'''</code>

17. <code>'''-.-- --- ..- / .... .- ...- . / .- -. / ..- -. ..- ... ..- .- .-.. / . --.- ..- .. .--. -- . -. - / ..-. --- .-. / ... ..- -.-. -.-. . ... ... / ..- ... . / .. - / .--. .-. --- .--. . .-. .-.. -.--'''</code>

18. <code>'''-.-- --- ..- / ... .... --- ..- .-.. -.. / .--. .- -.-- / ..-. --- .-. / - .... .. ... / -.-. .... . -.-. -.- / -... . / --. . -. . .-. --- ..- ...'''</code>

19. <code>'''-.-- --- ..- / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -... . / .- / --. .-. . .- - / ... ..- -.-. -.-. . ... ... / -... --- - .... / .. -. / - .... . / -... ..- ... .. -. . ... ... / .-- --- .-. .-.. -.. / .- -. -.. / ... --- -.-. .. . - -.--'''</code>

20. <code>'''-.-- --- ..- .-. / -.. .-. . .- -- ... / .- .-. . / -. . ...- . .-. / ... .. .-.. .-.. -.-- / -.. . .--. . -. -.. / --- -. / - .... . -- / - --- / --. ..- .. -.. . / -.-- --- ..-'''</code>

21. <code>'''-.-- --- ..- .-. / .. -. ..-. .. -. .. - . / -.-. .- .--. .- -.-. .. - -.-- / ..-. --- .-. / .--. .- - .. . -. -.-. . / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -... . / .-. . .-- .- .-. -.. . -.. / ... --- --- -. . .-. / --- .-. / .-.. .- - . .-.'''</code>

22. <code>'''-.-- --- ..- .-. / -- . -. - .- .-.. .. - -.-- / .. ... / .- .-.. . .-. - / .--. .-. .- -.-. - .. -.-. .- .-.. / .- -. -.. / .- -. .- .-.. -.-- - .. -.-. .- .-..'''</code>

23. <code>'''-.-- --- ..- .-. / -- --- --- -.. ... / ... .. --. -. .- .-.. / .- / .--. . .-. .. --- -.. / --- ..-. / -.-. .... .- -. --. .'''</code>

24. <code>'''..-. .. .-. ... - / - .... .. -. -.- / --- ..-. / .-- .... .- - / -.-- --- ..- / .-- .- -. - / - --- / -.. --- / - .... . -. / -.. --- / .-- .... .- - / -.-- --- ..- / .... .- ...- . / - --- / -.. ---'''</code>

25. <code>'''.- -.. ...- . -. - ..- .-. . / -.-. .- -. / -... . / .-. . .- .-.. / .... .- .--. .--. .. -. . ... ...'''</code>

26. <code>'''... ..- -.-. -.-. . ... ... / .. ... / --. --- .. -. --. / ..-. .-. --- -- / ..-. .- .. .-.. ..- .-. . / - --- / ..-. .- .. .-.. ..- .-. . / .-- .. - .... --- ..- - / .-.. --- ... ... / --- ..-. / . -. - .... ..- ... .. .- ... --'''</code>

|All fortunes seem to be some kind of message in a fortune cookie, with the exception of fortune 8, which is a reference to [[10: Pi Equals]].

|-
|OPEN → HUH (''if after something other than FORTUNE'')
|<code>'''--- .--. . -.'''</code> → <code>'''.... ..- ....'''</code>
|}

===ENCABULATOR===
{| class="wikitable"
! Message → response
! Morse code
! Explanation
|-
|STATUS → RADIO ONLINE, MOTOR ONLINE, UNILATERAL PHASE DETRACTOR UNPOWERED, CARDINAL GRAMMETER UNSYNCHRONIZED
|<code>'''... - .- - ..- ...'''</code> → <code>'''.-. .- -.. .. --- / --- -. .-.. .. -. . --..-- / -- --- - --- .-. / --- -. .-.. .. -. . --..-- / ..- -. .. .-.. .- - . .-. .- .-.. / .--. .... .- ... . / -.. . - .-. .- -.-. - --- .-. / ..- -. .--. --- .-- . .-. . -.. --..-- / -.-. .- .-. -.. .. -. .- .-.. / --. .-. .- -- -- . - . .-. / ..- -. ... -.-- -. -.-. .... .-. --- -. .. --.. . -..'''</code>
|
|-
|YOUTUBE → RXJKDH1KZ0W
|<code>'''-.-- --- ..- - ..- -... .'''</code>
|This is the YouTube video ID for the video [https://youtu.be/RXJKdh1KZ0w Rockwell Retro Encabulator].
|-
|REPAIR ''or'' ENCABULATOR ''or'' FIX ''or'' SYSTEM → ENTERING ENCABULATOR RECOVERY SYSTEM. OPTIONS 1 INITIATE SIDE FUMBLING 2 ALIGN SPURVING BEARINGS 3 REVERSE TREMIE PIPE
:1 → SIDE FUMBLING DETECTED. MODIAL INTERACTION UNSTABLE. RECOVERY TERMINATED.
:2 → MODIAL INTERACTION INITIATED. OPTIONS 1 UNWIND LOTUS O DELTOID 2 INCREASE DEPLENERATION 3 CONNECT GIRDLESPRING ON DOWN END OF GRAMMETER 4 CONNECT SEVENTH CONDUCTOR TO GIRDLESPRING
::1 → SIDE FUMBLING DETECTED. MODIAL INTERACTION UNSTABLE. RECOVERY TERMINATED.
::2 → DEPLENERATION PREVENTED BY DINGLE ARM
::3 → SIDE FUMBLING DETECTED. MODIAL INTERACTION UNSTABLE. RECOVERY TERMINATED.
::4 → PANAMETRIC FAN ACTIVATED. MODIAL INTERACTION STABLE. DEFAULT CONFIGURATION MISSING. MANUALLY ENTER MARZELVANE TYPE TO COMPLETE RECOVERY
:::HYDROCOPTIC → RECOVERY SUCCESSFUL. REBOOT Y N?
::::Y → (''Opens [https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/sojourner_repaired.png sojourner_repaired.png]'')
:3 → ERROR TREMIE PIPE NONREVERSIBLE
|<code>'''.-. . .--. .- .. .-.'''</code> ''or'' <code>'''. -. -.-. .- -... ..- .-.. .- - --- .-.'''</code> ''or'' <code>'''..-. .. -..-'''</code> ''or'' <code>'''... -.-- ... - . --'''</code> → <code>'''. -. - . .-. .. -. --. / . -. -.-. .- -... ..- .-.. .- - --- .-. / .-. . -.-. --- ...- . .-. -.-- / ... -.-- ... - . -- .-.-.- / --- .--. - .. --- -. ... / .---- / .. -. .. - .. .- - . / ... .. -.. . / ..-. ..- -- -... .-.. .. -. --. / ..--- / .- .-.. .. --. -. / ... .--. ..- .-. ...- .. -. --. / -... . .- .-. .. -. --. ... / ...-- / .-. . ...- . .-. ... . / - .-. . -- .. . / .--. .. .--. .'''</code>
:<code>'''.----'''</code> → <code>'''... .. -.. . / ..-. ..- -- -... .-.. .. -. --. / -.. . - . -.-. - . -.. .-.-.- / -- --- -.. .. .- .-.. / .. -. - . .-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / ..- -. ... - .- -... .-.. . .-.-.- / .-. . -.-. --- ...- . .-. -.-- / - . .-. -- .. -. .- - . -.. .-.-.-'''</code>
:<code>'''..---'''</code> → <code>'''-- --- -.. .. .- .-.. / .. -. - . .-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / .. -. .. - .. .- - . -.. .-.-.- / --- .--. - .. --- -. ... / .---- / ..- -. .-- .. -. -.. / .-.. --- - ..- ... / --- / -.. . .-.. - --- .. -.. / ..--- / .. -. -.-. .-. . .- ... . / -.. . .--. .-.. . -. . .-. .- - .. --- -. / ...-- / -.-. --- -. -. . -.-. - / --. .. .-. -.. .-.. . ... .--. .-. .. -. --. / --- -. / -.. --- .-- -. / . -. -.. / --- ..-. / --. .-. .- -- -- . - . .-. / ....- / -.-. --- -. -. . -.-. - / ... . ...- . -. - .... / -.-. --- -. -.. ..- -.-. - --- .-. / - --- / --. .. .-. -.. .-.. . ... .--. .-. .. -. --.'''</code>
::<code>'''.----'''</code> → <code>'''... .. -.. . / ..-. ..- -- -... .-.. .. -. --. / -.. . - . -.-. - . -.. .-.-.- / -- --- -.. .. .- .-.. / .. -. - . .-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / ..- -. ... - .- -... .-.. . .-.-.- / .-. . -.-. --- ...- . .-. -.-- / - . .-. -- .. -. .- - . -.. .-.-.-'''</code>
::<code>'''..---'''</code> → <code>'''-.. . .--. .-.. . -. . .-. .- - .. --- -. / .--. .-. . ...- . -. - . -.. / -... -.-- / -.. .. -. --. .-.. . / .- .-. --'''</code>
::<code>'''...--'''</code> → <code>'''... .. -.. . / ..-. ..- -- -... .-.. .. -. --. / -.. . - . -.-. - . -.. .-.-.- / -- --- -.. .. .- .-.. / .. -. - . .-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / ..- -. ... - .- -... .-.. . .-.-.- / .-. . -.-. --- ...- . .-. -.-- / - . .-. -- .. -. .- - . -.. .-.-.-'''</code>
::<code>'''....-'''</code> → <code>'''.--. .- -. .- -- . - .-. .. -.-. / ..-. .- -. / .- -.-. - .. ...- .- - . -.. .-.-.- / -- --- -.. .. .- .-.. / .. -. - . .-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / ... - .- -... .-.. . .-.-.- / -.. . ..-. .- ..- .-.. - / -.-. --- -. ..-. .. --. ..- .-. .- - .. --- -. / -- .. ... ... .. -. --. .-.-.- / -- .- -. ..- .- .-.. .-.. -.-- / . -. - . .-. / -- .- .-. --.. . .-.. ...- .- -. . / - -.-- .--. . / - --- / -.-. --- -- .--. .-.. . - . / .-. . -.-. --- ...- . .-. -.--'''</code>
:::<code>'''.... -.-- -.. .-. --- -.-. --- .--. - .. -.-.'''</code> → <code>'''.-. . -.-. --- ...- . .-. -.-- / ... ..- -.-. -.-. . ... ... ..-. ..- .-.. .-.-.- / .-. . -... --- --- - / -.-- / -. ..--..'''</code>
::::<code>'''-.--'''</code>
:<code>'''...--'''</code> → <code>'''. .-. .-. --- .-. / - .-. . -- .. . / .--. .. .--. . / -. --- -. .-. . ...- . .-. ... .. -... .-.. .'''</code>
|
|-
|}

===MAZE===

{| class="wikitable"
! Message → response
! Morse code
! Explanation
|-
|RETURN → DID YOU MEAN ENTER
|<code>'''.-. . - ..- .-. -.'''</code>
|Return and enter are usually different names for the line-break key on a keyboard. "Carriage Return" is a holdover from mechanical typewriters (returning the carriage, and therefore the printing area, to its start-of-row position), in both mechanical and electronic outputs often implicitly (or explicitly) combined with Line Feed (moving the printing zone one effective line further down, or shifting the medium a similar degree up).

"Enter" references the wish to submit some input (e.g. the contents of the database or form field(s) just edited, or ), and is essentially synonymous with forcing the move of a cursor to a new line. Often keyboards do not even have keycap text to indicate the key called "Return", "Enter" or any other name, instead using the prominent glyph '''&crarr;'''.

In the case of describing travel (for example, at the entrance to a maze), the words ''could'' instead be described as antonyms. One can ''enter'' the maze, or ''return'' to a prior location (leaving the vicinity of the maze – if not the maze itself, if you had already entered). This may or may not be an additional intended joke, as in dialogues that ask obscure and ambiguously phrased choices such as "Do you want to end this task? [Quit]/[Cancel]”.
|-
|ENTER → DID YOU MEAN ENTER MAZE
|<code>'''. -. - . .-.'''</code>
|
|-
|ENTER MAZE → AN EMPTY ROOM
:LOOK → AN EMPTY ROOM
:HELP → NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST GET
:EXIT → CFM (''Exits the maze'')
|<code>'''. -. - . .-. / -- .- --.. .'''</code> → <code>'''.- -. / . -- .--. - -.-- / .-. --- --- --'''</code>
:<code>'''.-.. --- --- -.-'''</code> → <code>'''.- -. / . -- .--. - -.-- / .-. --- --- --'''</code>
:<code>'''.... . .-.. .--.'''</code> → <code>'''-. --- .-. - .... / . .- ... - / ... --- ..- - .... / .-- . ... - / --. . -'''</code>
:<code>'''. -..- .. -'''</code> → <code>'''-.-. ..-. --'''</code>
|
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Maze
|-
|an open flame || a candle on a table || style="background-color: black;" |
|-
| style="background-color: black;" | || an empty room (start) || style="background-color: black;" |
|-
| style="background-color: black;" | || a hanging bell || an open book on a table (locked door)
|-
|}

Steps to complete (directions can be abbreviated as their first letter):
# NORTH
# GET CANDLE → TAKEN
# WEST
# LIGHT CANDLE
# EAST
# SOUTH
# SOUTH
# RING BELL → A DOOR OPENS
# EAST
# CLOSE BOOK → CONGRATULATIONS YOU ESCAPE

===CROSSWORD===
{| class="wikitable"
! Message → response
! Morse code
! Explanation
|-
|CROSSWORD → NUMBER AND DIRECTION
|<code>'''-.-. .-. --- ... ... .-- --- .-. -..'''</code> → <code>'''-. ..- -- -... . .-. / .- -. -.. / -.. .. .-. . -.-. - .. --- -.'''</code>
|This starts a crossword. You can ask for hints like "1 down" or "2 across". It appears to be the [https://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2021/04/libertarian-politico-johnson-thu-4-1-21.html New York Times Crossword] from the day this comic was written (2021-04-01).
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+Solved Crossword
|-
| m || y || g || o || d || style="background-color: black; | || d || e || v || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || e || l || f
|-
| b || u || o || n || o || style="background-color: black; | || e || y || e || s || style="background-color: black; | || s || l || u || r
|-
| a || m || o || c || o || style="background-color: black; | || c || r || a || p || style="background-color: black; | || l || m || a || o
|-
| style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || v || e || r || y || r || e || l || i || g || i || o || u || s
|-
| s || e || e || style="background-color: black; | || m || u || y || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || r || a || m || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; |
|-
| h || a || r || h || a || r || style="background-color: black; | || s || c || a || r || e || d || o || f
|-
| e || s || s || e || n || t || i || a || l || l || y || style="background-color: black; | || a || r || i
|-
| b || t || e || n || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || m || m || i || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || t || v || a || d
|-
| o || l || a || style="background-color: black; | || b || a || d || m || o || u || t || h || i || n || g
|-
| p || a || s || s || e || d || b || y || style="background-color: black; | || n || o || o || d || g || e
|-
| style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || o || a || r || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || s || u || n || style="background-color: black; | || l || e || t
|-
| b || l || e || n || d || e || d || f || a || m || i || l || y || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; |
|-
| b || o || r || g || style="background-color: black; | || p || e || l || t || style="background-color: black; | || g || e || n || r || e
|-
| q || u || i || z || style="background-color: black; | || s || p || a || y || style="background-color: black; | || h || i || c || k || s
|-
| s || t || e || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || style="background-color: black; | || p || b || r || style="background-color: black; | || t || a || h || o || e
|}

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ Words
! index !! down word !! across word
|-
| 1 || MBA || MYGOD
|-
| 2 || YUM ||
|-
| 3 || GOOVERSEAS ||
|-
| 4 || ONCE ||
|-
| 5 || DOORMAN ||
|-
| 6 || DECRY || DEV
|-
| 7 || EYRE ||
|-
| 8 || VEAL ||
|-
| 9 || ELMO || ELF
|-
| 10 || LUAU ||
|-
| 11 || FROS ||
|-
| 12 || || BUONO
|-
| 13 || || EYES
|-
| 14 || SPIRAL ||
|-
| 15 || SLIME || SLUR
|-
| 16 || || AMOCO
|-
| 17 || || CRAP
|-
| 18 || || LMAO
|-
| 19 || || VERYRELIGIOUS
|-
| 20 || YURT ||
|-
| 21 || GARY ||
|-
| 22 || SHEBOP || SEE
|-
| 23 || EASTLA ||
|-
| 24 || || MUY
|-
| 25 || || RAM
|-
| 26 || || HARHAR
|-
| 27 || HEN ||
|-
| 28 || SAMMY || SCAREDOF
|-
| 29 || CLIO ||
|-
| 30 || DAVIDLYNCH ||
|-
| 31 || ORANGE ||
|-
| 32 || FIDGET ||
|-
| 33 || || ESSENTIALLY
|-
| 34 || IMDB ||
|-
| 35 || || ARI
|-
| 36 || || BTEN
|-
| 37 || || MMI
|-
| 38 || THO || TVAD
|-
| 39 || || OLA
|-
| 40 || BEAD || BADMOUTHING
|-
| 41 || ADREPS ||
|-
| 42 || UNUM ||
|-
| 43 || TONIGHT ||
|-
| 44 || || PASSEDBY
|-
| 45 || SONGZ ||
|-
| 46 || || NOODGE
|-
| 47 || || OAR
|-
| 48 || SATYR || SUN
|-
| 49 || || LET
|-
| 50 || BBQS || BLENDEDFAMILY
|-
| 51 || LOUT ||
|-
| 52 || ERIE ||
|-
| 53 || DEPP ||
|-
| 54 || FLAB ||
|-
| 55 || LEIA ||
|-
| 56 || || BORG
|-
| 57 || || PELT
|-
| 58 || || GENRE
|-
| 59 || RKO ||
|-
| 60 || ESE ||
|-
| 61 || || QUIZ
|-
| 62 || || SPAY
|-
| 63 || || HICKS
|-
| 64 || || STE
|-
| 65 || || PBR
|-
| 66 || || TAHOE
|}

===Rover Scene===
After successfully repairing and rebooting Sojourner, a comic is opened which depicts it seeking out and finding its friends, Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, Perseverance, and Ingenuity. Curiosity and Perseverance are locked in a swordfight, and either Spirit or Opportunity is carried off by Ingenuity while the other speeds off a small mound of dirt. Ingenuity carrying a rover is a reference to the previous comic.

==Special Console Commands==
The page's JavaScript creates a global object <code>'''morse'''</code> with <code>'''encode'''</code> and <code>'''decode'''</code> methods. From the developer console, it is possible to write <code>'''morse.encode("A PHRASE")'''</code>, which will print the Morse code corresponding to the text provided, or <code>'''morse.decode("... --- ...")'''</code> which will translate the Morse code to text.

<code>'''BeepComic.hurryUp()'''</code> to get the reply immediately in the console.
<code>'''BeepComic.send(...)'''</code> to send directly to SOJOURNER.

==Transcript==
:[A small box is in the middle of a large white frame. The box can have a check-mark, but it is alternating between being checked or unchecked. At the bottom right there is a muted speaker (which can be unmuted). If the user press the checkbox gray dots or lines will appear below depending on the length of the press. These will move from right to left and then disappear.]

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:April fools' comics]]
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:Comics with animation]]
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]
[[Category:Comics with audio]]

1672: Women on 20s

2025-04-18T01:15:10Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ Newer source that doesn't ambiguously say "next year"

{{comic
| number = 1672
| date = April 25, 2016
| title = Women on 20s
| image = women_on_20s.png
| titletext = I get that there are security reasons for the schedule, but this is like the ONE problem we have where the right answer is both easy and straightforward. If we can't figure it out, maybe we should just give up and just replace all the portraits on the bills with that weird pyramid eye thing.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic portrays a series of press conferences with a {{w|US Treasury}} spokesperson (different from [[Cueball]] in the first panel as he has a bit of hair). The panels after the first summarize and ridicule the recent controversy over the upcoming redesign of US currency. The dialog between the US Treasury and reporters is paraphrased for comedic effect, but the events depicted are {{w|United_States_twenty-dollar_bill#Proposal_for_a_woman.27s_portrait|otherwise factual}} (including the punchline).

American currency has only once had a woman as the primary portrait on paper currency ([https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/martha-washington/martha-on-1/ Martha Washington] was on the $1 Silver Certificate in the 1880s and 1890s), which is widely seen as a real problem. A large-scale petition was organized which advocated replacing {{w|Andrew Jackson}} on the {{w|United States twenty-dollar bill|$20 bill}} with a woman, to be chosen by public voting. The {{w|Trail of Tears}} is a reference to the {{w|Andrew_Jackson#Indian_removal_policy|forced re-locations}} of Native American peoples that Andrew Jackson conducted during his presidency. This is now seen as a human rights violation on a massive scale and is presented as a reason why Andrew Jackson should not be honored on American currency.

The timing of the release of this new bill with a woman was to be scheduled with the 100-year anniversary of {{w|Women's suffrage in the United States|Women's suffrage}} in 2020 and should thus preferably also be on the $20 bill.

The voting process [http://www.womenon20s.org/results selected] {{w|Harriet Tubman}}, a 19th century {{w|abolitionist}} and a major figure in the {{w|Underground Railroad}} system which freed {{w|Slavery in the United States|American slaves}}. Cueball is seen to be clearly pleased and excited about this prospect in the first panel, where he votes for her first, among several other options.

The list shows that Cueball chooses Tubman first representing the generic everyman and thus represents the about one in five that choose her first. But he may select up to three out of the fifteen selected candidates.
*The other two women he chooses are:
**{{w|Eleanor Roosevelt}}, an American politician, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving {{w|First Lady of the United States}}, holding the post from March 1933 to April 1945 during her husband President {{w|Franklin D. Roosevelt}}'s four terms in office. She became the runner-up in the vote.
**{{w|Rachel Carson}}, a pioneering environmentalist who is most famous for her book ''{{w|Silent Spring}}''.
Since Carson was not one of the options for the final round, where only four were selected (the other two were {{w|Rosa Parks}}, 3rd; and {{w|Wilma Mankiller}}, 4th), it is clear that Cueball was already voting in the primary ballot, where Roosevelt actually came in first.

At this point, bureaucratic and political complications arise. The Treasury Department announces that, instead of replacing Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, she would replace {{w|Alexander Hamilton}} on the {{w|United States ten-dollar bill|$10 bill}}. The {{w|United_States_ten-dollar_bill#Future_redesign|reason given}} is that the $10 bill was scheduled for redesign first. A reporter asks why they can't simply change the schedule, but doesn't get a clear answer.

There is a suggestion from "Steve" to put {{w|Martin Shkreli}} on the {{w|United States five-dollar bill|$5 bill}}. Shkreli is a pharmaceutical executive and hedge fund manager who provoked controversy when he {{w|Martin_Shkreli#Price_hike_controversy|acquired the rights to an anti-parasite drug and raised the price}} by over 5000%, making it unaffordable for many people. He became known as "the most hated man in America". Naturally, Steve's suggestion receives short shrift, not least of which because it's [https://www.quora.com/Can-anybody-or-anything-be-put-on-American-currency-other-than-dead-presidents a violation of Treasury policy and US law] (as Shkreli is still alive). This may be the same Steve who messed up both [[809: Los Alamos]] and [[1532: New Horizons]].

The plan to replace Hamilton likely seemed like an uncontroversial decision at the time. He was not especially well known among the American public and few people had an emotional attachment to his legacy. However, this changed abruptly when {{w|Hamilton_(musical)|a Broadway musical}} about his life came out and become massively popular. By total coincidence, this play creates a flood of interest in Hamilton right at the time the currency decisions are being made and makes replacing his portrait politically complicated. The spokesperson suggests putting both Hamilton and Tubman on the $10 bill, but the reporters are clearly unhappy with this solution, probably because it seems to dilute the recognition being given to Tubman.

Finally, the spokesperson announces that they will put Tubman on the $20 bill, but their schedule demands that they do the $10 bill first. They decide to put a "mural to women" on the new $10 bill to try and contain the tension until the new $20 bill is released. The reporters say that the Treasury has total control over the release of currency, so the simpler solution is just to change the schedule, but they apparently ignore that suggestion.

In the final panel, the spokesperson mentions that Jackson's portrait will still appear on the new $20 bill, seriously weakening the symbolism of replacing him and adding irony since Jackson was a slave owner. This is likely an effort to head off the complaints of traditionalists but is seen here as an unfortunate attempt to avoid taking a real stand.

In the title text [[Randall]] reiterates that this is a rare case in politics in which there's a clear and simple solution. The Treasury has the authority to redesign currency, and a petition to Congress could change the release schedule to fit their needs. That makes all the compromises and backtracking unnecessary: they could simply replace Jackson with Tubman and hypothetically release the new $20 bill whenever they choose. Randall appears frustrated with the artificial constraints that are holding back what should be a simple and straightforward process although he does acknowledge that it takes time to evaluate the security of a redesign's resistance to {{w|Counterfeit money|counterfeiting}}.

The mention of the "[https://google.com/search?q=illuminati+confirmed&tbm=isch weird pyramid eye thing]" is a reference to the {{w|Eye of Providence}}, which is an old and {{rw|Illuminati|somewhat arcane symbol}} that appears on the {{w|United States one-dollar bill|US $1 bill}}. Randall seems to be using this as an example of the outdated and frankly strange design of American currency, the implication that using that on all US dollar bills would constitute giving up on ever having a design relevant to the modern world. Also by replacing all portraits with this image, there would no longer be any gender controversy.

As of 2025, progress on updating both the $10 and the $20 has stalled, with the Treasury stating that [https://www.businessinsider.com/harriet-tubman-20-bill-update-redesign-timeline-2030-2021-4 efforts to accelerate the redesign ahead of 2030 failed].

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is sitting at his laptop. Above him is the text he reads on the screen, then he speaks, and below that text is the list of women from his computer showing his three picks, each with a gray "drop-down menu" triangle to the right of the names. Below this, is his final spoken line. At the top of the panel is a small frame breaking the top left border with a caption:]
:2015
:Website: Petition: Replace Andrew "Trail of Tears" Jackson with a woman on the $20 for the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in 2020.
:Cueball: Hey, good idea!
:Website:
::Vote for your three picks:
::1 Harriet Tubman
::2 Eleanor Roosevelt
::3 Rachel Carson
:Cueball: Tubman for #1, definitely.

:[An executive from the department of treasury, with a wee bit of hair on his head, stands behind a lectern. On the front of the lectern the top part of the image inside the seal for the department of treasury is visible inside a circle, showing the scales and the tip of the triangular band beneath it. The rest of this image is hidden below the panel frame. There is text written above this image. At the top of the panel is a small frame breaking the top left border with a caption:]
:Soon...
:Treasury Executive: After a flood of public interest, the Treasury has decided to feature a woman on our money!
:Offscreen voice 1: Yay!
:Treasury Executive: She will replace Hamilton on the $10.
:Offscreen voice 1: Yay-- wait, what? Why not the $20?
:Offscreen voice 2: ''Are we mad at Hamilton?''
:Text above the seal: Treasury

:[The executive with a hand on the lectern is seen from the side.]
:Treasury Executive: The $10 was scheduled for the next redesign by a board made up of-
:Offscreen voice 3: Can't you just do the $20 next?
:Treasury Executive: We will review the...
:Offscreen voice 3: *Sigh*
:Offscreen voice 4 (Steve): ''Put Martin Shkreli on the $5!''
:Offscreen voice 5: Shut up, Steve.

:[The executive lifts both hands, the one over the lectern points a finger up. Again seen from the side. At the top of the panel is a small frame breaking the top left border with a caption:]
:Later in 2015...
:Treasury Executive: Wow, some musical came out, and now suddenly Hamilton has ''tons'' of fans.
:Offscreen voice 6: So do the $20 next. Problem solved!
:Treasury Executive: Maybe he and a woman can ''share'' the $10!
:Offscreen voice 6: Are you serious.

:[The executive, again with a hand on the lectern, is seen from the side. At the top of the panel is a small frame breaking the top left border with a caption:]
:2016:
:Treasury Executive: We've decided to put Harriet Tubman on the $20.
:Offscreen voice 7: Perfect! Happy ending.
:Treasury Executive: -After we do the new $10.
:Offscreen voice 7: What?

:[The executive again from the front behind the lectern. On the front of the lectern, only the text and the very top of the circle around the image can be seen.]
:Treasury Executive: We'll put a mural to women on the back of the $10. Hopefully, that will tide you over until we get to the $20?
:Offscreen voice 8: ''Seriously?'' How is this so complicated? Just say "We're putting Harriet Tubman on the $20," then do it.
:Text above the seal: Treasury

:[The executive with hands down behind the lectern is seen from the side.]
:Treasury Executive: We'll do the $20 ASAP, but we can't change the-
:Offscreen voice 9: C'mon, your hands aren't tied here. You're the freaking Treasury. This is the '''''one''''' thing you're definitely in charge of.

:[The executive lifting a hand above the lectern is seen from the side.]
:Treasury Executive: Oh, and we're putting Andrew Jackson on the back.
:Three offscreen voices: '''''What.'''''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Public speaking]]
[[Category:Money]]

Talk:2929: Good and Bad Ideas

2025-04-17T18:53:05Z

Jacky720: rm redlink

Lots of bread/food in the "good" quadrant; I think Randall is hungry. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.73|162.158.154.73]] 05:33, 7 May 2024 (UTC)
:FYI bread -- all bread -- is actually toxic and harmful to us.... Currently, there are three ways this occurs:
- USDA organic standards permit the application of Round-Up (glyphosphate, an herbicide/weedkiller)
to 'organic' wheat -- after it has been harvested. Reason is so they can harvest while it is still green (rather than mature dried-out golden)... Then apply the weedkiller in order to kill & desiccate it... Which lets them faster turn-over, shorter crop cycles, more production per time.
. Unsurprisingly, things designed to kill life are bad for us. (causes cancer and nerve damage)

- secondly the manner of harvesting wheat and turning it into bread changed since the industrial revolution... I do not recall the specific detail but it is more inflammatory now.

- Third, alas heating a number of various foods above the boiling point of water leads to more drastic biochemical changes in the molecules...
... This includes nuts/seeds, meat, & grains.
see california p65 re: bread.
.
causes cancer.
.
trivia:
anthropologists & medical doctors several hundred years ago visiting the americas found that nomadic forager/gatherer tribes were usually in better health, lived longer, & had fewer incidents of tumors (post-mortem autopsies, even in those days) compared to nations or tribes with a history (even pre-euro-contact) of sedentary/agrarian/farming communities.
guess this is due to less diversity in diet, incl greens, less exercise, but also the rise in cultivated grains or cereals like maize.
still better than the hellhole we are in today...
[[Special:Contributions/172.71.151.96|172.71.151.96]] 20:10, 8 May 2024 (UTC)

Soup always seems like a very good idea to me. I guess I like soup. --[[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.182|172.69.79.182]] 07:15, 7 May 2024 (UTC)

I remember something like this in what if. [[Special:Contributions/SectorCorruptor|SectorCorruptor]] 07:21, 7 May 2024 (UTC)
:The title immediately reminded me on the Animaniacs shorts "Good Idea / Bad Idea" [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 07:33, 7 May 2024 (UTC)

Does anybody know why solar cars and transitions lenses are actually a bad idea? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.160.173|172.70.160.173]] 09:11, 7 May 2024 (UTC)
:Transitions lenses are misplaced. The only caveat is that if you like outdoor photography (landscapes, wildlife, etc.) you should get grey lenses rather than brown ones, because the brown ones make a blue sky seem overcast. [[User:Pjt33|Pjt33]] ([[User talk:Pjt33|talk]]) 09:22, 7 May 2024 (UTC)
::The precise opposite is true. Grey lenses make ''all'' things - blue sky included - look greyer, as is perhaps unsurprising. Brown tints involve a degree of orange, which means the overall impression is of a "warmer" colour pallette, rather than simply a duller one. There is a reason that "grey skies" and "overcast" mean ''exactly'' the same thing - an overcast sky ''is'' a grey tinted filter. [[User:Yorkshire Pudding|Yorkshire Pudding]] ([[User talk:Yorkshire Pudding|talk]]) 09:48, 7 May 2024 (UTC)
:::But perceived colour isn't the same as the actual colour hitting the retina: the brain corrects it. A blue sky filtered through a grey lens is still perceived as blue, but I find that a blue sky filtered through a brown lens appears grey. This is from personal experience: I switched from grey Transitions to brown ones because the frame that I liked was a brassy colour, and I regretted it when I next went out for bird photography. [[Special:Contributions/188.114.111.152|188.114.111.152]] 09:22, 8 May 2024 (UTC)
:I think the Transition lens issue is primarily that the bright light that can turn them dark need not be heading into the eye. With the Sun (say) off at an angle, it could be 'reacting' your lenses to dark needlesly, and reducing your ability to discern the things in front of you (which may be in shadow), working against the basic ability of the eye to adjust itself as per observed illumination.
:Conversely, a small bright light would not sufficiently darken the lenses but be still damaging to the spot(s) it falls upon in your retina (or do the "whole lens go dark" thing and ''still'' be too bright even as you can't see anything else beyond it). This might also be combined with the general secondary problem of potentially all regular sunglasses/goggles, that aren't industrial-grade or specific solar-specs, in that it might make it ''look'' safe to stare at bright things/skies through them but you cannot tell how much UV/etc is also being filtered out (some brands do have notable UV protection, but you really have to trust their claims/certifications – unless you have your own testing kit and knowledge of how much is good/bad anyway).
:I'd add that, but it needs a sharper explanation than I just gave. I'd like to make what's already there snappier, before that, plus correct the numerous typos and funny formatting (and lack of useful wikilinks), but will probably leave that to others with the time. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.242.204|172.71.242.204]] 10:08, 7 May 2024 (UTC)
:: I already added it but someone removed it so I had to restore it. Feel free to rewrite it more concisely, but if I ever see anyone remove, I will find them and break their arm.
:: I personally tried wearing Transitions. They don't make much sense once you actually realize why people wear sunglasses these days. Significant number of people wear sunglasses not just because it's too bright outside, but to protect their skin from aging. They apply sunscreen on their face, neck, and head. However, the area around eyes is hard to apply the cosmetic products around without getting them on your eyeballs. And that's why some people wear these huge sunglasses: they don't want to get crow's feet in their 30's. Transitions activate only under direct sunlight with strong UV rays, so they will never activate if worn like that. Obviously they can't protect even your sclera.
:: Additionally, the effect isn't that pronounced. The fact that they activate gradually makes it entirely unnoticeable to your eyesight. I had to check in the mirror to see if they even work or not. Transitions cost at least twice as much as regular contacts. Add the fact that people don't go outside that often these days. So why bother paying more? Again, once you start using them, you quickly realize that Transitions aren't a gamechanger but a more expensive product with minor (if any) benefits.
:: Consider also that even the regular contacts have a side effect of UV rays protection. It's not intentional but a side effect. They don't darken under UV rays, it's just that the material acts like that.
:: Once I saw the comic, it strongly resonated with my own experience. Transitions sounded incredible when described as a product, and I stocked up on them. Once I started using them, I quickly realized the truth.--[[Special:Contributions/172.68.243.80|172.68.243.80]] 07:58, 6 June 2024 (UTC)
:::The reason why you want UV protection is still not relevant for explaining why it sounds better than it actually is. I removed it again. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 08:48, 6 June 2024 (UTC)
:::: Shove your opinion up your ass. --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.134.22|162.158.134.22]] 14:27, 6 June 2024 (UTC)

Just as a note while we're here: "fecal transplant" is one of the most spectacular branding failures in the history of medical science, in my opinion. I mean, don't put the word "fecal" in anything you want people to feel positively about. And "microbiome transplant" is sitting right there, ready to serve.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.242.37|108.162.242.37]] 10:44, 7 May 2024 (UTC)

Double plug cords are VERY MUCH a bad idea. Used mostly to plug generators into an outlet to power a house, it tends to harm people working on the power lines who were not expecting them to be charged when the power was out. The statement about them being hard to use, is quite the understatement. OSHA, written in blood. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.115.103|172.70.115.103]]

How can soup be bland? There are bland soups, spicy soups, sweet soups, savory soups ... you can't call an entire very broad category of food "bland" like that. It makes no sense.[[User:Nitpicking|Nitpicking]] ([[User talk:Nitpicking|talk]]) 11:46, 7 May 2024 (UTC)
:I think they may have meant bland as in boring, not tasteless. I'll tweak it. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 16:20, 7 May 2024 (UTC)

Citation format needed. (heelies) {{unsigned ip|172.70.178.103|12:57, 7 May 2024}}
:''Summary: (I don't know how to format correctly.)'' - no, you don't...
:For a link to an external URL, writting <code>[the_url]</code> will give you a "linked number", but a better format is using <code>[the_url text to replace]</code> (with a space betwixt the URL and the text that will link to it. e.g. [https://google.com a link to google] from <code><nowiki>[https://google.com a link to google]</nowiki></code>.
:There are full on citation/reference methods, but mostly I wouldn't bother with <nowiki><cite> and <ref> tags</nowiki> at all.
:Internal links, with [[]]s, and template-based ones, with {{}}s (e.g. the nicely-linking shortcut to wikipedia pages), use a pipe (the "|") between the sections. But you should be able to work that out by looking at what is already in the edit-source.
:If in doubt, Preview your intended change and see if it looks right. I'll let you correct your contribution. Or whoever else wants to shake up the whole article, as it has multiple problems from spelling mistakes to inconsistent style to repeating information and it needs a lot of rationalising that I can't even think of doing right now. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.195.113|172.69.195.113]] 14:09, 7 May 2024 (UTC)
::I didn't realize we actually have no citation templates. Quite a few pages have the actual citation needed template but not many of them ever get those citations. I think a lot of citations get put in just as external links. I probably should've done that but I was like oh I know how to do this from my small amount of Wikipedia editing, I'll just use the cite web template... oh we don't have that. So rather than just do an ad-hoc link I created the citation in my Wikipedia sandbox then manually recreated the formatting. But now it feels weird and out of character for this wiki so maybe someone should just change it to a link. idk, maybe being inconstant is exactly what is in-character for this wiki. [[User:Brycemw|Brycemw]] ([[User talk:Brycemw|talk]]) 15:10, 7 May 2024 (UTC)
:::I changed it to a link. I've seen the occasional citations section in this wiki, iirc, but we general just do links :) [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 07:02, 8 May 2024 (UTC)

As a Columbus native, I am HIGHLY offended by this anti–rectangular pizza slice speech. Rectangular pizza is by far the BEST shape that a pizza can be. (I'm not really offended, but I really do think rectangular pizza is superior.) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.229|108.162.216.229]] 14:04, 7 May 2024 (UTC)
:Sicilian pizza should be square and cut into square slices, Neapolitan pizza should be round and cut into sectors. The extra thickness of Sicilian means you don't eat it by holding the crust and folding, so the shape of the slices is less critical. But this does mean that the middle slices have no crust around the edges. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 16:25, 7 May 2024 (UTC)
::[[1986|Crimes!]] --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.95.11|162.158.95.11]] 21:19, 8 May 2024 (UTC)
:The pizzas at the Maryland USA-based [https://order.ledopizza.com/menu/ledo-pizza-colesville Ledo Pizza chain] are all square or rectangular, and cut into a grid of smaller squares. There is plenty of demand for non-round pizza to support their 125 locations in nine states and DC. [[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]]) 02:54, 12 May 2024 (UTC)

Leaded gasoline isn't to reduce *noise*. The noise is a symptom of detonation (aka knock), which is the real problem. Knock is caused by pressures and temperatures high enough and for long enough to detonate the fuel/air mixture (as opposed to the deflagration initiated by the spark plug at a set time), and can result in engine damage. Leaded gasoline (through complicated chemistry) increases the pressure/temperature required to get that detonation, and thus allows the engine to be designed to run at higher temperatures and compression ratios, which is where the efficiency improvements come from. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.39.41|172.70.39.41]] 14:38, 7 May 2024 (UTC)

Maybe, cross-reference "Sliced bread" to [[1065:_Shoes]] and [[1885:_Ensemble_Model]] (with sliced bread in both comic and title-text).

I think that the phrase "best thing since a sliced bread" refers to sliced bread in general (as opposed to eating the bread directly or tearing pieces of it) and not specifically bread pre-sliced before buying.

Also, heat pumps, whole not DESIGNED to heat by itself, actually have a limit for how big difference in temperature they can operate in. Outside this limit, they work quite badly and only by heating by itself.

Finally, soup is GREAT idea. -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 18:49, 7 May 2024 (UTC)

Yeah, why ''is'' soup in the middle? [[User:Psychoticpotato|Psychoticpotato]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 20:45, 7 May 2024 (UTC)

Did some grammar editing. Nothing too drastic, just fixing some too-lengthy phrases and misspelled words. [[User:Psychoticpotato|Psychoticpotato]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 20:59, 7 May 2024 (UTC)

Extension cords with prongs at both ends are actually a even worse than what's currently on this wiki. There's a list of other issues [https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/generators/why-suicide-extension-cords-are-so-dangerous-a1189731437/ here], which I'm not sure how well I can sum up within a reasonable amount of space. Stuff like feeding power back into the electrical grid putting electricians working on the grid at risk, or dealing with the exhaust from the household generators the cables usually come with. There's all sorts of reasons why major stores refused to manufacture or sell these, but for some reason they've become shockingly common. [[User:NickNackGus|NickNackGus]] ([[User talk:NickNackGus|talk]]) 02:09, 8 May 2024 (UTC)
:"...they've become shockingly common." Good pun. ''OR'' That would have been a good pun, had it been intended. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.160.166|172.70.160.166]] 10:50, 8 May 2024 (UTC)
::[[No Pun Intended]] (does that hotlink?) Edit: cool, it does. [[User:Psychoticpotato|Psychoticpotato]] ([[User talk:Psychoticpotato|talk]]) 12:37, 8 May 2024 (UTC)

Photochromic lenses are also bad for night vision: “...the optical transmission of the lenses was no more than 80% efficient and, taking into account all of the other known factors, was probably less at the time of the accident. This compares to 94.7% and 99.4% optical transmittance of ordinary uncoated and coated lenses, respectively.” – At least that was the [https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/sinking-of-sailing-yacht-ouzo-after-encounter-with-ro-ro-passenger-ferry-pride-of-bilbao-off-isle-of-wight-england-with-loss-of-3-lives conclusion] of UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch for a particular set of glasses worn by the bridge lookout.
[[Special:Contributions/162.158.95.9|162.158.95.9]] 12:52, 8 May 2024 (UTC)

You cannot get a fungal infection from mold. [[User:SDSpivey|SDSpivey]] ([[User talk:SDSpivey|talk]]) 13:59, 8 May 2024 (UTC)

Project Orion is also the production codename for an upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 sequel. For a moment there I was thinking "Randall really didn't like that game, huh?" [[Special:Contributions/172.70.54.21|172.70.54.21]] 16:11, 8 May 2024 (UTC)

most other charts like this have each one labelled with percentages, not with this weird +- thing. I think that would be MUCH better [[Special:Contributions/172.69.64.147|172.69.64.147]] 23:14, 8 May 2024 (UTC)Bumpf
:When I would have the time, I had been planning to make it "wikitable sortable" (adding a reasonable numeric sort key in cell-meta, at least, which needs the work; and that is hard to do properly before I get back to desktop browsing myself), but not sure if that would be appreciated or not by the original table-compiler/editors. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.160.172|172.70.160.172]] 04:29, 9 May 2024 (UTC)
:meh... I have preferred the previous version with +/- over percentages. It's (imo) much harder to parse (for a human) now. It also makes implications about the scale of the chart. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 10:02, 14 May 2024 (UTC)
::As the "percentages for sorting purposes" editor, above and who then did that, I actually somewhat agree.
:*I used percentages just as an output for my positional calculation, really doesn't 'read' well.
:*I could have used raw pixel-distances, I suppose. There was also no reason to round to 5% bounds except that it was a choice similar to "how many decimal places to use" that I might otherwise have chosen.
:*The editor who took my sort-value percentages and put them in the cell itself could have just removed the sort-value 'meta' to the cell (as it was, they made at least one transcription error, now corrected), and saved "override the sort of this percentage-themed text by this separate percentage value".
:**They maybe should have kept the explicit plus, as well as the minus. Although "X% (good/bad) would have been better.
:*They give the midpoint of sometimes tall 'label boxes' and often wide ones, so huge error-bars (noting the ±5%ish ones where they probably are intended as centrally placed), so – though good for background sorting – I don't think they're really explanatory enough.
:*If I'd have known they'd be used visually, I'd have rescaled to not have 105%, which is an artefact of the graph, and my choice to use the axial arrow-tips as 'standard' for 100% (because it was pretty consistent, pixels left/right and up/down from the crossing origin).
:I could just convert the calculated values back into strings of +s/-s (or 0, neutral), more correct than what was originally there. But I'm wondering if maybe wording as "(Somewhat / / Very / Extremely) (Good / Bad)", plus some term for "Neutral" would be best. Loose and vague terms, but they're probably loosely and vaguely positioned. More for aesthetics than any hard and fast positioning, with no hint that they might (or should) overlap like subsets of 'true data' might. Keeping the sort-data meta-tagged, of course, because the 'proper' sorting is still a useful property (though I may give that the raw pixel offsets I must still have saved somewhere, chuck away the 'artificial' percentages altogether). [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.74|141.101.99.74]] 14:59, 14 May 2024 (UTC)

I personally would put "toasted sandwiches" WAY higher, way into the "bad idea" sector. I like SOFT bread, not scratch-my-mouth-up bread, :) But that's a matter of personal taste. Similar with soup, MUCH higher, I find as a liquid it completely fails as food, not satisfying hunger at all. Like if I have enough of it I might run out of room for more liquid, but be just as hungry. I always find it a waste of eating effort. :) And WHY is there an "actual citation needed" on club sandwiches needing diagonal cuts??? That can only be a gag "citation needed"! I've never even had a club sandwich (they seem to always have tomatoes and the blandest looking chicken I've ever seen, and I hate tomatoes), and I'm no chef, and even '''''I''''' know how you plate a club sandwich! Where would anyone even FIND a citation for this? It's just a part of how to make them! And funny, only other place I heard of "fecal transplant" was when I Googled an issue I was diagnosed with and found that was an actual treatment if my issue was way more severe! Sounded creepy, harvesting shit from one person then having a stranger's shit put inside me, LOL! But that was a virus going around the hospital where I was staying, nothing about bad eating habits. [[User:NiceGuy1|NiceGuy1]] ([[User talk:NiceGuy1|talk]]) 05:31, 11 May 2024 (UTC)
: I removed the club sandwich from that part of the table. The "actual citation needed" was for the "required as it's needed because" part. A club sandwich is a club sandwich regardless of how it's cut. Note that "soup" also includes stews, which can be really filling. [[User:Elektrizikekswerk|Elektrizikekswerk]] ([[User talk:Elektrizikekswerk|talk]]) 10:11, 14 May 2024 (UTC)

WRT Solar cars, There is also a power density problem. Solar radiation is about 1000 W/sq-meter, and "good" solar cells are about 20% efficient. That means that a typical car at about 4m*2m, covered with solar cells, would develop a maximum of about 1600W of power. Electric cars average about 320Wh per mile, so sitting 6H in full (ideal) sun would allow you to drive about 30 miles. (A typical home charger is about 7200W) {{w|172.71.158.19|06:32, 11 May 2024}}

On Diverging Diamond Interchanges, I read a paper recently comparing the crash cost statistics of DDIs against roundabouts. The latter was identified to be better by 41%, showing roundabouts are more economical and suggesting that they are a safer junction type. This may be why DDIs are only + and not ++.
I can't find the article as I'm on my phone right now, but hopefully I've included enough detail that someone with access to a [[Research Account]] can find and include if deemed appropriate. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.94|172.71.178.94]] 18:16, 11 May 2024 (UTC)

Other than the obvious shock hazard, double-plug cords also give the ability to plug into two outlets that are not on the same phase/leg of the power supply (in North American 240V split-phase supply or any location supplied with 3-phase power), causing a short from phase to phase.[[Special:Contributions/172.70.80.77|172.70.80.77]] 15:52, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Morbid fact: You can see some trend between leaded gasoline and crime on google trends, although it'll get better in a few years.[[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.12|162.158.159.12]] 21:20, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

== guys ==

guys. soup.
{{soup}}

-[[User:Bb777|;)]] ([[User talk:Bb777|talk]]) 00:50, 22 March 2025 (UTC)

== way up high ==
way up high in the left is [[Forks and Spoons|forks and spoons]]. --[[User:Bb777|hi]] ([[User talk:Bb777|talk]]) 16:02, 24 March 2025 (UTC)
:Don't create pages like that. If you want it exactly like that, then there's <nowiki>[[419: Forks and Spoons|forks and spoons]]</nowiki> ("[[419: Forks and Spoons|forks and spoons]]"), or even <nowiki>[[Forks and Spoons]]</nowiki> ("[[Forks and Spoons]]") would make sense. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.8|172.70.90.8]] 21:47, 24 March 2025 (UTC)

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T15:33:30Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ neat

{{comic
| number = 3074
| date = April 9, 2025
| title = Push Notifications
| image = push_notifications_2x.png
| imagesize = 277x347px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = NOTIFICATION: Now dismissing a head of the Notification Hydra… NOTIFICATION: Success! You have dismissed a head of the Notification Hydra! Different title text: :3
}}
To experience the interactivity of the game, visit the {{xkcd|1110|original comic}}.

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Please write a better overall explanation and explain the other functions of the comic. If you see any comic images that haven't been uploaded yet, please download and add them! Also, a table might not be the most space-efficient way to display the different comic images; a gallery of imges might be better.}}
This interactive comic is the 15th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April Fools' Day]] comic released by Randall, just over a week late. It uses {{w|push notifications}} to change the comic image over time and make other statements. A table of notifications can be seen at [[3074: Push Notifications/Table of Notifications]].

After viewing the comic for the first time, there is a sequence of notifications rendered over the comic itself. After clicking through these, you are provided with two buttons: one labeled "Emergency Stop" which will halt all notifications, and one labeled "Silence notifications at a cost" which will silence notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

If you press silence notifications too much the laptop blows up.

Notification types include:
* One asking you to select a word, with further notifications to be sent whenever someone chooses the same word as you. Following this up changes the comic pane to a comic-style input dialogue with a space for the word and a submit button.
** Upon providing a word, a notification informs you that you will then receive notifications (of the form "Someone else has selected the word <Your Word>!"), and that your choice is permanent and cannot be changed.
** It is entirely possible to (mis-)submit a blank word, and to receive "Someone else has selected the word !" notifications.
* A few starter notifications about this comic, the successful sending of a notification of this comic, and the lack of another comic.
* An announcement that an old comic was posted, specifying a comic and its publication date.
* A "streak" notification counting the number of times you've clicked it. The message changes every 10 clicks, and after 50 clicks there is an offer to make future clicks count twice, making this a simple version of {{w|Cookie Clicker}}. If you chooses to accept the offer by clicking on it, it will reset your clicks back to zero but makes all future clicks count double of the current click rate; you can also reject the offer by continuing to click on the click counter message. There are occasionally notifications encouraging you to keep clicking and "extend your streak," tempting you with "a free click to keep you going". After 400 clicks it will reset your clicks back to zero but makes all future clicks count four times. There will be new messages up to a total of at least 1000 clicks.
** Early notifications encourage further clicking.
** Approaching a hundred, the messages grow more concerned and later start warning that the server will crash or has crashed.
** Above 750: "Are you just doing this to annoy me?"
** 1000-2000: "Are you just doing this to annoy you?"
** Above 2000: "I guess it worked"
* A "have you seen my cat?" notification which spawns up to 7 clickable cats all over the comic (nonrandomly), including one on the edge of the Emergency Stop button.
* Cat fact notifications that appear when a cat is clicked, in reference to [https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/241/756/e6e.png this exchange].
* Various "erroneous errors" with a warning triangle, some with just flavor text, some corresponding to changes in the comic image.
** A "gravity malfunction" indicating a change to the floating image.
** An "Error 40¾" HTTP malfunction (with {{w|Zalgo text}} on the error code) indicating a change to the tentacle image.
** "I forgot whether I'm the server or the client."
** An error for not enough errors.
** An error for too many errors.
** A Kernel Panic indicating the Kernel can't remember what number comes after 38
** A notification claiming that your computer ballast needs emptying, along with the computer room being flooded
** "Your computer has encountered an error" indicating a change to the fire image.
** Error 418: {{w|Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol#Commands and replies|I'm a teapot}}.
** An error with the "computer size limiter", indicating the enlarged laptop image.
* "Zoom notifications" including numeric coordinates, sometimes prefixed with "oh look!"; plotting these coordinates creates an image that appears to be a turtle, apparently a reference to [[1416: Pixels]].
* "Constant reminders" stating what some constant will be "at the tone". (This is in reference to time-of-day phone services, largely obsolete since the popularization of the internet, which you could call to hear the exact time at a given tone.) There are also joke constants such as "your favorite number will be equal to 14," and some definitions are tautological or not related to the actual value of the constant. Constants include
** The silver ratio (1 + the square root of 2)
** The golden ratio (half of 1 + the square root of 5)
** Pi (the ratio between a circle's circumference and radius, and half of Tau)
** Zero (a real number)
** Your favorite number (14)
** The luminosity of the sun (L☉)
** {{w|Euler's constant}}
** "We are currently experiencing 3600±1 seconds per hour. Changes to this rate will be announced six months in advance." - Referencing {{w|Leap second#Procedure|standard Leap Second procedure}}
* A notification that offers to provide weather alerts for your location, which leads into a series of notifications asking whether you live in a named city. If none of the cities that it knows are selected, your location is set to the summit of {{w|Mount Washington}}.
* A reminder that the Earth spins at 1 rpd (rotation per day).
* A statement near an hour or half-hour time that the current time is five-o-clock somewhere.
* An invitation to subscribe to the "What if?" YouTube channel
* A notification with the heading "System Log" that reads (INFO): A user has paused notifications
* A reminder to comment and subscribe, leading to one of various Wikipedia pages, including: {{w|Talk:Mathematics}}, {{w|Talk:Romance}}, {{w|Talk:Language}}, (presumably, as the fourth of the stated topics [[xkcd]] is about) {{w|Talk:Sarcasm}}, {{w|Talk:Boneless}}, {{w|Talk:Sitting}}, {{w|Category talk:Unix text editors}}, {{w|Talk:Robot}}, {{w|Talk:Jamming avoidance response}}, {{w|Talk:Squircle}}, {{w|Talk:Like}}, {{w|Talk:Drafting linen}}, {{w|Talk:Hot dog}}, {{w|Talk:Goomba}}, {{w|Talk:Tidal locking}}, {{w|Talk:Multiple unit}}, {{w|Talk:Flag semaphore}}, {{w|Talk:Stoating}} {{w|Talk:Roseate_spoonbill}}.
* A "{{w|Carriage return|Carriage Return}} Line Feed", referencing the Windows standard of storing line returns as a carriage return character followed by a line feed (newline) character. However, the xkcd Carriage Return Line Feed is instead a news feed concerning the next stop on a supposed "Carriage Return Line" of a train system. The announcements are all related to stations on the {{w|London Underground}}, including the use of the phrase "{{w|Mind the gap}}".

The title text references the {{w|Lernaean Hydra}}, a multi-headed serpent-like monster from Greek mythology. In many stories, such as {{w|Labours_of_Hercules#Second:_Lernaean_Hydra|the second labour of Hercules}}, when one of its heads was cut off, two heads would grow in its place, resulting in more heads than before. Something similar has happened in the title text itself: there was a notification that was requested to be dismissed, and it created two more notifications notifying the user of the status of the dismissal.

The subdirectory where the images and scripts for this comic are stored is titled 'marconi,' which is likely a reference to the Italian engineer and inventor of the same name, {{w|Guglielmo Marconi}}, who is credited with inventing the radio, and did much work in the field of early communication systems.

Clicking the "Emergency Stop" button allows you to either restart the full game or to subscribe just to notifications for new comics.

===Table of comic images===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! Image !! Explanation
|-
| [[File:3074_normal.png|100px]] ||Cueball sitting at his desk, with his laptop.
|-
| [[File:3074_big_laptop.png|100px]] || Cueball sitting at his desk, with a very large laptop.
|-
| [[File:3074_plant_small.png|100px]] || Cueball sitting at his desk, with a small potted plant.
|-
| || Cueball sitting at his desk, with a squirrel in the pot.
|-
| || Cueball sitting at his desk, with a much larger plant that has clearly outgrown the pot, at least vertically.
|-
| || Two images with the larger plant that also have cats in the leaves.
|-
| || Cueball sitting at his desk, with a cat in the foreground near the point of view.
|-
| [[File:3074_cat_chair.png|100px]] || Cueball sitting at his desk, his chair replaced with a large cat.
|-
| [[File:3074_computer_fire.png|100px]] || Cueball sitting farther back from his desk, with the laptop on the desk on fire.
|-
| [[File:3074_float.png|100px]] || Cueball, the desk, and the laptop floating in the air.
|-
| [[File:3074_spin.png|100px]] || Cueball spinning in his chair.
|-
| [[File:3074_desk_sit.png|100px]] || Cueball sitting on the desk, facing the laptop on the chair.
|-
| [[File:3074_gameover.png|100px]] || The desk vacant with "Game Over" displayed if you use the emergency stop.
|-
| [[File:3074_sword.png|100px]] || Cueball sitting on the desk, with a sword leaning against the desk.
|-
| || Cueball and Ponytail swordfighting while the computer has an hourglass icon, referencing [[303: Compiling]].
|-
| || The room flooded 2/3 of the way up the desk. Cueball is still sitting with his laptop.
|-
| [[File:3074_sailboat.png|100px]] || The same flooding, with a miniature sailboat behind Cueball.
|-
| || The same flooding, with a cat face behind Cueball.
|-
| || The same flooding, with a shark fin on the far side of the desk, facing toward Cueball.
|-
| || Cueball kneeling on the chair, which is raised up higher than the desk, and leaning over to use the laptop
|-
| || Cueball sitting at the desk, which has been extended behind his laptop like a long meeting table.
|-
| || No Cueball, only the chair, desk, and laptop.
|-
| || Cueball using the laptop on his lap, with no desk.
|-
| || Cueball with a squirrel on his head.
|-
| || A squirrel sitting at the desk, seemingly using the laptop.
|-
| || Cueball standing on top of the laptop keyboard.
|-
| || Cueball sitting at the desk, wearing a wizard hat.
|-
| [[File:3074_floor.png|100px]] || Cueball sitting on the floor behind the desk.
|-
| [[File:3074_tentacles.png|100px]] || Cueball sitting in his chair, shielding his face from a tentacle coming from the computer screen.
|-
| [[File:3074_cat.png|50px]] || The cat that appears after returning to the comic window after leaving it idle for long period of time. It has a unique title text of ":3".
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball sits at a desk in an office chair. He is typing on a computer.]
:[Gray message boxes with a small circled “x” at the top right corner are shown:]
:Happy April 1st (observed)!
:To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: push notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people ''NOT'' to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:''Click this notification to learn more!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:“Push notifications for new comics” sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There’s a nice API for browser notifications. xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each update, right?
:That’s what we thought, too.
:''Click to continue!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:[To the side of the comic frame is a big, horizontal hexagonal stop sign]
:Sign: Emergency STOP
:Below the sign: ''Halt ALL notifications and forget everything''
:The good news is that we did build a button to stop xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:''The rest of the system does NOT work.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:We’re sorry.
:We don’t know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications a week. A LOT more.
:We cannot recommend signing up for xkcd new comic notifications at this time.
:''Click here to ignore the warnings.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large number of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:<big>⚠️DO NOT ENABLE XKCD NEW COMIC NOTIFICATIONS⚠️</big>
:''Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:Are you sure?
:''Yes!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:Absolutely sure?
:''YES!!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:To enable push notifications on mobile you need to add xkcd.com to your home screen.

:''Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications''

:[Initial static image shows Cueball sat on an office chair at a desk using a laptop computer. A notification 'window' is speech-bubbled above the computer]
:[Grey notification box, header:] April 1st (Observed)
:[Notification box, further text:] Open xkcd.com to view.
:Laptop: [Warning sign.]

:[When viewed live, various xkcd-style popover notifications appear, each can be dismissed or (usually the last on every page) invited to press an 'onwards'-style button.]

:[First page of messages]
:Happy April 1st! To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: Push Notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people NOT to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to learn more''

:[Upon choosing to continue, further messages appear, replacing any prior ones left open]
:"Push Notifications for new comics" sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There's a nice API for browser notifications, xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each upafte, right?
:That's what we thought, too.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to continue''

:[Next set of popover messages]
:The good news is that we did build a button to STOP xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:[Notification with 'onwards':] ''The rest of the system does not work.''
:[To the right of the comic frame, a red, octagonal button has white text upon it:]Emergency Stop
:[Below the button is red text:] Halt all notifications and forget everything

:[Next set of popovers, "stop" button remains permanently so long as you continue]
:We're sorry.
:We didn't know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications at this time.
:['Onwards' notification:] ''Click here to ignore the warnings''

:[Next set.]
:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large amount of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:[Text bookended by warning triangles:] Do not enable xkcd new comic notifications
:['Onwards':] Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications

:[Just two popovers, initially]
:Are you sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes
:[On clicking onwards, two more appear below]
:Absolutely sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes!!
:[On clicking, a further popover]
:[Red-tinted 'onwards'-style popover with warnings:] Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications.

:[...something appeared then dissappeared...]
:[Genuine(?) browser dialogue activated:] xkcd.com wants to send you notifications. Block / Allow

:[If allowed, one more popover in the original style]
:Success!!
:[Below the Emergency Stop button, an oval gray button appears labeled in white:] Silence notifications at a cost
:[Below that, in grey text:]Temporarily pause your notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

:[Further changes include the contents of the pane, whether Cueball is sat at the laptop, whether the laptop is larger, or a pot-plant, whether there are cats in the frame, outside the frame, sat on the Stop buttons, whether Cueball is sat on a large cat instead of an office chair...]
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:April fools' comics]]

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T15:25:44Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ maybe it is random? what's more interesting is I think it gives everyone the same article at the same time

{{comic
| number = 3074
| date = April 9, 2025
| title = Push Notifications
| image = push_notifications_2x.png
| imagesize = 277x347px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = NOTIFICATION: Now dismissing a head of the Notification Hydra… NOTIFICATION: Success! You have dismissed a head of the Notification Hydra! Different title text: :3
}}
To experience the interactivity of the game, visit the {{xkcd|1110|original comic}}.

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Please write a better overall explanation and explain the other functions of the comic. If you see any comic images that haven't been uploaded yet, please download and add them! Also, a table might not be the most space-efficient way to display the different comic images; a gallery of imges might be better.}}
This interactive comic is the 15th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April Fools' Day]] comic released by Randall, just over a week late. It uses {{w|push notifications}} to change the comic image over time and make other statements. A table of notifications can be seen at [[3074: Push Notifications/Table of Notifications]].

After viewing the comic for the first time, there is a sequence of notifications rendered over the comic itself. After clicking through these, you are provided with two buttons: one labeled "Emergency Stop" which will halt all notifications, and one labeled "Silence notifications at a cost" which will silence notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

If you press silence notifications too much the laptop blows up.

Notification types include:
* One asking you to select a word, with further notifications to be sent whenever someone chooses the same word as you. Following this up changes the comic pane to a comic-style input dialogue with a space for the word and a submit button.
** Upon providing a word, a notification informs you that you will then receive notifications (of the form "Someone else has selected the word <Your Word>!"), and that your choice is permanent and cannot be changed.
** It is entirely possible to (mis-)submit a blank word, and to receive "Someone else has selected the word !" notifications.
* A few starter notifications about this comic, the successful sending of a notification of this comic, and the lack of another comic.
* An announcement that an old comic was posted, specifying a comic and its publication date.
* A "streak" notification counting the number of times you've clicked it. The message changes every 10 clicks, and after 50 clicks there is an offer to make future clicks count twice, making this a simple version of {{w|Cookie Clicker}}. If you chooses to accept the offer by clicking on it, it will reset your clicks back to zero but makes all future clicks count double of the current click rate; you can also reject the offer by continuing to click on the click counter message. There are occasionally notifications encouraging you to keep clicking and "extend your streak," tempting you with "a free click to keep you going". After 400 clicks it will reset your clicks back to zero but makes all future clicks count four times. There will be new messages up to a total of at least 1000 clicks.
** Early notifications encourage further clicking.
** Approaching a hundred, the messages grow more concerned and later start warning that the server will crash or has crashed.
** Above 750: "Are you just doing this to annoy me?"
** 1000-2000: "Are you just doing this to annoy you?"
** Above 2000: "I guess it worked"
* A "have you seen my cat?" notification which spawns up to 7 clickable cats all over the comic (nonrandomly), including one on the edge of the Emergency Stop button.
* Cat fact notifications that appear when a cat is clicked, in reference to [https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/241/756/e6e.png this exchange].
* Various "erroneous errors" with a warning triangle, some with just flavor text, some corresponding to changes in the comic image.
** A "gravity malfunction" indicating a change to the floating image.
** An "Error 40¾" HTTP malfunction (with {{w|Zalgo text}} on the error code) indicating a change to the tentacle image.
** "I forgot whether I'm the server or the client."
** An error for not enough errors.
** An error for too many errors.
** A Kernel Panic indicating the Kernel can't remember what number comes after 38
** A notification claiming that your computer ballast needs emptying, along with the computer room being flooded
** "Your computer has encountered an error" indicating a change to the fire image.
** Error 418: {{w|Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol#Commands and replies|I'm a teapot}}.
* "Zoom notifications" including numeric coordinates, sometimes prefixed with "oh look!"; plotting these coordinates creates an image that appears to be a turtle, apparently a reference to [[1416: Pixels]].
* "Constant reminders" stating what some constant will be "at the tone". (This is in reference to time-of-day phone services, largely obsolete since the popularization of the internet, which you could call to hear the exact time at a given tone.) There are also joke constants such as "your favorite number will be equal to 14," and some definitions are tautological or not related to the actual value of the constant. Constants include
** The silver ratio (1 + the square root of 2)
** The golden ratio (half of 1 + the square root of 5)
** Pi (the ratio between a circle's circumference and radius, and half of Tau)
** Zero (a real number)
** Your favorite number (14)
** The luminosity of the sun (L☉)
** {{w|Euler's constant}}
** "We are currently experiencing 3600±1 seconds per hour. Changes to this rate will be announced six months in advance." - Referencing {{w|Leap second#Procedure|standard Leap Second procedure}}
* A notification that offers to provide weather alerts for your location, which leads into a series of notifications asking whether you live in a named city. If none of the cities that it knows are selected, your location is set to the summit of {{w|Mount Washington}}.
* A reminder that the Earth spins at 1 rpd (rotation per day).
* A statement near an hour or half-hour time that the current time is five-o-clock somewhere.
* An invitation to subscribe to the "What if?" YouTube channel
* A notification with the heading "System Log" that reads (INFO): A user has paused notifications
* A reminder to comment and subscribe, leading to one of various Wikipedia pages, including: {{w|Talk:Mathematics}}, {{w|Talk:Romance}}, {{w|Talk:Language}}, (presumably, as the fourth of the stated topics [[xkcd]] is about) {{w|Talk:Sarcasm}}, {{w|Talk:Boneless}}, {{w|Talk:Sitting}}, {{w|Category talk:Unix text editors}}, {{w|Talk:Robot}}, {{w|Talk:Jamming avoidance response}}, {{w|Talk:Squircle}}, {{w|Talk:Like}}, {{w|Talk:Drafting linen}}, {{w|Talk:Hot dog}}, {{w|Talk:Goomba}}, {{w|Talk:Tidal locking}}, {{w|Talk:Multiple unit}}, {{w|Talk:Flag semaphore}}, {{w|Talk:Stoating}}.
* A "{{w|Carriage return|Carriage Return}} Line Feed", referencing the Windows standard of storing line returns as a carriage return character followed by a line feed (newline) character. However, the xkcd Carriage Return Line Feed is instead a news feed concerning the next stop on a supposed "Carriage Return Line" of a train system. The announcements are all related to stations on the {{w|London Underground}}, including the use of the phrase "{{w|Mind the gap}}".

The title text references the {{w|Lernaean Hydra}}, a multi-headed serpent-like monster from Greek mythology. In many stories, such as {{w|Labours_of_Hercules#Second:_Lernaean_Hydra|the second labour of Hercules}}, when one of its heads was cut off, two heads would grow in its place, resulting in more heads than before. Something similar has happened in the title text itself: there was a notification that was requested to be dismissed, and it created two more notifications notifying the user of the status of the dismissal.

The subdirectory where the images and scripts for this comic are stored is titled 'marconi,' which is likely a reference to the Italian engineer and inventor of the same name, {{w|Guglielmo Marconi}}, who is credited with inventing the radio, and did much work in the field of early communication systems.

Clicking the "Emergency Stop" button allows you to either restart the full game or to subscribe just to notifications for new comics.

===Table of comic images===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! Image !! Explanation
|-
| [[File:3074_normal.png|100px]] ||Cueball sitting at his desk, with his laptop.
|-
| [[File:3074_big_laptop.png|100px]] || Cueball sitting at his desk, with a very large laptop.
|-
| [[File:3074_plant_small.png|100px]] || Cueball sitting at his desk, with a small potted plant.
|-
| || Cueball sitting at his desk, with a squirrel in the pot.
|-
| || Cueball sitting at his desk, with a much larger plant that has clearly outgrown the pot, at least vertically.
|-
| || Two images with the larger plant that also have cats in the leaves.
|-
| || Cueball sitting at his desk, with a cat in the foreground near the point of view.
|-
| [[File:3074_cat_chair.png|100px]] || Cueball sitting at his desk, his chair replaced with a large cat.
|-
| [[File:3074_computer_fire.png|100px]] || Cueball sitting farther back from his desk, with the laptop on the desk on fire.
|-
| [[File:3074_float.png|100px]] || Cueball, the desk, and the laptop floating in the air.
|-
| [[File:3074_spin.png|100px]] || Cueball spinning in his chair.
|-
| [[File:3074_desk_sit.png|100px]] || Cueball sitting on the desk, facing the laptop on the chair.
|-
| [[File:3074_gameover.png|100px]] || The desk vacant with "Game Over" displayed if you use the emergency stop.
|-
| [[File:3074_sword.png|100px]] || Cueball sitting on the desk, with a sword leaning against the desk.
|-
| || Cueball and Ponytail swordfighting while the computer has an hourglass icon, referencing [[303: Compiling]].
|-
| || The room flooded 2/3 of the way up the desk. Cueball is still sitting with his laptop.
|-
| [[File:3074_sailboat.png|100px]] || The same flooding, with a miniature sailboat behind Cueball.
|-
| || The same flooding, with a cat face behind Cueball.
|-
| || The same flooding, with a shark fin on the far side of the desk, facing toward Cueball.
|-
| || Cueball kneeling on the chair, which is raised up higher than the desk, and leaning over to use the laptop
|-
| || Cueball sitting at the desk, which has been extended behind his laptop like a long meeting table.
|-
| || No Cueball, only the chair, desk, and laptop.
|-
| || Cueball using the laptop on his lap, with no desk.
|-
| || Cueball with a squirrel on his head.
|-
| || A squirrel sitting at the desk, seemingly using the laptop.
|-
| || Cueball standing on top of the laptop keyboard.
|-
| || Cueball sitting at the desk, wearing a wizard hat.
|-
| [[File:3074_floor.png|100px]] || Cueball sitting on the floor behind the desk.
|-
| [[File:3074_tentacles.png|100px]] || Cueball sitting in his chair, shielding his face from a tentacle coming from the computer screen.
|-
| [[File:3074_cat.png|50px]] || The cat that appears after returning to the comic window after leaving it idle for long period of time. It has a unique title text of ":3".
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball sits at a desk in an office chair. He is typing on a computer.]
:[Gray message boxes with a small circled “x” at the top right corner are shown:]
:Happy April 1st (observed)!
:To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: push notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people ''NOT'' to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:''Click this notification to learn more!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:“Push notifications for new comics” sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There’s a nice API for browser notifications. xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each update, right?
:That’s what we thought, too.
:''Click to continue!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:[To the side of the comic frame is a big, horizontal hexagonal stop sign]
:Sign: Emergency STOP
:Below the sign: ''Halt ALL notifications and forget everything''
:The good news is that we did build a button to stop xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:''The rest of the system does NOT work.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:We’re sorry.
:We don’t know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications a week. A LOT more.
:We cannot recommend signing up for xkcd new comic notifications at this time.
:''Click here to ignore the warnings.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large number of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:<big>⚠️DO NOT ENABLE XKCD NEW COMIC NOTIFICATIONS⚠️</big>
:''Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:Are you sure?
:''Yes!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:Absolutely sure?
:''YES!!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:To enable push notifications on mobile you need to add xkcd.com to your home screen.

:''Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications''

:[Initial static image shows Cueball sat on an office chair at a desk using a laptop computer. A notification 'window' is speech-bubbled above the computer]
:[Grey notification box, header:] April 1st (Observed)
:[Notification box, further text:] Open xkcd.com to view.
:Laptop: [Warning sign.]

:[When viewed live, various xkcd-style popover notifications appear, each can be dismissed or (usually the last on every page) invited to press an 'onwards'-style button.]

:[First page of messages]
:Happy April 1st! To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: Push Notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people NOT to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to learn more''

:[Upon choosing to continue, further messages appear, replacing any prior ones left open]
:"Push Notifications for new comics" sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There's a nice API for browser notifications, xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each upafte, right?
:That's what we thought, too.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to continue''

:[Next set of popover messages]
:The good news is that we did build a button to STOP xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:[Notification with 'onwards':] ''The rest of the system does not work.''
:[To the right of the comic frame, a red, octagonal button has white text upon it:]Emergency Stop
:[Below the button is red text:] Halt all notifications and forget everything

:[Next set of popovers, "stop" button remains permanently so long as you continue]
:We're sorry.
:We didn't know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications at this time.
:['Onwards' notification:] ''Click here to ignore the warnings''

:[Next set.]
:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large amount of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:[Text bookended by warning triangles:] Do not enable xkcd new comic notifications
:['Onwards':] Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications

:[Just two popovers, initially]
:Are you sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes
:[On clicking onwards, two more appear below]
:Absolutely sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes!!
:[On clicking, a further popover]
:[Red-tinted 'onwards'-style popover with warnings:] Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications.

:[...something appeared then dissappeared...]
:[Genuine(?) browser dialogue activated:] xkcd.com wants to send you notifications. Block / Allow

:[If allowed, one more popover in the original style]
:Success!!
:[Below the Emergency Stop button, an oval gray button appears labeled in white:] Silence notifications at a cost
:[Below that, in grey text:]Temporarily pause your notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

:[Further changes include the contents of the pane, whether Cueball is sat at the laptop, whether the laptop is larger, or a pot-plant, whether there are cats in the frame, outside the frame, sat on the Stop buttons, whether Cueball is sat on a large cat instead of an office chair...]
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:April fools' comics]]

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T03:41:29Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ Got a better look at it this time

{{comic
| number = 3074
| date = April 9, 2025
| title = Push Notifications
| image = push_notifications_2x.png
| imagesize = 277x347px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = NOTIFICATION: Now dismissing a head of the Notification Hydra… NOTIFICATION: Success! You have dismissed a head of the Notification Hydra!
}}
* To experience the interactivity, visit the [https://xkcd.com/3074/ original comic].

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a comment - did you know it's free to host a discussion on Wikipedia talk pages?- Please write a better overall explanation and explain other functions of the comic. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This interactive comic is the 15th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April Fools' Day]] comic released by Randall, just over a week late. It uses {{w|push notifications}} to change the comic image over time and make other statements. A table of notifications can be seen at [[3074: Push Notifications/Table of Notifications]].

After viewing the comic for the first time, there is a sequence of notifications rendered over the comic itself. After clicking through these, you are provided with two buttons: one labeled "Emergency Stop" which will halt all notifications, and one labeled "Silence notifications at a cost" which will silence notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

If you press silence notifications too much the laptop blows up.

Notification types include:
* One asking you to select a word, with further notifications to be sent whenever someone chooses the same word as you.
* A few starter notifications about this comic, the successful sending of a notification of this comic, and the lack of another comic.
* An announcement that an old comic was posted, specifying a comic and its publication date.
* A "streak" notification counting the number of times you've clicked it. The message changes every 10 clicks, and after 50 clicks there is an offer to make future clicks count twice, making this a simple version of {{w|Cookie Clicker}}. There are occasionally notifications encouraging you to keep clicking and "extend your streak," tempting you with "a free click to keep you going". After 400 clicks it will reset your clicks back to zero but makes all future clicks count four times. There will be new messages up to a total of at least 1000 clicks.
* A "have you seen my cat?" notification which spawns 7 clickable cats all over the comic (nonrandomly), including one on the edge of the Emergency Stop button.
* Cat fact notifications that appear when a cat is clicked, in reference to [https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/241/756/e6e.png this exchange].
* Various "erroneous errors" with a warning triangle, some with just flavor text, some corresponding to changes in the comic image.
** A "gravity malfunction" indicating a change to the floating image.
** An "Error 40¾" HTTP malfunction (with {{w|Zalgo text}} on the error code) indicating a change to the tentacle image.
** An error for not enough errors.
** An error for too many errors.
** A Kernel Panic indicating the Kernel can't remember what number comes after 38
** A notification claiming that your computer ballast needs emptying, along with the computer room being flooded
** "Your computer has encountered an error" indicating a change to the fire image.
* "Zoom notifications" including numeric coordinates, sometimes prefixed with "oh look!"
* "Constant reminders" stating what some constant will be "at the tone". (This is in reference to time-of-day phone services, largely obsolete since the popularization of the internet, which you could call to hear the exact time at a given tone.) There are also joke constants such as "your favorite number will be equal to 14," and some definitions are tautological or not related to the actual value of the constant. Constants include
** The silver ratio (1 + the square root of 2)
** The golden ratio (half of 1 + the square root of 5)
** Pi (the ratio between a circle's circumference and radius, and half of Tau)
** Zero (a real number)
** Your favorite number (14)
** The luminosity of the sun (L☉)
* A notification that offers to provide weather alerts for your location, which leads into a series of notifications asking whether you live in a named city.
* A reminder that the Earth spins at 1 rpd (rotation per day).
* A statement near an hour or half-hour time that the current time is five-o-clock somewhere.
* An invitation to subscribe to the "What if?" YouTube channel
* A notification with the heading "System Log" that reads (INFO): A user has paused notifications
* A reminder to comment and subscribe, leading to the Wikipedia page {{w|Talk:Mathematics}}, {{w|Talk:Romance}}, {{w|Talk:Language}}, or (presumably) {{w|Talk:Sarcasm}}, as these are the stated topics [[xkcd]] is about. Or {{w|Talk:Boneless}}, {{w|Talk:Sitting}}, or {{w|Talk:Drafting linen}}.
* A "{{w|Carriage return|Carriage Return}} Line Feed", referencing the Windows standard of storing line returns as a carriage return character followed by a line feed (newline) character. However, the xkcd Carriage Return Line Feed is instead a news feed concerning the next stop on a supposed "Carriage Return Line" of a train system.

Comic images include:
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with his laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a very large laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a small potted plant.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a squirrel in the pot.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a much larger plant that has clearly outgrown the pot, at least vertically.
** Two images with the larger plant that also have cats in the leaves.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a cat in the foreground near the point of view.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, his chair replaced with a large cat.
* Cueball sitting farther back from his desk, with the laptop on the desk on fire.
* Cueball, the desk, and the laptop floating in the air.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, shielding his face with his arm from a tentacle coming out of the laptop screen.
* Cueball spinning in his chair.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, facing the laptop on the chair.
* The desk vacant with "Game Over" displayed if you use the emergency stop.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, with a sword leaning against the desk.
** Cueball and Ponytail swordfighting while the computer has an hourglass icon, referencing [[303: Compiling]].
* The room flooded 2/3 of the way up the desk. Cueball is still sitting with his laptop.
** The same flooding, with a miniature sailboat behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a cat face behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a shark fin on the far side of the desk, facing toward Cueball.
* Cueball kneeling on the chair, which is raised up higher than the desk, and leaning over to use the laptop
* Cueball sitting at the desk, which has been extended behind his laptop like a long meeting table.
* No Cueball, only the chair, desk, and laptop.
* Cueball using the laptop on his lap, with no desk.
* Cueball with a squirrel on his head.
* A squirrel sitting at the desk, seemingly using the laptop.
* Cueball standing on top of the laptop keyboard.
* Cueball sitting at the desk, wearing a wizard hat.
* Cueball sitting on the floor behind the desk.

There is also an image of a cat that moves around when you reload the page. It moves slightly when you move your mouse over it to "pet" it. It has its own title text of :3 Clicking it will send a cat fact notification.

The title text references the {{w|Lernaean Hydra}}, a multi-headed serpent-like monster from Greek mythology. In many stories, such as {{w|Labours_of_Hercules#Second:_Lernaean_Hydra|the second labour of Hercules}}, when one of its heads was cut off, two heads would grow in its place, resulting in more heads than before. Something similar has happened in the title text itself: there was a notification that was requested to be dismissed, and it created two more notifications notifying the user of the status of the dismissal.

The subdirectory where the images and scripts for this comic are stored is titled 'marconi,' which is likely a reference to the Italian engineer and inventor of the same name, {{w|Guglielmo Marconi}}, who is credited with inventing the radio, and did much work in the field of early communication systems.

Clicking the "Emergency Stop" button allows you to either restart the full game or to subscribe just to notifications for new comics.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball sits at a desk in an office chair. He is typing on a computer.]
:[Gray message boxes with a small circled “x” at the top right corner are shown:]
:Happy April 1st (observed)!
:To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: push notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people ''NOT'' to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:''Click this notification to learn more!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:“Push notifications for new comics” sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There’s a nice API for browser notifications. xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each update, right?
:That’s what we thought, too.
:''Click to continue!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:[To the side of the comic frame is a big, horizontal hexagonal stop sign]
:Sign: Emergency STOP
:Below the sign: ''Halt ALL notifications and forget everything''
:The good news is that we did build a button to stop xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:''The rest of the system does NOT work.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:We’re sorry.
:We don’t know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications a week. A LOT more.
:We cannot recommend signing up for xkcd new comic notifications at this time.
:''Click here to ignore the warnings.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large number of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:<big>⚠️DO NOT ENABLE XKCD NEW COMIC NOTIFICATIONS⚠️</big>
:''Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:Are you sure?
:''Yes!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:Absolutely sure?
:''YES!!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:To enable push notifications on mobile you need to add xkcd.com to your home screen.

:''Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications''

{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Initial static image shows Cueball sat on an office chair at a desk using a laptop computer. A notification 'window' is speech-bubbled above the computer]
:[Grey notification box, header:] April 1st (Observed)
:[Notification box, further text:] Open xkcd.com to view.

:[When viewed live, various xkcd-style popover notifications appear, each can be dismissed or (usually the last on every page) invited to press an 'onwards'-style button.]

:[First page of messages]
:Happy April 1st! To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: Push Notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people NOT to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to learn more''

:[Upon choosing to continue, further messages appear, replacing any prior ones left open]
:"Push Notifications for new comics" sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There's a nice API for browser notifications, xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each upafte, right?
:That's what we thought, too.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to continue''

:[Next set of popover messages]
:The good news is that we did build a button to STOP xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:[Notification with 'onwards':] ''The rest of the system does not work.''
:[To the right of the comic frame, a red, octagonal button has white text upon it:]Emergency Stop
:[Below the button is red text:] Halt all notifications and forget everything

:[Next set of popovers, "stop" button remains permanently so long as you continue]
:We're sorry.
:We didn't know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications at this time.
:['Onwards' notification:] ''Click here to ignore the warnings''

:[Next set.]
:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large amount of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:[Text bookended by warning triangles:] Do not enable xkcd new comic notifications
:['Onwards':] Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications

:[Just two popovers, initially]
:Are you sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes
:[On clicking onwards, two more appear below]
:Absolutely sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes!!
:[On clicking, a further popover]
:[Red-tinted 'onwards'-style popover with warnings:] Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications.

:[...something appeared then dissappeared...]
:[Genuine(?) browser dialogue activated:] xkcd.com wants to send you notifications. Block / Allow

:[If allowed, one more popover in the original style]
:Success!!
:[Below the Emergency Stop button, an oval gray button appears labeled in white:] Silence notifications at a cost
:[Below that, in grey text:]Temporarily pause your notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

:[Further changes include the contents of the pane, whether Cueball is sat at the laptop, whether the laptop is larger, or a pot-plant, whether there are cats in the frame, outside the frame, sat on the Stop buttons, whether Cueball is sat on a large cat instead of an office chair...]
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:April fools' comics]]

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T03:33:48Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ I've actually seen this one like five times kinda expected someone else to add it by now

{{comic
| number = 3074
| date = April 9, 2025
| title = Push Notifications
| image = push_notifications_2x.png
| imagesize = 277x347px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = NOTIFICATION: Now dismissing a head of the Notification Hydra… NOTIFICATION: Success! You have dismissed a head of the Notification Hydra!
}}
* To experience the interactivity, visit the [https://xkcd.com/3074/ original comic].

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a comment - did you know it's free to host a discussion on Wikipedia talk pages?- Please write a better overall explanation and explain other functions of the comic. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This interactive comic is the 15th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April Fools' Day]] comic released by Randall, just over a week late. It uses {{w|push notifications}} to change the comic image over time and make other statements. A table of notifications can be seen at [[3074: Push Notifications/Table of Notifications]].

After viewing the comic for the first time, there is a sequence of notifications rendered over the comic itself. After clicking through these, you are provided with two buttons: one labeled "Emergency Stop" which will halt all notifications, and one labeled "Silence notifications at a cost" which will silence notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

If you press silence notifications too much the laptop blows up.

Notification types include:
* One asking you to select a word, with further notifications to be sent whenever someone chooses the same word as you.
* A few starter notifications about this comic, the successful sending of a notification of this comic, and the lack of another comic.
* An announcement that an old comic was posted, specifying a comic and its publication date.
* A "streak" notification counting the number of times you've clicked it. The message changes every 10 clicks, and after 50 clicks there is an offer to make future clicks count twice, making this a simple version of {{w|Cookie Clicker}}. There are occasionally notifications encouraging you to keep clicking and "extend your streak," tempting you with "a free click to keep you going". After 400 clicks it will reset your clicks back to zero but makes all future clicks count four times. There will be new messages up to a total of at least 1000 clicks.
* A "have you seen my cat?" notification which spawns 7 clickable cats all over the comic (nonrandomly), including one on the edge of the Emergency Stop button.
* Cat fact notifications that appear when a cat is clicked, in reference to [https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/241/756/e6e.png this exchange].
* Various "erroneous errors" with a warning triangle, some with just flavor text, some corresponding to changes in the comic image.
** A "gravity malfunction" indicating a change to the floating image.
** An HTTP malfunction with Zalgo text indicating a change to the tentacle image.
** An error for not enough errors.
** An error for too many errors.
** A Kernel Panic indicating the Kernel can't remember what number comes after 38
** A notification claiming that your computer ballast needs emptying, along with the computer room being flooded
** "Your computer has encountered an error" indicating a change to the fire image.
* "Zoom notifications" including numeric coordinates, sometimes prefixed with "oh look!"
* "Constant reminders" stating what some constant will be "at the tone". (This is in reference to time-of-day phone services, largely obsolete since the popularization of the internet, which you could call to hear the exact time at a given tone.) There are also joke constants such as "your favorite number will be equal to 14," and some definitions are tautological or not related to the actual value of the constant. Constants include
** The silver ratio (1 + the square root of 2)
** The golden ratio (half of 1 + the square root of 5)
** Pi (the ratio between a circle's circumference and radius, and half of Tau)
** Zero (a real number)
** Your favorite number (14)
** The luminosity of the sun (L☉)
* A notification that offers to provide weather alerts for your location, which leads into a series of notifications asking whether you live in a named city.
* A reminder that the Earth spins at 1 rpd (rotation per day).
* A statement near an hour or half-hour time that the current time is five-o-clock somewhere.
* An invitation to subscribe to the "What if?" YouTube channel
* A notification with the heading "System Log" that reads (INFO): A user has paused notifications
* A reminder to comment and subscribe, leading to the Wikipedia page {{w|Talk:Mathematics}}, {{w|Talk:Romance}}, {{w|Talk:Language}}, or (presumably) {{w|Talk:Sarcasm}}, as these are the stated topics [[xkcd]] is about. Or {{w|Talk:Boneless}}, {{w|Talk:Sitting}}, or {{w|Talk:Drafting linen}}.
* A "{{w|Carriage return|Carriage Return}} Line Feed", referencing the Windows standard of storing line returns as a carriage return character followed by a line feed (newline) character. However, the xkcd Carriage Return Line Feed is instead a news feed concerning the next stop on a supposed "Carriage Return Line" of a train system.

Comic images include:
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with his laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a very large laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a small potted plant.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a squirrel in the pot.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a much larger plant that has clearly outgrown the pot, at least vertically.
** Two images with the larger plant that also have cats in the leaves.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a cat in the foreground near the point of view.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, his chair replaced with a large cat.
* Cueball sitting farther back from his desk, with the laptop on the desk on fire.
* Cueball, the desk, and the laptop floating in the air.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, shielding his face with his arm from a tentacle coming out of the laptop screen.
* Cueball spinning in his chair.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, facing the laptop on the chair.
* The desk vacant with "Game Over" displayed if you use the emergency stop.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, with a sword leaning against the desk.
** Cueball and Ponytail swordfighting while the computer has an hourglass icon, referencing [[303: Compiling]].
* The room flooded 2/3 of the way up the desk. Cueball is still sitting with his laptop.
** The same flooding, with a miniature sailboat behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a cat face behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a shark fin on the far side of the desk, facing toward Cueball.
* Cueball kneeling on the chair, which is raised up higher than the desk, and leaning over to use the laptop
* Cueball sitting at the desk, which has been extended behind his laptop like a long meeting table.
* No Cueball, only the chair, desk, and laptop.
* Cueball using the laptop on his lap, with no desk.
* Cueball with a squirrel on his head.
* A squirrel sitting at the desk, seemingly using the laptop.
* Cueball standing on top of the laptop keyboard.
* Cueball sitting at the desk, wearing a wizard hat.
* Cueball sitting on the floor behind the desk.

There is also an image of a cat that moves around when you reload the page. It moves slightly when you move your mouse over it to "pet" it. It has its own title text of :3 Clicking it will send a cat fact notification.

The title text references the {{w|Lernaean Hydra}}, a multi-headed serpent-like monster from Greek mythology. In many stories, such as {{w|Labours_of_Hercules#Second:_Lernaean_Hydra|the second labour of Hercules}}, when one of its heads was cut off, two heads would grow in its place, resulting in more heads than before. Something similar has happened in the title text itself: there was a notification that was requested to be dismissed, and it created two more notifications notifying the user of the status of the dismissal.

The subdirectory where the images and scripts for this comic are stored is titled 'marconi,' which is likely a reference to the Italian engineer and inventor of the same name, {{w|Guglielmo Marconi}}, who is credited with inventing the radio, and did much work in the field of early communication systems.

Clicking the "Emergency Stop" button allows you to either restart the full game or to subscribe just to notifications for new comics.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball sits at a desk in an office chair. He is typing on a computer.]
:[Gray message boxes with a small circled “x” at the top right corner are shown:]
:Happy April 1st (observed)!
:To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: push notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people ''NOT'' to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:''Click this notification to learn more!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:“Push notifications for new comics” sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There’s a nice API for browser notifications. xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each update, right?
:That’s what we thought, too.
:''Click to continue!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:[To the side of the comic frame is a big, horizontal hexagonal stop sign]
:Sign: Emergency STOP
:Below the sign: ''Halt ALL notifications and forget everything''
:The good news is that we did build a button to stop xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:''The rest of the system does NOT work.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:We’re sorry.
:We don’t know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications a week. A LOT more.
:We cannot recommend signing up for xkcd new comic notifications at this time.
:''Click here to ignore the warnings.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large number of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:<big>⚠️DO NOT ENABLE XKCD NEW COMIC NOTIFICATIONS⚠️</big>
:''Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:Are you sure?
:''Yes!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:Absolutely sure?
:''YES!!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:To enable push notifications on mobile you need to add xkcd.com to your home screen.

:''Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications''

{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Initial static image shows Cueball sat on an office chair at a desk using a laptop computer. A notification 'window' is speech-bubbled above the computer]
:[Grey notification box, header:] April 1st (Observed)
:[Notification box, further text:] Open xkcd.com to view.

:[When viewed live, various xkcd-style popover notifications appear, each can be dismissed or (usually the last on every page) invited to press an 'onwards'-style button.]

:[First page of messages]
:Happy April 1st! To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: Push Notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people NOT to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to learn more''

:[Upon choosing to continue, further messages appear, replacing any prior ones left open]
:"Push Notifications for new comics" sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There's a nice API for browser notifications, xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each upafte, right?
:That's what we thought, too.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to continue''

:[Next set of popover messages]
:The good news is that we did build a button to STOP xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:[Notification with 'onwards':] ''The rest of the system does not work.''
:[To the right of the comic frame, a red, octagonal button has white text upon it:]Emergency Stop
:[Below the button is red text:] Halt all notifications and forget everything

:[Next set of popovers, "stop" button remains permanently so long as you continue]
:We're sorry.
:We didn't know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications at this time.
:['Onwards' notification:] ''Click here to ignore the warnings''

:[Next set.]
:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large amount of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:[Text bookended by warning triangles:] Do not enable xkcd new comic notifications
:['Onwards':] Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications

:[Just two popovers, initially]
:Are you sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes
:[On clicking onwards, two more appear below]
:Absolutely sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes!!
:[On clicking, a further popover]
:[Red-tinted 'onwards'-style popover with warnings:] Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications.

:[...something appeared then dissappeared...]
:[Genuine(?) browser dialogue activated:] xkcd.com wants to send you notifications. Block / Allow

:[If allowed, one more popover in the original style]
:Success!!
:[Below the Emergency Stop button, an oval gray button appears labeled in white:] Silence notifications at a cost
:[Below that, in grey text:]Temporarily pause your notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

:[Further changes include the contents of the pane, whether Cueball is sat at the laptop, whether the laptop is larger, or a pot-plant, whether there are cats in the frame, outside the frame, sat on the Stop buttons, whether Cueball is sat on a large cat instead of an office chair...]
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:April fools' comics]]

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T02:41:59Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ ok now I don't think it's random because that one in particular was actually the mobile site, there's a list of URLs and an en.m.wikipedia slipped in

{{comic
| number = 3074
| date = April 9, 2025
| title = Push Notifications
| image = push_notifications_2x.png
| imagesize = 277x347px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = NOTIFICATION: Now dismissing a head of the Notification Hydra… NOTIFICATION: Success! You have dismissed a head of the Notification Hydra!
}}
* To experience the interactivity, visit the [https://xkcd.com/3074/ original comic].

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a comment - did you know it's free to host a discussion on Wikipedia talk pages?- Please write a better overall explanation and explain other functions of the comic. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This interactive comic is the 15th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April Fools' Day]] comic released by Randall, just over a week late. It uses {{w|push notifications}} to change the comic image over time and make other statements. A table of notifications can be seen at [[3074: Push Notifications/Table of Notifications]].

After viewing the comic for the first time, there is a sequence of notifications rendered over the comic itself. After clicking through these, you are provided with two buttons: one labeled "Emergency Stop" which will halt all notifications, and one labeled "Silence notifications at a cost" which will silence notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

If you press silence notifications too much the laptop blows up.

Notification types include:
* One asking you to select a word, with further notifications to be sent whenever someone chooses the same word as you.
* A few starter notifications about this comic, the successful sending of a notification of this comic, and the lack of another comic.
* A "streak" notification counting the number of times you've clicked it. The message changes every 10 clicks, and after 50 clicks there is an offer to make future clicks count twice, making this a simple version of {{w|Cookie Clicker}}. There are occasionally notifications encouraging you to keep clicking and "extend your streak," tempting you with "a free click to keep you going". After 400 clicks it will reset your clicks back to zero but makes all future clicks count four times. There will be new messages up to a total of at least 1000 clicks.
* A "have you seen my cat?" notification which spawns 7 clickable cats all over the comic (nonrandomly), including one on the edge of the Emergency Stop button.
* Cat fact notifications that appear when a cat is clicked, in reference to [https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/241/756/e6e.png this exchange].
* Various "erroneous errors" with a warning triangle, some with just flavor text, some corresponding to changes in the comic image.
** A "gravity malfunction" indicating a change to the floating image.
** An HTTP malfunction with Zalgo text indicating a change to the tentacle image.
** An error for not enough errors.
** An error for too many errors.
** A Kernel Panic indicating the Kernel can't remember what number comes after 38
** A notification claiming that your computer ballast needs emptying, along with the computer room being flooded
** "Your computer has encountered an error" indicating a change to the fire image.
* "Zoom notifications" including numeric coordinates, sometimes prefixed with "oh look!"
* "Constant reminders" stating what some constant will be "at the tone". (This is in reference to time-of-day phone services, largely obsolete since the popularization of the internet, which you could call to hear the exact time at a given tone.) There are also joke constants such as "your favorite number will be equal to 14," and some definitions are tautological or not related to the actual value of the constant. Constants include
** The silver ratio (1 + the square root of 2)
** The golden ratio (half of 1 + the square root of 5)
** Pi (the ratio between a circle's circumference and radius, and half of Tau)
** Zero (a real number)
** Your favorite number (14)
** The luminosity of the sun (L☉)
* A notification that offers to provide weather alerts for your location, which leads into a series of notifications asking whether you live in a named city.
* A reminder that the Earth spins at 1 rpd (rotation per day).
* A statement near an hour or half-hour time that the current time is five-o-clock somewhere.
* An invitation to subscribe to the "What if?" YouTube channel
* A notification with the heading "System Log" that reads (INFO): A user has paused notifications
* A reminder to comment and subscribe, leading to the Wikipedia page {{w|Talk:Mathematics}}, {{w|Talk:Romance}}, {{w|Talk:Language}}, or (presumably) {{w|Talk:Sarcasm}}, as these are the stated topics [[xkcd]] is about. Or {{w|Talk:Boneless}}, {{w|Talk:Sitting}}, or {{w|Talk:Drafting linen}}.
* A "{{w|Carriage return|Carriage Return}} Line Feed", referencing the Windows standard of storing line returns as a carriage return character followed by a line feed (newline) character. However, the xkcd Carriage Return Line Feed is instead a news feed concerning the next stop on a supposed "Carriage Return Line" of a train system.

Comic images include:
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with his laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a very large laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a small potted plant.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a squirrel in the pot.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a much larger plant that has clearly outgrown the pot, at least vertically.
** Two images with the larger plant that also have cats in the leaves.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a cat in the foreground near the point of view.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, his chair replaced with a large cat.
* Cueball sitting farther back from his desk, with the laptop on the desk on fire.
* Cueball, the desk, and the laptop floating in the air.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, shielding his face with his arm from a tentacle coming out of the laptop screen.
* Cueball spinning in his chair.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, facing the laptop on the chair.
* The desk vacant with "Game Over" displayed if you use the emergency stop.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, with a sword leaning against the desk.
** Cueball and Ponytail swordfighting while the computer has an hourglass icon, referencing [[303: Compiling]].
* The room flooded 2/3 of the way up the desk. Cueball is still sitting with his laptop.
** The same flooding, with a miniature sailboat behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a cat face behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a shark fin on the far side of the desk, facing toward Cueball.
* Cueball kneeling on the chair, which is raised up higher than the desk, and leaning over to use the laptop
* Cueball sitting at the desk, which has been extended behind his laptop like a long meeting table.
* No Cueball, only the chair, desk, and laptop.
* Cueball using the laptop on his lap, with no desk.
* Cueball with a squirrel on his head.
* A squirrel sitting at the desk, seemingly using the laptop.
* Cueball standing on top of the laptop keyboard.
* Cueball sitting at the desk, wearing a wizard hat.
* Cueball sitting on the floor behind the desk.

There is also an image of a cat that moves around when you reload the page. It moves slightly when you move your mouse over it to "pet" it. It has its own title text of :3 Clicking it will send a cat fact notification.

The title text references the {{w|Lernaean Hydra}}, a multi-headed serpent-like monster from Greek mythology. In many stories, such as {{w|Labours_of_Hercules#Second:_Lernaean_Hydra|the second labour of Hercules}}, when one of its heads was cut off, two heads would grow in its place, resulting in more heads than before. Something similar has happened in the title text itself: there was a notification that was requested to be dismissed, and it created two more notifications notifying the user of the status of the dismissal.

The subdirectory where the images and scripts for this comic are stored is titled 'marconi,' which is likely a reference to the Italian engineer and inventor of the same name, {{w|Guglielmo Marconi}}, who is credited with inventing the radio, and did much work in the field of early communication systems.

Clicking the "Emergency Stop" button allows you to either restart the full game or to subscribe just to notifications for new comics.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball sits at a desk in an office chair. He is typing on a computer.]
:[Gray message boxes with a small circled “x” at the top right corner are shown:]
:Happy April 1st (observed)!
:To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: push notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people ''NOT'' to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:''Click this notification to learn more!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:“Push notifications for new comics” sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There’s a nice API for browser notifications. xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each update, right?
:That’s what we thought, too.
:''Click to continue!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:[To the side of the comic frame is a big, horizontal hexagonal stop sign]
:Sign: Emergency STOP
:Below the sign: ''Halt ALL notifications and forget everything''
:The good news is that we did build a button to stop xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:''The rest of the system does NOT work.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:We’re sorry.
:We don’t know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications a week. A LOT more.
:We cannot recommend signing up for xkcd new comic notifications at this time.
:''Click here to ignore the warnings.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large number of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:<big>⚠️DO NOT ENABLE XKCD NEW COMIC NOTIFICATIONS⚠️</big>
:''Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:Are you sure?
:''Yes!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:Absolutely sure?
:''YES!!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:To enable push notifications on mobile you need to add xkcd.com to your home screen.

:''Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications''

{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Initial static image shows Cueball sat on an office chair at a desk using a laptop computer. A notification 'window' is speech-bubbled above the computer]
:[Grey notification box, header:] April 1st (Observed)
:[Notification box, further text:] Open xkcd.com to view.

:[When viewed live, various xkcd-style popover notifications appear, each can be dismissed or (usually the last on every page) invited to press an 'onwards'-style button.]

:[First page of messages]
:Happy April 1st! To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: Push Notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people NOT to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to learn more''

:[Upon choosing to continue, further messages appear, replacing any prior ones left open]
:"Push Notifications for new comics" sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There's a nice API for browser notifications, xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each upafte, right?
:That's what we thought, too.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to continue''

:[Next set of popover messages]
:The good news is that we did build a button to STOP xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:[Notification with 'onwards':] ''The rest of the system does not work.''
:[To the right of the comic frame, a red, octagonal button has white text upon it:]Emergency Stop
:[Below the button is red text:] Halt all notifications and forget everything

:[Next set of popovers, "stop" button remains permanently so long as you continue]
:We're sorry.
:We didn't know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications at this time.
:['Onwards' notification:] ''Click here to ignore the warnings''

:[Next set.]
:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large amount of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:[Text bookended by warning triangles:] Do not enable xkcd new comic notifications
:['Onwards':] Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications

:[Just two popovers, initially]
:Are you sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes
:[On clicking onwards, two more appear below]
:Absolutely sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes!!
:[On clicking, a further popover]
:[Red-tinted 'onwards'-style popover with warnings:] Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications.

:[...something appeared then dissappeared...]
:[Genuine(?) browser dialogue activated:] xkcd.com wants to send you notifications. Block / Allow

:[If allowed, one more popover in the original style]
:Success!!
:[Below the Emergency Stop button, an oval gray button appears labeled in white:] Silence notifications at a cost
:[Below that, in grey text:]Temporarily pause your notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

:[Further changes include the contents of the pane, whether Cueball is sat at the laptop, whether the laptop is larger, or a pot-plant, whether there are cats in the frame, outside the frame, sat on the Stop buttons, whether Cueball is sat on a large cat instead of an office chair...]
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:April fools' comics]]

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T02:37:24Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ randall what is the meaning of this is this just random wikipedia articles now

{{comic
| number = 3074
| date = April 9, 2025
| title = Push Notifications
| image = push_notifications_2x.png
| imagesize = 277x347px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = NOTIFICATION: Now dismissing a head of the Notification Hydra… NOTIFICATION: Success! You have dismissed a head of the Notification Hydra!
}}
* To experience the interactivity, visit the [https://xkcd.com/3074/ original comic].

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a comment - did you know it's free to host a discussion on Wikipedia talk pages?- Please write a better overall explanation and explain other functions of the comic. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This interactive comic is the 15th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April Fools' Day]] comic released by Randall, just over a week late. It uses {{w|push notifications}} to change the comic image over time and make other statements. A table of notifications can be seen at [[3074: Push Notifications/Table of Notifications]].

After viewing the comic for the first time, there is a sequence of notifications rendered over the comic itself. After clicking through these, you are provided with two buttons: one labeled "Emergency Stop" which will halt all notifications, and one labeled "Silence notifications at a cost" which will silence notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

If you press silence notifications too much the laptop blows up.

Notification types include:
* One asking you to select a word, with further notifications to be sent whenever someone chooses the same word as you.
* A few starter notifications about this comic, the successful sending of a notification of this comic, and the lack of another comic.
* A "streak" notification counting the number of times you've clicked it. The message changes every 10 clicks, and after 50 clicks there is an offer to make future clicks count twice, making this a simple version of {{w|Cookie Clicker}}. There are occasionally notifications encouraging you to keep clicking and "extend your streak," tempting you with "a free click to keep you going". After 400 clicks it will reset your clicks back to zero but makes all future clicks count four times. There will be new messages up to a total of at least 1000 clicks.
* A "have you seen my cat?" notification which spawns 7 clickable cats all over the comic (nonrandomly), including one on the edge of the Emergency Stop button.
* Cat fact notifications that appear when a cat is clicked, in reference to [https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/241/756/e6e.png this exchange].
* Various "erroneous errors" with a warning triangle, some with just flavor text, some corresponding to changes in the comic image.
** A "gravity malfunction" indicating a change to the floating image.
** An HTTP malfunction with Zalgo text indicating a change to the tentacle image.
** An error for not enough errors.
** An error for too many errors.
** A Kernel Panic indicating the Kernel can't remember what number comes after 38
** A notification claiming that your computer ballast needs emptying, along with the computer room being flooded
** "Your computer has encountered an error" indicating a change to the fire image.
* "Zoom notifications" including numeric coordinates, sometimes prefixed with "oh look!"
* "Constant reminders" stating what some constant will be "at the tone". (This is in reference to time-of-day phone services, largely obsolete since the popularization of the internet, which you could call to hear the exact time at a given tone.) There are also joke constants such as "your favorite number will be equal to 14," and some definitions are tautological or not related to the actual value of the constant. Constants include
** The silver ratio (1 + the square root of 2)
** The golden ratio (half of 1 + the square root of 5)
** Pi (the ratio between a circle's circumference and radius, and half of Tau)
** Zero (a real number)
** Your favorite number (14)
** The luminosity of the sun (L☉)
* A notification that offers to provide weather alerts for your location, which leads into a series of notifications asking whether you live in a named city.
* A reminder that the Earth spins at 1 rpd (rotation per day).
* A statement near an hour or half-hour time that the current time is five-o-clock somewhere.
* An invitation to subscribe to the "What if?" YouTube channel
* A notification with the heading "System Log" that reads (INFO): A user has paused notifications
* A reminder to comment and subscribe, leading to the Wikipedia page {{w|Talk:Mathematics}}, {{w|Talk:Romance}}, {{w|Talk:Language}}, or (presumably) {{w|Talk:Sarcasm}}, as these are the stated topics [[xkcd]] is about. Or {{w|Talk:Boneless}} or {{w|Talk:Sitting}}.
* A "{{w|Carriage return|Carriage Return}} Line Feed", referencing the Windows standard of storing line returns as a carriage return character followed by a line feed (newline) character. However, the xkcd Carriage Return Line Feed is instead a news feed concerning the next stop on a supposed "Carriage Return Line" of a train system.

Comic images include:
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with his laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a very large laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a small potted plant.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a squirrel in the pot.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a much larger plant that has clearly outgrown the pot, at least vertically.
** Two images with the larger plant that also have cats in the leaves.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a cat in the foreground near the point of view.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, his chair replaced with a large cat.
* Cueball sitting farther back from his desk, with the laptop on the desk on fire.
* Cueball, the desk, and the laptop floating in the air.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, shielding his face with his arm from a tentacle coming out of the laptop screen.
* Cueball spinning in his chair.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, facing the laptop on the chair.
* The desk vacant with "Game Over" displayed if you use the emergency stop.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, with a sword leaning against the desk.
** Cueball and Ponytail swordfighting while the computer has an hourglass icon, referencing [[303: Compiling]].
* The room flooded 2/3 of the way up the desk. Cueball is still sitting with his laptop.
** The same flooding, with a miniature sailboat behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a cat face behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a shark fin on the far side of the desk, facing toward Cueball.
* Cueball kneeling on the chair, which is raised up higher than the desk, and leaning over to use the laptop
* Cueball sitting at the desk, which has been extended behind his laptop like a long meeting table.
* No Cueball, only the chair, desk, and laptop.
* Cueball using the laptop on his lap, with no desk.
* Cueball with a squirrel on his head.
* A squirrel sitting at the desk, seemingly using the laptop.
* Cueball standing on top of the laptop keyboard.
* Cueball sitting at the desk, wearing a wizard hat.
* Cueball sitting on the floor behind the desk.

There is also an image of a cat that moves around when you reload the page. It moves slightly when you move your mouse over it to "pet" it. It has its own title text of :3 Clicking it will send a cat fact notification.

The title text references the {{w|Lernaean Hydra}}, a multi-headed serpent-like monster from Greek mythology. In many stories, such as {{w|Labours_of_Hercules#Second:_Lernaean_Hydra|the second labour of Hercules}}, when one of its heads was cut off, two heads would grow in its place, resulting in more heads than before. Something similar has happened in the title text itself: there was a notification that was requested to be dismissed, and it created two more notifications notifying the user of the status of the dismissal.

The subdirectory where the images and scripts for this comic are stored is titled 'marconi,' which is likely a reference to the Italian engineer and inventor of the same name, {{w|Guglielmo Marconi}}, who is credited with inventing the radio, and did much work in the field of early communication systems.

Clicking the "Emergency Stop" button allows you to either restart the full game or to subscribe just to notifications for new comics.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball sits at a desk in an office chair. He is typing on a computer.]
:[Gray message boxes with a small circled “x” at the top right corner are shown:]
:Happy April 1st (observed)!
:To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: push notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people ''NOT'' to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:''Click this notification to learn more!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:“Push notifications for new comics” sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There’s a nice API for browser notifications. xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each update, right?
:That’s what we thought, too.
:''Click to continue!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:[To the side of the comic frame is a big, horizontal hexagonal stop sign]
:Sign: Emergency STOP
:Below the sign: ''Halt ALL notifications and forget everything''
:The good news is that we did build a button to stop xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:''The rest of the system does NOT work.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:We’re sorry.
:We don’t know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications a week. A LOT more.
:We cannot recommend signing up for xkcd new comic notifications at this time.
:''Click here to ignore the warnings.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large number of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:<big>⚠️DO NOT ENABLE XKCD NEW COMIC NOTIFICATIONS⚠️</big>
:''Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:Are you sure?
:''Yes!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:Absolutely sure?
:''YES!!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:To enable push notifications on mobile you need to add xkcd.com to your home screen.

:''Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications''

{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Initial static image shows Cueball sat on an office chair at a desk using a laptop computer. A notification 'window' is speech-bubbled above the computer]
:[Grey notification box, header:] April 1st (Observed)
:[Notification box, further text:] Open xkcd.com to view.

:[When viewed live, various xkcd-style popover notifications appear, each can be dismissed or (usually the last on every page) invited to press an 'onwards'-style button.]

:[First page of messages]
:Happy April 1st! To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: Push Notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people NOT to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to learn more''

:[Upon choosing to continue, further messages appear, replacing any prior ones left open]
:"Push Notifications for new comics" sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There's a nice API for browser notifications, xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each upafte, right?
:That's what we thought, too.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to continue''

:[Next set of popover messages]
:The good news is that we did build a button to STOP xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:[Notification with 'onwards':] ''The rest of the system does not work.''
:[To the right of the comic frame, a red, octagonal button has white text upon it:]Emergency Stop
:[Below the button is red text:] Halt all notifications and forget everything

:[Next set of popovers, "stop" button remains permanently so long as you continue]
:We're sorry.
:We didn't know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications at this time.
:['Onwards' notification:] ''Click here to ignore the warnings''

:[Next set.]
:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large amount of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:[Text bookended by warning triangles:] Do not enable xkcd new comic notifications
:['Onwards':] Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications

:[Just two popovers, initially]
:Are you sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes
:[On clicking onwards, two more appear below]
:Absolutely sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes!!
:[On clicking, a further popover]
:[Red-tinted 'onwards'-style popover with warnings:] Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications.

:[...something appeared then dissappeared...]
:[Genuine(?) browser dialogue activated:] xkcd.com wants to send you notifications. Block / Allow

:[If allowed, one more popover in the original style]
:Success!!
:[Below the Emergency Stop button, an oval gray button appears labeled in white:] Silence notifications at a cost
:[Below that, in grey text:]Temporarily pause your notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

:[Further changes include the contents of the pane, whether Cueball is sat at the laptop, whether the laptop is larger, or a pot-plant, whether there are cats in the frame, outside the frame, sat on the Stop buttons, whether Cueball is sat on a large cat instead of an office chair...]
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:April fools' comics]]

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T02:34:13Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ I messed up pi, fake mathematician

{{comic
| number = 3074
| date = April 9, 2025
| title = Push Notifications
| image = push_notifications_2x.png
| imagesize = 277x347px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = NOTIFICATION: Now dismissing a head of the Notification Hydra… NOTIFICATION: Success! You have dismissed a head of the Notification Hydra!
}}
* To experience the interactivity, visit the [https://xkcd.com/3074/ original comic].

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a comment - did you know it's free to host a discussion on Wikipedia talk pages?- Please write a better overall explanation and explain other functions of the comic. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This interactive comic is the 15th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April Fools' Day]] comic released by Randall, just over a week late. It uses {{w|push notifications}} to change the comic image over time and make other statements. A table of notifications can be seen at [[3074: Push Notifications/Table of Notifications]].

After viewing the comic for the first time, there is a sequence of notifications rendered over the comic itself. After clicking through these, you are provided with two buttons: one labeled "Emergency Stop" which will halt all notifications, and one labeled "Silence notifications at a cost" which will silence notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

If you press silence notifications too much the laptop blows up.

Notification types include:
* One asking you to select a word, with further notifications to be sent whenever someone chooses the same word as you.
* A few starter notifications about this comic, the successful sending of a notification of this comic, and the lack of another comic.
* A "streak" notification counting the number of times you've clicked it. The message changes every 10 clicks, and after 50 clicks there is an offer to make future clicks count twice, making this a simple version of {{w|Cookie Clicker}}. There are occasionally notifications encouraging you to keep clicking and "extend your streak," tempting you with "a free click to keep you going". After 400 clicks it will reset your clicks back to zero but makes all future clicks count four times. There will be new messages up to a total of at least 1000 clicks.
* A "have you seen my cat?" notification which spawns 7 clickable cats all over the comic (nonrandomly), including one on the edge of the Emergency Stop button.
* Cat fact notifications that appear when a cat is clicked, in reference to [https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/241/756/e6e.png this exchange].
* Various "erroneous errors" with a warning triangle, some with just flavor text, some corresponding to changes in the comic image.
** A "gravity malfunction" indicating a change to the floating image.
** An HTTP malfunction with Zalgo text indicating a change to the tentacle image.
** An error for not enough errors.
** An error for too many errors.
** A Kernel Panic indicating the Kernel can't remember what number comes after 38
** A notification claiming that your computer ballast needs emptying, along with the computer room being flooded
** "Your computer has encountered an error" indicating a change to the fire image.
* "Zoom notifications" including numeric coordinates, sometimes prefixed with "oh look!"
* "Constant reminders" stating what some constant will be "at the tone". (This is in reference to time-of-day phone services, largely obsolete since the popularization of the internet, which you could call to hear the exact time at a given tone.) There are also joke constants such as "your favorite number will be equal to 14," and some definitions are tautological or not related to the actual value of the constant. Constants include
** The silver ratio (1 + the square root of 2)
** The golden ratio (half of 1 + the square root of 5)
** Pi (the ratio between a circle's circumference and radius, and half of Tau)
** Zero (a real number)
** Your favorite number (14)
** The luminosity of the sun (L☉)
* A notification that offers to provide weather alerts for your location, which leads into a series of notifications asking whether you live in a named city.
* A reminder that the Earth spins at 1 rpd (rotation per day).
* A statement near an hour or half-hour time that the current time is five-o-clock somewhere.
* An invitation to subscribe to the "What if?" YouTube channel
* A notification with the heading "System Log" that reads (INFO): A user has paused notifications
* A reminder to comment and subscribe, leading to the Wikipedia page {{w|Talk:Mathematics}}, {{w|Talk:Romance}}, {{w|Talk:Language}}, or (presumably) {{w|Talk:Sarcasm}}, as these are the stated topics [[xkcd]] is about. Or {{w|Talk:Boneless}}.
* A "{{w|Carriage return|Carriage Return}} Line Feed", referencing the Windows standard of storing line returns as a carriage return character followed by a line feed (newline) character. However, the xkcd Carriage Return Line Feed is instead a news feed concerning the next stop on a supposed "Carriage Return Line" of a train system.

Comic images include:
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with his laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a very large laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a small potted plant.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a squirrel in the pot.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a much larger plant that has clearly outgrown the pot, at least vertically.
** Two images with the larger plant that also have cats in the leaves.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a cat in the foreground near the point of view.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, his chair replaced with a large cat.
* Cueball sitting farther back from his desk, with the laptop on the desk on fire.
* Cueball, the desk, and the laptop floating in the air.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, shielding his face with his arm from a tentacle coming out of the laptop screen.
* Cueball spinning in his chair.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, facing the laptop on the chair.
* The desk vacant with "Game Over" displayed if you use the emergency stop.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, with a sword leaning against the desk.
** Cueball and Ponytail swordfighting while the computer has an hourglass icon, referencing [[303: Compiling]].
* The room flooded 2/3 of the way up the desk. Cueball is still sitting with his laptop.
** The same flooding, with a miniature sailboat behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a cat face behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a shark fin on the far side of the desk, facing toward Cueball.
* Cueball kneeling on the chair, which is raised up higher than the desk, and leaning over to use the laptop
* Cueball sitting at the desk, which has been extended behind his laptop like a long meeting table.
* No Cueball, only the chair, desk, and laptop.
* Cueball using the laptop on his lap, with no desk.
* Cueball with a squirrel on his head.
* A squirrel sitting at the desk, seemingly using the laptop.
* Cueball standing on top of the laptop keyboard.
* Cueball sitting at the desk, wearing a wizard hat.
* Cueball sitting on the floor behind the desk.

There is also an image of a cat that moves around when you reload the page. It moves slightly when you move your mouse over it to "pet" it. It has its own title text of :3 Clicking it will send a cat fact notification.

The title text references the {{w|Lernaean Hydra}}, a multi-headed serpent-like monster from Greek mythology. In many stories, such as {{w|Labours_of_Hercules#Second:_Lernaean_Hydra|the second labour of Hercules}}, when one of its heads was cut off, two heads would grow in its place, resulting in more heads than before. Something similar has happened in the title text itself: there was a notification that was requested to be dismissed, and it created two more notifications notifying the user of the status of the dismissal.

The subdirectory where the images and scripts for this comic are stored is titled 'marconi,' which is likely a reference to the Italian engineer and inventor of the same name, {{w|Guglielmo Marconi}}, who is credited with inventing the radio, and did much work in the field of early communication systems.

Clicking the "Emergency Stop" button allows you to either restart the full game or to subscribe just to notifications for new comics.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball sits at a desk in an office chair. He is typing on a computer.]
:[Gray message boxes with a small circled “x” at the top right corner are shown:]
:Happy April 1st (observed)!
:To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: push notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people ''NOT'' to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:''Click this notification to learn more!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:“Push notifications for new comics” sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There’s a nice API for browser notifications. xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each update, right?
:That’s what we thought, too.
:''Click to continue!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:[To the side of the comic frame is a big, horizontal hexagonal stop sign]
:Sign: Emergency STOP
:Below the sign: ''Halt ALL notifications and forget everything''
:The good news is that we did build a button to stop xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:''The rest of the system does NOT work.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:We’re sorry.
:We don’t know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications a week. A LOT more.
:We cannot recommend signing up for xkcd new comic notifications at this time.
:''Click here to ignore the warnings.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large number of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:<big>⚠️DO NOT ENABLE XKCD NEW COMIC NOTIFICATIONS⚠️</big>
:''Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:Are you sure?
:''Yes!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:Absolutely sure?
:''YES!!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:To enable push notifications on mobile you need to add xkcd.com to your home screen.

:''Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications''

{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Initial static image shows Cueball sat on an office chair at a desk using a laptop computer. A notification 'window' is speech-bubbled above the computer]
:[Grey notification box, header:] April 1st (Observed)
:[Notification box, further text:] Open xkcd.com to view.

:[When viewed live, various xkcd-style popover notifications appear, each can be dismissed or (usually the last on every page) invited to press an 'onwards'-style button.]

:[First page of messages]
:Happy April 1st! To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: Push Notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people NOT to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to learn more''

:[Upon choosing to continue, further messages appear, replacing any prior ones left open]
:"Push Notifications for new comics" sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There's a nice API for browser notifications, xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each upafte, right?
:That's what we thought, too.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to continue''

:[Next set of popover messages]
:The good news is that we did build a button to STOP xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:[Notification with 'onwards':] ''The rest of the system does not work.''
:[To the right of the comic frame, a red, octagonal button has white text upon it:]Emergency Stop
:[Below the button is red text:] Halt all notifications and forget everything

:[Next set of popovers, "stop" button remains permanently so long as you continue]
:We're sorry.
:We didn't know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications at this time.
:['Onwards' notification:] ''Click here to ignore the warnings''

:[Next set.]
:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large amount of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:[Text bookended by warning triangles:] Do not enable xkcd new comic notifications
:['Onwards':] Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications

:[Just two popovers, initially]
:Are you sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes
:[On clicking onwards, two more appear below]
:Absolutely sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes!!
:[On clicking, a further popover]
:[Red-tinted 'onwards'-style popover with warnings:] Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications.

:[...something appeared then dissappeared...]
:[Genuine(?) browser dialogue activated:] xkcd.com wants to send you notifications. Block / Allow

:[If allowed, one more popover in the original style]
:Success!!
:[Below the Emergency Stop button, an oval gray button appears labeled in white:] Silence notifications at a cost
:[Below that, in grey text:]Temporarily pause your notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

:[Further changes include the contents of the pane, whether Cueball is sat at the laptop, whether the laptop is larger, or a pot-plant, whether there are cats in the frame, outside the frame, sat on the Stop buttons, whether Cueball is sat on a large cat instead of an office chair...]
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:April fools' comics]]

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T02:33:30Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ I no longer understand.

{{comic
| number = 3074
| date = April 9, 2025
| title = Push Notifications
| image = push_notifications_2x.png
| imagesize = 277x347px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = NOTIFICATION: Now dismissing a head of the Notification Hydra… NOTIFICATION: Success! You have dismissed a head of the Notification Hydra!
}}
* To experience the interactivity, visit the [https://xkcd.com/3074/ original comic].

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a comment - did you know it's free to host a discussion on Wikipedia talk pages?- Please write a better overall explanation and explain other functions of the comic. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This interactive comic is the 15th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April Fools' Day]] comic released by Randall, just over a week late. It uses {{w|push notifications}} to change the comic image over time and make other statements. A table of notifications can be seen at [[3074: Push Notifications/Table of Notifications]].

After viewing the comic for the first time, there is a sequence of notifications rendered over the comic itself. After clicking through these, you are provided with two buttons: one labeled "Emergency Stop" which will halt all notifications, and one labeled "Silence notifications at a cost" which will silence notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

If you press silence notifications too much the laptop blows up.

Notification types include:
* One asking you to select a word, with further notifications to be sent whenever someone chooses the same word as you.
* A few starter notifications about this comic, the successful sending of a notification of this comic, and the lack of another comic.
* A "streak" notification counting the number of times you've clicked it. The message changes every 10 clicks, and after 50 clicks there is an offer to make future clicks count twice, making this a simple version of {{w|Cookie Clicker}}. There are occasionally notifications encouraging you to keep clicking and "extend your streak," tempting you with "a free click to keep you going". After 400 clicks it will reset your clicks back to zero but makes all future clicks count four times. There will be new messages up to a total of at least 1000 clicks.
* A "have you seen my cat?" notification which spawns 7 clickable cats all over the comic (nonrandomly), including one on the edge of the Emergency Stop button.
* Cat fact notifications that appear when a cat is clicked, in reference to [https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/241/756/e6e.png this exchange].
* Various "erroneous errors" with a warning triangle, some with just flavor text, some corresponding to changes in the comic image.
** A "gravity malfunction" indicating a change to the floating image.
** An HTTP malfunction with Zalgo text indicating a change to the tentacle image.
** An error for not enough errors.
** An error for too many errors.
** A Kernel Panic indicating the Kernel can't remember what number comes after 38
** A notification claiming that your computer ballast needs emptying, along with the computer room being flooded
** "Your computer has encountered an error" indicating a change to the fire image.
* "Zoom notifications" including numeric coordinates, sometimes prefixed with "oh look!"
* "Constant reminders" stating what some constant will be "at the tone". (This is in reference to time-of-day phone services, largely obsolete since the popularization of the internet, which you could call to hear the exact time at a given tone.) There are also joke constants such as "your favorite number will be equal to 14," and some definitions are tautological or not related to the actual value of the constant. Constants include
** The silver ratio (1 + the square root of 2)
** The golden ratio (half of 1 + the square root of 5)
** Pi (the ratio between a circle's circumference and radius, and two times Tau)
** Zero (a real number)
** Your favorite number (14)
** The luminosity of the sun (L☉)
* A notification that offers to provide weather alerts for your location, which leads into a series of notifications asking whether you live in a named city.
* A reminder that the Earth spins at 1 rpd (rotation per day).
* A statement near an hour or half-hour time that the current time is five-o-clock somewhere.
* An invitation to subscribe to the "What if?" YouTube channel
* A notification with the heading "System Log" that reads (INFO): A user has paused notifications
* A reminder to comment and subscribe, leading to the Wikipedia page {{w|Talk:Mathematics}}, {{w|Talk:Romance}}, {{w|Talk:Language}}, or (presumably) {{w|Talk:Sarcasm}}, as these are the stated topics [[xkcd]] is about. Or {{w|Talk:Boneless}}.
* A "{{w|Carriage return|Carriage Return}} Line Feed", referencing the Windows standard of storing line returns as a carriage return character followed by a line feed (newline) character. However, the xkcd Carriage Return Line Feed is instead a news feed concerning the next stop on a supposed "Carriage Return Line" of a train system.

Comic images include:
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with his laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a very large laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a small potted plant.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a squirrel in the pot.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a much larger plant that has clearly outgrown the pot, at least vertically.
** Two images with the larger plant that also have cats in the leaves.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a cat in the foreground near the point of view.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, his chair replaced with a large cat.
* Cueball sitting farther back from his desk, with the laptop on the desk on fire.
* Cueball, the desk, and the laptop floating in the air.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, shielding his face with his arm from a tentacle coming out of the laptop screen.
* Cueball spinning in his chair.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, facing the laptop on the chair.
* The desk vacant with "Game Over" displayed if you use the emergency stop.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, with a sword leaning against the desk.
** Cueball and Ponytail swordfighting while the computer has an hourglass icon, referencing [[303: Compiling]].
* The room flooded 2/3 of the way up the desk. Cueball is still sitting with his laptop.
** The same flooding, with a miniature sailboat behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a cat face behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a shark fin on the far side of the desk, facing toward Cueball.
* Cueball kneeling on the chair, which is raised up higher than the desk, and leaning over to use the laptop
* Cueball sitting at the desk, which has been extended behind his laptop like a long meeting table.
* No Cueball, only the chair, desk, and laptop.
* Cueball using the laptop on his lap, with no desk.
* Cueball with a squirrel on his head.
* A squirrel sitting at the desk, seemingly using the laptop.
* Cueball standing on top of the laptop keyboard.
* Cueball sitting at the desk, wearing a wizard hat.
* Cueball sitting on the floor behind the desk.

There is also an image of a cat that moves around when you reload the page. It moves slightly when you move your mouse over it to "pet" it. It has its own title text of :3 Clicking it will send a cat fact notification.

The title text references the {{w|Lernaean Hydra}}, a multi-headed serpent-like monster from Greek mythology. In many stories, such as {{w|Labours_of_Hercules#Second:_Lernaean_Hydra|the second labour of Hercules}}, when one of its heads was cut off, two heads would grow in its place, resulting in more heads than before. Something similar has happened in the title text itself: there was a notification that was requested to be dismissed, and it created two more notifications notifying the user of the status of the dismissal.

The subdirectory where the images and scripts for this comic are stored is titled 'marconi,' which is likely a reference to the Italian engineer and inventor of the same name, {{w|Guglielmo Marconi}}, who is credited with inventing the radio, and did much work in the field of early communication systems.

Clicking the "Emergency Stop" button allows you to either restart the full game or to subscribe just to notifications for new comics.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball sits at a desk in an office chair. He is typing on a computer.]
:[Gray message boxes with a small circled “x” at the top right corner are shown:]
:Happy April 1st (observed)!
:To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: push notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people ''NOT'' to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:''Click this notification to learn more!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:“Push notifications for new comics” sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There’s a nice API for browser notifications. xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each update, right?
:That’s what we thought, too.
:''Click to continue!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:[To the side of the comic frame is a big, horizontal hexagonal stop sign]
:Sign: Emergency STOP
:Below the sign: ''Halt ALL notifications and forget everything''
:The good news is that we did build a button to stop xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:''The rest of the system does NOT work.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:We’re sorry.
:We don’t know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications a week. A LOT more.
:We cannot recommend signing up for xkcd new comic notifications at this time.
:''Click here to ignore the warnings.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large number of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:<big>⚠️DO NOT ENABLE XKCD NEW COMIC NOTIFICATIONS⚠️</big>
:''Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:Are you sure?
:''Yes!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:Absolutely sure?
:''YES!!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:To enable push notifications on mobile you need to add xkcd.com to your home screen.

:''Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications''

{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Initial static image shows Cueball sat on an office chair at a desk using a laptop computer. A notification 'window' is speech-bubbled above the computer]
:[Grey notification box, header:] April 1st (Observed)
:[Notification box, further text:] Open xkcd.com to view.

:[When viewed live, various xkcd-style popover notifications appear, each can be dismissed or (usually the last on every page) invited to press an 'onwards'-style button.]

:[First page of messages]
:Happy April 1st! To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: Push Notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people NOT to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to learn more''

:[Upon choosing to continue, further messages appear, replacing any prior ones left open]
:"Push Notifications for new comics" sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There's a nice API for browser notifications, xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each upafte, right?
:That's what we thought, too.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to continue''

:[Next set of popover messages]
:The good news is that we did build a button to STOP xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:[Notification with 'onwards':] ''The rest of the system does not work.''
:[To the right of the comic frame, a red, octagonal button has white text upon it:]Emergency Stop
:[Below the button is red text:] Halt all notifications and forget everything

:[Next set of popovers, "stop" button remains permanently so long as you continue]
:We're sorry.
:We didn't know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications at this time.
:['Onwards' notification:] ''Click here to ignore the warnings''

:[Next set.]
:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large amount of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:[Text bookended by warning triangles:] Do not enable xkcd new comic notifications
:['Onwards':] Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications

:[Just two popovers, initially]
:Are you sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes
:[On clicking onwards, two more appear below]
:Absolutely sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes!!
:[On clicking, a further popover]
:[Red-tinted 'onwards'-style popover with warnings:] Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications.

:[...something appeared then dissappeared...]
:[Genuine(?) browser dialogue activated:] xkcd.com wants to send you notifications. Block / Allow

:[If allowed, one more popover in the original style]
:Success!!
:[Below the Emergency Stop button, an oval gray button appears labeled in white:] Silence notifications at a cost
:[Below that, in grey text:]Temporarily pause your notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

:[Further changes include the contents of the pane, whether Cueball is sat at the laptop, whether the laptop is larger, or a pot-plant, whether there are cats in the frame, outside the frame, sat on the Stop buttons, whether Cueball is sat on a large cat instead of an office chair...]
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:April fools' comics]]

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T02:29:26Z

Jacky720: I see the pattern there

{{comic
| number = 3074
| date = April 9, 2025
| title = Push Notifications
| image = push_notifications_2x.png
| imagesize = 277x347px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = NOTIFICATION: Now dismissing a head of the Notification Hydra… NOTIFICATION: Success! You have dismissed a head of the Notification Hydra!
}}
* To experience the interactivity, visit the [https://xkcd.com/3074/ original comic].

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a comment - did you know it's free to host a discussion on Wikipedia talk pages?- Please write a better overall explanation and explain other functions of the comic. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This interactive comic is the 15th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April Fools' Day]] comic released by Randall, just over a week late. It uses {{w|push notifications}} to change the comic image over time and make other statements. A table of notifications can be seen at [[3074: Push Notifications/Table of Notifications]].

After viewing the comic for the first time, there is a sequence of notifications rendered over the comic itself. After clicking through these, you are provided with two buttons: one labeled "Emergency Stop" which will halt all notifications, and one labeled "Silence notifications at a cost" which will silence notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

If you press silence notifications too much the laptop blows up.

Notification types include:
* One asking you to select a word, with further notifications to be sent whenever someone chooses the same word as you.
* A few starter notifications about this comic, the successful sending of a notification of this comic, and the lack of another comic.
* A "streak" notification counting the number of times you've clicked it. The message changes every 10 clicks, and after 50 clicks there is an offer to make future clicks count twice, making this a simple version of {{w|Cookie Clicker}}. There are occasionally notifications encouraging you to keep clicking and "extend your streak," tempting you with "a free click to keep you going"
* A "have you seen my cat?" notification which spawns 7 clickable cats all over the comic (nonrandomly), including one on the edge of the Emergency Stop button.
* Cat fact notifications that appear when a cat is clicked, in reference to [https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/241/756/e6e.png this exchange].
* Various "erroneous errors" with a warning triangle, some with just flavor text, some corresponding to changes in the comic image.
** A "gravity malfunction" indicating a change to the floating image.
** An HTTP malfunction with Zalgo text indicating a change to the tentacle image.
** An error for not enough errors.
** An error for too many errors.
** A Kernel Panic indicating the Kernel can't remember what number comes after 38
** A notification claiming that your computer ballast needs emptying, along with the computer room being flooded
** "Your computer has encountered an error" indicating a change to the fire image.
* "Zoom notifications" including numeric coordinates, sometimes prefixed with "oh look!"
* "Constant reminders" stating what some constant will be "at the tone". (This is in reference to time-of-day phone services, largely obsolete since the popularization of the internet, which you could call to hear the exact time at a given tone.) There are also joke constants such as "your favorite number will be equal to 14," and some definitions are tautological or not related to the actual value of the constant. Constants include
** The silver ratio (1 + the square root of 2)
** The golden ratio (half of 1 + the square root of 5)
** Pi (the ratio between a circle's circumference and radius, and two times Tau)
** Zero (a real number)
** Your favorite number (14)
** The luminosity of the sun (L☉)
* A notification that offers to provide weather alerts for your location, which leads into a series of notifications asking whether you live in a named city.
* A reminder that the Earth spins at 1 rpd (rotation per day).
* A statement near an hour or half-hour time that the current time is five-o-clock somewhere.
* An invitation to subscribe to the "What if?" YouTube channel
* A notification with the heading "System Log" that reads (INFO): A user has paused notifications
* A reminder to comment and subscribe, leading to the Wikipedia page {{w|Talk:Mathematics}}, {{w|Talk:Romance}}, {{w|Talk:Language}}, or (presumably) {{w|Talk:Sarcasm}}, as these are the stated topics [[xkcd]] is about.
* A "{{w|Carriage return|Carriage Return}} Line Feed", referencing the Windows standard of storing line returns as a carriage return character followed by a line feed (newline) character. However, the xkcd Carriage Return Line Feed is instead a news feed concerning the next stop on a supposed "Carriage Return Line" of a train system.

Comic images include:
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with his laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a very large laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a small potted plant.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a squirrel in the pot.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a much larger plant that has clearly outgrown the pot, at least vertically.
** Two images with the larger plant that also have cats in the leaves.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a cat in the foreground near the point of view.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, his chair replaced with a large cat.
* Cueball sitting farther back from his desk, with the laptop on the desk on fire.
* Cueball, the desk, and the laptop floating in the air.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, shielding his face with his arm from a tentacle coming out of the laptop screen.
* Cueball spinning in his chair.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, facing the laptop on the chair.
* The desk vacant with "Game Over" displayed if you use the emergency stop.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, with a sword leaning against the desk.
** Cueball and Ponytail swordfighting while the computer has an hourglass icon, referencing [[303: Compiling]].
* The room flooded 2/3 of the way up the desk. Cueball is still sitting with his laptop.
** The same flooding, with a miniature sailboat behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a cat face behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a shark fin on the far side of the desk, facing toward Cueball.
* Cueball kneeling on the chair, which is raised up higher than the desk, and leaning over to use the laptop
* Cueball sitting at the desk, which has been extended behind his laptop like a long meeting table.
* No Cueball, only the chair, desk, and laptop.
* Cueball using the laptop on his lap, with no desk.
* Cueball with a squirrel on his head.
* A squirrel sitting at the desk, seemingly using the laptop.
* Cueball standing on top of the laptop keyboard.
* Cueball sitting at the desk, wearing a wizard hat.
* Cueball sitting on the floor behind the desk.

There is also an image of a cat that moves around when you reload the page. It moves slightly when you move your mouse over it to "pet" it. It has its own title text of :3 Clicking it will send a cat fact notification.

The title text references the {{w|Lernaean Hydra}}, a multi-headed serpent-like monster from Greek mythology. In many stories, such as {{w|Labours_of_Hercules#Second:_Lernaean_Hydra|the second labour of Hercules}}, when one of its heads was cut off, two heads would grow in its place, resulting in more heads than before. Something similar has happened in the title text itself: there was a notification that was requested to be dismissed, and it created two more notifications notifying the user of the status of the dismissal.

The subdirectory where the images and scripts for this comic are stored is titled 'marconi,' which is likely a reference to the Italian engineer and inventor of the same name, {{w|Guglielmo Marconi}}, who is credited with inventing the radio, and did much work in the field of early communication systems.

Clicking the "Emergency Stop" button allows you to either restart the full game or to subscribe just to notifications for new comics.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball sits at a desk in an office chair. He is typing on a computer.]
:[Gray message boxes with a small circled “x” at the top right corner are shown:]
:Happy April 1st (observed)!
:To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: push notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people ''NOT'' to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:''Click this notification to learn more!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:“Push notifications for new comics” sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There’s a nice API for browser notifications. xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each update, right?
:That’s what we thought, too.
:''Click to continue!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:[To the side of the comic frame is a big, horizontal hexagonal stop sign]
:Sign: Emergency STOP
:Below the sign: ''Halt ALL notifications and forget everything''
:The good news is that we did build a button to stop xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:''The rest of the system does NOT work.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:We’re sorry.
:We don’t know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications a week. A LOT more.
:We cannot recommend signing up for xkcd new comic notifications at this time.
:''Click here to ignore the warnings.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large number of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:<big>⚠️DO NOT ENABLE XKCD NEW COMIC NOTIFICATIONS⚠️</big>
:''Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:Are you sure?
:''Yes!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:Absolutely sure?
:''YES!!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:To enable push notifications on mobile you need to add xkcd.com to your home screen.

:''Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications''

{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Initial static image shows Cueball sat on an office chair at a desk using a laptop computer. A notification 'window' is speech-bubbled above the computer]
:[Grey notification box, header:] April 1st (Observed)
:[Notification box, further text:] Open xkcd.com to view.

:[When viewed live, various xkcd-style popover notifications appear, each can be dismissed or (usually the last on every page) invited to press an 'onwards'-style button.]

:[First page of messages]
:Happy April 1st! To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: Push Notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people NOT to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to learn more''

:[Upon choosing to continue, further messages appear, replacing any prior ones left open]
:"Push Notifications for new comics" sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There's a nice API for browser notifications, xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each upafte, right?
:That's what we thought, too.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to continue''

:[Next set of popover messages]
:The good news is that we did build a button to STOP xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:[Notification with 'onwards':] ''The rest of the system does not work.''
:[To the right of the comic frame, a red, octagonal button has white text upon it:]Emergency Stop
:[Below the button is red text:] Halt all notifications and forget everything

:[Next set of popovers, "stop" button remains permanently so long as you continue]
:We're sorry.
:We didn't know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications at this time.
:['Onwards' notification:] ''Click here to ignore the warnings''

:[Next set.]
:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large amount of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:[Text bookended by warning triangles:] Do not enable xkcd new comic notifications
:['Onwards':] Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications

:[Just two popovers, initially]
:Are you sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes
:[On clicking onwards, two more appear below]
:Absolutely sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes!!
:[On clicking, a further popover]
:[Red-tinted 'onwards'-style popover with warnings:] Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications.

:[...something appeared then dissappeared...]
:[Genuine(?) browser dialogue activated:] xkcd.com wants to send you notifications. Block / Allow

:[If allowed, one more popover in the original style]
:Success!!
:[Below the Emergency Stop button, an oval gray button appears labeled in white:] Silence notifications at a cost
:[Below that, in grey text:]Temporarily pause your notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

:[Further changes include the contents of the pane, whether Cueball is sat at the laptop, whether the laptop is larger, or a pot-plant, whether there are cats in the frame, outside the frame, sat on the Stop buttons, whether Cueball is sat on a large cat instead of an office chair...]
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:April fools' comics]]

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T02:26:35Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ I think that's all of the ones that have distinct images (catonhead uses default, I'm guessing the cat in that one is interactable)

{{comic
| number = 3074
| date = April 9, 2025
| title = Push Notifications
| image = push_notifications_2x.png
| imagesize = 277x347px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = NOTIFICATION: Now dismissing a head of the Notification Hydra… NOTIFICATION: Success! You have dismissed a head of the Notification Hydra!
}}
* To experience the interactivity, visit the [https://xkcd.com/3074/ original comic].

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a comment - did you know it's free to host a discussion on Wikipedia talk pages?- Please write a better overall explanation and explain other functions of the comic. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This interactive comic is the 15th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April Fools' Day]] comic released by Randall, just over a week late. It uses {{w|push notifications}} to change the comic image over time and make other statements. A table of notifications can be seen at [[3074: Push Notifications/Table of Notifications]].

After viewing the comic for the first time, there is a sequence of notifications rendered over the comic itself. After clicking through these, you are provided with two buttons: one labeled "Emergency Stop" which will halt all notifications, and one labeled "Silence notifications at a cost" which will silence notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

If you press silence notifications too much the laptop blows up.

Notification types include:
* One asking you to select a word, with further notifications to be sent whenever someone chooses the same word as you.
* A few starter notifications about this comic, the successful sending of a notification of this comic, and the lack of another comic.
* A "streak" notification counting the number of times you've clicked it. The message changes every 10 clicks, and after 50 clicks there is an offer to make future clicks count twice, making this a simple version of {{w|Cookie Clicker}}. There are occasionally notifications encouraging you to keep clicking and "extend your streak," tempting you with "a free click to keep you going"
* A "have you seen my cat?" notification which spawns 7 clickable cats all over the comic (nonrandomly), including one on the edge of the Emergency Stop button.
* Cat fact notifications that appear when a cat is clicked, in reference to [https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/241/756/e6e.png this exchange].
* Various "erroneous errors" with a warning triangle, some with just flavor text, some corresponding to changes in the comic image.
** A "gravity malfunction" indicating a change to the floating image.
** An HTTP malfunction with Zalgo text indicating a change to the tentacle image.
** An error for not enough errors.
** An error for too many errors.
** A Kernel Panic indicating the Kernel can't remember what number comes after 38
** A notification claiming that your computer ballast needs emptying, along with the computer room being flooded
** "Your computer has encountered an error" indicating a change to the fire image.
* "Zoom notifications" including numeric coordinates, sometimes prefixed with "oh look!"
* "Constant reminders" stating what some constant will be "at the tone". (This is in reference to time-of-day phone services, largely obsolete since the popularization of the internet, which you could call to hear the exact time at a given tone.) There are also joke constants such as "your favorite number will be equal to 14," and some definitions are tautological or not related to the actual value of the constant. Constants include
** The silver ratio (1 + the square root of 2)
** The golden ratio (half of 1 + the square root of 5)
** Pi (the ratio between a circle's circumference and radius, and two times Tau)
** Zero (a real number)
** Your favorite number (14)
** The luminosity of the sun (L☉)
* A notification that offers to provide weather alerts for your location, which leads into a series of notifications asking whether you live in a named city.
* A reminder that the Earth spins at 1 rpd (rotation per day).
* A statement near an hour or half-hour time that the current time is five-o-clock somewhere.
* An invitation to subscribe to the "What if?" YouTube channel
* A notification with the heading "System Log" that reads (INFO): A user has paused notifications
* A reminder to comment and subscribe, leading to the Wikipedia page {{w|Talk:Mathematics}} or alternatively {{w|Talk:Romance}}.
* A "{{w|Carriage return|Carriage Return}} Line Feed", referencing the Windows standard of storing line returns as a carriage return character followed by a line feed (newline) character. However, the xkcd Carriage Return Line Feed is instead a news feed concerning the next stop on a supposed "Carriage Return Line" of a train system.

Comic images include:
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with his laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a very large laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a small potted plant.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a squirrel in the pot.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a much larger plant that has clearly outgrown the pot, at least vertically.
** Two images with the larger plant that also have cats in the leaves.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a cat in the foreground near the point of view.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, his chair replaced with a large cat.
* Cueball sitting farther back from his desk, with the laptop on the desk on fire.
* Cueball, the desk, and the laptop floating in the air.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, shielding his face with his arm from a tentacle coming out of the laptop screen.
* Cueball spinning in his chair.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, facing the laptop on the chair.
* The desk vacant with "Game Over" displayed if you use the emergency stop.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, with a sword leaning against the desk.
** Cueball and Ponytail swordfighting while the computer has an hourglass icon, referencing [[303: Compiling]].
* The room flooded 2/3 of the way up the desk. Cueball is still sitting with his laptop.
** The same flooding, with a miniature sailboat behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a cat face behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a shark fin on the far side of the desk, facing toward Cueball.
* Cueball kneeling on the chair, which is raised up higher than the desk, and leaning over to use the laptop
* Cueball sitting at the desk, which has been extended behind his laptop like a long meeting table.
* No Cueball, only the chair, desk, and laptop.
* Cueball using the laptop on his lap, with no desk.
* Cueball with a squirrel on his head.
* A squirrel sitting at the desk, seemingly using the laptop.
* Cueball standing on top of the laptop keyboard.
* Cueball sitting at the desk, wearing a wizard hat.
* Cueball sitting on the floor behind the desk.

There is also an image of a cat that moves around when you reload the page. It moves slightly when you move your mouse over it to "pet" it. It has its own title text of :3 Clicking it will send a cat fact notification.

The title text references the {{w|Lernaean Hydra}}, a multi-headed serpent-like monster from Greek mythology. In many stories, such as {{w|Labours_of_Hercules#Second:_Lernaean_Hydra|the second labour of Hercules}}, when one of its heads was cut off, two heads would grow in its place, resulting in more heads than before. Something similar has happened in the title text itself: there was a notification that was requested to be dismissed, and it created two more notifications notifying the user of the status of the dismissal.

The subdirectory where the images and scripts for this comic are stored is titled 'marconi,' which is likely a reference to the Italian engineer and inventor of the same name, {{w|Guglielmo Marconi}}, who is credited with inventing the radio, and did much work in the field of early communication systems.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball sits at a desk in an office chair. He is typing on a computer.]
:[Gray message boxes with a small circled “x” at the top right corner are shown:]
:Happy April 1st (observed)!
:To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: push notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people ''NOT'' to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:''Click this notification to learn more!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:“Push notifications for new comics” sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There’s a nice API for browser notifications. xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each update, right?
:That’s what we thought, too.
:''Click to continue!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:[To the side of the comic frame is a big, horizontal hexagonal stop sign]
:Sign: Emergency STOP
:Below the sign: ''Halt ALL notifications and forget everything''
:The good news is that we did build a button to stop xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:''The rest of the system does NOT work.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:We’re sorry.
:We don’t know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications a week. A LOT more.
:We cannot recommend signing up for xkcd new comic notifications at this time.
:''Click here to ignore the warnings.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large number of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:<big>⚠️DO NOT ENABLE XKCD NEW COMIC NOTIFICATIONS⚠️</big>
:''Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:Are you sure?
:''Yes!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:Absolutely sure?
:''YES!!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:To enable push notifications on mobile you need to add xkcd.com to your home screen.

:''Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications''

{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Initial static image shows Cueball sat on an office chair at a desk using a laptop computer. A notification 'window' is speech-bubbled above the computer]
:[Grey notification box, header:] April 1st (Observed)
:[Notification box, further text:] Open xkcd.com to view.

:[When viewed live, various xkcd-style popover notifications appear, each can be dismissed or (usually the last on every page) invited to press an 'onwards'-style button.]

:[First page of messages]
:Happy April 1st! To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: Push Notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people NOT to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to learn more''

:[Upon choosing to continue, further messages appear, replacing any prior ones left open]
:"Push Notifications for new comics" sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There's a nice API for browser notifications, xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each upafte, right?
:That's what we thought, too.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to continue''

:[Next set of popover messages]
:The good news is that we did build a button to STOP xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:[Notification with 'onwards':] ''The rest of the system does not work.''
:[To the right of the comic frame, a red, octagonal button has white text upon it:]Emergency Stop
:[Below the button is red text:] Halt all notifications and forget everything

:[Next set of popovers, "stop" button remains permanently so long as you continue]
:We're sorry.
:We didn't know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications at this time.
:['Onwards' notification:] ''Click here to ignore the warnings''

:[Next set.]
:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large amount of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:[Text bookended by warning triangles:] Do not enable xkcd new comic notifications
:['Onwards':] Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications

:[Just two popovers, initially]
:Are you sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes
:[On clicking onwards, two more appear below]
:Absolutely sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes!!
:[On clicking, a further popover]
:[Red-tinted 'onwards'-style popover with warnings:] Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications.

:[...something appeared then dissappeared...]
:[Genuine(?) browser dialogue activated:] xkcd.com wants to send you notifications. Block / Allow

:[If allowed, one more popover in the original style]
:Success!!
:[Below the Emergency Stop button, an oval gray button appears labeled in white:] Silence notifications at a cost
:[Below that, in grey text:]Temporarily pause your notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

:[Further changes include the contents of the pane, whether Cueball is sat at the laptop, whether the laptop is larger, or a pot-plant, whether there are cats in the frame, outside the frame, sat on the Stop buttons, whether Cueball is sat on a large cat instead of an office chair...]
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:April fools' comics]]

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T02:11:46Z

Jacky720: I understand the title on this one now

{{comic
| number = 3074
| date = April 9, 2025
| title = Push Notifications
| image = push_notifications_2x.png
| imagesize = 277x347px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = NOTIFICATION: Now dismissing a head of the Notification Hydra… NOTIFICATION: Success! You have dismissed a head of the Notification Hydra!
}}
* To experience the interactivity, visit the [https://xkcd.com/3074/ original comic].

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a comment - did you know it's free to host a discussion on Wikipedia talk pages?- Please write a better overall explanation and explain other functions of the comic. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This interactive comic is the 15th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April Fools' Day]] comic released by Randall, just over a week late. It uses {{w|push notifications}} to change the comic image over time and make other statements. A table of notifications can be seen at [[3074: Push Notifications/Table of Notifications]].

After viewing the comic for the first time, there is a sequence of notifications rendered over the comic itself. After clicking through these, you are provided with two buttons: one labeled "Emergency Stop" which will halt all notifications, and one labeled "Silence notifications at a cost" which will silence notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

If you press silence notifications too much the laptop blows up.

Notification types include:
* One asking you to select a word, with further notifications to be sent whenever someone chooses the same word as you.
* A few starter notifications about this comic, the successful sending of a notification of this comic, and the lack of another comic.
* A "streak" notification counting the number of times you've clicked it. The message changes every 10 clicks, and after 50 clicks there is an offer to make future clicks count twice, making this a simple version of {{w|Cookie Clicker}}. There are occasionally notifications encouraging you to keep clicking and "extend your streak," tempting you with "a free click to keep you going"
* A "have you seen my cat?" notification which spawns 7 clickable cats all over the comic (nonrandomly), including one on the edge of the Emergency Stop button.
* Cat fact notifications that appear when a cat is clicked, in reference to [https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/241/756/e6e.png this exchange].
* Various "erroneous errors" with a warning triangle, some with just flavor text, some corresponding to changes in the comic image.
** A "gravity malfunction" indicating a change to the floating image.
** An HTTP malfunction with Zalgo text indicating a change to the tentacle image.
** An error for not enough errors.
** An error for too many errors.
** A Kernel Panic indicating the Kernel can't remember what number comes after 38
** A notification claiming that your computer ballast needs emptying, along with the computer room being flooded
** "Your computer has encountered an error" indicating a change to the fire image.
* "Zoom notifications" including numeric coordinates, sometimes prefixed with "oh look!"
* "Constant reminders" stating what some constant will be "at the tone". (This is in reference to time-of-day phone services, largely obsolete since the popularization of the internet, which you could call to hear the exact time at a given tone.) There are also joke constants such as "your favorite number will be equal to 14," and some definitions are tautological or not related to the actual value of the constant. Constants include
** The silver ratio (1 + the square root of 2)
** The golden ratio (half of 1 + the square root of 5)
** Pi (the ratio between a circle's circumference and radius, and two times Tau)
** Zero (a real number)
** Your favorite number (14)
** The luminosity of the sun (L☉)
* A notification that offers to provide weather alerts for your location, which leads into a series of notifications asking whether you live in a named city.
* A reminder that the Earth spins at 1 rpd (rotation per day).
* A statement near an hour or half-hour time that the current time is five-o-clock somewhere.
* An invitation to subscribe to the "What if?" YouTube channel
* A notification with the heading "System Log" that reads (INFO): A user has paused notifications
* A reminder to comment and subscribe, leading to the Wikipedia page {{w|Talk:Mathematics}} or alternatively {{w|Talk:Romance}}.
* A "{{w|Carriage return|Carriage Return}} Line Feed", referencing the Windows standard of storing line returns as a carriage return character followed by a line feed (newline) character. However, the xkcd Carriage Return Line Feed is instead a news feed concerning the next stop on a supposed "Carriage Return Line" of a train system.

Comic images include:
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with his laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a very large laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a small potted plant.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a squirrel in the pot.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a much larger plant that has clearly outgrown the pot, at least vertically.
** Two images with the larger plant that also have cats in the leaves.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a cat in the foreground near the point of view.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, his chair replaced with a large cat.
* Cueball sitting farther back from his desk, with the laptop on the desk on fire.
* Cueball, the desk, and the laptop floating in the air.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, shielding his face with his arm from a tentacle coming out of the laptop screen.
* Cueball spinning in his chair.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, facing the laptop on the chair.
* The desk vacant with "Game Over" displayed if you use the emergency stop.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, with a sword leaning against the desk.
** Cueball and Ponytail swordfighting while the computer has an hourglass icon, referencing [[303: Compiling]].
* The room flooded 2/3 of the way up the desk. Cueball is still sitting with his laptop.
** The same flooding, with a miniature sailboat behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a cat face behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a shark fin on the far side of the desk, facing toward Cueball.
* Cueball kneeling on the chair, which is raised up higher than the desk, and leaning over to use the laptop

There is also an image of a cat that moves around when you reload the page. It moves slightly when you move your mouse over it to "pet" it. It has its own title text of :3 Clicking it will send a cat fact notification.

The title text references the {{w|Lernaean Hydra}}, a multi-headed serpent-like monster from Greek mythology. In many stories, such as {{w|Labours_of_Hercules#Second:_Lernaean_Hydra|the second labour of Hercules}}, when one of its heads was cut off, two heads would grow in its place, resulting in more heads than before. Something similar has happened in the title text itself: there was a notification that was requested to be dismissed, and it created two more notifications notifying the user of the status of the dismissal.

The subdirectory where the images and scripts for this comic are stored is titled 'marconi,' which is likely a reference to the Italian engineer and inventor of the same name, {{w|Guglielmo Marconi}}, who is credited with inventing the radio, and did much work in the field of early communication systems.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball sits at a desk in an office chair. He is typing on a computer.]
:[Gray message boxes with a small circled “x” at the top right corner are shown:]
:Happy April 1st (observed)!
:To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: push notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people ''NOT'' to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:''Click this notification to learn more!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:“Push notifications for new comics” sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There’s a nice API for browser notifications. xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each update, right?
:That’s what we thought, too.
:''Click to continue!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:[To the side of the comic frame is a big, horizontal hexagonal stop sign]
:Sign: Emergency STOP
:Below the sign: ''Halt ALL notifications and forget everything''
:The good news is that we did build a button to stop xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:''The rest of the system does NOT work.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:We’re sorry.
:We don’t know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications a week. A LOT more.
:We cannot recommend signing up for xkcd new comic notifications at this time.
:''Click here to ignore the warnings.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large number of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:<big>⚠️DO NOT ENABLE XKCD NEW COMIC NOTIFICATIONS⚠️</big>
:''Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:Are you sure?
:''Yes!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:Absolutely sure?
:''YES!!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:To enable push notifications on mobile you need to add xkcd.com to your home screen.

:''Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications''

{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Initial static image shows Cueball sat on an office chair at a desk using a laptop computer. A notification 'window' is speech-bubbled above the computer]
:[Grey notification box, header:] April 1st (Observed)
:[Notification box, further text:] Open xkcd.com to view.

:[When viewed live, various xkcd-style popover notifications appear, each can be dismissed or (usually the last on every page) invited to press an 'onwards'-style button.]

:[First page of messages]
:Happy April 1st! To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: Push Notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people NOT to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to learn more''

:[Upon choosing to continue, further messages appear, replacing any prior ones left open]
:"Push Notifications for new comics" sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There's a nice API for browser notifications, xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each upafte, right?
:That's what we thought, too.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to continue''

:[Next set of popover messages]
:The good news is that we did build a button to STOP xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:[Notification with 'onwards':] ''The rest of the system does not work.''
:[To the right of the comic frame, a red, octagonal button has white text upon it:]Emergency Stop
:[Below the button is red text:] Halt all notifications and forget everything

:[Next set of popovers, "stop" button remains permanently so long as you continue]
:We're sorry.
:We didn't know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications at this time.
:['Onwards' notification:] ''Click here to ignore the warnings''

:[Next set.]
:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large amount of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:[Text bookended by warning triangles:] Do not enable xkcd new comic notifications
:['Onwards':] Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications

:[Just two popovers, initially]
:Are you sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes
:[On clicking onwards, two more appear below]
:Absolutely sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes!!
:[On clicking, a further popover]
:[Red-tinted 'onwards'-style popover with warnings:] Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications.

:[...something appeared then dissappeared...]
:[Genuine(?) browser dialogue activated:] xkcd.com wants to send you notifications. Block / Allow

:[If allowed, one more popover in the original style]
:Success!!
:[Below the Emergency Stop button, an oval gray button appears labeled in white:] Silence notifications at a cost
:[Below that, in grey text:]Temporarily pause your notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

:[Further changes include the contents of the pane, whether Cueball is sat at the laptop, whether the laptop is larger, or a pot-plant, whether there are cats in the frame, outside the frame, sat on the Stop buttons, whether Cueball is sat on a large cat instead of an office chair...]
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:April fools' comics]]

Talk:3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T02:07:46Z

Jacky720: reply about redlink

So...this is the April Fool's comic, if I'm not mistaken... Oh ye of little faith! [[Special:Contributions/172.71.26.106|172.71.26.106]] 20:00, 9 April 2025 (UTC)

I turned this on thinking it would just be a few every so often but I quickly realized how this is xkcd and it doesn't "joke". I had to turn this off because it disrupted my schoolwork by popping up every fricking 5 minutes

Apparently my employer (or ublock) is keeping me from experiencing the full effect of any notifications. All I get is "An *actual* error has occurred. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.173|162.158.91.173]] 20:52, 9 April 2025 (UTC)

What the heck are the "Zoom Notification" ones, with just a pair of numbers? Now that I've been sitting with this for a little bit, they're by far the most common notifications, and the most mysterious. What is "zoom"ing or should be zoomed-in-on or whatever, and what do the two numbers signify? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.22.75|172.68.22.75]] 20:35, 9 April 2025 (UTC)
:I think they're coordinates. So far (x,y) has had x from 4 fo 73 (that I've seen) and y from 2 to 28. That gives a tad over 2000 possible combinations, but omething tells me there won't be more than 500 or so in total. Quite a few y=24 (not yet adjacent by x), and any given x has 0 to 3 different y partners (so far). They ''do'' repeat (I'm not recording how many times, but I'm scatterplotting what I get). The ones prefixed with "oh look!" are tightly clustered in x=6..13 and y=4..11, so far, with no non-"oh look!" ones there, so I'm plotting them in a different marker. I ''suspect'', after many many more Zoom Notifications, I'll be left with (enough of) a pixelated image's pixels (of two types, background colour excluded), or else I'm doing it wrong and I should be drawing lines between the dots, but I never managed to grab them all, so I'm relying on it being a random "spraygun droplets" sort of image-reveal. (Still some way to go...) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.241.66|172.71.241.66]] 23:08, 9 April 2025 (UTC)

Made a new page called [[3074: Push Notifications/Table of Notifications]], much like [[1506: xkcloud/List of Permalinks]]. I’m hoping that we can put all of the possible notifications into the table, along with any possible images that go along with it and an explanation (if necessary). '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 21:26, 9 April 2025 (UTC)
:I think it might be a good idea to make the table something more like source/name/notification, because there are chains of notifications where the name changes, like the How Many Times Can You Click This? notification. --[[User:Magicalus|Magicalus]] ([[User talk:Magicalus|talk]]) 23:19, 9 April 2025 (UTC)
::Might even want to track the URL that the notification leads to in the cases where it opens a new tab. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.142.57|172.71.142.57]]
:Did you mean a page much like [[1506:_xkcloud/List_of_Permalinks]]? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.175.171|162.158.175.171]] 01:25, 10 April 2025 (UTC)
:: Weird, someone changed that. I just reverted it. --[[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 02:07, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

I clicked on the silence notifications at a cost button a lot and it set Cueball's PC on fire?

I found what is presumably the source code (?) of the comic through the transcript. It’s all JS pages. No idea what they mean (I’m not good with code), but I’m sure that there are some on here that can help dissect it. '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 21:50, 9 April 2025 (UTC)
:https://xkcd.com/3074/marconi/manifest.json
:https://xkcd.com/3074/marconi/static/js/42.4f5b21b3.js
:https://xkcd.com/3074/marconi/static/js/index.js?v=1

: I found this list of states in there, saved to the "iU" variable: intro, wordgame, gameover, biglaptop, boat, default, floating, longdesk, missing, nekotree, nekotree2, nekowater, nodesk, onfire, peek, shark, spinning, squirrel, squirreldesk, squirrelplant, standing, sword, tallchair, tentacle, water, wizard, bigplant, catchair, catonhead, compiling, floor, plant, reverse. Presumably, this is all the images we're looking for. I'll get back to you if I identify what chooses them or all their actual filepaths. --[[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 00:43, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

I have a sneaking suspicion the Zoom Notifications are sketching out an image of some sort
(Update: after plotting like 60 of them no apparent pattern is to be found) [[User:SkiesShaper|SkiesShaper]] ([[User talk:SkiesShaper|talk]]) 22:24, 9 April 2025 (UTC)
: I've plotted 397 and it seems to be forming some kind of animal. Maybe a cat, given the comic theme? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.35.119|172.68.35.119]] 23:24, 9 April 2025 (UTC)
:That could make sense yeah - there is definitely an organic sort of pattern emerging from the points I've been plotting out [[User:SkiesShaper|SkiesShaper]] ([[User talk:SkiesShaper|talk]]) 00:35, 10 April 2025 (UTC)
: I'm pretty sure it's a turtle. I have 311 points so far and while it isn't clear, it looks like a turtle. [[User:IMW|IMW]] ([[User talk:IMW|talk]]) 01:51, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

Apparently one of the notifications is: "The Earth is spinning at a rate of 1 rpd" This is true if you round it, but not exact. The time it takes to rotate is called a sidereal day, and there's one extra sidereal day a year. Basically, there's one solar day removed in a year, because the Earth's motion around the sun cancels it out. Think of it with a tidally locked planet. It spins around once a year, but the sun never moves. Really there's 1.0027379 rotations per day. [[User:DanielLC|DanielLC]] ([[User talk:DanielLC|talk]]) 23:02, 9 April 2025 (UTC)

This is the most chaotic comic I've seen in a while. Part of me wants to keep notifications on to see what happens, and part of me wants to turn it all off and throw my phone in a lake [[User:Alcatraz ii|Alcatraz ii]] ([[User talk:Alcatraz ii|talk]]) 00:40, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

I am making a sheet with the cordinates: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/133jGfOM6EVuEco4j2NumOAOv6pEealyZpbDoMkESXvs/edit?usp=sharing
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.81|108.162.216.81]] 01:31, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T02:04:33Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 3074
| date = April 9, 2025
| title = Push Notifications
| image = push_notifications_2x.png
| imagesize = 277x347px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = NOTIFICATION: Now dismissing a head of the Notification Hydra… NOTIFICATION: Success! You have dismissed a head of the Notification Hydra!
}}
* To experience the interactivity, visit the [https://xkcd.com/3074/ original comic].

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a comment - did you know it's free to host a discussion on Wikipedia talk pages?- Please write a better overall explanation and explain other functions of the comic. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This interactive comic is the 15th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April Fools' Day]] comic released by Randall, just over a week late. It uses {{w|push notifications}} to change the comic image over time and make other statements. A table of notifications can be seen at [[3074: Push Notifications/Table of Notifications]].

After viewing the comic for the first time, there is a sequence of notifications rendered over the comic itself. After clicking through these, you are provided with two buttons: one labeled "Emergency Stop" which will halt all notifications, and one labeled "Silence notifications at a cost" which will silence notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

If you press silence notifications too much the laptop blows up.

Notification types include:
* One asking you to select a word, with further notifications to be sent whenever someone chooses the same word as you.
* A few starter notifications about this comic, the successful sending of a notification of this comic, and the lack of another comic.
* A "streak" notification counting the number of times you've clicked it. The message changes every 10 clicks, and after 50 clicks there is an offer to make future clicks count twice, making this a simple version of {{w|Cookie Clicker}}. There are occasionally notifications encouraging you to keep clicking and "extend your streak," tempting you with "a free click to keep you going"
* A "have you seen my cat?" notification which spawns 7 clickable cats all over the comic (nonrandomly), including one on the edge of the Emergency Stop button.
* Cat fact notifications that appear when a cat is clicked, in reference to [https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/241/756/e6e.png this exchange].
* Various "erroneous errors" with a warning triangle, some with just flavor text, some corresponding to changes in the comic image.
** A "gravity malfunction" indicating a change to the floating image.
** An HTTP malfunction with Zalgo text indicating a change to the tentacle image.
** An error for not enough errors.
** An error for too many errors.
** A Kernel Panic indicating the Kernel can't remember what number comes after 38
** A notification claiming that your computer ballast needs emptying, along with the computer room being flooded
** "Your computer has encountered an error" indicating a change to the fire image.
* "Zoom notifications" including numeric coordinates, sometimes prefixed with "oh look!"
* "Constant reminders" stating what some constant will be "at the tone". (This is in reference to time-of-day phone services, largely obsolete since the popularization of the internet, which you could call to hear the exact time at a given tone.) There are also joke constants such as "your favorite number will be equal to 14," and some definitions are tautological or not related to the actual value of the constant. Constants include
** The silver ratio (1 + the square root of 2)
** The golden ratio (half of 1 + the square root of 5)
** Pi (the ratio between a circle's circumference and radius, and two times Tau)
** Zero (a real number)
** Your favorite number (14)
** The luminosity of the sun (L☉)
* A notification that offers to provide weather alerts for your location, which leads into a series of notifications asking whether you live in a named city.
* A reminder that the Earth spins at 1 rpd (rotation per day).
* A statement near an hour or half-hour time that the current time is five-o-clock somewhere.
* An invitation to subscribe to the "What if?" YouTube channel
* A notification with the heading "System Log" that reads (INFO): A user has paused notifications
* A reminder to comment and subscribe, leading to the Wikipedia page {{w|Talk:Mathematics}} or alternatively {{w|Talk:Romance}}.

Comic images include:
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with his laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a very large laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a small potted plant.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a squirrel in the pot.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a much larger plant that has clearly outgrown the pot, at least vertically.
** Two images with the larger plant that also have cats in the leaves.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a cat in the foreground near the point of view.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, his chair replaced with a large cat.
* Cueball sitting farther back from his desk, with the laptop on the desk on fire.
* Cueball, the desk, and the laptop floating in the air.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, shielding his face with his arm from a tentacle coming out of the laptop screen.
* Cueball spinning in his chair.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, facing the laptop on the chair.
* The desk vacant with "Game Over" displayed if you use the emergency stop.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, with a sword leaning against the desk.
** Cueball and Ponytail swordfighting while the computer has an hourglass icon, referencing [[303: Compiling]].
* The room flooded 2/3 of the way up the desk. Cueball is still sitting with his laptop.
** The same flooding, with a miniature sailboat behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a cat face behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a shark fin on the far side of the desk, facing toward Cueball.
* Cueball kneeling on the chair, which is raised up higher than the desk, and leaning over to use the laptop

There is also an image of a cat that moves around when you reload the page. It moves slightly when you move your mouse over it to "pet" it. It has its own title text of :3 Clicking it will send a cat fact notification.

The title text references the {{w|Lernaean Hydra}}, a multi-headed serpent-like monster from Greek mythology. In many stories, such as {{w|Labours_of_Hercules#Second:_Lernaean_Hydra|the second labour of Hercules}}, when one of its heads was cut off, two heads would grow in its place, resulting in more heads than before. Something similar has happened in the title text itself: there was a notification that was requested to be dismissed, and it created two more notifications notifying the user of the status of the dismissal.

The subdirectory where the images and scripts for this comic are stored is titled 'marconi,' which is likely a reference to the Italian engineer and inventor of the same name, {{w|Guglielmo Marconi}}, who is credited with inventing the radio, and did much work in the field of early communication systems.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball sits at a desk in an office chair. He is typing on a computer.]
:[Gray message boxes with a small circled “x” at the top right corner are shown:]
:Happy April 1st (observed)!
:To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: push notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people ''NOT'' to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:''Click this notification to learn more!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:“Push notifications for new comics” sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There’s a nice API for browser notifications. xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each update, right?
:That’s what we thought, too.
:''Click to continue!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:[To the side of the comic frame is a big, horizontal hexagonal stop sign]
:Sign: Emergency STOP
:Below the sign: ''Halt ALL notifications and forget everything''
:The good news is that we did build a button to stop xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:''The rest of the system does NOT work.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:We’re sorry.
:We don’t know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications a week. A LOT more.
:We cannot recommend signing up for xkcd new comic notifications at this time.
:''Click here to ignore the warnings.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large number of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:<big>⚠️DO NOT ENABLE XKCD NEW COMIC NOTIFICATIONS⚠️</big>
:''Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:Are you sure?
:''Yes!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:Absolutely sure?
:''YES!!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:To enable push notifications on mobile you need to add xkcd.com to your home screen.

:''Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications''

{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Initial static image shows Cueball sat on an office chair at a desk using a laptop computer. A notification 'window' is speech-bubbled above the computer]
:[Grey notification box, header:] April 1st (Observed)
:[Notification box, further text:] Open xkcd.com to view.

:[When viewed live, various xkcd-style popover notifications appear, each can be dismissed or (usually the last on every page) invited to press an 'onwards'-style button.]

:[First page of messages]
:Happy April 1st! To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: Push Notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people NOT to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to learn more''

:[Upon choosing to continue, further messages appear, replacing any prior ones left open]
:"Push Notifications for new comics" sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There's a nice API for browser notifications, xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each upafte, right?
:That's what we thought, too.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to continue''

:[Next set of popover messages]
:The good news is that we did build a button to STOP xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:[Notification with 'onwards':] ''The rest of the system does not work.''
:[To the right of the comic frame, a red, octagonal button has white text upon it:]Emergency Stop
:[Below the button is red text:] Halt all notifications and forget everything

:[Next set of popovers, "stop" button remains permanently so long as you continue]
:We're sorry.
:We didn't know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications at this time.
:['Onwards' notification:] ''Click here to ignore the warnings''

:[Next set.]
:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large amount of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:[Text bookended by warning triangles:] Do not enable xkcd new comic notifications
:['Onwards':] Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications

:[Just two popovers, initially]
:Are you sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes
:[On clicking onwards, two more appear below]
:Absolutely sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes!!
:[On clicking, a further popover]
:[Red-tinted 'onwards'-style popover with warnings:] Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications.

:[...something appeared then dissappeared...]
:[Genuine(?) browser dialogue activated:] xkcd.com wants to send you notifications. Block / Allow

:[If allowed, one more popover in the original style]
:Success!!
:[Below the Emergency Stop button, an oval gray button appears labeled in white:] Silence notifications at a cost
:[Below that, in grey text:]Temporarily pause your notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

:[Further changes include the contents of the pane, whether Cueball is sat at the laptop, whether the laptop is larger, or a pot-plant, whether there are cats in the frame, outside the frame, sat on the Stop buttons, whether Cueball is sat on a large cat instead of an office chair...]
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:April fools' comics]]

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T01:43:38Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ found some more, and hang on these are duplicates

{{comic
| number = 3074
| date = April 9, 2025
| title = Push Notifications
| image = push_notifications_2x.png
| imagesize = 277x347px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = NOTIFICATION: Now dismissing a head of the Notification Hydra… NOTIFICATION: Success! You have dismissed a head of the Notification Hydra!
}}
* To experience the interactivity, visit the [https://xkcd.com/3074/ original comic].

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a comment - did you know it's free to host a discussion on Wikipedia talk pages?- Please write a better overall explanation and explain other functions of the comic. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This interactive comic is the 15th [[:Category:April fools' comics|April Fools' Day]] comic released by Randall, just over a week late. It uses {{w|push notifications}} to change the comic image over time and make other statements. A table of notifications can be seen at [[3074: Push Notifications/Table of Notifications]].

After viewing the comic for the first time, there is a sequence of notifications rendered over the comic itself. After clicking through these, you are provided with two buttons: one labeled "Emergency Stop" which will halt all notifications, and one labeled "Silence notifications at a cost" which will silence notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

If you press silence notifications too much the laptop blows up.

Notification types include:
* One asking you to select a word, with further notifications to be sent whenever someone chooses the same word as you.
* A few starter notifications about this comic, the successful sending of a notification of this comic, and the lack of another comic.
* A "streak" notification counting the number of times you've clicked it. The message changes every 10 clicks, and after 50 clicks there is an offer to make future clicks count twice, making this a simple version of {{w|Cookie Clicker}}. There are occasionally notifications encouraging you to keep clicking and "extend your streak," tempting you with "a free click to keep you going"
* A "have you seen my cat?" notification which spawns 7 clickable cats all over the comic (nonrandomly), including one on the edge of the Emergency Stop button.
* Cat fact notifications that appear when a cat is clicked, in reference to [https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/241/756/e6e.png this exchange].
* Various "erroneous errors" with a warning triangle, some with just flavor text, some corresponding to changes in the comic image.
** A "gravity malfunction" indicating a change to the floating image.
** An HTTP malfunction with Zalgo text indicating a change to the tentacle image.
** An error for not enough errors.
** An error for too many errors.
** A Kernel Panic indicating the Kernel can't remember what number comes after 38
** "Your computer has encountered an error" indicating a change to the fire image.
* "Zoom notifications" including numeric coordinates, sometimes prefixed with "oh look!"
* "Constant reminders" stating what a mathematical constant's value will be "at the tone". (This is in reference to time-of-day phone services, largely obsolete since the popularization of the internet, which you could call to hear the exact time at a given tone.) There are also joke constants such as "your favorite number will be equal to 14." Constants include
** The silver ratio (1 + the square root of 2)
** The golden ratio (half of 1 + the square root of 5)
** Pi (3.14159...)
* A notification that offers to provide weather alerts for your location, which leads into a series of notifications asking whether you live in a named city.
* A notification claiming that your computer ballast needs emptying, along with the computer room being flooded
* A reminder that the Earth spins at 1 rpd (rotation per day).
* An invitation to subscribe to the "What if?" YouTube channel
* A notification with the heading "System Log" that reads (INFO): A user has paused notifications
* A reminder to comment and subscribe, leading to the wikipedia page [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Mathematics Talk:Mathematics] or alternatively [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Romance Talk:Romance]

Comic images include:
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with his laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a very large laptop.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a small potted plant.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a squirrel in the pot.
** Cueball sitting at his desk, with a much larger plant that has clearly outgrown the pot, at least vertically.
** Two images with the larger plant that also have cats in the leaves.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, with a cat in the foreground near the point of view.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, his chair replaced with a large cat.
* Cueball sitting farther back from his desk, with the laptop on the desk on fire.
* Cueball, the desk, and the laptop floating in the air.
* Cueball sitting at his desk, shielding his face with his arm from a tentacle coming out of the laptop screen.
* Cueball spinning in his chair.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, facing the laptop on the chair.
* The desk vacant with "Game Over" displayed if you use the emergency stop.
* Cueball sitting on the desk, with a sword leaning against the desk.
** Cueball and Ponytail swordfighting while the computer has an hourglass icon, referencing [[303: Compiling]].
* The room flooded 2/3 of the way up the desk. Cueball is still sitting with his laptop.
** The same flooding, with a miniature sailboat behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a cat face behind Cueball.
** The same flooding, with a shark fin on the far side of the desk, facing toward Cueball.
* Cueball kneeling on the chair, which is raised up higher than the desk, and leaning over to use the laptop

There is also an image of a cat that moves around when you reload the page. It moves slightly when you move your mouse over it to "pet" it. It has its own title text of :3 Clicking it will send a cat fact notification.

The title text references the {{w|Lernaean Hydra}}, a multi-headed serpent-like monster from Greek mythology. In many stories, such as {{w|Labours_of_Hercules#Second:_Lernaean_Hydra|the second labour of Hercules}}, when one of its heads was cut off, two heads would grow in its place, resulting in more heads than before. Something similar has happened in the title text itself: there was a notification that was requested to be dismissed, and it created two more notifications notifying the user of the status of the dismissal.

The subdirectory where the images and scripts for this comic are stored is titled 'marconi,' which is likely a reference to the Italian engineer and inventor of the same name, {{w|Guglielmo Marconi}}, who is credited with inventing the radio, and did much work in the field of early communication systems.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Cueball sits at a desk in an office chair. He is typing on a computer.]
:[Gray message boxes with a small circled “x” at the top right corner are shown:]
:Happy April 1st (observed)!
:To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: push notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people ''NOT'' to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:''Click this notification to learn more!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:“Push notifications for new comics” sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There’s a nice API for browser notifications. xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each update, right?
:That’s what we thought, too.
:''Click to continue!'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:[To the side of the comic frame is a big, horizontal hexagonal stop sign]
:Sign: Emergency STOP
:Below the sign: ''Halt ALL notifications and forget everything''
:The good news is that we did build a button to stop xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:''The rest of the system does NOT work.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:We’re sorry.
:We don’t know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications a week. A LOT more.
:We cannot recommend signing up for xkcd new comic notifications at this time.
:''Click here to ignore the warnings.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large number of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:<big>⚠️DO NOT ENABLE XKCD NEW COMIC NOTIFICATIONS⚠️</big>
:''Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications.'' (a circled arrow is shown)

:Are you sure?
:''Yes!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:Absolutely sure?
:''YES!!'' (a circled arrow is shown)
:To enable push notifications on mobile you need to add xkcd.com to your home screen.

:''Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications''

{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[Initial static image shows Cueball sat on an office chair at a desk using a laptop computer. A notification 'window' is speech-bubbled above the computer]
:[Grey notification box, header:] April 1st (Observed)
:[Notification box, further text:] Open xkcd.com to view.

:[When viewed live, various xkcd-style popover notifications appear, each can be dismissed or (usually the last on every page) invited to press an 'onwards'-style button.]

:[First page of messages]
:Happy April 1st! To celebrate, we were excited to introduce a new xkcd.com feature: Push Notifications for new comics!
:Unfortunately, this feature has gone horribly wrong.
:Until further notice, we are asking people NOT to sign up for new comic notifications.
:Frankly, we recommend not even clicking on any notifications to learn more.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to learn more''

:[Upon choosing to continue, further messages appear, replacing any prior ones left open]
:"Push Notifications for new comics" sounds like a simple feature, right?
:There's a nice API for browser notifications, xkcd updates three times a week.
:So you just send a notification for each upafte, right?
:That's what we thought, too.
:[Notification with 'onwards button':] ''Click on this notification to continue''

:[Next set of popover messages]
:The good news is that we did build a button to STOP xkcd new comic notifications.
:You can press this button at any time and the system will stop sending you notifications.
:The nightmare will be over and the server will forget you ever existed.
:This part definitely works.
:[Notification with 'onwards':] ''The rest of the system does not work.''
:[To the right of the comic frame, a red, octagonal button has white text upon it:]Emergency Stop
:[Below the button is red text:] Halt all notifications and forget everything

:[Next set of popovers, "stop" button remains permanently so long as you continue]
:We're sorry.
:We didn't know how things went so wrong.
:The system is sending more than three notifications at this time.
:['Onwards' notification:] ''Click here to ignore the warnings''

:[Next set.]
:No, really.
:Our notification system may send a large amount of very real system notifications.
:These may flood your browser, displace other notifications, and cause problems.
:[Text bookended by warning triangles:] Do not enable xkcd new comic notifications
:['Onwards':] Yeah, I get it, but I definitely want to enable xkcd new comic notifications

:[Just two popovers, initially]
:Are you sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes
:[On clicking onwards, two more appear below]
:Absolutely sure?
:['Onwards':] Yes!!
:[On clicking, a further popover]
:[Red-tinted 'onwards'-style popover with warnings:] Click here to subscribe to xkcd notifications.

:[...something appeared then dissappeared...]
:[Genuine(?) browser dialogue activated:] xkcd.com wants to send you notifications. Block / Allow

:[If allowed, one more popover in the original style]
:Success!!
:[Below the Emergency Stop button, an oval gray button appears labeled in white:] Silence notifications at a cost
:[Below that, in grey text:]Temporarily pause your notifications at the cost of notifying two random people.

:[Further changes include the contents of the pane, whether Cueball is sat at the laptop, whether the laptop is larger, or a pot-plant, whether there are cats in the frame, outside the frame, sat on the Stop buttons, whether Cueball is sat on a large cat instead of an office chair...]
{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:April fools' comics]]

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T00:54:33Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ cat implementation

Talk:3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T00:43:09Z

Jacky720: hackin

So...this is the April Fool's comic, if I'm not mistaken... Oh ye of little faith! [[Special:Contributions/172.71.26.106|172.71.26.106]] 20:00, 9 April 2025 (UTC)

I turned this on thinking it would just be a few every so often but I quickly realized how this is xkcd and it doesn't "joke". I had to turn this off because it disrupted my schoolwork by popping up every fricking 5 minutes

Apparently my employer (or ublock) is keeping me from experiencing the full effect of any notifications. All I get is "An *actual* error has occurred. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.91.173|162.158.91.173]] 20:52, 9 April 2025 (UTC)

What the heck are the "Zoom Notification" ones, with just a pair of numbers? Now that I've been sitting with this for a little bit, they're by far the most common notifications, and the most mysterious. What is "zoom"ing or should be zoomed-in-on or whatever, and what do the two numbers signify? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.22.75|172.68.22.75]] 20:35, 9 April 2025 (UTC)
:I think they're coordinates. So far (x,y) has had x from 4 fo 73 (that I've seen) and y from 2 to 28. That gives a tad over 2000 possible combinations, but omething tells me there won't be more than 500 or so in total. Quite a few y=24 (not yet adjacent by x), and any given x has 0 to 3 different y partners (so far). They ''do'' repeat (I'm not recording how many times, but I'm scatterplotting what I get). The ones prefixed with "oh look!" are tightly clustered in x=6..13 and y=4..11, so far, with no non-"oh look!" ones there, so I'm plotting them in a different marker. I ''suspect'', after many many more Zoom Notifications, I'll be left with (enough of) a pixelated image's pixels (of two types, background colour excluded), or else I'm doing it wrong and I should be drawing lines between the dots, but I never managed to grab them all, so I'm relying on it being a random "spraygun droplets" sort of image-reveal. (Still some way to go...) [[Special:Contributions/172.71.241.66|172.71.241.66]] 23:08, 9 April 2025 (UTC)

Made a new page called [[3074: Push Notifications/Table of Notifications]], much like [[1506: xkbutt/List of Permalinks]]. I’m hoping that we can put all of the possible notifications into the table, along with any possible images that go along with it and an explanation (if necessary). '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 21:26, 9 April 2025 (UTC)
:I think it might be a good idea to make the table something more like source/name/notification, because there are chains of notifications where the name changes, like the How Many Times Can You Click This? notification. --[[User:Magicalus|Magicalus]] ([[User talk:Magicalus|talk]]) 23:19, 9 April 2025 (UTC)

I clicked on the silence notifications at a cost button a lot and it set Cueball's PC on fire?

I found what is presumably the source code (?) of the comic through the transcript. It’s all JS pages. No idea what they mean (I’m not good with code), but I’m sure that there are some on here that can help dissect it. '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 21:50, 9 April 2025 (UTC)
:https://xkcd.com/3074/marconi/manifest.json
:https://xkcd.com/3074/marconi/static/js/42.4f5b21b3.js
:https://xkcd.com/3074/marconi/static/js/index.js?v=1

: I found this list of states in there, saved to the "iU" variable: intro, wordgame, gameover, biglaptop, boat, default, floating, longdesk, missing, nekotree, nekotree2, nekowater, nodesk, onfire, peek, shark, spinning, squirrel, squirreldesk, squirrelplant, standing, sword, tallchair, tentacle, water, wizard, bigplant, catchair, catonhead, compiling, floor, plant, reverse. Presumably, this is all the images we're looking for. I'll get back to you if I identify what chooses them or all their actual filepaths. --[[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 00:43, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

I have a sneaking suspicion the Zoom Notifications are sketching out an image of some sort
(Update: after plotting like 60 of them no apparent pattern is to be found) [[User:SkiesShaper|SkiesShaper]] ([[User talk:SkiesShaper|talk]]) 22:24, 9 April 2025 (UTC)
: I've plotted 397 and it seems to be forming some kind of animal. Maybe a cat, given the comic theme? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.35.119|172.68.35.119]] 23:24, 9 April 2025 (UTC)
:That could make sense yeah - there is definitely an organic sort of pattern emerging from the points I've been plotting out [[User:SkiesShaper|SkiesShaper]] ([[User talk:SkiesShaper|talk]]) 00:35, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

Apparently one of the notifications is: "The Earth is spinning at a rate of 1 rpd" This is true if you round it, but not exact. The time it takes to rotate is called a sidereal day, and there's one extra sidereal day a year. Basically, there's one solar day removed in a year, because the Earth's motion around the sun cancels it out. Think of it with a tidally locked planet. It spins around once a year, but the sun never moves. Really there's 1.0027379 rotations per day. [[User:DanielLC|DanielLC]] ([[User talk:DanielLC|talk]]) 23:02, 9 April 2025 (UTC)

This is the most chaotic comic I've seen in a while. Part of me wants to keep notifications on to see what happens, and part of me wants to turn it all off and throw my phone in a lake [[User:Alcatraz ii|Alcatraz ii]] ([[User talk:Alcatraz ii|talk]]) 00:40, 10 April 2025 (UTC)

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-10T00:32:52Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ hey I got the water one (I assume)

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-09T23:12:56Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-09T22:14:16Z

Jacky720: new error

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-09T21:58:28Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ I know I've seen more of these but I didn't document them.

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-09T21:32:41Z

Jacky720: absolute bare minimum explanation

April Fools' Day comics

2025-04-09T21:28:05Z

Jacky720: new comic

Comics (or other happenings related to xkcd) that were put up on {{w|April Fools' Day}} (or shortly after) as an {{w|April Fools' Day}} joke. There have been an annual celebration of April fools' Day every year since 2007, with a comic celebrating it released every year since 2011, except for 2017, where there was no celebration of any kind.

'''Click''' to expand for a more detailed explanation:
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed leftAlign" style="width:100%">
 
==Explanation==
In 2006, the first year that xkcd released in March and April, there was no comic released on April 1st and no April Fools' comic was released. The two comics before and after were [[83: Katamari]] from March 31st and [[84: National Language]] from April 3rd.

[[Randall]] first posted an April Fools' comic on Sunday, April 1, 2007. This comic ("[[Syndication]]") was not numbered; sequentially, it came between [[242: The Difference]] and [[243: Appropriate Term]]. It has not been preserved in the official xkcd archives.

For April Fools' Day 2008, Randall created [[404: Not Found]], which is a meta-comic, since it in fact doesn't exist. But that he considers it a comic is both made clear in the explanation for said "comic" and also since he links to it in his 2018 April fools' comic [[1975: Right Click]], from a fools' menu that links to all his comic alphabetically by title.

The comic for April 1st, 2009, had no obvious ties to April Fools' Day, but on that day Randall made an April Fool in another way. See the [[563: Fermirotica#Trivia|Trivia section]] for [[563: Fermirotica]], released that day.

For April 1st, 2010, Randall altered the site to mimic a {{w|Unix}} {{w|command-line interface}} and called it [[unixkcd]]. This happened wile [[721: Flatland]] was the newest comic, but it was released March 31st and had nothing to do with April Fools' Day. For more information, see its [[721: Flatland#Trivia|trivia section]].

Starting on Friday, April 1st, 2011 with [[880: Headache]], Randall has released a real April Fools' Day joke annually, except 2017. Although on several occasions these comics have been delayed because the project got out of hand and could not be finished in time.

Beginning with the second year in that row, with [[1037: Umwelt]], he moved the release day to Sunday April 1st 2012, and thus began the practice of releasing an April Fools Day comic on April 1st, notwithstanding [[#Release Weekday|what day of the week]] it fell on by shifting the comic's release to that day. Typically it would thus replace the next release day, so there would not be a comic on Monday the 2nd or 3rd of April, if April 1st fell in the weekend.

This worked for the next three years with [[1193: Externalities]] in 2013, [[1350: Lorenz]] in 2014 (first Tuesday release) and [[1506: xkcloud]] in 2015. But then the project became so complicated that in 2016, the release was delayed until [[1663: Garden#Monday 4th of April release|Monday April 4th]] with [[1663: Garden]].

The yearly trend thus continued until 2017, where no comics were released on April 1st. And the two comics around the date had nothing to do with such a joke. See more on this in the [[1818: Rayleigh Scattering#No April Fools' Day comic in 2017|trivia section]] of the first of these two, [[1818: Rayleigh Scattering]]. There was also no delayed fools' comic as has been the case in other years where the release of a fools' comic was delayed to later than April 1st.

Then from 2018 Randall once again began releasing April Fools' Day comic every year. In 2018 he again moved the release day from Monday April 2nd to Sunday April 1st with [[1975: Right Click]]. In this comic he both links to [[404: Not Found]] and [[unixkcd]], two of his previous comic April Fools' Day jokes. In 2019 April 1st was a Monday so a normal release day, and he released [[2131: Emojidome]], another user generated comic.

In 2020, he again had trouble and the release of [[2288: Collector's Edition]] was delayed two days for a [[2288: Collector's Edition#Trivia|Friday April 3rd release]]. Instead the planned Friday comic [[2289: Scenario 4]] was released on Saturday.

In 2021, [[2445: Checkbox]] was released on Thursday April 1st, making it the first April Fools' Day comic to be released on a Thursday. Only Saturday has yet to see a special release. It could have happened either in 2017 or 2023, but 2017 was the year without such a comic and 2023 was the most delayed fool's comic so far. See below.

In 2022, [[2601: Instructions]] was released on Friday April 1st, a normal release day. There was though an interesting fact related to this release. First of all it visually was similar to the previous Fools' comic, which had only a {{w|checkbox}} to begin with. Instructions only had a {{w|radio button}}. But more interesting, like last year, this comic had an audio part. Thus making it a recurring Fools' theme, and also making these two comics the, at that time, only [[:Category:Comics with audio|comics with audio]]. Although in Instructions the sounds was a vital part of the joke, which was not the case the year before. (Also both comics had a mute button, that could toggle the sound on and off. But the two comics similar buttons worked in reverse, so the mute button had muted sound in the first, but the audio on in the second of the two comics...)

In 2023, [[2757: Towed Message]] was released on Friday March 31st. The next comic, [[2758: My Favorite Things]], was released on the normal schedule on Monday April 3rd. So for a year the Explain xkcd community thought there was no April fools' comic in 2023. But it turned out that the actual "April fools'" project, [[2765: Escape Speed]], was so delayed that it was not released until Wednesday April 19, 18 days too late. There was some debate about if this was actually meant to be a fools' comic with so much delay and no mention of this (as with Garden). But then a link to this article [https://chromakode.com/post/xkcd-gravity-escape-speed/ Development notes from xkcd's "Gravity" and "Escape Speed"] by [https://chromakode.com/ Max Goodhart], aka Chromakode, was provided. Max was one of the developers of both Escape Speed and the earlier [[2712: Gravity]]. And he writes at the top of the article "On April 20th, xkcd published Escape Speed, the 14th annual April Fools comic we’ve made together". (In xkcd's archive it is listed as released on the 19th of April, but maybe that is just because then it was a Wednesday, and in Max's time zone it was already the 20th). This settles the debate, as it is now clear that this was meant to be the April fools' comic of 2023. See also the [[2765:_Escape_Speed#Trivia|trivia section]] of Escape Speed.

In 2024, [[2914: Eclipse Coolness]] appeared on April 1st without having any relation to April fools'. But four days later [[2916: Machine]] came out on Friday 5th of April. This turned out to be that the year's April fools' comic, see the [[2916:_Machine#Trivia|trivia section]] for that comic. It is, however, the first time a release day has fallen on April 1st without Randall making any note of it on the day. Not since 2009 has there been a comic released on April 1st without it being an April fools' comic. But that year he found another way to make an April fools', thus making this year the first ever where a comic was actually released on April 1st without any mention of April fools'. First time such a delay happened Randall made several notes about this, see the section about [[Garden]] below.

In 2025, there was no comic released on April 1st; the two comics before and after were [[3070: Orogeny]] from March 31st and [[3071: Decay Chain]] from April 2nd. The April fools' comic finally came on Wednesday, April 9th, as [[3074: Push Notifications]], and was expressly acknowledged as an "April 1st (observed)" comic in its first message.

Randall discusses several April fools' comics in his talk at [https://vimeo.com/78912850 Øredev 2013].

===Release Weekday===
Here is a list of the day of the week the "real" April 1st comic was released. Those not on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, have been moved to hit April 1st (and their day of the week is written in '''bold'''). The first to do so was [[1037: Umwelt]], which was planned to be released on Monday April 2nd but came out Sunday April 1st, 2012. The following comic, [[1038: Fountain]], skipped Monday and came out as normal Wednesday April 4th.

#2007 April 1st:
#*???
#*???
#2008 '''Tuesday''' April 1st:
#*[[404: Not Found]]
#*This was technically not a comic, but it did specifically "not come out" on April 1st.
#*But it DID not come out, between the normal Monday and Wednesday release making it "not" an extra comic that week.
#2009 April 1st:
#*[[563: Fermirotica]]
#*???
#2010 April 1st:
#*[[unixkcd]]
#*???
#2011 Friday April 1st:
#*[[880: Headache]]
#*???
#2012 '''Sunday''' April 1st:
#*[[1037: Umwelt]]
#*The next release was not Monday but Wednesday, so it replaced the Monday release.
#2013 Monday April 1st:
#*[[1193: Externalities]]
#*???
#2014 '''Tuesday''' April 1st:
#*[[1350: Lorenz]]
#*This was the first Tuesday release, but the other two releases that week fell normally on Monday and Friday, thus it replaced Wednesdays release.
#2015 Wednesday April 1st:
#*[[1506: xkcloud]]
#*???
#2016 Monday April 4th:
#*[[1663: Garden]]
#*This comic was supposed to be released Friday April 1st but had technical problems and ended up being released on Monday April 4th.
#*There where thus only two comics in the week before. See here regarding the [[1663: Garden#Monday 4th of April release|Monday 4th of April release]].
#*There was [[1663: Garden#April Fool's comic|no doubt]] that this was supposed to be the April Fools' day comic.
#**'''2017''': There was [[1818: Rayleigh Scattering#No April Fools' Day comic in 2017|No April Fools' Day comic]] in 2017.
#2018 '''Sunday''' April 1st:
#*[[1975: Right Click]]
#*The next release was not Monday but Wednesday, so it replaced the Monday release.
#2019 Monday April 1st:
#*[[2131: Emojidome]]
#*???
#2020 Friday April 3rd:
#*[[2288: Collector's Edition]]
#*This comic was supposed to be released Wednesday April 1st but had technical problems and ended up being released on Friday April 3rd, see the [[2288: Collector's Edition#Trivia|trivia section]] for that comic.
#*The original planned Friday comic, [[2289: Scenario 4]], was then released on Saturday April 4th
#2021 '''Thursday''' April 1st:
#*[[2445: Checkbox]]
#*The next release was not Friday but Monday, so it replaced the Friday release.
#2022 Friday April 1st:
#*[[2601: Instructions]]
#*???
#2023 Wednesday April 19th:
#*[[2765: Escape Speed]]
#*See above regarding this 18 days delay.
#2024 Friday April 5th:
#*[[2916: Machine]]
#*This comic was delayed four days and another comic [[2914: Eclipse Coolness]] was released on Monday April 1st.
#*This made people believe that there would be no April fools' Day comic in 2024.
#**Which would have made it seem like it was two years in a row. Since it was first with this release that it was found out here on explain xkcd that there had indeed been an April fools' comic in 2023. See above
</div>
 
[[Category:Comics by date]]
[[Category:Comics from April]]
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]
[[Category:Holidays]]

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-09T21:21:28Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-09T21:15:19Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-09T21:06:15Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ gah

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-09T21:06:03Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ I've been watching this for an hour and forgot about this one

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-09T21:03:30Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ another image

3074: Push Notifications

2025-04-09T21:01:17Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ some stuff I've experienced

2978: Stranded

2025-03-28T00:22:37Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ Past tense

{{comic
| number = 2978
| date = August 28, 2024
| title = Stranded
| image = stranded_2x.png
| imagesize = 219x323px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = At least they're not alone down there.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic is referencing the {{w|Boeing Starliner}}, which launched for its Crewed Flight Test on June 5th, 2024. The mission to the {{w|International Space Station}} was originally scheduled for only eight days, but at the comic’s release, August 28, 2024, the astronauts {{w|Barry E. Wilmore|Butch Wilmore}} and {{w|Sunita Williams}} were still "stranded" on the ISS, not expected to return to Earth until February 2025. They actually returned to Earth on March 18, 2025.

The comic points out that being stranded is a matter of perspective and circumstances; people on Earth could equally be considered "stranded", unable to get off the planet. Many science fiction stories deal with some sort of rush to evacuate the Earth, though there's usually a reason why they would wish to leave, a reason that's notably absent in the comic. Moreover, the proposed solution of one rocket would not be able to bring all 8 billion people on Earth to space.<ref>Munroe, Randall. ''Everybody Out''. xkcd What If? [https://what-if.xkcd.com/7/ https://what-if.xkcd.com/7/]</ref>

The comic is also referencing the fact that during press conferences, NASA has stressed that the Starliner astronauts are not actually stranded, because there are procedures for emergency returns to Earth. However, the current circumstances are not dire enough to warrant this emergency procedure.

The title text references commentators saying that at least the Starliner crew aren't alone up there, as there are currently nine people aboard the ISS, but flips it around to be about the (8 billion) people on Earth. Another funny take on the title text would be that in the turbulent times the fact that one is "stranded" like this might even be a benefit. The 8 billion people are also not alone in the sense there are numerous other species on Earth.

A comic with a similar premise is [[2403: Wrapping Paper]].

==Transcript==
:[Two astronauts, Megan and Cueball, are shown floating in the cabin of a space station, Megan near the top and Cueball near the bottom. Various miscellaneous devices and features are visible, all across the inner walls of the space station, as well as a large round window through which they can see some of the Earth's surface. Three white shapes are visible that could represent landmasses in a large body of water, bodies of water in/around a landmass or possibly weather systems.]
:Megan: Until they get another rocket ready to launch, 8 billion people are stranded down there.

==References==
<references/>

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Rockets]]

370: Redwall

2025-03-26T03:02:20Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ some possibilities for the title text

{{comic
| number = 370
| date = January 14, 2008
| title = Redwall
| image = redwall.png
| titletext = My Redwall/Jurassic Park crossover fanfic is almost complete!
}}

==Explanation==
This comic references {{w|Brian Jacques|Brian Jacques'}} series of books, ''{{w|Redwall}}'', which star sapient woodland animals in various high fantasy adventures.

The first panel shows the similarity between the story of Martin the Warrior (from the book ''{{w|Mossflower}}'') and {{w|Aragorn}} from ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings}}'' by {{w|J. R. R. Tolkien}}. The joke is that while Martin and Aragorn introduce themselves separately, they then go on to describe their particular story, which turns out to be exactly the same for both of them. Subsequently Martin jinxes Aragorn. {{w|Jinx (children's game)|Jinx}} is a common children's game that is initiated by shouting "Jinx" after somebody speaks the same word or sentence at the same time as you. That person is then jinxed, with one form of the rules dictating that they are then not permitted to speak until unjinxed by some specific action (usually somebody saying their name). For a similar children’s game, see [[392: Making Rules]].

In ''LOTR'', orcs are unequivocally and without exception the bad guys, capable only of hate and violence (although to be fair, in some of Tolkien's unpublished writing, orcs are corrupted elves, so it is clear that they are not intrinsically bad). Similarly, Redwall's rats, foxes, ferrets, ermine, and weasels are mostly evil manipulators, while mice, rabbits, squirrels, hedgehogs, and badgers are always the good guys. On several occasions, characters explicitly state that "vermin stays vermin." This is the overarching rule, notwithstanding the rare exception (e.g. Grubbage from {{w|Triss}}). Conversely, one of the so-called "good species" has never become evil in this book series. Though it is more likely than not that this is simply the result of a {{tvtropes|PlanetOfHats|planet of hats}} - where a single species all share the same characteristics and personality, so that authors / readers don't have to spend time fleshing out / getting to know every new character - Randall nevertheless indicates that this "moral absolute" is problematic and has some "racist undertones," regardless if it's intentional or not. (Note that Tolkien's work is probably not actually racist—the Easterlings are portrayed as non-evil people who were deceived by Sauron, and the Orcs deliberately modified into evil. However, Orcs do bear a startling similarity to the worst Mongol stereotypes.)

The second panel deals with the fact that ''Redwall'' mentions the name of {{w|Satan}} or {{w|The Devil}} 4 times, while it never mentions {{w|God}} or {{w|Jesus}}--somewhat surprisingly, given that the book is set in an abbey, and many of the inhabitants are religious brothers and sisters. [[Randall Munroe|Randall]] then points out that people who {{w|Religious debates over the Harry Potter series|protest against Harry Potter because of the series' witchcraft}}, should take note that Redwall explicitly mentions Satan, although it has had little to no negative feedback from more conservative readers.

In the third panel, Randall comments on ''Redwall'''s often-used theme of critical messages being left in riddles throughout the Abbey for the occupants to find when they are in need. Randall suggests that he would use {{w|Public-key cryptography|public-key cryptography}} to encode the messages, instead of the elaborate riddles used in the books (all of which are solved in a matter of days after being discovered more or less by chance, which doesn't exactly make for good security when dealing with sensitive and occasionally time-critical information).

In the title text, Randall jokes that he is making a crossover {{w|Fan fiction|fan-fiction}} with ''Redwall'' and ''{{w|Jurassic Park}}''. This would combine two of Randall's interests, but it isn't immediately clear how the two settings could be combined, leading to several humorous possibilities: the characters of ''Redwall'' could be immediately eaten by dinosaurs, could create dinosaurs which turn against them, could be created by human scientists and turn against them, or simply be talking, social dinosaurs.

Redwall was also referenced in [[1286: Encryptic]], [[1688: Map Age Guide]], and [[1722: Debugging]].

==Transcript==
:Notes from reading Redwall books for the first time since childhood.

:Some of this feels familiar.
:Aragorn: Hi, I'm Aragorn.
:Martin: I'm Martin.
:Aragorn and Martin: I'm here to reforge my broken sword so I can lead an army against the tyrant threatening my people. I live in a world of moral absolutes and racist undertones.
:Martin: Jinx!

:It startled me when characters mentioned Satan.
:Redwall: "By Satan's whiskers..."
:Redwall mentions God/Jesus 0 times.
:Redwall mentions Satan/The Devil 4 times.
:(Harry Potter protesters, take note.)

:Even as a kid this bothered me: Why does everyone leave critical secret messages as simple riddles? It's silly to assume the intended recipient will be the only one to find and solve them. I would do things differently.
:Matthias: The inscription is a message from Martin!
:Brother Methuselah: What does it say?
:Matthias: Hang on, it's encrypted with my public key.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Bar charts]]
[[Category:LOTR]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Cryptography]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:Harry Potter]]
[[Category:Redwall]]

Talk:3057: Excusing Yourself

2025-02-28T18:05:58Z

Jacky720: /* Is it Danish? */ new section

Hey look, a new comic! YAYYYYYYY! [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 16:39, 28 February 2025 (UTC)

Added the starts of a new explanation for people to edit in the future. It's nice being the very first stepping stone. [[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]] ([[User talk:DollarStoreBa'al|talk]]) 17:00, 28 February 2025 (UTC)

== Is it Danish? ==

I labeled the panel 4 character as Danish, since she's being more rude than Black Hat and Megan is already present. Remind me, are there definite stylistic differences between Megan and Danish's hairstyles that are/aren't present here? --[[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 18:05, 28 February 2025 (UTC)

3057: Excusing Yourself

2025-02-28T17:02:49Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ explain why each is polite/impolite

{{comic
| number = 3057
| date = February 28, 2025
| title = Excusing Yourself
| image = excusing_yourself_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x334px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The most awkward part is when you have to pause to put on your shoes before you continue rolling out the door.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a VERY POLITE BOT - Please continue to tidy up the explanation. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic revolves around different degrees of 'politeness' to leave a gathering. The first panel shows [[Megan]] sitting at a table with [[White Hat]] and [[Ponytail]]. She suddenly realizes how late she's 'kept them up', and how she needs to go somewhere early in the morning. Despite this and the fact that sleep is essential, she stays and offers to help tidy up the house before she leaves, possibly the most polite you can be in this situation, as it does not suggest the reason for leaving is related to the quality of the gathering and suggests she would stay longer if not for other obligations. The second panel shows [[Cueball]] at the same gathering, who says that he must leave due to the fact that he is tired and must sleep. This is considered less polite, as he does not offer to help clean up the way Megan did, and indirectly implies the gathering is no longer entertaining enough to merit staying up. Even less polite is the trickster and classhole [[Black Hat]], and he excuses himself in typical Black Hat fashion, saying that instead of him alone being tired, he says that EVERYONE looks tired and bored. This is very impolite, especially in a social setting. The final panel is 3 panels wide, and shows [[Danish]] kicking the table, sending the chair tipping backwards. She then proceeds to roll away from the table, and presumably outside the house. This is rude on multiple levels: she does not give the hosts any chance to wish her goodbye, provides no excuse as to why she is leaving (as if it should be obvious), actively makes more mess by spilling the drinks on the table, and draws significant attention to herself all the while.

The title text adds to the general awkwardness of having to excuse yourself, when Danish has presumably realized that she has forgot to put on her shoes, and has to stop rolling to put them on before continuing.

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

[Caption above the panel:]

Ways to leave a social interaction:

[An arrow pointing towards the right is shown below the caption. Caption above arrow:]

Less polite

[First Panel: From left to right, Ponytail, White Hat, and Megan are sitting at a table with half-full glasses on it. Megan is looking down at her phone.]

Megan: Oh, gosh, I can't believe how late I've kept you up! I have to wake up early, so I should really go soon. Can I help tidy up?

[Second Panel: White Hat and Cueball are sitting at a table, on which there are half-full glasses and a plate.]

Cueball: It's been great, but I'm tired and need to sleep.

[Third Panel: White Hat and Black Hat are sitting at a table, with two plates and a half-full wine glass at White Hat's spot.]

Black Hat: We're about done having fun, right? Everyone looks bored. And Tired.

[Fourth Panel]

I have no idea how to write the fourth panel. sorry, not that experienced yet.

{{comic discussion}}

3053: KM3NeT

2025-02-19T17:13:22Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ getting started

{{comic
| number = 3053
| date = February 19, 2025
| title = KM3NeT
| image = km3net_2x.png
| imagesize = 313x436px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Unfortunately, KM3NeT led to the discovery of the Pauli anglerfish, which emits Cherenkov radiation to prey on neutrino researchers.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a CHERENKOV ANGLERFISH - Please continue to expand the explanation, and explain the title text. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
{{w|KM3NeT}} is a telescope under the {{w|Mediterranean Sea}}. As [[Ponytail]] explains, its goal is to detect {{w|neutrino}} interactions with the seawater. Neutrinos very rarely interact with solid matter, so a telescope looking for them needs a lot of matter, in this case seawater, to spot collisions in. This also uses {{w|Cherenkov radiation}}, as a neutrino interaction can release enough energy to exceed the speed of light in water, producing a blue flash the telescope detects.

When [[Cueball]] questions the rationale by pointing out the existence of {{w|Bioluminescence|bioluminescent}} fish, which might also produce blue light, Ponytail responds with a pun: Aquatic life can be called "undersea" life, and Cherenkov radiation is only produced by particles exceeding the speed of light in water, "c"; so fish are also "under-c" life, as they do not travel at the speed of light in water, which cannot produce Cherenkov radiation.

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

{{comic discussion}}

2548: Awful People

2025-02-16T03:46:03Z

Jacky720: /* Explanation */ "might be and probably is" is redundant. I'm removing the "might" interpretation; this is definitely a "probably" scenario, for the sake of the joke if nothing else.

{{comic
| number = 2548
| date = November 29, 2021
| title = Awful People
| image = awful_people.png
| titletext = Hm, this burger place has a couple of good reviews, but LakeSlayer7 says he got food poisoning there and everyone should try this other place down by the lake instead.
}}

==Explanation==
Megan and Cueball are having a conversation about social media. Cueball mentions that when responding to textual comments on a screen, it can be easy to forget these comments are made by thinking, feeling humans (a sentiment [[438: Internet Argument|expressed before on XKCD]]). Megan agrees, but also relates a negative comment she got from a stranger about her taste in movies. The twist is that it turns out the person criticizing her was a murderer, "the East Valley Strangler". Although this does not inherently negate his taste in movies, it does free Megan from the burden of weighing his opinions equally to her own.

The title-text mentions the “LakeSlayer7” which is clearly a reference to the "Lake Slayer" in the comic. They mention, contrary to several other reviewers, that a burger joint in town is unsatisfactory, and that the reader should come to a place “by the lake” instead, which probably is a plot to lure people to the lake and to be slain.{{Citation needed}}

In many [[918: Google+|social]] and [[997: Wait Wait|news]] sites there is a tendency to surface [[258: Conspiracy Theories|negative content]]. This can be [[1111: Premiere|editorial intent]], [[2237: AI Hiring Algorithm|naive algorithms]], or [[1390: Research Ethics|both]], attempting to induce rage to drive engagement. Review sites can exhibit a [[1098: Star Ratings|bias]] in either direction, with minutiae [[937: TornadoGuard|burying]] valid feedback.

The East Valley Strangler's involvement with the [[2553: Incident Report|incident at East Valley Nuclear Plant]] is currently unconfirmed.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball and Megan are having a conversation while walking.]
:Cueball: The Internet makes it easy to be a jerk and forget the person we're talking to is a human.
:Megan: Yeah...
:Megan: But it also makes us see messages from awful people and assume they come from normal peers.

:[Closeup on Megan. Above Megan is a picture of a "reply" post from a man with sunglasses. The post has a title above it.]
:Megan: Recently I got a mean reply from a stranger. It was minor but it really got to me.
:Post title: Replies to "Favorite Movie"
:Post: Every group has one person who likes that movie, and it's the friend they all secretly hate.

:[Blondie as a news anchor behind a desk. A "News4" logo is displayed on the desk. There is a picture of the man with sunglasses with "Arrested" under his name. His picture is next to a picture of a house with "Breaking" above it. Megan's dialogue appears above the picture, but she herself is not shown in this panel.]
:Megan: Then the next week I saw that guy on the news. He was an actual murderer!

:[Megan and Cueball standing next to each other.]
:Megan: I can't believe I spent a week stressed out that my taste in movies wasn't shared by the East Valley Strangler.
:Cueball: Yeah, at ''least'' wait for a second opinion from the Lake Slayer.

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

3038: Uncanceled Units

2025-01-15T16:19:10Z

Jacky720: typo

{{comic
| number = 3038
| date = January 15, 2025
| title = Uncanceled Units
| image = uncanceled_units_2x.png
| imagesize = 323x355px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Speed limit c arcminutes^2 per steradian
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by THE PLANCK CONSTANT, WHICH IS TECHNICALLY A FREQUENCY AND CAN THUS BE EXPRESSED IN HERTZ - Please continue to explain the joke and possible interpretations. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
Another of [[Randall]]'s [[:Category:Pet Peeves|pet peeves]], this comic expresses disapproval of units that could be mathematically simplified.

[[White Hat]] is presenting a refrigerator to [[Cueball]], claiming it only uses 3 kWh per day. Kilowatt-hours is a commonly used unit of electrical energy in the United States, being the amount of energy consumed by one kilowatt of power usage for one hour. As the unit in which power rates are typically reported and bills calculated, it's the most useful piece of information to the average consumer. This measure, however, could be simplified, since a kilowatt is equivalent to a kilojoule per second. Rather than adding a second unit, energy could simply be reported in megajoules (1 kilowatt-hour is 3.6 megajoules)

Appliances, however, frequently report their typical power use in terms of kilowatt-hours per day (or per month or year). Once again, this is useful to consumers, because it makes it easier for them to understand how much money it will cost them to run. However, it's an inelegant way to use units, because it uses power, which is already a measure of energy per time, multiplies it by one time unit, and then divides it by another. This clunky method apparently chafe's at [[Randall]]'s mind, possibly due to his scientific background (which encourages simplifications of units). The "hour" and "day" terms, both being units of time, can simply cancel out by dividing the whole number by 24, meaning that the refrigerator averages 0.125 KW, or 125 watts, to run. It should be noted that this doesn't mean the refrigerator constantly draws this amount of power, since the compressor in the refrigerator only runs intermittently, but running it over the course of a day (with typical use) is expected to give that average power use.

Cueball (possibly representing Randall) sardonically wonders whether the refrigerator would fit in his kitchen, since the ceiling is only 50 gallons per square foot high. This is clearly an abnormal and unhelpful way of reporting height. This unit turns a normal measurement of height (feet and inches, in the US, meters and centimeters, most other places) into weird collection of uncancelled units. Gallons can be transformed to cubic feet (1 US gal ≈ 0.1337 ft3), which can be divided by the square feet, yielding a ceiling height of around 203.7 cm, or around 6 feet 8 inches. (Using imperial gallons [1 UK gal ≈ 0.1605 ft3], the height is approximately 244.7 cm, roughly 8 feet.) This is intended to lampoon the use of uncancelled units by showing how odd things become if they're generally used.

''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'': [https://what-if.xkcd.com/11/ Droppings] also covers strange instances of unit cancellation, including a measure of volume per distance converted to area; similar to Cueball's measure of volume per area representing a distance (the height of his ceiling).

A common source of unit drama occurs between lay people who are looking for every day practicality and science/engineering types who are inclined towards formalized mathematical operations. For example customary units which support even divisibility versus metric units which prioritize base 10 scales. In this case telling the average customer the energy use in joules per day or average consumption in watts would require them to perform more complicated conversions to get to the figure they actually care about, the actual cost per day. White Hat could just give this cost figure directly, but does not know what every customer pays for electricity (an explicit yearly cost estimate would be included on the government required energy efficiency label).

In the title text, a speed limit is given as c arcminutes2 per steradian, where c is presumably the speed of light in vacuum, 2.998×108 m/s (meters per second) or 186282 mi/s (miles per second). A steradian (sr) is the SI unit for solid angle, subtended by a section of a sphere, like a radian is a unit of angle subtended by a section of a circle. A square arcminute is also a unit of solid angle, equivalent to a section of a sphere of 1/60 of a degree by 1/60 of a degree. There are ((1/60)*(π/180))2 = 8.462×10-8 sr in a square arcminute. Then multiplying by c gives a speed of 56.75 mph (probably 55 mph, based upon the {{w|National Maximum Speed Law|'traditional' US speed limit}}, before rounding errors in the reverse direction), or 91.33 km/h, showing that you can combine an outrageously high speed with two unnecessary units that cancel each other to form a normal road speed.

It is worth noting that although some of these examples are ridiculous, uncancelled units can be helpful to better understand the concept, the {{w|Hubble's law|Hubble Parameter}} can be expressed as 2.17132212x10-18 hertz, 67 km/s/Mpc is directly related to how it is measured and gives a better understanding of what it means. Another example would be fuel efficiency in cars, as mi/gal and km/l technically simplify to area, but by expressing it in volume and distance it allows easy estimations of range and travel cost, while mm2 or in2 would require significant unit conversions.

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

:[White Hat and Cueball are standing to either side of a refrigerator. The fridge has two top compartments and one bottom compartment. The top left compartment has a tall handle on its right, the top right compartment has a tall handle on its left, and the bottom compartment has a long handle on its top. The top left compartment has a paper attached to it with unreadable text, possibly an advertisement.]
:White Hat: This fridge uses only 3 kWh per day!
:Cueball: But will it fit in my kitchen? The ceiling there is only 50 gallons per square foot.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Pet peeve: Uncanceled units

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Pet Peeves]]

3038: Uncanceled Units

2025-01-15T14:16:26Z

Jacky720: Added my interpretation. Anyone else, go ahead and add your own too; I'm probably missing the mark.

3013: Kedging Cannon

2024-11-19T02:06:52Z

Jacky720: /* Transcript */ that's obviously a chain, silly me

{{comic
| number = 3013
| date = November 18, 2024
| title = Kedging Cannon
| image = kedging_cannon_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x259px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The real key was inventing the windmill-powered winch.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a HEADCANNON - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

One can, in fact, sail upwind -- via the technique known as {{w|Tacking_(sailing)|"tacking against the wind" or "tacking"}}. But the comic presupposes a ship's captain who has never heard of or learned how to tack, and instead has invented his or her own method of moving a ship against the wind -- by repeatedly firing a "kedging canon", {{w|kedging}} being a technique of moving ship in a becalmed sea via, yes, hauling it via a rope or chain. Normally, kedging (or warping) is a rare enough technique that it's applied either manually, by throwing an object and then pulling against it (and often this uses surfaced objects to do so, like trees or reefs) for small ships, or by using a smaller boat to place the kedge anchor and then haul it in. But since the captain sees kedging as the only way to move against the wind, he has invented a cannon for the purpose of sending an anchor a sufficient distance from the ship.

The title text shows that the inventive captain has been doing this long enough to invent new refinements -- adding a windmill to the process to allow the wind itself to haul in the rope. Which in fact is a not dissimilar process (albeit far more laborious) to how tacking works, with the angled sail moving the ship sideways (and slightly into the wind) as it tacks back and forth.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A two-masted sailing ship is floating on the sea. Two tiny figures can be seen at the ship's bow.]
:Captain: I hope someday someone invents a way to sail upwind. Using the kedging cannon just wastes so much gunpower.
:[Close-up on the deck of the ship. Cueball is talking to the ship's captain, who is aiming a cannon containing an anchor. Chains are draped from the cannon.]
:Cueball: The ''what?'' Wait, do you not know how to sail upwind? Is that why your ship takes forever to--
:Captain: Stand by...''FIRE!''
:[Distant shot showing the anchor and its chain being launched out in front of the ship.]
:SFX: BOOM
:[The line becomes taut and the ship is dragged forward.]
:SFX: Click click click

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

3013: Kedging Cannon

2024-11-19T02:04:38Z

Jacky720: /* Transcript */ add art descriptions, italics, name the Captain

{{comic
| number = 3013
| date = November 18, 2024
| title = Kedging Cannon
| image = kedging_cannon_2x.png
| imagesize = 740x259px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = The real key was inventing the windmill-powered winch.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a HEADCANNON - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

One can, in fact, sail upwind -- via the technique known as {{w|Tacking_(sailing)|"tacking against the wind" or "tacking"}}. But the comic presupposes a ship's captain who has never heard of or learned how to tack, and instead has invented his or her own method of moving a ship against the wind -- by repeatedly firing a "kedging canon", {{w|kedging}} being a technique of moving ship in a becalmed sea via, yes, hauling it via a rope. Normally, kedging (or warping) is a rare enough technique that it's applied either manually, by throwing an object and then pulling against it (and often this uses surfaced objects to do so, like trees or reefs) for small ships, or by using a smaller boat to place the kedge anchor and then haul it in. But since the captain sees kedging as the only way to move against the wind, he has invented a cannon for the purpose of sending an anchor a sufficient distance from the ship.

The title text shows that the inventive captain has been doing this long enough to invent new refinements -- adding a windmill to the process to allow the wind itself to haul in the rope. Which in fact is a not dissimilar process (albeit far more laborious) to how tacking works, with the angled sail moving the ship sideways (and slightly into the wind) as it tacks back and forth.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
:[A two-masted sailing ship is floating on the sea. Two tiny figures can be seen at the ship's bow.]
:Captain: I hope someday someone invents a way to sail upwind. Using the kedging cannon just wastes so much gunpower.
:[Close-up on the deck of the ship. Cueball is talking to the ship's captain, who is aiming a cannon containing an anchor.
:Cueball: The ''what?'' Wait, do you not know how to sail upwind? Is that why your ship takes forever to--
:Captain: Stand by...''FIRE!''
:[Distant shot showing the anchor and its rope being launched out in front of the ship.]
:SFX: BOOM
:[The line becomes taut and the ship is dragged forward.]
:SFX: Click click click

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

User talk:Jacky720/Archive

2024-11-06T22:39:13Z

Jacky720: Created page with "This is an older talk page setup I had that seems overcomplicated and annoying in hindsight. == To talk to me == I will make my comments only in this section, and underlin..."

This is an older talk page setup I had that seems overcomplicated and annoying in hindsight.

== To talk to me ==
I will make my comments only in this section, and underlined, so we can all tell who's who faster. Be advised that although I may keep up-to-date, I might be shying away, screening my calls, so I could but won't answer everything. [[User:Jacky720|Jacky720]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]]) 02:23, 9 November 2016 (UTC)

Yay! Glad to see another happy user of the group! (And another coder!) :D I didn't know anyone else on this site played Minecraft... --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 12:08, 10 November 2016 (UTC)

Same to you! [[User:Jacky720|Jacky720]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]]) 15:52, 10 November 2016 (UTC)

(That's right, go HTML!)

:What kind of stuff do you like to program? Are you a game designer? Or a web coder kind of person? --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 17:12, 10 November 2016 (UTC)

::It isn't a job or anything, just a hobby of messing with webpages. Also, if you don't own a domain, and you tell everyone, you can operate a totally '''free''' subdomain through [http://www.000webhost.com $0.00 webhost.] Although you might want to backup your site. If you don't visit it enough, it shuts down and you need to re-register. Just some tips. (P.S. My web portal has seen better days. (P.P.S. [[859: (]] [[User:Jacky720|Jacky720]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]]) 19:49, 10 November 2016 (UTC)

::Wait, I just looked at your page and you '''publish games?''' Like I said above... But nice. I don't do that kind of thing, but I have made a couple of 9001% informal games, like on [https://scratch.mit.edu/users/Jacky720/ Scratch] and stuff.

:::What a coincidence! I use Scratch too! However, I haven't really used it in a while, as I'm sticking to normal game development, but I do still go on there from time to time to see the crazy stuff that people come up with. I was going to make a game on there called '''"Darkness"''', but development proved to be too difficult and I was only able to finish the first level and a teaser for the game. I did eventually re-vitalize the game, but with a new name and new story, and it eventually became ''' 'This Isn't Home' ''', and then I ran into problems with the development with that, and I had to take it down from GameJolt yesterday. Life of a game designer... your work is never finished. I'm going to have to fix that one now. :P --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 12:27, 11 November 2016 (UTC)

::::Nice, but I couldn't find your account or the game. Links? [[User:Jacky720|Jacky720]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]]) 19:34, 12 November 2016 (UTC)

:::::I never uploaded 'Darkness', but I did upload a 'teaser' for it and my account is : https://scratch.mit.edu/users/JayRulesScratch/ --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 12:17, 14 November 2016 (UTC)

:Hey, I play Minecraft too! In fact, I've been shying away from explainxkcd because I've been playing it so much... [[User:GizmoDude|GizmoDude]] ([[User talk:GizmoDude|talk]]) 21:20, 3 January 2017 (UTC)
:P.S. I do Scratch as well! Well, not currently, but I posted about 20 projects on my old account 2 or 3 years ago...
::That's kind of the same reason why I "left" for a short period of time. Minecraft and Game design have been taking up a good chunk of my life. Life of a gamer/game designer. :) --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 12:07, 4 January 2017 (UTC)
:::I've also steadily become more encumbered by schoolwork. I've still been reading xkcd, but not so much editing. I've gotten back into Minecraft, especially since I started my YouTube channel. [[User:GizmoDude|GizmoDude]] ([[User talk:GizmoDude|talk]]) 12:40, 4 January 2017 (UTC)
::::Schoolwork? You mean I'm not the only editor not through college yet? I never knew that. [[User:Jacky720|That's right, Jacky720 just signed this]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|contribs]]) 15:54, 4 January 2017 (UTC)
:::::Schoolwork is frustrating. I'm not even in college yet... I'm a sophmore in high school. Game design, school, and still have time to actually have fun and play games.. yikes. --[[User:JayRulesXKCD|JayRulesXKCD]] ([[User talk:JayRulesXKCD|talk]]) 12:38, 5 January 2017 (UTC)
::::::I also spend a lot of time on Minecraft (mostly messing with redstone), and I used to have a scratch account too (made a few games, but then stopped a few years ago). And it's nice to know I'm not the only editor with a bunch of schoolwork to deal with. [[User:Herobrine|Herobrine]] ([[User talk:Herobrine|talk]]) 10:41, 18 April 2018 (UTC)

You seem pretty cool! I also code, and with the same languages, and play MC!
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.64|108.162.219.64]]

===[http://jackm.000webhostapp.com/transcript.html Official Transcript]===
Here is the code: (with links to where I got it)
<code>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<script>
[https://www.html5rocks.com/en/tutorials/cors/ function createCORSRequest(method, url) {
var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
if ("withCredentials" in xhr) {
// Check if the XMLHttpRequest object has a "withCredentials" property.
// "withCredentials" only exists on XMLHTTPRequest2 objects.
xhr.open(method, url, true);
} else if (typeof XDomainRequest != "undefined") {
// Otherwise, check if XDomainRequest.
// XDomainRequest only exists in IE, and is IE's way of making CORS requests.
xhr = new XDomainRequest();
xhr.open(method, 'https://xkcd.com/info.0.json');
} else {
// Otherwise, CORS is not supported by the browser.
xhr = null;
}

return xhr;
}

var xhr = createCORSRequest('GET', "https://xkcd.com/info.0.json");
if (!xhr) {
alert('CORS not supported');
} else {
alert('This site uses CORS.');
} ]

[http://stackoverflow.com/questions/19706046/how-to-read-an-external-local-json-file-in-javascript function readTextFile(file, callback) {
var rawFile = new XMLHttpRequest();
alert("raw file");
rawFile.overrideMimeType("application/json");
alert("json");
rawFile.open("GET", file, true);
alert(rawFile.responseText);
alert(rawFile.readyState);
alert(rawFile.status);
rawFile.onreadystatechange = function() {
if (rawFile.readyState === 4 && rawFile.status == "200") {
callback(rawFile.responseText);
alert("done?");
}
}
} ]

//My code

function getScript() {
if (parseInt(document.getElementById("ComicNumber").value)) {
var comic = new Number(
document.getElementById("ComicNumber").value);
var link = "https://xkcd.com/" + comic + "/info.0.json";
try {
readTextFile(link, function(text) {
var output = JSON.parse(text);
alert(output);
document.getElementById("output").innerHTML =
output.transcript;
});
} catch(Err) {alert("Oops! Something went wrong.");}

} else {
alert("This is not an integer!");
}
alert("The function completed.")
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<input type="text" id="ComicNumber">
<input type="button" onclick="getScript();" value="Get Transcript">
 

</body>
</html>
</code>

User talk:Jacky720

2024-11-06T22:38:35Z

Jacky720: creating archive page

== Talk Page Archive ==
I don't know how, when, or why I set this up but it was getting relegated to the top-right corner instead of top-left and that's not really readable. [[User_talk:Jacky720/Archive]]
== newest comic ==

Thanks for adding the newest comic. Just as a note though, please follow the steps here: [[User:DgbrtBOT]], to make the rest of the links work. [[User:Natg19|Natg19]] ([[User talk:Natg19|talk]]) 22:02, 20 December 2019 (UTC)
:Ah, I missed that formal procedure. Good to know there is one; I suppose I just messed up the templates in doing so?

== Nomination ==

See [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Coordination#New_admins]] '''[[User:Davidy22|{{Color|#707|David}}y²²]]'''[[User talk:Davidy22|<tt>[talk]</tt>]] 02:08, 8 May 2022 (UTC)

== Please don't block IPs ==

Hello,

The way this wiki is set up, if an IP is blocked, it affects a lot of people. IPs are randomized by the reverse proxy. Please don't block IPs, and please disable autoblock when blocking users. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.195|172.70.130.195]] 22:01, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
: I'm new to adminhood, and I don't exactly know what you mean in the last sentence. Is there some MediaWiki configuration page you want me to look at? [[User:Jacky720|That's right, Jacky720 just signed this]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|contribs]]) 22:15, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
:: Since I'm not an admin here, I'm not sure exactly what it looks like here. However, I am an admin on another MediaWiki wiki, so I can give instructions for that site, and they should be similar here. When you block someone, there should be a checkbox with this/a similar label: "Automatically block the last IP address used by this user, and any subsequent IP addresses they try to edit from" When blocking anyone, make sure you do not check that, and uncheck it if it is already checked. Then, go to [[Special:BlockList]]. On the block for "Xray Kilo Charlie Delta," click "change block", then uncheck that checkbox, click the "confirm block" checkbox, and click "Re-block the user with these settings." Also, go back to [[Special:BlockList]], and unblock any IPs that you see. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.115|172.70.178.115]] 22:38, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
::: Looking at the block log, it seems automatic IP blocks only last 24 hours. As for manual ones... Oh, there are hundreds of these. Most dating back to 2013. I'll do something about that. [[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 23:06, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
::::The old ones are probably fine; just undo the recent one (it looks like there's only one recent one) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.115|172.70.178.115]] 23:07, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
:::::Done —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 23:10, 23 May 2022 (UTC)

== IP blocks ==

It looks like you just blocked an IP? Those blocks affect a lot of users too, not just autoblocks. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.154|108.162.246.154]] 03:14, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
: Well, they were directly trolling from that IP. I'm not giving them immunity to protect the five people who get assigned that address before the block expires and probably weren't going to edit anyway. --[[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 10:57, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
:: I hope you checked with Davidy22. I get the impression that there are many more such attempts of a similar nature that are already blocked from happening, you may just be throwing the occasional baby away with a ''very small'' remaining amount of bathwater.
:: If you [https://whatismyipaddress.com/ip/172.70.142.105 check the IP], it's a gateway in Singapore, though how much actual geolocation that smooches up into that (and other Singaporean) IP I wouldn't care to say. It could cover huge swathes of the region or just a fraction (by random timehsharing?) of the city itself. Probably somewhere between the two.
:: I doubt only the spammers' backroom operation are active uses of that particular Cloudflare gateway, and possibly some others in the region are. The calculation that it causes more trouble to the spam-engine than the next Singaporean who genuinely wishes to usefully contribute is a big assumption.
:: I won't argue too much with your ability or keenness to do this administrative fire-fighting (I note that you've been busy, in that regard, and all are somewhat reasonable acts) but the activity of the IP in question had just two (identical-ish) spam-type uses across virtually the span of an entire week, whereas in less than three weeks of time (before that) there were six interactions that (superficially, from the Contrib page) look like entirely genuine edits. That's not counting those via that IP who are logging into accounts, which I'm not sure you aren't in danger of blocking also.
:: If we guess that the next scripted spamming of this kind will be a further week onward (and assume we can predict it still arriving from the same assigned gateway) we need to have the block in place for another week (and may not know if our block was encountered, unless it pops up from another vector and we know that it wasn't, so whether to extend the block for additional week(s) is going to be a difficult question to answer). At the same time, maybe two genuine edits get stymied. The spambot machine won't care (its owner may not even notice!) but the real humans might do.
:: Sorry, just a dispassionate (if possibly passionately presented) opinion. For your consideration. I'm just saying that rolling back one page once a week is no problem, and something I've done in this particular signature of edit a number of times before. The stupid spam that is being sent there (and elsewhere) doesn't even appear to have any use ''as a spam'', given the content. But the precedent of blocking an IP is troubling to me. Doubtful that particular one would ever be 'mine', in any given instant, but you could easily do me (and others like me) a disservice in the future if you take a consistent stance on this concept of blocking at the IP level and target one that is servicing my little corner of the webosphere.
:: I hope you get my reasoning. Longer in the telling than in the thinking of, unfortunately. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.36|172.70.91.36]] 11:48, 24 May 2022 (UTC) <- I'm a different IP-type person from 108.162.246.154 - Whether it appears the same or (very likely) different from the original correspondent in this aside.
:One way or another, I just reverted [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2503:_Memo_Spike_Connector&diff=276988&oldid=276788|another one of these], also from Singapore, but a different IP. Either by chance or because they(/their script) deliberately swerved round any block by trying again until it worked. FYI, but sorted for the time-being. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.99.32|141.101.99.32]] 11:52, 26 May 2022 (UTC) -- addendum: Though of the 15 similar replacements on that page since October have had large gaps, from the last couple of weeks it looks like both a Tuesday and a Thursday cycle might exist. Probably manually triggered, though. Could just be a coincidence. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.44|172.70.86.44]] 12:16, 26 May 2022 (UTC)

== Crap ==

How can I help get rid of crap? [[User:Anticrap|Anticrap]] ([[User talk:Anticrap|talk]]) 15:48, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
: It's all gone at the moment. If pages start turning into crap, revert the edits and wait for an admin to arrive. You really do not need a dedicated account for this. --[[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 16:10, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
::The CAPTCHAs make it hard to revert crap quickly, especially because I could use the one-click revert script without them. When will the CAPTCHAs go away? [[User:Anticrap|Anticrap]] ([[User talk:Anticrap|talk]]) 23:29, 24 May 2022 (UTC)

== Block User:Donald Trump ==
Can you block [[User:Donald Trump]]? He is another spambot, like the others recently: [[Special:Contributions/Donald_Trump]]. Thanks, [[User:Natg19|Natg19]] ([[User talk:Natg19|talk]]) 17:48, 26 May 2022 (UTC)

== Errors ==
Hi Jacky720. I’m reaching out because there’s been a large amount of errors being thrown around recently. A lot of users are getting 503 Errors and saying that server can’t be reached at the moment, please check the Technical Community Portal to see. Do you have server access or are able to personally contact Jeff? I know that he has a Twitter but I don’t have a Twitter account since my parents don’t let me to. It seems that you’re semi-active, as you had edited only a week ago. If you see this message, please respond as soon as possible, as I don’t think that this issue will resolve itself. [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 21:51, 19 September 2024 (UTC)
: I'm actually getting similar issues myself, on and off, though somehow I didn't think to elevate it. As I'm writing this, the page CSS has failed to load.
: I see on the portal that you've already reached out through... well, I think you hit all the good communication methods. I don't have a special communications channel for this that you don't. Would have replied sooner, but I typically only log in to make edits. --[[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 03:30, 25 September 2024 (UTC)
::Thanks for your response! I saw that Davidy22 uses Reddit frequently and has helped out on r/xkcd before, so hopefully he can poke around the server soon, assuming that he still has access. If he responds and is unable to help, I plan on reaching out to Jeff via Twitter/X/Whatever it is Now. [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 04:42, 25 September 2024 (UTC)
:::Sorry for the short amount of time in between, but I found out that Davidy22 uses GitHub a lot from a thread back in 2022, I’m going to try to reach out with the email linked on his profile page there. Cheers! [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 04:44, 25 September 2024 (UTC)

==Sitenotice==
Hi Jacky720, could you please look at the sitnotice discussion page and make your judegement on whether or not to update the sitenotice? There has been discussion on including a call to action to Incomplete Transcripts, as well as my own conerns about [[2288: Collector's Edition]]. [[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]] ([[User talk:42.book.addict|talk]]) 18:35, 14 October 2024 (UTC)

== Clunky Talk Page ==

I want to raise a concern that the "hidden comments" / "old squabbles" thing is a bad idea, and possibly completely unacceptable. It makes your page hard to navigate and unlike every other Talk page, and generally makes it impossible to find things for anyone not extremely familiar with your particular mechanism, which seems to be unique to you. Even knowing you have an "old squabbles" link to click, I have trouble finding it and get annoyed and frustrated, and that makes me annoyed and frustrated with you, even if I should not be. I do not think you want people annoyed and frustrated with you. I strongly recommend you remove it. Put your "old squabbles" on an archive page or remove them entirely, but please don't veil them in this fashion. Thank you. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 19:23, 6 November 2024 (UTC)
: <s>Do you have the wrong user?</s> Ah, fair enough. I had completely forgotten. --[[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 22:35, 6 November 2024 (UTC)