explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:2445: Checkbox

2021-04-02T04:48:11Z

Kjmitch: (Hopefully I can sign a comment I'd previously submitted without signing.)

If left alone, the morse code produced spells "WHAT" (.-- .... .- -) [[User:Ezist|Ezist]] ([[User talk:Ezist|talk]]) 22:50, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

I'm early enough that there isn't a summary yet, and I'm not confident enough to start one, so I'll just drop my thoughts. If you click the checkbox repeatedly, at some point it starts playing Morse code. Presumably, there are a whole lot of different sequences. So far, I've gotten .- - .-- .... (which translates to ATWS; no idea what that means) and ..... (just 5, I think). Meanwhile, the mouseover text is ... --- ..., which is SOS. Any thoughts? What other sequences are there? Or am I totally missing something? (Edit conflict. Looks like Ezist has another one.) [[User:Aerin|Aerin]] ([[User talk:Aerin|talk]]) 22:56, 1 April 2021 (UTC)
: I got something like ATWS at first, but that's just cause I misheard one of the letters, and misinterpreted where the word started/ended. [[User:Ezist|Ezist]] ([[User talk:Ezist|talk]]) 23:03, 1 April 2021 (UTC)
:: Oh yes, you're right - what I was hearing ''was'' just WHAT. When I put it into a translator, I must have mistyped .... (H) as ... (S). [[User:Aerin|Aerin]] ([[User talk:Aerin|talk]]) 23:58, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

Wait, sorry, I'm back. It apparently has to do with user input. No idea what I pressed to get those results lol. [[User:Aerin|Aerin]] ([[User talk:Aerin|talk]]) 22:57, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

Just a note, but a Morse code legend as well as translations of your input and the website's output are available in the console in browser DevTools. Helpful for those that don't know Morse. [[User:Toadtoad|Toadtoad]] ([[User talk:Toadtoad|talk]])

It looks like Samuel Morse died on April 2, 1872, so that might be why this comic appears today. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.212.218|162.158.212.218]] 23:07, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

"Hi" returns [.... . .-.. .-.. --- -.-.-- / .- -. -.-- -... --- -.. -.-- / --- ..- - / - .... . .-. . ..--..] "HELLO! ANYBODY OUT THERE?" [[User:Piano|Piano]] ([[User talk:Piano|talk]]) 23:09, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

a sequence of repeating "T", or at least more than one "E" [ - - - ] or [ . . . ] will respond back the same sequence, just one "E" will give "WHAT" [[Special:Contributions/172.68.25.253|172.68.25.253]] 23:18, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

"QTH" gives "QTH ARES VALLIS". "QTH" is a code used to ask for position, and Ares Vallis [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ares_Vallis is a place on Mars.] [[User:Ezist|Ezist]] ([[User talk:Ezist|talk]]) 23:27, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

"CHECK" replies "MATE." "CHECKMATE" and "MATE" each reply "WHAT." [[Special:Contributions/162.158.126.146|162.158.126.146]] 23:34, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

The js: has anyone tried viewing the JS? There seems to be a file that is just filled with undecipherable Morse. Can anyone interpret this? Just press f12 and look for comic.js or morse.js [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.161|162.158.62.161]] 23:35, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

I tried decoding it. Certainly looks like something binary encoded into text. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.183.153|162.158.183.153]] 23:36, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

Adding onto that, what does the ';D' in .split(';D') (at the very end of morse.js) do? AFAIK it's not a special character in JS

morse.js decodes comic.js into the following script: [https://pastebin.com/XcHV4Z5h] (Also, pretty sure the .split(';D') is just an emoji - it results only in an array of 1 element, so no splitting really occurred.) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.78|108.162.219.78]] 23:52, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

running window.BeepComic.hurryUp() in console gives you immediate response in logs, without waiting for all the beeping to cease

Ah so that's where that script comes from [[Special:Contributions/162.158.183.153|162.158.183.153]] 23:40, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

`BeepComic.send(morse.encode('sudo make me a sandwich'))` <-- convenience, in addition to the hurryUp --rcombs

Does someone else get this uuid DB334AAB-92A1-11EB-8001-8C16454FB02A? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.228|162.158.238.228]] 23:42, 1 April 2021 (UTC)
: Yep, that's what I get too. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.239|172.68.132.239]] 00:29, 2 April 2021 (UTC)
:: What did you enter to get a UUID? I tried decoding what you posted at [https://www.uuidtools.com/api/decode/DB334AAB-92A1-11EB-8001-8C16454FB02A this link], then tried looking up the MAC address that was encoded in it. I'm not sure what to make of [https://maclookup.app/search/result?mac=8c%3A16%3A45%3A4f%3Ab0%3A2a the result], but perhaps it has something to do with a chip on the Sojourner. [[User:Kjmitch|Kjmitch]] ([[User talk:Kjmitch|talk]]) 04:48, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

Audio does not work on Safari as of right now - however, inputting `const AudioContext = webkitAudioContext;` into the browser console before unmuting will allow audio to work on Safari. May want to note this as a 'fix' for the experience? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.6|162.158.63.6]] 23:44, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

In addition to muting/unmuting, BEEP and MUTE reply CQM (I can't find a reference to what that means). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.126.146|162.158.126.146]] 23:51, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

The statements at line 458 of the gist mentioned earlier seem interesting.
handleAction(text) {
if (text.startsWith('//')) {
this.client.open(text.substr(2));
}
}
: Nevermind, it was just how the response to "dir" opened links) [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.101|172.68.189.101]] 23:52, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

Parsed the JS (morse obfuscation, weird) and cut this small bit out:
e = await fetch(`/2445/morse/.../${morse.encode('pog')}`);
f = await e.text();
[state, ...respMorse] = f.split('/');
morse.decode(respMorse.join('/'));
Use this if you'd like to play around with inputs. (replace pog, obviously) :) [[User:Ezist|Ezist]] ([[User talk:Ezist|talk]]) 23:53, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

No need to document UniXKCD here, there's already [[UniXKCD|a page for that]]. --rcombs

Here's all the two character inputs: https://pastebin.com/5JhsVwM1 [[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.244|162.158.238.244]] 00:16, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

I got a different response for FORTUNE, it just tells me "OPEN ME" maybe Fortune gives multiple possible answers depending on luck, IP or something else, like a fortune cookie can have different answers inside it? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.81|141.101.104.81]] 00:19, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

For me FORTUNE responds with "OPEN ME", then I send OPEN, it responds with "YOUR DREAMS ARE NEVER SILLY DEPEND ON THEM TO GUIDE YOU" [[Special:Contributions/141.101.96.40|141.101.96.40]] 00:31, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

For me CHECKBOX responds with RADIO BUTTON and vice versa. Also, putting in a number doesn't seem to redirect me, but 11 does respond with "HUH"--[[User:Yodofrna|Yodofrna]] ([[User talk:Yodofrna|talk]]) 00:46, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

For me YOUTUBE provides what appears to be a URL, but it's so long I'm having a hard time transcribing it [[User:Dextrous Fred|Dextrous Fred]] ([[User talk:Dextrous Fred|talk]]) 00:49, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

YOUTUBE -> RXJKDH1KZ0W = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXJKdh1KZ0w [[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.245|162.158.238.
245]] 00:51, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

FORTUNE is a reference to the Unix 'fortune' program, but responses seem to be consistent for each user and not randomized like the Unix version. Use of a VPN confirms that responses are randomized by IP address. Sending OPEN only returns a fortune if it is sent immediately following FORTUNE. [[User:LordPants|LordPants]] ([[User talk:LordPants|talk]]) 00:53, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

One possible ending: HYDROCOPTIC -> Y -> https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/sojourner_repaired.png [[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.244|162.158.238.244]] 00:54, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

It appears that unknown inputs produce WHAT, NOT FOLLOWING, SAY AGAIN, TRY THAT AGAIN, COME AGAIN, HUH depending on some properties of the input text. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.96.40|141.101.96.40]] 00:57, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

FORTUNE gave me "DO NOT LET AMBITIONS OVERSHADOW SMALL SUCCESS". Should we add something on the page to list all the fortunes we've found?

XKCD now returns "A CROSS THREE LETTERS". What could that mean? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.239|172.68.132.239]] 01:22, 2 April 2021 (UTC)
: SOS returns OH NO now as well [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.107|172.68.189.107]] 01:27, 2 April 2021 (UTC)
: I got this too, can't seem to get it again. Strange. [[User:Ezist|Ezist]] ([[User talk:Ezist|talk]]) 01:28, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

This isn't as convenient as the other in-browser console solutions, but I had fun quickly whipping up a script for NodeJS to query the Morse server and quickly get a response. https://github.com/realToadtoad/xkcd-checkbox-query [[User:Toadtoad|Toadtoad]] ([[User talk:Toadtoad|talk]])

In the png you get when you succeed in repairing Sojourner, there's a typo [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.50|108.162.219.50]] 02:43, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

I wonder what happens if you try to send it AT-style modem commands? Seems like it might do something, but I don't have the time/patience to experiment with that. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.248|108.162.215.248]] 02:55, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2445: Checkbox

2021-04-02T04:39:58Z

Kjmitch: Search results about mentioned UUID

If left alone, the morse code produced spells "WHAT" (.-- .... .- -) [[User:Ezist|Ezist]] ([[User talk:Ezist|talk]]) 22:50, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

I'm early enough that there isn't a summary yet, and I'm not confident enough to start one, so I'll just drop my thoughts. If you click the checkbox repeatedly, at some point it starts playing Morse code. Presumably, there are a whole lot of different sequences. So far, I've gotten .- - .-- .... (which translates to ATWS; no idea what that means) and ..... (just 5, I think). Meanwhile, the mouseover text is ... --- ..., which is SOS. Any thoughts? What other sequences are there? Or am I totally missing something? (Edit conflict. Looks like Ezist has another one.) [[User:Aerin|Aerin]] ([[User talk:Aerin|talk]]) 22:56, 1 April 2021 (UTC)
: I got something like ATWS at first, but that's just cause I misheard one of the letters, and misinterpreted where the word started/ended. [[User:Ezist|Ezist]] ([[User talk:Ezist|talk]]) 23:03, 1 April 2021 (UTC)
:: Oh yes, you're right - what I was hearing ''was'' just WHAT. When I put it into a translator, I must have mistyped .... (H) as ... (S). [[User:Aerin|Aerin]] ([[User talk:Aerin|talk]]) 23:58, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

Wait, sorry, I'm back. It apparently has to do with user input. No idea what I pressed to get those results lol. [[User:Aerin|Aerin]] ([[User talk:Aerin|talk]]) 22:57, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

Just a note, but a Morse code legend as well as translations of your input and the website's output are available in the console in browser DevTools. Helpful for those that don't know Morse. [[User:Toadtoad|Toadtoad]] ([[User talk:Toadtoad|talk]])

It looks like Samuel Morse died on April 2, 1872, so that might be why this comic appears today. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.212.218|162.158.212.218]] 23:07, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

"Hi" returns [.... . .-.. .-.. --- -.-.-- / .- -. -.-- -... --- -.. -.-- / --- ..- - / - .... . .-. . ..--..] "HELLO! ANYBODY OUT THERE?" [[User:Piano|Piano]] ([[User talk:Piano|talk]]) 23:09, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

a sequence of repeating "T", or at least more than one "E" [ - - - ] or [ . . . ] will respond back the same sequence, just one "E" will give "WHAT" [[Special:Contributions/172.68.25.253|172.68.25.253]] 23:18, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

"QTH" gives "QTH ARES VALLIS". "QTH" is a code used to ask for position, and Ares Vallis [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ares_Vallis is a place on Mars.] [[User:Ezist|Ezist]] ([[User talk:Ezist|talk]]) 23:27, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

"CHECK" replies "MATE." "CHECKMATE" and "MATE" each reply "WHAT." [[Special:Contributions/162.158.126.146|162.158.126.146]] 23:34, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

The js: has anyone tried viewing the JS? There seems to be a file that is just filled with undecipherable Morse. Can anyone interpret this? Just press f12 and look for comic.js or morse.js [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.161|162.158.62.161]] 23:35, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

I tried decoding it. Certainly looks like something binary encoded into text. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.183.153|162.158.183.153]] 23:36, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

Adding onto that, what does the ';D' in .split(';D') (at the very end of morse.js) do? AFAIK it's not a special character in JS

morse.js decodes comic.js into the following script: [https://pastebin.com/XcHV4Z5h] (Also, pretty sure the .split(';D') is just an emoji - it results only in an array of 1 element, so no splitting really occurred.) [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.78|108.162.219.78]] 23:52, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

running window.BeepComic.hurryUp() in console gives you immediate response in logs, without waiting for all the beeping to cease

Ah so that's where that script comes from [[Special:Contributions/162.158.183.153|162.158.183.153]] 23:40, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

`BeepComic.send(morse.encode('sudo make me a sandwich'))` <-- convenience, in addition to the hurryUp --rcombs

Does someone else get this uuid DB334AAB-92A1-11EB-8001-8C16454FB02A? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.228|162.158.238.228]] 23:42, 1 April 2021 (UTC)
: Yep, that's what I get too. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.239|172.68.132.239]] 00:29, 2 April 2021 (UTC)
:: What did you enter to get a UUID? I tried decoding what you posted at [https://www.uuidtools.com/api/decode/DB334AAB-92A1-11EB-8001-8C16454FB02A this link], then tried looking up the MAC address that was encoded in it. I'm not sure what to make of [https://maclookup.app/search/result?mac=8c%3A16%3A45%3A4f%3Ab0%3A2a the result], but perhaps it has something to do with a chip on the Sojourner.

Audio does not work on Safari as of right now - however, inputting `const AudioContext = webkitAudioContext;` into the browser console before unmuting will allow audio to work on Safari. May want to note this as a 'fix' for the experience? --[[Special:Contributions/162.158.63.6|162.158.63.6]] 23:44, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

In addition to muting/unmuting, BEEP and MUTE reply CQM (I can't find a reference to what that means). [[Special:Contributions/162.158.126.146|162.158.126.146]] 23:51, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

The statements at line 458 of the gist mentioned earlier seem interesting.
handleAction(text) {
if (text.startsWith('//')) {
this.client.open(text.substr(2));
}
}
: Nevermind, it was just how the response to "dir" opened links) [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.101|172.68.189.101]] 23:52, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

Parsed the JS (morse obfuscation, weird) and cut this small bit out:
e = await fetch(`/2445/morse/.../${morse.encode('pog')}`);
f = await e.text();
[state, ...respMorse] = f.split('/');
morse.decode(respMorse.join('/'));
Use this if you'd like to play around with inputs. (replace pog, obviously) :) [[User:Ezist|Ezist]] ([[User talk:Ezist|talk]]) 23:53, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

No need to document UniXKCD here, there's already [[UniXKCD|a page for that]]. --rcombs

Here's all the two character inputs: https://pastebin.com/5JhsVwM1 [[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.244|162.158.238.244]] 00:16, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

I got a different response for FORTUNE, it just tells me "OPEN ME" maybe Fortune gives multiple possible answers depending on luck, IP or something else, like a fortune cookie can have different answers inside it? [[Special:Contributions/141.101.104.81|141.101.104.81]] 00:19, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

For me FORTUNE responds with "OPEN ME", then I send OPEN, it responds with "YOUR DREAMS ARE NEVER SILLY DEPEND ON THEM TO GUIDE YOU" [[Special:Contributions/141.101.96.40|141.101.96.40]] 00:31, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

For me CHECKBOX responds with RADIO BUTTON and vice versa. Also, putting in a number doesn't seem to redirect me, but 11 does respond with "HUH"--[[User:Yodofrna|Yodofrna]] ([[User talk:Yodofrna|talk]]) 00:46, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

For me YOUTUBE provides what appears to be a URL, but it's so long I'm having a hard time transcribing it [[User:Dextrous Fred|Dextrous Fred]] ([[User talk:Dextrous Fred|talk]]) 00:49, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

YOUTUBE -> RXJKDH1KZ0W = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXJKdh1KZ0w [[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.245|162.158.238.
245]] 00:51, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

FORTUNE is a reference to the Unix 'fortune' program, but responses seem to be consistent for each user and not randomized like the Unix version. Use of a VPN confirms that responses are randomized by IP address. Sending OPEN only returns a fortune if it is sent immediately following FORTUNE. [[User:LordPants|LordPants]] ([[User talk:LordPants|talk]]) 00:53, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

One possible ending: HYDROCOPTIC -> Y -> https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/sojourner_repaired.png [[Special:Contributions/162.158.238.244|162.158.238.244]] 00:54, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

It appears that unknown inputs produce WHAT, NOT FOLLOWING, SAY AGAIN, TRY THAT AGAIN, COME AGAIN, HUH depending on some properties of the input text. [[Special:Contributions/141.101.96.40|141.101.96.40]] 00:57, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

FORTUNE gave me "DO NOT LET AMBITIONS OVERSHADOW SMALL SUCCESS". Should we add something on the page to list all the fortunes we've found?

XKCD now returns "A CROSS THREE LETTERS". What could that mean? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.132.239|172.68.132.239]] 01:22, 2 April 2021 (UTC)
: SOS returns OH NO now as well [[Special:Contributions/172.68.189.107|172.68.189.107]] 01:27, 2 April 2021 (UTC)
: I got this too, can't seem to get it again. Strange. [[User:Ezist|Ezist]] ([[User talk:Ezist|talk]]) 01:28, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

This isn't as convenient as the other in-browser console solutions, but I had fun quickly whipping up a script for NodeJS to query the Morse server and quickly get a response. https://github.com/realToadtoad/xkcd-checkbox-query [[User:Toadtoad|Toadtoad]] ([[User talk:Toadtoad|talk]])

In the png you get when you succeed in repairing Sojourner, there's a typo [[Special:Contributions/108.162.219.50|108.162.219.50]] 02:43, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

I wonder what happens if you try to send it AT-style modem commands? Seems like it might do something, but I don't have the time/patience to experiment with that. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.215.248|108.162.215.248]] 02:55, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

Talk:2399: 2020 Election Map

2020-12-17T18:27:39Z

Kjmitch: Add comment to link to interactive map relating to the point of the strip.

r/PeopleLiveInCities[[Special:Contributions/162.158.49.18|162.158.49.18]] 12:27, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

I see a political comic... sure hope this doesn't spiral out of control. [[User:ChessCake|ChessCake]] ([[User talk:ChessCake|talk]]) 22:21, 16 December 2020 (UTC)
: How dare you accuse me of spiraling things out of control, you so-and-so! This kind of baseless backwards logic is exactly the problem with people who share your particular political opinions! --[[User:NeatNit|NeatNit]] ([[User talk:NeatNit|talk]]) 22:38, 16 December 2020 (UTC)
:: You're being sarcastic, right? Just want to be clear so we don't fuel the [potential] flames to come. [[User:ChessCake|ChessCake]] ([[User talk:ChessCake|talk]]) 22:51, 16 December 2020 (UTC)
::: I took "so-and-so" as proof that neatnit was joking. Angry people on the internet use harsher words. SDT [[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.38|162.158.75.38]] 22:57, 16 December 2020 (UTC)
::: Definitely. The "so-and-so" instead of an insult, and the deliberately vague grouping of "people who share your particular political opinions" were a clear giveaway. :) --[[User:V2Blast|V2Blast]] ([[User talk:V2Blast|talk]]) 22:59, 16 December 2020 (UTC)
It seems to me that one of the main messages in this comic is that voters for both Trump and Biden are pretty well distributed around the country. Looking at the typical choropleth maps with states colored red or blue, it can seem that the political division in the country is also a geographical division. This map, and the title text, emphasize that, at the scale of the whole country, that really isn't the case. The urban/suburban/rural breakdown isn't all that evident at this scale. [[User:Orion205|Orion205]] ([[User talk:Orion205|talk]]) 07:06, 17 December 2020 (UTC)
: ''The urban/suburban/rural breakdown isn't all that evident at this scale'': au contraire, it's quite clear that the denser the area, the more Biden voters there are, even in red states. See Texas for instance, where around big cities you have more blue dots than red.[[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.160|141.101.107.160]] 10:51, 17 December 2020 (UTC)
:: And this map proves that many large areas of the country are still dangerously underpopulated to prevent democracy from becoming tyranny[[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]])

I found [https://engaging-data.com/county-electoral-map-land-vs-population/ this map] a few weeks ago and I love it, it kind of requires interactivity but it can be set to display the difference between population and land area in on of the best ways I've seen. Especially because you can set the population indicators to avoid overlapping, so you can get a land-area-like feel for their size. [[User:Kjmitch|Kjmitch]] ([[User talk:Kjmitch|talk]]) 18:27, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

2380: Election Impact Score Sheet

2020-11-07T19:05:04Z

Kjmitch: /* Explanation */ Correction and clarification for the (lack of) utility of "#Hashtag"

{{comic
| number = 2380
| date = November 2, 2020
| title = Election Impact Score Sheet
| image = election_impact_score_sheet.png
| titletext = You might think most people you know are reliable voters, or that your nudge won't convince them, and you will usually be right. But some small but significant percentage of the time, you'll be wrong, and that's why this works.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by SOMEONE NOT IN ARIZONA. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic was published the day before {{w|Election day in the United States}} (November 3, 2020), which features a contentious {{w|2020 United States presidential election|presidential election}} between the incumbent, President {{w|Donald Trump}}, and the challenger, former Vice President {{w|Joe Biden}}. The United States does not elect presidents by popular vote, but instead uses an {{w|United States Electoral College|electoral college}} system, with each state getting a predetermined number of electoral votes, and a majority of electoral votes needed to win an election. The previous presidential election in 2016, which involved Trump and {{w|Hillary Clinton}}, was won by Trump, who lost the popular vote by 2 percentage points, but won the electoral vote 304-227 (270 was needed to win the election).

Electoral college votes are distributed based on the number of congressional representatives of each state, with the most populous state, California, receiving 55 votes, and the least populous states which are Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming receiving 3 votes each. Because the United States Congress has two legislative houses, with only one (the House of Representatives) apportioning representatives to the states based on their percentage of the US population and the other (the Senate) allocating two senators to every state regardless of population, smaller states have a higher ratio of electoral college votes to population than larger states do.

Additionally, most states (all but Nebraska and Maine) give all of their electoral college votes to whoever earns the most votes in their state. This means that a small change in the percentage of voters who favor one party's candidate over another within a state doesn't make a difference on the final outcome unless that change tips the scales between the two candidates. Therefore, it's easy to predict the final electoral college votes of many states where one party has a clear lead. Other states, including some of the ones listed by Randall, are considered "{{w|swing state}}s", as they are competitive to both of the two major parties, the {{w|Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party}} and the {{w|Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party}}.

Together, these factors make voting in some states - "swing states" with smaller populations - much more likely to influence the outcome of the election than others. Randall in this comic is encouraging his readers to "{{w|get out the vote}}" and encourage voting among their friends and family who live in 18 of these states which are most likely to affect the outcome of the election. The rest of the 32 states are grouped under the "all other states" bucket, presumably as their election outcome is "safely" for Biden or Trump.

Per many analysts, the state of {{w|Pennsylvania}} is considered an absolute necessity for Trump, and considered very important for Biden. This is why Pennsylvania is weighted the most heavily in Randall's comic.

Of course, just because a state may be a clear win for one party does not mean the votes of anyone who votes for the other party are wasted. A higher percentage of voters voting for the losing candidate sends a signal that the state is more competitive than assumed, which forces representatives to compromise and could make future voters more likely to show up because they believe their vote is more likely to matter. Additionally, many "down-ballot" races, like races for governorships, US Congress, state legislatures, and county governments, may be more competitive than the presidential race, and may have just as much or more impact on most people's lives. Randall accounts for some of these local races in deciding how to rank the states on the scoresheet.

The text at the bottom says to post your scoresheet with ''#Hashtag''. The "#" symbol (pronounced "hash") denotes a {{w|hashtag}} on platforms like Twitter, used to tag one's post as relating to the topic named following the symbol. However, this hashtag (said out-loud as "Hashtag Hashtag") would relate a post to the topic of hashtags rather than elections or votes, and so for the scoresheet is nonsensical and doesn't describe anything useful. It also refers to Nate Silver's famous election forecast model at {{w|FiveThirtyEight}}. Randall closes by urging people to contact Nate Silver to tell him to adjust his model to account for the added votes they have caused, but as the form doesn't indicate which candidate the filler has voted for or plans to vote for, never mind the people contacted, there's no way for him to know what sort of update to make. Perhaps the flurry of posts bearing the hashtag "#Hashtag" and indicating an effort to increase civic engagement will be a heartwarming surprise on a day that will probably be very busy and stressful for him.

The title text explains that even if one thinks that their family and friends always vote, or that their reminder to vote won't work, they should do so anyway because of the chance they may be wrong.

As shown in previous comics ([[1756: I'm With Her]] and others), Randall was a supporter of 2016 candidate {{w|Hillary Clinton}} (who ran against Trump), but this assesment should be equally applicable to supporters of either of the two main candidates in the current presidential race.

The comic includes a link for a printable version: https://xkcd.com/2380/election_impact_score_sheet.pdf

===Table===
{| class = "wikitable"
! State
! Bonus
! Electoral votes
! Explanation
! Actual Effect
|-
|Pennsylvania
|x5
|20
|Pennsylvania is considered an absolute necessity for Trump, and considered very important for Biden. Pre-election polling showed Biden leading by 3 points.
|
|-
|Maine
|rowspan="3"|x4
|4
|Maine is worth 4 electoral votes, but awards 2 based on the statewide popular vote and 1 vote each for the winners of its 2 congressional districts.
|
|-
|Arizona
|11
|Arizona is not typically a swing state, as it usually votes for the Republican Party candidate. However, it is considered a swing state this year, with Joe Biden leading by 2 percentage points in pre-election polling. Additionally, polls predicted a high likelihood of a Senate seat flipping from the Republicans to Democrats.
|
|-
|Nevada
|6
|
|
|-
|Alaska
|rowspan="3"|x3
|3
|
|
|-
|Montana
|3
|Polls showed a possibility of a Senate seat flipping from the Republicans to the Democrats
|
|-
|New Mexico
|5
|
|
|-
|Wisconsin
|rowspan="7"|x2
|10
|Wisconsin was surprisingly won by Trump in 2016, as pre-election polling had him trailing by 6-7 percentage points. Polling for the 2020 election favored Biden by 7 percentage points.
|
|-
|Minnesota
|10
|Minnesota was won by Hillary Clinton in 2016, but by a close margin of 1.5 percentage points. Polling for 2020 has Biden favored by 7 percentage points.
|
|-
|Iowa
|6
|
|
|-
|North Carolina
|15
|North Carolina is not typically a swing state, as it usually votes for the Republican Party candidate. However, it is considered a swing state this year.
|
|-
|New Hampshire
|4
|
|
|-
|Georgia
|16
|Georgia is not typically a swing state, as it usually votes for the Republican Party candidate. However, it is considered a swing state this year.
|
|-
|Nebraska
|5
|Like Maine, Nebraska splits up its votes, awarding 2 votes to the winner of the statewide popular vote, and 1 each for the winners of its 3 congressional districts.
|
|-
|Michigan
|rowspan="5"|x1
|16
|Michigan was also surprisingly won by Trump in 2016, as he was also trailing in pre-election polling. Biden has a 6 point lead in polling in 2020.
|
|-
|Florida
|29
|With 29 electoral votes, Florida has the 3rd most electoral votes to be distributed. It is also typically a swing state and determines the winner of an election.
|
|-
|Kansas
|6
|
|
|-
|Mississippi
|6
|
|
|-
|Colorado
|9
|
|
|-
|All other states
|x1/2
|''varies''
|Randall considers other states as less important than the above 18 in influencing the outcome of the presidential election.
|
|}

==Transcript==
<big>Do you know anyone in Arizona?</big>

Research shows that reminders from friends and family to vote have a bigger effect on turnout than anything campaigns do.

One of the best ways you can help is to scroll through your contacts (or use apps like VoteWithMe) to find people you can check in with to see if they plan to vote or need help doing it.

This chart lets you tally the effect of your reminders on the outcome based on who you've contacted and where they live.

<big>Election impact score sheet</big>

{| class = "wikitable"
! State
! Check-ins
! Bonus*
! Points
|-
|Pennsylvania
|
|x5
|
|-
|Maine Arizona Nevada
|
|x4
|
|-
|Alaska Montana New Mexico
|
|x3
|
|-
|Wisconsin Minnesota Iowa North Carolina New Hampshire Georgia Nebraska
|
|x2
|
|-
|Michigan Florida Kansas Mississippi Colorado
|
|x1
|
|-
|All other states
|
|x½
|
|-
| colspan="3" align="right" | '''Your election impact:'''
|
|}

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Multiplier based on 538 presidential vote impact, plus points for senate and local elections

''In smaller text, to the right of the main score sheet, a duplicate of the score sheet with red tally marks and points is shown''

{| class = "wikitable"
! State
! Check-ins
! Bonus*
! Points
|-
|Pennsylvania
| (2 tally marks)
|x5
| 10
|-
|Maine Arizona Nevada
| (1 tally mark)
|x4
| 4
|-
|Alaska Montana New Mexico
| (1 tally mark)
|x3
| 3
|-
|Wisconsin Minnesota Iowa North Carolina New Hampshire Georgia Nebraska
| (3 tally marks)
|x2
| 6
|-
|Michigan Florida Kansas Mississippi Colorado
|
|x1
|
|-
|All other states
| (6 tally marks)
|x½
| 3
|-
| colspan="3" align="right" | '''Your election impact:'''
|26
|}

''Followed by an arrow, pointing to the "Your election impact" total box in the main table, is this text''

Based on turnout experiments, 10 points on this scale has roughly as much effect on the outcome as one average vote. For every 10 points you tally, it's as if you voted again!

''Below the main score sheet table''

 [Click for printable version]

Share a pic of your score sheet with ''#Hashtag'', and be sure to send a copy to Nate Silver to let him know to include those extra votes in his model!

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Nate Silver]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

Talk:2380: Election Impact Score Sheet

2020-11-04T19:01:19Z

Kjmitch: Comment response about the "hash" in "hashtag".

Please vote, everyone! #Hashtag. ''(Unsigned. Whoever you are.)''

Cool, how to convince citizens of other countries to vote for this shitsotrm?

I always told myself that if I ever joined Twitter (rather than 'browse-lurked' the feeds of people of interest, as I do now) I would use #hashtag a lot, and other ironic self-referential things in order to stop myself taking it too seriously. Nice to know I'm on the same wavelength with Randall, but now I must further delay my inevitable signing up until I've got something newer and better in mind! [[Special:Contributions/162.158.158.61|162.158.158.61]] 00:06, 3 November 2020 (UTC)

This "as if you voted again!" should not be confused with the stuff that Trump keeps yammering about. :-) [[User:BunsenH|BunsenH]] ([[User talk:BunsenH|talk]]) 02:44, 3 November 2020 (UTC)

Why is Alaska four points?? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.79|162.158.62.79]] 03:20, 3 November 2020 (UTC)

:Alaska is only three, but who knows, it's not a close race there according to 538. They also have higher than average voter turnout too.
[[Special:Contributions/172.69.42.92|172.69.42.92]] 03:37, 3 November 2020 (UTC)
:Not sure. However, according to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_and_territories_of_the_United_States_by_population wikipedia]] they have the 3rd lowest population per electoral vote ratio (of the proper states), meaning that an alaskan vote in theory counts more than a texan one (which has the highest ratio). But don't ask me. I am a European with no big clue about that complicated US election system. --[[User:Lupo|Lupo]] ([[User talk:Lupo|talk]]) 06:29, 3 November 2020 (UTC)
:: That's ok, I'm not convinced most Americans understand it either. But then, I don't understand why so many Americans think that compulsory voting is un-democratic - particularly compared to a situation where those in power get to deliberately interfere with voters' ability to vote at all. [[User:Paddles|Paddles]] ([[User talk:Paddles|talk]]) 13:23, 3 November 2020 (UTC)

It seems that "538" is a reference to https://fivethirtyeight.com which seems to be a USA election news aggregation website. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.80|108.162.216.80]] 07:30, 3 November 2020 (UTC)
:0h, and on a second look 538 is mentioned.[[Special:Contributions/108.162.216.80|108.162.216.80]] 07:38, 3 November 2020 (UTC)
::Uhm 538 is the number of electors in the United States electoral college, which FiveThirtyEight is named after, so it is not a reference to that program. But the note about Nate Silver of course is about him and his website. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 13:22, 3 November 2020 (UTC)

I don't know if Randall knew about or intended the reference, but there is a website http://hashtaghashtag.org/, describing itself as "#Hashtag is dedicated to political analysis and long-form opinion pieces on politics and public policy." Or maybe he just wanted to be a smart-ass with the #Hastag. [[User:Bischoff|Bischoff]] ([[User talk:Bischoff|talk]]) 07:47, 3 November 2020 (UTC)

Before "Hashtag" existed, "#' was sometimes just called "hash". Once it was combined with a word (e.g. "#blart") and use to tag things like tweets, the combined unit was called a "hashtag" (i.e. a tag containing a hash symbol). At some point "#blart" changed from being read as "hash blart" (essentially reading the individual symbols that make it up) to "hashtag blart" (the meaning of the combined symbols), sort of how "$10" is read as "ten dollars" rather than "dollar-sign ten". But then taking the reading "hashtag blart" and back-applying it to the text "#blart" has produced the use of the term "hashtag" for the "#" symbol. Hopefully this won't go around the circle again and make "hashtagtags".
:Really, though, '#' is still just called "hash". The "-tag" part refers to the whole string making up a topic description tag for the comment/tweet/blurb/whatever. "Hashtag" refers to a tag denoted by a hash symbol, and "#hashtag" prompts the system to link the user to other tweets by people discussing adding semantic meaning to user-generated text. Great for those of us who are super into text markup and metadata (though really, who isn't?). [[User:Kjmitch|Kjmitch]] ([[User talk:Kjmitch|talk]]) 19:01, 4 November 2020 (UTC)

== Printable version ==

I would argue that the "[Click for printable version]" should be hyperlinked with the link to https://xkcd.com/2380/election_impact_score_sheet.pdf

Let me see if I can do that by myself.