explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3079: Air Fact

2025-04-21T20:37:14Z

Oliphaunt: /* Explanation */ correct Megan's sample size; add liter conversion for reference

{{comic
| number = 3079
| date = April 21, 2025
| title = Air Fact
| image = air_fact_2x.png
| imagesize = 250x394px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = 'Wow, that must be why you swallow so many of them per year!' 'No, that's spiders. You swallow WAY more ants.'
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by a MICROSCOPIC ANT and contains only microscopic text. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
Microbiologist [[Megan]] tells [[Cueball]] that every cubic meter of air contains thousands of microscopic ants. This, ironically, is a tall tale. Adult workers in some species of the genus {{w|Carebara|Carebara}}, the [https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/341603-smallest-ant-species smallest known ants], can be 0.8 millimeters long, which is just below the 1.0 millimeter upper bound of "microscopic". It is therefore possible (barely) for an air sample to contain microscopic ants. However, given the subterranean, cryptic habitats typical of Carebara species, it is highly unlikely that these ants would appear in any, never mind every, air sample.

Initially incredulous, Cueball accepts Megan's fib as a fact, because he doesn't have any easy way to take samples of air and assess what these samples contain.

There are indeed microorganisms floating in the air, and getting air samples that will allow these microorganisms to be identified and quantified is indeed hard. [https://www.btpm.org/health-wellness/2018-05-23/allergy-season-is-back-but-how-do-we-know-whats-in-the-air Methods, with specialized collecting devices, exist] that take (one hopes) known volumes of air and deposit the particles contained in that air onto sticky surfaces which are then viewed under the microscope, or onto culture media which are then incubated. The methods are time-consuming and dependent on specialized knowledge (e.g., the identification of pollen grains or spores by surface features under the microscope), and are subject to numerous biases. For example, "sticky surface" methods will likely miss bacteria, and fail to identify 'nondescript' objects, whereas culture-based methods will not detect anything that will not grow on the selected media. The joke is that microbiologists are tempted to make up stories about what's in the air, because most people lack the data or skills to fact-check the stories.

In the comic, Megan presumably sampled a 100 cubic centimeter (0.1 liter) space of air and found 1 microbe (e.g. a bacterium, a mold spore, a protozoan cyst) in it. If she assumed that this was a representative sample, Megan could extrapolate from this datum to say that there are 10,000 microbes (which she then calls "ants") for every 1 cubic meter (1,000,000 cubic centimeters or 1000 liters). Randall Monroe has made comics about dubious extrapolations, e.g. [[605: Extrapolating]], but in this case, Megan's number is [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4515362/ within the range of microbial counts] that have been made in various indoor and outdoor environments.

The title text refers to the commonly believed myth that [https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-66319172 people swallow 8 spiders a year in their sleep]. Though oft quoted, [https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-people-swallow-8-spiders-a-year-while-they-sleep1/ it has no basis in fact], and was actually [https://www.snopes.com/lisa-birgit-holst/ made up] to see if people would repeat the rumor without checking the original source. Bona fide ants, microscopic or otherwise, would be no more likely to enter a human's mouth than spiders, whereas Megan's "ants" (microbes) would wind up in the lungs, not the stomach, where (one hopes) the immune system would take care of them.

==Transcript==
:[Megan, with her palm out, is talking to Cueball.]
:Megan: Did you know that every cubic meter of air contains over 10,000 microscopic ants?
:Cueball: Wow, really?
:Cueball: I had no idea.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:The fact that taking air samples is hard presents microbiologists with a constant temptation.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Ants]]
[[Category:Spiders]]

2322: ISO Paper Size Golden Spiral

2020-06-20T09:03:03Z

Oliphaunt: /* Explanation */ the comic is not about mathematicians who are annoying :)

{{comic
| number = 2322
| date = June 19, 2020
| title = ISO Paper Size Golden Spiral
| image = iso_paper_size_golden_spiral.png
| titletext = The ISO 216 standard ratio is cos(45°), but American letter paper is 8.5x11 because it uses radians, and 11/8.5 = pi/4.
}}

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

This comic strip is about how to annoy graphics designers and mathematicians, much like [[590: Papyrus]] and [[1015: Kerning]].

The {{w|Golden Spiral}} is a figure made by concatenating squares whose side lengths shrink according to the golden ratio. One can make a similar shape with the {{w|Paper_size#A_series| A Series}} of standard paper sizes, but the figures are rectangles whose side lengths shrink by a factor of the square root of 2, not squares whose side lengths shrink by a factor of the golden ratio. This is meant to parody the numerous questionable examples of the golden ratio in everyday life.

The spiral shown is a logarithmic spiral with a growth factor of sqrt(2), and if the center of the spiral is at the origin, it may be graphed with r = C*2^(θ/π), for any positive constant C.

The title text is a joke, based partly on the fact that the US uses imperial units while much of the rest of the world uses S.I. units. The 11/8.5 ratio is the length/width ratio of US “letter” paper, which is 11 inches by 8.5 inches (not legal, US legal is 14 by 8.5). The value of pi/4 radians is indeed equal to 45 degrees, although Randall takes the cosine in one case and uses the raw angle in the other case in order to get a close coincidence of values. The width/length ratio of A series paper (ISO 216) is exactly cos(45 degrees), which is 1/sqrt(2). As for US letter paper, 11/8.5 is not in fact close to pi/4, but it’s possible that Randall meant to write 8.5/11 instead of 11/8.5. To 4 decimal places, 8.5/11 = 0.7727 and pi/4 = 0.7854.

In reality, the usage of radians vs. degrees is not a geographic or political decision, but generally is delineated by profession. Most engineering and science fields measure angles in degrees or fractions of degrees (arcseconds, or even milliarcseconds in fields like astronomy), while mathematicians and physicists generally use radians. Civil engineers may refer to the slope of a road by its {{w|Grade (slope)|grade}}, which is commonly expressed in terms of the tangent of the angle to the horizontal (either as a percentage or a ratio); for angles up to ~10 degrees, this is close to the value of the angle in radians.

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

:[Caption inside panel:]
:The golden ratio is everywhere!

:[Picture of the ISO standard paper sizes (i.e. A1, A2, etc.) placed so that they fit together perfectly, overlaid with a spiral resembling that of the golden ratio]

:[Caption below panel:] 
:How to annoy both graphic designers and mathematicians

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]

2255: Tattoo Ideas

2020-01-16T09:55:07Z

Oliphaunt: add point on long validity of SSN tattoo

{{comic
| number = 2255
| date = January 15, 2020
| title = Tattoo Ideas
| image = tattoo_ideas.png
| titletext = The text ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US with a lengthy footnote explaining that I got this tattoo in 2020 and not, as you may assume, 2001, but offering no further clarification.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TATTOO CONTAINING ALL TATTOOS THAT DO NOT CONTAIN THEMSELVES. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is a list of potential {{w|tattoo}} ideas. Many of them play on the trope of regretting a tattoo by being tattoos of things that would not be useful outside of the immediate future, while others are simply ludicrous ideas with little functionality.

===Table of entries===
{|class="wikitable"
! Randall's text
! Explanation
|-
| Lorem Ipsum text
| {{w|Lorem ipsum}} is the beginning of and shorthand for a long section of shuffled-up Latin text. It is often used by both print and web designers as placeholder text until final content is available. Having a Lorem ipsum tattoo would possibly suggest that the tattoo's text is a placeholder for a "final" tattoo.
|-
| Email password
| Getting a tattoo of your {{w|password}} could compromise the security provided by your password. Additionally, it has sometimes been recommended and, in some cases, required to change passwords regularly; which would result in the tattoo either becoming out of date or needing to be updated (which could be difficult).
|-
| Graph of the popularity of tattoos over time, with the date I got the tattoo marked (Update regularly)
| This would likely take the form of a {{w|run chart}}, showing the continual rise and fall of tattoo popularity over time. [[Randall]]'s love of charts and graphs is [[:Category:Charts|a regular theme]] in the strip.

On the surface, getting a tattoo of a tattoo-themed chart would seem appealing. But a chart that tracks over time would become outdated within a few years, making it problematic for a (presumably permanent) tattoo. The solution to this appears to be a note to update the tattoo regularly, presumably as new data becomes available. This would require having the tattoo altered repeatedly, possibly every year; the artist would need to add on to the existing tattoo by extending the x-axis and the data.

Depending on the scale of the x- and y- axes, as well as the position and orientation of the graph on Randall's body, this might actually be feasible for Randall's entire lifetime. However, it would involve additional pain, expense and time commitment. Maintaining this novelty tattoo for the rest of his life would seem excessive, but giving it up would once again mean he'd eventually be left with an outdated tattoo.
|-
| "CHANGEME"
| Some systems use "changeme" as an initial password, with the expectation that the password will be changed before the system is used. In programming, some text fields are initialized with "CHANGEME" to allow the programmer to get the program running for development purposes, while making it obvious that the actual text needs to be written and inserted, similar to Lorem Ipsum. This would be a very difficult operation to perform with a tattoo.
|-
| Slide rule markings on forearms
| A {{w|slide rule}} is a set of logarithmic scales that are used to perform mathematical calculations. Since their use depends on sliding the sections of the slide rule to align their markings, a tattoo of a slide rule would be thoroughly useless. However, Randall specifies the markings would be on his forearms (plural) and, by sliding both arms past each other, he could have a functioning slide rule.
|-
| EURion constellation, so no one can photocopy pictures of me
| The {{w|EURion constellation}} is a set of five circles in a roughly X-shaped pattern that is put onto lots of currencies. When this design is detected, many photocopiers will refuse to make a copy.
|-
| The sentence "It's what my tattoo says" written in another language
| Intended to provoke the question "What does your tattoo say?" from people not fluent in that language, thus resulting in an interesting / confused exchange. (For [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sShMA85pv8M&t=41 example].)

In case Randall got it in Spanish it would say: "Es lo que dice mi tatuaje" (according to Google translate). So a friend comes up and asks what does you tattoo say? Randall replies: Es lo que dice mi tatuaje. Friend: What does it mean? Randall: It's what my tattoo says! Friend: Yes I know, but what does it mean?...
|-
| Tissot's indicatrix
| {{w|Tissot's indicatrix}} is a matrix of circles placed on a map that change size and proportions (possibly turning into ellipses) based on map distortion. As a tattoo, that would be useful in tracking any distortion of the skin since you had the tattoo.
|-
| Summary of the [https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/suffer-to-be-beautiful Snopes page on the tattoo epidural thing] (Lower back)
| The "tattoo epidural thing" is a mostly debunked medical concern that anesthesiologists attending women in labor would refuse to administer spinal anesthetic (which is injected through the lower back) by needle through skin with tattoo ink, out of fear of introducing the ink into the spinal column.
|-
| Pre-surgical checklist
| Might come in handy if/when going in for surgery. For instance there is the {{w|WHO Surgical Safety Checklist}}, which lists the things always to be performed during a surgery. This is not about pointing to the right limb to be operated on.
|-
| Tattoo artist's Social Security number
| In the US, a {{w|Social Security number}} (SSN) is a unique, nine-digit number assigned by the federal government to citizens and other legal residents. The original purpose of these numbers was to track Social Security accounts, for collecting taxes and the payment of federal benefits. In practice, it is also widely used in other contexts in which an individual needs to be identified, including applications for loans, employment, and identity papers. As opposed to many of the other ideas, SSNs can't be changed once assigned (often at birth), and neither is the design vulnerable to skin deformation. Thus, the tattoo typically continues to represent valid information for a very long time.

However, learning someone's SSN is often a critical step in {{w|identity theft}} because it is so widely used. People are often warned to safeguard their numbers and be very cautious about revealing them. Tattooing one's SSN on a customer would mean that both the customer and anyone who happened to see his tattoo in the future would have access to it. That would be a wildly reckless move which very few tattoo artists would be willing to make.{{Citation needed}}
|-
| Boarding pass for an upcoming flight
| A {{w|boarding pass}} is a document used to identify those who are authorized to ride in a particular airline flight. Usually issued shortly before the flight. Useful only once, therefore not a normal design to have tattooed.
|-
| Recap of the plot of ''Memento''
| ''{{w|Memento (film)|Memento}}'' is a 2000 film in which the protagonist suffers from {{w|Anterograde amnesia|anterograde amnesia}}, a condition that prevents him from creating any new long-term memories. One of the tools he uses to mitigate the issue is tattooing important things on his body.
|-
| This list, in its entirety
| Instead of getting a tattoo of anything listed here, the actual list itself would be the tattoo.
|-
| The text ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US with a lengthy footnote explaining that I got this tattoo in 2020 and not, as you may assume, 2001, but offering no further clarification. (title text)
| Likely a reference to [[286]]. "{{w|All Your Base Are Belong to Us}}" is broken English phrase found in the opening cutscene of the 1992 Mega Drive/Genesis port of the 1989 arcade video game ''Zero Wing''. The use of this line (and others from the same game) became a popular internet meme for a short time in the early 2000's.

Having a meme tattooed on your body will make many people assume that you got the tattoo when the meme was popular, not considering that it would become dated and obscure within a few years. To correct this, [[Randall]] proposes adding a lengthy footnote explaining that he got the tattoo in 2020, decades after its peak popularity. In addition to the oddness of adding a footnote to a tattoo, this would raise additional questions about why someone would tattoo themselves with an extremely outdated meme. The deliberate decision to add no further explanation suggests that raising but not resolving the question is part of the appeal.
|}

==Transcript==
:[A list with an underlined heading and then 14 items, the first 13 being striked out with a red line. The red lines are straight through the center of the text if the item is only on one line. The red lines are curly up and down if the items takes up more than one line on the list. The last item has a red line around it in an ellipse.]

:<big>Tattoo Ideas</big>
:Lorem Ipsum Text
:Email password
:Graph of the popularity of tattoos over time, with the date I got the tattoo marked (update regularly)
:"Changeme"
:Slide rule markings on forearms
:Eurion constellation, so no one can photocopy pictures of me
:The sentence "it's what my tattoo says" written in another language
:Tissot's Indicatrix
:Summary of the Snopes page on the tattoo epidural thing (lower back)
:Pre-surgical checklist
:Tattoo artist's social security number
:Boarding pass for an upcoming flight
:Recap of the plot of ''Memento''
:This list, in its entirety

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:Programming]]

2255: Tattoo Ideas

2020-01-16T09:43:55Z

Oliphaunt: /* Table of entries */ break up long explanations into paragraphs

{{comic
| number = 2255
| date = January 15, 2020
| title = Tattoo Ideas
| image = tattoo_ideas.png
| titletext = The text ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US with a lengthy footnote explaining that I got this tattoo in 2020 and not, as you may assume, 2001, but offering no further clarification.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a TATTOO CONTAINING ALL TATTOOS THAT DO NOT CONTAIN THEMSELVES. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic is a list of potential {{w|tattoo}} ideas. Many of them play on the trope of regretting a tattoo by being tattoos of things that would not be useful outside of the immediate future, while others are simply ludicrous ideas with little functionality.

===Table of entries===
{|class="wikitable"
! Randall's text
! Explanation
|-
| Lorem Ipsum text
| {{w|Lorem ipsum}} is the beginning of and shorthand for a long section of shuffled-up Latin text. It is often used by both print and web designers as placeholder text until final content is available. Having a Lorem ipsum tattoo would possibly suggest that the tattoo's text is a placeholder for a "final" tattoo.
|-
| Email password
| Getting a tattoo of your {{w|password}} could compromise the security provided by your password. Additionally, it has sometimes been recommended and, in some cases, required to change passwords regularly; which would result in the tattoo either becoming out of date or needing to be updated (which could be difficult).
|-
| Graph of the popularity of tattoos over time, with the date I got the tattoo marked (Update regularly)
| This would likely take the form of a {{w|run chart}}, showing the continual rise and fall of tattoo popularity over time. [[Randall]]'s love of charts and graphs is [[:Category:Charts|a regular theme]] in the strip.

On the surface, getting a tattoo of a tattoo-themed chart would seem appealing. But a chart that tracks over time would become outdated within a few years, making it problematic for a (presumably permanent) tattoo. The solution to this appears to be a note to update the tattoo regularly, presumably as new data becomes available. This would require having the tattoo altered repeatedly, possibly every year; the artist would need to add on to the existing tattoo by extending the x-axis and the data.

Depending on the scale of the x- and y- axes, as well as the position and orientation of the graph on Randall's body, this might actually be feasible for Randall's entire lifetime. However, it would involve additional pain, expense and time commitment. Maintaining this novelty tattoo for the rest of his life would seem excessive, but giving it up would once again mean he'd eventually be left with an outdated tattoo.
|-
| "CHANGEME"
| Some systems use "changeme" as an initial password, with the expectation that the password will be changed before the system is used. In programming, some text fields are initialized with "CHANGEME" to allow the programmer to get the program running for development purposes, while making it obvious that the actual text needs to be written and inserted, similar to Lorem Ipsum. This would be a very difficult operation to perform with a tattoo.
|-
| Slide rule markings on forearms
| A {{w|slide rule}} is a set of logarithmic scales that are used to perform mathematical calculations. Since their use depends on sliding the sections of the slide rule to align their markings, a tattoo of a slide rule would be thoroughly useless. However, Randall specifies the markings would be on his forearms (plural) and, by sliding both arms past each other, he could have a functioning slide rule.
|-
| EURion constellation, so no one can photocopy pictures of me
| The {{w|EURion constellation}} is a set of five circles in a roughly X-shaped pattern that is put onto lots of currencies. When this design is detected, many photocopiers will refuse to make a copy.
|-
| The sentence "It's what my tattoo says" written in another language
| Intended to provoke the question "What does your tattoo say?" from people not fluent in that language, thus resulting in an interesting / confused exchange. (For [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sShMA85pv8M&t=41 example].)

In case Randall got it in Spanish it would say: "Es lo que dice mi tatuaje" (according to Google translate). So a friend comes up and asks what does you tattoo say? Randall replies: Es lo que dice mi tatuaje. Friend: What does it mean? Randall: It's what my tattoo says! Friend: Yes I know, but what does it mean?...
|-
| Tissot's indicatrix
| {{w|Tissot's indicatrix}} is a matrix of circles placed on a map that change size and proportions (possibly turning into ellipses) based on map distortion. As a tattoo, that would be useful in tracking any distortion of the skin since you had the tattoo.
|-
| Summary of the [https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/suffer-to-be-beautiful Snopes page on the tattoo epidural thing] (Lower back)
| The "tattoo epidural thing" is a mostly debunked medical concern that anesthesiologists attending women in labor would refuse to administer spinal anesthetic (which is injected through the lower back) by needle through skin with tattoo ink, out of fear of introducing the ink into the spinal column.
|-
| Pre-surgical checklist
| Might come in handy if/when going in for surgery. For instance there is the {{w|WHO Surgical Safety Checklist}}, which lists the things always to be performed during a surgery. This is not about pointing to the right limb to be operated on.
|-
| Tattoo artist's Social Security number
| In the US, a {{w|Social Security number}} is a unique, nine-digit number assigned by the federal government to citizens and other legal residents. The original purpose of these numbers was to track Social Security accounts, for collecting taxes and the payment of federal benefits. In practice, it is also widely used in other contexts in which an individual needs to be identified, including applications for loans, employment, and identity papers. As a result, learning someone's Social Security number is often a critical step in {{w|identity theft}}.

People are often warned to safeguard their numbers and be very cautious about revealing them. Tattooing one's Social Security number on a customer would mean that both the customer and anyone who happened to see his tattoo in the future would have access to it. That would be a wildly reckless move which very few tattoo artists would be willing to make.{{Citation needed}}
|-
| Boarding pass for an upcoming flight
| A {{w|boarding pass}} is a document used to identify those who are authorized to ride in a particular airline flight. Usually issued shortly before the flight. Useful only once, therefore not a normal design to have tattooed.
|-
| Recap of the plot of ''Memento''
| ''{{w|Memento (film)|Memento}}'' is a 2000 film in which the protagonist suffers from {{w|Anterograde amnesia|anterograde amnesia}}, a condition that prevents him from creating any new long-term memories. One of the tools he uses to mitigate the issue is tattooing important things on his body.
|-
| This list, in its entirety
| Instead of getting a tattoo of anything listed here, the actual list itself would be the tattoo.
|-
| The text ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US with a lengthy footnote explaining that I got this tattoo in 2020 and not, as you may assume, 2001, but offering no further clarification. (title text)
| Likely a reference to [[286]]. "{{w|All Your Base Are Belong to Us}}" is broken English phrase found in the opening cutscene of the 1992 Mega Drive/Genesis port of the 1989 arcade video game ''Zero Wing''. The use of this line (and others from the same game) became a popular internet meme for a short time in the early 2000's.

Having a meme tattooed on your body will make many people assume that you got the tattoo when the meme was popular, not considering that it would become dated and obscure within a few years. To correct this, [[Randall]] proposes adding a lengthy footnote explaining that he got the tattoo in 2020, decades after its peak popularity. In addition to the oddness of adding a footnote to a tattoo, this would raise additional questions about why someone would tattoo themselves with an extremely outdated meme. The deliberate decision to add no further explanation suggests that raising but not resolving the question is part of the appeal.
|}

==Transcript==
:[A list with an underlined heading and then 14 items, the first 13 being striked out with a red line. The red lines are straight through the center of the text if the item is only on one line. The red lines are curly up and down if the items takes up more than one line on the list. The last item has a red line around it in an ellipse.]

:<big>Tattoo Ideas</big>
:Lorem Ipsum Text
:Email password
:Graph of the popularity of tattoos over time, with the date I got the tattoo marked (update regularly)
:"Changeme"
:Slide rule markings on forearms
:Eurion constellation, so no one can photocopy pictures of me
:The sentence "it's what my tattoo says" written in another language
:Tissot's Indicatrix
:Summary of the Snopes page on the tattoo epidural thing (lower back)
:Pre-surgical checklist
:Tattoo artist's social security number
:Boarding pass for an upcoming flight
:Recap of the plot of ''Memento''
:This list, in its entirety

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:Programming]]

2255: Tattoo Ideas

2020-01-15T13:36:58Z

Oliphaunt: Fix mistake

2255: Tattoo Ideas

2020-01-15T13:36:02Z

Oliphaunt: Provide two more small explanations

Talk:2141: UI vs UX

2019-04-26T09:12:19Z

Oliphaunt: fix typo

The comic as a whole is making fun of how meta software developers get about the user experience, seeking to name all the different types of interactions a user can have with an app or webpage.
This comic is massive for me on my desktop (chrome); I wonder if this is a joke about bad UX or if it is a genuine error? [[User:Fwacer|Fwacer]] ([[User talk:Fwacer|talk]]) 18:50, 24 April 2019 (UTC)

:It's not this big on xkcd.com. Did it start this big and got fixed on the original site? Update: replaced with the image from xkcd.com which was much smaller. [[User:Cgrimes85|Cgrimes85]] ([[User talk:Cgrimes85|talk]]) 18:55, 24 April 2019 (UTC)

::Looks like it is fixed now, but yes it was also that big on xkcd.com initially. [[User:Fwacer|Fwacer]] ([[User talk:Fwacer|talk]]) 19:19, 24 April 2019 (UTC)

To me, it comes across as a hyperbolic play on the common confusion between the meaning of UI and UX. [https://twitter.com/sdw/status/709853249407361024] [[User:Ahiijny|Ahiijny]] ([[User talk:Ahiijny|talk]]) 19:06, 24 April 2019 (UTC)

It makes sense that it would be alpha and omega, but I originally thought it was the "proportional" symbol. I only ask because alpha is lowercase and omega is uppercase, although perhaps this was to avoid confusion with the Latin "A". [[User:Cgrimes85|Cgrimes85]] ([[User talk:Cgrimes85|talk]]) 19:13, 24 April 2019 (UTC)
:Concerning the lowercase/uppercase difference, since alpha is the beginning and omega is the end, then consider that in the beginning we are born little and then grow up - we start out as lowercase and end up as uppercase. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 19:30, 24 April 2019 (UTC)

This is a joke on integration, yes?[[Special:Contributions/172.69.68.129|172.69.68.129]] 19:33, 24 April 2019 (UTC)
: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice" -- I guess the big in the comic being about the arc of the moral universe can reference the fight against segregation and thus for integration...
:: I meant mathematical integration...

I'm happy with the explanations I just added for everything but "Life's experience of time" -- does anyone know what that phrase is from? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.133.54|172.68.133.54]] 05:48, 25 April 2019 (UTC)
:I thought it was made by a U[unprintable glyph] designer. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.226.64|172.68.226.64]] 07:40, 25 April 2019 (UTC)

No UK - well that is about par [[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.240|141.101.107.240]] 20:45, 25 April 2019 (UTC)

On what level are those idiots who say "user doesn't need this setting, it would only confuse him"? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 22:20, 25 April 2019 (UTC)
:UG2 - user second-guessing. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.142.197|172.68.142.197]] 06:27, 26 April 2019 (UTC)

Why has Randall chosen this particular set of characters? Why Z? Why alpha and omega - the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, used in the bible quote "i am the alpha and omega" i.e. the beginning and the end, but what link with the subject? Or is it just a sequence of increasingly improbable characters from latin through Greek, then glyphs then unprintable glyphs..?
[[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.82|108.162.229.82]] 07:34, 26 April 2019 (UTC) Dancergraham

:UX comes after UI in the alphabet, and so Randall first extended that to the last letter of the Latin alphabet, then Greek. Infinity then also makes sense, but I don't know about the bullet. [[User:Oliphaunt|Oliphaunt]] ([[User talk:Oliphaunt|talk]]) 09:08, 26 April 2019 (UTC)

2141: UI vs UX

2019-04-26T09:10:58Z

Oliphaunt: /* Explanation */ use alpha (see comments)

{{comic
| number = 2141
| date = April 24, 2019
| title = UI vs UX
| image = ui_vs_ux.png
| titletext = U[unprintable glyph]: The elements a higher power uses to bend that moral arc. U[even more unprintable glyph]: The higher power's overall experience bending that moral arc.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a UX DESIGNER. Each U{x} needs its own section. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[https://www.google.com/search?q=UI+vs+UX UI vs UX] is a discussion in software engineering of the differences between {{w|User_interface_design|user interface}} design (UI) and {{w|user experience}} design (UX). As explained in the comic, UI design is typically concerned with the elements of the interface that a user encounters, while UX design is more concerned about the user's overall experience in using such interface. UX design can be seen as more holistic & abstract than UI. This comic extends the idea, adding increasingly all-encompassing, abstract & fanciful design perspectives

*UI - '''Elements of the interface that the user encounters'''
This standard software engineering practice involves trying to come up with a user interface - icons, colors, placement or text and elements, etc. that works well together, that isn't confusing, and that hopefully makes it easy for the user to view the information they need to digest, as well as make whatever choices the user is expected to make. They also look at things like how long it takes to move from one screen or task to another, etc.

*UX - '''The user's experience of using the interface to achieve goals'''
Sometimes a UI designer makes choices that they think are easy for the user, but it turns out not to be as easy as expected when it comes to real users and practical situations. So the UX designer focuses on observing how a user uses a product, both how they use the user interface as well as other less technical aspects of their experience such as how they come to find out about the product, what they tell others about the product, etc.

The comic takes this to absurd levels by adding these additional categories:

*UZ - '''The psychological roots of the user's motivation for seeking out the interaction'''
The comic says that UZ is the investigation of the psychological roots of why the user even wants to use the interface. This is not normally something that computer programmers do{{Citation needed}}, and is usually best left in the hands of psychologists {{Citation needed}}.

"The psychological roots of motivation" is a [http://playbook.amanet.org/brian-tracy-the-root-of-motivation/ buzzword phrase] from [http://www.maccoby.com/books/WhyWork.php management theory] which may not have a particularly well-defined meaning. {{w|Motivation}} is itself the psychological root of behavior. While motivations certainly have causes, they are usually not clear enough to meaningfully treat in formal or clinical contexts.

*Uα - '''The user's self-actualization'''

"{{w|Self actualization}}" is the most abstract, immaterial form of motivation, meaning the need to find comfort in one's own goals and achievements. Available only when more material needs such as those for food, shelter, warmth, security, and a sense of belonging are met, it forms the pinnacle of {{w|Maslow's hierarchy of needs}}.

*UΩ - '''The arc of the user's life'''

"The arc of one's life," means the overall thematic elements present in a person's existence. It occurs in the philosophical humor novel ''{{w|The World According to Garp}},'' which remarks on how easily the arc of any human life can turn on a single sexual relationship.

*U∞ - '''Life's experience of time'''

"Life's experience of time" is a very rare phrase which does not seem to have a coherent meaning across the handful of times it occurs.

*U⬤ - '''The arc of the moral universe'''

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice," is a famous line from a speech by {{w|Martin Luther King}}, referring to the slow pace at which social progress is often achieved, and paraphrasing parts of a 1853 sermon by abolitionist minister {{w|Theodore Parker}}: "I do not pretend to understand the moral universe. The arc is a long one. My eye reaches but little ways. I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by experience of sight. I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends toward justice." President Obama had the sentence from King's speech woven into a rug in the Oval Office.

The title text refers to a higher power bending the moral arc, but mirrors the UI and UX categories, with the implication that the list continues in a spiral through ever more rarefied levels of higher powers.

*U[unprintable glyph] - '''The elements a higher power uses to bend that moral arc'''

Essentially UI for the higher power's moral arc bending utility

*U[even more unprintable glyph] - '''The higher power's overall experience bending that moral arc'''

Essentially UX for the higher power's moral arc bending utility

==Transcript==
:[Two underlined headings are above two columns of text with seven lines. The left "symbol" is explained by the text to the right.]
:Designer     What they are responsible for
:'''UI'''               Elements of the interface that the user encounters
:'''UX'''              The user's experience of using the interface to achieve goals
:'''UZ'''              The psychological roots of the user's motivation for seeking out the interaction
:'''U∝'''             The user's self-actualization
:'''UΩ'''              The arc of the user's life
:'''U∞'''              Life's experience of time
:'''U'''⚫             The arc of the moral universe
{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Programming]]

Talk:2141: UI vs UX

2019-04-26T09:08:17Z

Oliphaunt: answer alphabetical progression

The comic as a whole is making fun of how meta software developers get about the user experience, seeking to name all the different types of interactions a user can have with an app or webpage.
This comic is massive for me on my desktop (chrome); I wonder if this is a joke about bad UX or if it is a genuine error? [[User:Fwacer|Fwacer]] ([[User talk:Fwacer|talk]]) 18:50, 24 April 2019 (UTC)

:It's not this big on xkcd.com. Did it start this big and got fixed on the original site? Update: replaced with the image from xkcd.com which was much smaller. [[User:Cgrimes85|Cgrimes85]] ([[User talk:Cgrimes85|talk]]) 18:55, 24 April 2019 (UTC)

::Looks like it is fixed now, but yes it was also that big on xkcd.com initially. [[User:Fwacer|Fwacer]] ([[User talk:Fwacer|talk]]) 19:19, 24 April 2019 (UTC)

To me, it comes across as a hyperbolic play on the common confusion between the meaning of UI and UX. [https://twitter.com/sdw/status/709853249407361024] [[User:Ahiijny|Ahiijny]] ([[User talk:Ahiijny|talk]]) 19:06, 24 April 2019 (UTC)

It makes sense that it would be alpha and omega, but I originally thought it was the "proportional" symbol. I only ask because alpha is lowercase and omega is uppercase, although perhaps this was to avoid confusion with the Latin "A". [[User:Cgrimes85|Cgrimes85]] ([[User talk:Cgrimes85|talk]]) 19:13, 24 April 2019 (UTC)
:Concerning the lowercase/uppercase difference, since alpha is the beginning and omega is the end, then consider that in the beginning we are born little and then grow up - we start out as lowercase and end up as uppercase. [[User:Ianrbibtitlht|Ianrbibtitlht]] ([[User talk:Ianrbibtitlht|talk]]) 19:30, 24 April 2019 (UTC)

This is a joke on integration, yes?[[Special:Contributions/172.69.68.129|172.69.68.129]] 19:33, 24 April 2019 (UTC)
: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice" -- I guess the big in the comic being about the arc of the moral universe can reference the fight against segregation and thus for integration...
:: I meant mathematical integration...

I'm happy with the explanations I just added for everything but "Life's experience of time" -- does anyone know what that phrase is from? [[Special:Contributions/172.68.133.54|172.68.133.54]] 05:48, 25 April 2019 (UTC)
:I thought it was made by a U[unprintable glyph] designer. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.226.64|172.68.226.64]] 07:40, 25 April 2019 (UTC)

No UK - well that is about par [[Special:Contributions/141.101.107.240|141.101.107.240]] 20:45, 25 April 2019 (UTC)

On what level are those idiots who say "user doesn't need this setting, it would only confuse him"? -- [[User:Hkmaly|Hkmaly]] ([[User talk:Hkmaly|talk]]) 22:20, 25 April 2019 (UTC)
:UG2 - user second-guessing. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.142.197|172.68.142.197]] 06:27, 26 April 2019 (UTC)

Why has Randall chosen this particular set of characters? Why Z? Why alpha and omega - the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, used in the bible quote "i am the alpha and omega" i.e. the beginning and the end, but what link with the subject? Or is it just a sequence of increasingly improbable characters from latin through Greek, then glyphs then unprintable glyphs..? [[Special:Contributions/108.162.229.82|108.162.229.82]] 07:34, 26 April 2019 (UTC) Dancergraham
:UX comes after UI in the alphabet, and do Randall first extended that to the last letter of the Latin alphabet, then Greek. Infinity then also makes sense, but I don't know about the bullet. [[User:Oliphaunt|Oliphaunt]] ([[User talk:Oliphaunt|talk]]) 09:08, 26 April 2019 (UTC)

Talk:1646: Twitter Bot

2016-02-22T13:20:34Z

Oliphaunt: suggest category

Technically, nothing until the actual fight is against the Three Laws -- he didn't tell the bot NOT to do those things. And self-preservation is the third law, so it's allowed to defend itself in a fight, so long as it does not harm Cueball (First Law) -- so let's assume its phaser is set on "stun" (unbeknownst to Cueball) accounting for the pew pew noises, and this is now all within the three laws. Nothing in the Three Laws says it can't *threaten* a human, after all. --[[User:PsyMar|PsyMar]] ([[User talk:PsyMar|talk]]) 08:15, 22 February 2016 (UTC)
:Also, unless the bot changed its own e-mail -- and I think Twitter sends a verification to the *old* e-mail that must be responded to -- changing the password shouldn't keep Cueball out, as Cueball can reset the password by e-mail. If he gave the bot his e-mail password then that's his fault, as is if he used the same password for his email and Twitter.--[[User:PsyMar|PsyMar]] ([[User talk:PsyMar|talk]]) 08:19, 22 February 2016 (UTC)

Perhaps, with the recent comics referring to Asimov and the Three Laws of Robotics, it's time to create a new category to collect them? [[User:Oliphaunt|Oliphaunt]] ([[User talk:Oliphaunt|talk]]) 13:20, 22 February 2016 (UTC)