explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

User talk:Theusaf

2026-07-10T21:17:11Z

Somefan:

Hello world [[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 05:10, 18 August 2021 (UTC)

==[[User:TheusafBOT]]==
Hi Theusaf. Great with the bot. And sorry I made the error of claiming that 2x image should be used. this was a mistake. So if you see this please change the bot so it does use the normal sized image and do not put an image size in the header field. It caused confusion and is not like all the other comics. I take the blame, but would love you bot to work proper. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:34, 19 August 2021 (UTC)
:Got it. [[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 15:53, 19 August 2021 (UTC)
::Great. Thanks for fixing this now that DGBRT seems to have left explain xkcd. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:09, 24 August 2021 (UTC)

Update: Great with the new feature of [[User:TheusafBOT]], so it helps with reverting spam. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:42, 31 July 2022 (UTC)

==Nice job==
Nice bot! --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] ([[User talk:Jeff|talk]]) 00:28, 7 November 2021 (UTC)

==Thanks for helping with images for the countdown==
Thanks for helping with [[Countdown in header text/images|images for the countdown]]. Was afraid I was alone on that ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:11, 14 January 2022 (UTC)
:No problem! [[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 18:31, 14 January 2022 (UTC)
::Seems like we will be the one to do it though ;-) Just added two more up to 33. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:42, 15 January 2022 (UTC)

Hey Theusaf!
Were you the one that made the kahoot winner thing?
[[User:Wafflefly21|Wafflefly21]] ([[User talk:Wafflefly21|talk]]) 01:28, 4 May 2022 (UTC)
:That is correct. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 21:16, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

== 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)

== Common.js Changes ==
You know, we could set up a script to block keywords from editing, like AbuseFilter. I'm not sure if we could make it performant and guarantee no false positives.

Actually, could we just up and add AbuseFilter?

[[User:Jacky720|That's right, Jacky720 just signed this]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|contribs]]) 22:24, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
:It would be great if we could enable it, but that requires direct access to the server, which AFAIK, only Jeff can do. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 22:26, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
:: Ah, alright. Do you think the script could work without messing people up? We would need to avoid edge cases like the word being used legitimately... maybe detect if there are two in a row and that it isn't the entirety of the page content. [[User:Jacky720|Jack]], currently rethinking his overly long signature ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 22:30, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
:::That is true, it needs to take into account legitimate usage. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 23:04, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
::::Does the new code's regex somehow match the crap or something? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.105|172.70.130.105]] 23:50, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
::::: <s>No, it just makes one of the elements nonfunctional for a half-second 50% of the time. It throttles edits but doesn't block them. And we can't make it a real throttle, like just failing to edit if too many edits are made too fast, without more API use than we know.</s> [[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 00:27, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
::::: Oh, no, theusaf changed it. Now it picks a random word in the article and refuses to put the edit through if more than 60% of the article is that same word. Not foolproof, but it's going to require some adaptation I don't know if our script kiddie is up to.
::::: ... Did I just jinx it? [[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 00:33, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
:::::: I think we're dealing with more than a script kiddie. (S)he/they ha(s/ve) been adapting to previous antivandalbot changes/code. I think (s)he/they will do the same for this. Just a constant game of cat and mouse, unfortunately. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.195|172.70.130.195]] 00:40, 24 May 2022 (UTC)

== Anticrap doesn't work ==

Seems that the click attribute of the save button isn't what's causing the form to submit. We could just delete all the IDs of the elements, thus making them harder to reference by script? --[[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 21:12, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
:The two craps I reverted were from IPs, so they seem to have been done manually. The bot only works for logged-in autoconfirmed users. [[User:Anticrap|Anticrap]] ([[User talk:Anticrap|talk]]) 21:49, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
:: Still, the script is designed to block all crapping in the UI. Since the bot is basically a UI selfbot, it shows that it won't work when another autoconfirmed account crops up. --[[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 21:53, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
:::Oh yeah, you're right. BTW, I just decrapped four more pages that got crapped. My guess is that the crapper doesn't have any autoconfirmed accounts now (thanks for blocking those BTW), so (s)he's/they're doing some manual crapping while (s)he/they wait(s) for an account to be old enough. [[User:Anticrap|Anticrap]] ([[User talk:Anticrap|talk]]) 22:02, 24 May 2022 (UTC)

== Please disable autoblock on [[User:Donald Trump]] ==

A couple times, I've been assigned the same IP as one of the ones the crapper was assigned, and had to try several times to save edits. [[User:Anticrap|Anticrap]] ([[User talk:Anticrap|talk]]) 20:13, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
:Done —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 20:18, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
:It would help if Anticrap was most likely not an account also being used by the crapper themself (and therefore habitually uses the very same Cloudflare portal and thus possible IP range). So many clues to suggest this, even before 'Donald' basically admitted it. Anyway, if you're reading this, Anticrap, and you recognise the truth of this, I've left a comment about 'playing the villain' at the end of the Talk discussion of the now blocked account. Consider it, if it is indeed applicable. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.147|172.70.162.147]] 21:02, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
::May I ask what evidence you have that Anticrap is the troll? [[User:Vandalbane|Vandalbane]] ([[User talk:Vandalbane|talk]]) 21:08, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
:::A few little things. Individually not enough to worry about. But we can start with a occasions when just ''two'' "crappings" were made (very out of character for the Crapper, who by that point was more than willing to mass-Crap either by user-script or just by personal effort on anonymous login) and then within 4 minutes (within 2 minutes, in one pair of cases, I think) Anticrap lived up to their name.
:::Possibly very lucky (and the Crapper's heart also wasn't in it), but it wasn't just the one instance.
:::The suggestions and insights Anticrap has made also seem a little off, especially in light of this. And it was soon after Anticrap learnt how to use the one-click-revert (for the purpose intended) that so did the next incarnation of Crapper.
:::If I am wrong - and I invite you to consider this yourself, I know I've no provable authority - then I apologise to you, Anticrap, but you find yourself in the middle of a whole lot of of 'obvious' paranoia-inducing coincidences. Your revelation of IP-sharing was just the icing on the already very well baked cake.
:::(Noting that I already made a slightly obscure note of this in our little mutual discussion about Vista, the other day, and that was before several further indications intensified my opinion on this. I won't give clues to some of these things, but noting that "I don't want to help the Crapper" is a phrase I used before and also crept into Anticrap's submitted text. Thank you for paying attention to me, if that's what happened, I'm truly gratified.)
:::Oh, and I'm also not calling for Anticrap to be banned/blocked. I'm just asking them to continue to be the (mostly) white-hat user they have tried to be, and appealing for ''whoever'' is the black-hat vandaliser to just not make things worse again under whatever new guises they are tempted to use. I'm a tolerant person. "Hate the sin, love the sinner," you might say. But with 'Donald' being so frank, I'm more convinced of the link than ever.
:::HTH, HAND. FYI, YMMV. TTFN. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.44|172.70.86.44]] 21:56, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
::::I think your evidence is quite convincing. I agree we should trust them unless we have a reason not to, but I can see why you're suspicious of them. This makes me wonder if the Anticrap account is their "good hand" account they mentioned. Lastly, I agree we shouldn't help the crapper, nor should we feed the trolls, but I do feel like the wiki team needs a secure place to discuss sensitive matters. [[User:Vandalbane|Vandalbane]] ([[User talk:Vandalbane|talk]]) 22:13, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
:::::What "suggestions and insights" are you referring to? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.47|172.70.178.47]] 00:29, 27 May 2022 (UTC)

== Bot down ==
Hello! Since [[2631: Exercise Progression]], the bot seems to have not created the page and the three since then have been manually made. I was wondering if that was a problem with the bot, or if I simply created the Exercise Progression page before the bot could and messed it up. I did wait a bit before starting, so I think the bot might've hit some sort of error (: [[User:Char Latte49|Wielder of the Staple Gun]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 14:15, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
:Yes seems like the bot is down. Are you there Theusaf? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:36, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
::The bot should be back up now. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:21, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
:::Thank you! [[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 15:02, 16 June 2022 (UTC)
::::Great, yes thanks. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:46, 17 June 2022 (UTC)

== Site convention ==

I didn't notice until after another edit of mine (to [[1388]]), but my attempted revert of the Title-Text-added-to-Transcript had obviously been preceded by your own. I must have missed the "It has been changed..." note, while I was pondering another edit (that I then did) to the main text.

However, that meant my Summary got lost, and I note that you didn't supply the detail. On the assumption that it's a genuine editor (very strange to be our current resident vandal, to do that, so I'm assuming good faith in the original attempt, and another random-looking comment got TitleText-Transcripted just recently, perhaps by the same unknowingly misguided IP-contributor) it might be a good idea to explain. I had put something like "Title Text is already mentioned beneath the comic image. Site Convention is that the Transcript only describes the image details not ready readily available for site-reader/text-search processing". (Actually, it was shorter than that, because of space limitations. Perhaps why you got your revert in... I was busy editing it to fit! :P)

I know there are regulars here (named and IP) who have expressed doubts about whether that's a ''good'' reason. An alternate use-case is that all Transcripts ''do'' go through the comic in great detail and also end with the 'meta'-text of the hovertext/whatever. But as (pretty much) none of them have it right now I'm very happy to support the no-Title-Text-in-Transcript standard. And have said so elsewhere, at other times (not that my voice carries weight).

But what I ''really'' meant to just say here is that the reason/'policy'/convention might need to be advertised a bit better, occasionally. At least before someone decides to 'correct' absolutely every Transcript (constructively, after a fashion, if not necessarily) because of some perceived need and some clear overabundance of time. ;) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.34|172.70.86.34]] 14:49, 1 August 2022 (UTC)
:Yes, I agree. The reason I didn't provide detail in the revert was that I had clicked on the rollback button (which automatically undoes revisions with a default message) instead of the undo button. I'll try to be more careful in the future. Thanks! —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 15:27, 1 August 2022 (UTC)
::There is not a single transcript that have the title text, or if, so it is because of a mistake. If someone begins to do this it will be spotted, and said person will be told to stop and all his edits would be reverted. I have deleted some in my time, but not many. So I do not see this as a real issue. I'm the one that completes most of the transcript, making sure they follow same standard. Of course not all agree with this all the time, but there is a consistence across the comics. I have not been through all transcripts, but I would guess I have seen about 2/3. And one of the thing is that it should describe the picture both for blind/weak sighted people, and also for possible searching for items in the image. And then of-course all text in the image (any text) should be part of the actual transcript, not the description. No (active) links, no explanations and no title text. For sure it is best to write which changes we do, but if there are many changes done it is hard to write for all of them... You can check the [[Special:ContributionScores|number of edits]] I have made on these pages... most of any ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:50, 1 August 2022 (UTC)
:::Hi, yes (IP OP of this section, lest there be doubt). Because it is practically universal, unless any otherwise slipped in somehow, I'm vigorous in removing new examples. Two very recently (or one and the above where Theusaf got there before me), I think one a month or two ago, very infrequently otherwise but not unknown. And who knows how many where I never noticed behind "24 revisions, showing the latest state", because I aint checking ''every'' minute of the day... ;)
:::Of coirse, its a largely unwritten rule (or mentioned deep within Community Portal subsections and perhaps occasional Talk pages ...for a comic or otherwise) and just as we all sort of learnt (or, maybe for some, ''developed'') the conventions from our own reading and posting here, in our greener days, obviously we get new-bugs along who don't quite grasp things as we seem to have realised.
:::So my intent was to just say "Hey, you got there just before me, but maybe a reason would be good", just as a friendly note to another friendly person. But I inserted far too much side-commentary. Maybe you recognise my style, as 'that IP' who often does that! (Though it's not just me, I'm sure, so don't blame every anonymously meandering muse-out-loud on just myself!)
:::Note made, however. Only editing this in because both of you (worthy edktors/page-wrangle5s, both!) are now here. If any more notable commentators arrive, I think it'd he best taken out qnd plonked upon one or other Community Portal pages, naturally. ;P [[Special:Contributions/172.70.246.221|172.70.246.221]] 17:00, 1 August 2022 (UTC)

== Something for your autoreverter bot to look for? ==

https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk%3A2335%3A_Photo_Deposit&type=revision&diff=293007&oldid=289177

That's across several edits (this link-adder seems to always take several shots at trying to get the link to work how they want, unless it's an attempt to get past potential initial insertion-detections....) and I've reverted it in whole now. But as it's quite a pattern (the casino link... I'd have to search for past examples that were neutered, though, if you want the full range of possibilities) I was wondering if it was a good target for your 'bot.

FYI, anyway. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.147|172.70.162.147]] 21:01, 17 August 2022 (UTC)

(...also FYI, I undid [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=President&curid=14671&diff=293026&oldid=292152 another perrenial] ((And [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Facebook&curid=10895&diff=293029&oldid=222716 another one]], taking foreign text as its source, which I should have noticed earlier)). Actually, probably a perlunial or even more frequent. But as I've intruded into your Talk-space already, why not mention this too? ;) ) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.211|172.69.79.211]] 22:17, 17 August 2022 (UTC)

:Thanks for the report! I'll see if I can use these to improve what the bot detects as spam. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 04:57, 18 August 2022 (UTC)

::Success! ( https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Facebook&diff=293076&oldid=293075 ) Good work. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.128|172.70.91.128]] 12:37, 18 August 2022 (UTC)

An [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=214:_The_Problem_with_Wikipedia&curid=2047&diff=294127&oldid=291651 incompetent vandalism attempt] (currently reverted) clearly done after someone (our old 'friend'?) found themselves being so quickly foiled in two other edits, earlier today. Just a heads-up. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.19|162.158.159.19]] 20:25, 4 September 2022 (UTC)

I think I know why your 'bot didn't catch [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Facebook&diff=305025&oldid=305021 this one]... But for your consideration as to whether you can handle it better (without false positives)... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.127|172.70.91.127]] 17:24, 19 January 2023 (UTC)

== What is up with your bot? ==

https://i.imgur.com/I2vrwgI.png ?!? https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Admin_requests&curid=576&action=history [[Special:Contributions/172.71.146.73|172.71.146.73]] 07:41, 24 August 2022 (UTC)
:Sorry about that. It seems that the bot is a bit too loose with its spam detection. I'll look into the problem. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 16:07, 24 August 2022 (UTC)
::Done it [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Admin_requests&curid=576&diff=293417&oldid=292142 again]. I'm not the above IP, but I added to the quote-punctuation thing (long, rambly, personal opinion/interpretation) and I'm wondering if the <nowiki><tt></nowiki> (which I didn't use, but was submitted from the original as a section-edit) might have triggered the autorevert? And link I give is for the whole day-span of edits. Not sure why it suddenly doesn't like GWG's historic comment, etc, as well... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.221|172.70.85.221]]
:::It's mostly because there is discussion about spam on the page, so any edits to the page seems to trigger the bot. It looks like I didn't whitelist the page properly in the bot.
:::This should be fixed now. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 23:29, 24 August 2022 (UTC)
I think [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2003:_Presidential_Succession&diff=prev&oldid=294743 this edit] was overzealous, if I'm reading the change/reverted-prior correctly. Understandable. Single-word edits can be very malicious and I doubt your 'bot can recognise a legitimate grammatical/contextual edit so it probably just got caught in your detection-net's particular 'mesh', the details of which I imagine you understand better than I would, and also how you'd get this one unreverted without overly hobbling your autoreverting system. — Without checking, I imagine the "either" is a remnant of a longer statement that had an "or" to it, long unspotted. (Well done then, PoolloverNathan, for finding it! ;) ) Just a heads-up, assuming you don't get a nice little review-log to scan through already in your own time. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.175|172.70.90.175]] 13:32, 13 September 2022 (UTC)
:Thanks for the report. I'll look into it. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:08, 13 September 2022 (UTC)
::I've adjusted the detection-net. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:37, 13 September 2022 (UTC)

== Edit summary ==

The edit summary in 2700 contains slur, could you please redacted them? https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:RevisionDelete. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.82|172.70.206.82]] 05:12, 19 November 2022 (UTC)
:Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I have access to that feature. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 06:12, 19 November 2022 (UTC)

== User page ==

Thanks for helping me create my user page. [[User:ColorfulGalaxy|ColorfulGalaxy]] ([[User talk:ColorfulGalaxy|talk]]) 18:42, 4 December 2022 (UTC)

== Strange spam-responding ==

Inexplicably, [[User:While False]] has been trying to talk to long-standing spammers, that your BOT already adequately deals wirh, on their IP pages. It looks like he's mostly ignoring other (actually caring) IPs like me, is there anything you can try saying to them? And perhaps get resolved some of the [[:Category:Pages to delete]] that have resulted from this strange pactice. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.185|172.69.79.185]] 22:09, 17 December 2022 (UTC)
:Looks like we’re both at last have had the pages we have nominated for deletion deleted. Perhaps we’re both satisfied then, now that an admin has set a useful precedent. —[[User:While False|While False]] ([[User:While False/explain xkcd museum|'''museum''']] | [[User talk:While False|talk]] | [[special:Contributions/While_False|contributions]] | [[special:Log/While_False|logs]] | [[Special:UserRights/While_False|rights]] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:While_False&printable=yes printable version] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:While_False&action=info page information] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:WhatLinksHere/User:While_False what links there] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:RecentChangesLinked&days=30&from=&target=User%3AWhile_False related changes] | a late contribution | current time: {{CURRENTTIME}}) 22:33, 18 December 2022 (UTC)
::I only took my lead from elsewhere, and others' clear interest in the matter (being the above respondee, but having seen others(?) previously try to engage). Perhaps I just poked the right spot, or it was going to happen anyway. But it feels rude to chat with you on someone else's page, as it is unnecessary to correct minor errors in my original text.
::But I can't work out your mind, and it seems I won't expect you to understand mine. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.205|162.158.34.205]] 00:14, 19 December 2022 (UTC)
:::Not my intention to be rude to either of you; sorry if I was. —[[User:While False|While False]] ([[User:While False/explain xkcd museum|'''museum''']] | [[User talk:While False|talk]] | [[special:Contributions/While_False|contributions]] | [[special:Log/While_False|logs]] | [[Special:UserRights/While_False|rights]] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:While_False&printable=yes printable version] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:While_False&action=info page information] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:WhatLinksHere/User:While_False what links there] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:RecentChangesLinked&days=30&from=&target=User%3AWhile_False related changes] | a late contribution | current time: {{CURRENTTIME}}) 04:13, 19 December 2022 (UTC)

== Image reversions ==
Alright, a vandal is currently hard at work on the site by changing the original xkcd images into various spam.

Is it possible to implement a feature which keeps all the images as the original, or simply lock those pages?

Thanks!

[[User:Eelitee|Eelitee]] ([[User talk:Eelitee|talk]]) 06:33, 22 December 2022 (UTC)
:For now, I've implemented the ability to revert image changes to my bot. Another possible solution I am considering is automatically using my account to semi-protect images when uploaded. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:46, 26 March 2023 (UTC)

== Forced shift of focus? ==

It seems to me that, after upping the protection on the Unreliable Connection page, the 'other possible spam-dumped pages' have been getting somewhat more attention than they got before. I'm guessing that failures to post (perhaps by failing the CAPTCHA, or some other challenge/speed-bump, have always used a "fail-over" method to try another on the list. Having (presumably) shut off the UC page more firmly, it's just drizzling more often over to the backup targets.

Just my impression. And your counter-spam measures are catching them all anyway (well, [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Google_Maps&diff=306469&oldid=306463 ''nearly'' all], for what I think are obvious reasons how it evaded the detection), but I'm not sure zipping any page up tighter is going to necessarily help that much. Opinion only, but FYI. Yet with continued appreciation that you're actually making the effort to keep on top of these things. Cheers for what you're doing, anyway. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.132|172.69.79.132]] 13:35, 20 February 2023 (UTC)

...just spotted that [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2659:_Unreliable_Connection&diff=prev&oldid=306619 someone had to undo] a change to UC's Talk page. I can't even remember the last time a wipe/replace spammer targetted a discussion page, and it can't be a coincidence that it is the one associated with the now blocked favourite target. A spillover action, almost certainly. Not sure what we can do better about this, of course, so still just a personal observation of little useful value. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.206|172.71.178.206]] 22:04, 22 February 2023 (UTC)

Uhh, are you discussing me? [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 03:20, 11 April 2023 (UTC)
:Look at the dates... You didn't even exist for roughly another month yet. But it's by your own hand that you made it possible that you're confused, if you are. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.137|172.71.178.137]] 09:25, 12 April 2023 (UTC)

== Comment deleted abruptly ==
Your bot has deleted my comment ! ! ! [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 03:19, 11 April 2023 (UTC)
:That's a bit unfortunate. It looks like you created the explanation quite quickly after the comic came out. The bot checks the LATESTCOMIC template to determine if an explanation exists, so it re-created the page. I'll see about verifying the existence of pages before creating them though. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 19:31, 11 April 2023 (UTC)
::Can I suggest excluding the Number->redirect page from that check. It's something someone could predict in advance, but not what "title" or "number: title" would be, and cause (temporary) bother. Best just to let that be overwritten properly ''if'' it already exists, and there shouldn't be an in-like-Flynn user already creating the page (like above with main and dicussion edits) who might need allowing for. It's ''only'' a redirect page. (Or possibly a Title->redirect page, if we get any more like [[2614: 2]] or [[855: 1999|ones]] [[998: 2012|for]] [[1311: 2014|various]] [[1624: 2016|years]], [[1779: 2017|titled]] [[1935: 2018|as]] [[2685: 2045|numbers]], but we should know of any new/impending instances of those in advance. Unless we get a given comic number that is entitled with the same number. ;) )
::But the example with UC's page-creating did also show a few faults (imperfect comic-template populating, and the lack of opening comment-tag in the Discussion page) that could benefit from at least checking. Maybe a special category appended, as the simplest first action upon finding a pre-created page (or an {{template|incomplete}}-style tag, saying "This page was created manually, and may need confirming as correctly set up...").
::Only important upon the 'bot making its first pass (the attempt to create), on finding for itself that there's a new comic, and shouldn't be needed for monitoring existing pages. That's all covered by the other anti-vandal services it provides. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.127|172.70.86.127]] 10:01, 12 April 2023 (UTC)
:::Thanks for your feedback. The bot does somewhat verify the title redirect pages, where if the title is a number larger than the current number, it won't re-create that redirect. I think excluding the number redirect from the check does make sense. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 18:14, 12 April 2023 (UTC)

==Can't create user page==

Hey, do you know how I can create my user page? Some people have them, but every time i try to create mine it says I can't.

Another thing: I don't receive any confirmation email when i click the button, this has been going on for days. Do you know how I could fix that?

Thanks, [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 09:13, 1 May 2023 (UTC)
:I've created your user page. To be able to create pages, you'll have to become autoconfirmed. The requirements for this can be found here: [[explain_xkcd:Autoconfirmed_users]]. Assuming it is accurate, I'm not quite sure why you were not able to create it. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:32, 1 May 2023 (UTC)
::Thanks! I must've become autoconfirmed after I added the topic to this talk page :)

== Spam on another wiki ==
Ther is far too much spam on [https://neography.miraheze.org/wiki/Special:RecentChanges this wiki]. It seems like the spammer on your website had went there to make a mess. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.135.23|172.69.135.23]] 00:54, 15 May 2023 (UTC)

== Bot down ==

The last two comics 2793 and 2794 had to be manually created. Is the bot down? Thanks, [[User:Natg19|Natg19]] ([[User talk:Natg19|talk]]) 19:35, 26 June 2023 (UTC)
:Thanks for the reminder! The bot was down due to some server maintenance. I'll get it back up. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 22:52, 28 June 2023 (UTC)
:: FYI, the bot looks down again. [[User:Natg19|Natg19]] ([[User talk:Natg19|talk]]) 04:46, 19 October 2023 (UTC)
:::Yup. I think I've got the auto-start script working properly now. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 15:44, 19 October 2023 (UTC)

== Errors ==

Hi Theusaf. I’m reaching out because there’s been a large amount of errors being thrown around recently. I’ve reached out to all semi-active admins that are on the wiki. 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. 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]]) 21:53, 19 September 2024 (UTC)
:Sorry 42.book.addict. I don't have server access or a way to personally contact Jeff. Other admins might have a way though. Usually the 503 errors tend to go away after a bit of time. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 19:40, 21 September 2024 (UTC)

== Spam reverting in places where it shouldn't ==

hi theusaf your bot reverted an edit i made to my own user page please revise as this does not make sense thank you [[User:Certified_nqh|Me]]{{citation needed}} 19:34, 4 October 2024 (UTC)
:Hi there, sorry about that. I've added your user page to the ignore list. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 02:59, 8 October 2024 (UTC)

== Broken RSS Feed ==

Hi Theusaf,
There have been some [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Admin_requests#RSS_Feed_Broken|reports]] of the RSS feed being broken. Seeing as you’re one of the more technical (and active) admins, could you poke around to see if you could fix this issue? I have also looped in [[User:Davidy22]] via email. Thanks! '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 16:43, 16 December 2024 (UTC)

==>:(==
Please get your bot off my talk page, thanks! [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|A dream demon]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 16:11, 17 December 2024 (UTC)
:You mean your User page, actually. And, seeing what you perhaps did to gain the wrath of the bot (I'll admit it, I ''did'' laugh when I saw what was happening), I suspect that you ''don't'' need to trigger this rather basic spam-detecting behaviour. Don't do the many-times repeated text. Perhaps TheusafBOT could be desensitised in certain instances (e.g. a user is allowed to edit ''their'' User: page with more latitude than would be allowed elsewhere), but the easy solution is just not to trigger it. (If it's some other 'spam metric', instead, then try to work round it, looking for whatever you want to do that does and doesn't trigger it.) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.43.182|172.69.43.182]] 17:42, 17 December 2024 (UTC)
::Agreed. Z1m, don’t blame Theusaf for his bot because it fights spam, instead try to avoid getting reverted by the bot. The benefits of having a spam-fighting bot largely outweighs the cons of needing to go out of your way to get reverted. (Although theusaf has made exceptions and tweaked the code of the bot before…) '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 18:11, 17 December 2024 (UTC)
:Oh HELLO 42. [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|A dream demon]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 19:07, 17 December 2024 (UTC)
:I'll look into letting users edit their own pages with fewer restrictions.🤝 --[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 00:13, 18 December 2024 (UTC)
::Hey Theusaf, since you're active, could you check out [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Coordination#Reaching_out_to_Jeff|the Coordination Community Portal]]? I have a proposed tweet to get him back online and I'm not sure if I should send it or not. '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 00:16, 18 December 2024 (UTC)

==Uhhhhh==
:I just wanted to ask you if your bot could help out my talk page (fixing spelling errors some people might make, no offense Apollo11.) Are we still cool about the whole...
:thing? [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:45, 15 January 2025 (UTC)
::This sort of feature is a bit out of scope of my bot at the moment. I remember someone else working on some kind of spellcheck bot though. However, I'm not sure if applying such a feature to talk pages makes sense. --[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:30, 15 January 2025 (UTC)
:::I’m currently working on a spellcheck bot, but I only plan on allowing it to edit explanation pages and category pages, not talk pages. It’s considered rude to correct someone’s spelling in a comment, as I’ve been corrected time over time for editing comments, even if I had good intentions. '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 17:46, 15 January 2025 (UTC)
::::I think it'll be counterproductive to create a 'Bot to find ''and change'' typos. There's always going to be intended 'typos', that aren't. (TheusafBot has ''occasionally' had to be overriden as it reverts genuine changes, and that's without the expectation that it's checking ''perhaps'' a whole dictionary of words and looking for ones that don't feature.) Instead, have something that lists something like "the word 'color' is spelt 'colour' in page <page title>", to review and ''consider'' if it needs changing. It could be in the context of "the British spelling of 'color' is 'colour'", which clearly shouldn't be automatically spill-chucked to "the British spelling of 'color' is 'color'"!
::::For anyone who wants to spall-chick their ''own'' contributions, there are always browser-plugins available for most browsers that provide shell-chequing (and even grandma-shucking) functionality, giving something like the wiggly-red(/green) underline in your own editor and right-click/long-press access to suggested changes. Pick whatever level of self-pestering suits you, and your own situation... It'll help with more than just ''this'' site, and might help stop you needing a sticking plaster that just highlights your current failings. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.102.138|172.71.102.138]] 20:03, 15 January 2025 (UTC)
:::::I love how people are deliberately misspelling "spell-check". Y'all just gave me life.[[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:22, 16 January 2025 (UTC)

== Please see ==

Please see [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Proposals#Banning_the_phrase_"WhatsApp"]] as you were mentioned in it. [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 17:32, 1 November 2025 (UTC)

== [[:Category:Comic images]] ==

Could you consider adding code to [[User:TheusafBOT]] to add [[:Category:Comic images]] to the comic files it uploads? '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 01:40, 26 November 2025 (UTC)
:Will do. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 03:43, 26 November 2025 (UTC)
::Please note that the changes you made caused the bot to add a tab before the Summary and Licensing text in File pages. See {{diff|393108|here}}, {{diff|393106|here}}, and {{diff|393107|here}}. '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 19:59, 1 December 2025 (UTC)
:::Thanks for the report. I'll have it fixed shortly. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 04:39, 2 December 2025 (UTC)

== Unprompted Comment Deletion ==

Hi Theusaf, your bot has been deleting my and another user's comments seemingly without cause. Please see the revision history of the [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Miscellaneous|miscellaneous]] community portal, or these edits: {{diff|407137}} {{diff|407135}} {{diff|407133}} {{diff|407131}} {{diff|407129}}. Thanks! [[User:42.book.addict|tori :3]][[User talk:42.book.addict|talk to me!]] 01:00, 25 February 2026 (UTC)
:I seem to have sorted it. The prior user's use of a long string of hyphens seemed most obviously the issue. And it looks like my modified reundo of the revert held nicely enough, so I think I was on the nail with that one.
:The editor who used them doesn't even seem to have much wikisyntax awareness, or he would have just used...
----
:...the existing wikimarkup version for an actual horizontal-rule (presumed what was intended). And also known how to numberlist ''with rendered linefeeds'' properly. But I only changed it by removing the "----"s (a rendered hr-tag/equivalent wouldn't have been useful), and the BOT left that alone. And probably should still keep on looking out for things exactly like that, as (at least in this circumstance) it definitely is more likely to need to avoid than keep. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.238.95|82.132.238.95]] 03:48, 25 February 2026 (UTC)
::Hello. Thanks for the report. I'll check the code to try reducing the number of times issues like these occur. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 06:45, 25 February 2026 (UTC)

== SiteNotice ==

It seems really weird to me to say "community-maintained" without identifying or linking to the community in question or discussion, and write the text in the passive voice ("has been created," omitting the "by whom"). Is there a reason for the oblique positioning? It's not quite the level of openness and transparency I expect from a wiki community. But perhaps I am too sensitive I don't want to be offering "stop energy." Thanks. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 13:16, 10 July 2026 (UTC)
:Ah, sorry, that's on me since I was the one who wrote the sitenotice. The fork was created by [[User:ToasterLightning]], an account that was created back in April 2024 and has no edits. I was unable to find the correct capitalization for their account username, so I decided to omit credit since I wasn't even sure if they had an account registered. Hope that clears things up! [[User:42.book.addict|tori :3]][[User talk:42.book.addict|talk to me!]] 17:12, 10 July 2026 (UTC)
::I am more confused, rather than less. Where is the fork? who is the community? Am I supposed to be looking at…https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/1urdzfn/explainingxkcd_an_explainxkcd_fork/ ? [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 17:33, 10 July 2026 (UTC)
:::yes, one of the forks is at https://explainingxkcd.com, created by [[User:ToasterLightning]]/Celene (also the same creator of that Reddit post), which was created to extend this wiki after it became unwritable on July 6. Another fork is at https://xkcd.eunakria.com, but that is read-only and intended for archival purposes. Both of these forks are now intended to be read-only, and we're looking for a way to get explainingxkcd merged onto this one (if possible). The community, including both of these fork creators, live at the explainxkcd discord server, which has an invite link in the userpage of the user you responded to -- [[User:Somefan|somefan]] ([[User talk:Somefan|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Somefan|contribs]]) 21:08, 10 July 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3269: Airport Meeting

2026-07-10T21:14:15Z

Somefan: divide comments into sections about the comic and wiki, respectively

;About this comic

Since there's no explanation text yet, the joke is that they left with the wrong suitcases. :) [[User:SevenTheGamingKitty|SevenTheGamingKitty]] ([[User talk:SevenTheGamingKitty|talk]]) 00:52, 10 July 2026 (UTC)

Not wanting to be pedantic, but the guide Michelin exists since 1900, three years ''before'' brothers Wright performed the first motor flight. There are older airports, but the first commercial terminal operated in Sydney since 1920, and before 1920, practically all commercial flight was postal service only, anyway. --[[Special:Contributions/2001:16B8:CC2E:500:9AAF:4351:6EB6:C918|2001:16B8:CC2E:500:9AAF:4351:6EB6:C918]] 21:09, 10 July 2026 (UTC)

;About the wiki

Why can i not make first comment on last comic... also... what happened to the website??? [[Special:Contributions/216.25.182.141|216.25.182.141]] 02:48, 10 July 2026 (UTC)
:The site was having problems for several days. It wasn't picking up the new comics, and we couldn't login. See the box at the top about some community members working on a replacement site, since the original maintainer isn't interested any more. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 02:56, 10 July 2026 (UTC)
::Ah, so that's why the site felt so unstable recently. [[User:SevenTheGamingKitty|SevenTheGamingKitty]] ([[User talk:SevenTheGamingKitty|talk]]) 03:31, 10 July 2026 (UTC)
::: Midwest America has been a bit unstable in terms of Internet since last Friday (Jul 3rd), brought on by a particularly bad storm. My home internet, usually pretty stable, has been out for a couple hours every day since the power came back on. Microsoft Azure has also had some issues recently. This may have either caused or exacerbated the recent site instability to a point where everyone noticed it this week. Not to say that the original maintainers lack of maintenance didn't contribute, but I don't think it was the whole story. (Dartania) [[Special:Contributions/2601:40D:4283:28E0:2587:5B61:A9FE:1A87|2601:40D:4283:28E0:2587:5B61:A9FE:1A87]] 15:52, 10 July 2026 (UTC)

::: I didn't realise this was a sinking ship. Very sad. Hopefully someone is able to export all the explanations at least so that they can be ported over to a new site. And who is paying for the servers if the admins have all vanished? [[User:Alcatraz ii|Alcatraz ii]] ([[User talk:Alcatraz ii|talk]]) 03:46, 10 July 2026 (UTC)
::::Not really a sinking ship, though might have been lacking the steersman necessary to carefully weave it around any inconveniently appearing icebergs (which ''could'' finally sink it; and looked like it had, until the reprieve just now).
::::Multiple exports seem to have been made. And the absolute worst case for the recent problems was always likely to have been just a site frozen in aspic without further modification (at least until the server crashes, or stops being paid for, maybe due to entirely other reasons).
::::In fact, I think I might blame several 'full site exports' from creating some of the (not utterly blocking) instability. Perhaps not all of them, but I've seen several people announce (elsewhere) that they've decided to make "a full copy", and only ''one'' of them directly suggested that they were doing so in a 'nicer' rate-limiting manner. Which suggests that the rest may not have realised they could/should. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.236.148|82.132.236.148]] 11:38, 10 July 2026 (UTC)
:::: Is there any specific information about the new fork, who are creating it and is there any information on it? I'd like to help. [[User:Mouse|Mouse]] 15:24, 10 Jul 20206 (CEST)
::::: You can join [[User:42.book.addict]]'s explainxkcd Discord server for more information about the new fork. [[User:Capycapybara|Capycapybara]] ([[User talk:Capycapybara|talk]]) 17:16, 10 July 2026 (UTC)

User talk:Theusaf

2026-07-10T21:11:29Z

Somefan:

Hello world [[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 05:10, 18 August 2021 (UTC)

==[[User:TheusafBOT]]==
Hi Theusaf. Great with the bot. And sorry I made the error of claiming that 2x image should be used. this was a mistake. So if you see this please change the bot so it does use the normal sized image and do not put an image size in the header field. It caused confusion and is not like all the other comics. I take the blame, but would love you bot to work proper. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:34, 19 August 2021 (UTC)
:Got it. [[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 15:53, 19 August 2021 (UTC)
::Great. Thanks for fixing this now that DGBRT seems to have left explain xkcd. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:09, 24 August 2021 (UTC)

Update: Great with the new feature of [[User:TheusafBOT]], so it helps with reverting spam. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:42, 31 July 2022 (UTC)

==Nice job==
Nice bot! --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] ([[User talk:Jeff|talk]]) 00:28, 7 November 2021 (UTC)

==Thanks for helping with images for the countdown==
Thanks for helping with [[Countdown in header text/images|images for the countdown]]. Was afraid I was alone on that ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:11, 14 January 2022 (UTC)
:No problem! [[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 18:31, 14 January 2022 (UTC)
::Seems like we will be the one to do it though ;-) Just added two more up to 33. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:42, 15 January 2022 (UTC)

Hey Theusaf!
Were you the one that made the kahoot winner thing?
[[User:Wafflefly21|Wafflefly21]] ([[User talk:Wafflefly21|talk]]) 01:28, 4 May 2022 (UTC)
:That is correct. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 21:16, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

== 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)

== Common.js Changes ==
You know, we could set up a script to block keywords from editing, like AbuseFilter. I'm not sure if we could make it performant and guarantee no false positives.

Actually, could we just up and add AbuseFilter?

[[User:Jacky720|That's right, Jacky720 just signed this]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|contribs]]) 22:24, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
:It would be great if we could enable it, but that requires direct access to the server, which AFAIK, only Jeff can do. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 22:26, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
:: Ah, alright. Do you think the script could work without messing people up? We would need to avoid edge cases like the word being used legitimately... maybe detect if there are two in a row and that it isn't the entirety of the page content. [[User:Jacky720|Jack]], currently rethinking his overly long signature ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 22:30, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
:::That is true, it needs to take into account legitimate usage. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 23:04, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
::::Does the new code's regex somehow match the crap or something? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.105|172.70.130.105]] 23:50, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
::::: <s>No, it just makes one of the elements nonfunctional for a half-second 50% of the time. It throttles edits but doesn't block them. And we can't make it a real throttle, like just failing to edit if too many edits are made too fast, without more API use than we know.</s> [[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 00:27, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
::::: Oh, no, theusaf changed it. Now it picks a random word in the article and refuses to put the edit through if more than 60% of the article is that same word. Not foolproof, but it's going to require some adaptation I don't know if our script kiddie is up to.
::::: ... Did I just jinx it? [[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 00:33, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
:::::: I think we're dealing with more than a script kiddie. (S)he/they ha(s/ve) been adapting to previous antivandalbot changes/code. I think (s)he/they will do the same for this. Just a constant game of cat and mouse, unfortunately. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.195|172.70.130.195]] 00:40, 24 May 2022 (UTC)

== Anticrap doesn't work ==

Seems that the click attribute of the save button isn't what's causing the form to submit. We could just delete all the IDs of the elements, thus making them harder to reference by script? --[[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 21:12, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
:The two craps I reverted were from IPs, so they seem to have been done manually. The bot only works for logged-in autoconfirmed users. [[User:Anticrap|Anticrap]] ([[User talk:Anticrap|talk]]) 21:49, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
:: Still, the script is designed to block all crapping in the UI. Since the bot is basically a UI selfbot, it shows that it won't work when another autoconfirmed account crops up. --[[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 21:53, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
:::Oh yeah, you're right. BTW, I just decrapped four more pages that got crapped. My guess is that the crapper doesn't have any autoconfirmed accounts now (thanks for blocking those BTW), so (s)he's/they're doing some manual crapping while (s)he/they wait(s) for an account to be old enough. [[User:Anticrap|Anticrap]] ([[User talk:Anticrap|talk]]) 22:02, 24 May 2022 (UTC)

== Please disable autoblock on [[User:Donald Trump]] ==

A couple times, I've been assigned the same IP as one of the ones the crapper was assigned, and had to try several times to save edits. [[User:Anticrap|Anticrap]] ([[User talk:Anticrap|talk]]) 20:13, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
:Done —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 20:18, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
:It would help if Anticrap was most likely not an account also being used by the crapper themself (and therefore habitually uses the very same Cloudflare portal and thus possible IP range). So many clues to suggest this, even before 'Donald' basically admitted it. Anyway, if you're reading this, Anticrap, and you recognise the truth of this, I've left a comment about 'playing the villain' at the end of the Talk discussion of the now blocked account. Consider it, if it is indeed applicable. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.147|172.70.162.147]] 21:02, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
::May I ask what evidence you have that Anticrap is the troll? [[User:Vandalbane|Vandalbane]] ([[User talk:Vandalbane|talk]]) 21:08, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
:::A few little things. Individually not enough to worry about. But we can start with a occasions when just ''two'' "crappings" were made (very out of character for the Crapper, who by that point was more than willing to mass-Crap either by user-script or just by personal effort on anonymous login) and then within 4 minutes (within 2 minutes, in one pair of cases, I think) Anticrap lived up to their name.
:::Possibly very lucky (and the Crapper's heart also wasn't in it), but it wasn't just the one instance.
:::The suggestions and insights Anticrap has made also seem a little off, especially in light of this. And it was soon after Anticrap learnt how to use the one-click-revert (for the purpose intended) that so did the next incarnation of Crapper.
:::If I am wrong - and I invite you to consider this yourself, I know I've no provable authority - then I apologise to you, Anticrap, but you find yourself in the middle of a whole lot of of 'obvious' paranoia-inducing coincidences. Your revelation of IP-sharing was just the icing on the already very well baked cake.
:::(Noting that I already made a slightly obscure note of this in our little mutual discussion about Vista, the other day, and that was before several further indications intensified my opinion on this. I won't give clues to some of these things, but noting that "I don't want to help the Crapper" is a phrase I used before and also crept into Anticrap's submitted text. Thank you for paying attention to me, if that's what happened, I'm truly gratified.)
:::Oh, and I'm also not calling for Anticrap to be banned/blocked. I'm just asking them to continue to be the (mostly) white-hat user they have tried to be, and appealing for ''whoever'' is the black-hat vandaliser to just not make things worse again under whatever new guises they are tempted to use. I'm a tolerant person. "Hate the sin, love the sinner," you might say. But with 'Donald' being so frank, I'm more convinced of the link than ever.
:::HTH, HAND. FYI, YMMV. TTFN. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.44|172.70.86.44]] 21:56, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
::::I think your evidence is quite convincing. I agree we should trust them unless we have a reason not to, but I can see why you're suspicious of them. This makes me wonder if the Anticrap account is their "good hand" account they mentioned. Lastly, I agree we shouldn't help the crapper, nor should we feed the trolls, but I do feel like the wiki team needs a secure place to discuss sensitive matters. [[User:Vandalbane|Vandalbane]] ([[User talk:Vandalbane|talk]]) 22:13, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
:::::What "suggestions and insights" are you referring to? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.47|172.70.178.47]] 00:29, 27 May 2022 (UTC)

== Bot down ==
Hello! Since [[2631: Exercise Progression]], the bot seems to have not created the page and the three since then have been manually made. I was wondering if that was a problem with the bot, or if I simply created the Exercise Progression page before the bot could and messed it up. I did wait a bit before starting, so I think the bot might've hit some sort of error (: [[User:Char Latte49|Wielder of the Staple Gun]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 14:15, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
:Yes seems like the bot is down. Are you there Theusaf? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:36, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
::The bot should be back up now. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:21, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
:::Thank you! [[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 15:02, 16 June 2022 (UTC)
::::Great, yes thanks. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:46, 17 June 2022 (UTC)

== Site convention ==

I didn't notice until after another edit of mine (to [[1388]]), but my attempted revert of the Title-Text-added-to-Transcript had obviously been preceded by your own. I must have missed the "It has been changed..." note, while I was pondering another edit (that I then did) to the main text.

However, that meant my Summary got lost, and I note that you didn't supply the detail. On the assumption that it's a genuine editor (very strange to be our current resident vandal, to do that, so I'm assuming good faith in the original attempt, and another random-looking comment got TitleText-Transcripted just recently, perhaps by the same unknowingly misguided IP-contributor) it might be a good idea to explain. I had put something like "Title Text is already mentioned beneath the comic image. Site Convention is that the Transcript only describes the image details not ready readily available for site-reader/text-search processing". (Actually, it was shorter than that, because of space limitations. Perhaps why you got your revert in... I was busy editing it to fit! :P)

I know there are regulars here (named and IP) who have expressed doubts about whether that's a ''good'' reason. An alternate use-case is that all Transcripts ''do'' go through the comic in great detail and also end with the 'meta'-text of the hovertext/whatever. But as (pretty much) none of them have it right now I'm very happy to support the no-Title-Text-in-Transcript standard. And have said so elsewhere, at other times (not that my voice carries weight).

But what I ''really'' meant to just say here is that the reason/'policy'/convention might need to be advertised a bit better, occasionally. At least before someone decides to 'correct' absolutely every Transcript (constructively, after a fashion, if not necessarily) because of some perceived need and some clear overabundance of time. ;) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.34|172.70.86.34]] 14:49, 1 August 2022 (UTC)
:Yes, I agree. The reason I didn't provide detail in the revert was that I had clicked on the rollback button (which automatically undoes revisions with a default message) instead of the undo button. I'll try to be more careful in the future. Thanks! —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 15:27, 1 August 2022 (UTC)
::There is not a single transcript that have the title text, or if, so it is because of a mistake. If someone begins to do this it will be spotted, and said person will be told to stop and all his edits would be reverted. I have deleted some in my time, but not many. So I do not see this as a real issue. I'm the one that completes most of the transcript, making sure they follow same standard. Of course not all agree with this all the time, but there is a consistence across the comics. I have not been through all transcripts, but I would guess I have seen about 2/3. And one of the thing is that it should describe the picture both for blind/weak sighted people, and also for possible searching for items in the image. And then of-course all text in the image (any text) should be part of the actual transcript, not the description. No (active) links, no explanations and no title text. For sure it is best to write which changes we do, but if there are many changes done it is hard to write for all of them... You can check the [[Special:ContributionScores|number of edits]] I have made on these pages... most of any ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:50, 1 August 2022 (UTC)
:::Hi, yes (IP OP of this section, lest there be doubt). Because it is practically universal, unless any otherwise slipped in somehow, I'm vigorous in removing new examples. Two very recently (or one and the above where Theusaf got there before me), I think one a month or two ago, very infrequently otherwise but not unknown. And who knows how many where I never noticed behind "24 revisions, showing the latest state", because I aint checking ''every'' minute of the day... ;)
:::Of coirse, its a largely unwritten rule (or mentioned deep within Community Portal subsections and perhaps occasional Talk pages ...for a comic or otherwise) and just as we all sort of learnt (or, maybe for some, ''developed'') the conventions from our own reading and posting here, in our greener days, obviously we get new-bugs along who don't quite grasp things as we seem to have realised.
:::So my intent was to just say "Hey, you got there just before me, but maybe a reason would be good", just as a friendly note to another friendly person. But I inserted far too much side-commentary. Maybe you recognise my style, as 'that IP' who often does that! (Though it's not just me, I'm sure, so don't blame every anonymously meandering muse-out-loud on just myself!)
:::Note made, however. Only editing this in because both of you (worthy edktors/page-wrangle5s, both!) are now here. If any more notable commentators arrive, I think it'd he best taken out qnd plonked upon one or other Community Portal pages, naturally. ;P [[Special:Contributions/172.70.246.221|172.70.246.221]] 17:00, 1 August 2022 (UTC)

== Something for your autoreverter bot to look for? ==

https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk%3A2335%3A_Photo_Deposit&type=revision&diff=293007&oldid=289177

That's across several edits (this link-adder seems to always take several shots at trying to get the link to work how they want, unless it's an attempt to get past potential initial insertion-detections....) and I've reverted it in whole now. But as it's quite a pattern (the casino link... I'd have to search for past examples that were neutered, though, if you want the full range of possibilities) I was wondering if it was a good target for your 'bot.

FYI, anyway. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.147|172.70.162.147]] 21:01, 17 August 2022 (UTC)

(...also FYI, I undid [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=President&curid=14671&diff=293026&oldid=292152 another perrenial] ((And [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Facebook&curid=10895&diff=293029&oldid=222716 another one]], taking foreign text as its source, which I should have noticed earlier)). Actually, probably a perlunial or even more frequent. But as I've intruded into your Talk-space already, why not mention this too? ;) ) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.211|172.69.79.211]] 22:17, 17 August 2022 (UTC)

:Thanks for the report! I'll see if I can use these to improve what the bot detects as spam. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 04:57, 18 August 2022 (UTC)

::Success! ( https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Facebook&diff=293076&oldid=293075 ) Good work. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.128|172.70.91.128]] 12:37, 18 August 2022 (UTC)

An [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=214:_The_Problem_with_Wikipedia&curid=2047&diff=294127&oldid=291651 incompetent vandalism attempt] (currently reverted) clearly done after someone (our old 'friend'?) found themselves being so quickly foiled in two other edits, earlier today. Just a heads-up. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.19|162.158.159.19]] 20:25, 4 September 2022 (UTC)

I think I know why your 'bot didn't catch [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Facebook&diff=305025&oldid=305021 this one]... But for your consideration as to whether you can handle it better (without false positives)... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.127|172.70.91.127]] 17:24, 19 January 2023 (UTC)

== What is up with your bot? ==

https://i.imgur.com/I2vrwgI.png ?!? https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Admin_requests&curid=576&action=history [[Special:Contributions/172.71.146.73|172.71.146.73]] 07:41, 24 August 2022 (UTC)
:Sorry about that. It seems that the bot is a bit too loose with its spam detection. I'll look into the problem. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 16:07, 24 August 2022 (UTC)
::Done it [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Admin_requests&curid=576&diff=293417&oldid=292142 again]. I'm not the above IP, but I added to the quote-punctuation thing (long, rambly, personal opinion/interpretation) and I'm wondering if the <nowiki><tt></nowiki> (which I didn't use, but was submitted from the original as a section-edit) might have triggered the autorevert? And link I give is for the whole day-span of edits. Not sure why it suddenly doesn't like GWG's historic comment, etc, as well... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.221|172.70.85.221]]
:::It's mostly because there is discussion about spam on the page, so any edits to the page seems to trigger the bot. It looks like I didn't whitelist the page properly in the bot.
:::This should be fixed now. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 23:29, 24 August 2022 (UTC)
I think [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2003:_Presidential_Succession&diff=prev&oldid=294743 this edit] was overzealous, if I'm reading the change/reverted-prior correctly. Understandable. Single-word edits can be very malicious and I doubt your 'bot can recognise a legitimate grammatical/contextual edit so it probably just got caught in your detection-net's particular 'mesh', the details of which I imagine you understand better than I would, and also how you'd get this one unreverted without overly hobbling your autoreverting system. — Without checking, I imagine the "either" is a remnant of a longer statement that had an "or" to it, long unspotted. (Well done then, PoolloverNathan, for finding it! ;) ) Just a heads-up, assuming you don't get a nice little review-log to scan through already in your own time. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.175|172.70.90.175]] 13:32, 13 September 2022 (UTC)
:Thanks for the report. I'll look into it. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:08, 13 September 2022 (UTC)
::I've adjusted the detection-net. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:37, 13 September 2022 (UTC)

== Edit summary ==

The edit summary in 2700 contains slur, could you please redacted them? https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:RevisionDelete. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.82|172.70.206.82]] 05:12, 19 November 2022 (UTC)
:Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I have access to that feature. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 06:12, 19 November 2022 (UTC)

== User page ==

Thanks for helping me create my user page. [[User:ColorfulGalaxy|ColorfulGalaxy]] ([[User talk:ColorfulGalaxy|talk]]) 18:42, 4 December 2022 (UTC)

== Strange spam-responding ==

Inexplicably, [[User:While False]] has been trying to talk to long-standing spammers, that your BOT already adequately deals wirh, on their IP pages. It looks like he's mostly ignoring other (actually caring) IPs like me, is there anything you can try saying to them? And perhaps get resolved some of the [[:Category:Pages to delete]] that have resulted from this strange pactice. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.185|172.69.79.185]] 22:09, 17 December 2022 (UTC)
:Looks like we’re both at last have had the pages we have nominated for deletion deleted. Perhaps we’re both satisfied then, now that an admin has set a useful precedent. —[[User:While False|While False]] ([[User:While False/explain xkcd museum|'''museum''']] | [[User talk:While False|talk]] | [[special:Contributions/While_False|contributions]] | [[special:Log/While_False|logs]] | [[Special:UserRights/While_False|rights]] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:While_False&printable=yes printable version] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:While_False&action=info page information] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:WhatLinksHere/User:While_False what links there] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:RecentChangesLinked&days=30&from=&target=User%3AWhile_False related changes] | a late contribution | current time: {{CURRENTTIME}}) 22:33, 18 December 2022 (UTC)
::I only took my lead from elsewhere, and others' clear interest in the matter (being the above respondee, but having seen others(?) previously try to engage). Perhaps I just poked the right spot, or it was going to happen anyway. But it feels rude to chat with you on someone else's page, as it is unnecessary to correct minor errors in my original text.
::But I can't work out your mind, and it seems I won't expect you to understand mine. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.205|162.158.34.205]] 00:14, 19 December 2022 (UTC)
:::Not my intention to be rude to either of you; sorry if I was. —[[User:While False|While False]] ([[User:While False/explain xkcd museum|'''museum''']] | [[User talk:While False|talk]] | [[special:Contributions/While_False|contributions]] | [[special:Log/While_False|logs]] | [[Special:UserRights/While_False|rights]] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:While_False&printable=yes printable version] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:While_False&action=info page information] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:WhatLinksHere/User:While_False what links there] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:RecentChangesLinked&days=30&from=&target=User%3AWhile_False related changes] | a late contribution | current time: {{CURRENTTIME}}) 04:13, 19 December 2022 (UTC)

== Image reversions ==
Alright, a vandal is currently hard at work on the site by changing the original xkcd images into various spam.

Is it possible to implement a feature which keeps all the images as the original, or simply lock those pages?

Thanks!

[[User:Eelitee|Eelitee]] ([[User talk:Eelitee|talk]]) 06:33, 22 December 2022 (UTC)
:For now, I've implemented the ability to revert image changes to my bot. Another possible solution I am considering is automatically using my account to semi-protect images when uploaded. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:46, 26 March 2023 (UTC)

== Forced shift of focus? ==

It seems to me that, after upping the protection on the Unreliable Connection page, the 'other possible spam-dumped pages' have been getting somewhat more attention than they got before. I'm guessing that failures to post (perhaps by failing the CAPTCHA, or some other challenge/speed-bump, have always used a "fail-over" method to try another on the list. Having (presumably) shut off the UC page more firmly, it's just drizzling more often over to the backup targets.

Just my impression. And your counter-spam measures are catching them all anyway (well, [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Google_Maps&diff=306469&oldid=306463 ''nearly'' all], for what I think are obvious reasons how it evaded the detection), but I'm not sure zipping any page up tighter is going to necessarily help that much. Opinion only, but FYI. Yet with continued appreciation that you're actually making the effort to keep on top of these things. Cheers for what you're doing, anyway. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.132|172.69.79.132]] 13:35, 20 February 2023 (UTC)

...just spotted that [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2659:_Unreliable_Connection&diff=prev&oldid=306619 someone had to undo] a change to UC's Talk page. I can't even remember the last time a wipe/replace spammer targetted a discussion page, and it can't be a coincidence that it is the one associated with the now blocked favourite target. A spillover action, almost certainly. Not sure what we can do better about this, of course, so still just a personal observation of little useful value. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.206|172.71.178.206]] 22:04, 22 February 2023 (UTC)

Uhh, are you discussing me? [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 03:20, 11 April 2023 (UTC)
:Look at the dates... You didn't even exist for roughly another month yet. But it's by your own hand that you made it possible that you're confused, if you are. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.137|172.71.178.137]] 09:25, 12 April 2023 (UTC)

== Comment deleted abruptly ==
Your bot has deleted my comment ! ! ! [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 03:19, 11 April 2023 (UTC)
:That's a bit unfortunate. It looks like you created the explanation quite quickly after the comic came out. The bot checks the LATESTCOMIC template to determine if an explanation exists, so it re-created the page. I'll see about verifying the existence of pages before creating them though. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 19:31, 11 April 2023 (UTC)
::Can I suggest excluding the Number->redirect page from that check. It's something someone could predict in advance, but not what "title" or "number: title" would be, and cause (temporary) bother. Best just to let that be overwritten properly ''if'' it already exists, and there shouldn't be an in-like-Flynn user already creating the page (like above with main and dicussion edits) who might need allowing for. It's ''only'' a redirect page. (Or possibly a Title->redirect page, if we get any more like [[2614: 2]] or [[855: 1999|ones]] [[998: 2012|for]] [[1311: 2014|various]] [[1624: 2016|years]], [[1779: 2017|titled]] [[1935: 2018|as]] [[2685: 2045|numbers]], but we should know of any new/impending instances of those in advance. Unless we get a given comic number that is entitled with the same number. ;) )
::But the example with UC's page-creating did also show a few faults (imperfect comic-template populating, and the lack of opening comment-tag in the Discussion page) that could benefit from at least checking. Maybe a special category appended, as the simplest first action upon finding a pre-created page (or an {{template|incomplete}}-style tag, saying "This page was created manually, and may need confirming as correctly set up...").
::Only important upon the 'bot making its first pass (the attempt to create), on finding for itself that there's a new comic, and shouldn't be needed for monitoring existing pages. That's all covered by the other anti-vandal services it provides. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.127|172.70.86.127]] 10:01, 12 April 2023 (UTC)
:::Thanks for your feedback. The bot does somewhat verify the title redirect pages, where if the title is a number larger than the current number, it won't re-create that redirect. I think excluding the number redirect from the check does make sense. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 18:14, 12 April 2023 (UTC)

==Can't create user page==

Hey, do you know how I can create my user page? Some people have them, but every time i try to create mine it says I can't.

Another thing: I don't receive any confirmation email when i click the button, this has been going on for days. Do you know how I could fix that?

Thanks, [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 09:13, 1 May 2023 (UTC)
:I've created your user page. To be able to create pages, you'll have to become autoconfirmed. The requirements for this can be found here: [[explain_xkcd:Autoconfirmed_users]]. Assuming it is accurate, I'm not quite sure why you were not able to create it. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:32, 1 May 2023 (UTC)
::Thanks! I must've become autoconfirmed after I added the topic to this talk page :)

== Spam on another wiki ==
Ther is far too much spam on [https://neography.miraheze.org/wiki/Special:RecentChanges this wiki]. It seems like the spammer on your website had went there to make a mess. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.135.23|172.69.135.23]] 00:54, 15 May 2023 (UTC)

== Bot down ==

The last two comics 2793 and 2794 had to be manually created. Is the bot down? Thanks, [[User:Natg19|Natg19]] ([[User talk:Natg19|talk]]) 19:35, 26 June 2023 (UTC)
:Thanks for the reminder! The bot was down due to some server maintenance. I'll get it back up. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 22:52, 28 June 2023 (UTC)
:: FYI, the bot looks down again. [[User:Natg19|Natg19]] ([[User talk:Natg19|talk]]) 04:46, 19 October 2023 (UTC)
:::Yup. I think I've got the auto-start script working properly now. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 15:44, 19 October 2023 (UTC)

== Errors ==

Hi Theusaf. I’m reaching out because there’s been a large amount of errors being thrown around recently. I’ve reached out to all semi-active admins that are on the wiki. 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. 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]]) 21:53, 19 September 2024 (UTC)
:Sorry 42.book.addict. I don't have server access or a way to personally contact Jeff. Other admins might have a way though. Usually the 503 errors tend to go away after a bit of time. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 19:40, 21 September 2024 (UTC)

== Spam reverting in places where it shouldn't ==

hi theusaf your bot reverted an edit i made to my own user page please revise as this does not make sense thank you [[User:Certified_nqh|Me]]{{citation needed}} 19:34, 4 October 2024 (UTC)
:Hi there, sorry about that. I've added your user page to the ignore list. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 02:59, 8 October 2024 (UTC)

== Broken RSS Feed ==

Hi Theusaf,
There have been some [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Admin_requests#RSS_Feed_Broken|reports]] of the RSS feed being broken. Seeing as you’re one of the more technical (and active) admins, could you poke around to see if you could fix this issue? I have also looped in [[User:Davidy22]] via email. Thanks! '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 16:43, 16 December 2024 (UTC)

==>:(==
Please get your bot off my talk page, thanks! [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|A dream demon]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 16:11, 17 December 2024 (UTC)
:You mean your User page, actually. And, seeing what you perhaps did to gain the wrath of the bot (I'll admit it, I ''did'' laugh when I saw what was happening), I suspect that you ''don't'' need to trigger this rather basic spam-detecting behaviour. Don't do the many-times repeated text. Perhaps TheusafBOT could be desensitised in certain instances (e.g. a user is allowed to edit ''their'' User: page with more latitude than would be allowed elsewhere), but the easy solution is just not to trigger it. (If it's some other 'spam metric', instead, then try to work round it, looking for whatever you want to do that does and doesn't trigger it.) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.43.182|172.69.43.182]] 17:42, 17 December 2024 (UTC)
::Agreed. Z1m, don’t blame Theusaf for his bot because it fights spam, instead try to avoid getting reverted by the bot. The benefits of having a spam-fighting bot largely outweighs the cons of needing to go out of your way to get reverted. (Although theusaf has made exceptions and tweaked the code of the bot before…) '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 18:11, 17 December 2024 (UTC)
:Oh HELLO 42. [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|A dream demon]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 19:07, 17 December 2024 (UTC)
:I'll look into letting users edit their own pages with fewer restrictions.🤝 --[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 00:13, 18 December 2024 (UTC)
::Hey Theusaf, since you're active, could you check out [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Coordination#Reaching_out_to_Jeff|the Coordination Community Portal]]? I have a proposed tweet to get him back online and I'm not sure if I should send it or not. '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 00:16, 18 December 2024 (UTC)

==Uhhhhh==
:I just wanted to ask you if your bot could help out my talk page (fixing spelling errors some people might make, no offense Apollo11.) Are we still cool about the whole...
:thing? [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:45, 15 January 2025 (UTC)
::This sort of feature is a bit out of scope of my bot at the moment. I remember someone else working on some kind of spellcheck bot though. However, I'm not sure if applying such a feature to talk pages makes sense. --[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:30, 15 January 2025 (UTC)
:::I’m currently working on a spellcheck bot, but I only plan on allowing it to edit explanation pages and category pages, not talk pages. It’s considered rude to correct someone’s spelling in a comment, as I’ve been corrected time over time for editing comments, even if I had good intentions. '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 17:46, 15 January 2025 (UTC)
::::I think it'll be counterproductive to create a 'Bot to find ''and change'' typos. There's always going to be intended 'typos', that aren't. (TheusafBot has ''occasionally' had to be overriden as it reverts genuine changes, and that's without the expectation that it's checking ''perhaps'' a whole dictionary of words and looking for ones that don't feature.) Instead, have something that lists something like "the word 'color' is spelt 'colour' in page <page title>", to review and ''consider'' if it needs changing. It could be in the context of "the British spelling of 'color' is 'colour'", which clearly shouldn't be automatically spill-chucked to "the British spelling of 'color' is 'color'"!
::::For anyone who wants to spall-chick their ''own'' contributions, there are always browser-plugins available for most browsers that provide shell-chequing (and even grandma-shucking) functionality, giving something like the wiggly-red(/green) underline in your own editor and right-click/long-press access to suggested changes. Pick whatever level of self-pestering suits you, and your own situation... It'll help with more than just ''this'' site, and might help stop you needing a sticking plaster that just highlights your current failings. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.102.138|172.71.102.138]] 20:03, 15 January 2025 (UTC)
:::::I love how people are deliberately misspelling "spell-check". Y'all just gave me life.[[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:22, 16 January 2025 (UTC)

== Please see ==

Please see [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Proposals#Banning_the_phrase_"WhatsApp"]] as you were mentioned in it. [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 17:32, 1 November 2025 (UTC)

== [[:Category:Comic images]] ==

Could you consider adding code to [[User:TheusafBOT]] to add [[:Category:Comic images]] to the comic files it uploads? '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 01:40, 26 November 2025 (UTC)
:Will do. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 03:43, 26 November 2025 (UTC)
::Please note that the changes you made caused the bot to add a tab before the Summary and Licensing text in File pages. See {{diff|393108|here}}, {{diff|393106|here}}, and {{diff|393107|here}}. '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 19:59, 1 December 2025 (UTC)
:::Thanks for the report. I'll have it fixed shortly. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 04:39, 2 December 2025 (UTC)

== Unprompted Comment Deletion ==

Hi Theusaf, your bot has been deleting my and another user's comments seemingly without cause. Please see the revision history of the [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Miscellaneous|miscellaneous]] community portal, or these edits: {{diff|407137}} {{diff|407135}} {{diff|407133}} {{diff|407131}} {{diff|407129}}. Thanks! [[User:42.book.addict|tori :3]][[User talk:42.book.addict|talk to me!]] 01:00, 25 February 2026 (UTC)
:I seem to have sorted it. The prior user's use of a long string of hyphens seemed most obviously the issue. And it looks like my modified reundo of the revert held nicely enough, so I think I was on the nail with that one.
:The editor who used them doesn't even seem to have much wikisyntax awareness, or he would have just used...
----
:...the existing wikimarkup version for an actual horizontal-rule (presumed what was intended). And also known how to numberlist ''with rendered linefeeds'' properly. But I only changed it by removing the "----"s (a rendered hr-tag/equivalent wouldn't have been useful), and the BOT left that alone. And probably should still keep on looking out for things exactly like that, as (at least in this circumstance) it definitely is more likely to need to avoid than keep. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.238.95|82.132.238.95]] 03:48, 25 February 2026 (UTC)
::Hello. Thanks for the report. I'll check the code to try reducing the number of times issues like these occur. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 06:45, 25 February 2026 (UTC)

== SiteNotice ==

It seems really weird to me to say "community-maintained" without identifying or linking to the community in question or discussion, and write the text in the passive voice ("has been created," omitting the "by whom"). Is there a reason for the oblique positioning? It's not quite the level of openness and transparency I expect from a wiki community. But perhaps I am too sensitive I don't want to be offering "stop energy." Thanks. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 13:16, 10 July 2026 (UTC)
:Ah, sorry, that's on me since I was the one who wrote the sitenotice. The fork was created by [[User:ToasterLightning]], an account that was created back in April 2024 and has no edits. I was unable to find the correct capitalization for their account username, so I decided to omit credit since I wasn't even sure if they had an account registered. Hope that clears things up! [[User:42.book.addict|tori :3]][[User talk:42.book.addict|talk to me!]] 17:12, 10 July 2026 (UTC)
::I am more confused, rather than less. Where is the fork? who is the community? Am I supposed to be looking at…https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/1urdzfn/explainingxkcd_an_explainxkcd_fork/ ? [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 17:33, 10 July 2026 (UTC)
:::yes, one of the forks is at https://explainingxkcd.com, created by [[User:ToasterLightning]] or Celene (also the same creator of that Reddit post), which was created to extend this wiki after it became unwritable on July 6. Another fork is at https://xkcd.eunakria.com, but that is read-only and intended for archival purposes. Both of these forks are now intended to be read-only, and we're looking for a way to get explainingxkcd merged onto this one (if possible). The community, including both of these fork creators, live at the explainxkcd discord server, which has an invite link in the userpage of the user you responded to -- [[User:Somefan|somefan]] ([[User talk:Somefan|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Somefan|contribs]]) 21:08, 10 July 2026 (UTC)

User talk:Theusaf

2026-07-10T21:08:51Z

Somefan: more info

Hello world [[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 05:10, 18 August 2021 (UTC)

==[[User:TheusafBOT]]==
Hi Theusaf. Great with the bot. And sorry I made the error of claiming that 2x image should be used. this was a mistake. So if you see this please change the bot so it does use the normal sized image and do not put an image size in the header field. It caused confusion and is not like all the other comics. I take the blame, but would love you bot to work proper. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 10:34, 19 August 2021 (UTC)
:Got it. [[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 15:53, 19 August 2021 (UTC)
::Great. Thanks for fixing this now that DGBRT seems to have left explain xkcd. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 07:09, 24 August 2021 (UTC)

Update: Great with the new feature of [[User:TheusafBOT]], so it helps with reverting spam. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:42, 31 July 2022 (UTC)

==Nice job==
Nice bot! --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] ([[User talk:Jeff|talk]]) 00:28, 7 November 2021 (UTC)

==Thanks for helping with images for the countdown==
Thanks for helping with [[Countdown in header text/images|images for the countdown]]. Was afraid I was alone on that ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 12:11, 14 January 2022 (UTC)
:No problem! [[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 18:31, 14 January 2022 (UTC)
::Seems like we will be the one to do it though ;-) Just added two more up to 33. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:42, 15 January 2022 (UTC)

Hey Theusaf!
Were you the one that made the kahoot winner thing?
[[User:Wafflefly21|Wafflefly21]] ([[User talk:Wafflefly21|talk]]) 01:28, 4 May 2022 (UTC)
:That is correct. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 21:16, 5 May 2022 (UTC)

== 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)

== Common.js Changes ==
You know, we could set up a script to block keywords from editing, like AbuseFilter. I'm not sure if we could make it performant and guarantee no false positives.

Actually, could we just up and add AbuseFilter?

[[User:Jacky720|That's right, Jacky720 just signed this]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|contribs]]) 22:24, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
:It would be great if we could enable it, but that requires direct access to the server, which AFAIK, only Jeff can do. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 22:26, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
:: Ah, alright. Do you think the script could work without messing people up? We would need to avoid edge cases like the word being used legitimately... maybe detect if there are two in a row and that it isn't the entirety of the page content. [[User:Jacky720|Jack]], currently rethinking his overly long signature ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 22:30, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
:::That is true, it needs to take into account legitimate usage. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 23:04, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
::::Does the new code's regex somehow match the crap or something? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.105|172.70.130.105]] 23:50, 23 May 2022 (UTC)
::::: <s>No, it just makes one of the elements nonfunctional for a half-second 50% of the time. It throttles edits but doesn't block them. And we can't make it a real throttle, like just failing to edit if too many edits are made too fast, without more API use than we know.</s> [[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 00:27, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
::::: Oh, no, theusaf changed it. Now it picks a random word in the article and refuses to put the edit through if more than 60% of the article is that same word. Not foolproof, but it's going to require some adaptation I don't know if our script kiddie is up to.
::::: ... Did I just jinx it? [[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 00:33, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
:::::: I think we're dealing with more than a script kiddie. (S)he/they ha(s/ve) been adapting to previous antivandalbot changes/code. I think (s)he/they will do the same for this. Just a constant game of cat and mouse, unfortunately. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.130.195|172.70.130.195]] 00:40, 24 May 2022 (UTC)

== Anticrap doesn't work ==

Seems that the click attribute of the save button isn't what's causing the form to submit. We could just delete all the IDs of the elements, thus making them harder to reference by script? --[[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 21:12, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
:The two craps I reverted were from IPs, so they seem to have been done manually. The bot only works for logged-in autoconfirmed users. [[User:Anticrap|Anticrap]] ([[User talk:Anticrap|talk]]) 21:49, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
:: Still, the script is designed to block all crapping in the UI. Since the bot is basically a UI selfbot, it shows that it won't work when another autoconfirmed account crops up. --[[User:Jacky720|Jack]] ([[User talk:Jacky720|t]]|[[Special:Contributions/Jacky720|c]]) 21:53, 24 May 2022 (UTC)
:::Oh yeah, you're right. BTW, I just decrapped four more pages that got crapped. My guess is that the crapper doesn't have any autoconfirmed accounts now (thanks for blocking those BTW), so (s)he's/they're doing some manual crapping while (s)he/they wait(s) for an account to be old enough. [[User:Anticrap|Anticrap]] ([[User talk:Anticrap|talk]]) 22:02, 24 May 2022 (UTC)

== Please disable autoblock on [[User:Donald Trump]] ==

A couple times, I've been assigned the same IP as one of the ones the crapper was assigned, and had to try several times to save edits. [[User:Anticrap|Anticrap]] ([[User talk:Anticrap|talk]]) 20:13, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
:Done —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 20:18, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
:It would help if Anticrap was most likely not an account also being used by the crapper themself (and therefore habitually uses the very same Cloudflare portal and thus possible IP range). So many clues to suggest this, even before 'Donald' basically admitted it. Anyway, if you're reading this, Anticrap, and you recognise the truth of this, I've left a comment about 'playing the villain' at the end of the Talk discussion of the now blocked account. Consider it, if it is indeed applicable. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.147|172.70.162.147]] 21:02, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
::May I ask what evidence you have that Anticrap is the troll? [[User:Vandalbane|Vandalbane]] ([[User talk:Vandalbane|talk]]) 21:08, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
:::A few little things. Individually not enough to worry about. But we can start with a occasions when just ''two'' "crappings" were made (very out of character for the Crapper, who by that point was more than willing to mass-Crap either by user-script or just by personal effort on anonymous login) and then within 4 minutes (within 2 minutes, in one pair of cases, I think) Anticrap lived up to their name.
:::Possibly very lucky (and the Crapper's heart also wasn't in it), but it wasn't just the one instance.
:::The suggestions and insights Anticrap has made also seem a little off, especially in light of this. And it was soon after Anticrap learnt how to use the one-click-revert (for the purpose intended) that so did the next incarnation of Crapper.
:::If I am wrong - and I invite you to consider this yourself, I know I've no provable authority - then I apologise to you, Anticrap, but you find yourself in the middle of a whole lot of of 'obvious' paranoia-inducing coincidences. Your revelation of IP-sharing was just the icing on the already very well baked cake.
:::(Noting that I already made a slightly obscure note of this in our little mutual discussion about Vista, the other day, and that was before several further indications intensified my opinion on this. I won't give clues to some of these things, but noting that "I don't want to help the Crapper" is a phrase I used before and also crept into Anticrap's submitted text. Thank you for paying attention to me, if that's what happened, I'm truly gratified.)
:::Oh, and I'm also not calling for Anticrap to be banned/blocked. I'm just asking them to continue to be the (mostly) white-hat user they have tried to be, and appealing for ''whoever'' is the black-hat vandaliser to just not make things worse again under whatever new guises they are tempted to use. I'm a tolerant person. "Hate the sin, love the sinner," you might say. But with 'Donald' being so frank, I'm more convinced of the link than ever.
:::HTH, HAND. FYI, YMMV. TTFN. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.44|172.70.86.44]] 21:56, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
::::I think your evidence is quite convincing. I agree we should trust them unless we have a reason not to, but I can see why you're suspicious of them. This makes me wonder if the Anticrap account is their "good hand" account they mentioned. Lastly, I agree we shouldn't help the crapper, nor should we feed the trolls, but I do feel like the wiki team needs a secure place to discuss sensitive matters. [[User:Vandalbane|Vandalbane]] ([[User talk:Vandalbane|talk]]) 22:13, 26 May 2022 (UTC)
:::::What "suggestions and insights" are you referring to? [[Special:Contributions/172.70.178.47|172.70.178.47]] 00:29, 27 May 2022 (UTC)

== Bot down ==
Hello! Since [[2631: Exercise Progression]], the bot seems to have not created the page and the three since then have been manually made. I was wondering if that was a problem with the bot, or if I simply created the Exercise Progression page before the bot could and messed it up. I did wait a bit before starting, so I think the bot might've hit some sort of error (: [[User:Char Latte49|Wielder of the Staple Gun]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 14:15, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
:Yes seems like the bot is down. Are you there Theusaf? --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 14:36, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
::The bot should be back up now. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:21, 15 June 2022 (UTC)
:::Thank you! [[User:Char Latte49|Char Latte]] ([[User talk:Char Latte49|talk]]) 15:02, 16 June 2022 (UTC)
::::Great, yes thanks. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 11:46, 17 June 2022 (UTC)

== Site convention ==

I didn't notice until after another edit of mine (to [[1388]]), but my attempted revert of the Title-Text-added-to-Transcript had obviously been preceded by your own. I must have missed the "It has been changed..." note, while I was pondering another edit (that I then did) to the main text.

However, that meant my Summary got lost, and I note that you didn't supply the detail. On the assumption that it's a genuine editor (very strange to be our current resident vandal, to do that, so I'm assuming good faith in the original attempt, and another random-looking comment got TitleText-Transcripted just recently, perhaps by the same unknowingly misguided IP-contributor) it might be a good idea to explain. I had put something like "Title Text is already mentioned beneath the comic image. Site Convention is that the Transcript only describes the image details not ready readily available for site-reader/text-search processing". (Actually, it was shorter than that, because of space limitations. Perhaps why you got your revert in... I was busy editing it to fit! :P)

I know there are regulars here (named and IP) who have expressed doubts about whether that's a ''good'' reason. An alternate use-case is that all Transcripts ''do'' go through the comic in great detail and also end with the 'meta'-text of the hovertext/whatever. But as (pretty much) none of them have it right now I'm very happy to support the no-Title-Text-in-Transcript standard. And have said so elsewhere, at other times (not that my voice carries weight).

But what I ''really'' meant to just say here is that the reason/'policy'/convention might need to be advertised a bit better, occasionally. At least before someone decides to 'correct' absolutely every Transcript (constructively, after a fashion, if not necessarily) because of some perceived need and some clear overabundance of time. ;) [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.34|172.70.86.34]] 14:49, 1 August 2022 (UTC)
:Yes, I agree. The reason I didn't provide detail in the revert was that I had clicked on the rollback button (which automatically undoes revisions with a default message) instead of the undo button. I'll try to be more careful in the future. Thanks! —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 15:27, 1 August 2022 (UTC)
::There is not a single transcript that have the title text, or if, so it is because of a mistake. If someone begins to do this it will be spotted, and said person will be told to stop and all his edits would be reverted. I have deleted some in my time, but not many. So I do not see this as a real issue. I'm the one that completes most of the transcript, making sure they follow same standard. Of course not all agree with this all the time, but there is a consistence across the comics. I have not been through all transcripts, but I would guess I have seen about 2/3. And one of the thing is that it should describe the picture both for blind/weak sighted people, and also for possible searching for items in the image. And then of-course all text in the image (any text) should be part of the actual transcript, not the description. No (active) links, no explanations and no title text. For sure it is best to write which changes we do, but if there are many changes done it is hard to write for all of them... You can check the [[Special:ContributionScores|number of edits]] I have made on these pages... most of any ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 15:50, 1 August 2022 (UTC)
:::Hi, yes (IP OP of this section, lest there be doubt). Because it is practically universal, unless any otherwise slipped in somehow, I'm vigorous in removing new examples. Two very recently (or one and the above where Theusaf got there before me), I think one a month or two ago, very infrequently otherwise but not unknown. And who knows how many where I never noticed behind "24 revisions, showing the latest state", because I aint checking ''every'' minute of the day... ;)
:::Of coirse, its a largely unwritten rule (or mentioned deep within Community Portal subsections and perhaps occasional Talk pages ...for a comic or otherwise) and just as we all sort of learnt (or, maybe for some, ''developed'') the conventions from our own reading and posting here, in our greener days, obviously we get new-bugs along who don't quite grasp things as we seem to have realised.
:::So my intent was to just say "Hey, you got there just before me, but maybe a reason would be good", just as a friendly note to another friendly person. But I inserted far too much side-commentary. Maybe you recognise my style, as 'that IP' who often does that! (Though it's not just me, I'm sure, so don't blame every anonymously meandering muse-out-loud on just myself!)
:::Note made, however. Only editing this in because both of you (worthy edktors/page-wrangle5s, both!) are now here. If any more notable commentators arrive, I think it'd he best taken out qnd plonked upon one or other Community Portal pages, naturally. ;P [[Special:Contributions/172.70.246.221|172.70.246.221]] 17:00, 1 August 2022 (UTC)

== Something for your autoreverter bot to look for? ==

https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk%3A2335%3A_Photo_Deposit&type=revision&diff=293007&oldid=289177

That's across several edits (this link-adder seems to always take several shots at trying to get the link to work how they want, unless it's an attempt to get past potential initial insertion-detections....) and I've reverted it in whole now. But as it's quite a pattern (the casino link... I'd have to search for past examples that were neutered, though, if you want the full range of possibilities) I was wondering if it was a good target for your 'bot.

FYI, anyway. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.162.147|172.70.162.147]] 21:01, 17 August 2022 (UTC)

(...also FYI, I undid [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=President&curid=14671&diff=293026&oldid=292152 another perrenial] ((And [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Facebook&curid=10895&diff=293029&oldid=222716 another one]], taking foreign text as its source, which I should have noticed earlier)). Actually, probably a perlunial or even more frequent. But as I've intruded into your Talk-space already, why not mention this too? ;) ) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.211|172.69.79.211]] 22:17, 17 August 2022 (UTC)

:Thanks for the report! I'll see if I can use these to improve what the bot detects as spam. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 04:57, 18 August 2022 (UTC)

::Success! ( https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Facebook&diff=293076&oldid=293075 ) Good work. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.128|172.70.91.128]] 12:37, 18 August 2022 (UTC)

An [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=214:_The_Problem_with_Wikipedia&curid=2047&diff=294127&oldid=291651 incompetent vandalism attempt] (currently reverted) clearly done after someone (our old 'friend'?) found themselves being so quickly foiled in two other edits, earlier today. Just a heads-up. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.159.19|162.158.159.19]] 20:25, 4 September 2022 (UTC)

I think I know why your 'bot didn't catch [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Facebook&diff=305025&oldid=305021 this one]... But for your consideration as to whether you can handle it better (without false positives)... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.91.127|172.70.91.127]] 17:24, 19 January 2023 (UTC)

== What is up with your bot? ==

https://i.imgur.com/I2vrwgI.png ?!? https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Admin_requests&curid=576&action=history [[Special:Contributions/172.71.146.73|172.71.146.73]] 07:41, 24 August 2022 (UTC)
:Sorry about that. It seems that the bot is a bit too loose with its spam detection. I'll look into the problem. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 16:07, 24 August 2022 (UTC)
::Done it [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Admin_requests&curid=576&diff=293417&oldid=292142 again]. I'm not the above IP, but I added to the quote-punctuation thing (long, rambly, personal opinion/interpretation) and I'm wondering if the <nowiki><tt></nowiki> (which I didn't use, but was submitted from the original as a section-edit) might have triggered the autorevert? And link I give is for the whole day-span of edits. Not sure why it suddenly doesn't like GWG's historic comment, etc, as well... [[Special:Contributions/172.70.85.221|172.70.85.221]]
:::It's mostly because there is discussion about spam on the page, so any edits to the page seems to trigger the bot. It looks like I didn't whitelist the page properly in the bot.
:::This should be fixed now. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 23:29, 24 August 2022 (UTC)
I think [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2003:_Presidential_Succession&diff=prev&oldid=294743 this edit] was overzealous, if I'm reading the change/reverted-prior correctly. Understandable. Single-word edits can be very malicious and I doubt your 'bot can recognise a legitimate grammatical/contextual edit so it probably just got caught in your detection-net's particular 'mesh', the details of which I imagine you understand better than I would, and also how you'd get this one unreverted without overly hobbling your autoreverting system. — Without checking, I imagine the "either" is a remnant of a longer statement that had an "or" to it, long unspotted. (Well done then, PoolloverNathan, for finding it! ;) ) Just a heads-up, assuming you don't get a nice little review-log to scan through already in your own time. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.90.175|172.70.90.175]] 13:32, 13 September 2022 (UTC)
:Thanks for the report. I'll look into it. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:08, 13 September 2022 (UTC)
::I've adjusted the detection-net. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:37, 13 September 2022 (UTC)

== Edit summary ==

The edit summary in 2700 contains slur, could you please redacted them? https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:RevisionDelete. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.206.82|172.70.206.82]] 05:12, 19 November 2022 (UTC)
:Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I have access to that feature. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 06:12, 19 November 2022 (UTC)

== User page ==

Thanks for helping me create my user page. [[User:ColorfulGalaxy|ColorfulGalaxy]] ([[User talk:ColorfulGalaxy|talk]]) 18:42, 4 December 2022 (UTC)

== Strange spam-responding ==

Inexplicably, [[User:While False]] has been trying to talk to long-standing spammers, that your BOT already adequately deals wirh, on their IP pages. It looks like he's mostly ignoring other (actually caring) IPs like me, is there anything you can try saying to them? And perhaps get resolved some of the [[:Category:Pages to delete]] that have resulted from this strange pactice. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.185|172.69.79.185]] 22:09, 17 December 2022 (UTC)
:Looks like we’re both at last have had the pages we have nominated for deletion deleted. Perhaps we’re both satisfied then, now that an admin has set a useful precedent. —[[User:While False|While False]] ([[User:While False/explain xkcd museum|'''museum''']] | [[User talk:While False|talk]] | [[special:Contributions/While_False|contributions]] | [[special:Log/While_False|logs]] | [[Special:UserRights/While_False|rights]] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:While_False&printable=yes printable version] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:While_False&action=info page information] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:WhatLinksHere/User:While_False what links there] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:RecentChangesLinked&days=30&from=&target=User%3AWhile_False related changes] | a late contribution | current time: {{CURRENTTIME}}) 22:33, 18 December 2022 (UTC)
::I only took my lead from elsewhere, and others' clear interest in the matter (being the above respondee, but having seen others(?) previously try to engage). Perhaps I just poked the right spot, or it was going to happen anyway. But it feels rude to chat with you on someone else's page, as it is unnecessary to correct minor errors in my original text.
::But I can't work out your mind, and it seems I won't expect you to understand mine. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.34.205|162.158.34.205]] 00:14, 19 December 2022 (UTC)
:::Not my intention to be rude to either of you; sorry if I was. —[[User:While False|While False]] ([[User:While False/explain xkcd museum|'''museum''']] | [[User talk:While False|talk]] | [[special:Contributions/While_False|contributions]] | [[special:Log/While_False|logs]] | [[Special:UserRights/While_False|rights]] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:While_False&printable=yes printable version] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=User:While_False&action=info page information] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:WhatLinksHere/User:While_False what links there] | [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Special:RecentChangesLinked&days=30&from=&target=User%3AWhile_False related changes] | a late contribution | current time: {{CURRENTTIME}}) 04:13, 19 December 2022 (UTC)

== Image reversions ==
Alright, a vandal is currently hard at work on the site by changing the original xkcd images into various spam.

Is it possible to implement a feature which keeps all the images as the original, or simply lock those pages?

Thanks!

[[User:Eelitee|Eelitee]] ([[User talk:Eelitee|talk]]) 06:33, 22 December 2022 (UTC)
:For now, I've implemented the ability to revert image changes to my bot. Another possible solution I am considering is automatically using my account to semi-protect images when uploaded. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:46, 26 March 2023 (UTC)

== Forced shift of focus? ==

It seems to me that, after upping the protection on the Unreliable Connection page, the 'other possible spam-dumped pages' have been getting somewhat more attention than they got before. I'm guessing that failures to post (perhaps by failing the CAPTCHA, or some other challenge/speed-bump, have always used a "fail-over" method to try another on the list. Having (presumably) shut off the UC page more firmly, it's just drizzling more often over to the backup targets.

Just my impression. And your counter-spam measures are catching them all anyway (well, [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Google_Maps&diff=306469&oldid=306463 ''nearly'' all], for what I think are obvious reasons how it evaded the detection), but I'm not sure zipping any page up tighter is going to necessarily help that much. Opinion only, but FYI. Yet with continued appreciation that you're actually making the effort to keep on top of these things. Cheers for what you're doing, anyway. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.79.132|172.69.79.132]] 13:35, 20 February 2023 (UTC)

...just spotted that [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:2659:_Unreliable_Connection&diff=prev&oldid=306619 someone had to undo] a change to UC's Talk page. I can't even remember the last time a wipe/replace spammer targetted a discussion page, and it can't be a coincidence that it is the one associated with the now blocked favourite target. A spillover action, almost certainly. Not sure what we can do better about this, of course, so still just a personal observation of little useful value. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.206|172.71.178.206]] 22:04, 22 February 2023 (UTC)

Uhh, are you discussing me? [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 03:20, 11 April 2023 (UTC)
:Look at the dates... You didn't even exist for roughly another month yet. But it's by your own hand that you made it possible that you're confused, if you are. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.178.137|172.71.178.137]] 09:25, 12 April 2023 (UTC)

== Comment deleted abruptly ==
Your bot has deleted my comment ! ! ! [[User:Unreliable Connection|2659: Unreliable Connection]] ([[User talk:Unreliable Connection|talk]]) 03:19, 11 April 2023 (UTC)
:That's a bit unfortunate. It looks like you created the explanation quite quickly after the comic came out. The bot checks the LATESTCOMIC template to determine if an explanation exists, so it re-created the page. I'll see about verifying the existence of pages before creating them though. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 19:31, 11 April 2023 (UTC)
::Can I suggest excluding the Number->redirect page from that check. It's something someone could predict in advance, but not what "title" or "number: title" would be, and cause (temporary) bother. Best just to let that be overwritten properly ''if'' it already exists, and there shouldn't be an in-like-Flynn user already creating the page (like above with main and dicussion edits) who might need allowing for. It's ''only'' a redirect page. (Or possibly a Title->redirect page, if we get any more like [[2614: 2]] or [[855: 1999|ones]] [[998: 2012|for]] [[1311: 2014|various]] [[1624: 2016|years]], [[1779: 2017|titled]] [[1935: 2018|as]] [[2685: 2045|numbers]], but we should know of any new/impending instances of those in advance. Unless we get a given comic number that is entitled with the same number. ;) )
::But the example with UC's page-creating did also show a few faults (imperfect comic-template populating, and the lack of opening comment-tag in the Discussion page) that could benefit from at least checking. Maybe a special category appended, as the simplest first action upon finding a pre-created page (or an {{template|incomplete}}-style tag, saying "This page was created manually, and may need confirming as correctly set up...").
::Only important upon the 'bot making its first pass (the attempt to create), on finding for itself that there's a new comic, and shouldn't be needed for monitoring existing pages. That's all covered by the other anti-vandal services it provides. [[Special:Contributions/172.70.86.127|172.70.86.127]] 10:01, 12 April 2023 (UTC)
:::Thanks for your feedback. The bot does somewhat verify the title redirect pages, where if the title is a number larger than the current number, it won't re-create that redirect. I think excluding the number redirect from the check does make sense. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 18:14, 12 April 2023 (UTC)

==Can't create user page==

Hey, do you know how I can create my user page? Some people have them, but every time i try to create mine it says I can't.

Another thing: I don't receive any confirmation email when i click the button, this has been going on for days. Do you know how I could fix that?

Thanks, [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 09:13, 1 May 2023 (UTC)
:I've created your user page. To be able to create pages, you'll have to become autoconfirmed. The requirements for this can be found here: [[explain_xkcd:Autoconfirmed_users]]. Assuming it is accurate, I'm not quite sure why you were not able to create it. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:32, 1 May 2023 (UTC)
::Thanks! I must've become autoconfirmed after I added the topic to this talk page :)

== Spam on another wiki ==
Ther is far too much spam on [https://neography.miraheze.org/wiki/Special:RecentChanges this wiki]. It seems like the spammer on your website had went there to make a mess. [[Special:Contributions/172.69.135.23|172.69.135.23]] 00:54, 15 May 2023 (UTC)

== Bot down ==

The last two comics 2793 and 2794 had to be manually created. Is the bot down? Thanks, [[User:Natg19|Natg19]] ([[User talk:Natg19|talk]]) 19:35, 26 June 2023 (UTC)
:Thanks for the reminder! The bot was down due to some server maintenance. I'll get it back up. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 22:52, 28 June 2023 (UTC)
:: FYI, the bot looks down again. [[User:Natg19|Natg19]] ([[User talk:Natg19|talk]]) 04:46, 19 October 2023 (UTC)
:::Yup. I think I've got the auto-start script working properly now. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 15:44, 19 October 2023 (UTC)

== Errors ==

Hi Theusaf. I’m reaching out because there’s been a large amount of errors being thrown around recently. I’ve reached out to all semi-active admins that are on the wiki. 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. 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]]) 21:53, 19 September 2024 (UTC)
:Sorry 42.book.addict. I don't have server access or a way to personally contact Jeff. Other admins might have a way though. Usually the 503 errors tend to go away after a bit of time. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 19:40, 21 September 2024 (UTC)

== Spam reverting in places where it shouldn't ==

hi theusaf your bot reverted an edit i made to my own user page please revise as this does not make sense thank you [[User:Certified_nqh|Me]]{{citation needed}} 19:34, 4 October 2024 (UTC)
:Hi there, sorry about that. I've added your user page to the ignore list. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 02:59, 8 October 2024 (UTC)

== Broken RSS Feed ==

Hi Theusaf,
There have been some [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Admin_requests#RSS_Feed_Broken|reports]] of the RSS feed being broken. Seeing as you’re one of the more technical (and active) admins, could you poke around to see if you could fix this issue? I have also looped in [[User:Davidy22]] via email. Thanks! '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 16:43, 16 December 2024 (UTC)

==>:(==
Please get your bot off my talk page, thanks! [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|A dream demon]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 16:11, 17 December 2024 (UTC)
:You mean your User page, actually. And, seeing what you perhaps did to gain the wrath of the bot (I'll admit it, I ''did'' laugh when I saw what was happening), I suspect that you ''don't'' need to trigger this rather basic spam-detecting behaviour. Don't do the many-times repeated text. Perhaps TheusafBOT could be desensitised in certain instances (e.g. a user is allowed to edit ''their'' User: page with more latitude than would be allowed elsewhere), but the easy solution is just not to trigger it. (If it's some other 'spam metric', instead, then try to work round it, looking for whatever you want to do that does and doesn't trigger it.) [[Special:Contributions/172.69.43.182|172.69.43.182]] 17:42, 17 December 2024 (UTC)
::Agreed. Z1m, don’t blame Theusaf for his bot because it fights spam, instead try to avoid getting reverted by the bot. The benefits of having a spam-fighting bot largely outweighs the cons of needing to go out of your way to get reverted. (Although theusaf has made exceptions and tweaked the code of the bot before…) '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 18:11, 17 December 2024 (UTC)
:Oh HELLO 42. [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|A dream demon]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 19:07, 17 December 2024 (UTC)
:I'll look into letting users edit their own pages with fewer restrictions.🤝 --[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 00:13, 18 December 2024 (UTC)
::Hey Theusaf, since you're active, could you check out [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Coordination#Reaching_out_to_Jeff|the Coordination Community Portal]]? I have a proposed tweet to get him back online and I'm not sure if I should send it or not. '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 00:16, 18 December 2024 (UTC)

==Uhhhhh==
:I just wanted to ask you if your bot could help out my talk page (fixing spelling errors some people might make, no offense Apollo11.) Are we still cool about the whole...
:thing? [[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:45, 15 January 2025 (UTC)
::This sort of feature is a bit out of scope of my bot at the moment. I remember someone else working on some kind of spellcheck bot though. However, I'm not sure if applying such a feature to talk pages makes sense. --[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 17:30, 15 January 2025 (UTC)
:::I’m currently working on a spellcheck bot, but I only plan on allowing it to edit explanation pages and category pages, not talk pages. It’s considered rude to correct someone’s spelling in a comment, as I’ve been corrected time over time for editing comments, even if I had good intentions. '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 17:46, 15 January 2025 (UTC)
::::I think it'll be counterproductive to create a 'Bot to find ''and change'' typos. There's always going to be intended 'typos', that aren't. (TheusafBot has ''occasionally' had to be overriden as it reverts genuine changes, and that's without the expectation that it's checking ''perhaps'' a whole dictionary of words and looking for ones that don't feature.) Instead, have something that lists something like "the word 'color' is spelt 'colour' in page <page title>", to review and ''consider'' if it needs changing. It could be in the context of "the British spelling of 'color' is 'colour'", which clearly shouldn't be automatically spill-chucked to "the British spelling of 'color' is 'color'"!
::::For anyone who wants to spall-chick their ''own'' contributions, there are always browser-plugins available for most browsers that provide shell-chequing (and even grandma-shucking) functionality, giving something like the wiggly-red(/green) underline in your own editor and right-click/long-press access to suggested changes. Pick whatever level of self-pestering suits you, and your own situation... It'll help with more than just ''this'' site, and might help stop you needing a sticking plaster that just highlights your current failings. [[Special:Contributions/172.71.102.138|172.71.102.138]] 20:03, 15 January 2025 (UTC)
:::::I love how people are deliberately misspelling "spell-check". Y'all just gave me life.[[User:Definitely Bill Cipher|⯅A dream demon⯅]] ([[User talk:Definitely Bill Cipher|talk]]) 15:22, 16 January 2025 (UTC)

== Please see ==

Please see [[explain_xkcd:Community_portal/Proposals#Banning_the_phrase_"WhatsApp"]] as you were mentioned in it. [[User:FaviFake|FaviFake]] ([[User talk:FaviFake|talk]]) 17:32, 1 November 2025 (UTC)

== [[:Category:Comic images]] ==

Could you consider adding code to [[User:TheusafBOT]] to add [[:Category:Comic images]] to the comic files it uploads? '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 01:40, 26 November 2025 (UTC)
:Will do. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 03:43, 26 November 2025 (UTC)
::Please note that the changes you made caused the bot to add a tab before the Summary and Licensing text in File pages. See {{diff|393108|here}}, {{diff|393106|here}}, and {{diff|393107|here}}. '''[[User:42.book.addict|42.book.addict]][[User talk:42.book.addict|Talk to me!]]''' 19:59, 1 December 2025 (UTC)
:::Thanks for the report. I'll have it fixed shortly. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 04:39, 2 December 2025 (UTC)

== Unprompted Comment Deletion ==

Hi Theusaf, your bot has been deleting my and another user's comments seemingly without cause. Please see the revision history of the [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Miscellaneous|miscellaneous]] community portal, or these edits: {{diff|407137}} {{diff|407135}} {{diff|407133}} {{diff|407131}} {{diff|407129}}. Thanks! [[User:42.book.addict|tori :3]][[User talk:42.book.addict|talk to me!]] 01:00, 25 February 2026 (UTC)
:I seem to have sorted it. The prior user's use of a long string of hyphens seemed most obviously the issue. And it looks like my modified reundo of the revert held nicely enough, so I think I was on the nail with that one.
:The editor who used them doesn't even seem to have much wikisyntax awareness, or he would have just used...
----
:...the existing wikimarkup version for an actual horizontal-rule (presumed what was intended). And also known how to numberlist ''with rendered linefeeds'' properly. But I only changed it by removing the "----"s (a rendered hr-tag/equivalent wouldn't have been useful), and the BOT left that alone. And probably should still keep on looking out for things exactly like that, as (at least in this circumstance) it definitely is more likely to need to avoid than keep. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.238.95|82.132.238.95]] 03:48, 25 February 2026 (UTC)
::Hello. Thanks for the report. I'll check the code to try reducing the number of times issues like these occur. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 06:45, 25 February 2026 (UTC)

== SiteNotice ==

It seems really weird to me to say "community-maintained" without identifying or linking to the community in question or discussion, and write the text in the passive voice ("has been created," omitting the "by whom"). Is there a reason for the oblique positioning? It's not quite the level of openness and transparency I expect from a wiki community. But perhaps I am too sensitive I don't want to be offering "stop energy." Thanks. [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 13:16, 10 July 2026 (UTC)
:Ah, sorry, that's on me since I was the one who wrote the sitenotice. The fork was created by [[User:ToasterLightning]], an account that was created back in April 2024 and has no edits. I was unable to find the correct capitalization for their account username, so I decided to omit credit since I wasn't even sure if they had an account registered. Hope that clears things up! [[User:42.book.addict|tori :3]][[User talk:42.book.addict|talk to me!]] 17:12, 10 July 2026 (UTC)
::I am more confused, rather than less. Where is the fork? who is the community? Am I supposed to be looking at…https://www.reddit.com/r/xkcd/comments/1urdzfn/explainingxkcd_an_explainxkcd_fork/ ? [[User:JohnHawkinson|JohnHawkinson]] ([[User talk:JohnHawkinson|talk]]) 17:33, 10 July 2026 (UTC)
:::yes, one of the forks is at https://explainingxkcd.com, created by [[User:ToasterLightning]] (the same creator of that Reddit post), which was created to extend this wiki after it became unwritable on July 6. ((Another fork is at https://xkcd.eunakria.com, but that is read-only intended for archival purposes)) Both of these forks are now intended to be read-only, and we're looking for a way to get explainingxkcd merged onto it (if possible). The community, including both of these fork creators, live at the explainxkcd discord server, which has an invite link in the userpage of the user you responded to -- [[User:Somefan|somefan]] ([[User talk:Somefan|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Somefan|contribs]]) 21:08, 10 July 2026 (UTC)

3267: Types of Tornado Alert

2026-07-05T15:37:01Z

Somefan: sentence case for alert names, add title text, and a few wiki links

{{comic
| number = 3267
| date = July 3, 2026
| title = Types of Tornado Alert
| image = types_of_tornado_alert_2x.png
| imagesize = 505x426px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I hate the unearthly sound my phone makes when the weather service issues a tornado harbinger.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was found after a tornado recollection made an unearthly noise. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

This comic describes the idea of a {{w|tornado warning|tornado alert}} and then humorously extends it to decreasingly dangerous situations, soon reaching increasimgly farfetched warnings, which don't help to prepare for a tornado at all.

A table showing these warnings is below:

===Types of tornado alerts===
{| class="wikitable"
!Alert
!Description
!Explanation
|-
|{{w|Tornado warning}}
|A tornado has been detected; take shelter
|
|-
|{{w|Tornado watch}}
|Conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form
|
|-
|{{w|Tornado preparedness|Tornado precaution}}
|Tornadoes happen sometimes, so be ready
|
|-
|Tornado inkling
|No tornadoes yet, but we have a feeling
|
|-
|Tornado suspicion
|Weird clouds have been observed
|
|-
|Tornado premonition
|Tornado portents and omens have been observed
|
|-
|Tornado recollection
|Tornadoes have occurred in the past
|
|-
|Tornado contemplation
|Tornadoes are very big and powerful
|
|-
|Tornado harbinger (title text)
|I hate the unearthly sound my phone makes when the weather service issues a tornado harbinger.
|
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[There are multiple panels showing different scenes, prefixed by some label beginning with "Tornado" and followed by a description.]

:Tornado warning
:[Silhouette of a tornado spraying dust on the ground. To its right is a house and a dead tree.]
:A tornado has been detected; take shelter

:Tornado watch
:[Hairbun stands in front of a board containing two graphs (one a skew-T log-P) and points to it with her right arm. Cueball is standing, facing her.]
:Conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form

:Tornado precaution
:[Cueball stands with his arms out.]
:Tornadoes happen sometimes, so be ready

:Tornado inkling
:[Cueball has his hand on his chin, looking to the right.]
:No tornadoes yet, but we have a feeling

:Tornado suspicion
:[Cueball is standing outside looking at several clouds, including a cumulonimbus.]
:Weird clouds have been observed

:Tornado premonition
:[Cueball stands to to the left of a pole with a crossbar that has been driven into the ground, and is leaning to the right. Upon the pole two black birds are sitting, and beside the pole is a skull. In the background, more birds form the shape of a tornado.]
:Tornado portents and omens have been observed

:Tornado recollection
:[Cueball has his hand on his chin, looking to the left. He has a thought bubble, containing the silhouette of a tornado.]
:Tornadoes have occurred in the past

:Tornado contemplation
:[Cueball is sitting on a cube, with his arms in his lap, and facing left.]
:Cueball: ''Wow.''
:Tornadoes are very big and powerful

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Weather]]
[[Category:Tornadoes]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]

1666: Brain Upload

2026-04-11T23:08:27Z

Somefan: no correlation to linux

{{comic
| number = 1666
| date = April 11, 2016
| title = Brain Upload
| image = brain upload.png
| titletext = I just spent 20 minutes deciding whether to start an email with 'Hi' or 'Hey', so I think it transferred correctly.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Megan]] is {{w|Mind uploading|uploading}} [[Cueball|Cueball's]] {{w|consciousness}} into a computer device attached to his head via a cap on his skull. After the upload, the computer seems to have stopped responding to inputs, causing Megan to conclude that the process has failed, however Cueball insists the transfer could have worked, or at least gave the correct response. This is because that is the kind of behavior he is used to experiencing from his own brain.

Sometimes computers can seem to be "frozen" - i.e. non-responsive to any user input; but may eventually start responding again. In fact, it is impossible for a computer to determine (for all cases) if a program will eventually finish its process (see {{w|halting problem}}).

The potential benefits of the fictional technology used in this comic are obvious, and this type of "transfer" has been subject of various science fiction works. It could allow for a form of immortality or serve as a "backup" for someone's mind. A "transfer" (rather than a "copy") would suggest that Cueball's consciousness is removed from his body and relocated, but Megan may simply be using the incorrect verb. The exact nature of "consciousness" is left somewhat ambiguous in this comic.

In the title text Cueball (or [[Randall]]) indicates that this kind of non-response from the brain (or a computer) is something he just experienced when trying to write an email and then failing to get started for 20 minutes while he (i.e. his brain) tried to decide the "very important" detail of whether to begin the email with 'Hi' or 'Hey' - a detail that is really trivial, as the difference between these two informal greetings has little consequence.

==Transcript==
:[Megan is standing in front of the control panel of a device with both hands on the keyboard. The device is linked to Cueball's heads through a wire that goes to a cap on top of Cueball's head, where it spreads out in more than ten wires connecting to different places all over the cap. Cueball sits, hands in his laps, on a kind of table on the other side of the device facing Megan.]
:Megan: Neural-digital link established. Ready to upload your consciousness to the computer?
:Cueball: Sure, go for it.

:[Same setting in a frame-less panel, but Megan presses a button on the keyboard with one hand and a flash of light goes through the wire and around Cueballs head. Cueball seems to jerk as his hands are lifted from his lap and his legs move a little forward.]
:Computer: ''Bzzzzzzt''

:[Same setting again but Megan seems to be typing harder on the keys (shown with small lines above her hands on the keyboard) and Cueball sits normally again but one hand further back than in the first panel.]
:Megan: ...Hmm.
:Cueball: What?

:[Same as first panel but Megan looks a little more down on the keyboard.]
:Megan: It's not responding - the whole system is frozen. I think the transfer failed.
:Cueball: No, that sounds right.

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

Talk:3227: Creation

2026-04-08T22:33:09Z

Somefan: 688 w/ dark mode

did anyone else wait for the screensaver to hit the corner? [[Special:Contributions/216.25.182.141|216.25.182.141]] 20:13, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Yes. I watched waaay too long to see if it would, but lost patience and I don’t want to put effort into determining if it will happen. Can anyone confirm whether or not it will eventually happen either for some people or for all people? [[User:Dúthomhas|Dúthomhas]] ([[User talk:Dúthomhas|talk]]) 23:06, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
::The comic always bounces off of the top of your screen, but keeps its place relative to the rest of the page when scrolling, so you can try to make it hit the corner yourself [[User:Jarochar|Jarochar]] ([[User talk:Jarochar|talk]]) 21:21, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
:::You can also resize the window while it's bouncing to move the corner into the path of the comic. I haven't observed anything special yet, but I'm not patient enough to try for a pixel-perfect bounce. [[Special:Contributions/169.150.203.33|169.150.203.33]] 02:46, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

I can't work out what Modem mode is meant to do... on my machine it just freezes the whole page. [[Special:Contributions/78.213.151.110|78.213.151.110]] 20:22, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:It plays the sound of an old-style phone modem, and scrolls the comic into view slowly. It's supposed to represent the early days when downloading an image would take a long time. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:31, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:can confirm on android firefox it seems to render the page unresponsive to input - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 21:18, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Same here on Desktop Firefox - under "Modem mode", the whole page freezes up and the browser prompts me to close it ("this page is slowing down Firefox", or words to that effect). I wonder if it's a Firefox thing - odd if so, because I imagine Randall of all people would test on browsers other than Chrom* - or some weird side-effect of my ad/popup/script/cookie-blockers. A shame because all the other modes seem to work - "Greyscale mode" is far too subtle, and I'm ashamed to admit I missed the change from "math" to "maths"! - but this is a great April Fools' comic. [[Special:Contributions/50.45.232.78|50.45.232.78]] 22:56, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Firefoxer here, and ''without'' any particular add-ons that might interact badly with it... It does (seem to) lock up and it does (sometimes... didn't on at least one occasion) prompt Firefox to ask if I want to stop the page. But if I wait long enough it 'wipes off' the last seen comic image, starts to 'scanline' it back (note: not actually accurate to the real days of modems, as you'd probably be loading up images in interlaced mode) and ''then'' starts to give a modem-shriek.
:I wonder, without delving into the code used, if it's the method used to 'sleep' (could it be using busy-busy NOP-like code, rather than true sleep-interupts?), or just a slightly different asynchronous script-handling method that Firefox uses instead of other test-platforms. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 23:46, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
::Using Firefox (On mac, in Australia, if relevant) and it works fine, but no audio component. [[Special:Contributions/114.198.19.39|114.198.19.39]] 08:07, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
: For me (in Chrome) it scrolled the whole page in from the bottom, but then kept scrolling so that you got the top of the page appearing beneath the bottom of it - like a TV with vertical hold problems (kids - ask your grandparents). Then changing to other modes it was stuck in that position. However, on subsequent attempts it only scrolled open the comic portion of the page. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 08:35, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I clicked darker mode and my screen is black and I cant undo it help {{unsigned ip|207.233.27.2|20:24, 1 April 2026 (UTC)}}
:I assume you mean Darkest Mode, since there's no darker mode. The screen turns black but if you look carefully you can still see the grey of the menu and you can click on it. Also, the menu border continues to appear after you select the choice (at least it does on my Mac). P.S. Don't forget to sign your comment with 4 ~ characters. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 20:31, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Modem mode doesn’t work for me what does it do [[Special:Contributions/2A06:5906:1412:4100:352D:1A2:184:5F3|2A06:5906:1412:4100:352D:1A2:184:5F3]] 20:29, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Modem mode makes the comic slowly print from above [[Special:Contributions/216.25.182.141|216.25.182.141]] 20:34, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I see the mobile site m.xkcd.com was left out on this change😔 [[Special:Contributions/104.28.215.219|104.28.215.219]] 20:37, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:I have been viewing via a tablet, though I think I've permwnently set my browsers to ''not'' use mobile version sites (they tend to assume viewing everything in portrait, I have found, whereas I almost always browse in landscape, so it gives me badly relocated on-page menu bars, or other wierdnesses).
:Everything seems to work nicely, as I bounced back and forth between modes (and occasionaly went to other comics to see how something like Stained Glass worked with them). Until I tried out the Star Wars scrolling one. Earlier on, I'd checked it out on a desktop, so I left it until one of the last few because it was hardest on the desktop to move on from (unless you used the cursor key, when you'd let the select-drop-down element drift to far 'away' to easily click.
:However, on the tablet, it ''just'' goes black, no appearance of the scrolly-scrawled page contents. (No way to use cursors to change the in-focus drop-down element to a neighbour.) Back-paging just takes me back through the various Random-comic pages I'd passed through, then the plain xkcd.com latest-comic default, all completely black, no animation. (Plane/Boat/Spring/Screensave mode dynamics, etc animated/transformed properly in their various ways.) Back-paging to before landing on xkcd.com (the tab I'd set off from) then forward again landed me in the all-black page with no space-sprawl in evidence...
:...''until'' I turned the tablet sideways (portrait proportions), and there it was. And rotated back to landscape to find it ''still'' properly visible, still scrolling away. Also, discovered I could drag (without pinch-dragging, which is zooming) the scrawl back 'towards me' (essentially scrolling down the skewed page, not an interaction that I'd attempted on the desktop computer), so that I could intercept the dropdown box and shift myself onto a different mode again.
:This is on Chrome For Android. I have other tablet browsers handy, but would need to check them properly before committing to ''their'' compatabilities or peculiarities. But sort of works, after you get over a funny hurdle (as just described), and ''perhaps'' need to have set Desktop Site as default rather than letting your device attempt to automatically use the "m." site version. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.237.40|82.132.237.40]] 02:56, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I read “Modern mode” instead of Modem mode and I spent a while making wild theories about what it could be referencing. But I’m also quite sleepy. [[Special:Contributions/146.70.116.107|146.70.116.107]] 20:51, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:i also misread it as modern mode, it made everything lag for me, made it feel like a modern website [[Special:Contributions/85.206.187.35|85.206.187.35]] 00:57, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I deminified the code if anyone wants it. There are no hidden options or anything like right-click has, but it would be extremely easy to add modes to it. [[Special:Contributions/2601:441:4B7E:7660:0:0:0:AC72|2601:441:4B7E:7660:0:0:0:AC72]] 20:59, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

"Modem mode" works for me in Chromium, but not Firefox. [[User:Robobun|Robobun]] ([[User talk:Robobun|talk]]) 21:06, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:For me it's just slow on Firefox. It takes about 5 seconds to clear the comic and start scrolling it back in, and the static doesn't start until it's almost all showing. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:11, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

applies across the whole website? i forsee a preservation effort in the near future to capture What This Was Like, when randall inevitably removes the menu and all its modes--there's no chance this is staying, is there? - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 21:24, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:It applies to older comics, but not other parts of the site. I'm also wondering if this might be just for April Fool's Day. [[User:Barmar|Barmar]] ([[User talk:Barmar|talk]]) 21:27, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:: I know it's april the 1st, but could we keep the modes? Stainglass is fun when the background doesn't turn maroon (and makes the text hard to read). I also checked other pages of xkcd, the modes are on on the other comics. {{unsigned ip|2a04:cec0:121a:5180:bcf7:54ff:feb2:d55|21:31, 1 April 2026 (UTC)}}
::Of course it's the April Fools'/Fools' comic. Nice to see it being on time, this year, and I too wonder how long it'll stay. Might it permanently stay on this comic page, perhaps even stay if you jump off of it, but comic 3228 (or the 'default' latest-comic page) will probably be back to normal on Friday. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 22:14, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Luckily, preservation is easy enough. I think you just need to save the main [https://xkcd.com/3227/5710add.js Javascript file] (which contains the CSS, and generates the necessary DOM on the fly) and the [https://xkcd.com/3227/imgs/nyoom_2x.png one image asset]. I think it should be easy enough to turn it into a UserScript if you turn the png into a data URI, or even a web extension if that's more your speed. [[User:Dratini0|Dratini0]] ([[User talk:Dratini0|talk]]) 00:12, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

Finally we have the Boat Mode from the footer! [[User:B_for_brain|B for brain]] ([[User_talk:B_for_brain|talk]]) ([https://www.youtube.com/@bforbrain youtube channel] [https://bforbrain.weebly.com/ wobsite (supposed to be a blag)]) 21:33, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

'''Attention admins''' I think there's an "oops" in this line:
<nowiki>To experience the interactivity, visit the {{xkcd|{comicNum}|original comic}}!</nowiki>
[[Special:Contributions/64.201.132.210|64.201.132.210]] 21:43, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Yeah, looks like this is a regression in this corner case. I should have a fix for it soon. —[[User:Theusaf|theusaf]] ([[User talk:Theusaf|talk]]) 23:41, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Has the full footer always been there? "xkcd.com is best viewed with Netscape Navigator 4.0 or below on a Pentium 3±1 emulated in Javascript on an Apple IIGS at a screen resolution of 1024x1. Please enable your ad blockers, disable high-heat drying, and remove your device from Airplane Mode and set it to Boat Mode. For security reasons, please leave caps lock on while browsing." --[[User:Chance2travel|Chance2travel]] ([[User talk:Chance2travel|talk]]) 22:30, 1 April 2026 (UTC)
:Yes, always has been. Learn more at the page for [[Footnote]]. [[Special:Contributions/104.28.215.219|104.28.215.219]] 23:17, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I think the Dorian Greyscale Mode takes 5 minutes to complete. I see this in the Javascript: <code>body.mode-dorian-greyscale {\n transition: filter 300s ease-out;</code> [[User:Pgn674|Pgn674]] ([[User talk:Pgn674|talk]]) 22:36, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Dorian Greyscale Mode seems like it ought to use only the white keys on a standard piano, and go DEGFCDBA, with adjacent notes differing in a single bit position. [[Special:Contributions/2A02:8084:2862:4F80:65B7:327D:E614:342F|2A02:8084:2862:4F80:65B7:327D:E614:342F]] 22:56, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

I'd love to know if the modem mode's audio file decodes to anything if you try to decode it as a v.92 stream or something similar. [[Special:Contributions/2603:6011:4504:D100:3BD0:B617:9D7:1C80|2603:6011:4504:D100:3BD0:B617:9D7:1C80]] 23:24, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Stained Glass Mode doesn't show title text? Might be a bug [[User:X|X]] ([[User talk:X|talk]]) 23:38, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Not gonna lie, I got nerd-sniped hard here. I thought the noise in the modem mode might be real modem noises, and I tried to demodulate it. With Gnuradio, I got to the point of guessing that it's 4FSK at 2400 baud, with a center frequency of about 1700 Hz and a frequency deviation of about 300 Hz. I couldn't find the corresponding modem standard, so I started deminifying the source code that generates it. The good news is that I was correct. It's 4FSK, 2400 baud, center frequency 1710 Hz, frequency deviation 270 Hz. The bad news? The data is Math.random(). That feels bittersweet. I saw a puzzle where there was none. I want to post the relevant snippet of deminified code. Am I allowed to do that? Is the site itself also under CC-BY-NC, or just the comics? [[User:Dratini0|Dratini0]] ([[User talk:Dratini0|talk]]) 23:58, 1 April 2026 (UTC)

Honestly, I'd love a real dark mode for xkcd.com. But one where the comic isn't inverted. Sometimes I prefer to read the comic here on explainxkcd.com since I have mediawiki settings for dark mode, but those don't invert the comic. (I don't think I can make mediawiki settings for space opera mode...) [[User:Orion205|Orion205]] ([[User talk:Orion205|talk]]) 00:28, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:You should be able to force a custom CSS on this site (with or without any browser-helpers, but there are ones out there that streamline/automate/augment this ability). The AFD-code is applying a full visual filter (over the top of the comic; maybe or maybe not above the mode-selection 'widget', depending upon browser implementation), but sounds like you just want to apply foreground/background inversion as priority (above anything xkcd.com normally 'suggests' via CSS/tag-attributes) to all markup, but leave the comic image (and any other images, like the thumbnails) as is. Might he tricky if any element is "black-on-transparency" image, which assumes white but now has your code turning it black behind the non-transparent black, but you could probably live with it (or make it 75% dark-grey or so?), and non-transparent black-on-white (presuming white all around it) could look strange.
:But you can't tell for sure without trying to tweak your end (or actually checking the source HTML, on the way to doing just that).
:Alternatively, maybe you can isolate the on-site code for just the Dark Mode of the entire-page treatment, modified to 'demask' the filter exactly over the limits of the comic img-rendering area. If it's been done the way I think it's been done (not gonna try to check, 'til I'm not on mobile platform myself) should be a fairly trivial job to add to the fraction of the code you 'borrow'. Or at least a learning experience, as you work out what tweaks do what. [[Special:Contributions/82.132.237.40|82.132.237.40]] 12:22, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
::all this has inspired me to set up a usercss to darktheme explainxkcd for me; i'm feeling very content with how this page looks for me right now. - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 08:07, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

I spent way too long watching screensaver mode to see if it would do anything if the comic hit a corner. [[Special:Contributions/170.142.177.145|170.142.177.145]] 00:31, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:fyi ive found that the comic panels bounce on the edges of the viewport but move with reference to page coordinates--which means if you scroll just right you can place a corner of your screen where it's going to hit, without having to wait for it to get there on its own - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 03:39, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I wonder if the choice of the actual text in the comic is a reference to the Apollo 8 Christmas broadcast of Genesis, due to the Artemis II launch today... or maybe I'm overthinking it and it's simply a joke about light and dark mode. [[Special:Contributions/2601:241:8002:3E0:5CAD:3E02:93FF:FB00|2601:241:8002:3E0:5CAD:3E02:93FF:FB00]] 01:05, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:TY! I was not aware of that broadcast and it seems incredibly strange, since everything done on the mission "debunks" that passage! Apparently it was done because anything alluding to "world peace" in any way would seem like a commentary on the Vietnam War. Which, depending on one's skepticism of religion, can also seem quite ironic -now I'm overthinking, so I'll stop now. [[User:Cuvtixo|Cuvtixo]] ([[User talk:Cuvtixo|talk]]) 16:00, 3 April 2026 (UTC)

Anyone test the other April fools comics? [[User:Commercialegg|Commercialegg]] ([[User talk:Commercialegg|talk]]) 01:14, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:I tried Machine (2916) in dark mode and it just froze after the tutorial. [[User:King Pando|King Pando]] ([[User talk:King Pando|talk]]) 03:34, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

:Hoverboard (1608) becomes quite challenging in Space Opera Mode, not least because the player and the coins are invisible (at least in my antique MS Edge browser). [[Special:Contributions/74.220.129.129|74.220.129.129]] 15:26, 4 April 2026 (UTC)

I noticed using some of the modes makes xkcd.com/688 no longer self describing, not sure if its worth noting on either wiki [[User:Daunting Zebra|Daunting Zebra]] ([[User talk:Daunting Zebra|talk]]) 07:31, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

The current explanation of dark mode as 'inverting black and white pixels' isn't quite correct. For example, on [[2623]] a pale yellow colour gets flipped to black. On the other hand, other colours elsewhere are left untouched. So it must be doing 'some very light area of colour palette > black' and presumably 'some very dark area of colour palette > white'. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 11:27, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
: On [[2342]] a light khaki(?) colour gets changed to a dark grey - not even a black. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 11:29, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
: Brown sun, anyone? [[2750]] [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 11:33, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:Similar to the criteria for the Stained Glass region borders, perhaps? Sufficiently light grey (or unssaturated+light colours) do not 'edge' a given floodfill area, it seems. (See {{xkcd|1811}}, and how it floods/filters that, for example, with pre-coloured ''and'' greyscale text to compare its operational limits upon.) [[Special:Contributions/82.132.237.40|82.132.237.40]] 12:22, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
: It is not flipped to black. It is turned into a very dark yellow that appears closer to black than the original yellow appeared to white because it is not gamma-corrected. [[Special:Contributions/80.187.115.75|80.187.115.75]] 00:05, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
... ... I was hoping this comic would be actually fun, like ALL previous April 1 comics are... :( It would be much better if it follows its name and the standards of earlier April 1's, i.e. there is only a "dark" option and when you switch to it the story progresses and you continue to do some other things and eventually complete a full xkcd-style "creation" (a great idea!) [[Special:Contributions/203.198.86.210|203.198.86.210]] 11:43, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

unsigned comment (pretend it's April foooools) {{unsigned ip|13:27, 2 April 2026 (UTC)}}

Is nobody noticing the fact that Randall was ACTUALLY ON TIME? That's quite rare! --''''''[[User:DollarStoreBa'al|DollarStoreBa'al]][[User Talk:DollarStoreBa'al|Converse]] 13:58, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

I wonder if any intentional "Easter eggs" were hidden inside other comic pages. [[User:Benzaldehyde|Benzaldehyde]] ([[User talk:Benzaldehyde|talk]] 17:10, 2 April 2026 (UTC)
:I tried looking up #[[880]] (the one about 3D) and sadly it has no additional easter eggs with it :( [[Special:Contributions/2407:0:3006:2959:B0A4:2347:EF39:22AE|2407:0:3006:2959:B0A4:2347:EF39:22AE]] 12:03, 3 April 2026 (UTC)

Did anyone else notice that the effect (3D, Airplane, etc.) carries over to other comics accessed by the 'Random' button?{{unsigned ip|130.76.25.40|20:25, 2 April 2026 (UTC)}}
:You can change it on any comic. The dropdown is still there. [[User:King Pando|King Pando]] ([[User talk:King Pando|talk]]) 23:09, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

Spring Mode is broken on comic [https://xkcd.com/1127/ 1127]. It doesn't do anything for that one, but the other modes work. [[Special:Contributions/2600:4040:2CD4:C200:C134:93AD:21E2:1202|2600:4040:2CD4:C200:C134:93AD:21E2:1202]] 12:35, 3 April 2026 (UTC)
: On that note, the spring mode on Earth Temperature Timeline is crazy. [[Special:Contributions/85.76.164.131|85.76.164.131]] 15:07, 4 April 2026 (UTC)
:: thank you for tipping me off about this, it's great - [[User:Vaedez|Vaedez]] ([[User talk:Vaedez|talk]]) 08:11, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

I tried watching this one render in Modem mode with the volume turned up... [[1732: Earth Temperature Timeline]] :-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 17:52, 4 April 2026 (UTC)

Anyone else tried dark mode on comic 688 “Self-Description”? [[Special:Contributions/2600:4040:52F7:9A00:F19F:5EAC:82CF:A62A|2600:4040:52F7:9A00:F19F:5EAC:82CF:A62A]] 15:00, 5 April 2026 (UTC)
:yep, luckily i read it for no informative purposes in mind -- [[User:Somefan|somefan]] ([[User talk:Somefan|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Somefan|contribs]]) 22:33, 8 April 2026 (UTC)
In the explanation working around a human existing to ask for dark mode, I saw this as the Earth itself asking for dark mode - no humans, so that rationale isn't needed. [[User:Goodeye|Goodeye]] ([[User talk:Goodeye|talk]]) 15:51, 5 April 2026 (UTC)
it would seem that screensaver mode only actually collides with walls on the top left corner, at least on some comics[[Special:Contributions/204.113.154.68|204.113.154.68]] 14:46, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

I used all of the options on my favorite XKCD comic - the 64 states map one (2868). [[User:Strontium|Strontium]] ([[User talk:Strontium|talk]]) 20:48, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

It is now 9 April 2026 (in my timezone) and the mode option is still there on all comics. Is it a permanent feature? [[User:Martin|Martin]] ([[User talk:Martin|talk]]) 22:22, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

3230: Overton

2026-04-08T22:27:38Z

Somefan: add polecat

{{comic
| number = 3230
| date = April 8, 2026
| title = Overton
| image = overton_2x.png
| imagesize = 242x268px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = I think I accidentally installed an Overton window in my bedroom. A few months ago, the sun wasn't in my face in the morning, but now it is.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|This page was created by JOSEPH PAUL OVERTON, BACK FROM THE DEAD. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

{{w|Joseph Paul Overton}} was a political scientist who created the concept of the {{w|Overton Window}}, which is the range of subjects that are politically appropriate to raise during a period of time. The first set of dates, 1960 and 2003, are the years that Joseph Paul Overton was born and died.

It is common for political commentators to state that the Overton window has "moved," meaning that the standard for which political positions are "moderate" or "extreme" changes, and in either direction. In the comic, the "Overton window" instead refers to the time span in which Joseph Paul Overton was alive. In the drawing Overton's gravestone has the dates repeatedly crossed out as the Overton window moves. This creates the ridiculous implication that Overton had multiple lives (4 in the comic), which is impossible{{cn}}.

The title text refers to the seasonal movement of sunlight, where the sun's path rises and sets further north or south over months, known as seasonal sun path changes. This shift, caused by Earth's tilt, moves between the summer solstice (highest/northernmost arc) and winter solstice (lowest/southernmost arc.) However, the character in the text believes that rather than being a natural phenomenon, the sunlight is now being let in by a literal window, which, since it is an Overton window, is capable of gradual movement.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Don't remove this notice too soon.}}
:[A gravestone is shown on some grass. On the inscription, all of the years except the last one are crossed out in red, and all except the first pair of years have the years themselves in red. The inscription is as follows:]
:Joseph Paul Overton
:<s>1960</s> - <s>2003</s>
:<s>1965</s> - <s>2011</s>
:<s>1973</s> - <s>2018</s>
:1982 -

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Politics]]

838: Incident

2026-04-08T22:11:32Z

Somefan:

{{comic
| number = 838
| date = December 24, 2010
| title = Incident
| image = incident.png
| titletext = He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he's copied on /var/spool/mail/root, so be good for goodness' sake.
}}

==Explanation==
This comic was posted on {{w|Christmas Eve}}. While {{w|Christmas}} is principally a {{w|Christian}} holiday, there are many traditions around it, among them {{w|Christmas Eve#Gift_giving|a tradition}} that on {{w|Christmas Eve}} {{w|Santa Claus}} will make his round delivering gifts to good children. [[Rob]] (identified by his username, <code>robm</code>) sits behind a UNIX computer and tried to change his user account from his normal access to the access of a super user by using the command "<code>sudo su</code>". {{w|Sudo}} is a famous phrase in xkcd lore, made famous by comic [[149: Sandwich]]. Before allowing administrator access (as root user), it asks for a password. The field is blank because, in most UNIX systems, the characters of the password are invisible to protect privacy. Even though the password is correct, Rob's account is not in the list of accounts that can use <code>sudo</code> (the <code>sudoers</code> file). The error message says that the incident "will be reported" (usually to the system administrator, so they can see if someone is making repeated attempts at accessing administrator privileges).

In the comic, however, sudo and the system report the incidents to {{w|Santa Claus}}, who, in Christmas lore, makes a list of who is naughty and who is nice. If you are nice then you get presents, while if you are naughty, you get a lump of coal. When sudo reports to Santa that Rob's account is not authorized, he puts Rob on the naughty list. The message "… is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported." is a real message that the <code>sudo</code> program used to output in this situation. It was changed in 2022 to "This incident has been reported to the administrator", citing this comic: [https://github.com/sudo-project/sudo/commit/6aa320c96a37613663e8de4c275bd6c490466b01][https://github.com/sudo-project/sudo/commit/9757d29a24ac1872872cf09757b0439c54089707].

In the title text, which is a parody of the famous Christmas song, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", <code>/var/spool/mail/root</code> is the root (superuser) mailbox on a Linux system, where the incident described in the comic would commonly be reported to.

==Transcript==
:[Rob is sitting at a computer. The computer's prompt is shown.]
robm@homebox~$ sudo su
Password:
robm is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
robm@homebox~$ █

:[Megan approaches.]
:Rob: Hey — who does sudo report these "incidents" ''to''?
:Megan: You know, I've never checked.

:[Santa Claus is sitting at a desk supported by candy canes, with a red monitor. On the wall are two lists labeled 'naughty' and 'nice'. He is in the process of adding a line to the 'naughty' list.]

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Rob]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Linux]]
[[Category:Christmas]]
[[Category:Comics with a Spanish translation]]

834: Wikileaks

2026-04-08T22:02:05Z

Somefan: shrink image and move to explanation

{{comic
| number = 834
| date = December 15, 2010
| title = Wikileaks
| image = wikileaks.png
| titletext = STUDENTS ARE CALLING PRESIDENT JOHNSON EN MASSE TO PROTEST THE BOMBING AND IT'S JAMMED THE WHITE HOUSE SWITCHBOARD. COULD THEY COLLAPSE OUR CRITICAL PHONE SYSTEMS? HAS THE FIRST TELEPHONE WAR BEGUN? STAY TUNED FOR MORE ON THIS DANGEROUS NEW TECHNOLOGY.
}}

==Explanation==
[[File:Anonymous_emblem.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|200px| Anonymous' emblem. (from Wikimedia Commons)]]
This comic references {{w|WikiLeaks}}, a site to which classified data can be sent for publication, while nobody would know who leaked the data. Many people dislike WikiLeaks, but proponents claim that, since government is supposed to work for the people, all government information should be available to anyone who wants to see it. WikiLeaks' actions are illegal in most countries, and the people maintaining WikiLeaks stay anonymous, with the notable exception of {{w|Julian Assange}}, the spokesperson. Among the supporters of Wikileaks are the 4chan-based activism/hacker group {{w|Anonymous (group)|Anonymous}}, who, for the week or so prior to this comic's release, used DDoS attacks to take down servers for companies that aided the governments of the world in taking down Wikileaks and its CEO, Julian Assange. Amazon, PayPal and MasterCard were all targets of Anonymous. The claim 'We are legion' is a reference to Mark chapter 5 in the Bible, in which Jesus throws out a group of demons that call themselves Legion, [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%205:1-10&version=NIV "for we are many."]

The comic imagines an ironic scenario in which WikiLeaks, the organization Anonymous fought to protect, stays true to their mission of releasing secrets to the public, and publishes the personal information of Anonymous members. The joke in the comic notes a contradiction in Anonymous's position, relying on strict secrecy of its members' private information while supporting an anti-secrecy organization like WikiLeaks. This may be a reference to an incident in 2009 when WikiLeaks [http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2009-02/18/wikileaks-forced-to-leak-own-secret-info published a leaked list] of some of their anonymous donors, following their then-policy of complete impartiality regarding leaks.

In theory, Anonymous consists of everyone who takes steps to remain anonymous, not merely the hackers and criminals. In practice, Julian would merely have to post a list of Wikileaks contributors.

The title text appears to be a news wire from during the {{w|Vietnam War}} when {{w|Lyndon B. Johnson}} was President in the United States. The students were calling to protest the War, in what xkcd implicates as the first {{w|DDoS}} attack. A DDoS attack is a Distributed Denial of Service attack, one of Anonymous' favorite tactics, in which the attackers send vast quantities of traffic from many different points to take down a web server, or, in the case of the title text, a phone network. Taken as a whole, the title text satirizes news reports in which a DDoS attack is confused with an actual hack, as only in the latter does the attacker gain (partial) access to the system itself.

==Transcript==
:[The logo of Anonymous (but without the question mark), a black formal suit with no head, is talking.]
:Anonymous: We are Anonymous. We are legion. We are no one and everyone.
:Anonymous: And we are here to fight for WikiLeaks.

:[The panel is presented as the front page of WikiLeaks, in a browser.]
:<big>New Leak:</big>
:Names, addresses, IPs, and phone numbers of everyone in Anonymous.
:Download Now

:Anonymous: ...Dammit, Julian.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Comics with a Spanish translation]]

3229: Grammar

2026-04-08T19:09:19Z

Somefan:

{{comic
| number = 3229
| date = April 6, 2026
| title = Grammar
| image = grammar_2x.png
| imagesize = 227x312px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Communication is one of the most popular ways to transmit information, ahead of rivals such as
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Explanation of '''EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE''' should focus on grammar, not communication.}}

[[Miss Lenhart]] is shown teaching a classroom about {{w|grammar}}, which is a system of rules describing how a certain language is structured. This is useful to make communication and meaning standardized and clear, with little to no difficulty in parsing. However, due to having many rules and structures to learn, the grammar of some languages can be viewed with annoyance by some people who wish it were 'simpler'. Miss Lenhart claims that grammar is "''one'' of the most popular ways to structure a language" and presents two alternative methods, but this is odd, as grammar ''is'' how we structure a language. Also, if the names of these 'rivals' illustrate their use, they reflect their own rules, and thus imply their own grammar. She also presents two alternative methods (though it could be interpreted as a list of four items without commas to split it up) that competed to substitute grammar, yet evidently never took off to be implemented for practical use. Despite seeming nonsensical, they've gained their own linguistic terminology:

;Words order words random words words random good
:This alternate to grammar likely has very loose rules around structure, as it consists of simply stating words that relate directly to the idea being conveyed (as opposed to normal grammar, which focuses on linking together many words to form a single coherent idea). This is superficially similar to some languages, like Ukrainian, where word order does not matter. However, in these languages, its role in the sentence is simply replaced with more in-depth conjugation, which is also a form of grammar. The provided sentence, conversely, appears to have neither conjugation nor any meaningful ordering, which would make it difficult to convey more complex concepts.

;EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
:This might be referencing a scream as a form of communication. Screams are capable of communicating small amounts of information, primarily the fact that someone is attempting to draw one's attention, but cannot convey most concepts without use of complex, structured encoding patterns like Morse code (which do not appear to be present here). Alternatively, it could be made up of various random syllables, with others in the system too. (like 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH' & 'OOOOOOOOOOOH'). It may also be a reference to one of the questions recorded in [[Randall]]'s ''[[What If? 2]]'', in the {{what if|2-58.5|Short Answers #5 chapter}}. The "question", posted by Nate Yu, was a string of 960 letter "E"s, to which Randall replied: "I feel you, Nate".

The title text continues Lenhart's lecture, as she moves on to {{w|communication}} and its rival alternatives, similar to the subject of grammar, but seems to cut off before naming the first one. Lenhart is self-demonstrating non-communication, as the sudden stop in the middle of the sentence could be a joke for how there are no other ways to convey information without communication. Still, this doesn't rule at least one other 'rival' to communication, as Lenhart implies that at least one more method exists. If communication is defined as successful transmission of information, it is possible she is referring to some sort of method(s) that attempts, but fails to transmit information. Nonetheless, demonstrating lack of communication would not be useful in this setting without further explanation, as abruptly ceasing to provide more information could instill confusion in her students.

==Transcript==
:[Miss Lenhart is teaching in a classroom. Two students can be seen sitting at desks in front of her, Cueball in the first row and Megan in the second row.]
:Miss Lenhart: '''Grammar''' is one of the most popular ways to structure a language, ahead of rival methods such as '''''words order words random words words random good''''' and '''''EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE'''''.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]

Talk:3229: Grammar

2026-04-08T19:06:43Z

Somefan: traditional grammar

E3EeE E3eE!! [[User:Logalex8369|Logalex8369]] ([[User talk:Logalex8369|talk]]) 22:26, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
: E [[User:ProphetZarquon|ProphetZarquon]] ([[User talk:ProphetZarquon|talk]]) 19:54, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

I created a transcript, but used OCR for all the E's because I kept losing count of how many there were. If someone wants to factcheck that, please do. [[Special:Contributions/104.28.215.220|104.28.215.220]] 22:45, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
: Factchecked 19 E's counted in the image and 19 E's counted in the transcript. [[Special:Contributions/12.155.149.34|12.155.149.34]] 23:00, 6 April 2026 (UTC)

It looks like the bot picked up the April Fool's "feature" as interactive, should we keep it or remove? [[Special:Contributions/104.28.215.220|104.28.215.220]] 22:46, 6 April 2026 (UTC)

Side note: I have heard people using both alternate niche methods of language structure, kinda like those people who adopt a losing format even after it's clear it has lost. On character who has on occasion dabbled in both is Homer Simpson, BTW. --[[Special:Contributions/94.73.49.13|94.73.49.13]]
:I still say that Video2000 was the superior home VCR format, in every way...[[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 23:55, 6 April 2026 (UTC)
: Not really niche - a significant proportion of spoken language is non-grammatical. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 16:27, 7 April 2026 (UTC)
:: your non-grammatical [[Special:Contributions/45.178.3.34|45.178.3.34]] 14:34, 8 April 2026 (UTC)
:::*Yorue'roe'r

Any "competitors" to grammar would still be grammars since a grammar, by definition, describes how a language is structured. [[Special:Contributions/75.248.235.98|75.248.235.98]] 00:00, 7 April 2026 (UTC)
:Well, the Random Words one ''seems'' to have no particular structure beyond being word-utterances, and the EEEEEEEEEEEEEE one doesn't even have much that ''can'' be structuralised (though I'm half expecting it to actually supposed to be a modem 'yowl', it needn't even be that), so I'm willing to bet that this exempts them from any consistent quality of being grammar. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 00:08, 7 April 2026 (UTC)
: The second example used the term word-s which in itself is a structure with grammar. And the last example might well have grammar, if eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee is a single morpheme, we siply wouldn't be able to recognize the grammar. [[Special:Contributions/195.65.24.115|195.65.24.115]]

I interpreted "words order words random words words random good" differently. I assumed it was missing commas and should be read as "words-order", "words-random" "words-words" "random-good". Maybe(probably?) not what Randall intended, but if anyone interpreted it the same as me, you're not alone! {{unsigned ip|69.204.108.174|00:23, 7 April 2026 (UTC)}}

i reconsider this: non-verbal communication isn't another rival for communication, as it is a subset (after seeing and liking [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3229:_Grammar&diff=next&oldid=409748 this anon's edit]), but i'm not sure what other methods there could be than just communication and non-communication; Lenhart says "rivals" plural -- [[User:Somefan|somefan]] ([[User talk:Somefan|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Somefan|contribs]]) 00:45, 7 April 2026 (UTC)
:Pretty sure the joke is that any alternative to communication would by definition be impossible to communicate. --[[User:Biotronic|Biotronic]] ([[User talk:Biotronic|talk]]) 08:18, 7 April 2026 (UTC)
::Actually, I worded that wrong - what I meant is that '' is an example of non-communication, which is not very effective at transmitting information --[[User:Biotronic|Biotronic]] ([[User talk:Biotronic|talk]]) 08:58, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you [[Special:Contributions/137.25.230.78|137.25.230.78]] 00:54, 7 April 2026 (UTC)
:steal orange me steal eat orange me eat orange steal me eat orange steal me you [[User:King Pando|King Pando]] ([[User talk:King Pando|talk]]) 02:34, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

orange orange orange
orange orange orange
orange orange orange
yellow
orange you glad I didn't say orange? [[Special:Contributions/98.22.184.160|98.22.184.160]] 11:27, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

I would suggest that light/photons are the most popular way of transmitting information? to (most) humans anyway... {{unsigned ip|2a02:a468:b8cb:0:5a82:a830:1528:55af|13:15, 7 April 2026 (UTC)}}
: Only up until the last mile. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 14:15, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

Why waste time use good grammar when bad grammar do trick? [[Special:Contributions/70.40.121.82|70.40.121.82]] 15:08, 7 April 2026 (UTC)
:Cuz if you're doing too bad grammar, sometimes you'll see some sentences that triggers Uncanny Valley effect (or related stuff). (I would guess this way) [[User:Cream Starlight|Cream Starlight]] ([[User talk:Cream Starlight|talk]]) 15:25, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

::It's a reference to [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bctjSvn-OC8 this scene] from the American version of The Office. [[User:MeZimm|MeZimm]] ([[User talk:MeZimm|talk]]) 16:08, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

In Cookie Clicker, there’s a news ticker message that says “Neeeeews : "neeeew EEEEEE keeeeey working fineeeeeeeee", reeeports gleeeeeeeeful journalist.” Might be a reference to that. [[Special:Contributions/185.124.31.68|185.124.31.68]] 15:41, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

Erm, isn't the current description kind of missing the point? "Grammar is one of the most popular ways to structure a language" is a tautology. "Grammar" studies how languages are structured, so ANY organization scheme of a language (from random to highly structured) would be classified as that language's grammar. Trying to say there are "other ways to structure a language" would just be a different form of grammar. Same thing with the title text. "Communication" is transmitting information from one individual to another. Any alternative to "Communication" isn't transmitting information. [[Special:Contributions/57.140.32.31|57.140.32.31]] 16:32, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

The "words order random words" part may be a reference to {{w|Nim Chimpsky}}'s sign language "sentences" like "Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you". [[Special:Contributions/193.179.120.253|193.179.120.253]] 18:22, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

I figured the EEE....EEE was referring to the screeching of a modem trying to establish communication. --[[User:Jimmosk|Jimmosk]] ([[User talk:Jimmosk|talk]]) 22:07, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

Farm Macdonald farm old farm farm had farm a, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE [[User:King Pando|King Pando]] ([[User talk:King Pando|talk]]) 02:53, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

Somebody should make a version of scream cypher where it's E instead of A. [[Special:Contributions/216.25.182.141|216.25.182.141]] 04:43, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

Oh btw, in Chinese translation of What If? 2, the amount of E's featured in the question were 1083. I counted lol [[User:Cream Starlight|Cream Starlight]] ([[User talk:Cream Starlight|talk]]) 04:46, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

This reminds me of a linguistics forum post a professor showed my class once. "I respect Chomsky, but Universal Grammar isn't all it's cracked up to be," it read. "The best way to learn a language is through immersion!" [[User:Flipping Mackerel|Flipping Mackerel]] ([[User talk:Flipping Mackerel|talk]]) 11:46, 8 April 2026 (UTC)
: The best way to learn a language is a correspondence course. [[Special:Contributions/82.13.184.33|82.13.184.33]] 13:09, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

I believe this is a reference to frequent weird results that Google AI mode sometimes returns after a search. I got this exact behavior twice. --[[Special:Contributions/82.132.222.151|82.132.222.151]] 12:42, 8 April 2026 (UTC)
: That's what I was thinking before I came here: AI excreting nonsense, and a teacher happily conveying that to the class. But that's just a hunch, can't get a handle on the actual joke yet. [[User:Pganon|Pganon]] ([[User talk:Pganon|talk]]) 17:51, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

Language is not about communicating "facts" or propositions. It is a behaviour which benefits an individual by influencing the behaviour of a second individual to the benefit of the first.
[[User:Kelvin128|Kelvin128]] ([[User talk:Kelvin128|talk]]) 16:38, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

Maybe Lenhart meant {{w|traditional grammar|''traditional'' grammar}}? -- [[User:Somefan|somefan]] ([[User talk:Somefan|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Somefan|contribs]]) 19:06, 8 April 2026 (UTC)

3229: Grammar

2026-04-08T02:53:55Z

Somefan: fix italic use on work, correct "letters E" -> "letter E's", and remove a redundant template

{{comic
| number = 3229
| date = April 6, 2026
| title = Grammar
| image = grammar_2x.png
| imagesize = 227x312px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Communication is one of the most popular ways to transmit information, ahead of rivals such as
}}

==Explanation==

[[Miss Lenhart]] is shown teaching a classroom about {{w|grammar}}, which is a system of rules describing how a certain language is structured. This is useful to make communication and meaning standardized and clear, with little to no difficulty in parsing. However, due to having many rules and structures to learn, the grammar of some languages can be viewed with annoyance by some people who wish it were 'simpler'. Miss Lenhart claims that grammar is "''one'' of the most popular ways to structure a language" and presents two alternative methods, but this is odd, as grammar ''is'' how we structure a language. Also, if the names of these 'rivals' illustrate their use, they reflect their own rules, and thus imply their own grammar. She also presents two alternative methods (though it could be interpreted as a list of four items without commas to split it up) that competed to substitute grammar, yet evidently never took off to be implemented for practical use. Despite seeming nonsensical, they've gained their own linguistic terminology:

;Words order words random words words random good
:This alternate to grammar likely has very loose rules around structure, as it consists of simply stating words that relate directly to the idea being conveyed (as opposed to normal grammar, which focuses on linking together many words to form a single coherent idea). This is superficially similar to some languages, like Ukrainian, where word order does not matter. However, in these languages, its role in the sentence is simply replaced with more in-depth conjugation, which is also a form of grammar. The provided sentence, conversely, appears to have neither conjugation nor any meaningful ordering, which would make it difficult to convey more complex concepts.

;EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
:This might be referencing a scream as a form of communication. Screams are capable of communicating small amounts of information, primarily the fact that someone is attempting to draw one's attention, but cannot convey most concepts without use of complex, structured encoding patterns like Morse code (which do not appear to be present here). Alternatively, it could be made up of various random syllables, with others in the system too. (like 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH' & 'OOOOOOOOOOOH'). It may also be a reference to one of the questions recorded in [[Randall]]'s ''[[What If? 2]]'', in the {{what if|2-58.5|Short Answers #5 chapter}}. The "question", posted by Nate Yu, was a string of 960 letter E's, to which Randall replied: "I feel you, Nate".

The title text continues Lenhart's lecture, as she moves on to {{w|communication}} and its rival alternatives, similar to the subject of grammar, but seems to cut off before naming the first one. Lenhart is self-demonstrating non-communication, as the sudden stop in the middle of the sentence could be a joke for how there are no other ways to convey information without communication. Still, this doesn't rule at least one other 'rival' to communication, as Lenhart implies that at least one more method exists. If communication is defined as successful transmission of information, it is possible she is referring to some sort of method(s) that attempts, but fails to transmit information. Nonetheless, demonstrating lack of communication would not be useful in this setting without further explanation, as abruptly ceasing to provide more information could instill confusion in her students.

==Transcript==
:[Miss Lenhart is teaching in a classroom. Two students can be seen sitting at desks in front of her, Cueball in the first row and Megan in the second row.]
:Miss Lenhart: '''Grammar''' is one of the most popular ways to structure a language, ahead of rival methods such as '''''words order words random words words random good''''' and '''''EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE'''''.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]

3228: Day Counter

2026-04-08T02:43:45Z

Somefan: chair sitters still levitating is an art style choice, shown in the past

{{comic
| number = 3228
| date = April 3, 2026
| title = Day Counter
| image = day_counter_2x.png
| imagesize = 319x287px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It has been −2,147,483,648 days since our last integer overflow.
}}

==Explanation==

{{incomplete|The calculations by DL Draco Rex et al. in the Talk should be included in the explanation. Don't remove this notice too soon.}}

A common feature of an industrial setting is a prominent sign announcing how many days have elapsed since the last workplace accident. The sign is typically updated each day to a number one higher — or back to zero, if there ''has'' been an accident. Such signs are intended to foster a culture of safety among the workers in the facility, since presumably no one wants to suffer the embarrassment of being the one to have caused an accident that resets the number to 0. (However, it may also lead workers to cover up or conceal accidents, for the same reason, which would tend to increase future accidents, because they do not report the need to correct hazardous conditions that are causing accidents.)

Evidently, in the programming facility shown in the comic, a floating-point error has occurred today, and an attempt has been made to update the sign to say "It has been 0 days since...". But the number 0 is displayed incorrectly, as the very small negative value −0.00000000000000044. Perhaps the error that was made today was the very error that occurred in updating the sign! (This would of course violate {{w|causality}}, but in comedy, self-referential humor beats causality every time, and is at least self-consistent, like with [[363: Reset]])

Floating-point errors occur because computers can devote only a finite amount of storage for each {{w|Floating-point arithmetic|floating point number}} or other fraction. However, many {{w|real numbers}} and {{w|rational numbers}} theoretically require an infinite number of digits to represent them. For example, the ordinary fraction ⅓ is represented in decimal as 0.3333333333…, where the 3s repeat forever. When a number is truncated to fit in the finite amount of space, precision is inevitably lost, resulting in a slight rounding error. Unless carefully controlled, these rounding errors can accumulate, significantly degrading the accuracy of floating-point computations. For example, although ⅓ + ⅓ + ⅓ should obviously equal 1, a finite-precision calculation like 0.333 + 0.333 + 0.333 might show a misleading result of 0.999, which might not trigger the code to do what it should do when three thirds have been accumulated (it can be mitigated by allowing a match for a value which is within a suitably very small difference to the test value, but this must be considered carefully to not be over-/under-sensitive). The amount of required space for rational numbers is not universal, it depends on the base used (⅓ in base 3 requires just two digits: 0 as the units and 1 after the {{w|Decimal separator#Radix point|radix (ternary) point}}). Floating point arithmetic standards, like the popular IEEE 754, define how and when an approximation should take place, leading to predictable results, but they don't respect some basic properties of common arithmetic operations, which someone may take for granted, e.g. in floating point arithmetic addition and multiplication are commutative (a+b=b+a; a*b=b*a), but aren't guaranteed to be associative ((a+b)+c≈a+(b+c)); (a*b)*c≈a*(b*c)).

This issue is exacerbated on computers which use binary arithmetic (i.e., virtually all computers today), since in binary, the ordinary fraction 1/10 is represented as the infinitely-repeating base-2 fraction <tt>0.000110011001100110011</tt>…. A classic example is that, depending on circumstances, the calculation 0.1 + 0.2 might [https://stackoverflow.com/questions/588004/is-floating-point-math-broken seem to give an answer of 0.30000000000000004].

Floating point errors are particularly common in programming, especially in languages that implicitly convert decimal numbers to binary floating point, so an approximation is already made at conversion leading to unexpected results. The title text cites another common programming problem, integer overflow. When a value gets bigger than the biggest integer that can be represented in a certain format, it may "wrap around" to the smallest/most negative value (if the system is not instead set to catch this as an overflow error). In case of 32-bit signed integers it may wrap from 231−1 (2,147,483,647) to −231 (−2,147,483,648).

Integer overflow was the topic of [[571: Can't Sleep]], with yet another example of a 'days since' sign being [[3140: Biology Department]] (two examples, in both the comic and its title text).

It should be noted that computers displaying things like "-1 seconds until the next [blank]" is a glitch that actually happens.

==Transcript==
[White Hat, Ponytail, Cueball, and Megan are all below a large sign, which appears to be attached to the wall at its four corners. White Hat and Ponytail appear to be discussing something, while Cueball is sitting at his desk working on a laptop and Megan is walking away. The sign has text on it, as well as a large display presumably meant to show a number.]

:[Sign:] It has been
:[Display:] -0.00000000000000044
:[Sign:] days since our last floating point error

==Trivia==
As an example of how the number −0.00000000000000044 could have arisen when 0 was intended, consider this simple {{w|C (programming language)|C}} program:

#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
double d = 19;
for(int i = 0; i < 10; i++) d -= 1.9;
printf("%.17f\n", d);
}

The program starts with the number 19, and subtracts 1.9 from it, ten times. Mathematically, we would expect the result to be 0. However, the number 1.9 cannot be represented exactly in binary, nor can the intermediate results 17.1, 15.2, 13.3, etc. The cascading roundoff errors conspire to produce a result of −0.00000000000000044 instead of the expected 0.

In the comic, such an error creates the ridiculous illusion that −0.00000000000000044 days have passed, which implies a 'negative' number of days, which is impossible{{cn}}. It also, even if it were a positive number, would mean that much less than a nanosecond had passed since the last error, which would be an unfeasably short amount of time. Of course, the joke is that in making the sign showing the amount of time since a floating point error was last made, they are creating a floating point error, meaning the sign maintains its own "error state" in a self-referential way. Also, if they tried to reset the sign, they might make the same error again, repeating the cycle over and over, which would not be ideal.

Coincidentally enough, [[Cueball]] is also floating — off his seat in this case, but this is an art style choice that ended up being apparent, as [[919|many]] [[1682|past]] [[1411|chair]] [[2362|sitters]] [[2382|are]] [[1088|shown]] [[1121|to]] [[3198|levitate]].

Strangely enough, when the comic was first published the sign number was −0.00000000000000017 days.{{actual citation needed}} It was changed later though, probably so that it would be more realistic, −0.00000000000000017 would correspond to the very last bit of mantissa being incorrect and only for numbers between 1 and 2 (not including 2), and operation (1-1) is unlikely to result in rounding errors, so the smallest difference from integer is usually higher, which would result in −0.00000000000000044 the smallest possible rounding error for values between 2 and 4.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>[[Category:Interactive comics]][[Category:Dynamic comics]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Math]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

3229: Grammar

2026-04-07T19:29:39Z

Somefan: these rivals have their grammar

{{comic
| number = 3229
| date = April 6, 2026
| title = Grammar
| image = grammar_2x.png
| imagesize = 227x312px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Communication is one of the most popular ways to transmit information, ahead of rivals such as
}}

==Explanation==

[[Miss Lenhart]] is shown teaching a classroom about {{w|grammar}}, which is a system of rules describing how a certain language is structured. This is useful to make communication and meaning standardized and clear, with little to no difficulty in parsing. However, due to having many rules and structures to learn, the grammar of some languages can be viewed with annoyance by some people who wish it were 'simpler'. Miss Lenhart claims that grammar is "''one'' of the most popular ways to structure a language" and presents two alternative methods, but this is odd, as grammar ''is'' how we structure a language. Also, if the names of these 'rivals' illustrate their use, they reflect their own rules, and thus imply their own grammar. She also presents two alternative methods (though it could be interpreted as a list of four items without commas to split it up) that competed to substitute grammar, yet evidently never took off to be implemented for practical use. Despite seeming nonsensical, they've gained their own linguistic terminology:

;Words order words random words words random good
:This alternate to grammar likely has very loose rules around structure, as it consists of simply stating words that relate directly to the idea being conveyed (as opposed to normal grammar, which focuses on linking together many words to form a single coherent idea). This can also refer to other languages, like Ukrainian, where due to conjugation word order does not matter, although it might sound weird.

;EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
:This might be referencing a scream as a form of communication (albeit an unreliable one). Alternatively, it could be made up of various random syllables, with others in the system too. (like 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH' & 'OOOOOOOOOOOH'). It may also be a reference to one of the questions recorded in [[Randall]]'s [[What If? 2]] book, in the {{what if|2-58.5|''Short Answers #5'' chapter}}. The "question", posted by Nate Yu, was a string of 960 letters "E", to which Randall replied: {{what if|2-58.5|"I feel you, Nate"}}.

The title text continues Lenhart's lecture, as she moves on to {{w|communication}} and its rival alternatives, similar to the subject of grammar, but seems to cut off before naming the first one. Lenhart is self-demonstrating non-communication, as the sudden stop in the middle of the sentence could be a joke for how there are no other ways to convey information without communication. Still, this doesn't rule at least one other 'rival' to communication, as Lenhart implies that at least one more method exists. If communication is defined as successful transmission of information, it is possible she is referring to some sort of method(s) that attempts, but fails to transmit information. Nonetheless, demonstrating lack of communication would not be useful in this setting without further explanation, as abruptly ceasing to provide more information could instill confusion in her students.

==Transcript==
:[Miss Lenhart is teaching in a classroom. Two students can be seen sitting at desks in front of her, Cueball in the first row and Megan in the second row.]
:Miss Lenhart: '''Grammar''' is one of the most popular ways to structure a language, ahead of rival methods such as '''''words order words random words words random good''''' and '''''EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE'''''.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]

3229: Grammar

2026-04-07T19:20:46Z

Somefan: missed one (also i meant "plural -> at least one" (not "other -> at least one"))

{{comic
| number = 3229
| date = April 6, 2026
| title = Grammar
| image = grammar_2x.png
| imagesize = 227x312px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Communication is one of the most popular ways to transmit information, ahead of rivals such as
}}

==Explanation==

[[Miss Lenhart]] is shown teaching a classroom about {{w|grammar}}, which is a system of rules describing how a certain language is structured. This is useful to make communication and meaning standardized and clear, with little to no difficulty in parsing. However, due to having many rules and structures to learn, the grammar of some languages can be viewed with annoyance by some people who wish it were 'simpler'. However, this comic shows how effective grammar is by comparing it with various other 'forms' of structure. Specifically, Miss Lenhart claims that grammar is "''one'' of the most popular ways to structure a language". She also presents two alternative methods (though it could be interpreted as a list of four items without commas to split it up) that competed to substitute grammar, yet evidently never took off to be implemented for practical use. Despite seeming nonsensical, they've gained their own linguistic terminology:

;Words order words random words words random good
:This alternate to grammar likely has very loose rules around structure, as it consists of simply stating words that relate directly to the idea being conveyed (as opposed to normal grammar, which focuses on linking together many words to form a single coherent idea). This can also refer to other languages, like Ukrainian, where due to conjugation word order does not matter, although it might sound weird.

;EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
:This might be referencing a scream as a form of communication (albeit an unreliable one). Alternatively, it could be made up of various random syllables, with others in the system too. (like 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH' & 'OOOOOOOOOOOH'). It may also be a reference to one of the questions recorded in [[Randall]]'s [[What If? 2]] book, in the {{what if|2-58.5|''Short Answers #5'' chapter}}. The "question", posted by Nate Yu, was a string of 960 letters "E", to which Randall replied: {{what if|2-58.5|"I feel you, Nate"}}.

The title text continues Lenhart's lecture, as she moves on to {{w|communication}} and its rival alternatives, similar to the subject of grammar, but seems to cut off before naming the first one. Lenhart is self-demonstrating non-communication, as the sudden stop in the middle of the sentence could be a joke for how there are no other ways to convey information without communication. Still, this doesn't rule at least one other 'rival' to communication, as Lenhart implies that at least one more method exists. If communication is defined as successful transmission of information, it is possible she is referring to some sort of method(s) that attempts, but fails to transmit information. Nonetheless, demonstrating lack of communication would not be useful in this setting without further explanation, as abruptly ceasing to provide more information could instill confusion in her students.

==Transcript==
:[Miss Lenhart is teaching in a classroom. Two students can be seen sitting at desks in front of her, Cueball in the first row and Megan in the second row.]
:Miss Lenhart: '''Grammar''' is one of the most popular ways to structure a language, ahead of rival methods such as '''''words order words random words words random good''''' and '''''EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE'''''.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]

1031: s/keyboard/leopard/

2026-04-07T19:19:09Z

Somefan: nvm. this is a command, not a notation

{{comic
| number = 1031
| date = March 19, 2012
| title = s/keyboard/leopard/
| image = s keyboard leopard.png
| titletext = Problem Exists Between Leopard And Chair
}}
Clicking on the image takes you to [http://wiki.xkcd.com/irc/Leopard this link] (now defunct, [https://web.archive.org/web/20190810230906/http://wiki.xkcd.com:80/irc/Leopard archive]).

==Explanation==
Extensions are small programs that install into your {{w|Internet browser}} and change the Web pages as you view them. Some make pages easier to read, some remove ads (the third extension is [https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/adblock/gighmmpiobklfepjocnamgkkbiglidom AdBlock]) and so on. [[Randall]]'s browser looks like {{w|Google Chrome}} as viewed on a {{w|Mac (computer)|Mac}}, and he has installed at least four extensions on it, which explains the little symbols to the right of the address bar.

For the joke in this comic, an extension accidentally replaces the word "{{w|Computer keyboard|keyboard}}" with "{{w|leopard}}" in a regex (or {{w|regular expression}}). In computing, a regular expression provides a concise and flexible means to "match" (specify and recognize) patterns in text, such as a sequence of characters or words. This can be helpful for "substituting" such patterns with new sequences, which is colloquially known as a "find and replace" procedure.

A command that helps denote string substitution is <code>s/old/new/</code>, where any occurrence of <code>old</code> is replaced with <code>new</code>. Originating from the {{w|ed (text editor)|ed text editor}}, this syntax is notably found in shell or scripting utilities for text processing. The title follows this format for changing any occurrence of "keyboard" into "leopard".

It's not clear what the extension Randall installed was actually supposed to do, but most extensions that revolve around text replacement are humorous in nature (such as [https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/cloud-to-butt-plus/apmlngnhgbnjpajelfkmabhkfapgnoai?hl=en Cloud to Butt], which replaces all instances of "[[908: The Cloud|the cloud]]" with "my butt").

The title text references the common IT phrase "Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair" or {{w|PEBKAC}}, which means that the problem is caused by the user, not by any failure of the computer. However, due to the substitution, it is now "Problem Exists Between Leopard And Chair". It could also be a reference to [[A-Minus-Minus]], the comic containing the phrase "Instead of office chair, package contained [[:Category:Bobcats|bobcat]]".

There has been several [[:Category:Substitutions|comics using substitutions]], both before and after this one.

===Sentences===
; Weird, my leopard just switched to Chinese.
: Sometimes, the keyboard settings may switch to Chinese due to a bug, or by unconsciously making the change. It is quite common for users with non-US keyboard layouts to find they have accidentally switched to the 'default', and conceivably this 'feature' could work the other way. Especially on systems with significant historic Chinese involvement in its [[2166: Stack|development]].
: Leopards are not known to speak at all, let alone Chinese. Alternately, it refers to a change in diet of {{w|Man-eater|one form}} or {{w|Chinese restaurant|another}}.

; I work with one leopard on my desk and another in the leopard tray.
: Keyboards often take up desk space, and one solution is to have a [https://www.bpfonline.co.uk/search.asp?catid=2737 keyboard tray] that slides from under the desk, or out of the computer cabinet, when needed. This person apparently has two ''separate'' keyboards attached to their system(s), one taking up desk space and the other on the tray. This is probably more convenient than having two keyboards side by side (or on top of each other) on the desktop or two separate 'trays' (or two keyboards somehow jammed into the same tray), and often a person with such a requirement will have a computer for typical use (with the most accessible keyboard) and a second one only occasional use (with the second keyboard). They could also use a {{w|KVM switch}} for some of the peripherals, but it may not be quite as convenient or as easy to set up as to double up on the keyboards.
: Leopards are traditionally solitary animals outside of mating season, or when a mother is raising her cub(s), and so however practical it is to have two leopards in close proximity, it might be a somewhat necessary compromise to give them each their own area in a given workspace. However, it is generally uncommon to put a leopard in a ''tray'' specifically.{{Citation needed}}

; Ever cleaned a leopard? They're ''filthy''.
: Most people will use a keyboard for a long time, rarely replacing them unless they are actually broken, and possibly using old ones with new computers (if not integrated within their system, as with laptops). All this time, general detritus, skin, hair and even scraps of food will accumulate upon and beneath the keys unless cleaned thoroughly. Most people don't try to clean a keyboard ''until'' the accumulated grime starts to make typing a problem with less sensitive (or over sensitive!) keys. If you're finding it necessary to clean a keyboard at all, you will probably find quite a lot of filth to clean off/out.
: Leopards, like most cats, are generally adept at keeping themselves clean. However, as a wild animal they're perhaps considered less 'clean' than one would hope a household or workplace appliance might be, and this would depend upon one's attitude to their grooming by licking themselves all over.

; The iPhone virtual leopard is the fastest IMO.
: The response time of a keyboard is one of the factors that determine its quality, and the ability to rapidly enter characters (words, code, commands). A {{w|virtual keyboard}}, often implemented as a touch-screen 'app', has to integrate into the interface and the speaker here apparently rates the default iPhone type more than others of this kind.
: Real leopards are known to run fast. It is possible that a virtual leopard may be made to exemplify this speed. The makers of the iPhone have possibly made a virtual leopard that is faster than all real leopards, or at least they have made ''their'' virtual leopard faster than all other virtual leopards from all other vendors.

; I rarely email from my phone—I'm so slow when I'm not on a leopard.
: A disadvantage with virtual keyboards is often the lack of {{w|Haptic technology|haptic feedback}}, as well as the compressed and compromised layout required to fit the keys within interface. It is often much easier to use a proper full-sized keyboard, whether you hunt-and-peck or are an accomplished touch-typist, although this may depend a lot on practice.
: In the context of leopards, the individual concerned seems to appreciate the advantages of being on an actual leopard when emailing, as it makes them faster. This could mean faster because the leopard itself is wont to run around. Or perhaps it is because sitting on the back of a leopard (not particularly known for being a patient beast of burden) means you ''have'' to do what you are trying to do much faster, before the consequences being on a (possibly annoyed) leopard literally come back to bite you.

; My leopard died when I spilled tea on it :(
: Keyboards are not generally waterproof, and react badly to any liquid spill upon them. If you are lucky, you can quickly drain them, let them dry and they will not suffer too many ill effects in the long run. But, if the less resiliant electronics get directly affected, it can mean having to replace the now unresponsive keyboard.
: Leopards are animals which eventually die. They are not known to be particularly susceptible to tea, as a substance, although the typically very hot water would not be comfortable and might contribute to the mortality of one in certain circumstances. Either way, it seems like an upsetting experience. "My leopard" suggests (as with several of the above) that a leopard is being kept as a pet, working animal or perhaps a personal zoo inhabitant, and the loss certainly seems more than if a random leopard were accidentally splashed with a drink.

== Transcript ==
:[There are two browser windows open on a computer screen.]
:[The first browser window, taking up most of the screen, but partly blocked by the other window at the bottom, has a Wikipedia article open. The title of the page can be seen on the active tab.]
:Computer leopard - Wikip...
:[Next to the address bar are four add-ons and the toolbar icon. One of the add-ons is a letter:]
:R
:[To the left on the page are standard menus, with lots of unreadable text, except these words:]
:Help
:Go Search
:[The page is not at the top of the article, so the text begins mid sentence, the very top of the letters just cut of in the first visible sentence.]
:which range from pocket-sized leopards to large desktop leopards, the leopard remains the most common user input device. In addition to text entry, specialized leopards are used for computer gaming.
:While many computer interfaces rely on mice or touchscreens, UNIX-style command-line interfaces require users to interact with a leopard.
:[Below is the contents list - the text in the brackets can barely be read. And only the very top of the 2.3 line can be seen, and is thus only a qualified guess at what it was supposed to say, although it fits with the real wiki article.]
:Contents [hide]
:1. History
:2. Leopard types
::2.1 Standard
::2.2 Laptop-sized
::2.3 Thumb-sized
:[To the right there is a picture of a keyboard. The picture text written below:]
:IBM Model M Leopard

:[The second browser window overlapping the first, at the level of the 2.3 menu point in the content menu, is a message board. The title of the page can be seen on the active tab:]
:Discuss - Leopard issu...
:[Next to the address bar are four add-ons and the toolbar icon. One of the add-ons is a letter:]
:R
:[In the window there is a list of topics next to icons of those starting the topic. The top post is just inside the frame, the icon cut of at the very top.]
:[Face of Cueball-like guy on white background:]
:Weird, my leopard just switched to Chinese.
::3 days ago
:[Super close-up of the head of a person with dark hair on black background:]
:I work with one leopard on my desk and another in the leopard tray.
::3 days ago
:[Full picture of a Cueball-like guy, with white background in the bottom half and dark in the upper half (which would conceal any hair on the persons head):]
:Ever cleaned a leopard? They're ''filthy''.
::2 days ago
:[Head of a cat on black background:]
:The iPhone virtual leopard is the fastest IMO.
::19 hours ago
:[Head of a girl with long blond hair on white background:]
:I rarely email from my phone—I'm so slow when I'm not on a leopard.
::11 hours ago
:[Head of Cueball-like guy. A line seems to be going our from his head, but it could just be one of the lines used to fill in the background:]
:My leopard died when I spilled tea on it :(
::2 hours ago

:[Below the main panel of the comic is the following caption:]
:The Internet got 100 times better when, thanks to an extension with a typo'd regex, my browser started replacing the word "keyboard" with "leopard".

==Trivia==
When first posted, the title of the comic was <code>s/keyboard/leopard</code>, with the last slash erroneously missing. This would have failed for not following the common syntax and was later fixed.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Substitutions]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]
[[Category:Internet]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Regex]]
[[Category:Comics edited after their publication]]
[[Category:Comics with custom header texts]]

3229: Grammar

2026-04-07T19:09:52Z

Somefan: other -> at least one. (plural means at least one)

{{comic
| number = 3229
| date = April 6, 2026
| title = Grammar
| image = grammar_2x.png
| imagesize = 227x312px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Communication is one of the most popular ways to transmit information, ahead of rivals such as
}}

==Explanation==

[[Miss Lenhart]] is shown teaching a classroom about {{w|grammar}}, which is a system of rules describing how a certain language is structured. This is useful to make communication and meaning standardized and clear, with little to no difficulty in parsing. However, due to having many rules and structures to learn, the grammar of some languages can be viewed with annoyance by some people who wish it were 'simpler'. However, this comic shows how effective grammar is by comparing it with various other 'forms' of structure. Specifically, Miss Lenhart claims that grammar is "''one'' of the most popular ways to structure a language". She also presents two alternative methods (though it could be interpreted as a list of four items without commas to split it up) that competed to substitute grammar, yet evidently never took off to be implemented for practical use. Despite seeming nonsensical, they've gained their own linguistic terminology:

;Words order words random words words random good
:This alternate to grammar likely has very loose rules around structure, as it consists of simply stating words that relate directly to the idea being conveyed (as opposed to normal grammar, which focuses on linking together many words to form a single coherent idea). This can also refer to other languages, like Ukrainian, where due to conjugation word order does not matter, although it might sound weird.

;EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
:This might be referencing a scream as a form of communication (albeit an unreliable one). Alternatively, it could be made up of various random syllables, with others in the system too. (like 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH' & 'OOOOOOOOOOOH'). It may also be a reference to one of the questions recorded in [[Randall]]'s [[What If? 2]] book, in the {{what if|2-58.5|''Short Answers #5'' chapter}}. The "question", posted by Nate Yu, was a string of 960 letters "E", to which Randall replied: {{what if|2-58.5|"I feel you, Nate"}}.

The title text continues Lenhart's lecture, as she moves on to {{w|communication}} and its rival alternatives, similar to the subject of grammar, but seems to cut off before naming the first one. Lenhart is self-demonstrating non-communication, as the sudden stop in the middle of the sentence could be a joke for how there are no other ways to convey information without communication. Still, this doesn't rule at least one other 'rival' to communication, as Lenhart implies that other methods exist. If communication is defined as successful transmission of information, it is possible she is referring to some sort of method(s) that attempts, but fails to transmit information. Nonetheless, demonstrating lack of communication would not be useful in this setting without further explanation, as abruptly ceasing to provide more information could instill confusion in her students.

==Transcript==
:[Miss Lenhart is teaching in a classroom. Two students can be seen sitting at desks in front of her, Cueball in the first row and Megan in the second row.]
:Miss Lenhart: '''Grammar''' is one of the most popular ways to structure a language, ahead of rival methods such as '''''words order words random words words random good''''' and '''''EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE'''''.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]

3229: Grammar

2026-04-07T19:07:34Z

Somefan: remove reference to non-verbal communication; this is communication

{{comic
| number = 3229
| date = April 6, 2026
| title = Grammar
| image = grammar_2x.png
| imagesize = 227x312px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = Communication is one of the most popular ways to transmit information, ahead of rivals such as
}}

==Explanation==

[[Miss Lenhart]] is shown teaching a classroom about {{w|grammar}}, which is a system of rules describing how a certain language is structured. This is useful to make communication and meaning standardized and clear, with little to no difficulty in parsing. However, due to having many rules and structures to learn, the grammar of some languages can be viewed with annoyance by some people who wish it were 'simpler'. However, this comic shows how effective grammar is by comparing it with various other 'forms' of structure. Specifically, Miss Lenhart claims that grammar is "''one'' of the most popular ways to structure a language". She also presents two alternative methods (though it could be interpreted as a list of four items without commas to split it up) that competed to substitute grammar, yet evidently never took off to be implemented for practical use. Despite seeming nonsensical, they've gained their own linguistic terminology:

;Words order words random words words random good
:This alternate to grammar likely has very loose rules around structure, as it consists of simply stating words that relate directly to the idea being conveyed (as opposed to normal grammar, which focuses on linking together many words to form a single coherent idea). This can also refer to other languages, like Ukrainian, where due to conjugation word order does not matter, although it might sound weird.

;EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
:This might be referencing a scream as a form of communication (albeit an unreliable one). Alternatively, it could be made up of various random syllables, with others in the system too. (like 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH' & 'OOOOOOOOOOOH'). It may also be a reference to one of the questions recorded in [[Randall]]'s [[What If? 2]] book, in the {{what if|2-58.5|''Short Answers #5'' chapter}}. The "question", posted by Nate Yu, was a string of 960 letters "E", to which Randall replied: {{what if|2-58.5|"I feel you, Nate"}}.

The title text continues Lenhart's lecture, as she moves on to {{w|communication}} and its rival alternatives, similar to the subject of grammar, but seems to cut off before naming the first one. Lenhart is self-demonstrating non-communication, as the sudden stop in the middle of the sentence could be a joke for how there are no other ways to convey information without communication. Still, this doesn't rule out other 'rivals' to communication, as Lenhart implies that other methods exist. If communication is defined as successful transmission of information, it is possible she is referring to some sort of method(s) that attempts, but fails to transmit information. Nonetheless, demonstrating lack of communication would not be useful in this setting without further explanation, as abruptly ceasing to provide more information could instill confusion in her students.

==Transcript==
:[Miss Lenhart is teaching in a classroom. Two students can be seen sitting at desks in front of her, Cueball in the first row and Megan in the second row.]
:Miss Lenhart: '''Grammar''' is one of the most popular ways to structure a language, ahead of rival methods such as '''''words order words random words words random good''''' and '''''EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE'''''.

{{comic discussion}}<noinclude>

[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]

3229: Grammar

2026-04-07T02:54:53Z

Somefan:

3229: Grammar

2026-04-07T02:53:39Z

Somefan: generalize

3229: Grammar

2026-04-07T02:49:28Z

Somefan:

Talk:3229: Grammar

2026-04-07T00:47:13Z

Somefan:

E3EeE E3eE!! [[User:Logalex8369|Logalex8369]] ([[User talk:Logalex8369|talk]]) 22:26, 6 April 2026 (UTC)

I created a transcript, but used OCR for all the E's because I kept losing count of how many there were. If someone wants to factcheck that, please do. [[Special:Contributions/104.28.215.220|104.28.215.220]] 22:45, 6 April 2026 (UTC)

It looks like the bot picked up the April Fool's "feature" as interactive, should we keep it or remove? [[Special:Contributions/104.28.215.220|104.28.215.220]] 22:46, 6 April 2026 (UTC)

Factchecked 19 E's counted in the image and 19 E's counted in the transcript. [[Special:Contributions/12.155.149.34|12.155.149.34]] 23:00, 6 April 2026 (UTC)

Side note: I have heard people using both alternate niche methods of language structure, kinda like those people who adopt a losing format even after it's clear it has lost. On character who has on occasion dabbled in both is Homer Simpson, BTW. --[[Special:Contributions/94.73.49.13|94.73.49.13]]
:I still say that Video2000 was the superior home VCR format, in every way...[[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 23:55, 6 April 2026 (UTC)

Any "competitors" to grammar would still be grammars since a grammar, by definition, describes how a language is structured. [[Special:Contributions/75.248.235.98|75.248.235.98]] 00:00, 7 April 2026 (UTC)
:Well, the Random Words one ''seems'' to have no particular structure beyond being word-utterances, and the EEEEEEEEEEEEEE one doesn't even have much that ''can'' be structuralised (though I'm half expecting it to actually supposed to be a modem 'yowl', it needn't even be that), so I'm willing to bet that this exempts them from any consistent quality of being grammar. [[Special:Contributions/81.179.199.253|81.179.199.253]] 00:08, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

I interpreted "words order words random words words random good" differently. I assumed it was missing commas and should be read as "words-order", "words-random" "words-words" "random-good".

Maybe(probably?) not what Randall intended, but if anyone interpreted it the same as me, you're not alone!

i reconsider this: non-verbal communication isn't another rival for communication, as it is a subset (after seeing and liking [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=3229:_Grammar&diff=next&oldid=409748 this anon's edit]), but i'm not sure what other methods there could be than just communication and non-communication; Lenhart says "rivals" plural -- [[User:Somefan|somefan]] ([[User talk:Somefan|talk]] | [[Special:Contributions/Somefan|contribs]]) 00:45, 7 April 2026 (UTC)

Talk:3229: Grammar

2026-04-07T00:45:37Z