explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

Talk:1729: Migrating Geese

2016-09-05T17:20:40Z

Treed:

Kevin sounds familiar, has he been in a previous xkcd? [[User:Mikemk|Mikemk]] ([[User talk:Mikemk|talk]]) 13:51, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

:I think Kevin is a reference to Home Alone. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.203.143|162.158.203.143]] 14:19, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

: [[1719: Superzoom]] also includes Kevin. [[User:Iggyvolz|Iggyvolz]] ([[User talk:Iggyvolz|talk]]) 14:22, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

: Is it a reference to the famous Reddit Kevin? https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/219w2o/whos_the_dumbest_person_youve_ever_met/cgbhkwp {{unsigned|Mcroft}}

: I thought it might be Kevin the Minion. [[User:Paddles|Paddles]] ([[User talk:Paddles|talk]]) 14:36, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

: Perhaps it's just a generic name for the butt of a joke, like poor Steve. [[User:Papayaman1000|Papayaman1000]] ([[User talk:Papayaman1000|talk]]) 15:02, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

: At least in Germany there is something called kevinism which assumes that kevin is a name which is only given to children of poorer social groups(https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin#.E2.80.9EKevinismus.E2.80.9C). This is similar to what was mentioned as the reddit kevin. We'll probably have to wait for someone understanding the title text to be sure. [[User:Treed|Treed]] ([[User talk:Treed|talk]]) 15:04, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

: A quick Google search found this [https://www.facebook.com/hartkevin/posts/10150488674027045|a Facebook post] from {{w|Kevin Hart}}; no idea if this is the reference, or the comic and Kevin Hart are both referencing an older joke. [[User:Paddles|Paddles]] ([[User talk:Paddles|talk]]) 15:17, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

: Probably a long shot, but "Dammit, Kevin" line sounds like a reference to Poorly Drawn Lines character Kevin (he's a bird, but I'm not sure that he's a goose). Check out this comic, for example: http://poorlydrawnlines.com/comic/south/ --[[User:DefaultLocale|DefaultLocale]] ([[User talk:DefaultLocale|talk]]) 16:41, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

: I immediately thought of Kevin as the bird from Up. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.95|108.162.246.95]] 16:55, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

I assumed that 'Kevin' was a reference to the novel 'We Need to Talk About Kevin'

I think "Missing valence geese" refers to electron configuration, where they would give/take electrons to become "stable". [[Special:Contributions/162.158.49.66|162.158.49.66]] 14:34, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

: I thought so too and added it in the table during my edit. It's not a very good explanation though as I'm not a native English speaker. [[User:Treed|Treed]] ([[User talk:Treed|talk]]) 15:04, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

This is my first contribution here so I hope I didn't do too many things wrong, I thought if there's nothing there yet I can't break too much. Thanks for fixing the table, it looks much better now :) I don't know why you removed the part about programming though, because while it's maybe normal that geese migrate it is definitely not normal to have a guide ("Migrating") on doing so. [[User:Treed|Treed]] ([[User talk:Treed|talk]]) 14:57, 5 September 2016 (UTC)
Edit: Goose also is a network protocol (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_Substation_Events#Generic_Object_Oriented_Substation_Events_.28GOOSE.29) which would further support that it plays on the technical kind of migration. [[User:Treed|Treed]] ([[User talk:Treed|talk]]) 15:17, 5 September 2016 (UTC)
:Maybe it is ALSO about programming, but I do not think it is first and foremost about programming. I'm not sure what you mean about the having a guide? There is no goose designated guide? If there is some goose whose label refers directly to programming then maybe that could be explained in the table. Or later down the line after explaining goose migration. Apart from Kevin this looks very much like real geese migrating, with one arm often longer than the other and often a few birds flying inside the V. And no problem to fix the table, just found another table and copy pasted from that ;-) And hope you will add more to this wiki. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 16:00, 5 September 2016 (UTC)
:I understand what you mean now, it's obviously showing the animals described as "migrating geese". I for some reason thought it's meant like "Installing Internet Explorer on Linux", not as a description but as a guide title/process (stress on migrating, not on geese). Like that you're obviously right, I just had the wrong approach and couldn't think around it. Good that there's explainXKCD. It's cause I'm dumb. :) [[User:Treed|Treed]] ([[User talk:Treed|talk]]) 17:20, 5 September 2016 (UTC)

Talk:1729: Migrating Geese

2016-09-05T15:17:00Z

Treed:

Talk:1729: Migrating Geese

2016-09-05T15:04:20Z

Treed:

Talk:1729: Migrating Geese

2016-09-05T14:57:32Z

Treed:

1729: Migrating Geese

2016-09-05T14:47:42Z

Treed: Filled in some fields of the table

{{comic
| number = 1729
| date = September 5, 2016
| title = Migrating Geese
| image = migrating_geese.png
| titletext = "Hey guys! I have a great idea for a migration!" "Dammit, Kevin."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete| Only a rough draft, my first submission}}
Migrating refers the changing a habitat, like it happens every year with geese traveling long distances as to not experience cold seasons. When geese fly to their new habitat they tend to fly in a very clear shape or formation which resembles a flipped V. This formation is shown and explained here like a military formation with different roles:
{| class="wikitable"
!Name
!Explanation
|-
|Head Goose
(4th in line to the British throne)
|
|-
|Quarterback
|
|-
|Comptroller
|
|-
|Migration abort goose
|This might be a reference to launch abort capsules used in rockets to safely land astronauts in the case of a critical stage failure
|-
|Twin-Engine Model
|This goose has two tails, which makes it look like a Twin-Engine aircraft which has two motors on either wing instead of one in the nose.
|-
|Kevin
|
|-
|CIA Informant
|
|-
|Backups
|These are geese that are not used in the formation so they can replace other geese in theirs positions in case they have problems performing their task.
|-
|Missing Valence Geese
|In Chemistry Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost "layer" which change places when chemical reactions happen. As there is an optimal number of electrons in a layer if there are missing valence electrons elements which can fill in these gaps tend to react with the elements having the missing electrons
|-
|Shock Front
|
|-
|Stealth cargo being escorted
|The formation is forming a protective surrounding around an empty space in the middle which in a military formation could contain protected cargo. As there is no cargo visible in a goose formation it is titled "stealth".
|}

==Transcript==
:[Caption above the panel:]
:Understanding Migration of Geese

:[20 geese are shown flying in a typical migratory V-formation. As they are shown in silhouette it is not possible to determine if they are seen from above or from below. They are flying toward the top of the image with the first goose close to the top in the middle of the image. There is one head goose, and then there are 7 geese in the left arms and 9 geese in the right arm. Behind the left arm there are two stragglers that are not in line with the others, but closer to the middle than those above and not as close to each other as the rest but still flying in the same direction. Finally there is one goose at the bottom right corner flying at a 45 degree angle away from the other to the right. The first goose is flapping its wing, which is also the case with six other geese, no. 4 and 6 in the left and 3, 5 and 6 in the right arm as well as the middle of the two in the rear towards the middle. The rest are soaring with straight wings and all of these look the same except no. 7 in the right arm which has two tails, which both goes ahead of the wings, making it look like a plane with two engines. The head goose and 5 of the 9 geese in the right arm as well as the one bottom right are labeled with and arrow pointing to them from the label. The front goose has the label in front to the left, the other have it in front to the right, except the second last in the arm which has the label inside the V and one flying away which has the label right above it. The two behind and right of the left arm have one label behind them with two arrows from the label pointing at both geese. There is a thick curvy line in front of geese no. 3 to 5 in the left arm. In front of that line is a thinner broken line. In front of this is a label written with the same curviness. There are two areas surrounded by dotted lines. The first one is behind the last of the left arms geese, extending in the same direction for a distance of about two geese. It has a label above and left with and arrow pointing to it. The other area is in the middle of the V forming a loose triangular structure with a label inside.]
:Head goose: Head goose <small>(4<sup>th</sup> in line to the British throne)</small>
:Right no. 1: Quaterback
:Right no. 3: Comptroller
:Right no. 5: Migration abort goose
:Right no. 7: Twin-enige model
:Right no. 8: CIA informant
:Bottom right corner: Kevin
:Behind center: Backups
:In front of left no. 3-5: Shock front
:Behind left arm: Missing valence geese
:In center area: Stealth cargo being escorted

{{comic discussion}}

1729: Migrating Geese

2016-09-05T14:30:40Z

Treed: /* Explanation */