explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1814: Color Pattern

2017-03-23T07:52:42Z

Uqbar: Pronounce for amore

{{comic
| number = 1814
| date = March 22, 2017
| title = Color Pattern
| image = color_pattern.png
| titletext = ♫ When the spacing is tight / And the difference is slight / That's a moiré ♫
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete| Does the TV screen explanation also cover computer screens, which would be more relevant here? Is the title text explanation correct?}}
The comic references {{w|moiré pattern}}s in a parody of the song {{w|That's Amore}} made famous by {{w|Dean Martin}} [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnoDb0bMQuk in 1953]. (See [[#Trivia|trivia]] for pronunciation).

[[Cueball]] complains that the photo he just took of his computer screen is covered in weird rainbow patterns (the color patterns from the title). In photography (or videography), a moiré pattern occurs when the image sensors are aligned in a pattern, while photographing something else that is also aligned in a pattern that's not 100% identically aligned.

In mathematics, physics, and art, a moiré pattern or moiré fringes are large scale interference patterns that can be produced when an opaque ruled pattern with transparent gaps is overlaid on another similar pattern. For the moiré interference pattern to appear, the two patterns must not be completely identical in that they must be displaced, rotated, etc., or have different but similar pitch. A moiré pattern is a kind of {{w|aliasing}}. Moiré patterns appear in many different situations. In printing, the printed pattern of dots can negatively interfere with the image. In television and digital photography, a pattern on an object being photographed can interfere with the shape of the light sensors to generate unwanted {{w|artifact (error)|artifacts}}.

Photographs of a TV screen taken with a digital camera often exhibit moiré patterns. Since both the TV screen and the digital camera use a scanning technique to produce or to capture pictures with horizontal scan lines, the conflicting sets of lines cause the moiré patterns. To avoid the effect, the digital camera can be aimed at an angle of 30 degrees to the TV screen.

[[Megan]] replies with a song that explains that what Cueball sees is a moiré pattern. But she chooses to use the song ''That's Amore'', where "Amore" means "love" in Italian. The pun is that "That's a Moiré" and "That's Amore" are phonetically [[#Trivia|quite similar]]. Her explanation that it happens when a grid is misaligned with another behind fits well with the more detailed explanation above.

[[#The songs|The song]] has a second verse given in the title text, again with musical notes indicating that it should be song. More information on when moiré patterns occur is given here, indicating that the space between the grid lines should be small and the two grids should be almost identical, for the maximum moiré effect.

===The songs===
The entire version of Megan's ([[Randall|Randall's]]) song is:
:When a grid's misaligned
:with another behind
:That's a moiré...

:When the spacing is tight
:And the difference is slight
:That's a moiré

The two first verse in the [http://www.metrolyrics.com/thats-amore-lyrics-dean-martin.html original song]:
:When a moon hits your eye
:like a big pizza pie
:That's amore

:When the world seems to shine
:like you've had too much wine
:That's amore

A similar song based on the same pun was made by Craig Swanson in 1993 and can be found on his web comic [http://www.perspicuity.com/ Perspicuity] in this comic: [http://www.perspicuity.com/?lightbox=image_104h That's a Moiré]. His song text was:
:When new lines hit your eyes
:From two screen when they ply
:That's a Moire!

==Transcript==
:[Cueball holds up his smartphone in front of his laptop which stands in front of him on a desk. Megan is sitting in an armchair reading, facing away from Cueball. She is singing her reply, as indicated with four double musical notes around her two lines of text.]
:Cueball: I took a picture of my computer screen—why is the photo covered in these weird rainbow patterns?
:Megan: ''When a grid's misaligned with another behind''
:Megan: ''That's a moiré...''

==Trivia==
*Pronunciation:
**Moiré ([http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/moire /ˈmwɑːreɪ/] - /mwɑˈreɪ/ - [http://www.dictionary.com/browse/moire- French:] [mwaˈʁe])
**That's amore /ðæts aˈmɔːrɛ/.
**That's a moiré /ðæts ə ˈmwɑːreɪ/.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Smartphones]]
[[Category:Songs]]

Talk:1814: Color Pattern

2017-03-23T07:51:58Z

Uqbar: Pronounce for "amore"

This link, note 1, may help whomever is going to be editing the comic explanation, I don't have time this morning. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moir%C3%A9_pattern] [[User:Seebert|Seebert]] ([[User talk:Seebert|talk]]) 13:40, 22 March 2017 (UTC)

Did a quick google and copy/pasted from the Wikipedia page on Moiré patterns. [[User:Xseo|Xseo]] ([[User talk:Xseo|talk]]) 13:51, 22 March 2017 (UTC)
:This is a copyright infringement. The contents of Wikipedia are not in the {{w|public domain}}. When using text from Wikipedia anywhere, you must indicate the license (CC-BY-SA 3.0).--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.82|162.158.150.82]] 13:58, 22 March 2017 (UTC)
::This is fine. Wikipedia text is licensed for re-use by anybody, provided the original is referenced; Xseo referenced the source material in his comment above, and an explicit link is given in the article; furthermore, this entire website is CC-BY-SA 3.0, as indicated in the footer on every page. [[User:Cosmogoblin|Cosmogoblin]] ([[User talk:Cosmogoblin|talk]]) 15:16, 22 March 2017 (UTC)

I can't be the only one for whom the note emoji are not showing up.
:I don't see them either. I'm running Chrome 48 Portable. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.225|162.158.62.225]] 14:18, 22 March 2017 (UTC)
::Running Chrome 57, Chromium 53, and Firefox 52; the note emoji doesn't work on any of these (Linux Mint 17.3 64-bit). I wonder why? [[User:Cosmogoblin|Cosmogoblin]] ([[User talk:Cosmogoblin|talk]]) 15:19, 22 March 2017 (UTC)
::: Works for me, Firefox 52. Bring up the menu bar (Alt or F10), "View > Text Encoding > Unicode". If you still don't see the notes, it may be an issue with the font settings. You could try to fiddle with "Tools > Options > Content > Default Font". Instead of using the menu, you can bring up "Options" by entering "about:preferences" in the address bar. If that doesn't work, you need professional help. ;) [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.106|162.158.114.106]] 06:23, 23 March 2017 (UTC)

AFAIK moiree patterns would not show up on an image that have been *properly* sampled, such moiree patterns are IIRC a byproduct of poorly sampled digital images. See WP for "aliasing" and "digital sampling" for reference. My two cents... [[User:Todor|Todor]] ([[User talk:Todor|talk]]) 14:31, 22 March 2017 (UTC)
:Good Lord. 24 hours! If any of you guys are actual engineers you should be ashamed of yourselves! I am not an engineer, but I do know a a tiny bit about signal theory, hence the tip. But then again this just shows how cheap shit chinese gizmos proliferate. Quality just cost too much, haha! Just need the looks, not the brainz! Only the zombies loves them BRAINZZZZZ! hurr hurr. [[User:Todor|Todor]] ([[User talk:Todor|talk]]) 19:17, 22 March 2017 (UTC)
::What are you trying to say with 24 hours. At this moment the comic has been up for 6 hours... If you think the explanation could be improved this is luckily a wiki, so you could just improve instead of rant ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:55, 22 March 2017 (UTC)

The Dean Martin version, which likely is the only version anyone younger than I has heard goes like this- When the moon hits your eye -
like a bigga pizza pie -
That's amore - -
When the world seems to shine -
like you've had too much wine -
That's amore [[User:ExternalMonolog|ExternalMonolog]] ([[User talk:ExternalMonolog|talk]]) 04:25, 23 March 2017 (UTC)
: At first I thought Russell was alluding to [[wikipedia:Tom Lehrer|Tom Lehrer's]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7VQFfusQJk "That's Mathematics"]. :D [[Special:Contributions/162.158.114.106|162.158.114.106]] 06:23, 23 March 2017 (UTC)

"Amore" is pronounces as /aˈmɔːrɛ/ in Italian. The initial vowel is a clean open "a" and there's no final "ei" but rather a clean open "e". Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Italian (Not counting I am Italian myself!)

1663: Garden

2016-04-06T15:46:13Z

Uqbar: /* Explanation */

{{comic
| number = 1663
| date = April 4, 2016
| title = Garden
| image = garden.png 
| titletext = Relax.
}}
<div class="toclimit-3" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px;">__TOC__</div>
*'''Note''' this is an interactive comic. Go to xkcd to try it out.
*Currently there are links to '''images of items that can appear in the comic''' here: [[1663: Garden/Images]]! In time it could be the actual images as well.
*'''Post screen shots of your garden''' (or others gardens and other images) on this page [[1663: Garden/Screen-shots]]!
*'''Post links to your own garden''' on this page [[1663: Garden/Users gardens]] to let other users see what you have created!

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Include a table with all possible items as [[1663: Garden/Images#Images of items|listed here]] with image, links to image on xkcd, explanations and link to a screenshot/download of a garden where each item "grows". Only screen shots are useful for the real explanation [[1663: Garden/Screen-shots|post them here]], as content of urls change with time. More on how color of light and lamp position etc. affect growth as well as different positions in image develop different plant and items.}}

This comics represents the [[:Category:April fools' comics|April fools' comic]] of 2016, and it is [[Randall|Randall's]] celebration of {{w|April Fools' Day}} Friday, April 1, 2016.

Due to technical problems (or to make [[#April Fool's header text|fools of his fans?]]) the comic did not go live until Sunday evening (after midnight, so technically first on Monday April 4th) so there was no Friday release in the week before, and the Wednesday comic [[1662: Jack and Jill]] got a lot more attention than it would usually have had.

This comic thus turned in to the Monday release instead, as no other comic was released later that Monday (which would have taken attention away from this very special comic), even though it was called the ''April 1st comic '' and later ''Friday comic'' in the [[#April Fool's header text|header text]] displayed at the top of xkcd to explain why there was no Friday comic. This stayed, but changed from April 1st and during the weekend until the late release past midnight Sunday in the US. (It was even past midnight {{w|pacific time}}, but not yet on Hawaii...) There were thus only two comics released in the week before this Monday, which may be the first time since xkcd went live on {{xkcd||xkcd.com}} in 2006.

The comic begins with a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/f/f1/Garden_Loading_collage.png loading screen] with a revolving tree and the text "loading..." This is because the first time a computer loads this dynamic comic it can take a while.

Once it is loaded it displays "your '''Garden'''" being the barren landscape with a lamp as shown at the top of the explanation here. But if you leave the lights on and wait (or "relax", as the reader is told to do by the title text), then plants and other items will start to appear. The reason it is correct to call it "your garden" is that every time this comic is loaded from scratch, a new garden will be created with a unique url-address. By saving this link (making a bookmark for it), the user will be able to return to their garden again and again. As the garden only develops very slowly this is important. (If users wish to share their garden they can do it in the table on the page for '''[[1663: Garden/Users gardens|Users gardens]]''').

Plants appear one at a time, and sometimes it takes a long time. Only a few of the plants actually grow. For instance there are some large trees that begins as [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/2/27/1663_garden_Fast_growing_tree_-_leafless.png a large trunk] and from there [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/67/1663_garden_Fast_growing_tree_-_lots_of_leaves.png grows branches and leaves]. This can sometimes happen quite fast. Most other plants just appear. Most of the plants sway in the breeze. Also animals and characters including [[Cueball]], [[Megan]] and [[Beret Guy]] (see [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/6b/1663_garden_Megan_with_sword%2C_trees_octopuses_with_Cueball_bunny_ducklings.png Megan and Cueball] and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/77/1663_garden_Beret_guy_and_cat_and_much_more.png and Beret Guy's torso]) may appear as well as buildings and other items (see [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/15/1663_garden_Megan_Monolith_Animals_and_more.png Monolith and birdbath] and in the above a gate). See all the possible items images here [[1663: Garden/Images]] and real examples from users gardens here [[1663: Garden/Screen-shots]].

Every so often the image will refresh. You can change the number of lamps, their position, direction, beam width and the color temperature which always begins somewhere between white and yellow, but can change all the way from red to blue (See this [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/b/b8/Garden_Three_Lamp_screen_shot.png example] with one lamp selected and three colors of light). Other colors than those four may appear where two lamps light cone of different colored light overlap.

How much the color affects the growth is too early to say, but there is definitely some correlation. If this comic is scientifically accurate, that correlation will be based on {{w|photosynthetically active radiation}}. For instance areas under lights set to the blue end of the spectrum develop an aquatic theme with lots of octopuses and maybe a Cueball. Areas under lights set to the red end of the spectrum develop a desert theme with cactus and turtles. Yellow light seems great for plants and animals, and mixed light seems to be able to do the same. Nothing seems to be able to grow with not light or in extreme light (lamp(s) very close to the ground), although lamps shining from underground may produce fountains [http://www.xkcd.com/1663/#e8552cc6-fbbe-11e5-8001-42010a8e0012] and ducks [http://www.xkcd.com/1663/#0544006e-fbbf-11e5-8001-42010a8e0017].

The title text "Relax" is self-explaining but there are actually two other title texts as well. And although they are also self-explanatory they should be mentioned. They are explanations for what the two icons in the top right corner does and appear when the cursor hovers over them. They are ''Create new light'' and ''Remove selected (delete key)'', the last explaining that the delete key can also be used.

===Functionality===
====Lamps====
*The position of the lamp can be moved by clicking and dragging the lamp.
*The angle of the lamp can be rotated by clicking the lamp to reveal the red control triangle, and dragging it left or right, rotating it around the lamp.
*The area of the lamp can be adjusted from a narrow beam to a wide flood by clicking the lamp to reveal the red control triangle, and dragging it towards (wider) or away from (narrower) relative to the lamp.
*The light's color can be changed by clicking the lamp to reveal the red control dot, and by rotating the dot around the lamp. From the Center position (Yellow) the dot can be rotated Right (Magenta/Red) or Left (Cyan/Blue).
*Additional lamps (up to three total) can be added by clicking the black plus lamp icon along the right of the window.
*Lamps can be removed by clicking the lamp, then clicking the red X icon along the right of the window, or pressing the Delete key on the keyboard.

====Grown Items====
*Grown items may be highlighted by clicking on them.Selected grown items will be highlighted with a red circle, and appear slightly lighter then other items.
*Grown items may be "pruned" by the red X icon along the right of the window, or pressing the Delete key on the keyboard.
*Some items (such as the large tree) can be deleted in minor parts by selecting a branch or smaller set of leaves without deleting the entire tree.

====Saving images====
*In Edge, Firefox and Chrome, the image plus light cones but minus lamps and icons elements, can be saved by right clicking in the image.
**They do not always save in the same way as some browsers saves the part of the background without any light cones as white, and other save it as no background, in which case it may render black, basically hiding any black items outside the light.
***For those images it depends on which viewer is used to see the image, if everything can be seen or only that in the light cones. (Example will follow later).
*An image of the whole screen can be captured, by pressing the PrtSc (Print Screen) key on the keyboard & then pasting the content into a blank image in an image-editing program.

====Permanent link====
*There is no [[1350#Permalink|permalink button]] as in the last two years' April Fool's comics.
*The URL is different for every garden that is loaded, but stays the same. It links to a server-side copy of the scene, which then changes depending on what the users does with their gardens.
**Sharing a URL will connect a new browser to the same garden session, but only the original browser will be allowed to edit.
**The user can always return to change the garden with the link, but only from the same browser on the same computer.
*The garden itself will thus continue to develop further from the time when the url was copied, and events will happen from now on even though the garden is not opened in any browser.
**If the user doesn't keep it, it will become infested with weeds.
**So most likely the garden is serverside, as all browsers are allowed to see the development of this garden, but users following the url are not allowed to edit anything.
*Here is an example garden [http://www.xkcd.com/1663/#0d11a2c8-fa8f-11e5-8001-42010a8e000e linked by ID] versus the same garden:
**In the original [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/7f/1663_garden_tree_turtle_birdbath.png screenshot from April 4th] from when the url was created
**In a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/7c/1663_garden_Flying_birds_deer_gate_with_cactus_turtles_snake_etc.png screenshot from April 5th] the day after.
**Here [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/5/5a/1663_garden_Pruned_garden_with_birds_deer_gate_cactus_turtles_snake_gate.png example] after the user pruned the garden in the examples.
*Starting two browser windows or tabs pointing to the same URL will allow you to edit from either window.
**linden.xkcd.com holds all the data; the UUID just corresponds to your access key, held in your browser's local storage.

===Bugs===
*There have been several bugs mentioned already after the first day. Please include any spotted here:
**Also some problems that may now be fixed.
*May not run on some tablets or smart phones (i.e. touch-screen only devices).
*There are some browser versions of Chrome and Firefox where it doesn't run.
*The lamps may be invisible for a few seconds after loading.
*The whole page used to refresh at random intervals and lose the whole progress.
**It still does on April 5th.
**Sometimes (in some browsers?) the garden is reloaded when refreshing.
***This may though be because of the url (semi-permalink?).
***Seems to be dependent on the browser type.
*Some lamps jumped back to their starting position after a few minutes, without the whole page reloading.
*For a few hours after its apparition, the loading didn't seem to stop for some people, making them think that the rotating tree was the whole joke, with people expected to "relax" while looking at it.
*Occasionally invisible objects are added. They can be deleted, and they have bounding boxes in the debugger. [http://xkcd.com/1663/?debug#d12a0932-faaa-11e5-8012-42010a8e0006]
*Doesn't work over https, you have to use http instead.
*It is possible to save the image in Chrome and in Firefox, but not in Explorer.
**It is possible to save the visible portion of the image (in any browser) by pressing the Print-Screen key to perform a screen capture.
**But in Chrome the image is black where there is no light.
**In Firefox everything is visible, wth the light cones (in color) shown.
*Appears to have a memory leak at least in some Windows/Firefox versions, as keeping the page open for a long time will cause Windows to kill Firefox for insufficient memory.
*Does not work in many Linux versions.
*Tree trunks will sometimes grow endlessly without leaves depending on the lights hitting them.

==Transcript==
:[After a '''loading image''' with a rotating tree in the middle and the text "Loading..." with the three dots appearing one at a time, and then disappear when all three have been there the image shown above in the explanation will appear:]

:['''Description of the image above''': A piece of bare landscape is shown. At the edges there are some rocks or stones raising the level from the general level through the center of the panel. Above the middle, a little more than halfway to the to of the panel, is a light bulb sitting inside a lamp that reminds of the desk lamp from the movie Luxo Jr. The lamp shines a yellow light down on the landscape in a broad cone that jus reaches the first rock to the left, but not those to the right. The lamp just hovers in the air. In the top right corner are two gray icons. The top one has a black frame and shows an image of a lamp, tilted left as opposed to the straight position of the lamp in the image. There is a + sign below in the left corner. The second icon without a frame has a large white cross in the middle.]

:[This turns out to be a '''web applet''' and using the "+ lamp" icon two more lamps can be added getting up to three. They are all adjustable both regarding position, direction, color of light and beam width. When selecting a lamp a red circle appear around it with a small circle on top that can be used to control the light color from blue to the left to red to the right. In front is a red arrow that can turn the lamp and it can also be used to change the beam width by pulling it away from the lamp or pushing it back. The lamps can be moved by just clicking on it and moving it. The other icon with a X can be used to remove the lamps (and later any object that appear in the garden). When any object is selected there is a red circle around it. When this is done the gray cross icon becomes red and can the be used to delete the selected item. When no item is selected (either because it is deleted, or by clicking in a part of the screen with no items), then the cross icon turns gray again. When all three lamps are on, then the "+ lamp" icon is faded out.]

:['''If you wait''' (or relax, as in the title text), then a plant will grow or animals, humans and other items may appear. This could be birds, snakes, octopuses or turtles, Megan or Cueball or a birdbath, a monolith or a tall gate just as a few examples. Most of the items appear in one go, but at least the largest trees grow up with a big stem first and then adds parts later with leaves or empty branches. Also one item may appear on top of another item and for instance birds may fly in the air.]

==Trivia==
===April Fool's header text===
*There is some debate as to whether this comic is an April Fool's comic or not. And if instead the April fool's joke was the text written above the comic in the header of xkcd.
*Here below is the text (with links) to that text:
**On Friday, April 1st, 2016, the xkcd website [http://web.archive.org/web/20160401204749/https://xkcd.com/ began displaying] a message where the standard message "XKCD updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday." usually is:
::The xkcd April 1st comic is currently experiencing technical difficulties.
::Please stand by!
:*Towards the end of Friday, the message [http://web.archive.org/web/20160402144823/http://xkcd.com was updated]:
::The xkcd April 1st comic is currently experiencing technical difficulties.
::Status update: Please stand by.
::Status update: This is fine. Everything is fine.
::Status update: Everything is on fire.
::Status update: Searching for calendar systems in which Saturday is April 1st.
:*On Sunday April 3rd, the message was again [http://web.archive.org/web/20160403234504/https://xkcd.com/ changed] to:
::The Friday xkcd comic is currently experiencing technical difficulties
::[Editor's note: Everything is on fire] and has been delayed until Sunday night.
:*The comic did not come out until past midnight in the entire North America (coming out just before midnight in Hawaii).
:*When it was released very early on Monday April 4th, the text [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/5/53/Garden_Loading_screen_shot.png returned] to the old standard text for xkcd for a short while:
::XKCD updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
:*During April 4th, the message then changed to
::'''Protip:''' If you don't like how your garden is growing, you can click to prune it.
:*And then later on April 4th (staying at least like this until April 5th), the message [http://web.archive.org/web/20160404185353/http://www.xkcd.com/#96d6515a-fa96-11e5-8001-42010a8e000f changed] to:
::'''Protip:''' If you don't like how your garden is growing, you can click to prune it.
::You can copy the URL to share your garden. From other browsers, it will be view-only.
:*When the next comic came out, the message then changed to
::'''Protip:''' If you don't like how your garden is growing, you can click to prune it.
::You can copy the URL to share your garden. From other browsers, it will be view-only.
::Note: If you're seeing today's comic in place of your garden, change the URL from xkcd.com/#<your code> to xkcd.com/1663/#<your code>.
*Several things can be deduced from the above:
**It is clear that this comic did actually come out as promised, at least as promised in the third message about release on Sunday night.
**It is also clear that it is regarded as the Friday comic, even in the last update before the release.
**It is also clear that this was a very complex comic, and it is realistic that Randall did have problems with making it work. Even on day two there still seems to be several minor bugs, so he may even still be working on it.
*Both of the last two April Fool's comics, [[1350: Lorenz]] and [[1506: xkcloud]], have had no real meaning or joke in the comic. The jokes appeared from user input, and here from waiting.
**This makes people who spend too much time on them April Fools (or if they rather wish to be called a nerd than a fool, then they have been victim of [[356: Nerd Sniping|nerd sniping]]).
**So, even if Randall ''did'' play a joke on people who [[Talk:1662: Jack and Jill#What happened to Friday's comic|eagerly awaited the comic]], then he did deliver as promised a spectacular comic Sunday night.
*There are other reasons for believing that Randall would have preferred the comic to get out on Friday April 1st.
**Apart from it being a time consuming comic that in it self is April Fool's comic material, then by getting it out Friday this special comic that he must have used lots of time to prepare, would have had one more day as the first comic.
**Getting it out before a weekend would have let many more users spend time looking at their garden. Now many would not spend enough time to appreciate the comic, as it came out right when the new work week began.
**And before next weekend two more comics will (presumably) have been released taking some of the focus away from this one.
**Randall lives of his fans goodwill and to deliberately make a pun on them like this would probably not seem like a good bossiness proposal, apart from the fact that the comic now gets less attention than by coming out before the weekend.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:Comics with animation]] 
[[Category:April fools' comics]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]] 
[[Category:Animals]] 
[[Category:Mars rovers]] 
[[Category:Protip]]

1663: Garden

2016-04-06T13:59:34Z

Uqbar: Added the sway feature

{{comic
| number = 1663
| date = April 4, 2016
| title = Garden
| image = garden.png 
| titletext = Relax.
}}
<div class="toclimit-3" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px;">__TOC__</div>
*'''Note''' this is an interactive comic. Go to xkcd to try it out.
*Currently there are links to '''images of items that can appear in the comic''' here: [[1663: Garden/Images]]! In time it could be the actual images as well.
*'''Post screen shots of your garden''' (or others gardens and other images) on this page [[1663: Garden/Screen-shots]]!
*'''Post links to your own garden''' on this page [[1663: Garden/Users gardens]] to let other users see what you have created!

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Include a table with all possible items as [[1663: Garden/Images#Images of items|listed here]] with image, links to image on xkcd, explanations and link to a screenshot/download of a garden where each item "grows". Only screen shots are useful for the real explanation [[1663: Garden/Screen-shots|post them here]], as content of urls change with time. More on how color of light and lamp position etc. affect growth as well as different positions in image develop different plant and items.}}

This comics represents the [[:Category:April fools' comics|April fools' comic]] of 2016, and it is [[Randall|Randall's]] celebration of {{w|April Fools' Day}} Friday, April 1, 2016.

Due to technical problems (or to make [[#April Fool's header text|fools of his fans?]]) the comic did not go live until Sunday evening (after midnight, so technically first on Monday April 4th) so there was no Friday release in the week before, and the Wednesday comic [[1662: Jack and Jill]] got a lot more attention than it would usually have had.

This comic thus turned in to the Monday release instead, as no other comic was released later that Monday (which would have taken attention away from this very special comic), even though it was called the ''April 1st comic '' and later ''Friday comic'' in the [[#April Fool's header text|header text]] displayed at the top of xkcd to explain why there was no Friday comic. This stayed, but changed from April 1st and during the weekend until the late release past midnight Sunday in the US. (It was even past midnight {{w|pacific time}}, but not yet on Hawaii...) There were thus only two comics released in the week before this Monday, which may be the first time since xkcd went live on {{xkcd||xkcd.com}} in 2006.

The comic begins with a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/f/f1/Garden_Loading_collage.png loading screen] with a revolving tree and the text "loading..." This is because the first time a computer loads this dynamic comic it can take a while.

Once it is loaded it displays "your '''Garden'''" being the barren landscape with a lamp as shown at the top of the explanation here. But if you leave the lights on and wait (or "relax", as the reader is told to do by the title text), then plants and other items will start to appear. The reason it is correct to call it "your garden" is that every time this comic is loaded from scratch, a new garden will be created with a unique url-address. By saving this link (making a bookmark for it), the user will be able to return to their garden again and again. As the garden only develops very slowly this is important. (If users wish to share their garden they can do it in the table on the page for '''[[1663: Garden/Users gardens|Users gardens]]''').

Plants appear one at a time, and sometimes it takes a long time. Only a few of the plants actually grow. For instance there are some large trees that begins as [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/2/27/1663_garden_Fast_growing_tree_-_leafless.png a large trunk] and from there [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/67/1663_garden_Fast_growing_tree_-_lots_of_leaves.png grows branches and leaves]. This can sometimes happen quite fast. Most other plants just appear. Most of the plants sway in the breeze. It looks like the tallest (like saplings and brambles) and the lightest plants (grass) also sway when the mouse pointer is shaken closer. Also animals and characters including [[Cueball]], [[Megan]] and [[Beret Guy]] (see [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/6/6b/1663_garden_Megan_with_sword%2C_trees_octopuses_with_Cueball_bunny_ducklings.png Megan and Cueball] and [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/77/1663_garden_Beret_guy_and_cat_and_much_more.png and Beret Guy's torso]) may appear as well as buildings and other items (see [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/1/15/1663_garden_Megan_Monolith_Animals_and_more.png Monolith and birdbath] and in the above a gate). See all the possible items images here [[1663: Garden/Images]] and real examples from users gardens here [[1663: Garden/Screen-shots]].

Every so often the image will refresh. You can change the number of lamps, their position, direction, beam width and the color temperature which always begins somewhere between white and yellow, but can change all the way from red to blue (See this [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/b/b8/Garden_Three_Lamp_screen_shot.png example] with one lamp selected and three colors of light). Other colors than those four may appear where two lamps light cone of different colored light overlap.

How much the color affects the growth is too early to say, but there is definitely some correlation. If this comic is scientifically accurate, that correlation will be based on {{w|photosynthetically active radiation}}. For instance areas under lights set to the blue end of the spectrum develop an aquatic theme with lots of octopuses and maybe a Cueball. Areas under lights set to the red end of the spectrum develop a desert theme with cactus and turtles. Yellow light seems great for plants and animals, and mixed light seems to be able to do the same. Nothing seems to be able to grow with not light or in extreme light (lamp(s) very close to the ground), although lamps shining from underground may produce fountains [http://www.xkcd.com/1663/#e8552cc6-fbbe-11e5-8001-42010a8e0012] and ducks [http://www.xkcd.com/1663/#0544006e-fbbf-11e5-8001-42010a8e0017].

The title text "Relax" is self-explaining but there are actually two other title texts as well. And although they are also self-explanatory they should be mentioned. They are explanations for what the two icons in the top right corner does and appear when the cursor hovers over them. They are ''Create new light'' and ''Remove selected (delete key)'', the last explaining that the delete key can also be used.

===Functionality===
====Lamps====
*The position of the lamp can be moved by clicking and dragging the lamp.
*The angle of the lamp can be rotated by clicking the lamp to reveal the red control triangle, and dragging it left or right, rotating it around the lamp.
*The area of the lamp can be adjusted from a narrow beam to a wide flood by clicking the lamp to reveal the red control triangle, and dragging it towards (wider) or away from (narrower) relative to the lamp.
*The light's color can be changed by clicking the lamp to reveal the red control dot, and by rotating the dot around the lamp. From the Center position (Yellow) the dot can be rotated Right (Magenta/Red) or Left (Cyan/Blue).
*Additional lamps (up to three total) can be added by clicking the black plus lamp icon along the right of the window.
*Lamps can be removed by clicking the lamp, then clicking the red X icon along the right of the window, or pressing the Delete key on the keyboard.

====Grown Items====
*Grown items may be highlighted by clicking on them.Selected grown items will be highlighted with a red circle, and appear slightly lighter then other items.
*Grown items may be "pruned" by the red X icon along the right of the window, or pressing the Delete key on the keyboard.
*Some items (such as the large tree) can be deleted in minor parts by selecting a branch or smaller set of leaves without deleting the entire tree.

====Saving images====
*In Edge, Firefox and Chrome, the image plus light cones but minus lamps and icons elements, can be saved by right clicking in the image.
**They do not always save in the same way as some browsers saves the part of the background without any light cones as white, and other save it as no background, in which case it may render black, basically hiding any black items outside the light.
***For those images it depends on which viewer is used to see the image, if everything can be seen or only that in the light cones. (Example will follow later).
*An image of the whole screen can be captured, by pressing the PrtSc key on the keyboard & then pasting the content into a blank image.

====Permanent link====
*There is no [[1350#Permalink|permalink button]] as in the last two years' April Fool's comics.
*The URL is different for every garden that is loaded, but stays the same. It links to a server-side copy of the scene, which then changes depending on what the users does with their gardens.
**Sharing a URL will connect a new browser to the same garden session, but only the original browser will be allowed to edit.
**The user can always return to change the garden with the link, but only from the same browser on the same computer.
*The garden itself will thus continue to develop further from the time when the url was copied, and events will happen from now on even though the garden is not opened in any browser.
**If the user doesn't keep it, it will become infested with weeds.
**So most likely the garden is serverside, as all browsers are allowed to see the development of this garden, but users following the url are not allowed to edit anything.
*Here is an example garden [http://www.xkcd.com/1663/#0d11a2c8-fa8f-11e5-8001-42010a8e000e linked by ID] versus the same garden:
**In the original [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/7f/1663_garden_tree_turtle_birdbath.png screenshot from April 4th] from when the url was created
**In a [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/7/7c/1663_garden_Flying_birds_deer_gate_with_cactus_turtles_snake_etc.png screenshot from April 5th] the day after.
**Here [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/5/5a/1663_garden_Pruned_garden_with_birds_deer_gate_cactus_turtles_snake_gate.png example] after the user pruned the garden in the examples.
*Starting two browser windows or tabs pointing to the same URL will allow you to edit from either window.
**linden.xkcd.com holds all the data; the UUID just corresponds to your access key, held in your browser's local storage.

===Bugs===
*There have been several bugs mentioned already after the first day. Please include any spotted here:
**Also some problems that may now be fixed.
*May not run on some tablets or smart phones (i.e. touch-screen only devices).
*There are some browser versions of Chrome and Firefox where it doesn't run.
*The lamps may be invisible for a few seconds after loading.
*The whole page used to refresh at random intervals and lose the whole progress.
**It still does on April 5th.
**Sometimes (in some browsers?) the garden is reloaded when refreshing.
***This may though be because of the url (semi-permalink?).
***Seems to be dependent on the browser type.
*Some lamps jumped back to their starting position after a few minutes, without the ehole page reloading.
*For a few hours after its apparition, the loading didn't seem to stop for some people, making them think that the rotating tree was the whole joke, with people expected to "relax" while looking at it.
*Occasionally invisible objects are added. They can be deleted, and they have bounding boxes in the debugger. [http://xkcd.com/1663/?debug#d12a0932-faaa-11e5-8012-42010a8e0006]
*Doesn't work over https, you have to use http instead.
*It is possible to save the image in Chrome and in Firefox, but not in Explorer.
**It is possible to save the visible portion of the image (in any browser) by pressing the Print-Screen key to perform a screen capture.
**But in Chrome the image is black where there is no light.
**In Firefox everything is visible, wth the light cones (in color) shown.
*Appears to have a memory leak at least in some Windows/Firefox versions, as keeping the page open for a long time will cause Windows to kill Firefox for insufficient memory.
*Does not work in many Linux versions

==Transcript==
:[After a '''loading image''' with a rotating tree in the middle and the text "Loading..." with the three dots appearing one at a time, and then disappear when all three have been there the image shown above in the explanation will appear:]

:['''Description of the image above''': A piece of bare landscape is shown. At the edges there are some rocks or stones raising the level from the general level through the center of the panel. Above the middle, a little more than halfway to the to of the panel, is a light bulb sitting inside a lamp that reminds of the desk lamp from the movie Luxo Jr. The lamp shines a yellow light down on the landscape in a broad cone that jus reaches the first rock to the left, but not those to the right. The lamp just hovers in the air. In the top right corner are two gray icons. The top one has a black frame and shows an image of a lamp, tilted left as opposed to the straight position of the lamp in the image. There is a + sign below in the left corner. The second icon without a frame has a large white cross in the middle.]

:[This turns out to be a '''web applet''' and using the "+ lamp" icon two more lamps can be added getting up to three. They are all adjustable both regarding position, direction, color of light and beam width. When selecting a lamp a red circle appear around it with a small circle on top that can be used to control the light color from blue to the left to red to the right. In front is a red arrow that can turn the lamp and it can also be used to change the beam width by pulling it away from the lamp or pushing it back. The lamps can be moved by just clicking on it and moving it. The other icon with a X can be used to remove the lamps (and later any object that appear in the garden). When any object is selected there is a red circle around it. When this is done the gray cross icon becomes red and can the be used to delete the selected item. When no item is selected (either because it is deleted, or by clicking in a part of the screen with no items), then the cross icon turns gray again. When all three lamps are on, then the "+ lamp" icon is faded out.]

:['''If you wait''' (or relax, as in the title text), then a plant will grow or animals, humans and other items may appear. This could be birds, snakes, octopuses or turtles, Megan or Cueball or a birdbath, a monolith or a tall gate just as a few examples. Most of the items appear in one go, but at least the largest trees grow up with a big stem first and then adds parts later with leaves or empty branches. Also one item may appear on top of another item and for instance birds may fly in the air.]

==Trivia==
===April Fool's header text===
*There is some debate as to whether this comic is an April Fool's comic or not. And if instead the April fool's joke was the text written above the comic in the header of xkcd.
*Here below is the text (with links) to that text:
**On Friday, April 1st, 2016, the xkcd website [http://web.archive.org/web/20160401204749/https://xkcd.com/ began displaying] a message where the standard message "XKCD updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday." usually is:
::The xkcd April 1st comic is currently experiencing technical difficulties.
::Please stand by!
:*Towards the end of Friday, the message [http://web.archive.org/web/20160402144823/http://xkcd.com was updated]:
::The xkcd April 1st comic is currently experiencing technical difficulties.
::Status update: Please stand by.
::Status update: This is fine. Everything is fine.
::Status update: Everything is on fire.
::Status update: Searching for calendar systems in which Saturday is April 1st.
:*On Sunday April 3rd, the message was again [http://web.archive.org/web/20160403234504/https://xkcd.com/ changed] to:
::The Friday xkcd comic is currently experiencing technical difficulties
::[Editor's note: Everything is on fire] and has been delayed until Sunday night.
:*The comic did not come out until past midnight in the entire North America (coming out just before midnight in Hawaii).
:*When it was released very early on Monday April 4th, the text [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/5/53/Garden_Loading_screen_shot.png returned] to the old standard text for xkcd for a short while:
::XKCD updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
:*During April 4th, the message then changed to
::'''Protip:''' If you don't like how your garden is growing, you can click to prune it.
:*And then later on April 4th (staying at least like this until April 5th), the message [http://web.archive.org/web/20160404185353/http://www.xkcd.com/#96d6515a-fa96-11e5-8001-42010a8e000f changed] to:
::'''Protip:''' If you don't like how your garden is growing, you can click to prune it.
::You can copy the URL to share your garden. From other browsers, it will be view-only.
*Several things can be deduced from the above:
**It is clear that this comic did actually come out as promised, at least as promised in the third message about release on Sunday night.
**It is also clear that it is regarded as the Friday comic, even in the last update before the release.
**It is also clear that this was a very complex comic, and it is realistic that Randall did have problems with making it work. Even on day two there still seems to be several minor bugs, so he may even still be working on it.
*Both of the last two April Fool's comics, [[1350: Lorenz]] and [[1506: xkcloud]], have had no real meaning or joke in the comic. The jokes appeared from user input, and here from waiting.
**This makes people who spend too much time on them April Fools (or if they rather wish to be called a nerd than a fool, then they have been victim of [[356: Nerd Sniping|nerd sniping]]).
**So, even if Randall ''did'' play a joke on people who [[Talk:1662: Jack and Jill#What happened to Friday's comic|eagerly awaited the comic]], then he did deliver as promised a spectacular comic Sunday night.
*There are other reasons for believing that Randall would have preferred the comic to get out on Friday April 1st.
**Apart from it being a time consuming comic that in it self is April Fool's comic material, then by getting it out Friday this special comic that he must have used lots of time to prepare, would have had one more day as the first comic.
**Getting it out before a weekend would have let many more users spend time looking at their garden. Now many would not spend enough time to appreciate the comic, as it came out right when the new work week began.
**And before next weekend two more comics will (presumably) have been released taking some of the focus away from this one.
**Randall lives of his fans goodwill and to deliberately make a pun on them like this would probably not seem like a good bossiness proposal, apart from the fact that the comic now gets less attention than by coming out before the weekend.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Dynamic comics]]
[[Category:Interactive comics]]
[[Category:Comics with animation]] 
[[Category:April fools' comics]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] 
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]] 
[[Category:Animals]] 
[[Category:Mars rovers]] 
[[Category:Protip]]

1636: XKCD Stack

2016-01-29T10:54:22Z

Uqbar: Added some text to the Mystery Networking Horror

{{comic
| number = 1636
| date = January 29, 2016
| title = XKCD Stack
| image = xkcd_stack.png
| titletext = This site requires Sun Java 6.0.0.1 (32-bit) or higher. You have Macromedia Java 7.3.8.1¾ (48-bit). Click here [link to java.com main page] to download an installer which will run fine but not really change anything.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Needs more detail.}}

In software engineering, a tech stack is the set of technology platforms and tools that a company or app uses. A common tech stack is LAMP, composed of a Linux operating system, an Apache web server, a MySQL database, and the PHP programming language. In this comic, the XKCD stack is introduced. The technologies comprising it are either non-existent, unreliable, or outdated.

The title text most likely refers to the difficulty of dealing with an outdated Java plugin. Even after installing Java, the plugin might not work correctly and clicking the update link just sends you to the very unhelpful java.com main page. This problem is caused by the fact that browsers are for the most part 32 bit applications and 64 bit Java only works with 64 bit applications.

===Explanation of steps===
{| class="wikitable"
| | <b >Layer</b>
| | <b >Explanation</b>
|-
| |
EBNF/CSS
| |
BNF or {{w|Backus–Naur Form}} is a syntax used for describing {{w|context-free grammars}}.
{{w|Extended Backus–Naur Form|EBNF}} is "Extended BNF", it is the same thing as BNF with a few more syntactic constructs intended to ease its use in the most common cases.
CSS or {{w|Cascading Style Sheets}} are a language used to describe what a web page should look like. Web pages are usually written in {{w|HTML}}, which describes the ''structure'' of the page (i.e. divides the document into paragraphs, lists, etc.) complemented with CSS which describes the ''look and feel'' of the page (colors, fonts, margins, etc.). EBNF/CSS would suggest CSS with strange syntax.
|-
| |
Broken Java Applet
| |
Recent years it became more difficult to run {{w|Java (programming language)|Java}} {{w|Applet|applets}} in several browsers. Since {{w|Google Chrome|Chrome}} 45 stopped supporting {{w|NPAPI}}, it's no longer possible to run Java applets on Chrome. Furthermore, two days before this comic was published {{w|Oracle Corporation|Oracle}} (the developer of Java) announced plans to officially end support of Java applets in an upcoming version.
|-
| |
Archive.org Mirror
| |
Archive.org is a website which archives websites, and created the Wayback Machine. An Archive.org mirror would be a duplicate of a website on Archive.org's servers. As Archive.org attempts to mirror whole internet, Archive.org's mirror would be rather big. Moreover, the backup of Archive.org should not back up Archive.org itslef or, otherwise, create an infinite backup loop.

|-
| |
Hypercard.js
| |
{{w|HyperCard}} can be considered as a kind of precedessor for the world wide web developed at {{w|Apple Inc.|Apple}}. The file extension .js indicates that is was rewritten in {{w|JavaScript}}. A similar reference to JavaScript is found in [[1508: Operating Systems]]. The .js extension also refers to node.js, where most library names end in .js
|-
| |
QBasic on Rails
| |
A mix between {{w|QBasic}} and {{w|Ruby on Rails}}. QBasic was programming language on first PCs, known for spagethi code. Ruby on Rails is rather modern language. I'm sure someone, somewhere has a web server running on basic.

|-
| |
[Blocked by AdBlocker]
| |
{{w|Ad blocking}} software are extensions to browsers that try to remove ads from web pages, so the user is not distracted by them. [[624: Branding]] shows what "browsing without adblock" looks like.
|-
| |
MongoDB/Excel
| |
MongoDB is modern database, Excel being classical database system from Microsoft.

|-
| |
Some piece that works so nobody asks any questions
| |
Writing any non-trivial piece of software always require a phase of {{w|Debugging|debugging}}, which consists in finding and fixing {{w|Software bug|bugs}}. With complex software, this is a long and tiring process, so when the product is finally finished no one dares to modify it any further for fear that it will fail in unexpected ways. After some time passes, it is even worse because nobody really remembers how the software was ''supposed'' to work, so the product becomes some kind of godlike treasure which must be treated with the utmost respect and reverence because, you know, if it stops working we're all doomed.
|-
| |
Triply-Nested Docker
| |
Docker allows complete operating system to run under different operating system (with some performance penalty). Triply-nested docker would mean operating system A running under operating system B running under operating system C. That would likely be a performance and management nightmare
|-
| |
Paravirtual Boy®
| |
This is a reference to the {{w|Virtual Boy}}, a failed portable console created by {{w|Nintendo}}. Paravirtual is recent buzzword in virtualization community these days. "Virtual X" means simulated X. "Paravirtual X" means X is simulated, but is aware of simulation and cooperating, for faster performance. I hope the triply-nested Docker above runs paravirtualized.
|-
| |
A dev typing real fast
| |
A dev is a {{w|Software developer|software developer}}. This is possibly a reference to [[341: 1337: Part 1]], where [[Mrs. Roberts]] edits the {{w|Transmission Control Protocol|TCP}} stream live while wearing oven mitts and baking cookies. Such a feat would require real fast typing. It looks like xkcd webserver is not a computer after all -- we have a person manually replying to HTTP protocol queries. I guess he's busy.

|-
| |
Older version of our software
| |
People are often reluctant to switch to newer versions of software because, even though newer versions are supposed to have more features and less bugs, they end up confusing users. Users of older versions are used to do everything with less features and circumventing old bugs. They don't know how to use the new features, which of course come with new bugs they haven't learned how to circumvent yet. It is also often the case that newer versions remove weird unused old features, breaking the workflow of users who actually did use such features and are left without a suitable replacement.
|-
| |
Mystery Networking Horror
| |
Randall suggests here that the whole networking stuff behind the XKCD service is both mysterious (none actually knows the details) and horrific (technically questionable architecture and implementation).
|-
| |
Microsoft Bob Server®
| |
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Bob Microsoft Bob] was a short-lived, failed attempt by Microsoft, around 1995, to provide a user-friendly interface for the Windows 3.1x, Windows 95 and Windows NT operating systems. It consisted of a virtual "house" and "rooms", and the idea was that you could click on a pen and open the word processor. It was heavily criticized and was soon discontinued. Randall seems to be making the suggestion the Bob has continued to be developed and now there's a Bob Server, similarly to Windows server.
|-
| |
A giant CPU someone built in Minecraft
| |
{{w|Minecraft}} is a popular sandblock game where you place blocks to build things. Since the introduction of Redstone objects (materials used to create basic electric circuits within the game) people have made many machines within Minecraft, including calculators and clocks. The most complex of these machines simulate simple computers, capable of storing several lines of code and performing basic mathematical operations such as division, which requires thousands of blocks and extremely complex designs.
|}

==Transcript==

:Introducing

:The XKCD Stack
:{| class="wikitable"
| |
EBNF/CSS
|-
| |
Broken Java Applet
|-
| |
Archive.org Mirror
|-
| |
Hypercard.js
|-
| |
QBasic on Rails
|-
| |
[Blocked by AdBlocker]
|-
| |
MongoDB/Excel
|-
| |
Some piece that works so nobody asks any questions
|-
| |
Triply-Nested Docker
|-
| |
Paravirtual Boy®
|-
| |
A dev typing real fast
|-
| |
Older version of our software
|-
| |
Mystery Networking Horror
|-
| |
Microsoft Bob Server®
|-
| |
A giant CPU someone built in Minecraft
|}

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Video games]]

1636: XKCD Stack

2016-01-29T10:51:41Z

Uqbar: Added an extra sentence to Archive.org Mirror

{{comic
| number = 1636
| date = January 29, 2016
| title = XKCD Stack
| image = xkcd_stack.png
| titletext = This site requires Sun Java 6.0.0.1 (32-bit) or higher. You have Macromedia Java 7.3.8.1¾ (48-bit). Click here [link to java.com main page] to download an installer which will run fine but not really change anything.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Needs more detail.}}

In software engineering, a tech stack is the set of technology platforms and tools that a company or app uses. A common tech stack is LAMP, composed of a Linux operating system, an Apache web server, a MySQL database, and the PHP programming language. In this comic, the XKCD stack is introduced. The technologies comprising it are either non-existent, unreliable, or outdated.

The title text most likely refers to the difficulty of dealing with an outdated Java plugin. Even after installing Java, the plugin might not work correctly and clicking the update link just sends you to the very unhelpful java.com main page. This problem is caused by the fact that browsers are for the most part 32 bit applications and 64 bit Java only works with 64 bit applications.

===Explanation of steps===
{| class="wikitable"
| | <b >Layer</b>
| | <b >Explanation</b>
|-
| |
EBNF/CSS
| |
BNF or {{w|Backus–Naur Form}} is a syntax used for describing {{w|context-free grammars}}.
{{w|Extended Backus–Naur Form|EBNF}} is "Extended BNF", it is the same thing as BNF with a few more syntactic constructs intended to ease its use in the most common cases.
CSS or {{w|Cascading Style Sheets}} are a language used to describe what a web page should look like. Web pages are usually written in {{w|HTML}}, which describes the ''structure'' of the page (i.e. divides the document into paragraphs, lists, etc.) complemented with CSS which describes the ''look and feel'' of the page (colors, fonts, margins, etc.). EBNF/CSS would suggest CSS with strange syntax.
|-
| |
Broken Java Applet
| |
Recent years it became more difficult to run {{w|Java (programming language)|Java}} {{w|Applet|applets}} in several browsers. Since {{w|Google Chrome|Chrome}} 45 stopped supporting {{w|NPAPI}}, it's no longer possible to run Java applets on Chrome. Furthermore, two days before this comic was published {{w|Oracle Corporation|Oracle}} (the developer of Java) announced plans to officially end support of Java applets in an upcoming version.
|-
| |
Archive.org Mirror
| |
Archive.org is a website which archives websites, and created the Wayback Machine. An Archive.org mirror would be a duplicate of a website on Archive.org's servers. As Archive.org attempts to mirror whole internet, Archive.org's mirror would be rather big. Moreover, the backup of Archive.org should not back up Archive.org itslef or, otherwise, create an infinite backup loop.

|-
| |
Hypercard.js
| |
{{w|HyperCard}} can be considered as a kind of precedessor for the world wide web developed at {{w|Apple Inc.|Apple}}. The file extension .js indicates that is was rewritten in {{w|JavaScript}}. A similar reference to JavaScript is found in [[1508: Operating Systems]]. The .js extension also refers to node.js, where most library names end in .js
|-
| |
QBasic on Rails
| |
A mix between {{w|QBasic}} and {{w|Ruby on Rails}}. QBasic was programming language on first PCs, known for spagethi code. Ruby on Rails is rather modern language. I'm sure someone, somewhere has a web server running on basic.

|-
| |
[Blocked by AdBlocker]
| |
{{w|Ad blocking}} software are extensions to browsers that try to remove ads from web pages, so the user is not distracted by them. [[624: Branding]] shows what "browsing without adblock" looks like.
|-
| |
MongoDB/Excel
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MongoDB is modern database, Excel being classical database system from Microsoft.

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Some piece that works so nobody asks any questions
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Writing any non-trivial piece of software always require a phase of {{w|Debugging|debugging}}, which consists in finding and fixing {{w|Software bug|bugs}}. With complex software, this is a long and tiring process, so when the product is finally finished no one dares to modify it any further for fear that it will fail in unexpected ways. After some time passes, it is even worse because nobody really remembers how the software was ''supposed'' to work, so the product becomes some kind of godlike treasure which must be treated with the utmost respect and reverence because, you know, if it stops working we're all doomed.
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Triply-Nested Docker
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Docker allows complete operating system to run under different operating system (with some performance penalty). Triply-nested docker would mean operating system A running under operating system B running under operating system C. That would likely be a performance and management nightmare
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Paravirtual Boy®
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This is a reference to the {{w|Virtual Boy}}, a failed portable console created by {{w|Nintendo}}. Paravirtual is recent buzzword in virtualization community these days. "Virtual X" means simulated X. "Paravirtual X" means X is simulated, but is aware of simulation and cooperating, for faster performance. I hope the triply-nested Docker above runs paravirtualized.
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A dev typing real fast
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A dev is a {{w|Software developer|software developer}}. This is possibly a reference to [[341: 1337: Part 1]], where [[Mrs. Roberts]] edits the {{w|Transmission Control Protocol|TCP}} stream live while wearing oven mitts and baking cookies. Such a feat would require real fast typing. It looks like xkcd webserver is not a computer after all -- we have a person manually replying to HTTP protocol queries. I guess he's busy.

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Older version of our software
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People are often reluctant to switch to newer versions of software because, even though newer versions are supposed to have more features and less bugs, they end up confusing users. Users of older versions are used to do everything with less features and circumventing old bugs. They don't know how to use the new features, which of course come with new bugs they haven't learned how to circumvent yet. It is also often the case that newer versions remove weird unused old features, breaking the workflow of users who actually did use such features and are left without a suitable replacement.
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Mystery Networking Horror
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Microsoft Bob Server®
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[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Bob Microsoft Bob] was a short-lived, failed attempt by Microsoft, around 1995, to provide a user-friendly interface for the Windows 3.1x, Windows 95 and Windows NT operating systems. It consisted of a virtual "house" and "rooms", and the idea was that you could click on a pen and open the word processor. It was heavily criticized and was soon discontinued. Randall seems to be making the suggestion the Bob has continued to be developed and now there's a Bob Server, similarly to Windows server.
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A giant CPU someone built in Minecraft
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{{w|Minecraft}} is a popular sandblock game where you place blocks to build things. Since the introduction of Redstone objects (materials used to create basic electric circuits within the game) people have made many machines within Minecraft, including calculators and clocks. The most complex of these machines simulate simple computers, capable of storing several lines of code and performing basic mathematical operations such as division, which requires thousands of blocks and extremely complex designs.
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==Transcript==

:Introducing

:The XKCD Stack
:{| class="wikitable"
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EBNF/CSS
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Broken Java Applet
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Archive.org Mirror
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Hypercard.js
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QBasic on Rails
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[Blocked by AdBlocker]
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MongoDB/Excel
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Some piece that works so nobody asks any questions
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Triply-Nested Docker
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Paravirtual Boy®
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A dev typing real fast
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Older version of our software
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Mystery Networking Horror
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Microsoft Bob Server®
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A giant CPU someone built in Minecraft
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{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Computers]]
[[Category:Programming]]
[[Category:Video games]]