https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=108.162.210.202&feedformat=atomexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2024-03-28T10:24:44ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1807:_Listening&diff=138803Talk:1807: Listening2017-04-15T22:16:40Z<p>108.162.210.202: </p>
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I think it's important to note that, at least with Alexa, the device isn't transmitting to the cloud 24/7 - the "wake word" detection happens locally, and then it starts streaming to the Amazon servers. [[User:Okofish|Okofish]] ([[User talk:Okofish|talk]]) 13:18, 6 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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I think [[I Know You're Listening]] should be mentioned as a related comic. [[User:Effy|Effy]] ([[User talk:Effy|talk]]) 13:33, 6 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
:That comic is about surveillance.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 20:59, 6 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
::I agree with Effy as this comic here is also about knowing if anything you say might be overheard. Will add it in. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:19, 7 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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That's a recent variant of an old joke. https://www.google.fr/search?q=voice+command+format+c+colon<br />
Perhaps Randall got triggered by this news: [https://teleread.org/2017/01/10/when-voice-command-listens-to-anyone/ “Alexa, buy me a dollhouse.”]<br />
--[[User:MGitsfullofsheep|MGitsfullofsheep]] ([[User talk:MGitsfullofsheep|talk]]) 15:31, 6 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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It's worth noting that Amazon Echo was recently criticized because the host of a television show was filmed using his to make an order, which, when watched, was recognized as valid on devices which didn't use a pin. This caused many unanticipated purchases for viewers. I'm not sure wether it was an urban myth, but I heard lots of discussion on the topic a few months ago. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.246.95|108.162.246.95]] 17:08, 6 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
:A quick google shows it's related to the dollhouse story: https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/08/amazon-echo-attempted-spending-spree/ --[[Special:Contributions/108.162.238.11|108.162.238.11]] 18:20, 6 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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Don't read this comic out loud. [[User:13thehappykid|13thehappykid]] ([[User talk:13thehappykid|talk]]) 20:42, 6 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
:Ha could be a problem for those who some to use this site to read the transcript with a reader because of problems with their sight... They would not read this warning first ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:19, 7 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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This device reminds me on Star Trek (TNG):<br />
Captain Piccard: Computer, initiate self destruction.<br />
...<br />
Nowhere else people are talking so often in a human form to a computer. And I'm sure that will be the future -- not only at home or in a car.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 21:07, 6 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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Anyone still waiting for a whatif or comic about Trappist-1?[[User:XFez|XFez]] ([[User talk:XFez|talk]]) 13:51, 7 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
:Would be nice, but I'm no longer specially optimistic about it. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:19, 7 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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I am impressed that someone took the time to calculate (at least roughly), how much two tons of creamed corn would cost. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.75|162.158.62.75]] 16:28, 7 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
:That is what we do here on explain xkcd ;-) --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 21:19, 7 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
::If two tons of creamed corn costs $10000 (USD?), according to the explanation editor, that works out to $4.61 per 14.75oz can. Where I live, national brands cost less than $1.50 a can.[[User:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For]] ([[User talk:These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For|talk]]) 03:15, 12 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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FWIW, the current version of Google Now only responds to "OK, Google" when spoken by the device owner (or someone with closely matching vocal qualities); my wife's phone won't respond to my voice, nor mine to hers, for the initial hotword detection. (Any voice is accepted for the actual query after a successful hotword match, or following a tap on a voice-command icon. [[User:Dansiman|Dansiman]] ([[User talk:Dansiman|talk]]) 05:47, 9 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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For fun I tested this today with my Echo Dot and someone has fixed this security hole. When told "Alexa, order two tons of creamed corn" the reply was "hmmm... I think I'm going to save you from yourself and skip that particular order." [[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.65|162.158.79.65]] 02:28, 27 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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Burger King recently took advantage of this. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/04/google-burger-king-feud-over-control-of-the-google-assistant/ [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.202|108.162.210.202]] 22:16, 15 April 2017 (UTC)</div>108.162.210.202https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1820:_Security_Advice&diff=1384391820: Security Advice2017-04-07T00:09:12Z<p>108.162.210.202: /* Explanation */</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1820<br />
| date = April 5, 2017<br />
| title = Security Advice<br />
| image = security_advice.png<br />
| titletext = Never give your password or bank account number to anyone who doesn't have a blue check mark next to their name.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
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The comic depicts a conversation between [[Cueball]] and [[Ponytail]], discussing the fact that giving people security advice in the past has failed to improve their internet security, and in some cases even made things worse. One such example is telling people to create complicated passwords containing numbers and symbols, which not only made the passwords harder to remember (leading people to create huge security risks by [https://arstechnica.com/security/2015/04/hacked-french-network-exposed-its-own-passwords-during-tv-interview/ leaving post-it notes with their passwords on their computer monitor]), but did not actually make those passwords harder to crack (see [[936: Password Strength]]).<br />
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As a result, Cueball suggests using {{w|reverse psychology}} and give out bad advice instead, in hopes of achieving a positive effect. The last panel contains a list of these security tips, which are parodies of actual security tips.<br />
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===Security Tip Explanations===<br />
{| class="wikitable"<br />
!Security Tip<br />
!Explanation<br />
|-<br />
|Print out this list and keep it in your bank safe deposit box (header)<br />
|This is a standard recommendation for documents that must be kept secure because they are irreplaceable and/or contain sensitive information. However this list itself is easily replaceable and the contents will be well-known, so storing it in a safe place is totally unnecessary. Putting it in a {{w|safe deposit box}} would even be counterproductive since the list can only serve its purpose as a ready reminder if it's easily accessible to everyone.<br />
|-<br />
|Don't click links to websites<br />
|The usual tip is "Don't click on ''suspicious'' website links" or "Don't click any links in suspicious emails". The comic's variation instead tells users not to click on any links to any websites, which essentially stops them from using the World Wide Web altogether.<br />
|-<br />
|Use prime numbers in your password<br />
|It is usually recommended that one uses numbers in one's password, to increase its entropy, making it harder to find with a {{w|Brute-force attack|brute force}} attack. In contrast the comic suggests using {{w|prime numbers}} in one's password. Large prime numbers are an essential part of modern cryptography and security systems, when used in algorithms that are computed by machines. They don't have any effect when used by humans in passwords, except for maybe making it harder to remember. In addition, if people were to regularly use prime numbers in their passwords, it would actually make passwords ''easier'' to guess, as it would substantially reduce the number of possible passwords people may choose from.<br />
|-<br />
|Change your password manager monthly<br />
|It is often recommended to change passwords on a regular basis and to use a {{w|password manager}}. Password managers are programs which can help users create, store, and change their passwords easily and securely. Changing password managers monthly would involve copying all stored passwords from one manager to another, which would be quite impractical and has no security benefit.<br />
|-<br />
|Hold your breath while crossing the border<br />
|At some border crossings, government agents may search computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices. The usual advice for such situations ranges from asserting your rights to resetting all devices and deleting all data prior to crossing a border. Holding one's breath can potentially prevent inhaling germs or poisons in some situations, though useless in the context of computer security. These two topics mixed in the same advice won't achieve anything, but if you hold your breath for too long you could pass out when crossing, or look stressed/suspicious and invite even more scrutiny. This could also be a reference to the superstition of holding one's breath when passing a graveyard.<br />
|-<br />
|Install a secure font<br />
|A real tip might be "Install a secure browser" especially when many people used {{w|Internet Explorer 6}}. Using a different font on a computer would not help one's internet security. Reference to Turing-complete kerning specification language in OpenType fonts. May also refer to [https://www.proofpoint.com/us/threat-insight/post/EITest-Nabbing-Chrome-Users-Chrome-Font-Social-Engineering-Scheme Google Chrome "Install missing font" malware].<br />
|-<br />
|Use a 2-factor smoke detector<br />
|{{w|Multi-factor authentication|Two factor authentication}} describes the practice of using two different identification factors (such as a password and a code from a secure token) to authenticate the user. A two factor smoke detector presumably uses two or more factors to identify ''smoke'' (such as {{w|Smoke_detector#Ionization|ionization}} and {{w|Smoke_detector#Photoelectric|photoelectric}}). Such devices [https://alarmspecs.com actually exist], but, while improving the users general safety, they do nothing to improve their internet security.<br />
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Also, the logic behind using two-factor authentication is that '''both''' types of credentials must match to grant access. Smoke detectors work otherwise - usually firing if '''any''' of the sensors detect a fire. If the smoke detector worked according to the authentication logic it will be less likely to detect smoke, effectively lessening fire safety as compared to a single sensor one.<br />
|-<br />
|Change your maiden name regularly<br />
|The usual tip is to change your passwords regularly. Some password recovery procedures ask for a security question, like "what is your {{w|Maiden and married names|maiden name}}" (which is the family name that you were born with). Sometimes, the maiden name of a parent of yours (typically your mother as your father's maiden name is most often your name too) is asked instead of one of yours. Since it acts as a second password, security questions should also be changed regularly. Literally changing your maiden name, however, is impossible by the definition of "maiden name". Also, maiden names and other trivia typically asked by security questions are not secret, so they are inherently not secure.<br />
A real tip for dealing with security questions would be to enter false data.<br />
|-<br />
|Put strange USB drives in a bag of rice overnight<br />
|The usual security tip is "Don't plug strange {{w|USB flash drive|USB drives}} into your computer," because sometimes attackers leave USB devices with malicious programs lying around, hoping that people will plug them into target computers out of curiosity. This tip states that you should "put USB drives in a bag of rice overnight" which is a common technique for drying out water-damaged devices, due to rice's absorbent qualities. This would not clean the drive of viruses, and unless the drive was wet (perhaps because you found it outside due to it being called "strange") it would not do anything. In [[1598: Salvage]], another attempt is made to salvage something unconventional with rice.<br />
|-<br />
|Use special characters like & and %<br />
|You can use special characters to increase the entropy/strength of your password, though as describe in [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/936:_Password_Strength xkcd 936], that often leads to passwords that are hard to remember but not particularly strong. The password context is missing here, and in everyday situations the characters & and % are not special. These two characters are often disallowed in passwords because of their relevance to {{w|SQL}} (a common database query language). If these characters were used in a password, a badly written security system using SQL could have severe bugs (and security vulnerabilities) similar to the security flaw in [[327: Exploits of a Mom]].<br />
|-<br />
|Only read content published through Tor.com<br />
|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_(anonymity_network) Tor] is a software solution to provide anonymity on the web for its users. The website [https://tor.com Tor.com] is the website of fantasy and sci-fi book publisher Tor, which has no relation to the Tor-network.<br />
|-<br />
|Use a burner's phone<br />
|A play on using a {{w|Prepay mobile phone|burner phone}} (a cheap/disposable cell phone like those purchased at 7-11, often used for drug deals or other activity one might not want traced), and using the cell phone of a burner, i.e. a person who goes to the {{w|Burning Man|Burning Man festival}}.<br />
|-<br />
|Get an SSL certificate and store it in a safe place<br />
|{{w|Transport Layer Security|SSL/TLS}} is a protocol for securing connections on the internet. To check if someone is who they claim to be, you can check the individual's {{w|Public key certificate|certificate}}. Such a certificate has to be public; storing it in a safe place makes the certificate useless. You have to store the private key that matches the certificate in a safe place, else someone could steal the identity.<br />
|-<br />
|If a border guard asks to examine your laptop, you have a legal right to challenge them to a chess game for your soul.<br />
|This tip is a reference to Ingmar Bergman's film {{w|The Seventh Seal#Synopsis| The Seventh Seal}}, in which the protagonist challenges Death to a game of chess. (This is also the theme of [http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/393 393: Ultimate game]).<br />
|-<br />
|Never give your password or bank account number to anyone who doesn't have a blue check mark next to their name. (Title Text)<br />
|The usual security tip here is ''"only trust Twitter accounts claiming to be legitimate if they have a blue check mark next to their name"'', which means that the account is verified as legitimate. This tip suggests only giving your ''password'' to verified accounts, although you shouldn't give your password to ''any'' account. It also refers to problems especially visible in the US banking system, where there is very little security for direct account drafts, and because of that it is advised there to keep the account number as secret as possible. In contrast, in Europe giving your account number to someone is one of the most common ways to get paid.<br />
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A related tip might be ""Never give your password or bank details to a website that doesn't have a padlock icon next to the URL"". In some browsers, if you access a secure website, there will be a padlock icon in the browser indicating you've connected to a secure website using the secure https protocol. So this tip treats the verified account icon the same way you might treat a secure website icon.<br />
|}<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
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:Ponytail: We've been trying for decades to give people good security advice.<br />
:Ponytail: But in retrospect, lots of the tips actually made things worse.<br />
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:Cueball: Maybe we should try to give ''bad'' advice?<br />
:Ponytail: I guess it's worth a shot.<br />
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:Security tips<br />
:(Print out this list and keep it in your bank safe deposit box.)<br />
* Don't click links to websites<br />
* Use prime numbers in your password<br />
* Change your password manager monthly<br />
* Hold your breath while crossing the border<br />
* Install a secure font<br />
* Use a 2-factor smoke detector<br />
* Change your maiden name regularly<br />
* Put strange USB drives in a bag of rice overnight<br />
* Use special characters like & and %<br />
* Only read content published through Tor.com<br />
* Use a burner's phone<br />
* Get an SSL certificate and store it in a safe place<br />
* If a border guard asks to examine your laptop, you have a legal right to challenge them to a chess game for your soul.<br />
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{{comic discussion}}</div>108.162.210.202https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1818:_Rayleigh_Scattering&diff=138193Talk:1818: Rayleigh Scattering2017-04-01T10:31:51Z<p>108.162.210.202: </p>
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I keep trying to correct the misspelled joung Girl to Young Girl but it keeps reverting. I corrected the two non-capitalized sentences and they stay put. Does "joung" have a meaning i don't understand? [[User:ExternalMonolog|ExternalMonolog]] ([[User talk:ExternalMonolog|talk]]) 14:55, 31 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
:There might be conflicting edits, that happens a lot with new comics[[User:Dontknow|Dontknow]] ([[User talk:Dontknow|talk]]) 15:34, 31 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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Question - while I understand the intent of the comic is that overly complicated explanations can be confusing, isn't the title-text analogy incorrect? Doesn't chlorophyll scatter green light and absorbs other colors, whereas with the sky, it's really just different levels of scattering and very little absorbing (hence why a clear sky at dusk can appear red, the sky wasn't absorbing red light, it was just scattering it differently than blue light). Isn't that fundamentally different from the way most other common objects get their perceived color? (ps - I'm not a scientist, just curious, appreciate any feedback)<br />
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"Why are leaves green?" "Well, the leaf absorbs most of the colors, but not the green light, which it scatters instead." "Why is my shirt black?" "Well the cloth absorbs most of the colors, but just scatters the black light... wait..." [[User:Andyd273|Andyd273]] ([[User talk:Andyd273|talk]]) 15:46, 31 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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I like to think this is Miss Lenhart, continuing her science teaching in the same vein as in 'Venus'. There's no proof in the comic, but it fits nicely. Potentially something to add as a possibility in the explanation? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.154.247|162.158.154.247]] 16:38, 31 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
:I second the take that this is Miss Lenhart; I guess she's not in a classroom setting but she's been in similar situations. Someone should mention that the girl's second question is the same from [[803: Airfoil]] (also with Miss Lenhart). Articles have mentioned sort of "series" of themes before; that article, [[1145: Sky Color]], and this have an ongoing theme of "how to explain science to kids".[[Special:Contributions/172.68.150.34|172.68.150.34]] 04:04, 1 April 2017 (UTC) <br />
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Yesssss <3 I had the exact same thought the first time Rayleigh scattering was explained to me: "isn't that just a specific mechanism of air being blue?" For some reason such explanations majorly tend to insist that the air is not in fact blue, and it has always bothered me. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.111.19|162.158.111.19]] 16:41, 31 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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Maybe the explanation should point out that the real reason the planes "stay up" is that the tiny birds are on the '''underside''' of the wings.--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.34|162.158.92.34]] 17:20, 31 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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If air is blue how come a sunset, with LOTS of air, is red? I know the answer but it is the obvious next question with this explanation. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.74.171|162.158.74.171]] 17:22, 31 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
:During the day the Sun heats the air. At sunset you see the result of this heating, the air glows red-hot or orange-hot and starts to quickly cool down. You can't see it glowing during the day because of the very bright Sun.--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.92.34|162.158.92.34]] 17:40, 31 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
::Oh ok. Than why is the sun-rise also red? ;-). --[[User:DaB.|DaB.]] ([[User talk:DaB.|talk]]) 23:40, 31 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
:: https://www.reddit.com/r/ExplainLikeImCalvin/ [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.202|108.162.210.202]] 10:31, 1 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
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Can someone add this to the comics featuring those respective characters? [[User:Dontknow|Dontknow]] ([[User talk:Dontknow|talk]]) 17:41, 31 March 2017 (UTC)<br />
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New here, probably not following proper form in this commend, but, if I may ask, is that thing about mountains appearing blue actually true? (Unsigned)<br />
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I received the 'rayleigh scattering' explanation myself, and it served me well. Even without knowing anything about quantum mechanics or how the human eye works, knowing that there's an optic principle at work other than simple pigmentation explains why the light is golden early and late in the day, and why dust or smoke can have such diverse effects on the colour of the light beaming down, especially at dusk and dawn.<br />
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If I'd been told air was blue, I'd have a lot more questions, and I'd still think that gemstones like alexandrite that look different colours in different light were somehow magical, instead of just having unique physical properties. So, I'd like to assume Randall's just making a outlandish joke, not really trying to say that it's wrong to give children the phrase 'rayleigh scattering' and explain what the consequences of it are, even without describing the mechanisms behind it--something that still goes way over my head.[[User:Namaphry|Namaphry]] ([[User talk:Namaphry|talk]]) 04:59, 1 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
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Air is not blue - certainly not in the same way that leaves are green or blue-dyed liquids are blue. This is evident when observing the Moon - a large chunk of rock much farther away than any mountains. Does all the air we're looking through at it make it appear blue? Of course not. If anything, the Moon can appear orange near the horizon. (But clearly, the reason is not that "air is orange".)<br />
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What is happening with the sky is that air can appear to glow with various colors when illuminated with a strong directional source of light, such as the sun. The color depends on multiple factors, including the angle of illumination and observation. The glow can be commonly seen being blue, white, yellow, or red - with blue hues generally observable on clear days, and reddish hues at sunrise or sunset. This only works with a directional source of light; when the source of light is diffuse, such as under a large cloud cover, the sky doesn't appear blue, and neither do distant mountains, readily disproving the notion that air itself would be blue.<br />
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There. That didn't involve any quantum mechanics. [[Special:Contributions/172.68.215.88|172.68.215.88]] 07:07, 1 April 2017 (UTC)<br />
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I seriously doubt the point of the comic is to tell children wrong answers just because they might not understand the real answer. That is just horrible. "The child's reaction in this comic, "Wow!", suggests that not only she understood, but is also excited about learning, which could be more important to her development than hearing the "correct" answer up front." That doesn't make any sense. I'm sure he doesn't want to say, tell children planes fly because of birds in their wings. There are easy and simple ways to give the correct answer, that children will understand, and it's definitely not better for their development and interest to tell them absolut BS. It's the other way around, he makes fun of this answer, and so wants to make the point to NOT tell children things like that just because you're too lazy to explain, or because you think they might not understand. The point is not: Give an easy and possibly wrong answer to children. The point is rather: While for blue sky the easier (and TRUE) answer might be enough for kids, for other things that's not the best solution, and definitely don't oversimplify so much that your answer actually is wrong. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.88.98|162.158.88.98]] 08:53, 1 April 2017 (UTC)</div>108.162.210.202https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talk:1800:_Chess_Notation&diff=135582Talk:1800: Chess Notation2017-02-17T23:18:15Z<p>108.162.210.202: </p>
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How did the conversation end in a draw? Was it by agreement? Was it actually "drawn" as mentioned below?[[Special:Contributions/162.158.79.185|162.158.79.185]] 20:17, 17 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
:"Fine." "Fine." Agreement. [[Special:Contributions/108.162.210.202|108.162.210.202]] 23:18, 17 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
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The move to score conversations itself was probably a blunder, but it seems that, since the sentence is copied verbatim, that the move to declare your scoring of conversations to somebody else is a blunder. Because that's weird and nobody wants to hear about it. [[Special:Contributions/173.245.50.72|173.245.50.72]] 18:35, 17 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
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So... This is just a really excellent pun? "Drawn" conversation?[[Special:Contributions/162.158.75.22|162.158.75.22]] 15:59, 17 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
:The pun gets better when you think about drawn '''and''' stalemated conversations, both of which will be scored 0.5 - 0.5. A stalemate occurs when no legal moves are possible, but the opponent isn't in check.--[[Special:Contributions/162.158.150.82|162.158.150.82]] 16:26, 17 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
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I have 2 questions does Randall know about this wiki and if there is an "incomplete" comic and I complete the explanation or other issue can I delete the incomplete notification thingy or does an admin have to do that?[[User:XFez|XFez]] ([[User talk:XFez|talk]]) 17:45, 17 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
:Anyone can remove the incomplete tag. Likewise, anyone can add it back again if they feel the explanation can be improved. [[Special:Contributions/162.158.62.225|162.158.62.225]] 18:37, 17 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
::My answer at the last comic:<br />
::Hi [[User:XFez|XFez]], sorry for the late reply but this was hard to find. I don't know if Randall knows..., but maybe he does. But he does NOT support this wiki in any way -- like he does not here: [http://forums.xkcd.com http://forums.xkcd.com] (while everything is now on https that board isn't ;) ). So there is no final explanation and he says 100 points! To your second question: You are allowed to remove the "incomplete tag". But the given criteria is not enough, often that simple text covers not all. Please check also the discussion page. So, when you are not sure just change the criteria text and mention it at the discussion page. And for older comics you probably should talk to someone else here because nobody checks every comic every day.--[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 19:19, 17 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
:::Randall knows of this page for sure. How often he goes here for a laugh is hard to say, but I would guess he would never comment on anything. But who knows if he checks here to see if has made a mistake. Sometimes errors are corrected after they get mentioned here. Often very early in Randall's time zone. Who knows if he sees this here. He has given a 100 % proof that he knows about this page in his official transcript. He actually made a direct link to Explain xkcd for a better transcript than his own. Alas there was not transcript until this year, where I made it: See this [[Payloads#Trivia|trivia]] under [[Payloads]], that I added earlier in 2017. --[[User:Kynde|Kynde]] ([[User talk:Kynde|talk]]) 19:45, 17 February 2017 (UTC)<br />
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Isn't the mouseover text saying that it was a blunder to tell white hat that he is scoring it because that will cause white hat to actively compete, instead of simply losing because he didn't know there was a game? [a guest and fan]{{unsigned ip|141.101.107.12}}<br />
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Why is the figure on the left not wearing a beret? [[Special:Contributions/162.158.78.208|162.158.78.208]] 21:14, 17 February 2017 (UTC)</div>108.162.210.202https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1028:_Communication&diff=1310851028: Communication2016-11-16T19:10:36Z<p>108.162.210.202: /* Explanation */</p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 1028<br />
| date = March 12, 2012<br />
| title = Communication<br />
| image = communication.png<br />
| titletext = Anyone who says that they're great at communicating but 'people are bad at listening' is confused about how communication works.<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
This comic is divided into two parts, the first two rows of panels and then the third one.<br />
<br />
The first part demonstrates a failed attempt at communication:<br />
<br />
*[[White Hat]] notices a dangerous hole, and thinks he should warn people about it.<br />
**The symbol of the triangle with the exclamation mark in it is widely used on {{w|warning sign}} and it means "{{w|Warning_sign#General_caution|General caution}}".<br />
*White Hat encounters [[Hairy]] and tries to warn him about the hole, while Hairy is wondering what White Hat is pointing at not understanding what he says.<br />
*Hairy doesn't understand the warning, he continues to think without speaking. Now he thinks of a frustrated White Hat.<br />
*Hairy continues to only think of what he can see, and now this is the fact that White Hat is leaving. As White Hat leaves he is thinking about Hairy's lack of understanding and about his silence. <br />
*White Hat encounters [[Megan]] and is now so annoyed about Hairy that he rather talks about his lack of communication than about the dangerous hole. Megan on the other hand tries to tell White Hat about another dangerous hole if he continues to walk along.<br />
*White Hat and Megan pass each other. White Hat now thinks about both the silent Hairy and the talking Megan who both failed to understand him. Megan is just frustrated by the outcome of her encounter and thinks about White Hat talking.<br />
*Megan then meets Hairy while they are both still thinking about White Hat<br />
*They now share their common experience of seeing White Hat. Finally Hairy talks.<br />
*They both continue towards the first hole, unaware of it, talking about White Hat. (Hairy is drawn without hair both here and in the next panel - see [[#Trivia|Trivia]] below.)<br />
*Megan and Hairy fall into the first hole since it wasn't properly communicated to them.<br />
*White Hat falls into the second hole since it wasn't properly communicated to him.<br />
<br />
The holes in the sidewalk are fairly deep, about one person deep; unaware and careless people don't notice them when they come upon them, which makes them symbolic of any problem or danger one can encounter in life, and could avoid if properly warned or careful.<br />
<br />
The second part demonstrates a much more successful attempt at communication:<br />
<br />
*[[Beret Guy]] notices a dangerous hole, and thinks he should warn people about it.<br />
*He even runs out of the picture to warn people (as can be interpreted by the fact that he has reached further in the next panel than White Hat).<br />
*Beret Guy finds [[Cueball]], and tells him to come along. Cueball only sees Beret Guy stretching out his hand.<br />
*Beret Guy takes Cueball's hand and leads him towards the hole. Cueball doesn't understand why (as shown by the question marks in his thought bubble surrounding his thought of Beret Guy), but follows Beret Guy anyway.<br />
*Beret Guy leads Cueball to the hole and points it out for him.<br />
*Finally both Beret Guy and Cueball leave the hole thinking about the danger of it. Beret Guy has managed to properly warn Cueball about the hole.<br />
<br />
It is very typical for the character Beret Guy to succeed, especially with something difficult, where White Hat fails.<br />
<br />
The title text references the requirement that "communication" is a two-sided process, and just because you think you have made your point clear this does not mean that you have "communicated" the information to them: if they failed to understand, then it may as well mean that ''you'' failed to communicate, and not necessarily that ''they'' are bad at listening. And if you always encounter this situation, then it is you who are confused about how communication works.<br />
<br />
==Transcript==<br />
:[White Hat looks down at a large gap in the walkway; a thought bubble with a warning symbol and an image of the gap appears above his head.]<br />
<br />
:[White Hat walks to the right, away from the gap, and encounters Hairy, to which he speaks (in iconographic speech bubble form) while pointing toward the gap, attempting to inform him about the gap. A thought bubble appears above Hairy's head with an image of White Hat pointing.]<br />
<br />
:[White Hat continues, waving his arms, still talking about the gap. Hairy's thought bubble continues to contain images of White Hat, now gesturing frantically.]<br />
<br />
:[Hairy shrugs in a nonplussed manner, and White Hat leaves off the right side of the frame. Both have thought bubbles displaying the other's reaction.]<br />
<br />
:[White Hat continues to the right and comes across Megan. He tells her about the reaction of Hairy (still all in iconographic form); she simultaneously tries to tell him about a gap and gestures off to the right of the frame.]<br />
<br />
:[White Hat and Megan both leave the frame. Megan exits left thinking of White Hats reactions; White Hat exits to the right while thinking about both Hairy and Megan's reactions.]<br />
<br />
:[Megan (still thinking about White Hat) encounters Hairy (who is also still thinking about White Hat).]<br />
<br />
:[Megan and Hairy talk about White Hat.]<br />
<br />
:[Megan and Hairy (now without his hair) continue talking about White Hat as they exit the frame to the left.]<br />
<br />
:[A commotion is heard from the left.]<br />
:Explosion to the right: !!! ** !!<br />
<br />
:[Megan and Hairy (still without his hair) have fallen into the gap in the walkway. A commotion is then also heard from the right.]<br />
:Explosion to the right: !!! ** *<br />
<br />
:[White Hat has fallen into another gap.]<br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy looks down at a large gap in the walkway; a thought bubble with a warning symbol and an image of the gap appears above his head.]<br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy runs off the frame to the right.]<br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy meets Cueball and reaches out to him. He tells him (still in iconographic form) that Cueball should take Beret Guys hand. Cueball has a thought bubble of Beret Guy with his arm stretched out.]<br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy takes Cueball's hand and leads him along to the left. Cueball's thought bubble has two question marks around Beret Guy.]<br />
:Cueball: ? ?<br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy leads Cueball to the gap and points it out to him.]<br />
<br />
:[Beret Guy and Cueball walk away from the gap to the right, now both thinking about the gap with a warning symbol above it.]<br />
<br />
==Trivia==<br />
*[[Randall]] made a mistake in this comic:<br />
**Hairy seems to "lose" his hair in the last two frames he is in with Megan, but it's still the same person.<br />
**The Cueball that appears in the last four frames is not Hairy without hair.<br />
**This is clearly evidenced by Randall's [http://xkcd.com/1028/info.0.json transcript of the comic].<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Beret Guy]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>108.162.210.202