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We have an explanation for all 2111 xkcd comics,
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| Night Shift |
 Title text: Help, I set my white balance wrong and suddenly everyone is screaming at each other about whether they've been to Colorado. |
Explanation
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This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: Created by a BORED SCREAMING RESIDENT OF COLORADO (YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO COLORADO). Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon. |
Many electronic devices have settings to adjust display color and intensity. "Night shift," or similar modes make the display less blue. This may be useful in the evening, since blue light interfere more with becoming sleepy. This comic re-imagines such a mode as influencing the content of messages to encourage sleepiness—or, at least, to dampen the emotional response that might keep someone up too late at night.
In the title text, the reverse has occurred. By setting his white balance incorrectly, the opinions that Randall is reading are more intense, even about "simple" things as having visited Colorado or not.
This strip then references the fact that on the internet, very few people answer in the singulars of 'Yes' or 'No' or another equally short and definable answer. This may be because there is little perceived value in such a short but factual answer, when you have the opportunity to voice your opinion, sometimes at length. Also in many cultures indirect expression is the norm, or polite; a short direct answer is considered less acceptable, especially in the negative.
Transcript
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This transcript is incomplete. Please help editing it! Thanks. |
- [Comments with peoples' profile pictures in front of them are shown in white comment boxes on a gray background.]
- Cueball: The Atlantic Ocean is big
- Ponytail: The Pacific is even bigger
- Cueball With Full Body Profile Picture (WFBPP): They're both very big
- Megan: A lot of people have TVs
- Hairbun: Some people don't
- Megan: Yeah, that's true
- Cueball: 24 isn't a prime number
- Cueball WFBPP: Neither is 25
- Hairbun: Have you ever been to Colorado?
- Megan: No
- Cueball WFBPP: No
- Cueball: Yeah
- Ponytail: No
- [Caption below the panel:]
- My phone has a night shift mode to help me sleep, but instead of reducing the intensity of blue light, it reduces the intensity of opinions.
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