explain xkcd:Tagline
On MediaWiki-powered websites such as explain xkcd, the tagline is the text that appears immediately below the title of each page. The tagline text is specified in MediaWiki:Tagline, and its styling is controlled by the #siteSub ID in MediaWiki:Common.css. Currently, the tagline for explain xkcd is Black Hat making the following statement:
Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
Numerous people have taken offense to this tagline over the years, although consensus is that no offense is intended, and the tagline was voted to be retained.
Timeline[edit]
The tagline originated in the header of the previous explain xkcd blog, and to date has remained mostly consistent throughout the site's existence, undergoing only minor changes since its first implementation in the wiki.
- July 2009
- Original explain xkcd blog created with header image of Black Hat explaining to Cueball that "it's cause you're dumb."[1]
- July 2012
- explain xkcd wiki launched, with Black Hat stating the default MediaWiki tagline of "From {{SITENAME}}", as determined by the
$wgSiteNameconfiguration setting (which, at the time, was "Explain XKCD").[2]
From Explain XKCD
- August 2012
- Custom explain xkcd tagline added akin to the original blog header, with Black Hat stating "explain xkcd: It's cause you're dumb."[3]
- explain xkcd: It's cause you're dumb."
- January 2013
- Apostrophe added before aphetism of "because".[4]
- explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb."
- February 2013
- Tagline icon broken.[5]
- explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb."
- March 2013
- Tagline icon file updated (though still broken).[6]
- explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb."
- October 2013
- "Explain" capitalized. (Icon still broken.)[7]
- Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb."
- February 2014
- Broken tagline icon removed from MediaWiki:Common.css.[8]
- Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb."
- February 2016
- Tagline icon fixed with pre-shrunk 16-pixel version, and attempt to prevent screen readers from speaking the tagline by setting
speak:nonein MediaWiki:Common.css.[9] (Note thatspeak:noneis no longer supported; the correct syntax is nowspeak:never.) Around this time a vote was held to determine whether the tagline should be retained.
Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb."
Discussions[edit]
Numerous discussions have occurred regarding the content of explain xkcd's tagline.
Inception[edit]
Shortly after the wiki's creation in July 2012, it was suggested to add a tagline to the site, reminiscent of the previous blog.
- August 2012
Objections[edit]
Over the years, a number of people have expressed opposition to Black Hat's offensive tone in the "it's 'cause you're dumb" tagline. The concern has also been raised that the visually-impaired using screen readers, who depend upon the transcripts, may take particular offense from it. Counterarguments include that the tagline is meant sarcastically in the spirit of xkcd itself, and that no offense is intended despite any perception of such.
- June 2013
- February 2016
- This is the primary discussion in which it was voted upon whether to keep/change/remove the tagline:
- December 2017
- February 2018
Vote[edit]
In February 2016, a poll was held to determine whether to change/remove the tagline, and a banner was added to the site notice directing visitors to vote on the issue.
- February 8, 2016[10]
- Should we change the tagline? What do you want the new one to be? Discuss it here!
- February 15, 2016
- Counting votes for our tagline on Monday. Lot of discussion happened, going to be reading for a while.
- February 16, 2016[11]
- Votes have been tallied up at the community portal. We're still open to more input though, feel free to continue commenting.
- Votes have been tallied up at the community portal. The conversation doesn't end there though, feel to continue commenting on the matter.
- Votes have been tallied up at the community portal and the votes for keeping the tagline won out. The conversation doesn't end there though, feel to keep talking about it there.
On February 16, a majority was declared to keep the existing tagline. The poll banner was removed from the site notice on February 18.
References[edit]
- ↑ explainxkcd.com, Internet Archive: August 17, 2009
- ↑ explainxkcd.com, Internet Archive: August 3, 2012
- ↑ explainxkcd.com, Internet Archive: August 17, 2012
- ↑ explainxkcd.com, Internet Archive: January 11, 2013
- ↑ explainxkcd.com, Internet Archive: February 9, 2013
- ↑ explainxkcd.com, Internet Archive: March 29, 2013
- ↑ explainxkcd.com, Internet Archive: December 4, 2013
- ↑ explainxkcd.com, Internet Archive: March 26, 2014
- ↑ explainxkcd.com, Internet Archive: February 16, 2016
- ↑ explainxkcd.com, Internet Archive: February 8, 2016
- ↑ explainxkcd.com, Internet Archive: February 16, 2016
