Editing 1810: Chat Systems
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | The comic | + | {{incomplete|More info needed? Also the transcript should only mention each text string once as text in the comic. Then the explanation of who is in it should be in [] or that should go into another section.}} |
+ | The comic shows an {{w|Euler diagram}} with many different {{w|Online chat|chat systems}} connection possibilities and their overlaps. This is used to explain the relationship between social networks and [[Randall|Randall's]] acquaintances who use them. (Euler diagrams should not be confused with {{w|Venn diagram}}s, see more on this [[:Category:Venn diagrams|here]]). | ||
− | + | In the world of {{w|social media}} and [[:Category:Social networking|social networking]], it is extremely easy to communicate with people through the various messaging systems provided. Unfortunately, this can also become very confusing when one (such as Randall in this comic) knows many people who use various combinations of the different chat systems. | |
− | + | Below is a [[#Chat systems|table]] with explanation for all 24 mentioned chat systems. Several of the systems are already considered old but, like ''The "chat" tab in an old {{w|Google Doc}}'', but some people keep using them, which is part of the joke. There only seems to be one "chat" system which could in no way be said to be an on-line chat system, and that is the ''Wall (bathroom)'' at the bottom, which refers to how people writes notes on public bathroom walls, making it the only extra joke apart from the mess in the main diagram. | |
− | + | In the title text, Randall explains how he is one of the only few {{w|Instagram}} users to use the {{w|Unix}} {{w|Talk_(software)|'talk' gateway}} an old peer-to-peer chat system whereby users logged into the same UNIX system could privately communicate with each other in a full-screen interface. This implies that he also uses a complicated system of communication. | |
+ | |||
+ | The ubiquity of standards - here, of messaging systems - was already covered in [[927: Standards]] and people's hesitation to switch off IRC was mentioned in [[1782: Team Chat]]. The same point about people using various chat systems was used in [[1254: Preferred Chat System]]. And famously the hidden chat room mentioned in [[1305: Undocumented Feature]], was later created by Randall through the [[:Category:April fools' comics|April fools' comic]] [[1506: xkcloud]] - see the [[1506:_xkcloud#Don.27t_contact_us|Don't contact us]] section. | ||
===Chat systems=== | ===Chat systems=== | ||
− | The 24 chat systems with the number | + | *The 24 chat systems are listed with the systems having most people at the top, and that number is also listed before the explanation. |
+ | **Notice there are only 23 real systems, as one of the systems is a bathroom wall. | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
!System | !System | ||
!Number of people in group | !Number of people in group | ||
!Explanation | !Explanation | ||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|SMS}} | | {{w|SMS}} | ||
|39 | |39 | ||
− | |Short Message | + | |Short Message System; a text-based messaging system connecting most worldwide phone systems that had its beginnings in the 1980s and has since represented the most common form of data transmission for most people. It is principally used to send short text messages between mobile phones, but most phone carriers provide facilities to send-to-email or send-to-voice (for use with landline phones). Most major phone carriers also provide support for email-to-SMS. |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|Email}} | | {{w|Email}} | ||
|35 | |35 | ||
|A popular form of electronic communication that saw first widespread use in the 1960s. It allows you to send electronic "letters" to people using pre-exchanged email addresses. Many people use this platform, hence the large size of the corresponding circle. | |A popular form of electronic communication that saw first widespread use in the 1960s. It allows you to send electronic "letters" to people using pre-exchanged email addresses. Many people use this platform, hence the large size of the corresponding circle. | ||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|Hangouts}} | | {{w|Hangouts}} | ||
|9 | |9 | ||
|Google Hangouts is Google's instant messaging system. It can be used to share data and for video chat. | |Google Hangouts is Google's instant messaging system. It can be used to share data and for video chat. | ||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|Signal_(software)|Signal}} | | {{w|Signal_(software)|Signal}} | ||
|8 | |8 | ||
| An app used for encrypted communications. | | An app used for encrypted communications. | ||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|iMessage}} | | {{w|iMessage}} | ||
|6 | |6 | ||
|Apple's SMS service | |Apple's SMS service | ||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|IRC}} | | {{w|IRC}} | ||
|5 | |5 | ||
− | |Internet Relay Chat; a chat protocol from the late | + | |Internet Relay Chat; a chat protocol from the late 1980's that still sees considerable but declining use today. It is an open, freely available protocol with many free client apps available. Communications are principally in text and users typically use an app to connect to an IRC server, which may in turn be connected to other IRC servers. Many clients also provide for file sharing. There are many client and server plugins that provide access to other protocols (such as IRC-Hangouts, etc). |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|Slack_(software)|Slack}} | | {{w|Slack_(software)|Slack}} | ||
|5 | |5 | ||
|A team instant messaging service | |A team instant messaging service | ||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|Twitter|Twitter DM}} | | {{w|Twitter|Twitter DM}} | ||
|4 | |4 | ||
| "Direct messages" between users on Twitter. | | "Direct messages" between users on Twitter. | ||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|AOL Instant Messenger|AIM}} | | {{w|AOL Instant Messenger|AIM}} | ||
|2 | |2 | ||
− | |AOL Instant Messaging service; a popular messaging system from the 1990s that suffered a severe decline in 2005 upon the release of Gmail and Google Chat. It is based on the closed source OSCAR protocol, but AOL created the TOC/TOC2 protocol specifications, and made specifications openly available, for third parties to connect to their service. There have been short-lived dalliances with other protocols since 2008; it has never had direct support for the other widely used protocols here. | + | |AOL Instant Messaging service; a popular messaging system from the 1990s that suffered a severe decline in 2005 upon the release of Gmail and Google Chat. It is based on the closed source OSCAR protocol, but AOL created the TOC/TOC2 protocol specifications, and made specifications openly available, for third parties to connect to their service. There have been short-lived dalliances with other protocols since 2008; it has never had direct support for the other widely used protocols here. |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
|The "chat" tab in an old {{w|Google Doc}} | |The "chat" tab in an old {{w|Google Doc}} | ||
|2 | |2 | ||
|Google Docs is an online word processor reminiscent of Microsoft Word. One of the notable features is online collaborative editing, with a rudimentary chat feature for communication. Randall apparently communicates with someone using the chat in an old Google Doc. | |Google Docs is an online word processor reminiscent of Microsoft Word. One of the notable features is online collaborative editing, with a rudimentary chat feature for communication. Randall apparently communicates with someone using the chat in an old Google Doc. | ||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|Facebook_Messenger|FB Messenger}} | | {{w|Facebook_Messenger|FB Messenger}} | ||
|2 | |2 | ||
|Facebook's chat system. | |Facebook's chat system. | ||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|Instagram|Instagram DM}} | | {{w|Instagram|Instagram DM}} | ||
|2 | |2 | ||
|Direct Messaging, a feature of Instagram that allows users to post personal messages to each other. | |Direct Messaging, a feature of Instagram that allows users to post personal messages to each other. | ||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
|{{w|Peach_(social_network)|Peach}} | |{{w|Peach_(social_network)|Peach}} | ||
|2 | |2 | ||
|Peach is a mobile-based social network introduced in January 2016. | |Peach is a mobile-based social network introduced in January 2016. | ||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| Telegram | | Telegram | ||
|2 | |2 | ||
− | |Could refer to a cloud based instant messaging system by this name ({{w|Telegram (software)|Telegram}}), or to actually sending messages using {{w|telegrams}}. Telegrams were messages sent by electric telegraphy, which were often typed out and hand-delivered to the recipient. This was the first system for rapid communication across long distances that was widely available, originally developed in the 19th century. Naturally, telegraphy is now wildly obsolete (though some local services apparently do still exist) which would explain why Randall communicates with so few people that way. | + | |Could refer to a cloud based instant messaging system by this name ({{w|Telegram (software)|Telegram}}), or to actually sending messages using {{w|telegrams}}. Telegrams were messages sent by electric telegraphy, which were often typed out and hand-delivered to the recipient. This was the first system for rapid communication across long distances that was widely available, originally developed in the 19th century. Naturally, telegraphy is now wildly obsolete (though some local services apparently do still exist) which would explain why Randall communicates with so few people that way. |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|Skype}} | | {{w|Skype}} | ||
|2 | |2 | ||
− | |Microsoft's chat client. It offers | + | |Microsoft's chat client. It offers VoIP video and audio calls, instant messaging and phoning from within the app. |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|WhatsApp}} | | {{w|WhatsApp}} | ||
|2 | |2 | ||
− | |Billed as encrypted end-to-end chat, allows | + | |Billed as encrypted end-to-end chat, allows VoIP chats, text chats, video and image sharing. Caters for group chat as well. |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|WeChat}} | | {{w|WeChat}} | ||
|2 | |2 | ||
− | | Started off as a Chinese WhatsApp imitation. WeChat has become a full scale social media | + | | Started off as a Chinese WhatsApp imitation. WeChat has become a full scale social media with its own news, games and payment system. |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
|{{w|Apache_HTTP_Server|Apache}} Request {{w|Server_log|Log}} | |{{w|Apache_HTTP_Server|Apache}} Request {{w|Server_log|Log}} | ||
|1 | |1 | ||
− | | | + | |A file used by Apache HTML server to log page access requests by users, usually stored as access_log. Its use as a communications tool would require the user to embed their messages in URLs and the admin to look for the messages in the logs. It would be inconvenient and time consuming for both parties. It was implemented soon after here: [https://github.com/mdom/smokesignal github] |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|BlackBerry Messenger|BBM}} | | {{w|BlackBerry Messenger|BBM}} | ||
|1 | |1 | ||
|Blackberry message. A chat system available on {{w|BlackBerry}} phones, now largely obsolete. | |Blackberry message. A chat system available on {{w|BlackBerry}} phones, now largely obsolete. | ||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|Snapchat}} | | {{w|Snapchat}} | ||
|1 | |1 | ||
|Snapchat is an image messaging app. | |Snapchat is an image messaging app. | ||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
|Wall (bathroom) | |Wall (bathroom) | ||
|1 | |1 | ||
− | |This is the only "other" joke in the comic as this is the only "system" not on-line. Apparently it is a chat system based around writing on the wall in the bathroom. Not an electronic system | + | |This is the only "other" joke in the comic as this is the only "system" not on-line. Apparently it is a chat system based around writing on the wall in the bathroom. Not an electronic system. Leaving messages on public bathroom walls is a common form of {{w|graffiti}}. It may be used as a support for anonymous conversations. Alternatively, this could mean the person is an extreme introvert, and hides in his bathroom instead of interacting with others, by talking through the wall. It could also be a pun on "communicating through _____" as a bathroom wall is a physical object rather than an interface. It could also refer to someone who has a habit of talking through the wall to people in adjacent stalls of a public bathroom. |
− | |||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
|{{w|Wall (Unix)}} | |{{w|Wall (Unix)}} | ||
|1 | |1 | ||
− | |Short for "write all", the "wall" command copies its | + | |Short for "write all", the "wall" command copies its argument to every user logged into the same Unix system, and so can be used as a primitive chat system. |
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|Zephyr (protocol)}} | | {{w|Zephyr (protocol)}} | ||
|1 | |1 | ||
| Zephyr was designed as an instant messaging protocol and application-suite with a heavy Unix background. | | Zephyr was designed as an instant messaging protocol and application-suite with a heavy Unix background. | ||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
| {{w|ICQ}} | | {{w|ICQ}} | ||
|1 | |1 | ||
− | |An older | + | |An older open-source instant messaging application. |
− | |||
|} | |} | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | :[An Euler diagram with many circle like drawings for various chat systems is shown. Some circles overlapping others in complicated ways, others are single circles with no connections, but most are embedded into | + | {{incomplete transcript|No words should be added more than once in the transcript. And the people should be mentioned}} |
+ | :[An Euler diagram with many circle like drawings for various chat systems is shown. Some circles overlapping others in complicated ways, others are single circles with no connections, but most are embedded into others.] | ||
:[The list of items and its intersections from left top to right bottom is:] | :[The list of items and its intersections from left top to right bottom is:] | ||
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:Wall (bathroom) - none | :Wall (bathroom) - none | ||
− | :[Caption below the | + | :[Caption below the frame:] |
:I have a hard time keeping track of which contacts use which chat systems. | :I have a hard time keeping track of which contacts use which chat systems. | ||
==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
− | *There are | + | *There are 57 characters in the comic |
− | |||
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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[[Category:Charts]] | [[Category:Charts]] | ||
[[Category:Social networking]] | [[Category:Social networking]] | ||
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