explain xkcd talk:Community portal/Proposals - Revision history

B for brain: /* Merge Cueball & Rob */

2026-03-29T15:30:07Z

‎Merge Cueball & Rob

42.book.addict: anybody understand what bylines do? I want to nowiki them but I don't understand their purpose-if someone from the earlier days could explain how it worked and what wikitext it contained, I can transcribe it in and preserve the initial message

2025-09-10T20:03:25Z

anybody understand what bylines do? I want to nowiki them but I don't understand their purpose-if someone from the earlier days could explain how it worked and what wikitext it contained, I can transcribe it in and preserve the initial message

FaviFake: archving

2025-05-18T09:28:46Z

archving

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FaviFake: More archived

2025-04-25T22:40:40Z

More archived

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FaviFake: was insanely big

2025-04-24T21:07:15Z

was insanely big

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FaviFake at 17:18, 7 April 2025

2025-04-07T17:18:00Z

FaviFake: moved to main

2025-04-07T17:00:58Z

moved to main

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SlashMe: template:Incomplete --> template:incomplete

2017-06-25T23:43:50Z

template:Incomplete --> template:incomplete

Oneforfortytwo at 01:23, 27 May 2017

2017-05-27T01:23:57Z

TheOriginalSoni: Archiving everything from 2012 or before

2013-05-09T06:57:48Z

Archiving everything from 2012 or before

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@@ Line 1,528: / Line 1,528: @@
 Why hasn't anyone thought of the name "Hairball"? {{unsigned ip|172.68.189.187}}
 :Please don't forget to sign your posts. And everybody should read this first: [[Characters]] and [[Rob]]. For short: Rob is a named Cueball. --[[User:Dgbrt|Dgbrt]] ([[User talk:Dgbrt|talk]]) 11:57, 15 June 2018 (UTC)
 == How to fit explanations of new classes of xkcd-related mysteries into the site: what-if, t-shirts, posters, special comics etc. ==

@@ Line 134: / Line 134: @@
 :::: This is all phenomenal.  I'm down with "explain xkcd".  I'll perform the server-side changes tonight. --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] ([[User talk:Jeff|talk]]) 15:44, 6 August 2012 (UTC)
 ::::: Also, looks like you found out my leet jpg -> png converter aka renaming the file extension! --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] ([[User talk:Jeff|talk]]) 15:48, 6 August 2012 (UTC)
-:::::: {{=P}} --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 16:57, 6 August 2012 (UTC)
+:::::: =P --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 16:57, 6 August 2012 (UTC)
 == Spampage Rampage ==
@@ Line 631: / Line 631: @@
 : Option 5. above seems the simplest, yet readable and informative. At most I'd prepend a # sign, like so: #[[29: Hitler]]. Being a link should be enough to differentiate it from the rest of the text (without needing quote signs). Alternatively, #7 also may be an acceptable option, but we'd need a template to make sure the formatting is maintained in all such references... I don't think it's worth the extra complexity. --[[User:Waldir|Waldir]] ([[User talk:Waldir|talk]]) 23:54, 8 August 2012 (UTC)
-:: Whatever we decide, let's encode it into the <nowiki>{{xkcd}}</nowiki> and/or <nowiki>{{explain}}</nowiki> templates, and just agree to use those templates.  That allows central administration of the stylistic issues and gives editors a simple rule to follow.  Minor tweaks to either would afford that flexibility. Right now, they generate the links {{xkcd|29}} and {{explain|29}} respectively, though the latter can be {{explain|29: Hitler}} without much fuss.  -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 05:58, 9 August 2012 (UTC)
+:: Whatever we decide, let's encode it into the <nowiki>{{xkcd}}</nowiki> and/or <nowiki>{{explain}}</nowiki> templates, and just agree to use those templates.  That allows central administration of the stylistic issues and gives editors a simple rule to follow.  Minor tweaks to either would afford that flexibility. Right now, they generate the links {{xkcd|29}} and <nowiki>{{explain|29}}</nowiki> respectively, though the latter can be <nowiki>{{explain|29: Hitler}}</nowiki> without much fuss.  -- [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 05:58, 9 August 2012 (UTC)
 ::: I support modifying the <nowiki>{{explain}}</nowiki> template to be along the lines of proposal number five. {{User:Omega/sig}} 09:20, 9 August 2012 (UTC)
 :::: Five. yes. --[[User:Jeff|Jeff]] ([[User talk:Jeff|talk]]) 18:15, 9 August 2012 (UTC)
@@ Line 649: / Line 649: @@
 :::I do see some leakage of the term "Cueball" into other sites via a google search including xkcd forums. In the alternatively, I would suggest mentioning in the Cueball article that he has been referred to as "Rod" in some comics, but due to his lack of distinguishing physical traits, it is not always clear if a comic is depicting Rod, or a different character. [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]])
 ::::I have to agree with this. When I first heard about the page on "Rob", I was a bit skeptical, as I couldn't recall hearing the name before and the page was ridiculous at the time. However, after looking him up to try and verify the page, I found a number of "Cueball" characters that were referred to as "Rob", officially (and even an instance where the transcript referred to the character as "Rob" when the comic didn't mention a name). TL; DR: The character we've all called "Cueball" seems to be more properly known as "Rob". {{User:Omega/sig}} 22:46, 14 August 2012 (UTC)
-:::::{{explain|285|Citation needed...}}  I, for one, would oppose the migration away from Cueball.
+:::::<nowiki>{{explain|285|Citation needed...}}</nowiki>  I, for one, would oppose the migration away from Cueball.
 :::::# {{w|xkcd|Wikipedia}} has been silent on the matter, giving no more credibility to the apellation than Cueball.
 :::::# Transcripts in xkcd typically (granted, with a few exceptions) refer to the various stick figures as Person 1, etc.  Frequently, there are several stick figures, all essentially the same generic stick-figure shape.  Rob is a specific proper noun, and it would be silly to suggest that each stick figure is named Rob.  Cueball, on the other hand, while filling the role of a proper noun, is still generic enough to suggest the any-man nature of the figures.  It is descriptive more than nominative.
@@ Line 706: / Line 706: @@
 I've noticed that people are putting content from Randall's LiveJournal account into comic articles here, which I think is good. But I'd like to make some style suggestions around that.
-Let's look at {{explain|42}}. Now, until someone explicitly pointed it out, I had no idea xkcd started on a LiveJournal account, so comments like "Original quote" or "Original comment" or "Original title" were confusing to me. I had no idea the source of this information. Now that I know better, my suggestions are as follows:
+Let's look at <nowiki>{{explain|42}}</nowiki>. Now, until someone explicitly pointed it out, I had no idea xkcd started on a LiveJournal account, so comments like "Original quote" or "Original comment" or "Original title" were confusing to me. I had no idea the source of this information. Now that I know better, my suggestions are as follows:
 # These shouldn't be listed as "trivia". This is official content. I would suggest perhaps this be included in a "Background" section with any other background info on the comic (e.g. for some recent comics, it might reference Randall's fiancée's health issues for relevant comics).

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:18, 7 April 2025
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	#REDIRECT [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Proposals]]		#REDIRECT [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Proposals]]
−
−	~~[[Category: Pages to delete]]~~

@@ Line 754: / Line 754: @@
 I would like to suggest a template for a notice saying "this page requires copy editing," and one saying "this page may be unclear in its meaning," or something of the sort for each. the comic posted on 8/22/12 could use both of these. (unsigned comment by [[User:Dave|Dave]]  19:11, 23 August 2012‎ )
-:I agree. I discussed this matter with [[User:Blaisepascal]] in respect of his template {{tl|Incomplete}} on its talk page. I have updated that template to {{tl|Incomplete/beta1}} and created {{tl|ambox}} as a generic message box ''xkcd''-style where other message templates can be created and color coded like on wikipedia, such as the ones you suggest.
+:I agree. I discussed this matter with [[User:Blaisepascal]] in respect of his template {{tl|incomplete}} on its talk page. I have updated that template to {{tl|Incomplete/beta1}} and created {{tl|ambox}} as a generic message box ''xkcd''-style where other message templates can be created and color coded like on wikipedia, such as the ones you suggest.
 :Unfortunately, because of the image scaling issues, the ambox template displays two broken images at the moment which we agreed shouldn't replace the existing template until the images are unbroken. I'm not sure anyone is working on the image scaling problem, is one of the issues. In any event, I also don't see the point in creating other notice templates until the issue is fixed and we can use the standardized template. I'm really hoping someone is working on the image scaling problem... [[User:TheHYPO|TheHYPO]] ([[User talk:TheHYPO|talk]]) 16:36, 24 August 2012 (UTC)

@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 {| class="wikitable"
 |-
-| [[File:wiki.png                 | 166px | center | middle ]]
+| [[File:Wiki.png                 | 166px | center | middle ]]
 | [[File:Wiki high res.png        | 166px | center | middle ]]
 | [[File:Explain xkcd.png         | 166px | center | middle ]]
 | [[File:Explain xkcd2.png        | 166px | center | middle ]]
 |-
-| [[File:wiki2.png                | 166px | center | middle ]]
+| [[File:Wiki2.png                | 166px | center | middle ]]
-| [[File:wiki3.png                | 166px | center | middle ]]
+| [[File:Wiki3.png                | 166px | center | middle ]]
 | [[File:Wiki4.png                | 166px | center | middle ]]
 | [[File:Explainxkcd-concept.PNG  | 166px | center | middle ]]
@@ Line 55: / Line 55: @@
 Maybe:
-[[File:wiki.png]]
+[[File:Wiki.png]]
 Just an idea, because that text looks weird, or at least please add a transparent background instead of white for the logo (and center the text). --[[User:Grep|Grep]] ([[User talk:Grep|talk]]) 21:39, 1 August 2012 (EDT)
@@ Line 62: / Line 62: @@
 : I could go with that.  Had been kicking around some ideas, and if I had any artistic aptitude, it might have looked very much like that: the black-hat retort; alternately: the lowercase blue '''xkcd''' that RM uses (sans comic figure watermark) with a "Explain" in a hand-written typeface in some other color splashed across the top left part of those letters.  And yes, definitely with transparency.   Just thoughts... ultimately, whatever the consensus is... [[User:IronyChef|IronyChef]] ([[User talk:IronyChef|talk]]) 01:51, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
 :: Something like one of the following?
-::[[File:wiki2.png]][[File:wiki3.png]][[File:Wiki4.png]]
+::[[File:Wiki2.png]][[File:Wiki3.png]][[File:Wiki4.png]]
 :: --[[User:Grep|Grep]] ([[User talk:Grep|talk]]) 12:40, 2 August 2012 (EDT)
 :I like that first one - [[:File:wiki.png]]. And perhaps use that same text for the [[#Robots.txt|Tagline]]? --''[[User:Philosopher|Philosopher]]''&nbsp;<sup>[[User talk:Philosopher|Let us reason together.]]</sup> 19:50, 2 August 2012 (EDT)