Difference between revisions of "1034: Share Buttons"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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This comic is a commentary on what sort of articles work best on different {{w|social networking services}}. From left to right the share buttons are: {{w|Facebook}}, {{w|Twitter}}, {{w|Reddit}}, and {{w|Google plus}}.
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This comic is a commentary on what sort of articles would have attracted the most attention on different {{w|social networking services}} at the time of the publication of this comic, through share buttons showing the amount of interactions on the website they were shared to. This practice became outdated, in favor of using a single share button, without a share counter. From left to right the share buttons are: {{w|Facebook}}, {{w|Twitter}}, {{w|Reddit}}, and the now-defunct {{w|Google plus|Google+}}.
  
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* The comedy article is shared most on Twitter because everyone on Twitter considers themselves some sort of 140-character comedian.  (140 characters is the limit of a single tweet.)
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*Twitter users were often stereotyped as trying to be comedians; hence, the article on stand-up comedy was shared most on Twitter.
  
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* {{w|Conspiracy theory}} articles play well on Reddit, especially if they are against the {{w|Christian Right}} and for {{w|Wikipedia}}; as there is a loud and large atheist community there.
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*{{w|Conspiracy theory}} articles garnered attention on Reddit, especially if they were against the {{w|Christian Right}} and supported {{w|Wikipedia}}, as at the time, the atheist community on Reddit was very prominent.
  
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* Boycott Facebook articles (or other Facebook "is changing their terms of services to...") are very popular on Facebook, which is always obviously ironic. Also, this is the highest number of shares on Google+, Google's fledgling social network. One of the punchlines, of course, is that Google+ is struggling and not popular overall.
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*"Boycott Facebook" articles were ironically popular on Facebook. Google+, being semantically akin to Facebook, also had a significant anti-Facebook community. One of the punchlines is that Google+ wasn't being used often, before being closed down in 2019.
  
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* And the last article gets very few shares, because few want to admit they are reading an article about a Realdoll. (Also referenced in in the title texts of [[Game AIs]] and [[Flying Cars]].) It's a sex doll. The only sharers are from Google+. Could it be that [http://scepticemia.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/meanwhile-google-plus-640.jpg the few people at Google+] easily can feel quite lonely there, or that they feel that they can share anything, since "no one" will see it anyway?
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*The last article got almost no shares at all — not many would want to admit they are reading an article about a {{w|RealDoll}}, a type of sex doll. (Also mentioned in [[Game AIs]] and [[Flying Cars]].) A custom ROM is an aftermarket distribution of the {{w|Android (operating system)|Android}} operating system and are often targeted toward enthusiasts. This community existed primarily on Google+ (as Google is the main developer of Android), and was one of the few active communities on that social network. As Android is an operating system primarily aimed at {{w|smartphones}} and {{w|tablet computers}}, installing it on a RealDoll, whilst possible due to Android's {{w|open source}} nature, would be a very niche activity, and the low number of shares indicates that it only interested a small portion of the already-small (relative to other social networks) Google+ community.
  
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===Title text breakdown===
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The title text humorously combines appealing subjects for all four networks:
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* ''a hilarious joke'' – '''Twitter'''
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* ''about {{w|Mark Zuckerberg}}'' – '''Facebook'''; he was a founder.
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*''a hilarious joke'' – Twitter, same as above.
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* ''using a pseudonym'' – '''Google+'''; there was a [http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9218649/Google_works_to_soothe_users_over_real_name_controversyremember controversy about using real names].
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*''about {{w|Mark Zuckerberg}}'' – founder of Facebook.
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* ''to sneak past the {{w|Transportation Security Administration|TSA}}'' – '''Reddit'''; a conspiracy theory.
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*''using a {{w|pseudonym}}'' – referencing a [http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9218649/Google_works_to_soothe_users_over_real_name_controversyremember controversy] about real names on Google+.
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*''to sneak past the {{w|Transportation Security Administration|TSA}}'' – Reddit, a conspiracy theory as above.
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
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:DIY: Installing a Custom ROM on a Realdoll
 
:DIY: Installing a Custom ROM on a Realdoll
 
:FB: 0, Twitter: 0, Reddit: 0, G+: 2
 
:FB: 0, Twitter: 0, Reddit: 0, G+: 2
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:[Caption Below the comic]
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:Sometimes the most interesting part of an article is the share button vote breakdown
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
[[Category:Comics with color]]
 
[[Category:Comics with color]]
 
[[Category:Social networking]]
 
[[Category:Social networking]]
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[[Category:Wikipedia]]
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[[Category:Google Plus]]
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[[Category:Robots]]
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[[Category:Sex]]

Latest revision as of 08:43, 20 March 2025

Share Buttons
The only post to achieve perfect balance between the four was a hilarious joke about Mark Zuckerberg getting caught using a pseudonym to sneak past the TSA.
Title text: The only post to achieve perfect balance between the four was a hilarious joke about Mark Zuckerberg getting caught using a pseudonym to sneak past the TSA.

    Explanation[edit]

    This comic is a commentary on what sort of articles would have attracted the most attention on different social networking services at the time of the publication of this comic, through share buttons showing the amount of interactions on the website they were shared to. This practice became outdated, in favor of using a single share button, without a share counter. From left to right the share buttons are: Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and the now-defunct Google+.

    • Twitter users were often stereotyped as trying to be comedians; hence, the article on stand-up comedy was shared most on Twitter.
    • "Boycott Facebook" articles were ironically popular on Facebook. Google+, being semantically akin to Facebook, also had a significant anti-Facebook community. One of the punchlines is that Google+ wasn't being used often, before being closed down in 2019.
    • The last article got almost no shares at all — not many would want to admit they are reading an article about a RealDoll, a type of sex doll. (Also mentioned in Game AIs and Flying Cars.) A custom ROM is an aftermarket distribution of the Android operating system and are often targeted toward enthusiasts. This community existed primarily on Google+ (as Google is the main developer of Android), and was one of the few active communities on that social network. As Android is an operating system primarily aimed at smartphones and tablet computers, installing it on a RealDoll, whilst possible due to Android's open source nature, would be a very niche activity, and the low number of shares indicates that it only interested a small portion of the already-small (relative to other social networks) Google+ community.

    The title text humorously combines appealing subjects for all four networks:

    • a hilarious joke – Twitter, same as above.
    • about Mark Zuckerberg – founder of Facebook.
    • using a pseudonym – referencing a controversy about real names on Google+.
    • to sneak past the TSA – Reddit, a conspiracy theory as above.

    Transcript[edit]

    [A series of article titles with four share buttons underneath each: Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Google+]
    Breaking Into Stand-up Comedy
    FB: 3, Twitter: 1,781, Reddit: 2, G+: 0
    How the Christian Right Threatens Wikipedia
    FB: 1, Twitter: 0, Reddit: 2,241, G+: 3
    Boycott Facebook Today!
    FB: 248k, Twitter: 0, Reddit: 0, G+: 74
    DIY: Installing a Custom ROM on a Realdoll
    FB: 0, Twitter: 0, Reddit: 0, G+: 2
    [Caption Below the comic]
    Sometimes the most interesting part of an article is the share button vote breakdown

    comment.png  Add comment      new topic.png  Create topic (use sparingly)     refresh discuss.png  Refresh 

    Discussion

    What, Wikipedia users and Facebook users don't overlap? I beg to differ. Davidy²²[talk] 09:01, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

    Where do you read that they don't overlap? If you mean the Reddit thing; to me it seems that it says that Reddit users like Wikipedia, and that Reddit users don't overlap with Facebook users. –St.nerol (talk) 23:41, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

    I think the joke is also that nobody actually uses Google Plus. 108.162.238.117 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

    Isn't there a joke on the FB boycott about... Well, boycotting it to get a buncha likes? 141.101.99.52 11:03, 16 July 2014 (UTC)

    This comic also highlights that all social networks are very similar in terms of provided functionality. Indeed, when someone asked me what is the difference between facebook and twitter i had a very hard time explaining the "fundamental differences" between the two platforms. The truth is that people who use those social networks are actually shaping them according to their interests and their sterotyped beliefs. This point is brilliantly conveyed in this comic stripe 141.101.105.121 07:31, 18 August 2014 (UTC)

    Why is the "Custom ROM" limited to the Android OS? 162.158.89.9 07:59, 7 December 2016 (UTC)

    Update for historical context[edit]

    This article needs to be rewritten to be more timely, referencing things like Google+, Twitter, and the "large and loud atheist community on Reddit" in the past tense. Share buttons like this are also not seen very often anymore, particularly with share counters like this. This should be rewritten to provide some historical context for these buttons, as it may be confusing to younger readers. TV4Fun (talk) 18:53, 4 October 2024 (UTC)
          comment.png  Add comment
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