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− | + | __NOTOC__{{DISPLAYTITLE:explain xkcd}} | |
+ | <center> | ||
− | + | <font size=5px>''Welcome to the '''explain [[xkcd]]''' wiki!''</font><br> | |
+ | We have an explanation for all [[:Category:Comics|'''{{#expr:{{PAGESINCAT:Comics|R}}-13}}''' xkcd comics]], | ||
+ | <!-- Note: the -13 in the calculation above is to discount subcategories (there are 8 of them as of 2013-02-27), | ||
+ | as well as [[List of all comics]] and the pages it has been split across, which are obviously not comic pages. | ||
+ | The extra one difference corresponds to 404, which is not really a comic, even though we've categorised it so. | ||
+ | --> | ||
+ | and only {{PAGESINCAT:Incomplete explanations|R}} | ||
+ | ({{#expr: {{PAGESINCAT:Incomplete explanations|R}} / {{LATESTCOMIC}} * 100 round 0}}%) [[:Category:Incomplete explanations|are incomplete]]. Help us finish them! | ||
+ | </center> | ||
+ | == Latest comic == | ||
+ | <div style="border:1px solid grey; background:#eee; padding:1em;"> | ||
+ | <span style="float:right;">[[{{LATESTCOMIC}}|'''Go to this comic explanation''']]</span> | ||
+ | <br clear="right"> | ||
+ | {{:{{LATESTCOMIC}}}} | ||
+ | {{#ifexist:Talk:{{LATESTCOMIC}}|<h2>Discussion</h2> | ||
+ | {{Talk:{{LATESTCOMIC}}}} | ||
+ | }}</div> | ||
− | + | <small>''Is this out of date? {{Purge|Clicking here will fix that}}.''</small> | |
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− | == | + | == New here? == |
− | + | <div style="float:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em">{{Special:ContributionScores/10/7/nosort,notools}}<div style="font-size:0.85em; width:25em; font-style:italic">[[Special:ContributionScores|Lots of people]] contribute to make this wiki a success. Many of the recent contributors, listed above, have just joined. You can do it too! Create your account [[Special:UserLogin/signup|here]].</div></div> | |
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− | + | You can read a brief introduction about this wiki at [[explain xkcd]]. Feel free to [[Special:UserLogin/signup|sign up for an account]] and contribute to the wiki! We need explanations for [[:Category:Incomplete explanations|comics]], [[:Category:Characters|characters]], [[:Category:Comics by topic|themes]] and [[:Category:Meta|everything in between]]. If it is referenced in an [[xkcd]] web comic, it should be here. | |
− | + | * If you're new to wiki editing, see [[mw:Help:Editing pages|how to edit wiki pages]]. There's also a handy {{w|Help:Cheatsheet|wikicode cheatsheet}}. | |
− | |||
− | + | * Discussion about the wiki itself happens at the [[explain xkcd:Community portal|Community portal]]. | |
− | |||
− | + | * You can browse the comics from [[List of all comics]] or by navigating the category tree at [[:Category:Comics]]. | |
+ | |||
+ | * There are incomplete explanations listed [[:Category:Incomplete explanations|here]]. Feel free to help out by expanding them! | ||
+ | |||
+ | * We sell advertising space to pay for our server costs. To learn more, go [[explain xkcd:Advertise Here|here]]. | ||
== Rules == | == Rules == | ||
− | |||
− | If you want to talk about a specific comic, | + | Don't be a jerk. |
+ | |||
+ | There are a lot of comics that don't have set in stone explanations; feel free to put multiple interpretations in the wiki page for each comic. | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you want to talk about a specific comic, use its discussion page. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Please only submit material directly related to (and helping everyone better understand) xkcd... and of course ''only'' submit material that can legally be posted (and freely edited). Off-topic or other inappropriate content is subject to removal or modification at admin discretion, and users who repeatedly post such content will be blocked. | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you need assistance from an [[explain xkcd:Administrators|admin]], post a message to the [[explain xkcd:Community portal/Admin requests|Admin requests]] board. | ||
− | + | [[Category:Root category]] |
Revision as of 09:47, 15 May 2015
Welcome to the explain xkcd wiki!
We have an explanation for all 2 xkcd comics,
and only 15
(1%) are incomplete. Help us finish them!
Latest comic
Explanation
This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: Created by a NETCAT - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon. |
When you're having performance problems with your computer network, a common solution is to replace component equipment with newer or higher quality devices, and/or update network settings (e.g. firewall options) to reduce overhead. This is collectively called rebuilding the network configuration.
Cueball has apparently taken this to extreme, reconstructing the entire history of human civilization and technology that has led to the development of computer networks. As this originally took multiple millenia, doing it for every network packet would make communication extremely slow; in modern networking, we send and receive thousands of packets every second.
Another way to interpret this is in the context of strategy video games. Ponytail is complaining about a laggy connection that is affecting their ability to play the game with each other. In strategy video games there is often a tree of technology that needs to be developed with considerable time and resources. Cueball in the last frame looks shaggy and has equipment behind him as though he had been performing these tasks in real life just to get his network working again.
The network packet in the last panel was stuck to the Neolithic era, the final period of the Stone Age that marked the transition from hunter-gatherer lifestyle to one of settlement. Apparently Cueball had to go through the effort to introduce farming, one of the developments of the Neolithic Revolution, to keep communicating with Ponytail.
This is perhaps a subtle reminder for people complaining about technology not working quite as well as they'd like. Just ten years ago, the kind of internet speeds we have today would be completely unthinkable; now, we are so used to this luxury that we take it for granted. (For similar thoughts, see also everything is amazing and nobody is happy interview with Louis CK.)
Transcript
This transcript is incomplete. Please help editing it! Thanks. |
- [Ponytail is at her computer with a headset on. A zigzag line indicates what is shown on the computer screen]
- Ponytail (typing): Ugh, your connection is so laggy.
- Computer: Yeah, sorry.
- [Cueball is at his laptop]
- Cueball (typing): It's because I messed up my network configuration and now I have to rebuild a separate civilization from scratch for each packet.
- Ponytail (typing): Huh?
- Ponytail (typing): What are you talking about?
- Ponytail (typing): ...Hello?
- [Beat panel]
- [Cueball, with dirt on his head and around him, is at an old computer setup with an agricultural tool resting on his now non-office chair]
- Cueball (typing): Sorry, got stuck in the Neolithic that time.
- Cueball (typing): Inventing farming takes forever.
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You can read a brief introduction about this wiki at explain xkcd. Feel free to sign up for an account and contribute to the wiki! We need explanations for comics, characters, themes and everything in between. If it is referenced in an xkcd web comic, it should be here.
- If you're new to wiki editing, see how to edit wiki pages. There's also a handy wikicode cheatsheet.
- Discussion about the wiki itself happens at the Community portal.
- You can browse the comics from List of all comics or by navigating the category tree at Category:Comics.
- There are incomplete explanations listed here. Feel free to help out by expanding them!
- We sell advertising space to pay for our server costs. To learn more, go here.
Rules
Don't be a jerk.
There are a lot of comics that don't have set in stone explanations; feel free to put multiple interpretations in the wiki page for each comic.
If you want to talk about a specific comic, use its discussion page.
Please only submit material directly related to (and helping everyone better understand) xkcd... and of course only submit material that can legally be posted (and freely edited). Off-topic or other inappropriate content is subject to removal or modification at admin discretion, and users who repeatedly post such content will be blocked.
If you need assistance from an admin, post a message to the Admin requests board.