Difference between revisions of "1034: Share Buttons"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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 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|Google+}}.
  
* 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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* Twitterers are often stereotyped as constantly trying to be funny; hence, the article on stand-up comedy is shared most on Twitter.
  
 
* {{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.
 
* {{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.
  
* 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 are ironically popular on Facebook. Google+, being semantically akin to Facebook, also has a significant anti-Facebook community. One of the punchlines is that Google+ is struggling and not used much.
  
* 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 gets almost no shares at all — not many 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]].) The only sharers are from Google+, the exact meaning of which is unclear. 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?
  
===Title text breakdown===
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The title text humorously combines appealing subjects for all four networks:
* ''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.
* ''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.
* ''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==

Revision as of 00:51, 29 January 2013

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

This comic is a commentary on what sort of articles work best on different social networking services. From left to right the share buttons are: Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Google+.

  • Twitterers are often stereotyped as constantly trying to be funny; hence, the article on stand-up comedy is shared most on Twitter.
  • "Boycott Facebook" articles are ironically popular on Facebook. Google+, being semantically akin to Facebook, also has a significant anti-Facebook community. One of the punchlines is that Google+ is struggling and not used much.
  • The last article gets almost no shares at all — not many want to admit they are reading an article about a RealDoll, a type of sex doll. (Also mentioned in Game AIs and Flying Cars.) The only sharers are from Google+, the exact meaning of which is unclear. Could it be that 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?

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

[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


comment.png add a comment! ⋅ comment.png add a topic (use sparingly)! ⋅ Icons-mini-action refresh blue.gif refresh comments!

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)