Editing 1764: XKCDE
Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
The edit can be undone.
Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision | Your text | ||
Line 21: | Line 21: | ||
The title-text is a joke on the words {{w|Tree (data structure)|root and leaf}} as used in abstract data structures, drawing an analogy of cutting down a tree (unplugging the root machine) scattering leaves (the nested VMs). | The title-text is a joke on the words {{w|Tree (data structure)|root and leaf}} as used in abstract data structures, drawing an analogy of cutting down a tree (unplugging the root machine) scattering leaves (the nested VMs). | ||
β | A subtle pun is hidden in 'spinning': several tree species use {{w|Samara (fruit)|spinning leaves}} to scatter their seeds. The {{w|Autorotation (helicopter)|autorotation}} due to the special shape of the leaves helps the seeds | + | A subtle pun is hidden in 'spinning': several tree species use {{w|Samara (fruit)|spinning leaves}} to scatter their seeds. The {{w|Autorotation (helicopter)|autorotation}} due to the special shape of the leaves helps to soften their landing, thus protecting the seeds. Randall mixes this meaning of 'spinning' with the act of "spinning up a VM", the colloquial phrasing for starting up a new instance of a guest virtual machine. |
As a seed grows into a new tree where it lands, so apparently do the scattered VMs spin up new instances of themselves wherever they land. | As a seed grows into a new tree where it lands, so apparently do the scattered VMs spin up new instances of themselves wherever they land. | ||