Editing 215: Letting Go

{{comic
| number    = 215
| date      = January 26, 2007
| title     = Letting Go
| image     = letting_go.png
| titletext = At least I never gave her the root password.
}}

==Explanation==
In fiction, a character who has had a romantic relationship end will be shown taking some act to remove a sign of their partner's presence in their life, e.g. removing/selling a wedding or engagement ring, removing the partner's toiletries from the bathroom, or deleting the partner's phone number from a cell phone. This is used to symbolize that the character has accepted the end of the relationship and is ready to move on, no longer pining for their loss or seeking to restore the relationship.

The first three panels imply that [[Cueball]] was presumably in a now-terminated relationship with [[Megan]]. The final panel shows him using the Unix command 'userdel' to delete her user account from his computer. The joke here is that he considers this to be a significant part of accepting that she is no longer a part of his life, where most people would consider it a routine administrative task.

The title text refers to Cueball's thankfulness that he never gave Megan the password to the administrator ('root') account on the computer. It is unclear why this is; he might be worried that she would have used the access to perform [[340|malicious actions]] after the breakup, or simply glad to be spared the need to change the root password. Alternately, it could be a metaphor for marriage and/or a closer emotional relationship, and he is glad that he did not allow her an even greater hold on his heart before the breakup (which would, of course, have entailed commensurately more pain when she did leave him). Not sharing the root password is indicative of a lack of trust in their relationship, which could be a factor in the initial breakdown.

This was only the second time the [[Megan#Name|name Megan]] was used in xkcd, the first time being in [[159: Boombox]].

'''Alternate Explanation'''

The title "Letting Go" is pointing on a classic human behavior; you know it's over, you can't do anything to reverse this, but nevertheless you are very sad.

Obviously, [[Megan]] broke up with [[Cueball]] and he is still desolate, just looking at the torn photo (of Megan & himself). He sits through the night mourning the breakup, and probably contemplating if there is any chance of a patch up. In the morning, he acknowledges the reality that the relationship is over and thus deletes the user account of Megan. This also shows that decision to delete the computer account is as important as the relation to Cueball, presumably a power user/geek, as it involves loss of data and settings.

The Unix command ''userdel'' deletes a user account. Megan can't login again.

The title text continues the theme of Unix terminology, as the root password means full access to the system. But he never gave her access at this level, maybe the cause for the breakup.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is holding a picture of himself and Megan in a heart; it has been ripped down the middle, separating the two people.]

:[Cueball sits at computer, looking at the picture.]

:[The panel has been inverted. Cueball still sits at the computer with the picture in front of him and his head drooped.]

:[Cueball types on the computer.]
:Text from computer: <code>root@homebox:~# userdel megan</code>

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Linux]]
[[Category:Romance]]