Editing 2724: Washing Machine Settings

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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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{{incomplete|Created by a GUY ON QUORA TYPING RTF(WM)M - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
  
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The comic strip depicts Cueball (possibly [[Randall]]) standing in front of a washing machine, wondering which settings to use for his particular wash load. He ponders as to the intended meaning behind the word "Delicate" and decides to look up detailed information on what the settings do and when to use them. A thought then occurs to him that there should be a location where people could crowd-source data on what settings they have found work best for various clothing items, before realizing that that would likely have already been done by the manufacturers beforehand and the results put into the product manual.
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The comic strip depicts Cueball (possibly [[Randall]]) standing in front of a washing machine, wondering which settings starts to use on his washing machine. He starts guessing which settings would do what from the perspective of an engineer, planning to look up detailed information on what the settings do and when to use them. However, he doesn't realize that all the information he is looking for should be found by looking at his product manual. Most of the time, people don't spend time on viewing product manuals and instead just use whatever settings seem best to them, obviously not going into the depth of thought Cueball has fallen into.
  
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Labels on appliances tend to be terse, often using single words that make the intended interpretation challenging. In this case Cueball likely is trying to wash something that is both "delicate" and has "colors", but is forced to choose between them, even though there would ideally be a washer setting that anticipates the need for both considerations at once. Due to the laconic vagueness in the choice of wording for the dial (or button/menu), the "(Light)" may refer to the setting being intended for lightly or pastel colored clothing, that the setting is meant for delicate fabric, or that it is a quick, surface-level wash (i.e. as opposed to deep cleaning), though a separate "half load"/”economy" button (or similar) often exists that abbreviates the appropriate phases of each main washing cycle accordingly.
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This comic may allude to the fact that product manuals are easy to lose, at which point the person having questions about the product is obliged to find other ways to find out how to use the product.
  
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The title text proposes deliberately ignoring the manual for a dishwasher and continuing to use the internet and other people for information on household devices. This might refer to the tendency for people to not read manuals and instead post their queries online awaiting answers, which sometimes gets disparaging comments to [[293: RTFM|read the manual]]. It also references [http://quora.com Quora], a website which allows users to publicly ask questions and answer the questions of others. The website is not typically known for its debates, although the situation in this comic could probably lead to one, as it is quite opinion-dependent with no true correct answer (even the suggested settings given in the manual, written by the makers themselves, could be prone to disagreement as users might find the settings to have adverse effects on their clothing, or discover an even better setting that the makers might not have had). Although Quora moderation is notably inconsistent, being inflammatory (as people tend to be in debates that progress too long) could lead to one's account being reported and banned, like on a typical social network or forum.
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Settings on appliances with dials or radio-button selectors are often contradictory and arbitrary.  In this case Cueball likely is trying to wash something that is both "delicate" and has "colors", but is forced to choose between them, even though there would ideally be a washer setting that includes both. Due to the vaguaries of the terminology employed by the interface design team, the "(Light)" ''may'' indicate that the treatment is actually gentle, for this colors-specific setting; but it might just as easily be specifying suitability for either brighter ''or'' more pastel hues, in some manner, or even be there to take over the function of the "half load" control for the quicker and less resource-intensive cycle.
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The title text proposes deliberately ignoring the manual for a dishwasher and continuing to use the internet and other people for information on household devices, as with in the comic itself. It references [http://quora.com Quora], a website which allows users to publicly ask questions and answer the questions of others. This website is not typically known for its debates, although the situation in this comic could probably lead to one - when someone who doesn't really understand the subject provides an answer, it could lead to a lengthy and unnecessary argument as multiple parties, at least one of them being incorrect, continue to stand their ground rather than be persuaded. Although Quora moderation is notably inconsistent, being inflammatory (as people tend to be in debates that progress too long) could lead to one's account being reported and banned, like on a typical social network or forum.
  
 
The same concept is present in [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2834:_Book_Podcasts 2834: Book Podcasts].
 
The same concept is present in [https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2834:_Book_Podcasts 2834: Book Podcasts].
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
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{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
  
 
:[Cueball is standing in front of a large combination washing machine/dryer, holding a coat, wondering.]
 
:[Cueball is standing in front of a large combination washing machine/dryer, holding a coat, wondering.]

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