New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Page 3 of 32 FirstFirst 1234567891011121328 ... LastLast
Results 61 to 90 of 957

Thread: xkcd

  1. - Top - End - #61
    Ettin in the Playground
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    On the tip of my tongue

    Default Re: xkcd

    Is there a particular statistical controversy that prompted today's comic about mishandled artifacts?

  2. - Top - End - #62
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Griffon

    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Bristol, UK

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaptin Keen View Post
    There has been zero discussion of any religion. Not that I'm aware of. Detailing aspects of religion is not discussion.

    That also isn't what the rules state.
    Ooh,

    Quote Originally Posted by Shane
    Prove it.

    Never mind. I'm 100% agnostic at any rate, and feel nothing but historical attachment to religion.
    Interesting, I'm aestheistic to all human religions, and agnostic as to the existence of a cause of the Big Bang, but we're still not allowed to mention any of that.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lethologica View Post
    Is there a particular statistical controversy that prompted today's comic about mishandled artifacts?
    Probably not. There are a whole bunch that loosely fit it, so I presume those're the aiming point.
    Last edited by halfeye; 2017-01-04 at 07:43 PM.
    The end of what Son? The story? There is no end. There's just the point where the storytellers stop talking.

  3. - Top - End - #63
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    PaladinGuy

    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by Lethologica View Post
    Is there a particular statistical controversy that prompted today's comic about mishandled artifacts?
    Not that I know of.

    I think it's more just a joke about people not handling their data correctly.
    Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
    - Douglas Adams

  4. - Top - End - #64
    Banned
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Denmark
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: xkcd

    We all know about this one, right?

  5. - Top - End - #65
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    BlackDragon

    Join Date
    Nov 2006

    Default Re: xkcd

    So, catching up, the idea of a mountain being compared to a fireworks, with a reference to volcanoes...

    Lets just ignore the winter holy days and move on, mkay?

    ---

    EDIT:
    And then in a twinkling, a sound gave me pause / From the roof came the scratching of eight tarsal claws.
    I think that would be worse than my cat :-).
    Last edited by keybounce; 2017-01-05 at 10:59 PM.
    Not "fire at". I never used the word "at"
    GENERATION ω+1: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment. Remember, ω + 1 comes after ω.

  6. - Top - End - #66
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    137beth's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2009

    Default Re: xkcd

    Today's comic is me with a web browser. I'm not going to install an "app" that is actually just a website but takes up space on my hard drive and has more ads than the website it is supposed to imitate.

  7. - Top - End - #67
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    PaladinGuy

    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by 137ben View Post
    Today's comic is me with a web browser. I'm not going to install an "app" that is actually just a website but takes up space on my hard drive and has more ads than the website it is supposed to imitate.
    Really? I've had pretty much the opposite experience. Granted, I don't have many website-apps, but the ones I do use have less or the same amount of ads than the site normally does.
    Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
    - Douglas Adams

  8. - Top - End - #68
    Dragon in the Playground Moderator
     
    Peelee's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Richmond, VA
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by Tetrimino View Post
    Really? I've had pretty much the opposite experience. Granted, I don't have many website-apps, but the ones I do use have less or the same amount of ads than the site normally does.
    The problem with apps that are basically websites is that you lose functionality with the app. Same with mobile sites. Hate 'em all.
    Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.

    Number of times Roland St. Jude has sworn revenge upon me: 2

  9. - Top - End - #69
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    PaladinGuy

    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: xkcd

    About today's comic...
    Is this an actual photoshop tool? Because I use photoshop and didn't know this was a thing.
    Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
    - Douglas Adams

  10. - Top - End - #70
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    137beth's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2009

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by Tetrimino View Post
    Really? I've had pretty much the opposite experience. Granted, I don't have many website-apps, but the ones I do use have less or the same amount of ads than the site normally does.
    Depends on the app and website in question, obviously. But in general, I have more fine-grain control over ad-blocking in a browser than I do in an app.
    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee View Post
    The problem with apps that are basically websites is that you lose functionality with the app. Same with mobile sites. Hate 'em all.
    Yep, I use a fake useragent string to see "desktop" sites everywhere. (Except Giantitp.com, where there is actually a setting to always go to the full site if you are logged in).

    One particularly bad offender is Yelp. The "mobile" site often won't let me see an entire review if it is beyond a certain length, or even see all the reviews for a particular store. Trying to click to see the whole review redirects to a full-screen ad for their app. Meanwhile, the Yelp app, last time I tried using it, was impossible to use without logging in to a Yelp account (in contrast with the website, which doesn't require a log-in). And was missing functionality of the website anyways. It's possible that the Yelp app has gotten better since then, but I stopped caring because I don't need it: the "desktop" version of yelp.com is perfectly usable on my iPhone.

  11. - Top - End - #71
    Dragon in the Playground Moderator
     
    Peelee's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Richmond, VA
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by 137ben View Post
    Yep, I use a fake useragent string to see "desktop" sites everywhere. (Except Giantitp.com, where there is actually a setting to always go to the full site if you are logged in).
    No iphone, but I have an option in the quick settings menu, for lack of a better term (same place I can find the "find on page" button) an option to switch to desktop view.

    An interesting part of this is how it reacts with Facebook. Mobile view is more convenient on that site, since things like the Messages button are tiny once desktop-ized, and inconvenient. Mobile site is *also* inconvenient for messages, since it demands that you download the Facebook Messenger app, which I ain't doin'. However, if I go into the comments of a status, then hit View Desktop Mode, it still gives me the mobile view, but suddenly I can see and write messages without any issues. Which means to me that they never took that functionality out of the mobile site, they just blocked it with "DOWNLOAD OUR APP" bullcrap. Which I can now get around. Suck it, Zuckerberg!
    Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.

    Number of times Roland St. Jude has sworn revenge upon me: 2

  12. - Top - End - #72
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    PaladinGuy

    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by 137ben View Post
    Depends on the app and website in question, obviously. But in general, I have more fine-grain control over ad-blocking in a browser than I do in an app.

    Yep, I use a fake useragent string to see "desktop" sites everywhere. (Except Giantitp.com, where there is actually a setting to always go to the full site if you are logged in).

    One particularly bad offender is Yelp. The "mobile" site often won't let me see an entire review if it is beyond a certain length, or even see all the reviews for a particular store. Trying to click to see the whole review redirects to a full-screen ad for their app. Meanwhile, the Yelp app, last time I tried using it, was impossible to use without logging in to a Yelp account (in contrast with the website, which doesn't require a log-in). And was missing functionality of the website anyways. It's possible that the Yelp app has gotten better since then, but I stopped caring because I don't need it: the "desktop" version of yelp.com is perfectly usable on my iPhone.
    On a semi-related note, I've recently noticed that the yahoo fantasy sports app is in in most ways better than the website. Which is odd, since you'd think that's the kind of thing most people do on a PC.
    Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
    - Douglas Adams

  13. - Top - End - #73
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    137beth's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2009

    Default Re: xkcd

    New comic is up. So Black Hat Guy is hoarding all the entrances to Narnia?

  14. - Top - End - #74
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Griffon

    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Bristol, UK

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by 137ben View Post
    New comic is up. So Black Hat Guy is hoarding all the entrances to Narnia?
    Black hat guy is a baddie, in xkcd. He's dumping his refuse/garbage in Narnia. I think he implied his furniture and presumably everyone else's comes like that by default, but he's a baddie so he could be lying about it being a default if nobody else is doing it.
    Last edited by halfeye; 2017-01-16 at 10:27 AM.
    The end of what Son? The story? There is no end. There's just the point where the storytellers stop talking.

  15. - Top - End - #75
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    PaladinGuy

    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by halfeye View Post
    Black hat guy is a baddie, in xkcd. He's dumping his refuse/garbage in Narnia. I think he implied his furniture and presumably everyone else's comes like that by default, but he's a baddie so he could be lying about it being a default if nobody else is doing it.
    Agreed. He's probably lying about half his furniture having a portal (how could there be a portal to Narnia in a sofa). Hat guy is just saving time and money by installing a chute in the wardrobe.

    Then again, this could be like beret guy and his groceries in http://xkcd.com/1772/
    Last edited by Tetrimino; 2017-01-16 at 10:59 AM.
    Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
    - Douglas Adams

  16. - Top - End - #76
    Titan in the Playground
     
    AssassinGuy

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by Tetrimino View Post
    Agreed. He's probably lying about half his furniture having a portal (how could there be a portal to Narnia in a sofa). Hat guy is just saving time and money by installing a chute in the wardrobe.

    Then again, this could be like beret guy and his groceries in http://xkcd.com/1772/
    I dunno, a portal to Narnia in my sofa would explain where all the stuff I lose in it goes.
    “Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”

  17. - Top - End - #77
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    John Campbell's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2007

    Default Re: xkcd

    "okay google send a text"
    Play your character, not your alignment.

  18. - Top - End - #78
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    PaladinGuy

    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: xkcd

    New comic!

    I understand the problem, but why would you want calls forwarded to your google voice number when you have a cell phone?
    Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
    - Douglas Adams

  19. - Top - End - #79
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Grey_Wolf_c's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2007

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by Tetrimino View Post
    New comic!

    I understand the problem, but why would you want calls forwarded to your google voice number when you have a cell phone?
    I'm more likely to be close to my laptop than my phone when not at work. Skype is usually a more reliable way of getting hold of me than any of my mobile phones, in fact, since Skype works in all the places, while I have different phones in different countries.

    GW
    Last edited by Grey_Wolf_c; 2017-01-24 at 01:48 PM.
    Interested in MitD? Join us in MitD's thread.
    There is a world of imagination
    Deep in the corners of your mind
    Where reality is an intruder
    And myth and legend thrive
    Quote Originally Posted by The Giant View Post
    But really, the important lesson here is this: Rather than making assumptions that don't fit with the text and then complaining about the text being wrong, why not just choose different assumptions that DO fit with the text?
    Ceterum autem censeo Hilgya malefica est

  20. - Top - End - #80
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    DruidGuy

    Join Date
    May 2015

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by Tetrimino View Post
    New comic!

    I understand the problem, but why would you want calls forwarded to your google voice number when you have a cell phone?
    Because Google finally updated Voice yesterday, so ATM it's the newest, flashiest thing? (That doesn't apply to me--I just happened to spot an email mentioning the update--but it might apply to some people.) There will be times when people would have access to the internet, but not their cellphone coverage, so I could see people using Google Voice to consolidate things, though.

    In any case, I suspect the current comic was motivated by the idea that people would react to the recent update to Google Voice and start forwarding stuff to it.
    Last edited by eschmenk; 2017-01-24 at 04:24 PM.

  21. - Top - End - #81
    Dragon in the Playground Moderator
     
    Peelee's Avatar

    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Richmond, VA
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by Tetrimino View Post
    New comic!

    I understand the problem, but why would you want calls forwarded to your google voice number when you have a cell phone?
    Friend of mine works in an office that effectively blocks out all cell signal (a byproduct of other protective necessities around his office). It's helpful.
    Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.

    Number of times Roland St. Jude has sworn revenge upon me: 2

  22. - Top - End - #82
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    GnomeWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Nov 2013

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by Peelee View Post
    Friend of mine works in an office that effectively blocks out all cell signal (a byproduct of other protective necessities around his office). It's helpful.
    It's also useful for other shenanigans. To contact my father in England, I call a US number...which forwards to a UK number...which forwards to his Skype. All to avoid paying long distance. Bizarre arrangement that I don't really understand how it works, but it seems to do the trick.

  23. - Top - End - #83
    Colossus in the Playground
     
    Eldan's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Switzerland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: xkcd

    Why not just use Skype yourself?
    Resident Vancian Apologist

  24. - Top - End - #84
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    GnomeWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Nov 2013

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by Eldan View Post
    Why not just use Skype yourself?
    When I'm sat at my desktop, sure, we do video chats. For calls, I already have a plan for my cell-phone, so it would cost more for me to add Skype to it. This lets me call domestic from my cell (which is free under my plan) and reach him internationally.

  25. - Top - End - #85
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    gomipile's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2010

    Default Re: xkcd

    What time of day does XKCD update?
    Quote Originally Posted by Harnel View Post
    where is the atropal? and does it have a listed LA?

  26. - Top - End - #86
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Grey_Wolf_c's Avatar

    Join Date
    Aug 2007

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by gomipile View Post
    What time of day does XKCD update?
    Used to be midnight, but for the last few months, it has been late. Possibly due to the feelings expressed in #1790.

    GW
    Interested in MitD? Join us in MitD's thread.
    There is a world of imagination
    Deep in the corners of your mind
    Where reality is an intruder
    And myth and legend thrive
    Quote Originally Posted by The Giant View Post
    But really, the important lesson here is this: Rather than making assumptions that don't fit with the text and then complaining about the text being wrong, why not just choose different assumptions that DO fit with the text?
    Ceterum autem censeo Hilgya malefica est

  27. - Top - End - #87
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Griffon

    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Bristol, UK

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf_c View Post
    Possibly due to the feelings expressed in #1790.

    GW
    There were feelings in that?

    She was writing code that did nothing (that's what "no side effects" means, more or less (it's complicated, but that's about 90% right), I don't know whether you know that).

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side_e...puter_science)
    Last edited by halfeye; 2017-02-03 at 11:17 AM.
    The end of what Son? The story? There is no end. There's just the point where the storytellers stop talking.

  28. - Top - End - #88
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    DruidGuy

    Join Date
    May 2015

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by halfeye View Post
    There were feelings in that?
    Yes. She's sad and depressed and upset and uncooperative.

    Quote Originally Posted by halfeye View Post
    She was writing code that did nothing (that's what "no side effects" means, more or less (it's complicated, but that's about 90% right), I don't know whether you know that).

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side_e...puter_science)
    Yes, it's obvious that she was writing code that did nothing. That's a symptom of her sadness. Programmers can write useful functions using functional programming that doesn't introduce any side effects. She was just too depressed to do it and was apparently wildly exaggerating (in her mind) what could go wrong, but mostly it was an excuse to not do anything. You seem to have misunderstood the wiki article.
    Last edited by eschmenk; 2017-02-03 at 12:09 PM.

  29. - Top - End - #89
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Griffon

    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Bristol, UK

    Default Re: xkcd

    Quote Originally Posted by eschmenk View Post
    Yes. She's sad and depressed and upset and uncooperative.
    That would be evil, and should be punished.

    Yes, it's obvious that she was writing code that did nothing. That's a symptom of her sadness. Programmers can write useful functions using functional programming that doesn't introduce any side effects. She was just too depressed to do it and was apparently wildly exaggerating (in her mind) what could go wrong, but mostly it was an excuse to not do anything.
    That may have been implied, but I don't think it was explicity stated. She was writing code, it was just code that didn't do anything, if she hadn't been writing code she wouldn't have been doing anything, as it was she was doing something, it was just that what she did didn't do anything. I suspect it's a programming joke, not a depiction of depression.

    You seem to have misunderstood the wiki article.
    Yeah, I definitely don't get oo or functional programming, the former more than the latter, but it's certainly not clear enough that I can explain it succinctly.
    The end of what Son? The story? There is no end. There's just the point where the storytellers stop talking.

  30. - Top - End - #90
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    DruidGuy

    Join Date
    May 2015

    Default Re: xkcd

    It seems very likely to me that the specific comic was inspired by feeling of sadness and unhappiness, either on the part of Randall or those around him. Probably both. Given recent RW events that can't be discussed under forum rules, I would have expected him to be at least somewhat dismayed even if I hadn't seen the comic. Tending to confirm this, there have been other comics in the last few months that have also seemed to hint at Randall being unhappy. This one is another example.

    Just in case you missed it, the comic's title is "Sad." I think it's intended to be taken in a "what it says on the tin" sort of way.
    Last edited by eschmenk; 2017-02-03 at 12:27 PM.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •