XKCD: It's more than a comic

"I'm guessing the latest one I posted isn't that interesting, then?"

If you have something interesting to say about it, do share.

Edited by DeMarquis on Sep 7th 2018 at 1:52:29 PM

Not really.

Well, only that it's one of the few I seem to be able to understand without having to looking something up.

Edited by TheUnsquished on Sep 7th 2018 at 8:06:14 PM

But looking stuff up to get the joke is half the fun!

Unless you use the semi-official spoiler machine, explainxkcd.

A lifeboat isn't a boat that holds boats, it's a boat held by a boat.

Lifeboats, as in the rescue boats, might have boats on them, though.

Apartment (house/house) inverted as well.

Sandboxing Cycle. I don't quite get this one. ^_^;;

It's pretty self-explanatory, isn't it?

Basically the idea is that security is mutually exclusive with ease of use. The more integrated all your technology is, the easier it is to use, but the more security holes you open up too. This creates a tug-of-war where new technology is developed to solve one problem while simultaneously creating the other.

Oh yeah.

This is extremely true within my job. The only inaccuracy is the idea that I don't find myself at multiple places within that cycle at the same time.

It's one reason why I'm not setting up a smart home system anytime in the near future.

No, but your car will soon (or already have) become "smart" without you having a choice.

I heard finding a non-"smart" TV is already becoming a hassle, and apparently they're programmed with the feet or use libraries that are...

Edited by Medinoc on Sep 10th 2018 at 3:37:07 PM

It's the Internet of Things, many of which are designed without security considerations, or with only cursory security. Good luck figuring out which are and aren't.

The nice thing is, most smart appliances still perform basic functions when not hooked up to a network. I don't use any of my TV's "smart" functions. That stuff is handled by an AV receiver.

And that's why I'm staying away from making my house smart. Smartphone is enough for me.

Social Media Announcement. That is one long title. XD

Those announcements are a pet peeve of mine. It's attention whoring, and 99% of people who make posts like that are back within days or weeks.

I don't really use social media all that much so I generally don't notice such announcements.

I don't see a lot of them from my own social media feeds. I have seen posts like, "I'm going off of social media for X period of time for Y reason," but those are mostly entirely valid.

Rather, you mostly hear about them memetically, as posts of that nature achieve some degree of virality. Indeed, that's sort of the point: they are clickbait of the highest order. The sequence goes something like this:

1. An individual gets fed up with something or just decides to cause a stir and declares that they are "leaving Facebook" or whatever.
2. Tons of people view and react to their post. The character of the reactions doesn't matter so much as the volume.
3. The person gets a huge wave of affirmation from seeing so many replies and makes an ostentatious show of changing their mind.
4. For bonus points, repeat every time your views start to ebb, like those furniture stores that are constantly having "going out of business" sales yet stick around for years.

Much like threats of self-harm in real life, quit-posts on social media are usually a cry for attention rather than something the poster actually wants to do. People who actually intend to quit don't make a big show out of it; you just don't hear from them ever again.

Edited by Fighteer on Sep 12th 2018 at 8:45:56 AM

I see more "I'm taking a break" posts than I see "I'm quitting". I think the former is completely reasonable, and it's courteous to let people know so it's not like you just dropped off the face of the planet.

I agree, but that's not what the comic is mocking.

I tend toward the "drop off the face of the planet" approach. Anyone I actually care about already has my email and phone number anyway.

See, what the comic is mocking isn't posts on social media saying that you're leaving. It's those articles/opinion pieces on established news sites. You can find tons of them just by googling 'why i'm quitting facebook/twitter/instagram/what have you'.

Edited by Twiddler on Sep 12th 2018 at 11:22:52 AM