WebProNews » xkcd

xkcd Protests SOPA With Personal Message

Zach Walton — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:50:48 +0000

Popular stick-figure humor webcomic xkcd has joined the blackout to protest SOPA with a comic/personal message.

The web site today is featuring a black bar with the words “[don’t censor the web].”

Randall Munroe, the site’s creator, says, “I make my living drawing xkcd, which wouldn’t have been possible if people hadn’t been able to freely share my comics with each other all over the internet. As a copyright holder and small business owner, I oppose SOPA and PIPA.”

It’s important to note that webcomics are one of the industries that popped up with the emergence and proliferation of the Internet. As Munroe points out, they became popular and a lucrative business with the sharing of their work. That’s what the Internet is for and that’s why people like Munroe are fighting it.

Do Google Plus Comics Nail The Facebook Angle?

Chris Richardson — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:26:32 +0000

There were two funny comics out about Google +, the next step in Google’s attempt at ~~taking over the Internet~~ going social, both of which play up the “Google + is just like Facebook” approach. While we’re still waiting for an invitation — ahem — word on the street is yes there are similarities, but there are differences too. That being said, the comics in question were well received and shared throughout the tubes.

The first one is from Internet favorite xkcd, called “Google +” that does a nice job of capturing the apathy and backlash towards Facebook:

It would be hard to believe that’s the prevailing attitude of some looking to switch. Facebook’s privacy, among other things, has long been a point of contention, and accounts are, Google + goes out of its way to enforce privacy, regardless of whatever sharing issues that have been found. Granted, the “abandon Facebook” theme in the xkcd comic may not involve any deeper thought than that. Maybe some who would flee Facebook for Google + are doing so because it’s simply not Facebook.

That’s perfectly reasonable.

The other comic, courtesy of Real Life Comics, does a great job of showing how Google + could mimic Facebook, even if that’s not Google’s intention — which it’s not; Google simply wants Facebook’s traffic, and, perhaps, to offer a true alternative. The question is, if a developer designed such an application, would people want to abandon Google + as well? The comic in question:

It should be said that the Google + API reveal makes the idea of “Poke” applications a very real possibility, along with things like Farmville and Angry Birds. If Google + members start using those and similar applications and related updates start flooding update streams, are members going to long for a return to Facebook or look to the horizon for something new?

Maybe BingBook or PlusBing, for instance.

YouTube Fights Comment Idiocy With Audio Preview

WebProNews Staff — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:44:56 +0000

Two things a person doesn’t always know: Who’s listening and how words are going to sound before they come out. The latter, if we want to get technical about it, is regulated by the orbitofrontal cortex of the amigdala, which unfortunately is switched off while a person uses the Internet—nonverbal communication is required for this to function properly—hence all the stupid comments loading down the Internet like a soiled diaper.

Thus, we have an inspired comic from xkcd, where a hacker writes a virus that will read comments back to a person before they post. The target despairs in the end, coming to a long overdue revelation of his own idiocy.

It’s post-modernism meets stick figures. Is that post-post-modernism?

Anyway, it looks like some Googlers are xkcd readers because a short time after that comic appeared, a modification was made in the comments. YouTubers can now listen to an audio preview of their comments before they post. Sometimes hearing oneself is the best remedy.

Then again, as noted at the xkcd, erm, “blag,” one YouTube commentator opined:

It’s the DUMBEST FEATURE I’ve seen thus far. There is no practical use for it. None. Zero. Nada. Sheesh. (the audio preview of my own post sounded moronic!)

Ah, Irony, you cruel mistress.