1024: "Error Code Monkey"

[Al-pocalypse]

http://xkcd.com/1024/

Title Text: It has a section on the motherboard beep codes that lists, for the beep pattern, a song that links up well with it.

[Quicksilver]

http://xkcd.com/1024/
Alt text:"It has a section on motherboard beep codes that lists, for each beep pattern, a song that syncs up well with it."

[Quicksilver]

Damn, beaten by a minute. What is that yellow thing in the lake?

[Pi is exactly three]

Wow. That's gorgeous.

[nowhereman]

I wonder what beep code best fits "Man in a Box" by AiC. Or would that be listed under head crash for hard drives?

[LordHorst]

I wonder if that book also has a list of the "Guru Meditation" codes? Would be really helpful and I guess a lot quicker to look it up in a book than to search on the internet and running across various 404 or 503 sites.

[DustinErnst]

What is that yellow thing in the lake?

Wild tennis ball.


Sometimes I wonder if the comic might be written around some exceptionally different or interesting picture he came up with and wanted to show us.

[leifbk]

I want that book

[Taymon]

We need to defictionalize this thing.

[Eutychus]

Just when I think xkcd has gone off the boil, something like this comes along.

[rhomboidal]

Eat your heart out, Monet.

[Frenchy]

Heh, the lake is playing Pacman.

[Covane]

Is Randall using comics as an excuse to draw beautiful pictures going to be a thing now?

Because I would like that.

[Vrishna]

Not sure why this is coming to my mind right now, but I'd like recommend this movie to you: "Thirteen Lakes" by James Benning. Rarely screened because of its experimental nature, but stunningly beautiful and definitely to be watched on the big screen (i.e. not at home). Here's kind of a review/essay on it: http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2005/36/james_benning-2/

[AvatarIII]

What is that yellow thing in the lake?

there's 4 of them, they all look like the same thing mirrored and resized, I assume they are supposed to be water lilies. but you'd assume if they were, they'd look a bit more like actual water lilies, and not yellow boxing gloves/tiny rucksacks/ squashed tennis balls, it's not like they're hard to draw.

[Mega1mpact]

I would buy that book

[pareidolon]

This reminds me a lot of Randall's early comics, which were more scenic. In particular, 13, 59, 77... okay I was just clicking through them to try to find that one where they get lost. But yeah, I really like this sort of scenic existential post, at least when used in moderation

[xarob]

What is that yellow thing in the lake?

there's 4 of them, they all look like the same thing mirrored and resized, I assume they are supposed to be water lilies. but you'd assume if they were, they'd look a bit more like actual water lilies, and not yellow boxing gloves/tiny rucksacks/ squashed tennis balls, it's not like they're hard to draw.

They close up at night and open during the day. Judging by the sky, I'd say the picture was meant to be just after dawn or around dusk.

Nice picture and beautiful concept!

[StClair]

Let's hope that error never comes up during a time- or mission-critical project.

[Chris G]

Am I the only one who noticed that this is comic #10000000000?

[mievaan]

What is that yellow thing in the lake?

there's 4 of them, they all look like the same thing mirrored and resized, I assume they are supposed to be water lilies. but you'd assume if they were, they'd look a bit more like actual water lilies, and not yellow boxing gloves/tiny rucksacks/ squashed tennis balls, it's not like they're hard to draw.

I'd say they are Yellow Water Lilies, or Nuphar lutea, a different species than that one in the picture, and they are instantaneously recognizable if you are used to seeing them. Only found in Europe, Asia and Africa though.

[VectorZero]

Similar to one of my favourite Dresden Codak comics.

[n079614]

-42 is the answer to what was in the briefcase in Pulp Fiction.

[Rez Delnava]

I would buy a poster print of this.

And I second the motion to defictionalize.

[AvatarIII]

What is that yellow thing in the lake?

there's 4 of them, they all look like the same thing mirrored and resized, I assume they are supposed to be water lilies. but you'd assume if they were, they'd look a bit more like actual water lilies, and not yellow boxing gloves/tiny rucksacks/ squashed tennis balls, it's not like they're hard to draw.

They close up at night and open during the day. Judging by the sky, I'd say the picture was meant to be just after dawn or around dusk.

Nice picture and beautiful concept!

i suppose you could be, and probably are right, this is the best picture i could find, and it looks pretty similar.

[Andromeda321]

What is that yellow thing in the lake?

there's 4 of them, they all look like the same thing mirrored and resized, I assume they are supposed to be water lilies. but you'd assume if they were, they'd look a bit more like actual water lilies, and not yellow boxing gloves/tiny rucksacks/ squashed tennis balls, it's not like they're hard to draw.

They close up at night and open during the day. Judging by the sky, I'd say the picture was meant to be just after dawn or around dusk.

Nice picture and beautiful concept!

i suppose you could be, and probably are right, this is the best picture i could find, and it looks pretty similar.

I've seen pond lilies like the ones in the second picture on a lake in New Hampshire, so I'm guessing those are the kind Randall is thinking about. I definitely recognized them as such at least.

I've gotta say, as someone who has been at a boot camp of programming this week this comic really made me feel a helluva lot better about things today. Might have to go sit by a lake.

[Alltat]

I'd say they are Yellow Water Lilies, or Nuphar lutea, a different species than that one in the picture, and they are instantaneously recognizable if you are used to seeing them. Only found in Europe, Asia and Africa though.

I was just about to say that. The pictured water lilies are definitely a nuphar species. I grew up next to a pond full of water lilies that looked just like the ones in the picture - flowers consisting of a few large, mostly closed petals.

[Tova]

Now this is the xkcd that I know and love.

[fmaf]

I didn't understand this last one. Is the lake supposed to represent the pacman game?
I'm sorry for my nobeness...

[Mat]

I would buy a poster print of this.

And I second the motion to defictionalize.

This.

*throws money at screen*

[yves]

I was expecting a special 2^10 comic.

Regardless, a very nice comic.

[AvatarIII]

I was expecting a special 2^10 comic.

Regardless, a very nice comic.

weren't we all. but yeah this is a damn nice comic.

[tizzaran]

I was expecting a special 2^10 comic.

Aren't you glad you got one? I don't imagine this was an accident.

[SirMustapha]

Great artwork. In fact, the only criticism I have is that the dialogue at the end is completely unnecessary. Cut those lines off and the comic is pretty much perfect.

[heltonbiker]

Wow

Way over the top.

Now I have a good milestone to start studying parametric image creation with HTML5 Canvas, at last.

[dotancohen]

Am I the only one who noticed that this is comic #10000000000?

I just came to post the same thing. A nice, round number for a nice, well-rounded topic.

[thesingingaccountant]

I LOVE this comic. Every self-help book and owner's manual should be filled with pictures like this one.

**EDIT: I guess I expected something a little more flashy and cool for the big 1024 milestone, but now that I think about it, this is perfect. It's a fantastic example of Randall's art and a lovely thought to get us through Friday. Looking forward to 2048.

Great artwork. In fact, the only criticism I have is that the dialogue at the end is completely unnecessary. Cut those lines off and the comic is pretty much perfect.

So.

It has come to this.

[SerMufasa]

Very nice. I disagree with SirMustapha, tho, regarding the last comment. The "it hasn't been wrong yet" is a great line.

... I wonder how many motherboard beep codes go with Bad Romance?

[ModestMouse]

You far sighted fools! There are not "four" water lillies like you claim! Get some glasses, you blind, befuddled, rabid bats. There are 'five' water lillies! Morans! No wonder the world is such a mess. Cripes!

Oh. Whoops. My apologies. The 'fifth' lilly was a piece of omlette on my monitor.

[cellocgw]

Let's hope that error never comes up during a time- or mission-critical project.

Actually that's the best time for that error. To quote Samuel Shem, "The first thing to do in a case of cardiac arrest is to take your own pulse."