xkcd

by **yeyui** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:04 am UTC

I am a real person and not a bot. Yeyui is NOT a random string, but don't bother asking what it means. Just accept that it is my handle. For some reason my real names have approximately zero web presence so I figure I might as well leave it that way. Its not like you are likely to run into me in the physical world anyway.

Yeyui is pronounced YAY-you-eye, although I am willing to accecept yay-ywee also. But since it used in spoken language roughly once a year it doesn't matter that much except to people who can't read words without pronouncing them in their heads.

I was born in 1982 and am working on a Ph.D. in mathematics a the University of Kentucky. My desk at school is increasingly surrounded by models of polytopes, some of which are of the pop-up variety.

I am into math (not maths) which I hope would be obvious from my chosen career path. I am not good with arithmetic. I am NOT an accountant nor a calculator. Other interests include recreational cosmology, nature, pretending to know something about linguistics, wikipedia, occasional bouts of fantasy writing, reading, paeleoanthropology, Neanderthals, fictional Neanderthals, Jean Auel, Tolkien, The Dark Tower, cooking, complaining about the mathematical education of US college freshmen.

I got my first degree from Miami University, which by the way was founded when Florida belonged to Spain so PLEASE don't make me specify what state its in, where I played with one of the premier US steel bands. I really miss playing pan. [Anybody have a set of triple guitars or cellos they want to give me?] You can hear me on some of the track on "One More Soca" by the MUSB.

I listen to NPR on the radio and Pandora on the computer. I can't listen to music with (English) words while doing something else because for some reason by mind cannot ignore the words.

I never let anyone blend by margarita and warn servers that I will not pay for any dish they bring me containing capers. I have a wife and two cats and once more (cat) that occasionally sits outside at night and states inside. Sometimes I feel guilty for not letting it inside. I think one of my cats has a crush on it too.

I added an xkcd feed to my google/ig a couple days ago but can't actually remember how or why that happened -- digg maybe?

Hmm... perhaps I should stop 'introducing' myself to stangers and use this sudden burst of wordiness to write my mom instead.

by **Hiro** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:40 am UTC

I'm Mark, 19 years old and an engineering student. I like things, mostly computer games and books. I can't believe the nick Hiro hasn't been taken. I wonder if Hiro Protagonist has been...

I'm obviously on a cyberpunk kick. My two desktop boxes are now neuromancer and wintermute. And the server is snowcrash...

by **Marrz** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:45 am UTC

Hello, I'm Daniel, I'm a car/anime/computer geek, i'm a sophomore at SIUC (southern Illinois university) and an electrical systems tech. major

by **Morphing Ball** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 6:27 am UTC

I'm 16 and I live in Adelaide, South Australia.

My interests primarily comprise gaming and reading. I have no particular aptitude for computer programming or maths, but I enjoy XKCD nonetheless because I can usually understand the context. I love the comic.

by **kaktus** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:25 am UTC

I'm Tim, I'm a guy from Brooklyn, and I'm here because somebody told me this was a good community, and I joined because I love the comic.

See you around.

by **NuclearDog** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:34 am UTC

Hey everyone, I'm Adam. Or NuclearDog. Or ND. I'm a professional ninja.

...

Or at least I wish I were that badass. I'm basically just a crazy man who thrives off of knowledge, so I like to know as much as I can about everything. Things I've spent particularly large amounts of time on include computer programming, computer security and FreeBSD. I've done a bunch of web development and stuff too. I pretty much love anything that involves electricity. I love Chemistry and Psychology too, although I have much less experience there.

...

As far as being a ninja goes, though, one time I did break in to my workplace by climbing up some piping on the outside, down a ladder to the inside, then sneaking past the 3 people still in the store just because I could. But that's a story for another day.

Website · by **The Cosmic Fool** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:50 am UTC

Hiro wrote:I'm Mark, 19 years old and an engineering student. I like things, mostly computer games and books. I can't believe the nick Hiro hasn't been taken. I wonder if Hiro Protagonist has been...

I'm obviously on a cyberpunk kick. My two desktop boxes are now neuromancer and wintermute. And the server is snowcrash...

Steampunk is better. =D

Welcome to the forum everyone. For those of you who will actually stick around, enjoy your stay.

by **Stief** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 12:01 pm UTC

I'm Stief....that's basically my name nowadays, due to my friends making up the nickname and it being used so much it overtook the use of my real name....

*kof* I didn't forget to post in here :roll:

I'm a film and media student by the way...

by **someguy** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 1:50 pm UTC

Uh, OK. 28/M/

.

Never got anywhere with my studies (dropped out of and back into college some 6 times, the first few hoping for a degree in IT, more recently for an English translatorship[*]) so I'm still basically coasting on a HS degree. Not too proud about that, in case you're wondering.

Work: I've been in IT for the last 10 years or so (started at 16), these days working as a sysadmin/DBA/all-around handyman in a small IT firm.

I spend most of my free time listening to music, mostly older stuff these days ('60s-'70s,) and dicking around with old audio gear. I used to be a voracious reader as a kid (from 3 onwards) but I seem to have lost the habit at some point, and these days I barely read at all.

(Not too proud about that either, but it seems as if my attention span were measured in seconds these days. Yet, ironically enough, I've never been more in love with the English language [**] than I am now. Go figure.) //

[*] Does that word even exist?

[**] To which I'm not a native, so please feel free to correct me.

by **SecondTalon** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:03 pm UTC

Not being a native english speaker means your grammar, spelling, and sentence structure is better than 90% of Americans.

/just sayin'

Also, the word you are looking for may be English Interpreter. Translatorship isn't a word, but if it was, it could totally take out a Star Destroyer.

by **Okita** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:44 pm UTC

SexyTalon wrote:Not being a native english speaker means your grammar, spelling, and sentence structure is better than 90% of Americans.

/just sayin'

Also, the word you are looking for may be English Interpreter. Translatorship isn't a word, but if it was, it could totally take out a Star Destroyer.

But it would fall to a Grammar Carrier.

by **SecondTalon** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:51 pm UTC

Best watch out for the Dangling Participle Cannons and Sentence Fragment launchers.

by **Hiro** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 6:37 pm UTC

The Cosmic Fool wrote:
Hiro wrote:I'm Mark, 19 years old and an engineering student. I like things, mostly computer games and books. I can't believe the nick Hiro hasn't been taken. I wonder if Hiro Protagonist has been...

I'm obviously on a cyberpunk kick. My two desktop boxes are now neuromancer and wintermute. And the server is snowcrash...

Steampunk is better. =D

Welcome to the forum everyone. For those of you who will actually stick around, enjoy your stay.

Quite enjoyable as well, if a little creepy.

by **eristic** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:29 pm UTC

I'm Won. 24 years old. Working professional who goes to school part time (computer engineering).

Social hobbies include snowboarding, surfing, running with the bulls, paintball, riding my motorcycle, etc. Anything at least semi-extreme to get the adrenaline going.

Professional hobbies center mainly on issues in network security with a focus on penetration testing.

A friend told me about xkcd and I like what I see, both in the comic and forum, just the right amount of "geekiness." Anyway, so ya... not a spambot.

PM me for great deals on viagra and hot stocks! DO IT NOW!! (jk)

by **BVD** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 11:46 pm UTC

Hey all. Some of you older posters will remember me as ivnja. After medical leave from school and a summer hiatus from the fora, I'm back, and since I decided that I didn't want to bother with Cornell anymore, the "iv"(y league) portion of ivnja doesn't exactly apply.

I won't make everyone else look me up in the original introductions thread again, so:

I'm 19 years old, male, currently residing in Orono, ME, USA. I'm a second-semester freshman at the University of Maine, looking at some combination of majors and minors involving peace studies, psychology, and sociology. I'm a former trackie (a runner, for those of you outside the sport) and soccer player, and now I'm pretty involved in backpacking and rock climbing. All my friends have called me BVD since I was in the third grade (no, nothing to do with the undergarment brand...it's just my initials), and so I figured that now that I've come back, all of you could, too.

by **Ren** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 12:14 am UTC

I remember you!

by **damienthebloody** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 1:35 am UTC

i remember you, too! nice to have you back

by **GodlyCheeze** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 2:20 am UTC

Hey Everyone

I'm new here (obviously or else I woudn't be posting in this thread, well except to say "hi" to newbies). Anyways I have been reading this comic for quite a while now and decided I should join in the discussions, insanity, etc.
I am a senior in high school, in calc honors and AP physics, and generally pretty well rounded. I like to unicycle, paintball, do stage crew stuff, drum, and do art stuff.
Hopefully i will get to know more of you, since its kinda lonely being the new guy haha.

by **bonder** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:15 am UTC

I'm not really new here, but a few weeks ago, I decided to take a break from the fora so I could devote more time to trying to find a job. I still haven't found one yet, but I decided I have enough time to be around here again. Anywho, I'll see you all around the fora.

by **Nimz** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 8:38 am UTC

Hi. I'm Nimz. I'm not new, but I have been lurking for over a week, therefore, since internet time is exponential with real time, you have probably forgotten me

(j/k)

Anyway, I'm going to be changing my avatar soon to a chess game I played via correspondence with one of my co-workers (actually, still in progress. It will be past tense when I upload the new avatar, though). If anyone here wants to play a correspondence game of chess with me, there's a button right below this post that has the letters "PM" on it. Hit that button and let me know. Anyway, enjoy my integral sig

OR ELSE!!!

[EDIT] Avatar has been changed even though the game still hasn't ended yet. I couldn't fit the first two images in and keep the filesize below the limit, but it should be pretty obvious what they are. Any more moves won't fit, so I figured now was as good a time as any to make the avatar change. Also, ph34r my 1337 animated avatar making skillz! [/EDIT]

by **Razzle Storm** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:58 am UTC

I've lurked here as a guest for awhile, and it finally took an irresistible pun for my to actually register for the forums. I'm 19 years old right now, and currently a Junior at University of Washington. Right now though, I'm in Beijing, studying Chinese (my major) for a year. I like webcomics in general, probably because I used to make cartoons (albeit poorly drawn ones which were made on literally hundreds of post-it-note batches that I bought). I'm a writer, and the name Razzle Storm comes from one of my characters who shares all my views, but does not have the same inhibitions I do with sharing them. I've haven't actually written anything longer than 20-page short stories in a long time (When I was in community college I was working on a book which got to 200 pages before I sort of stopped working on it). I love reading, thinking, learning things, practicing my Wing Chun (永春）I like sex too, but seeing as how my girlfriend (who is Chinese) is studying in Indiana right now, and I don't want to cheat on her, I have been out of practice for a while.

I surf forums so I won't play MMORPGs, which were a problem before, but not now. I like games, but have gotten my priorities straight, and put studying ahead of internet stuff now. I know it's blasphemy, but that's how I roll.

by **AltoidAddict** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 5:59 pm UTC

I'm Mike. I'm a math major, and I just love the style of humor in the comic. I'm a senior in college, and I don't really know what I'm gonna be doing afterwards. People have recommended I become an actuary, but I think I'd hate working for insurance companies. Especially working out the probabilities of deaths, injuries, etc. (I mentioned that suggestion to a friend of mine, and he said the Narrator in Fight Club was an actuary. I think if I became one, my life would start looking pretty similar).

Anyway, I'll try not to ramble too much more, but is there a recipie thread around here somewhere? If not, I think I might start one.

by **Khaba** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:44 pm UTC

Hello. I've been enjoying the comic for about a year or so, and just recently discovered the "tool-tip" captions, so now I'm going back and re-enjoying them on a whole new level. xkcd is by far my favorite comic, web or otherwise. Order of The Stick comes a close second, but nothing can match xkcd for wit or romance (Fibonacci Fingertips, I'm looking at you).

Anyway, my first post was a new thread, and I was suitably admonished and pointed in the direction of this thread, so here I am. I'm from Los Angeles, work in IT/Systems Development/Accounting for a small food manufacturing company, am recently married, and expect a baby with my wife in December.

by **JPJ007** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 8:43 pm UTC

Name's Josh. I'm your average stereotypical geek, except I don't do D&D, and I don't live in my parents' basement (this is mostly due to the fact that they do not have a basement).

I went to college, dropped out, did tech support for 3 years, and now I'm back in school.

I've been reading the coming for a long time now, and also lurking on some of the forums from time to time.

by **Nimz** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 9:35 pm UTC

AltoidAddict wrote:is there a recipie thread around here somewhere? If not, I think I might start one.

As a matter of fact, there is!

Hello and welcome to you and Razzle Storm and Khaba and JPJ007. That doesn't mean everyone else isn't welcome, btw

by **Saturn** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 9:56 pm UTC

Hello.

by **ChocloManx** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 10:12 pm UTC

Hi. I'm from Chile, I'm 14, I play teh guitarz and I don't speak english very well. Anything else?

by **gaurwraith** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 12:18 am UTC

Hi, IÂ´m from Spain, im 24, I study arabic translation and I like reading and drawing. IÂ´m really impressed by the animated gif showing the knight and bishop mate, I play chess at http://www.buho21.com but my elo is just 1769. I like to write stream of consciousness, just be there listening to some music and typing whatever comes to mind. Of course IÂ´m shy with the girls. But I met a nice girl in a manga course and we like to get together. I used to play in a heavy metal band and I dreamt of being a rock star, but I guess I gave up that. Now we get drunk on weekends playing Singstar and guitar hero. I recently came from London where I was working by night and going to class by day and I got really sick of that. All the UFOs IÂ´ve seen ended up being meteors or satelllites. I donÂ´t like dinosaurs. I dont like ninjas. But I like Usagi Yojimbo!

Did you know that Usagi Yogimbo was in the young section of the library I used to go in London? Have you ever read Usagi Yojimbo?

by **nesquik** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 12:29 am UTC

I'm nesquik, I'm 17 years old. I'll be 18 on February 6.
My real name is Nick.

I am from Kansas. Yes, we're still in Kansas. No, I do not know anything by the name of Toto. You are not original. <3.

I like to play football, although, I quit that at my high school to focus on some other things. Although, I still play intramural basketball and I do varsity high jump in track. Actually, I'm the only guy from my school that does high jump, so I automatically letter in varisty (woot)

Besides sports, I enjoy coding things. I like the photoshop. Sometimes, when I'm bored I fire it up and make a new sig, otherwise, nothing much. I'll probably major in computer science (I want to either go the U of Minnesota of Kansas State). Of course, I'll need to step up my math courses, but whatever ... I pick up math fairly easily, I'll be fine. If I didn't major in CS, I would like to look at Astrophysics. I like black holes and physics, I think it would be nice ... (but I like computadors better). That reminds me, I am in Honores EspaÃ±ol Tres (Honors Spanish 3). Yeah, stud, I know

. (Really, I'm a modest person if you knew me). Oh, and a two words that make me cringe (weird 'cause of my intended major:) computer and hacker. I hate the word hacker because it sounds barbaric and it makes me feel embarrassed inside when I say it. Don't ask me why. I hate the english equivalent of the spanish word computador, well, I don't know why. Computador or compooter is fine, it's just that damn 'u' that bothers me. Again, I don't know why ..

I work at Applebee's (I pronounce it Ahpple-base). I used to work at McDonald's (How I got good at spanish).

I would tell you another forum I'm apart of that you might know (or be interested in), but seeing as how this is my first post, I don't want to risk the spammage

(Gee Willikers Yes I read the rules! How nice of me

)

By the way, I naturally smile a lot when I talk, and I talk in a lighter tone. I don't think that many people get this (english != my strong suit (is suit spelled right?)), and so I write a lot of smilies subconsciously. Sorry, I'm trying to quit

... dammit.

No, I'm not available. I know all of you wanted to "hook up" with a varsity track star, but I'm taken. Her name is Kate. She is real. I've been dating her for 2 1/2 years (Since March of 2005). So, sadly, no internets one-night-stands.

I don't know, that's about it I guess. Like it?

EDIT:

Oh and I have a 360 (that is currently broken and at microsoft getting fixed. Just my luck. Right before halo 3. That's ok, I played the beta. Whoa, tangent. Anyways ...). I like to play it. Like guitar hero and halo and such

Err... edit2:

Is there a report post button/link/wormhole?

by **The Mighty Thesaurus** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:21 am UTC

nesquik wrote:Is there a report post button/link/wormhole?

Report post buttons are rather pointless. General Moderators reads every post; if he thinks something should be deleted, then it will be so.

Oh, and welcome to the fora. May I take your wallet?

by **Nimz** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:43 am UTC

nesquik wrote:I hate the english equivalent of the spanish word computador, well, I don't know why. Computador or compooter is fine, it's just that damn 'u' that bothers me. Again, I don't know why ..

I like the word ordinateur, myself. I know, it has a 'u' in it, but maybe it's better in the last syllable than the middle syllable. Je ne sais pas. Anyway, welcome.

gaurwraith wrote:I play chess at http://www.buho21.com but my elo is just 1769.

Some guy a few pages ago (about halfway down) was looking for an opponent in the 1600-1800 range. Maybe you two could play together. I hope that didn't sound too wrong...

by **Niggrophage** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 1:53 am UTC

hi. my name is Niggrophage, and i enjoy eating. i'm posting here because i need to prove to the other forum members that i am, in fact, human. and not a spambot.

thank you.

by **tesseract** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:02 am UTC

Well, my name is Mike. I am a freshman at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. I'm in the electrical engineering program.

I've been lurking here forever. I registered finally about two weeks ago, and I can't remember why. I will rarely, if ever, post. I waste too much time on the internet already.

by **The Mighty Thesaurus** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:07 am UTC

You're only wasting your time if you don't post.

by **TakeV** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:49 am UTC

Greetings!

I am TakeV, although everyone just calls me V. (Real name withheld for now, sorry)

I found xkcd a year ago or something, and enjoyed it. Then I found the forums, enjoyed those as well, and lurked. Though there is a good chance that this is the only post you will see from me.

Anyways, I am a physics major, just starting college, and I enjoy this comic and the community that has built up around it.

See you around, I hope.

by **MotorToad** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:53 am UTC

Okay, didn't know there were RULES on the internet about introductions.

Erm... 7 years burning neutrons in the Federal Yacht Club (AKA Voluntary Seaborn Penitentiary).

Married for two years a long time ago, and there are not words to describe my bitterness and hatred for that paper mache institution of lies.

BS/EE from the University of Florida, but I've never actually seen the campus in Gainesville, I went to UWF in Pensacola. I'm also not using it as it's excessively mortgaged. Instead I sell motorcycle parts from home for one of the larger internet retailers. URL on request as I don't want to spam.

I'm good with math as a practical tool but I've never liked math to the point of enjoying math humor as much as other people with whom I share interests and education. I could never get interested in math for math's sake, but I can use it (usually) to solve whatever I have to get done. I hate statistics and statisticians. Devil's work if there ever was any.

Oddly, after a D- career in high school English, I love linguistic humor. [I once had to turn in a book report a full 9 weeks late to bump my 3rd 9-weeks grade up from a very very low F to a high F so that my middle D in the 4th 9-weeks averaged the semester to a low D and I could graduate. No kidding.] I love to unnecessarily split infinitives (and I didn't even know what they were until I was 27), say "should OF" with emphasis on "of," and end sentences with prepositions above. I can't understand why I do any of these things.

If you need to know something else, read my tombstone. If someone buys me one.

by **rudie_rage** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:44 am UTC

Hey, I'm a 19 year old Canadian Computer Science student.

I've been following this comic for almost exactly a year, ever since starting to learn linux, then seeing the sandwich comic, and then seeing that same comic on my math prof's door. in that order. in the same week.

Ever since then I found that every event in my life can relate to either xkcd, ctrl-alt-del, or cyanide and happiness.

So yeah, I start my mornings off by reading the newest webcomics (days without new ones are hardly days at all) and then drag my ass to class, and then go home and program some video games.

Yeah... that was a lousy intro post... I really should have waited until it _wasn't_ 4:45 AM. Whatever. I will probably be around. Learn about me later.

by **reishka** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:13 am UTC

So. I've read xkcd for practically forever, I just didn't join the forums. I don't join the forums at a lot of places... Dunno why. I think I get disenchanted real quick or the forums I join die or I just get distracted.

Now I've started to work nights, and I get bored. And when I get bored, I surf the interwebs. And when the interwebs run out... I find a deep yearning for conversation. Only, everyone's asleep at five AM and I end up talking to myself (which ain't a good thing to do in front of your coworkers, lemme tell ya... )

I like logical things, though I suck at them, and the same goes for Scrabble, though I usually lose. I'm a college drop out, through no fault of my own - just some unlucky circumstance - and looking to go back sometime in the next few years.

Just moved to Connecticut after getting out of said unlucky circumstance... got a good job, and am in the process of getting a car and my own place to live instead of bumming off the boyfriend's parents while said boyfriend is at school. Yeah, that's never a good place to be. I mean, they're nice people - very, very nice people, in fact, but it's an awkward situation all around.

Also, I'd love to find xkcdians that are willing to meet up in person to go to the cinema or out drinking or something of the sort. I'm a real homebody so having something to do on the weekends the boy isn't home or that I'm not in NYC visiting him might be fun. I'm not insane or anything, I promise.

by **Chiyiros** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:43 am UTC

...and, -somehow-, I missed this topic. My power of Letty-ness defies comprehension.

Anyway, hello; name's Lee, nickname of Chi, which is the short form of Chiyiros, which happens to be my handle (chosen simply because I know one of you will recognize it; hi, Fjafjan). College student, bit of a language geek, can't take too much seriously or my head tries to explode. It's bad at that, though. I just get migraines.

Found this by... huh, I think it was a random link from somewhere else; perhaps Questionable Content? I dunno. Got bored, looked into the forums, found it interesting but had other things to do. Now I'm in Beijing with limited finances, but a 24/7 broadband connection. I think you see where this leads...

Um. What else...? Oh, my one computer/book/whatever geekdom is RPGs (not MMOs, but ones I can wander away from and come back to without a patch ruining half my work. You know the type). So... yeah. Currently playing through a set a friend gave me for the trip. (EDIT: Wait, no, that's an unintentional lie; I'm also fond of the Touhou games, a "danmaku" series that essentially involves -avoiding- being shot into a fine paste.)

Anyways. Yo.

by **SecondTalon** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:42 am UTC

MotorToad wrote:Okay, didn't know there were RULES on the internet about introductions.

The internet? No. Here? Yes.

Difference between a public street and someone's living room.

xkcd

INTRO THREAD THE THIRD

Hello

I'm Mark

Marrz

Re: I'm Mark

Re: I'm Mark

Ello

Re: Ello

<-- MotorToad

Re: <-- MotorToad

Who is online