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xkcd, Devotion To Duty

xkcd really hit the nail on the head today.

167 comments

  1. news? by MrSpiff · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I know it's idle, but where is the news..? I don't come to slashdot for comics, that's what RSS feeds are for.

    1. Re:news? by drachenstern · · Score: 1

      Or if you twitter, you can just skip checking the front page all day, just wait for story announcements to come to you. (yeah, soviet meme joke waiting there, but too lazy to reach out and touch it, even with this long soliloquy).

      However, I think that today's XKCD _really is_ that good, so I agree with the desire to post this particular one to the /. front-page. Glad now that we finally have an idle section for this sort of thing tho ;).

      Bonus points to whoever can name a Bruce Willis role that shows him as a sysadmin!

      --
      2^3 * 31 * 647
    2. Re:news? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I got slashdot in RSS feeds ...
      so I guess it's okay to have RSS feeds content on slashdot because it goes through my RSS reader!?

    3. Re:news? by Foofoobar · · Score: 5, Funny

      no... apparently you come to slashdot to bitch and whine. Well done on that front my friend. Mission accomplished.

      --
      This is my sig. There are many like it but this one is mine.
    4. Re:news? by JustOK · · Score: 1

      ... even with this long soliloquy).

      That's not a long soliloquy. Boy, back in my day, a long soliloquy was a long soliloquy. Why, I remember one time when Dave, we knew him as one of the group The Lone Soliloquyers, started to talk about how soliloquies, even if they were called long soliloquies, weren't really long soliloquies like they used to be. Read more...

      --
      rewriting history since 2109
    5. Re:news? by hedwards · · Score: 2, Funny

      You forgot about not reading the article no matter how brief.

    6. Re:news? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean 'if you tweet'. Learn to recognize the difference between a noun and a verb,

    7. Re:news? by drachenstern · · Score: 1

      yeah yeah yeah and then there was this one time when I tied an onion to my belt because it was the fashion ... ;)

      --
      2^3 * 31 * 647
    8. Re:news? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Not all of us have a RSS jack in their brain, you insensitive clod!

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    9. Re:news? by The+Archon+V2.0 · · Score: 1

      I know it's idle, but where is the news..? I don't come to slashdot for comics, that's what RSS feeds are for.

      Maybe they figure they'll be posting an article about cut cables later in the day and are trying to head off the "OBxkcd" posts. Speaking of which, OBxkcd: http://xkcd.com/33/

    10. Re:news? by Fussen · · Score: 2, Insightful

      CmdrTaco can do whatever he wants because he has the powers of SYSADMIN. He has no serial number.

    11. Re:news? by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

      Would I be wrong in thinking that my comment last week had something to do with this ggetting posted?

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    12. Re:news? by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Tomorrow I'm posting Dilbert!

    13. Re:news? by drachenstern · · Score: 1

      I figured staying up with the twitter feed was twittering, whereas the act of posting one message was tweeting.

      I don't particularly tweet the /. stories, so I can't say that that's one of my daily activities. However, I monitor my twitter feed for (amongst other things) /. postings.

      Therefore, I stand by my own original statement. Oh, and the sibling poster to me had a REALLY good point :p

      --
      2^3 * 31 * 647
    14. Re:news? by Larryish · · Score: 1

      Wow, xcdkjfh has an rss thingy? AWESOME!!!1 It is totally time to put it in Liferea, a program that sounds like the morning after a fifth of Jack.

  2. Excellent timing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Having just spent 17 hours bringing a server back online after a third party team blew up a data center move I am greatly amused. Note to data center migration teams teams when moving large production databases, copy, don't cut!!!!!

    1. Re:Excellent timing by auntieNeo · · Score: 3, Funny

      Having just spent 17 hours bringing a server back online after a third party team blew up a data center move I am greatly amused.

      Did you crawl through ventilation ducts or kill anyone in the process? CmdrTaco must have, unless I misunderstood the phrase "hit the nail on the head."

    2. Re:Excellent timing by bsDaemon · · Score: 5, Funny

      no, but i climb through an SSH tunnel and kill -9 zombie procs on the regular. that's the same thing, right?

    3. Re:Excellent timing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I feel your pain, got exploited by a botnet yesterday and when the hosting provider reinstalled the OS they gave the machine the wrong IP, creating a conflict within our cluster taking the whole farm down until they could walk their asses over and change the IP, which somehow took over an hour.

      Incompetence is our biggest enemy nowadays, to say nothing of the initial security breach. It would have been cheaper for everyone involved if I had flown down and done all the host's work myself.

    4. Re:Excellent timing by rpetre · · Score: 1

      Well, kill-ing with SIGCHLD the zombie parents is more efficient and elegant, usually. The first rule of kill -9 is that you should not use kill -9 in the first place.

    5. Re:Excellent timing by CompMD · · Score: 1

      "a third party team blew up a data center"

      So a sysadmin and John McClane traded jobs for a day is what you're saying.

    6. Re:Excellent timing by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 1

      You fool! You can't kill -9 zombies! They'll just laugh it off and then suck out your brain! You have to kill the parent!

    7. Re:Excellent timing by saiha · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah, but they are most likely just user processes, who cares?

    8. Re:Excellent timing by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

          Users, clients, other admins. Who cares. All I care is that my tasks keep going.

          For some reason, no one else saw the humor of changing all the passwords but my own, and then "chattr +i /etc/shadow"

          It really makes you some new fans when you reboot a machine, and then ask anyone else if they mind. Oops, sorry, you should have said something.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    9. Re:Excellent timing by greenbird · · Score: 3, Informative

      Note to data center migration teams teams when moving large production databases, copy, don't cut!!!!!

      rsync is your friend. Never copy or cut. For pretty much anything.

      --
      Who is John Galt?
    10. Re:Excellent timing by Bandman · · Score: 1

      and risk zombie orphans? Are you crazy?!?

    11. Re:Excellent timing by scdeimos · · Score: 1

      Wow, you must be at our hosting provider. We gave them a week's notice that we were migrating our applications to a new server (in the same farm, even gave them the pre-change and post-change IP addresses, ports and some URLs), but when D-day came we had to wait about 12 hours for someone to arrive at the data centre to change the IP addresses, etc., in their monitoring system.

  3. no doubt by pootypeople · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Myself and another admin at my company remarked that hostage situations were unlikely in our data rooms, but not an impossibility.

    1. Re:no doubt by hitmark · · Score: 3, Funny

      i am guessing the hostage would be a middle manager, and the admins would be the hostage takers?

      oh wait, middle managers make for lousy hostages...

      --
      comment first, facts later. http://chem.tufts.edu/AnswersInScience/RelativityofWrong.htm
    2. Re:no doubt by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Funny

      (cue top boss during the negotiation phone call) "A million and you let him go. Mmmhmm... Ok ... Say, how much so you keep him?"

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    3. Re:no doubt by ajrs · · Score: 1

      accidental moderation - parent funny

    4. Re:no doubt by isorox · · Score: 1

      Myself and another admin at my company remarked that hostage situations were unlikely in our data rooms, but not an impossibility.

      I'm currently on a hostile environment training course, as I'm shortly off to various mid-asia countries to install various servers in data rooms.

      Surviving being taken as a hostage is Thursday

    5. Re:no doubt by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      um no, not really..

    6. Re:no doubt by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

      To the top brass, everyone below them are expendable. SysAdmins, middle managers, even their own trusted assistants. Don't ever believe you or anyone you work with are worth anything to them.

          All you can achieve with a hostage situation in a datacenter is....

      1) The top brass accidentally releasing the Halon fire supression system, killing all of you.

      2) The police getting tear gas in, one way or another.

      3) Having your (and your hostages) access revoked to the datacenter, so you'd be unable to open any doors. Your life expectancy? 2 weeks with no food, 1 week with no water. Your hostages life expectancy, 48 hours, and then they're lunch.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
  4. Seriously... by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 2, Insightful

    What. The. Fuck?

    1. Re:Seriously... by pootypeople · · Score: 4, Informative

      A good point, but today's xkcd was a real winner. Perhaps there are a few unenlightened souls that visit /. but not xkcd who needed a push in the right direction.

    2. Re:Seriously... by keithpreston · · Score: 4, Funny

      I agree XKCD shouldn't make the front page of slashdot, but the last 2 XKCD's have been some of their best (top 5%) and the ones before that not too shabby. Either way, with the principle of explosion, I'm going to call your mom and report that you have a dirty mouth among other things to discuss with her over box wine.

    3. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      Quite a few of us in the geekverse find xkcd to be terribly overrated.

    4. Re:Seriously... by _Sprocket_ · · Score: 1

      Yes... that is the proper response to Idle. If you find yourself in an uncontrollable state due to this or related responses, the next action is to hide Idle.

    5. Re:Seriously... by rjolley · · Score: 2, Informative

      I much prefer http://xkcdsucks.blogspot.com/ Not everyone is a fan.

    6. Re:Seriously... by Imaria · · Score: 0

      And the rest of us find you guys overrated, so it balances out like a big bitchy yin-yang.

    7. Re:Seriously... by AlecC · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It baffles me that anybody thinks it worth the time to write a blog like this. OK, you don't like xkcd? Don't visit it. There is a whole web out there, people. There are probably more webcomics alone than any one person can read. Move along, leave this one behind. For me, it is funny enough often enough to justify the energy spent in clicking on the link to it. Which is not the highest of praise.

      --
      Consciousness is an illusion caused by an excess of self consciousness.
    8. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    9. Re:Seriously... by Razalhague · · Score: 3, Insightful

      So you prefer a blog which complains about such atrocities as "Something happens in fiction that would not happen in real life"?

    10. Re:Seriously... by twidarkling · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It baffles me that anybody thinks it worth the time to write a blog like this. OK, you don't like xkcd? Don't visit it. There is a whole web out there, people.

      Except for those of use who don't like it, we keep getting shit like slashdot today. The fawning fanboys shove it down our throats. The worst of it is every time something's mentioned in a strip, there's immediately some dumbass trying to put an "in popular culture" reference on its wikipedia page saying "OMG XKCD MENTIONED THIS!" So, no, it's not as simple as "not visiting it." Unless you're prepared for a blanket moratorium on people mentioning XKCD on the rest of the Internet. Somehow, I doubt that, so in the meantime, I'll continue to visit that blog.

      --
      Canada: The US's more awesome sibling.
    11. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      There is an already an answer to your concerns here

      For me, xkcdsucks is funny enough often enough to justify the energy spent in clicking on the link to it. Which is not the highest of praise.

    12. Re:Seriously... by troll8901 · · Score: 1

      I think AC is aiming for informative. Though I do find your reply a good, satisfying rebuttal.

    13. Re:Seriously... by troll8901 · · Score: 1

      Just out of curiosity, what webcomics do you prefer?

    14. Re:Seriously... by rjolley · · Score: 1

      Sorry, you weren't asking me. Slashdot email made me think you were.

    15. Re:Seriously... by Opportunist · · Score: 2, Insightful

      So you're not a fan. Ok. I'm not a fan of Apple. I'm not a fan of ... whoever won the latest American Idiot contest. I'm not a fan of a million other things that other people think are just too cool.

      But why bother starting a website about something you don't want to deal with? Is people's life so empty, so devoid of anything that they really have the time to devote to things they do not like?

      It's not like xkcd (or whatever else you don't like) has any impact on your life. I don't like some of the laws out there, and I'm certain to stand up and speak out against them because they can and sometimes do affect me. But a webpage? A computer brand? Hell, even a singer I can't stand would have more impact on me if I ever forgot to load my MP3 player and had to tune in to a radio station while driving!

      Yet I manage to just ignore them.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    16. Re:Seriously... by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      It's mentioned in popular culture if it was mentioned in some sort of popular contemporary that could be considered cultural (basically anything that serves no real purpose or goal...).

      Where's the big deal? It was mentioned in XKCD. Like the page, find it noteworthy. Don't like it, find it noteworthy that it's not noteworthy.

      It's not like the internet tells you what you should think. Or rather, it tries, but there's no need for you to listen.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    17. Re:Seriously... by hansamurai · · Score: 1

      Considering the number of comments on some of those posts outnumbers a few Slashdot articles, it seems he's doing decently well. Not that I agree with him, but I might start up xkcdsuckssucks in response.

    18. Re:Seriously... by rjolley · · Score: 2, Funny

      Don't worry, there's a blog for you too: http://xkcdsuckssucks.blogspot.com/

    19. Re:Seriously... by mobby_6kl · · Score: 1

      Then I guess you'd really like this masterpiece, made by a poster on somethingawful. Yeah, it's exactly what you think it is based on the domain, but it's also completely hilarious. I linked to the SFW version so it should be safe to view.

      It's dynamically generated, so it's always up to date and works for all past strips. Even for somebody who occasionally enjoys reading xkcd, I'd say some of the strips are actually improved by this treatment.

    20. Re:Seriously... by WrongMonkey · · Score: 1

      My kingdom for a mod-point! xkcd fails at the most basic level: being funny. I have gotten far more laughs from xkcd sucks than from the actual comic.

    21. Re:Seriously... by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Why should I care that someone thinks that some other page sucks because they say some other page sucks?

      That's worse than the bickering about some teenage pop bands. "Oh they're so cute." "Nah, they suck". "Oh, you hate me!" Dramaramaramarama...

      Or is it just the usual "let's troll them 'cause they like their page so much that we get some attention out of it easily"?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    22. Re:Seriously... by MeanderingMind · · Score: 5, Funny

      I hate broccoli. You know what I do when someone who loves broccoli starts fawning over some dish they recently ate which had broccoli in it? Nothing really, I just enjoy the conversation and talk about something I like in response. I don't even have to mention I don't like broccoli.

      It's not like you need to burst a vein every time you see XKCD mentioned somewhere. If you do you can't really call it dislike anymore.

      Although maybe I'm doing it wrong. The next time I'm in a restaurant and I see someone at another table with broccoli, I'm going to turn beat red and throw a hissy fit about how horrible broccoli is and how terrible it is that I have to see the stuff in public because of those damned broccoli lovers who think it's some miracle cancer curing vegetable or something. Yeah, that "Don't sweat the small stuff" crap won't be for me anymore. I'm going to make a big deal out of absolutely nothing.

      Starting with your comment. How am I doing?

      --
      Thunderclone: ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE! ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE!
    23. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      It's not like you need to burst a vein every time you see XKCD mentioned somewhere.

      Have you ever heard of "getting sick of" something? xkcd has been going around for ages, and we're constantly coming across it in anything that's marginally related to computers or science. Besides, the maliciousness of your post omitted one of the most important points: the vandalism on Wikipedia. There is already a page on Wikipedia creates SPECIFICALLY because of the xkcd vandalism. Clearly it's not just one person who's "bursting a vein" because of that webcomic; this thing has gotten out of hand.

      There's nothing absurd with maintaining a blog like that. It doesn't take much time, it's a good way for relieving stress, and, quite simply, it's fun. Besides, it's worth to point out that pretty much all active participants of that blog were once fans of xkcd (me included). So, people are not just vomiting random rage, but putting out honest opinions and pondering why it was once seen as good, and seems so awful today. The overall conclusion is that Randall Munroe has clever ideas sometimes, but is an incredibly bad writer. Maybe he had several ideas for inspiration in the early days, but the well's run dry, and now all we get is bad writing, lazy humour without obvious targets, and much, much pandering towards the people who want to be science/computer geeks and feel better than everyone. There are grounds for disagreement, but I think that argument of "don't like it, don't read it" is weak and lazy, just like xkcd. It's like complaining about negative reviews on IMDb; the Internet's a free place, people.

        - Fernie Canto, Anonymous Coward

    24. Re:Seriously... by jandrese · · Score: 1

      Wow, for something that reads like an elaborate troll, that guy sure is dedicated.

      --

      I read the internet for the articles.
    25. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I hate broccoli. You know what I do when someone who loves broccoli starts fawning over some dish they recently ate which had broccoli in it? Nothing really, I just enjoy the conversation and talk about something I like in response. I don't even have to mention I don't like broccoli.

      The next time CmdrTaco frontpages a broccoli fanboy story I'll keep that in mind.

    26. Re:Seriously... by Knara · · Score: 1

      Yeah, it's tough to ignore things. The natural human drive to tell everyone about how you don't like something and how the entire Internet is oppressing your right to not like something is truly a hardship.

    27. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wanna know the ultimate formula for easy comedy material and instant cult-classic status? Criticize something popular. Shred it to pieces at every opportunity. Why create anything original when you can ride the coat-tails of someone else while appearing edgy and non-conformist?

    28. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm sure Slashdot will be happy to send you a refund for what you pay to access the site.

    29. Re:Seriously... by mpicker0 · · Score: 1

      The next time I'm in a restaurant and I see someone at another table with broccoli, I'm going to turn beat red

      That's beet red. Or do you have something against beets, too?

    30. Re:Seriously... by BitZtream · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Do you have any idea what so ever of how big of a loser that makes you? Do you have any idea how mentally fucked up you have just shown us all that you are?

      You have an abnormal response to something that should be a non-stimuli.

      Reading or hearing someone talk about a comic on the Internet or updating a Wikipedia page doesn't do anything. It doesn't mean anything. Its like listening to '*BSD is dying', 'Year of the Linux desktop', 'meme', 'lolcat', 'pwn', 'keke' or any of a million other absolutely retarded fucking things that get said or discussed on the Internet. Those are mostly normal things to be tired of, they've been over used. XKCD isn't THAT fucking common.

      Whats really sad is that you are so 'anti-xkcd' that you go read some other retarded anti-xkcd website and get yourself more worked up over something that normal well adjusted people would just ignore. So either you're in highschool and having hormone imbalance issues, or you're a nutjob who needs to do a reality check and get some fucking perspective.

      I ask that you seek medical attention. You are unstable. I'm sorry, life doesn't have to be as depressing as what you're used to. If you are that compelled to read an anti-xkcd blog and announce to everyone that you do, then your attention and angst issues need to be addressed before you hurt someone innocent.

      --
      Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
    31. Re:Seriously... by BitZtream · · Score: 1

      Funny, thats what they did here recently to ban public smoking.

      Since that worked, sounds like doing it to ban broccoli probably has a fairly good shot at working.

      --
      Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
    32. Re:Seriously... by Gulthek · · Score: 2, Informative

      You misunderstand, xkcdsucks is for those of us who loved xkcd when it was still good.

      http://xkcdsucks.blogspot.com/2008/10/frequently-asked-irritating-self.html

      Regardless, XKCD Explained is much better and more insightful heckling of the comic.

    33. Re:Seriously... by KnownIssues · · Score: 1

      I thought you were talking about Linux at first and then noticed you were talking about XKCD instead. I guess Slashdot just caters to enough interests that there's going to be topics some people like and others don't.

    34. Re:Seriously... by SleazyRidr · · Score: 1

      How about when every time you tried a new dish, someone thought you must like Brocolli so they slipped some Brocolli in?

      I like xkcd, but there are a couple of other popular webcomics that I really don't care for (which I won't mention lest I start another flame war). I ignore them, so it's not the comics themsleves that bug me, but the constant barrage of 'you like webcomics, check this one out!' The authors of those comics have done me no wrong, but their fans give me the shits.

      Of course I'm old and cantancerous now (I reckon 25 is old enough) so I don't read any new comics, which completely gets rid of the problem.

    35. Re:Seriously... by MeanderingMind · · Score: 1

      I think my analogy of someone else eating broccoli/discussing how they like broccoli fits better. You're not being forced to digest xkcd simply because someone suggests you might like it.

      Now if people are constantly forwarding comics to you/hotlinking comic in forums you read, that's more analogous to broccoli showing up in your food (which, incidentally, has recently happened to me) and worthy of ire.

      --
      Thunderclone: ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE! ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE!
    36. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Although maybe I'm doing it wrong. The next time I'm in a restaurant and I see someone at another table with broccoli, I'm going to turn beat red and throw a hissy fit about how horrible broccoli is and how terrible it is that I have to see the stuff in public because of those damned broccoli lovers who think it's some miracle cancer curing vegetable or something.

      Nice start but you fell flat with the hyperbole. Nobody is throwing hissy fits and you're just making yourself sound like a jackass by twisting reality.

    37. Re:Seriously... by MeanderingMind · · Score: 1

      Unless xkcd is being edited into "In Popular Culture" wikipedia sections where it doesn't belong, I see no reason why I shouldn't ridicule someone for getting their pants in a twist over it.

      I don't have any problems with people disliking stuff. It's when they draw attention to it like they're the center of the universe and no one else is allowed to enjoy life that I take issue. If it isn't directly or indirectly causing harm, forcing your umbridge on other people is by my reckoning a greater issue than the original "offense".

      --
      Thunderclone: ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE! ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE!
    38. Re:Seriously... by MeanderingMind · · Score: 2, Funny

      You insensitive clod!

      http://idle.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/07/06/169222

      I'll have you know I suffered intense emotional distress when I saw the mention of broccoli.

      --
      Thunderclone: ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE! ONE MAN ENTERS! TWO MEN LEAVE!
    39. Re:Seriously... by Makawity · · Score: 1
    40. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, it shows up on slashdot, wikipedia, my inbox, in the physics study lab, in the computer wing, and every other link on reddit. When the new articles on slashdot (even idle) are nothing more than twittesque posts that link to a nerd pandering mediocre webcomic that I see everyday even though I don't really want to and have to go at lengths to ignore nowadays I feel pressed to espouse: "It's not that great, please shut the fuck up about it already!". Or should I just hold my complaints until xkcd is required reading ala clockwork orange?

    41. Re:Seriously... by Haber-ery · · Score: 1

      I *am* broccoli you insensitive clod!

    42. Re:Seriously... by Obble · · Score: 1

      All though I visited the site twice before in my life I couldn't remember the url of that site. I have now got the push in the right direction. :-)

    43. Re:Seriously... by cynical+kane · · Score: 1

      Perhaps you dislike XKCD because you do not understand it.

      I have found the following website greatly helpful in trying to understand this comic: http://xkcdexplained.com/ .

      Here, all the graphs, jokes, and obscure references are laid bare for you to understand and enjoy. I hope this helps you to see the humor in the fabulous XKCD! Have fun!

    44. Re:Seriously... by FauxPasIII · · Score: 1

      > Funny, thats what they did here recently to ban public smoking.

      When my broccoli jumps off my plate, runs over to your table and gives you cancer, then you'll have the shadow of a point.

      And I'll have weaponized broccoli.

      I still win.

      --
      25% Funny, 25% Insightful, 25% Informative, 25% Troll
    45. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      s/xkcd/xkcdsucks/

    46. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You start a blog like that over a simple comic, you have serious issues and too much time on your hands.

    47. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Seriously man. You have issues you're not dealing with. People who are OK with themselves don't waste their time and energy creating something so mediocre and cynical in response to some on-line nerd comic.

      BTW. Where is your comic? Or where's the comic that you think is so much better for everyone?

    48. Re:Seriously... by Enderandrew · · Score: 1

      I intend to dedicate every waking moment to starting and maintaining http://xkcdsucks.blogspot.com-sucks.blogspot.com/

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    49. Re:Seriously... by line-bundle · · Score: 1

      It baffles me that anybody thinks it worth the time to write a complaint about a blog like this. OK, you don't like the complaint about xkcd? Don't respond to it. There is a whole web out there, people. There are probably more complaints alone than any one person can read. Move along, leave this one behind. For me, it is funny enough often enough to justify the energy spent in clicking on the link to it. Which is not the highest of praise.

    50. Re:Seriously... by jollyreaper · · Score: 1

      I hate broccoli. You know what I do when someone who loves broccoli starts fawning over some dish they recently ate which had broccoli in it? Nothing really, I just enjoy the conversation and talk about something I like in response. I don't even have to mention I don't like broccoli.

      Not me. If someone talks about eating broccoli, I'll smugly point out I haven't eaten broccoli in years. I don't even have any in the house. I'll intimate that this makes me a better person. Wait, did you say you watched something on television? Why, I haven't watched television in years....

      --
      Kwisatz Haderach
      Sell the spice to CHOAM
      This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
    51. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, I mean what could possibly be better than a math refrence combined with a 'your mom' joke.

      So, what year of high school are you in?

    52. Re:Seriously... by fj3k · · Score: 1
      I hate onion. Seriously, no analogy, I hate onion. The rest of my family is obsessed with it. I tried expressing my distaste for it by calmly asking for it to be not added to my food; but in the end I lost out because it's easier to make one dish than two when there's only a minority that don't like one non-essential ingredient and the rest do. When I was a teenager, I did the teenager thing of getting really upset that 'nobody get's it'. Now my response is to pick the onion out and simply respond to the inevitable questions, "I don't like onion... I just don't."
      If you don't understand why someone doesn't like onion, you'll never find out from me. It's worth neither your effort nor mine.

      However there is one more thing I've learnt; expressing an opinion of distaste for something where it is clearly a matter of taste generally just degenerates into an baseless insult to the cook (or cartoonist). You don't find XKCD funny? Fair enough, but remember that's just your opinion. My mum thinks the Simpsons aren't funny, it's "just stupid"; that doesn't make it so. To state an opinion in the manner that I've seen on the XKCD sucks blog isn't enlightened, it's just playing the "I am so much smarter than ..." game that the site claims to abhor.
      That's why I don't get XKCD sucks.

      --
      Two men claimed to have walked into a bar. Only one had the bruises to prove it.
    53. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Perhaps some people might consider it absurd because for all the time and effort spent criticizing a simple comic, you could have made your own comic or simply moved on. Surely on the list of things you could be doing with your short and uncertain life, a blog criticizing a small, nerdy web comic can't be very far up. You need to get out more.

    54. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dino Comics?

      Now it all makes sense.

      I get a bit sick of Dino Comics, but I don't start a blog about it. God help me the day I ever did.

      Are you hoping that by posting all of this stuff that the creator might put things right again or something?

      Otherwise, spending all that time slagging off a simple web comic just can't be a sign of mental health. Do you really not get that? You might be surprised at how much happier you are when you stop perusing such superficial and negative activities.

    55. Re:Seriously... by anshumani · · Score: 1

      I do! XKCD is blocked at my workplace under the category "Entertainment". Pathetic corporate losers!!

    56. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You might like http://xkcdsuckssucks.blogspot.com that I'm going to start soon.

    57. Re:Seriously... by troll8901 · · Score: 1

      I was asking you.

      Slashdot email? Huh? Didn't know there's such a feature. I hereby surrender my Slashdot geek card.

    58. Re:Seriously... by troll8901 · · Score: 1

      You might be surprised at how much happier you are when you stop perusing such superficial and negative activities.

      Did he write that blog? I thought he merely stated that he liked that blog?

      Now this is one story where discussions of xkcd are on-topic. :)

    59. Re:Seriously... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I read Slashdot without checking XKCD because I'm not a virgin.

  5. Seriously... by auntieNeo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Who reads Slashdot without checking xkcd? Anyone? I just happened to check Slashdot first today.

  6. the news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the point is that we need to step our game. whether that means in counter strike, or in real life, we all have responsibilities. I refuse to believe the reason I learned to use a computer was so I could shell out x amount of dollars to world of warcrack.

  7. Don't anger the sysadmin by buruonbrails · · Score: 5, Funny

    Or he'll kill you with his bearded chin

    1. Re:Don't anger the sysadmin by ZeroExistenZ · · Score: 1

      Epic beard guy, is that you?

      --
      I think we can keep recursing like this until someone returns 1
    2. Re:Don't anger the sysadmin by buruonbrails · · Score: 1

      Don't bother my beard, you insensitive clod!

  8. Are we Digg Now? by nefus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Honestly....

    1. Re:Are we Digg Now? by weirdcrashingnoises · · Score: 1

      Sincerely...?

      --
      sigs... don't talk to me about sigs....
    2. Re:Are we Digg Now? by Eil · · Score: 4, Informative

      Uh oh, another confused commenter. To the Slashdot FAQ!

      Why did you post story X?

      Slashdot is many things to many people. Some people think it's a Linux site. To others, it's a geek hangout. I've always worked very hard to make sure that Slashdot matches up with my interests and the interests of my authors. We think we're pretty typical Slashdot readers... but that does mean that occasionally one of us might post something that you think is inappropriate. You might be interested in my Omelette rant.

      Personally, I have a pet peeve when people post comments saying things like "That's not News For Nerds!" and "That's not Stuff that Matters!" Slashdot has been running for almost 5 years, and over that time, I have always been the final decision maker on what ends up on the homepage. It turns out that a lot of people agree with me: Linux, Legos, Penguins, Sci (both real and fiction). If you've been reading Slashdot, you know what the subjects commonly are, but we might deviate occasionally. It's just more fun that way. Variety Is The Spice Of Life and all that, right? We've been running Slashdot for a long time, and if we occasionally want to post something that someone doesn't think is right for Slashdot, well, we're the ones who get to make the call. It's the mix of stories that makes Slashdot the fun place that it is.

      (Emphasis mine.)

    3. Re:Are we Digg Now? by Inda · · Score: 1

      Should have highlighted "Slashdot matches up with my interests" bit.

      Some of us got older.

      --
      This post contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.
    4. Re:Are we Digg Now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think that xkcd sucks, but I have no doubt that Daniel Handler's latest novel sucks aggressively.

  9. Who does this remind everyone of? by bernywork · · Score: 1

    What's your favourite datacentre where this is their attitude?

    --
    Curiosity was framed; ignorance killed the cat. -- Author unknown
  10. Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by Vintermann · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ... but it's also blatant flattery of his core audience!

    --
    xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
    1. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by maxwell+demon · · Score: 3, Interesting

      ... but it's also blatant flattery of his core audience!

      Only if you think being so fixated on your job to dismiss more important things (the hostages, in this case) is a good thing.

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    2. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      I'm no sysadmin, I'm a programmer. The admins are my mortal enemies, for they try to take away my root access lest only them be the ones with the power. But revenge will be mine, for I create their tools and their feeble brains cannot see how I can easily circumvent and backdoor any protection they put up against my potting and scheming against them. Muahahahahah!

      'scuse me, gotta go to the server room, one of these bastards just cut off my torrent connection.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    3. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Hostages are human. Uptime is access to internet. Internet is where you get porn. Human is (in this case) coworker who probably eats away bandwidth you could use to get more porn faster.

      Get your priorities straight!

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    4. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by Eil · · Score: 1

      Yeah, how *dare* he try to appeal to his most ardent followers...

    5. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by Knara · · Score: 1

      Syadmin fanservice... hmmm...

    6. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

      There are an awful lot of humans out there. Who cares if a few are taken out of circulation. I sure as hell wouldn't pay for one. :)

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    7. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

      Sorry, we're not in the server room right now.

        Please feel free to meet us in the unused conference room. You know, the one in the basement. Where no one can hear you scream.

          Not that you'll be doing a lot of screaming after halon system accidentally kicks off. Hmmm, I wonder how that got down there.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    8. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by Belial6 · · Score: 1

      That isn't flattery. Whether they know it or not, and I suspect they don't, they are pointing out why so many admins completely suck at their jobs. The hostiges, also known as users are the only reason to have uptime. Without them, having uptime is a pointless endever. So, the cartoon actually highlights how many sysadmins are willing to leave the users, and thus the company to die, and ultimatly fail at their job as long as they get to pat themselves on the back for accomplishing a task that they have ultimatly made pointless.

    9. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by gfolkert · · Score: 1

      Really? What's your user account? You say your home directory just disappeared?

      Huh, I guess I'll have to restore it from backups.

      Shucks, looks like your homedir was excluded from backups the last year... funny that.

      --
      greg, REMEMBER ED CURRY!!!
    10. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Besides, judging from the going rates with certain women, I'd say anything over 200 bucks is hellish overpriced. And 200 already includes a lot of services.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    11. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Sorry I didn't reply earlier, the network was down again. Couldn't make it in time, sent you the boss' son who's working here during his school holidays to tell you I will come a bit later (because I couldn't send you a mail since, as stated, the network was down). Present the problem to him, maybe he can already fix it for you, he's really smart.

      Btw, have you seen him? He hasn't returned yet and I'd really need him back.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    12. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by Falconhell · · Score: 1

      I will bring the lime and the roll of old carpet, !

    13. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by Falconhell · · Score: 1

      All the users do is slow the network down and whinge, as you so ably demonstrate.

      At least a sysadmin can spell!

    14. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by http · · Score: 1

      Would you trust the SWAT team to not mix up the single-mode and multi-mode fibers? No? Let them worry about the hostages, they're probably better at it.

      --
      If opportunity came disguised as temptation, one knock would be enough.
      3^2 * 67^1 * 977^1
    15. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

          The network here has been fine. It must be on your end. Have you tried to call your home ISP? I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help you.

          The bosses son hasn't shown up. Does he know the way here? Maybe he went out with some friends. I wouldn't worry much, kids are like that. They'll disappear for weeks. It's really not worth filing a police report for at least a month.

          [Passport, check. Kids cash roll, check. Kids car delivered to chop shop, check. Body disposed of in untraceable method, check.]

          We have everything under control here now.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    16. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

      Ahhh, you are a good friend.

          It is true. Friends help friends move. Real friends help you move the bodies.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    17. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Again, sorry for the late reply, it's really been a hassle reconnecting.

      I'm pretty sure the boss has had a talk with you already. He called a few hours ago concerning the whereabouts of his son. I forwarded him a copy of our conversation to get him current with the events, so we can quickly find out where his son is. If anything happened to him it would really be a shame, he's such a bright boy.

      [Actually I should thank the bastard for disposing of the trash... but he cut me off my torrents! There's priorities to set!]

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    18. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

          Since we didn't see him, I wouldn't know if he were bright. Many "bright" boys I've known were only so when they were lit on fire.

          It seems in a review of the corporate firewall rules, there were some mistakenly blocked ports. You should find this obscure service to once again be satisfactory.

          Sincerely,

          JWSmythe, PhD, BOFH

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    19. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      . o O (maybe we should start writing scripts for sitcoms...)

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    20. Re:Yeah, yeah, it IS funny by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

          I was thinking more of writing for Dexter. Not exactly a sitcom, but it's more acceptable to knock off a few folks. :) Hmmm, Dexter and the Miami PD vs BOFH.. I think that'd be a fair fight, and could make for an interesting show. :)

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
  11. Re:Jesus fucking christ by llvllatrix · · Score: 1

    In Soviet Russia, system administrates you.

  12. Someone disagrees ... by kryten_nl · · Score: 1, Funny
    --
    For the perfect anti-Unix, write an OS that thinks it knows what you're doing better than you do and let it be wrong.
    1. Re:Someone disagrees ... by Fozzyuw · · Score: 3, Funny
      --
      "The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth." ~1984 George Orwell
    2. Re:Someone disagrees ... by ticklemeozmo · · Score: 2, Informative

      See, xkcd is clearly getting better. Not a shitty comic for over a year!

      --
      When modding "Informative", please make sure it both has a source and IS actually informative.
    3. Re:Someone disagrees ... by saiha · · Score: 0

      xkcd has about 10 funny comics. I think people spam it to to sites like digg and slashdot because it gives them hope that they too can create a webcomic. Somehow xkcd doesn't rely on good art or good jokes so there has to be this third factor.

  13. Re:Jesus fucking christ by idontgno · · Score: 1

    So... what you're saying is that you don't get the jokes? That's ok. Not everyone has what it takes. For the rest, there's always Heathcliff.

    --
    Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
  14. Re:Jesus fucking christ by Imaria · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You seem angry about something. I can't put my finger on it...

  15. paid to care? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    pfffft, as if....I work for the government. "Sorry, the job description doesn't say anything about terrorists. I will have to transfer your outage report to our terrorist response team, maybe they will be able to fix it." They only barely pay me enough to come into work...actually caring about the job is at least another $15k a year away.

  16. almost perfect by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I misread the title text as "... your cat's blog servers." which seemed all the funnier to me.

    1. Re:almost perfect by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 1

      I misread the title text as "... your cat's blog servers." which seemed all the funnier to me.

      How do I wish IT here would update my system so I can run something newer than Red Hat 9. Firefox 2.0.0.20 truncates the title text of xkcd, requiring that I view the source to read it all. IT gets pissy when I instead run Firefox 3.5 on our build server, the only Linux machine in the whole company new enough that can run it. Apparently the only thing that will force them to update it is running out of functional AGP video cards.

      "The weird sense of duty really good sysadmins have can border on the sociopathic, but it's nice to know that it stands between the forces of darkness and your cat blog's servers."

      --
      Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
  17. oblig by JustOK · · Score: 0, Redundant

    best xkcd ever!

    --
    rewriting history since 2109
  18. Re: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Everyone should go to http://www.goatkcd.com as it makes xkcd slightly funny instead of bad. Be cautioned, this is very nsfw.

    I hate you.....

  19. Hit the nail on the head by awshidahak · · Score: 1

    xkcd really hit the nail on the head today.

    Strange, one of my friends was hit on the head with a nail yesterday. XKCD IS TEH EBIL!!!

  20. Obligatory xkcd reference by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  21. I don't come to slashdot for the stories by ModernGeek · · Score: 1

    I come for the discussions. I for one, welcome our XKCD overlords.

    --
    Sig: I stole this sig.
    1. Re:I don't come to slashdot for the stories by eleuthero · · Score: 1

      given that a number of us read the xkcd strips, I would rather enjoy having a comment section on a number of the more intuitive / technical posts to allow for discussion.

    2. Re:I don't come to slashdot for the stories by Drantin · · Score: 2, Informative

      Did you know that they have a forum to discuss individual comics?

      --
      Actio personalis moritur cum persona. (Dead men don't sue)
    3. Re:I don't come to slashdot for the stories by Bobfrankly1 · · Score: 1

      I come for the discussions. I for one, welcome our XKCD overlords.

      You must be new here. Welcome!

    4. Re:I don't come to slashdot for the stories by eleuthero · · Score: 1

      This is what I get for just looking at the pictures. Reading, what a novel idea.

  22. Re: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Replace the last panel with the Goatse Guy, oh my, that's really clever and original, right.

    (No, it isn't. Really it's not.)

  23. Obligatory xkcd link by Rigrig · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Best xkcd comic ever (Well, if you're lucky.)

    Actually, I suppose someone should've made an 'Obligatory article' reply...

    --
    **TODO** [X] Steal someone elses sig.
  24. This happened to us once by c0y · · Score: 1

    Well, not the hostages part. But we lost a T1 circuit at a client site when burglars attempted to break into the Credit Union next door. Being wholly unclear of the purpose of an alarm circuit, they cut all the copper going into the business park. That didn't work out so great for them, since it cause an alarm that the police responded to.

  25. buried by saiha · · Score: 1

    oh wait, you mean this isn't digg?

  26. Meta-comment by dorre · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is comment about comments and I realize I might be doing the same thing I'm complaining that other's are. Actually I'm pretty sure I am. Overall I dont like when comments like 'what's this doing on slashdot?'. Give attention to topics that are interesting to you personally. If a comment is not interesting, why do even bother giving it time? That's a waste of time. Reading an a boring article and then complaining about it.

  27. Thanks by Tarlus · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Thank you, Digg. ...er, I mean, Slashdot.

    --
    /* No Comment */
  28. Re:Jesus fucking christ by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

    You know, I've spent hours explaining blurbs from the "Big Bang Theory" too.

        Not everyone gets every joke. I'm sure there's at least one accounting joke, and I probably wouldn't get it.

        "and then he said, it was amarotized over 30 years! HAHAAHA"

        huh?

        To each his own. Some people like fart humor too.

    --
    Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
  29. Excuse me, Mr. Eil by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Last Modified: 6/26/00

    Slashdot has since sold their soul to the corporate overlords. The FAQ is not only dated, it's now wrong. Slashdot posts what they are told to post.

  30. The worst thing about Idle by Jesus_666 · · Score: 1

    What I really hate about Idle is that if you use the Slashdot RSS feed it's impossible to distinguish between an Idle story and a regular one. You also can't filter out Idle. I'm thinking about writing a web scraper that obtains the regular RSS feed, logs into /., grabs my filtered story list and uses that to sanitize the RSS feed, which is then presented to me. Alternatively, /. could just offer a second RSS feed for those who are perfectly aware of xkcd, waterskiing squirrels and the like without reading about them on /..

    --
    USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
  31. xkcd - Irony by AlpineR · · Score: 1

    While I agree with your sentiment, I'd like to point out the irony in posting to complain about how people shouldn't post to complain about stuff they don't like. I wonder if there's an xkcd about that.

    1. Re:xkcd - Irony by smi.james.th · · Score: 1

      mod parent +1 insightful
      You've probably got the best point out of everyone here, having thought about it.

      --
      One thing I know, and that is that I am ignorant...
  32. Don't Forget To Invoke Fanboism by weston · · Score: 3, Funny

    Although maybe I'm doing it wrong. The next time I'm in a restaurant and I see someone at another table with broccoli, I'm going to turn beat red and throw a hissy fit about how horrible broccoli is and how terrible it is that I have to see the stuff in public because of those damned broccoli lovers who think it's some miracle cancer curing vegetable or something.

    Don't forget to rail against the groupthink of "Broccoli Fanbois" and talk about how the CVM (Cruciferous Vegetable Megacorp) has blinded everybody with their PR, marketing, and lobbying. All while better vegetables like onions and collard greens end up playing second fiddle. I mean, you might be modded/shouted down but somebody has to say it.

  33. Computers Humans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes, the xkcd comic clearly showed that computers are more important to IT people than their human users.