Wikipedia:xkcd in popular culture
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 | This page in a nutshell: It is possible for xkcd examples in "popular culture" sections to be useful, informative and helpful in understanding a subject, but be sure that the subject was impacted by the reference rather than just mentioned in it. |
The popular webcomic
External links
" or the like.
Most of the time, this is not actually helpful. Popular webcomics do affect popular culture, but not every time they mention a particular subject. The best way to treat "in popular culture" sections of articles is to use them to cover examples which have actually influenced the way that the public looks at the subject. Simply adding in a time that a subject is mentioned in your favourite TV show or comic leads to these sections quickly becoming unmanageable
cruft that would be far better placed on a more appropriate site, such as TV Tropes
.
Appropriate references
- Randall Munroe, the author of xkcd, loves Python. He wrote a strip which implies that using Python is so easy that, if there were a module called antigravity, you could just
import antigravityand be flying in five minutes.[1] So for Python 3, the developers actually added this module, which humorously acknowledges the notion by opening a web browser and navigating to the strip in question.[2] - Sean Tevis decided to promote his tech credentials by running an ad in an xkcd style during his 2008 State House race.[3] It attracted attention from sources who wouldn't ordinarily be interested in such a race,[4] the campaign received over a hundred thousand dollars from online donations,[5] and in the end the election was definitely closer because of it.
- Cory Doctorow is an xkcd staple, mostly because he's a famous early adopter of Internet memes and technology. So after xkcd portrayed him as blogging from a hot-air balloon in a cape and goggles,[6] at an awards ceremony, the presenters provided him a costume and he actually dressed up like that.[7]
Inappropriate references
- xkcd humorously suggested that the symmetric: Voynich is relevant to the xkcd strip, but the strip is not relevant to Voynich.
- A band member of a rock group is seen for a few seconds in a music video wearing a T-shirt that says "xkcd". This should NOT be mentioned in the xkcd article in Wikipedia.
- Any case where moments after reading an xkcd strip one goes to Wikipedia to check the article on whatever it covered, and adds in a link to the xkcd strip with no further relevance.
How to tell the difference
When trying to decide if an xkcd reference is appropriate to an article, ask yourself the following:
- Has the subject acknowledged the existence of the reference?
- Have reliable sourceswhich do not generally cover xkcd pointed out the strip?
- Did any real-world event occur because of the reference?[9]
If you answer "no" to all three of these, you are adding mere trivia. Answer "yes" to all three, and you are probably adding valuable content.
See also
References
- ^ "A Webcomic — Python". xkcd. 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
- ^ "antigravity.py source code". Retrieved 2019-01-16.
- ^ "Running for Office: It's Like A Flamewar with a Forum Troll, but with an Eventual Winner". Seantevis.com. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
- ^ "Strangely, I find myself wishing I lived in Kansas : Pharyngula". Scienceblogs.com. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
- ^ http://ethics.ks.gov/CFAScanned/House/2008ElecCycle/200810/H015ST_200810.pdf
- ^ "Blagofaire". xkcd. 2007-03-23. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
- ^ "Cory Doctorow, Part II « xkcd". Blag.xkcd.com. 2007-03-28. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
- ^ "Voynich Manuscript". xkcd. Retrieved 2012-11-06.
- ^ Miss Cellania (May 6, 2010). "Inspired by xkcd". Archived from the original on 18 August 2010.
External links
- xkcd: In popular culture xkcd cartoon which humorously comments on the addition of trivial cultural references to Wikipedia
- A watchblog for xkcd and Wikipedia (has not been updated since April 29, 2011; most likely dead)