xkcdsucks: Overrated: Live from Class

Because here at xkcdsucks: Overrated, we have class.

xkcd #688: Self Reference, xkcdsucks# 363: There Is No Title For My Post About Comic 688, xkcdsucks: Overrated #8: xkcdsucks: Overrated: Live from Class

Self reference. Not the newest or most original idea, but Randall always puts his own touch on these kinds of comics (Carl is nice enough to provide us with a selection of comics sharing this theme). I, for one, liked this one better than the SMBC, but that's not saying much. This comic had a good premise, but beyond that it was just, well, uninspired.

But on to xkcdsucks. So Carl starts onto the comic by nitpicking about specific wording. And sure, if you think about it there are ways to say these things better, but on the first read-through it was perfectly clear. More specific or technically accurate wording won't make the comic more funny, it would just satisfy the nitpickers (of which I am notoriously one). Now someone's going to argue that nitpicking is the point of a review, or that wasn't nitpicking, but it's not and it was (actually, no one's going to argue that, because the only people who read my blog are me, Carl, and my mother[she actually doesn't, if you're wondering]). You want to know if it's volume or area? What are you my math teacher?

Somewhere in there Carl says that he thinks the whole thing is just "acts like it is really clever and took a lot of hard work when it clearly didn't," especially the alt-text. Well, I think that may be basically true, except for bit about the alt-text. I thought that it was pretty clever, but after reading Carl's retort I guess it isn't (so good job Carl, I guess, but thanks for spoiling it for me).

Oh, and "pi" chart? I hope that was not intentional, because if you meant for that to be a pun... well, then you are a bad person.

P.S. Reading Carl's comments on the guest Dinosaur Comics comic made me feel sad. What is the world coming to? Dinosaur Comics is like one of those early evening sitcoms that knows it's not funny but still makes "jokes." Well, different tastes then, I guess.

Maybe [Where Ever Carl Lives] will Go Too

So, there are about four things I should be doing right now, but at the moment I am doing none (Your welcome, Carl.)

I don't know, I agree with the points Carl made. Like Carl said, the idea of using dimensional analysis to prove that England is going to float off to sea is pretty funny and has some potential. There is too much going on here.

Carl did a pretty good job with this post I think. He addressed the comic (hey, these days we can't take anything for granted), critiqued specific parts (he even added in some advice on how to fix it), and pretty much did a good job overall. I guess Carl's earned his rations for today.

Not just did Carl review the comic, he even added in something more, something for general blag atmosphere. Wow. Nice little story, helps us to relate to the poster.

So overall it was a good day for xkcdsucks. I don't know what else there is to say really. Carl found some complaints, backed them up, stayed reasonable, and made an effective blog post. Anyone have any other ideas for what to say in these posts? I don't think I can review xkcd (that would be taking xkcd's thunder) and its pretty hard to review blog posts in anything more than a few sentances. Not fancy, but functional.

Blogging isn't as glorious as I'd expected (or as tv made it out to be).

PS. Isn't a college degree basically what's needed to teach science? Or was that sarcasm?

Excuses

Wow, one post and I'm already behind. I've been busy (and in Detroit), and Carl's been busy (at the computer) so I guess I owe you a few posts. I'll try to catch up over this week!

xkcdsucks: Overrated: The Pilot Post

(Before I start, I just have to say that I don't really get the punchline in the comic, or at least I don't see a joke, but maybe that is just my optimism that the joke isn't what I fear it is. But anyway...)


Wow. I know how Carl feels. Looking through the archives, I find so many posts that get me so mad I find myself shouting at the computer. But today, alas, was not one of those days. Instead of being filled with anger that could pass as rabies (or just as often the opposite, a resounding "word"), I found myself filled with the mediocrity spilling out of this post.

Our guest poster begins with a quite helpful explanation of zsh and the command line movement for those of you who are... less learned in the ways of the fairer operating system. The gust poster then gives a play by play of the comic, and begins to hate on, among other things, puns and .

I guess this post has succeeded in avoiding the main mistakes made by xkcdsucks. The joke was understood, and actually addressed the actual... punch line(?). There was no comment on the art (this must surely be xkcdsucks's post-punchline dialogue) and the points were valid.

That's not to say it was particularly good, either. When xkcd is terrible, I expect xkcdsucks to be good enough to make up for it. I guess when xkcd is solidly mediocre, so is xkcdsucks.




Oh, and that picture. I am scarred for life. Thanks for that. Although, a certain xkcd comes to mind for setting the president in that regard (Please, don't click on the link, you can't unsee that. Just read what Carl had to say).

xkcdsucks: Overrated is Back!!!

Isn't it about time that xkcdsucks has a worthy rival? If one thing can be said about Carl, at least he bothers to update, unlike the spin-offs and counter blogs he has inspired. So, fueled by this view, I have re-imagined xkcdsucks: Overrated, and the new blog begins next week.

But be warned: this isn't going to be one of those joke blogs where the blogger uses big words and fancy language just to sound smart. I'll point out where Carl's wrong, try to set him straight, or possibly agree.

Comic 563: Awww yeah

I liked this comic well enough. It wasn't great, but it's much better than most nowadays.

Carl's problem with it is that it's creepy. There's nothing wrong with a creepy comic.* Creepiness isn't exactly new to xkcd. There have been plenty of creepy, funny comics in the past. This comic had math and a dirty joke, what more do you need? Oh, more funny? Well screw you, they can't all be this funny. Again, I think Carl is just trying to find things to hate.

Not that I think we should be giving Randall a break, he's still pretty awful.


*Granted, this is one of my favorite comics, so maybe take that with a grain of salt.

Comic 560: Who cares? Me cares, that's who

For someone on the internet, Carl certainly doesn't like advancements in technology. What's with the Lithium-ion hate? You don't like a pocket sized phone, under 40lbs laptops, and ...pacemakers? Rather than reasons why this xkcd sucked it big time, we got a rant about why we shouldn't care about Li-ion batteries. It seems like Carl just wants to hate xkcd, regardless of reasons.

I much prefer hating this comic for good reasons. Like why does Randal want to have a poor quality pacemaker put inside him at the beginning of his life? And why exactly does he want one of those giant brick phones anyway? Plus the fact that this comic is void of a joke.

Of course Carl decided to just ignore the point of the comic, which is that tiny R/C helicopters rule. Randall wants to have been able to enjoy them as a kid. I remember the crappy toys I had, and when I see all the awesome toys available for kids today I look back on the crap I had.


And then this:

"Ok i'm sorry to harp on it but seriously: Why not say "my life would be better if I were really rich" ? You could buy a businessman phone if you felt like it in the late 80s, it would just be expensive and a waste of money. You could have a pacemaker installed, too, but i don't know why you would. Why not "my life would have been better if lithium batteries had been used in different products at first, targeted at a younger demographic""

That's your suggestion for a better comic? Okay, let's see how that would go.



Wow. Hilarious. Go back to pointing out the suckiness of xkcd and leave the sucky comics to Randall.