HRWiki:STUFF/Archive/technology

Gank this fact

From: technology
Posted on: 18:44, 6 February 2006 (UTC)

Arguments for:

• Strong Bad has referenced MMORPGs before.
• In the picture, Japan is being "ganked" by the robot.
• Sometimes sound effects in comics are also intentional puns.

Arguments against:

• In the context of the robot picture, "gank gank!" seems more likely to be the robot's sound effect than a reference to MMORPG's.

Additional comments:

• Looking at the Wikipedia article, it seems that Gank also comes for 80's music with is a common theme on homestar Runner. A rewrite maybe is in order?
  • No, I don't think 80's music is relevant to the killer robot either...

[ Back to STUFF index ]

Robots In Japan

From: technology
Posted on: 02:24, 1 February 2006 (UTC)

Arguments for:

• This is a recognizeable genre with an easily identifiable example for Strong Bad to make a reference to.
• The key word here is "Japan". If he had said robots destroying Brazil, it wouldn't be a reference.

Arguments against:

• Like the Service Robots fact, this refers to a genre, of which there are many examples. While Godzilla is a reference everyone recognizes, Godzilla is not a robot destroying Japan.
• It probably won't make much sense to accept this fact and decline the Service Robot fact at the same time.

Additional comments:

• Perhaps this fact can be combined somehow with the Service Robot fact?
• In some movies, Godzilla is defending Japan from robots, such as Godzilla versus Mechagodzilla.
• I agree with the Godzilla thing. I saw the robot, and the thought was "Godzilla".
• If this is accepted, it would probably make more sense to put this in Explanations/Remarks than Real World References.

[ Back to STUFF index ]

Robots In Service

From: technology
Posted on: 21:14, 31 January 2006 (UTC)

Arguments for:

• The page already has "The comment about robots destroying Japanese cities refers to countless films (including Godzilla) in which major Japanese cities are destroyed by giant creatures or robots" How is this reference any more TTATOT than that? How about re-wording it to:"The comment about robots serving hors d'oeuvres refers to countless films (including Return of the Jedi) in which hors d'oeuvres are served by robots."
  • Sounds like a good argument for removing the other fact as well. Again, no clear reference, though that particular genre is a bit more recognizeable.

Arguments against:

• There is no clear reference here. This fact is going into TTATOT territory already. Suggest a revision to make it a clear, singular pop-culture reference.
• The idea of service robots doing menial tasks has been around much longer than either of the movies referenced in this fact.

Additional comments:

• Are there any Isaac Asimov-inspired themes in that? I know he did a lot for robotic ideas; did he have them doing menial tasks such as that?
  • "Bicentennial Man" (which I believe was a Ray Bradbury story) started with a robot butler, and other classic sci-fi authors have touched on this theme as well. But there are so many different ways this email could reference the concept of service robots that I think the Fun Fact should make reference to the idea itself, rather than to any specific movie. Everyone's going to have their own interpretation of the idea.
    • Responding to myself here: We generally don't reference ideas unless there is a specific source for the idea. Unfortunately, the idea of service robots is as old as science-fiction itself, and there hasn't been any one single originator of that concept.
    • It made me think of Revenge of the Nerds, where the nerds program a robot to serve hors d'oeuvres at their fraternity initiation.
      • Proving rather nicely that this is a TTATOT fact. :)
• I dont remember Asimov's robots ever serving food...

Proposed revision:

Arguments for:

• See the Godzilla fact (which was rewritten just before this proposal). Both of Strong Bad's comments refer to popular and common science-fiction genres, so this fact has been rewritten to reference the concept/genre rather than any specific instances.

Arguments against:

• While this revision is certainly true, the removal of the specific movies makes the fact less noteworthy.

Additional comments:

• I would hold off on adding specific movies and stories to this fact, because unlike the Godzilla ref, there aren't any clear, popular pop-culture references to service robots.
  • What about the robot maid in Jetsons?
• This may not be Sci-Fi much longer. [RIDC-01] is designed to do just that.
• I find that the way Strong Bad says "hors d'oeuvres" sounds almost as though he said "orders". I think it might be a play on words, more than anything.

[ Back to STUFF index ]

Super Robot Bowl XL

From: technology
Posted on: 16:01, 6 February 2006 (UTC)

Arguments for:

• Fact is valid, interesting and interesting coincidental. Follows same format as fact accepted about Fall Float Parade when the accident occurred after the toon aired.

Arguments against:

• Any resemblance between this and a Fun Fact is purely coincindental.
• In a year, I'm not sure this will seem noteworthy.
• The Hummer commercial didn't really have much, if anything, to do with the kind of technology Strong Bad had been talking about.
• While this might have been the commercial's first airing, it's been available online for quite some time. It was posted to 'Boards magazine's Screening Room not long after they posted the video for Franz Ferdinand's single "Do You Want To" which was released in September '05 and as an album in October '05.
• There's a connection with the Fall Float Parade and its respective fact: They are both fall parade mishaps. There is no connection between this email and a commercial.

Additional comments:

• That's the whole point. The first word is Coincidentally! The fact that that Strong Bad mention a piece of non-so-everyday popculture the is displayed during the super bowl is of note.
  • Even though I admit I thought of the Strong Bad Email when I saw the commercial, this really isn't that connected. Unlike the Macy's Thanksgiving real-life coincidence, this one is too stereotypically generic to be considered directly relevant.

[ Back to STUFF index ]

Save that screen

From: technology
Posted on: 15:11, 2 February 2006 (UTC)

Arguments for:

• I didn't know this before reading the fact.
• Although screensavers have other uses, "The screen is saved, man. This thing's gonna last like 50 years!" suggests Strong Bad is more interested in the saving aspect.
• A screensaver on a laptop would be less desireable (sp) than turning the screen off entirely or putting the system in some sort of standby or hibernation mode as it would use power to process and display the image(s).

Arguments against:

• For a while now, screensavers have served no purpose other than entertainment or security, even in CRT monitors.
• Screen Savers don't just save CRT screens from burn-in, they are also often used to "lock" computers and hide data on the screen. Many workplace environments require some form of password-protected screen saver (even if it just blanks the screen) if you leave your computer unattended for more than a few minutes, so random passers-by can't snoop.

Additional comments:

• According to the wiki, the screensaver will actually reduce the lifetime of the display, since "the fluorescent backlight remains lit and ages faster than it would if the screen was turned off completely."

[ Back to STUFF index ]

Food Court of Public Opinion

From: technology
Posted on: 19:36, 1 February 2006 (UTC)

Arguments for:

• The explanation of food courts is relevant and not necessarily common knowledge.

Arguments against:

• This "fact" is mostly opinion.
• There are three seperate thoughts in this item; teenagers, food courts, and cell phones; Strong Bad's commentary's on the foibles of youth; and an explanation of what a food court is.
• The reference to Secret Identity doesn't make a clear explanation as to what the relationship between the two e-mails is.
• The one factual part (the explanation of food courts) is not exactly earth-shattering.
• It's too long.
• Any explanation belongs on the Food Court page.

Additional comments:

[ Back to STUFF index ]