XKCD Improving the Internet ... Yet AgainComments:204
Posted by
CmdrTaco
on Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:25 AM from the oh-oh-monroe dept.
netbuzz writes "Comic creator Randall Monroe suggested in a recent xkcd strip that YouTube comments would be better — or, more precisely, less idiotic — if only those posting them were forced to hear their words read aloud first. Well, YouTube has gone and made this "audio preview" a reality, albeit an optional one. And, it's not the first time that xkcd has contributed to the betterment of the Internet, as those who are familiar with last year's "Internet census" and its use of a Hilbert curve may remember."
Correction. The people who need this feature are likely to use it to get the computer to say naughty things to them. Especially if there is an option to have the voice be the woman with a British accent used on some GPS systems.
I suspect you mean an English accent. Scottish or Welsh are very different. In fact, I'd go so far to say that you probably mean a "Posh" Received Pronunciation English accent.
Correction accepted. But, I'm more inclined to believe that it's actually an American actress (from Iowa or something) doing her imitation of what she thinks an English accent is--a grotesque hybrid of Received Pronunciation and Cockney.
I really am from Iowa, and according to Wikipedia [wikipedia.org] so are these people:
Tom Arnold
Lara Flynn Boyle
Terry Farrell
John Getz
David Anthony Higgins
Mary Beth Hurt
Ashton Kutcher
Cloris Leachman
Ron Livingston
Kate Mulgrew
Donna Reed
Brandon Routh
John Wayne
Elijah Wood
You are absolutely spot on. I just signed up for a youtube account JUST to have the computer read me some colorful comments. =p
It's done in a Microsoft Sam-like voice. Poking around the site doesn't seem to reveal any options for changing the voice, but on the bright side the system is really easy to use. When posting a comment you have the text field and three buttons under it: First "Audio preview," then "Post Comment," and "Discard." Hopefully they'll change "Post Comment" to "Post" so that Audio preview will be the largest button, causing the quick and the lazy to sometimes accidentally hear their comment. (=
I think Slashdot's approach with the quick-reply AJAXified version is fine: preview and cancel, with two useless buttons that nobody uses. And after you preview, you still usually have to wait about 15 minutes to post the comment because you type at a rate of more than two words per hour.
Audio previews should really wipe out all but the true extremes - only the most determined idiots and geniuses will actually submit their comments. Whether that's a good thing or not remains to be seen.
I was going to say the mandatory voice would be a pre-pubescent boy, shrieking loudly. If you can stand what you're saying with that coming over the speakers, it's probably exceptionally intelligent and informed.
I would go further on your prediction by claiming that no one will use it altogether other than to just try it out. Albeit innovative for an online service, it is a feature that serves no real purpose when not imposed on the user.
As an American, I always had a problem with this expression because I thought, what's a Brit to do when someone is wearing pants that are rubbish? Are they to say, "my good fellow, those pants are completely pants!" But then someone corrected me and noted that they would say "those trousers are completely pants." I felt much better after that conversation.
You guys are obviously forgetting to check the most useful site on the internet.
http://www.isxkcdshittytoday.com/ [isxkcdshittytoday.com]
The RSS feed is very, very handy.
I think the greatest improvement of our lifes from xkcd was when Stallman got a katana [xkcd.com]. Now I can sleep better, knowing he will be protected from the he-who-cannot-be-named, aka Bill.
This is an interesting idea, although part of me really cringes at the notion that we're implementing a device that's designed to IMPEDE communication on a site whose stated goal is: "Broadcast Yourself"
It will be interesting to follow usage patterns, but what I most fear is that this becomes a norm, and sites like slashdot receive less feedback due to the sheer amount of time required to listen to each commenter's post.
Am I the only one who doesn't really see this as a problem? I've never been in the situation where I'm watching something on youtube, and am suddenly interrupted by a stream of moronic comments. Frankly, I treat youtube as a novelty. An enormous narcissistic portrait of (primarily) white, middle class people. It's fun to watch, but if you're using it for any serious data, you're crazy.
Interesting concept... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Interesting concept... (Score:5, Insightful)
Correction. The people who need this feature are likely to use it to get the computer to say naughty things to them. Especially if there is an option to have the voice be the woman with a British accent used on some GPS systems.
Re:Interesting concept... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Interesting concept... (Score:5, Funny)
Correction accepted. But, I'm more inclined to believe that it's actually an American actress (from Iowa or something) doing her imitation of what she thinks an English accent is--a grotesque hybrid of Received Pronunciation and Cockney.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Hey, I am from Iowa you insensitive clod...
I really am from Iowa, and according to Wikipedia [wikipedia.org] so are these people:
Tom Arnold
Lara Flynn Boyle
Terry Farrell
John Getz
David Anthony Higgins
Mary Beth Hurt
Ashton Kutcher
Cloris Leachman
Ron Livingston
Kate Mulgrew
Donna Reed
Brandon Routh
John Wayne
Elijah Wood
Re:Interesting concept... (Score:5, Funny)
I really am from Iowa, and according to Wikipedia [wikipedia.org] ...
I just added God and Steve Forbes, too.
Re:Interesting concept... (Score:5, Funny)
It's encouraging to see that people can and do escape Iowa, but that probably doesn't help your point.
Re:Interesting concept... (Score:5, Funny)
Pro-tip: When listing famous people from your state, don't lead with Tom Arnold.
Re:Interesting concept... (Score:4, Funny)
And James T. Kirk. He only works in outer space.
Re:Interesting concept... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Interesting concept... (Score:5, Funny)
That would be the Factory Standard GPS Voice (Female) [uncyclopedia.org].
Re:Interesting concept... (Score:5, Funny)
It's done in a Microsoft Sam-like voice. Poking around the site doesn't seem to reveal any options for changing the voice, but on the bright side the system is really easy to use. When posting a comment you have the text field and three buttons under it: First "Audio preview," then "Post Comment," and "Discard." Hopefully they'll change "Post Comment" to "Post" so that Audio preview will be the largest button, causing the quick and the lazy to sometimes accidentally hear their comment. (=
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I think Slashdot's approach with the quick-reply AJAXified version is fine: preview and cancel, with two useless buttons that nobody uses. And after you preview, you still usually have to wait about 15 minutes to post the comment because you type at a rate of more than two words per hour.
Audio previews should really wipe out all but the true extremes - only the most determined idiots and geniuses will actually submit their comments. Whether that's a good thing or not remains to be seen.
Re:Interesting concept... (Score:4, Funny)
I was going to say the mandatory voice would be a pre-pubescent boy, shrieking loudly. If you can stand what you're saying with that coming over the speakers, it's probably exceptionally intelligent and informed.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm so torn... (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:I'm so torn... (Score:5, Insightful)
I believe most of us would agree that nothing from idle belongs on the front page.
Re:I'm so torn... (Score:5, Funny)
To be fair, I believe most of those would agree that nothing on Slashdot belongs on the front page.
I'm impressed! (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I figured it out.
click the triangle and the front of the tags.
PS: I apologies for my previous post since it is not true since we can still tag this story: idleispants
Re:I'm impressed! (Score:5, Informative)
Re:I'm impressed! (Score:5, Funny)
As an American, I always had a problem with this expression because I thought, what's a Brit to do when someone is wearing pants that are rubbish? Are they to say, "my good fellow, those pants are completely pants!" But then someone corrected me and noted that they would say "those trousers are completely pants." I felt much better after that conversation.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Trousers=Pants in the UK. And yes, you can mod me informative.
No good (Score:5, Insightful)
Of course... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Of course... (Score:5, Informative)
That's a pretty bad example if you ask me, given that both sites were created by the same person.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Of course... (Score:5, Funny)
How pointless. It would be more accurate to simply have a text file which reads "no".
Re:Of course... (Score:4, Funny)
Life imitates XKCD (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Life imitates XKCD (Score:5, Funny)
Now if they could just get the order right (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I have to ask... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
if only... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:if only... (Score:5, Funny)
Yes, then people, would realize, how their comment wheezes, when it is full, of unnecessary commas.
Re:if only... (Score:5, Funny)
It won't do much good (Score:2)
The problem is, most of the people who need this won't realize how stupid and inarticulate they sound.
Re: (Score:2)
Wait a minute... (Score:5, Funny)
Shades of Soylent Green (Score:2)
First Impressions (Score:2)
pot kettle black (Score:2)
Also (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)