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I have seen xkcd #927 used to dismiss discussions of standards on HN so many times that it is the only xkcd comic I can recognize by number.

0942v8653 10y ago
Same with 538 for me, though it's more often a mention of the "$5 wrench" than a link.
nv-vn 10y ago
Yep, going into the list it was the first xkcd link I saw and I immediately knew what it was before even seeing the number.
ZenoArrow 10y ago
I don't recognise it by number, but I knew exactly which one it would be. The thing I find slightly annoying about those that use xkcd #927 as a response is that it ignores how new standards can push things forward, it's mostly/always used in a dismissive way. Also, if the new standard is enough of an improvement on the old standards, it can largely cause development using the old standards to stop, causing a consolidation in the market rather than splintering the market further. Hopefully one day more people will realise xkcd #927 isn't that insightful, it's just a simplification of the issue to make it a better joke.
- igravious 10y ago
  I've started downvoting comments that are XKCD links and nothing more to encourage context-giving and discourage needless repetition.
- digi_owl 10y ago
  Yeah the way i see it, the reason we get so many "standards" is because commercial interests always want to build silos. A "standard" is, imo, worthless if you have to supplicant yourself to corporation A, B or C to implement it. Sadly the consumer world is more and more willing to do just that. Observe how while IBMs attempt at siloing the PC with MCA went nowhere, "we" were all too willing to embrace Apple's proprietary "standard" regarding device docking.
Matt3o12_ 10y ago
Funny, I would have thought that the wrench comic would have been more popular. But maybe it has become more popular in the recent few years thanks to the advance of cryptography.

0942v8653 10y ago

Same with 538 for me, though it's more often a mention of the "$5 wrench" than a link.

nv-vn 10y ago

Yep, going into the list it was the first xkcd link I saw and I immediately knew what it was before even seeing the number.

ZenoArrow 10y ago

I don't recognise it by number, but I knew exactly which one it would be. The thing I find slightly annoying about those that use xkcd #927 as a response is that it ignores how new standards can push things forward, it's mostly/always used in a dismissive way. Also, if the new standard is enough of an improvement on the old standards, it can largely cause development using the old standards to stop, causing a consolidation in the market rather than splintering the market further. Hopefully one day more people will realise xkcd #927 isn't that insightful, it's just a simplification of the issue to make it a better joke.

igravious 10y ago
I've started downvoting comments that are XKCD links and nothing more to encourage context-giving and discourage needless repetition.
digi_owl 10y ago
Yeah the way i see it, the reason we get so many "standards" is because commercial interests always want to build silos. A "standard" is, imo, worthless if you have to supplicant yourself to corporation A, B or C to implement it. Sadly the consumer world is more and more willing to do just that. Observe how while IBMs attempt at siloing the PC with MCA went nowhere, "we" were all too willing to embrace Apple's proprietary "standard" regarding device docking.

Matt3o12_ 10y ago

Funny, I would have thought that the wrench comic would have been more popular. But maybe it has become more popular in the recent few years thanks to the advance of cryptography.