Interviewing the fora

[flicky1991]

I don't.

When did you feel the most optimistic you ever have?

[careyhammer]

I don't.

Yeah, right
Lol

[cjmcjmcjmcjm]

Almost every day I'm not getting laid

(what question did I just answer?)

[flicky1991]

I would assume my one, but the previous one would make more sense.

How long do you sleep each night, on average?

[orangedragonfire]

I'd guess 8 hours, but I'm not sure, as I tend to lie awake in bed for a while before managing to get to sleep. This average is brought to you by many days if too little sleep and a few days of too much sleep.

What is your favorite phrase that you've come up with yourself?

[Gypped]

"Thoughts are fleeting; actions are permanent" is my go-to mantra when I feel emotionally compromised. It reminds me to do my best to take a step back and analyze the situation as objectively as I can. One must be careful, though, since doing nothing is also an action.

What is one of your personal philosophies?

[flicky1991]

The existence of God is neither provable nor disprovable and there's no point denying it.

What is your favourite sauce?

[marionic]

The existence of sauce is neither provable nor disprovable and there's no point denying it. But my favourite is tomato sauce.

Have you ever broken something you like because you were angry? If so, what was it?

[maninblack]

Yes. Many things. Most recently (tho tbh this was almost two years ago) I punched a wall, and dented it. It hasn't been fixed yet. I'm not sure it will get fixed before we paint the room.

Have you ever been afraid of yourself?

[UniqueScreenname]

Yes.

Where was the best vacation you've taken?

[cjmcjmcjmcjm]

Does my study abroad count?

If not, Québec

[Odilo]

Would you rather have a Ph. D in Undeclared or in Horribleness?

[UniqueScreenname]

Horribleness. Only by knowing the ways of horrible could I expertly avoid it.

What's your favorite color?

[ArDeeJ]

...octarine? yeah, octarine.

i liked solving this one
a) what are the extrema of f: ℝ → ℝ, f(x) = (sin(x))(cos(x + a)), a ∈ ℝ (a is an arbitrary parameter)?
b) did you solve it yourself or plug it in wolframalpha or something?
c) if you solved it, did you like solving it?
d) if you didn't solve it, did you like not solving it?
e) did you notice the slight abuse of notation?
f) what's your opinion on mathematics?

[Dr. Diaphanous]

a) 1 and -1 if I understood the question.
b) Good ol' fashioned thinkin'.
c)

Spoiler:

Enjoyment follows a distribution described by formula sin(x)cos(x+1.5π)

d) I didn't solve it for 5 days, which brought me deep shame when I realised I let this thread sink onto p2.
e) I assumed I was wrong and the notation was right.
f) Pretty cool at times (see graph)

Are you free this weekend?

[Odilo]

Well, tomorrow I'm getting together with a few friends and we're going to try to play Blind Quartets in real time, but apart from that I'm free.

What's your favourite forum game?

[UniqueScreenname]

I'm quite partial to mafia, but up here on the mainland I like Stinky Pinky.

Who is your role model?

[Gypped]

My role model the fantasy version of myself that has completed the goals I have set. I will never become him because, like me, he is ever-changing as my goals are satisfied and new ones are formed. He is my proverbial carrot on the stick to drive me forward, and I would be in dire straights if I ever felt that I caught up.

Do you have a preferred comfort food?

[bouer]

Comfort is for the weak.

What level of education do you have? Are you satisfied with it?

[flicky1991]

In a few months I will have completed my BSc. I see no reason to continue into higher levels of education.

What is the strangest text or e-mail you've ever got that wasn't spam?

[BigNose]

Both the strangest and funniest came from someone I was working with.
They stated that they were leaving the company to pursue a life long ambition to manage a football team. He then went on to describe the location as being in a remote area, but wanted the team to start from scratch as some form of government project. A dedicated area would be set aside for training and accommodation, into which he would be required to participate full-time.

The email continued for about 60 lines espousing this set up finalising in the statement, 'well I suppose you would like to see the team I would be managing?'

The link opened an image of a line of wet T-shirted models in tight high-cut shorts in Brazilian football kit.

ROFL did not cut the mustard.

If I can find the email, I'll edit this post and provide it.


Kustard - Ketchup and mustard
What's is your unusual food combination mix and make a name for it, if you haven't already?

[orangedragonfire]

Fried eggs and avocado. It's surprisingly good. I shall name it... "Fried eggs and avocado."

What is your favorite thought experiment?

[Dr. Diaphanous]

Pascal's mugging

What type of shoes do you most often wear?

[Gypped]

These are the most similar to what I wear. Mine are slightly different and brown in color.

Do you have a favorite number? If so, what is it and why is it your favorite?

[Vytron]

7.

Now, the story of why 7 is my favorite number is kind of weird, and long. You see, when I was a kid I had some from of Synesthesia where numbers and letters evoked strong personalities, including gender. So, I made plenty of comics that played these personalities out, and as I continued following the adventures of 7, she became my favorite.

She was really smart and caring, yet, very strong and could put in their place the other numbers, soon they learned it was best to be friends with her instead of enemies. I felt terribly sorry for her when she found her boyfriend 1, was cheating her with 2. She didn't do anything to deserve that, and 2 was just a manipulative bitch, I never understood what 1 saw about 2 that caused that.

4 was the geeky guy, always carrying a book around and knowing all kind of facts, other numbers would also make fun of him and abuse him, I felt sorry for 4, as he shared characteristics with me, and always thought, why can't 7 and 4 end up together.

But, I'm Mexican, all the pronunciations of the numbers happened in Spanish, and apparently, this way tied in with their personalities, because, as soon as I heard of Seven, he joined the adventures as 7's brother. His entrance was spectacular as he bested the other numbers at what they were best at, though this was about physical skills and the like (i.e. Seven would have lost a game of chess against Seven but never tried.)

The point was that when Four entered the scene, she was a very active girl that always got what she wanted, but she was pretty and nice. In the end she got in love for 4 and they ended together and had good chemistry, which was a good ending.

But 7 didn't. She didn't have much to choose from. 3 was the Ditz, bad at everything, and the only reason he was there seemed to be comic relief. 5 was 2's boyfriend, and together, they seemed to form some kind of Team Rocket team. And that's it. The rest of the numbers were females, and the males on the English numbers never got to interact with her much.

So she ended forgiving 1 and marrying him in the end. I always though she deserved better, and my crush on her remains on to this day. Yes, a crush on a fictional character of my own invention.

Curiously, 0 didn't invoke any emotions, or anything. I tried really hard to insert it into a story, it ended up being a backpack that turned on to life for one episode, and that was it.

Anyway, probably not what you wanted to hear, but I'm not a mathematician.

If you could cross-over any two worlds from fiction, which ones would be?

[UniqueScreenname]

I would like a sort of Epic Rap Battles of History where Jane Austen characters fight Bronte characters and kick their butts.

Do you know how to sew?

[Gypped]

7.

Now, the story of why 7 is my favorite number is kind of weird, and long. You see, when I was a kid I had some from of Synesthesia where numbers and letters evoked strong personalities, including gender. So, I made plenty of comics that played these personalities out, and as I continued following the adventures of 7, she became my favorite.

She was really smart and caring, yet, very strong and could put in their place the other numbers, soon they learned it was best to be friends with her instead of enemies. I felt terribly sorry for her when she found her boyfriend 1, was cheating her with 2. She didn't do anything to deserve that, and 2 was just a manipulative bitch, I never understood what 1 saw about 2 that caused that.

4 was the geeky guy, always carrying a book around and knowing all kind of facts, other numbers would also make fun of him and abuse him, I felt sorry for 4, as he shared characteristics with me, and always thought, why can't 7 and 4 end up together.

But, I'm Mexican, all the pronunciations of the numbers happened in Spanish, and apparently, this way tied in with their personalities, because, as soon as I heard of Seven, he joined the adventures as 7's brother. His entrance was spectacular as he bested the other numbers at what they were best at, though this was about physical skills and the like (i.e. Seven would have lost a game of chess against Seven but never tried.)

The point was that when Four entered the scene, she was a very active girl that always got what she wanted, but she was pretty and nice. In the end she got in love for 4 and they ended together and had good chemistry, which was a good ending.

But 7 didn't. She didn't have much to choose from. 3 was the Ditz, bad at everything, and the only reason he was there seemed to be comic relief. 5 was 2's boyfriend, and together, they seemed to form some kind of Team Rocket team. And that's it. The rest of the numbers were females, and the males on the English numbers never got to interact with her much.

So she ended forgiving 1 and marrying him in the end. I always though she deserved better, and my crush on her remains on to this day. Yes, a crush on a fictional character of my own invention.

Curiously, 0 didn't invoke any emotions, or anything. I tried really hard to insert it into a story, it ended up being a backpack that turned on to life for one episode, and that was it.

Anyway, probably not what you wanted to hear, but I'm not a mathematician.

No, I enjoyed the story. That's exactly the type of thought-out and thorough answers I seek to receive when posing a question on this thread.

Do you know how to sew?

I've sewed together a gnome head pillow as a gift to a friend. But that was with a sewing machine, so I'm not sure if that counts. I've never used needle and thread for anything more than just a few stitches.


You're with three complete strangers who also don't know one another. What board game do you play to get to know them?

[UniqueScreenname]

No, sewing machines count.

I'd play Apples to Apples, Balderdash, or Dixit. Those all are good for figuring out how people think.

What's your favorite thing to do when you have a day off?

[Dr. Diaphanous]

As a student, I always have some coursework or revision to do, so no day is a day off, which is to say, every day is a day off. Because I should be doing work, I never have time to watch a 15-minute youtube video, for example. Instead, I watch thirty 4-minute videos. For the same reason, I don't have time to make friends, so I just read people's conversations here/ on reddit etc.

Do you regularly re-read books/ re-watch movies/ re-play games?

[ArDeeJ]

Yes, don't really watch movies (though I did recently re-watch The Social Network), yes.

Are self-acceptance and self-improvement mutually exclusive?

[Vytron]

Usually. Goes for the former. Prefers people that go for the latter.

I accept myself and keep improving as a hobby, as opposed to keep improving as an obligation or something.

Do you prefer TV Shows that are one-episode show offs? Or those that tell the story over long arcs (and need to be watched in order.)

[folkhero]

Anthology type shows like the Twilight Zone can be awesome but I don't think that anyone is making good shows like that anymore. Shows that use the same characters but have self contained stories each episode tend to get tedious if they don't have characters change at all. Most of the best shows these days are all about really long arcs and I feel like that is how the medium is best used: they can really develop characters in a way that movies don't have the time to do. Of course it's not an all or nothing thing: Mad Men, for example is one of the best shows on television and sometimes does a short-story kind of thing where they focus on a secondary character or two for an episode and show a slice of their life without doing much to advance any of the larger story lines (and those episodes are ofter fantastic). So I guess that's an indecisive answer, but I like different things from the different shows I watch so I am reluctant to say that one way is necessarily better than the others.

What is your favorite (non dessert) food to eat on a hot day?

[flicky1991]

Well, I guess I associate quiches with summer, and they are very good.

What was the biggest Internet argument you were ever involved in?

[Dr. Diaphanous]

I got into a huge debate on the safety of GM crops on the "Independent" news site. Me and one other guy correcting a cloud of morons.

What is you favourite comment thread on the xkcd forums?

[Vytron]

1190: Time Thread, The One True Thread. I wouldn't have devoted so many weeks reading it if it wasn't the case...

What has been your favorite Forum Game in the story of Forum Games in the xkcd forum?

[Snark]

Can't narrow it down to just one. Two of the best were Nomic (classic) and Puzzle Showdown (ongoing). Also have high hopes for Kingdom Control.

Do you wish there were more hours in a day, more days in a week, or neither?

[voicedotter]

I would have to say I wouldn't the current amount is good.


Would you want the knowledge of how the internet works?

[Dr. Diaphanous]

Yes, for it is written:

The eleventh virtue is scholarship. Study many sciences and absorb their power as your own. Each field that you consume makes you larger. If you swallow enough sciences the gaps between them will diminish and your knowledge will become a unified whole. If you are gluttonous you will become vaster than mountains.

What would you do if you and everyone else had infinite wealth (could buy any physical thing without ever running out of money i.e. post-scarcity)?

[Snark]

I'd probably design games full time (maybe computer, maybe board).

Would you give any two of your limbs to live in a post-scarcity society? If so, which two?

[ArDeeJ]

I'm not sure, really. If I would, I'd probably give up my legs.

Is knowledge an intrinsic or an instrumental value to you, or is it of any value at all?