Comic Archive

Alana: I commend your desire to try something new, Adil, but I have to remind you that ‘Friday Freewheeling’ is supposed to have at least some connection to our line of work.
Adil: But, this will help our work!
Alana: How then?

Adil: If this works out as expected, it will boost productivity like never before!
Alana: I have serious doubts that concentrating the most unhealthy component of coffee will have any effect besides shortening one's lifespan.

Adil: Only one way to find out, and that is to try it.
Alana: OK, I allow it, but please avoid blowing up the office with a dodgy machine randomly ordered from the internet.
Adil: Don't worry, this thing has tons of only positive reviews!
Alana: As if that means anything these days…

Adil watches drops of a substance drip from his machine.
SFX: Vrrrrrr…
Adil: Here it is, concentrated cafestol, the pure goodness hidden inside coffee!
Zhang: Are you sure that's not just one of the components of your dodgy machine having sprung an oil leak?

Adil tastes the substance.
Adil: Hmm, I can already feel the power flowing through my veins. Here, try it!
Zhang: Ah well, I guess a small amount won't kill me…

Max looks at his smartphone.
Zhang: Yuck, that is the most vile substance I have ever consumed!
Max: Its only benefit I can find is possible protection against Parkinson's. I think the rest is pure Placebo effect.
Adil: Humph! I bet I will now be twice as productive as you sceptics.
Max: And, looking up the cost of that machine, thrice as cash-strapped…

A software engineer, who might be a younger version of Steve, hands out a sheet of paper to someone else.
Caption: Back in the year 2005…
Engineer: Hey, random unknown person, I've heard rumors that you have learned to program mostly by looking at other people's code, and are willing to code for free. Can you write me a totally novel application from merely this list of hastily constructed specifications?
Other person: Ehh… sure?

Yet another person: Are you insane? You cannot expect someone who relies mostly on previously observed patterns, to construct such an uncommon new app without requiring extensive tedious corrections.
Engineer: Absolutely, but imagine it does work and I get paid for it, then I will be rich.

The engineer looks at their monitor.
Engineer: Well, as expected… total garbage. So many bugs! Wrong interpretation of the specs… outdated practices… and, is that a gaping security hole I see there? I hope nobody ever turns this into a common way of producing entire projects from scratch.

Caption: Still back in the year 2005…
Engineer: Can I use your computer to look up something? Mine is stuck installing updates for an eternity.
Other person: Sure, but please don't touch anything on the desktop. It is all exactly the way I want it.

The engineer looks at the computer's desktop, which is stuffed with a dense grid of icons.
Engineer: What the fsck? You just pile up all your apps and documents on the desktop? That is not how it is supposed to be used. Folders and hierarchies were invented for a reason. Well, I'm sure people will evolve away from this…

Caption: 5 years later, in 2010…
The engineer looks at the screen of his brand new smartphone, which is filled with a grid of icons.
Engineer: God dammit.