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Welcome to the xkcd Time Wiki

Hello!

This is a wiki for the xkcd comic 1190: "Time" , and specifically the community which sprung up in the comic's discussion thread on the xkcd forums. This wiki is primarily maintained by those who read and post in the #1190 thread, but anyone who is a fan of "Time" is free to join in on the conversation and work on articles.

What is this wiki about?

The forum thread's community is known not only for their in-depth analysis and discussion of #1190, but also creative endeavors relating to the webcomic. These include image manipulations of "Time" and other xkcd comics as well as original fanart, fiction and poetry. The unique personality of the forum thread (the "OTT") and its users ("OTTers") derives in part from an annual forum event popularly known as "The Madness" where ordinary words are filtered into whimsical alternatives chosen by the moderators. This filtering struck in the early days of the thread, and that whimsical attitude has persisted ever since, particularly toward language, with users continuing to add to the vocabulary of the community even today.

The thread grew initially because observers had to find a way to preserve and catalogue the individual frames of the #1190 webcomic, and many tools were invented to keep track of them, including this wiki. This desire to keep track of the past still exists in the community today. Much of this wiki concerns the thread rather than the original webcomic, because the users regard their own history with respect as well. The nature of the discussion thread means that anyone may go back and read through all of the posts (dating back to the start of "Time"), and it is therefore relatively simple for both newcomers and the regulars to catch up with goings-on inside the community. Currently the group is comprised mostly of users who seldom or never post outside of the topic, and the community tends to be essentially a self-enclosed bubble of the larger forums. Despite this, it does have a presence in other places, notably a private Facebook group, through a Cookie Clicker parody game created by one user of the community, and in the Pictionary-like game Drawception . The users have formed strong connections over their shared interests, amiable personalities, and friendly mindsets, as well as a tendency to be mildly competitive with creative works.

That's the OTT community in a nutshell: to learn more, you can always try venturing into the thread yourself!

Frequently Asked Questions

This page is a work-in-progress, but is designed to answer any basic questions you may have if you're wary about plunging headfirst into the wiki or the thread.

Some Ways to Time.

One fan's video story about encountering the One True Comic: What have you done to me, Time?

Perhaps the first question you have is: Why does that even need an explanation? The forum thread discussing the comic is lengthy and moves quite quickly. It's easy to be intimidated when faced with joining an ongoing conversation, but if all you do is look at the comic itself, you are likely going to miss some of the experience.

There are many ways to enjoy Time. The best way is the one that best suits you. This can change. Do not feel you must enjoy Time the way anyone else does if that way does not suit you. Do not feel you must continue enjoying Time the same way if it stops suiting you. Some options for perusing the thread of Time include:

Reading it all from beginning to end.
Jumping in where you find it, and continuing.
Skimming and skipping as you see fit.
Reading the latest page or so each time you visit.
Some combination of the above, or some other way not listed.
And, of course, you can always choose to ignore the thread completely and use another tool to keep track of the comic.

Posting can be done as you see fit: small observations or large chunks of text, frequently or rarely. The forum does officially discourage double-posting, but in the thread we have a more casual attitude, particularly when it comes to posting the latest frame of the comic. Triple- or higher-multiple posting is probably not a good idea.

Our only other hard and fast rule is that overly flashy things need to be spoilered, as they can be dangerous (seriously - think seizures and migraines).

We're a friendly bunch. We've made up some weird terms (check the Glossary), we've got some weird traditions. Don't worry if you can't figure them out. Neither can we. Play along if you want, don't if you don't want. Ask if you want to know something. (It doesn't even have to be Time-related, we've got lots of other answers here too.)

This is a unique experience. It may suit you. Hopefully it will. The forum members welcome new posters, and would like to hear your input. The forum is made up of a variety of different people from a wide range of backgrounds. It is an interesting group to hang out with. If this interests you at all, know that you would be welcomed. Just jump right in.

There are answers to more questions here on the wiki, but don't think you have to read everything before you join in.

Welcome, and have fun.