What if XKCD wrote "The Ring"?

Cafe Society
1

THIS got me thinking about the logic behind the plot of the movie.

OK, so you watch the tape. You have 7 days to show someone else the tape or you die - which dooms them to having to show someone else who has to show someone else…

What if it were posted on YouTube? I believe the movie showed that a copy of the tape worked the same as the original - so it was the movie that caused death - not the medium.

Also, if you showed someone else the tape right away, would the creepy guy even bother to call you to tell you that you were doomed? Because, otherwise he would have a nasty phone bill racked up by the time he caught up to all the youtube viewers.
So would each of the 300,000 viewers have to show someone else the movie? Or just the last one to view it?
Yes, it’s a dumb question. The answer is as simple as “it depends on what the writers decide”. But I’m bored and this is the kind of crap that goes through my head when I’m bored.

2

Well, at the end of the movie they showed the mom helping the kid (sorry, can’t remember anyone’s name) make a copy of the tape and the kid asking “what happens to the person we show this to?”

So apparently showing someone else the same tape you saw isn’t enough; apparently you have to make a copy of the tape and get someone else to watch the copy.

So, in the XKCD scenario, presumably each one of the 300,000+ viewers would have to make a copy somehow and convince someone to watch “their” copy.

Would take Rick-Rolling to a completely new level…

(I wonder if they would physically have to upload a new version to YouTube or if simply imbedding the player in their blog or something would be enough?)

3

And in the book, it was different–they ended up dying anyway because the virus mutated or something.

4

This is the second place tonight I’ve seen the phrase “rick-rolling.” I’ve never heard this term before and have no clue what it means. :confused:

5

Long story short, you post a link in response to someone on a message board, but instead of actually being a link to something useful, it’s a link to the video to Rick Ashley’s song “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

6

See, I read the title and thought “What if XKCD wrote The Ring Cycle?” Then I would actually have something useful to contribute to the thread.

7

Yeah. me too. Stick figure Rhinemaidens. Stick figure Valkyries with stick figure horses.
So, what if the folks at Girl Genius did der Ring? At least the women would have breasts. :slight_smile:

8

I just figured this out myself. Now I know why I only hear that song on the radio.

9

Yes, but the Valkyries AND the horses would be clanks, so they’d be metal breasts.

(Why yes, I did actually finally finish catching up from the beginning of Girl Genius tonight…)

10

What bouv said. Also, there’s some more information here (warning: sound) if you are interested.

11

Oh. Well, that kinda ruins my question now doesn’t it?

OK on to Ring Cycle talk or just let this thread float on down to oblivion.

12

I see what you did there!

13

Oh dear me, no. The flying horses would be clanks, but check out when whats her name with green hair was teaching her to fight. The Valkyries and the breasts would be real. And the Rhinemaidens… :stuck_out_tongue:

14

Hmmm…Geistendamen instead of giants. Lucrezia instead of Loki. This has possibilities…if only for a Radio Adventures sideplot…

must email Phil

15

Ha! yeah that was cute. I knew where he was going but I purposely clicked the link, as I often do, because that video never fails to make me smile. The cheesey goodness gets me every time.

16

That doesn’t explain the idea of rickrolling very well. There is actually more useful information here.