Comic Relief

XKCD adroitly skewers the tendency of photographers to overlook content and see only technique (style, too, sometimes). There oughta be a name for that.

Take a look.

Mike
(Thanks to Charlie and several others)

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Original contents copyright 2011 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Comment by Dennis: "Reminds me of that Nikon ad from the '90s. It shows the famous grainy photo purported to be the Loch Ness monster and reads: 'Some people see a monster. We see improper metering, poor lens selection, and a total lack of composition.'"

Comments

[Ben Syverson]

I believe the name is "myopia." :)

[Gregg]

xKcd

[KeithB]

I think this belongs on Language log. Seems like a deficiency of English that "What is wrong with this picture?" can mean "What is technically wrong with the image as cpatured?" and "What is wrong with the content of this picture?"

[Avram_levi]

I think he just nailed it. Summed up the whole, endless debate in five pictures and four words: THE CAR IS ON FIRE!

[Curt Hedman]

That would be "XKCD"...

[MJFerron]

Personally I wish the the car was positioned more toward the bottom of the frame. The added room up top would showcase the dramatic, thick smoke.

[raccou]

'XKCD', it's with a K.

[ctein]

Dear Mike,

Go ahead, make me spit up my morning cuppa.

As for a name, I've been working on a column called "Photographers Living with OCPPD*: Can They Be Cured? (*Obsessive Compulsive Photographic Performance Disorder)"

pax / ever-helpful Ctein

[Dirk]

Mike, the link is solid, but you called it "XRCD" instead of "XKCD"
-Passionate Internet Grammar and Spelling Nazi

[Neil]

xKcd Mike, not xRcd...

Neil

[Roger Bradbury]

What does this tell us? Hmm. Less posts about cars and more about motorcycles er, I mean photography? : ]

[Art Wong]

... typo. That's XKCD, not XRCD. LOL though.

[Mike Johnston]

Very sorry for misspelling XKDC! Fixed now.

Mike, a.k.a. the Management

[Nicholas Condon]

I put a link to that comic up on Facebook, and one of my friends replied that she had seen the comic earlier in the day and immediately thought of me. I'm going to try not to take that as an insult...

[Leigh Youdale]

Six out of thirteen comments so far contain only a spelling correction. Tells you something.

[LSS]

OCSD - Obsessive Compulsive Spelling Disorder

[Dan Gerth]

Interesting, as noted, approx. 50% focussed on the typo. Isn't that exactly the point of the comic?

[jörgen]

...don't forget the mouseover comment for an extra twist when reading xkcd.

[Ed]

Ha ha! Well played Mike. inerting a deliberate typo to entrap the "form over content" readers worked a treat. If you add in the comments that are about the typo without correcting it that makes around half the comments. Proves the point nicely. No one dares correct your second typo now.

[John C]

Mike! Why no mention of the new Pentax mirrorless camera?

[Marco]

Not only Nikon used this theme in advertising:
http://www.alesserphotographer.com/post/15105908270/i-can-see-why-photographers-love-the-thought