#xkcd 3052

[todays-xkcd]

They just want researchers in the enclosure to feel enriched and stimulated. ('The Enclosure' is what archivists call the shadowy world outside their archives in which so many people are trapped.)

Archive Request [Explained]

Transcript Under the Cut

[Cueball sits at a desk, on his laptop.]

Computer: To request data from the archives, fill out this form. The pages will be scanned, encoded to CD-ROM, and mailed to you within 10 business days. Computer: Download the decoder for our propriety format here (requires Windows 98® or XP®). Cueball: Ugh, fine...

Caption: Archivists actually have everything in digital repos now, but they still do this to provide enrichment for researchers, the way zoos hide food for animals in hard-to-open-boxes.