Talk:Marzipan's Answering Machine

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Marzipan's Answering Machine is a featured article, which means it showcases an important part of the Homestar Runner body of work and/or highlights the fine work of this wiki. We also might just think it's cool. If you see a way this page can be updated or improved without compromising previous work, feel free to contribute.

Contents 1 Should there be External Links? 2 Cameos? 3 Separate Screenshots? 4 Version X.2 5 Template: 6 14-Segment Displays 7 1 vs. 1.0 8 Answering Machine Segments 9 listening to these for the first time

Should there be External Links?

Okay, I just realized, we don't have external links on the Strong Bad Email page, so why do we have links on this one? Should we get rid of them here, or add them to the SBEmail page? I'm thinking they might be kindof nice over there. It'd be one less click to get to your favorite email, but they would add clutter. My vote is we remove external links from this page. — Joey (talk·edits) 08:51, 4 Aug 2004 (MST)

I like making people go to the individual page. You know, force them to look at our work. I think the only reason the Marzipan's Answering Machine page had them was because of the different format that we used for them in 'Tavi. We only had a transcipt for each episode, so the link could be on the main page. With the newer format, that really isn't necessary. Does that make sense?

Anyway, I agree, we should remove the external link from this page. -- Tom 09:52, 4 Aug 2004 (MST)

Cameos?

I was just thinking about the Kevin Scott message, and it occured to me that since Homestar Runner is starting to get a larger following, with appearances on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, ect., I wonder if they'll ever put more cameos on the Answering Machine, from better known celebrities. They certainly could pretty easily, it would increase the appeal of the answering machine, and would be a cool addition. I dunno, I was just pondering, and that came to me. I just figured I'd say it somewhere. That's all. [[User:Thunderbird L17|⇔Thunderbird⇔]] 12:56, 30 Dec 2004 (MST)

Separate Screenshots?

Are screenshots needed for every answering machine? I can see why Version 7.0-Version 10.2 needs one- they all have extra animation. But the others really have no reason for a screenshot, do they? →FireBird

I was the one who made those screenshots and put them there, so personally, I like them of course. I think it's nice for every page to have some sort of picture at the top. If having too many near-identical pictures is a problem, then perhaps the versions without extra animation could just have the same picture from the Answering Machine/PhoneTime pages. Aurora the Homestar Coder 16:54, 3 Apr 2005 (MDT)

I do agree that every page looks better with a screenshot, but I think it's a tad unneccisary. One single image for each page, like you said, would be better, in my opinion. →FireBird

I think it's okay for each page to have a separate image. -- Tom 17:25, 3 Apr 2005 (MDT)

In response to FireBird: I don't see what the difference is between having a different screenshot for each Machine and putting the same image on each Machine, really. The only reasons that I could think of where you would prefer the same image on each Machine are 1) if you didn't feel like making separate images for each one (not an issue, since they're already made) and 2) if there isn't enough disk space / bandwith for all those images (maybe an issue, but the extra images are a drop in the bucket compared to the Wiki as a whole). Aurora the Homestar Coder 18:05, 3 Apr 2005 (MDT)

Version X.2

I don't like the .2 tags to the most recent answering machines. I see why they're there, but if we have those, we might as well make the others X.0. I think we should take them away. -- Joshua 18:33, 1 May 2005 (UTC)

Um... hello? I need a response or else I'm just gonna change it. -- Joshua 14:50, 2 May 2005 (UTC)

Well, I see that you changed it, and found that it shouldn't have been changed though the speedy reverts. Generally, waiting less than a day or two for a response might not be ideal. Asking on a few people's talk pages is usually the best way to get attention if something is so pressing that you can't wait another twenty-four hours. Of course, being bold is a good way to get attention too. Either way, you got it. Good work! -- Tom 02:29, 3 May 2005 (UTC)

Yep, I sure got a quick response. :P Although I'd still like to know exactly why this way is better. -- Joshua 02:52, 3 May 2005 (UTC)

We like to keep things exactly like they are on homestarrunner.com. Like, we're crazy about it. No joke. -- Tom 14:03, 3 May 2005 (UTC)

Then why don't we change all the others to X.0, just like they are on homestarrunner.com? -- Joshua 14:12, 3 May 2005 (UTC)

Good point. That makes sense. What do others think? Are you up to changing all of the links? -- Tom 14:14, 3 May 2005 (UTC)

Since the .2's obviously aren't going to go anywhere, I say this is better then how it currently is. Go for it. (If this idea is accepted, I'll help when I have enough free time, i.e. weekends) -- Joshua 14:16, 3 May 2005 (UTC)

Hmmm ... I just found this thread, right after adding .0's all over the place (with help from It's dot com and KieferSkunk; good work, guys). So, uh, consider it done. — Bill 20:00, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Template:

Shouldn't you guys have a template Marzipan's Answering Machine? It would go great like every other section of Homestarrunner. ^Gordon—584^ my talk

There's currently some voting going on in Da Basement over how many, and which, templates are beneficial. You'll be happy to hear Marzipan's Answering Machine seems to have come out well, 11-1 for. —AbdiViklas 00:57, 10 October 2005 (UTC)

14-Segment Displays

It may (I dunno) be worth pointing out that they seem to be using a segmented-display-ish font that has little to do with how segmented displays actually work. In particular, the diagonal segments overlap (which is impossible), and the 1 has a little serif at the top. 24.7.130.199 22:06, 9 November 2005 (UTC)

1 vs. 1.0

I'm going to be correcting the version numbers on all of these pages. I'll leave the redirects in place, and I will try to track down as many linking pages as possible and point them to the new versions to reduce the redirect burden. — Bill 19:09, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Answering Machine Segments

I deleted the KOT DVD reference, as I could not find an answering machine anywhere in either version of the toon.

Also, I'm not sure the garage sale reference belongs on this page. The cameo is simply an appearance of the device, not a normal answering machine gag and definitely not just like this feature.

— Bill 21:41, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

The KOT Answering Machine exists. It comes after watching the commentary. --DorianGray

Ooops, right. Joshua pointed that out, too. New question: Does this belong on a page entitled Marzipan's Answering Machine? Seems like, technically, either (a) we need a The King of Town's Answering Machine page, or (b) we need to genericize the current page. At a minimum, I think it would be appropriate to retitle this section "Other Answering Machine Segments", which I've just done. — Bill 21:58, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

I think what you've just done is fine, seeing as how the KOT is the only exception. Username-talk 22:02, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

Compare it to Strong Bad Email#Not Quite Strong Bad Emails. Also, "garage sale" isn't just a cameo of the machine, it features an answering machine intro message. - Joshua 22:29, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

listening to these for the first time

I'm listening to the answering machine ... with Weird Al Yankovic's song "Phony Calls". --_{NERD42  email  talk   h²g²  pedia  uncyc}  21:20, 5 February 2006 (UTC)