Dilbert cartoon first published on Sunday 23rd March 1997

Dilbert//2899, first published 29 years ago on Sunday 23rd March 1997

Tags

bug in software alert work many hours buy stock in competition industry halo effect compensation plan

Official transcript

Wally sits at his desk thinking, "Whoa . . . I found a huge bug in our new software product."

Wally thinks, "I could alert the development team and work many hours of overtime to fix it . . ."

Wally thinks, "Or I could surf over to my online brokerage service and buy stock in our competition."

Dilbert asks, "Are you going to lunch?"

Wally replies, "No, I have to do an analysis."

Dilbert walks away thinking, "When Wally works through lunch . . . It's time to buy stock in our competition."

Dilbert tells Alice, "Wally's working through lunch!"

Alice says, "Quick! To the online brokerage service!"

The Boss reads the newspaper and thinks, "Our competition is up ten points on no news. We're up two, maybe from the industry halo effect."

The Boss tells Alice and Wally, ". . . Or maybe our new compensation plan is motivating smarter behavior."

Wally says, "I think you nailed it."

originally published on dilbert.com

Open source transcript

WHOA... I FOUND A HUGE BUG IN OUR NEW SOFTWARE PRODUCT.

I COULD ALERT THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM AND WORK MANY HOURS OF UNPAID OVERTIME TO FIX IT..

OR I COULD SURF OVER TO MY ONLINE BROKERAGE SERVICE AND BUY STOCK IN OUR COMPETITION.

ARE YOU GOING TO LUNCH?

NO, I HAVE TO DO AN ANALYSIS.

WHEN WALLY WORKS THROUGH LUNCH IT'S TIME TO BUY STOCK IN OUR COMPETITION WALLY'S WORKING THROUGH LUNCH!

QUICK! TO THE ONLINE BROKERAGE SERVICE!

OUR COMPETITOR IS UP TEN POINTS ON NO NEWS. WE'RE UP TWO, MAYBE FROM THE INDUSTRY HALO EFFECT.

I NEWS!

...OR MAYBE OUR NEW COMPENSATION PLAN IS MOTIVATING SMARTER BEHAVIOR.

I THINK YOU NAILED

collated from github.com/jvarn/dilbert-archive

AI Analysis

The comic strip is titled "Stock in Our Competition" and features Dilbert, a bespectacled, bald, and rectangular-headed office worker, who is frustrated with his company's new software product. He expresses his concerns to his boss, Wally, who is more interested in buying stock in their competitor than addressing the product's issues.

Key Points:

• Dilbert's concerns about the software product are dismissed by Wally.
• Wally's focus on buying stock in their competitor is highlighted.
• The comic strip satirizes the corporate culture and priorities of the company.
• The use of humor and irony emphasizes the absurdity of the situation.

Overall Impression:

The comic strip pokes fun at the corporate world and its priorities, highlighting the disconnect between management's focus on profits and employees' concerns about the quality of their work.

generated by llama-3.2-11b-vision-instruct

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