Dilbert cartoon first published on Sunday 30th August 1998

Dilbert//3424, first published 28 years ago on Sunday 30th August 1998

Tags

document prcedures requirement engineers submit time cards magic cylinder trash can gone by morning five years no one complained

Official transcript

Dilbert approaches Carol and says, "I need to document your procedures. It's an ISO 9000 requirement."

Dilbert starts writing as he asks, "So...the engineers submit their time cards and then you do what?"

Carol points to her desk and says, "I put them in a pile until I'm sure that they're all here."

Carol points under her desk and continues, "Then I move them to the magic cylinder."

Dibert asks, "The trash can?"

Carol answers, "No, it's a magic cylinder. I put my work in there and by morning it's gone."

Dilbert says, "I've been giving you my time card for five years."

Carol responds, "No one has complained yet."

Dilbert walks away thinking, "After today, I am NOT rounding to the nearest fifteen minutes."

originally published on dilbert.com

Open source transcript

I NEED TO DOCUMENT YOUR PROCEDURES. IT'S AN ISO 9000 REQUIREMENT.

SO... THE ENGINEERS SUBMIT THEIR TIME CARDS AND THEN YOU DO WHAT?

I PUT THEM IN A PILE UNTIL I'M SURE THEY'RE ALL HERE.

THEN I MOVE THEM TO THE MAGIC CYLINDER.

THE TRASH CAN?

NO, IT'S A MAGIC CYLINDER. I PUT MY WORK IN THERE AND BY MORNING IT'S GONE.

I'VE BEEN GIVING YOU MY TIME CARDS FOR FIVE YEARS.

NO ONE HAS COMPLAINED YET.

AFTER TODAY, I AM NOT ROUNDING TO THE NEAREST FIFTEEN MINUTES.

collated from github.com/jvarn/dilbert-archive

AI Analysis

Comic Strip Title: "Time Cards"

Summary:

The comic strip, titled "Time Cards," revolves around the theme of bureaucracy and the frustration it can cause. The story is set in an office environment, where an engineer is required to submit his time cards to the management.

Key Events:

• The engineer is informed that he needs to document his procedures and submit his time cards, which must be ISO 9000 compliant.
• He is asked to put his time cards in a pile until he is sure they are all there, only to be told that no one has complained yet.
• The engineer is then instructed to move the time cards to the magic cylinder, which is a mysterious and unexplained device.
• After completing the task, the engineer is informed that he is not rounding to the nearest fifteen minutes, implying that he has made an error in his time card submission.

Themes:

• The comic strip highlights the absurdity and inefficiency of bureaucratic processes.
• It pokes fun at the idea that complex procedures are necessary for simple tasks.
• The use of the magic cylinder adds a touch of surrealism to the story, emphasizing the illogical nature of the situation.

Tone:

• The comic strip has a humorous tone, with the engineer's frustration and exasperation evident throughout the story.
• The use of satire and irony adds to the comedic effect, making the strip an entertaining commentary on the challenges of working in a bureaucratic environment.

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