The Problem with Wikipedia
Explanation
The Joke
Someone sits down to look up one thing on Wikipedia. Three hours later, they've read about the French Revolution, the mating habits of octopuses, the history of the accordion, and the chemical composition of volcanic ash — none of which are related to what they originally wanted to know. They have learned many things. They have accomplished nothing.
The Humor
The "Wikipedia rabbit hole" is a universally recognized experience. The comic captures both the genuine joy of following hyperlinks through a web of fascinating knowledge and the dawning horror of realizing you've lost an entire evening to it. The joke works because it's simultaneously a celebration of human curiosity and a lament about human distractibility.
Context
This comic predates but anticipates the broader conversation about internet attention and "information snacking." Wikipedia's hyperlink structure is essentially a choose-your-own-adventure book for curious people, and the fact that this is simultaneously wonderful and productivity-destroying is one of the great ironies of the information age.