What does “copied to clipboard” mean?

[FosukeLordOfError]

A clipboard is a hard surface generally slightly larger than a standard piece of paper. At the top is a clip that can hold the paper in place. This allows you to have paper secured to a heavier firmer object and provide a solid surface to write on while walking around.

[SpencerTuom]

I think Hank didn't not understand the assignment, the guy doesn't know what a clipboard is.

[Starstruck_Dreaming]

On a windows computer, you can hit Win+V to pull up clipboard history (you have to enable it the first time)

[khaightlynn]

Its called a skeuomorphism - when a new thing takes on the appearance or a quality of the thing it's replacing. This is why our phone camera has a shutter sound, why the save icon is still a floppy disc, and why we "hang up" the phone. There are so many more of these and they're really fun. We don't realize that so many of our words and symbols come from obsolete things that have lost the ties to their original meanings. The clipboard is referring to where you would attach loose notes or papers in one consolidated place, usually temporarily before filing them away.

[TemplePate]

"its private"
2025 windows 11: "oh boy this is awkward"

[christopherfeatherley]

In regards to why the copy symbol is a clipboard: traditionally -- and sometimes to this day -- professions that require someone to inspect something of yours (say a house or a car or restaurant, etc.) would carry clipboards 📋 and write on those tracepaper pink/yellow sheets that would copy what the person wrote, and hand it to you. This is important for signatures. It usually leaves three copies: one that goes to you, and two for the company/the inspector(s).

Of course now, in modern times, everything is done online or through an app and sent through email.

[NEilYHY]

The clipboard is in-fact not always private.
Windows and mac have clipboard sync with your account. While apple could do device to device wifi/bluetooth wizardry, windows syncs through internet only, through Microsoft’s server.
You can decide how much you trust that.

[metropolis]

Phones now show a message "copied to clipboard" and "pasted from clipboard" because apps were abusing it to steal your info, namely tiktok. So yeah, there's that.

[FlintSparkedStudios]

That kid is like a medieval farmer who someone just mentioned random computer functions to

[feeplemurphy]

I'm guessing in the past there was a literal clipboard

[lissakaye]

He’s so serious and a little frantic about this question.

[slickmann]

If you hit win+v you can actually see what the clipboard has and (maybe) edit the entries. Not sure if Mac can do this or what their combo is.

[dothedo]

No one is understanding his question. He knows what a real clipboard is, he knoes what copy+paste is, but he doesn't know that there's a "clipboard" that stores more than just the last thing you copied. And he's certainly not the first person to not know that there's a way to paste something that you copied a while back and isn't the most recent thing you copied. And he's worried that this clipboard might be stored and shown somewhere that he's unaware of. Yes he's being extra weird about it for extra engagement but whatever.

[shannonolivas]

I'd believe this young man has never actually seen a physical clipboard.

[th.nd.r]

This is a very kind explanation, thank you Hank for not being a jerk just because somebody on the Internet happens to not know something

[langly]

Does this person not know what a clipboard is IRL? Cause it holds your notes and stuff, and that's why it's called a clipboard on your computer. Kinda like the save icon is the old fashioned floppy disc and the print icon is the printer. Ive had to explain it to older generations but this is probably going to have to be a thing we explain to the younger generation. Like the phone icon and saying hang up the phone instead of just end call.

[malixcrash]

I really love how as time goes on I get to see more and more of questions like this asking about things I grew up with as if they're ancient pieces of history known only to the most elder of our kin.

ALso: A clipboard is just a piece of hard board with a metal clip on it to hold papers for note taking. This was traditionally a way people could take notes on the go, or when they need to do it while standing for whatever reason. Many are still used today in various professions for lots of reasons, but they're mostly not-needed with the digi-fication of the modern technology

[You_work_tomorrow]

Funny how when Hank explains things that aren't in my field I'm like "Wow amazing to really learn this, " then as soon as he goes into something I know way too much about my brain is like "What is this guy talking about, he's totally talking out his behind rn"

[dickygushy]

On Samsung phones, you can copy multiple things to the clipboard and then access the entire clipboard until you lock your phone, then it gets deleted

(I'm not trying for Samsung superiority, I just genuinely don't know if other phones have that feature)

Edit: I am aware that Android and Samsung are two different things, but I use them interchangeably in person so often that I didn't register that I shouldn't here. I actually did know it was an Android thing and not a Samsung thing, though, and was talking about other operating systems, not "other phones." I swear I'm not that dumb, please believe me

[SkyRaiders]

A lot of computer stuff is explained with real word understanding like how "bugs" were literal bugs in vacuum tube causing computer issues.

When I was taught keyboarding in school, the teacher explained copy paste cut with a literal clipboard, and it made sense. Like you have paper and you can make a copy or cut it with scissors.