According to Wikipedia, a flowchart is a “schematic representation of an algorithm or a process. They are commonly used in business/economic presentations to help the audience visualize the content better, or to find flaws in the process.” I don’t remember where I saw it, but I have reconstructed the first flowchart that I really understood.

Wikipedia member Triddle made this flowchart for dealing with a difficult Wikipedia editor. It’s a bit more involved than the hammer flowchart, but still easy to understand.

OK, so flow charts are useful. But they can be funny, too! This workplace flowchart proliferated via copy machine long before the internet. This is the cleanest version (of many) I found.

Computers have made the generation of flowcharts quick and easy, and their use in software development means many people are familiar with the form. The internet is therefore a breeding ground of flowchart jokes. See some after the jump.

Wellington Grey designed a flow chart to explain the process of posting at Slashdot. This is a small detail; see the entire chart here. Grey also has a flowchart entitled W.W.G.W.B.D? (What Would George W. Bush Do?)

The shape of the flowchart can be the joke in itself. At Skull A Day, there is a new picture of a skull posted every day. The webmaster created a flowchart that detailed the process of deciding how to create or select the skulls. Click the link, then click on the image for the larger, readable version. The chart itself is in the shape of a skull, so there’s one for another day!

Sometimes the best flowcharts are the simplest. Toothpaste for Dinner gave us the Panflute Flowchart.

The crazier the flow, the funnier the chart will be, as in the Driving Test Flowchart. This is just a the beginning of the flowchart; the actual chart is three times as long!

If you’ve got appealing photos, your flowchart doesn’t even have to make sense. This LOLcat flowchart by was featured on Boing Boing, along with a few other submited flowcharts. Click here to see the full size version. A slightly more serious flowchart explaining the evolution of LOLcat syntax can be found in this post.

Khoi Vinh knows how his dog Mister President thinks. He contructed a flowchart to show how he thinks. I know a lot of dogs like that.

BB Spot published the RIAA Lawsuit Decision Matrix. Also check out their flowchart for deciding whether to upgrade to Vista and Should I keep playing this game? To explore how gaming can get you stuck in a neverending cycle, take a look at this extensive flowchart by Pipedreamer Grey of the Great Geek Manual.

You can make your own flowcharts easily online with Draw Anywhere. I made this one in minutes!