Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT: 2281-85 (24-28 September 2012) Weekly Comics Discussion Thread
Throg:
Huh. I woulda sworn that Jeph would've chosen Emily's name to be Osaka...but the influences are pretty clear anyway. I hear Emily's dialogue in Osaka's (japanese) intonation anyway.
But from the previous strip (Emily and banana in back pocket) it seems that no one is immune to butts disease.
pwhodges:
--- Quote from: Sidhekin on 26 Sep 2012, 04:03 ---No different than asking people "you mean your owner?" ...
--- End quote ---
It is not clear, it seems to me, that there are not still some anthroPCs that are owned, as well as those with the newish standard contract. In these circumstances, asking about ownership might still be OK, though perhaps assuming it would be unacceptable - Emily's question can actually be taken either way.
Sylentknight:
I've come to assume that Emily's purpose is to ask the uncomfortable questions, possible as someone who looks at the world from outside the culture. I imagine there are places in the world where sentient technology is not allowed. Especially cultures that are very homogeneous or religious (as in "only God can create life"). I'm not saying that Emily is from one of these cultures or believes these things (obviously because she wants to be a toaster), but since most to the characters seem to posses the same perspectives and interests, maybe Emily is suppose to be the nails on the chalkboard for QC.
Arancaytar:
--- Quote from: no one special on 26 Sep 2012, 03:19 ---Contract aside, the relationship between Marigold and Momo is very much different, clearly one that exists on much more equal footing. Regarding today's comic - it is interesting that:
a) Momo is not "owned" by Marigold, since it's been fairly well established that Marten owns Pintsize and that PT410X also has an owner. (In that comic, though, note that PT410X puts the word 'owner' in quotes. He doesn't consider himself owned - he had self-declared his independence before it was even law.)
b) Momo called the contract "standard." That would seem to imply said contract was not only established, but commonplace at the time that Marigold and Momo signed it. That means that the AIERA has already been established for a significant amount of time, long enough for its changes to no longer be a cause to bat an eyelash. Jeph's comment further implies that sufficient time has passed (since ratification) for Emily to understand that questions of ownership and function (i.e. purpose) should be considered highly insulting.
--- End quote ---
It's possible, of course, that Pintsize has been with Marten far longer than Momo with Marigold, and AIERA falls in between. However, the legal recognition of android rights is not required for their implicit approval. Legislation is always slow, and if AIERA was an international agreement, then it was even longer in the making (and then ratification), while the bill already had strong popular support. Maybe AIs were considered able to enter contracts before AIERA - or the actual contract was with the creche.
Edit: On second thought, Momo didn't even say that the "standard" contract they entered was the start of their relationship and that Marigold has never been her owner. AIERA might have resulted in any formal "ownership" being invalidated, and renegotiated into a "standard mutual companionship contract".
pwhodges:
--- Quote from: Throg on 26 Sep 2012, 05:14 ---Huh. I woulda sworn that Jeph would've chosen Emily's name to be Osaka...
--- End quote ---
Or more properly: Kasuga (Osaka being only a nickname) - but then more people wouldn't have got it.
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