Topic: WCDT 4171-4175 (6 to 10 Jan 2020) (Read 30562 times)

jwhouk · « **on:** 05 Jan 2020, 08:30 »

New week, new thread. No poll, coz I'm lost for one.

Gyrre · « **Reply #1 on:** 05 Jan 2020, 15:40 »

Pretty much why I hadn't started a new thread yet.

shanejayell · « **Reply #2 on:** 05 Jan 2020, 18:16 »

I have free will. Dunno about you....

BenRG · « **Reply #3 on:** 05 Jan 2020, 23:10 »

When you think about it 'running into someone at random and becoming friends' is pretty much SOP for the main Questionable Content cast. It's just that it more typically happens to Marten. I suppose that the time had to come eventually for Dora and Tai to take up some of the slack!

So, what does everyone else think that Millifeuille's long-term role will be? If she works in technology development in the 'this is crazy, let's try it' end of things, then she may be a groundside associate of Dr John's. In which case, she may end up running into Hannelore on occasion. More importantly, she may end up as the face of the chassis company should one of the AIs end up with something both experimental and temperamental in their peripherals!

FWIW, though, I'd like for her to be a post-grad research assistant at Smif and, by one of those curious coincidences, knows Claire moderately well.

Tova · « **Reply #4 on:** 06 Jan 2020, 02:22 »

I, too, want the ability to teleport any guest of my home instantly to the front door at a time of my choosing.

andrybak · « **Reply #5 on:** 06 Jan 2020, 04:05 »

Yeah, they spent zero time getting up from that sofa.

Meander · « **Reply #6 on:** 06 Jan 2020, 04:33 »

How did I not previously notice that Millifeuille was so tall? Are Dora and Tai tiny, or was it just in comparison to Bubbles?

BenRG · « **Reply #7 on:** 06 Jan 2020, 04:40 »

If you look at Milli's second appearance (Arrival at Union Robotics), yes, she is very tall. She's tall enough for Bubbles not to be over a head taller than her.

Wingy · « **Reply #8 on:** 06 Jan 2020, 05:37 »

Quote from: shanejayell on 05 Jan 2020, 18:16

I have free will. Dunno about you....

I grok. Thou art God.

Perfectly Reasonable · « **Reply #9 on:** 06 Jan 2020, 08:27 »

Quote from: shanejayell on 05 Jan 2020, 18:16

I have free will. Dunno about you....

I have free will, because I'd have to pay to get rid of the adz.

JoeCovenant · « **Reply #10 on:** 06 Jan 2020, 09:19 »

I don't have free will..

...(married).

Gyrre · « **Reply #11 on:** 06 Jan 2020, 10:15 »

Quote from: Tova on 06 Jan 2020, 02:22

I, too, want the ability to teleport any guest of my home instantly to the front door at a time of my choosing.

One of the distinctions between comics, animation, and irl; panel jumps.

Here's hoping Thai's college friends aren't flakes.

Theta9 · « **Reply #12 on:** 06 Jan 2020, 11:22 »

We have to believe in our free will. We have no choice in the matter.

Perfectly Reasonable · « **Reply #13 on:** 06 Jan 2020, 15:30 »

hampshire.png? Are we talking about the state? County? Pigs? Sheep?

cesium133 · « **Reply #14 on:** 06 Jan 2020, 16:57 »

Quote from: Perfectly Reasonable on 06 Jan 2020, 15:30

hampshire.png? Are we talking about the state? County? Pigs? Sheep?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampshire_College

Either that, or Jeph got drunk a surprising number of times in Romney, West Virginia...

shanejayell · « **Reply #15 on:** 06 Jan 2020, 19:12 »

Roko in a suit. Yowza!

TheEvilDog · « **Reply #16 on:** 06 Jan 2020, 19:17 »

Once again Beeps snatches defeat from the jaws of victory!

St.Clair · « **Reply #17 on:** 06 Jan 2020, 21:41 »

Melancholy, yeah, that's me.
I would also accept "depressed" and "easily sad".

cybersmurf · « **Reply #18 on:** 06 Jan 2020, 23:21 »

Beeps giving up too easily averaged with Roko's... almost overzealous drive probably makes two average individuals...

BenRG · « **Reply #19 on:** 06 Jan 2020, 23:25 »

I'd hate to work in that office! So many beautiful women to distract me and remind me that I'm really not good at... well, just about any aspect of face-to-face social interactions!

Quote from: cybersmurf on 06 Jan 2020, 23:21

Beeps giving up too easily averaged with Roko's... almost overzealous drive probably makes two average individuals...

I don't think that she's 'giving up'. She's just afraid of failure and that fear is driving her to not even try in the first place.

Dngrsone · « **Reply #20 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 01:41 »

Panel 3 is really good. Roko cleans up well.

hedgie · « **Reply #21 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 02:59 »

Quote from: BenRG on 06 Jan 2020, 23:25

I don't think that she's 'giving up'. She's just afraid of failure and that fear is driving her to not even try in the first place.

Aah, the siren call of my people.

NemesisDancer · « **Reply #22 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 03:31 »

I've noticed that Beepatrice (who looks up to Roko, and has previously dressed like her for confidence) has started parting her hair to the side like Roko. Cute bit of detail ^_^

Dngrsone · « **Reply #23 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 04:18 »

At least she's stopped dressing like Roko...

Perfectly Reasonable · « **Reply #24 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 06:32 »

I like seeing these two side by side. It's a pleasing contrast.

SeaWoodStage · « **Reply #25 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 12:50 »

I've never liked Roko much, although I try to, and now I remember why. She always approaches things from such a combative angle, and I don't think she's great at separating her own issues from the problems of those she's supposed to be representing. Initially it was understandable, but she seems more focussed, still, on her own anger than on how she could best help her fellow AI.

Theta9 · « **Reply #26 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 15:00 »

Quote from: SeaWoodStage on 07 Jan 2020, 12:50

I've never liked Roko much, although I try to, and now I remember why. She always approaches things from such a combative angle....

Well, she DID used to be a police officer yanno.

shanejayell · « **Reply #27 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 18:37 »

New strip.

Well THAT went well.

pendrake · « **Reply #28 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 18:40 »

For comic #4173...

1. Ah yes... The crushing and uncaring Bureaucracy... One of the things I do NOT miss about being a Social Worker.

2. Jeph even got the act of cleaning glasses down correctly. Whenever someone does that to you, it is a 90% telltale sign that person has already divested himself ("mentally checked out") from the subject/topic.

3. When I catch MYSELF doing it, I make a specific point to tell the person I am conversing/dealing with that I am cleaning my glasses because my glasses actually do need to be cleaned, and that I am still giving my attention to them.

(Unless, of course, I actually AM trying to show that I have divested myself from their subject/topic...

)

4. Hopefully Roko still did do deeper research into the Bureaucrat's Social Media Presence despite Beepatrice's words (4119-4121). Roko is definitely going to need it.

zisraelsen · « **Reply #29 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 18:42 »

Oh, he's one of THOSE guys.

PeterO · « **Reply #30 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 18:43 »

I think Roko came in ready to be courteous, and work with the system, despite her ex-cop instincts. Now, in the face of hostility masquerading as bureaucratic disinterest, her old instincts look about to emerge. Especially in the last frame.

I am reminded of this quote - "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet."

pendrake · « **Reply #31 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 18:53 »

Quote from: PeterO on 07 Jan 2020, 18:43

I am reminded of this quote - "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet."

That was from U.S. Marine General James Mattis (if you did not know).

brasca · « **Reply #32 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 19:16 »

We meet again Mr. Pate.

Roko and I imagine most of the people on this message board are not going to be happy about this, but I do appreciate the exposition. If the vast majority of AIs are stuck in stationary equipment and don't require a mobile chassis it would be a waste of resources procuring something that will just gather dust.

shanejayell · « **Reply #33 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 19:20 »

Quote from: pendrake on 07 Jan 2020, 18:53

Quote from: PeterO on 07 Jan 2020, 18:43
I am reminded of this quote - "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet."

That was from U.S. Marine General James Mattis (if you did not know).

And the Sniper.

Red_Scare · « **Reply #34 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 19:50 »

Quote from: shanejayell on 07 Jan 2020, 19:20

Quote from: pendrake on 07 Jan 2020, 18:53
Quote from: PeterO on 07 Jan 2020, 18:43
I am reminded of this quote - "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet."

That was from U.S. Marine General James Mattis (if you did not know).

And the Sniper.

Snipin's a good job, mate.

shanejayell · « **Reply #35 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 20:12 »

One wonders if 'Civil Rights' apply to robots and they could make a case that being in a junker body violates May's rights...

Torlek · « **Reply #36 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 20:40 »

May's right to what?

Matoyak · « **Reply #37 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 20:47 »

Quote from: shanejayell on 07 Jan 2020, 20:12

One wonders if 'Civil Rights' apply to robots and they could make a case that being in a junker body violates May's rights...

I would personally hazard a guess that if there are any laws that'd fit here, they might be closer to something akin to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA). I could see another amendment to the 1990 act being passed around certain AI body stuff.

Gyrre · « **Reply #38 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 21:04 »

Quote from: zisraelsen on 07 Jan 2020, 18:42

Oh, he's one of THOSE guys.

I believe the term is "total dickcheese".

EDIT: typo fix

Penquin47 · « **Reply #39 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 22:34 »

Dude has an eminently punchable face. I do not like him. I am not advocating for punching, but if Roko did, I could easily understand why.

St.Clair · « **Reply #40 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 23:11 »

"I had hoped to be able to make my client's case to a person, but it seems I'm only speaking to a non-sentient component."

BenRG · « **Reply #41 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 23:18 »

The horrible part of it is that Mr Bureaucrat is actually 100% factually correct about the situation. What is annoying is that he clearly has no emotional investment and doesn't really care (indeed probably has been training himself not to care for a while). May has no personal existence to him beyond a line in a spreadsheet somewhere and he sees no point wasting his time challenging a policy and official attitude that won't change simply because the situation doesn't matter to him.

I think it's the aggressive nature of disinterest that really burns. Yes, yes, ex-inmate #25646 has a hard time. Well, that's a shame; why are you telling me this as if it will change anything?

The really important outcome of this meeting is the second bubble in panel 3; that's the lever that Roko was looking for. The admission that the Department of Correction's inadequate body budget means that they are knowingly sourcing junkers. "We know that we are risking these ex-prisoners' health but we don't have the money to do anything else." When the lawsuit over that admission gets to court, this guy would have long since have lost his job for dropping the Department in an embarrassing and expensive situation. It probably won't even get to court; they'll find the money to get May a new body in exchange for the withdrawal of the suit and May's signature on an NDA.

Quote from: St.Clair on 07 Jan 2020, 23:11

"I had hoped to be able to make my client's case to a person, but it seems I'm only speaking to a non-sentient component."

I've worked in the public sector bureaucracy. Trust me, you are not encouraged to be anything else.

pendrake · « **Reply #42 on:** 07 Jan 2020, 23:54 »

@BenRG...

Exactly, Jeph did an excellent job showing this disinterest in every panel of this comic (4173)...
- panel 1: "I don't 'make' time. I have a schedule." = He clocks in physically, but he has already clocked out mentally.
- panel 2: "It's not necessary for me to read that." = He does not even bother to look, because Roko's case is already pre-closed for him. And if he is made to take Roko's file-folder, it will wind up getting 'processed' into the 'Circular Filing Cabinet'. {If you do not know what that is, then you clearly have not dealt with enough Bureaucracy...}

(click to show/hide)

- panel 3: "...the body assignment department is not responsible..." = Not my problem/responsibility. Therefore, not my job/task to do anything about it. The System Works.

- panel 4: the Bureaucrat's half-lidded eyes = Because [reason], [technicality], [red tape], [Do I want Subway or McDonald's for lunch?], [droning on], [Oh are you still here...?]

- panel 5: the Bureaucrat's cleaning his glasses = See my own initial Comment above on what that means when people do that to you.

- panel 6: "...I'm not sure what you hoped to accomplish by coming here today." = I could be tending to something more important than you.

oddtail · « **Reply #43 on:** 08 Jan 2020, 01:21 »

Quote from: BenRG on 07 Jan 2020, 23:18

The horrible part of it is that Mr Bureaucrat is actually 100% factually correct about the situation.

Quote

I think it's the aggressive nature of disinterest that really burns.

I think these two statements summarise the nature of the problem best.

Yes, everything he says is true. Including his implied inability to do anything of substance. But there's a huge difference between "look, we have no budget for this. I really don't think we can do anything here. Let's look at what you have and figure out where any wriggle room in the system is" and "there's no budget for this. Ipso facto, you're wasting your time and mine".

Dude's JOB is to work within the system. Not hold it up as an all-purpose shield from having anything accomplished.

Or to quote Big Lebowski: he's not wrong; he's just an asshole.

EDIT: I don't even know what made me think of it, because the situation is nothing alike beyond a surface level "short on resources" similarity, but I'm reminded of a (probably false, but it makes for a good story) situation that allegedly occurred during Nazi occupation of Poland.

An officer of the Polish Resistance contacted his superiors to get the squad's allotment of personal arms (seeing as it's pretty difficult to conduct war without firearms). His fairly large squad got assigned, I think, five rifles and one handgun. Which is a ridiculous number, but on the other hand - what can you do when the resistance in the region physically didn't have any more guns, right?

The officer's response was to jokingly say: "we'll make do, but maybe you have some bows and arrows we could use at least?".

Point is, I'm not saying the bureaucrat in QC is not in a no-win situation. What I *am* saying is maybe he should be trying to figure out where to get some bows and arrows. And it doesn't even seem to occur to him.

Stoutfellow · « **Reply #44 on:** 08 Jan 2020, 02:03 »

Another emotional factor for Roko: "When I realized that my job wasn't actually doing anyone any good, I quit and took up another line of work. You?"

Cornelius · « **Reply #45 on:** 08 Jan 2020, 02:34 »

Quote from: oddtail on 08 Jan 2020, 01:21

Point is, I'm not saying the bureaucrat in QC is not in a no-win situation. What I *am* saying is maybe he should be trying to figure out where to get some bows and arrows. And it doesn't even seem to occur to him.

Or it might be that she's already got the bows and arrows.

Dngrsone · « **Reply #46 on:** 08 Jan 2020, 04:22 »

So... his department rarely assigns bodies. Given that, his budget is so low that he can afford only the cheapest of bodies.

Why is this actually a freaking department, then?

Annemoon · « **Reply #47 on:** 08 Jan 2020, 04:36 »

Wouldn't thought to say this, but I can't wait for Roko to go full ballistics on this guy...

Wingy · « **Reply #48 on:** 08 Jan 2020, 04:39 »

Probably to keep EQ=0 (or totally uninterested in the job, whichever he is) people employed. I'm sure May could handle this job more effectively (and might even be able to cadge some needed parts on the sly).

There's just so many ways this could go, up to and including Roko coming completely unglued in this guy's face and shocking him out of his stupor (which probably won't go well for May or Roko).

Cornelius · « **Reply #49 on:** 08 Jan 2020, 05:02 »

Or it might be, like some other underfunded and understaffed departments, that this is just one more responsibility on top of whatever his actual job is supposed to be.

Speaking from several part-time departments, myself...

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Poll

Do we have free will?

Author Topic: WCDT 4171-4175 (6 to 10 Jan 2020) (Read 30562 times)

TheEvilDog