So, uh, it seems that strip 3636 and 3836 have gotten switched around. So, we get to see angry Hannelore face, and then, if you navigate in the archive to find the actual 3836, you'll get to see angry Basilisk face.
So, uh, it seems that strip 3636 and 3836 have gotten switched around. So, we get to see angry Hannelore face, and then, if you navigate in the archive to find the actual 3836, you'll get to see angry Basilisk face.
If anyone needs a link: https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3636
Edit: Never mind, I get it. It's the next morning, and she doesn't want to have people automatically worry that she might actually be the vindictive type.
I've already got the feeling that this week's strips are not going to be enjoyable and I may even bow out for a while because the political opinions that are going to be openly and shamelessly be presented as objective fact will just make me mad at Jeph.
We'e seen no reason to believe that Roko's particular branch of the police service is corrupt yet she suddenly flips out. We needed a specific on-screen reason to be given, not just this assumption that 'aLl cOpZ is baAad loL'. What did she see (likely on the screen) that made her start thinking about not being vindictive? What was so bad that she'd rather leave her community to the bad cops and thugs than be involved in it?
We'e seen no reason to believe that Roko's particular branch of the police service is corrupt yet she suddenly flips out. We needed a specific on-screen reason to be given, not just this assumption that 'aLl cOpZ is baAad loL'. What did she see (likely on the screen) that made her start thinking about not being vindictive? What was so bad that she'd rather leave her community to the bad cops and thugs than be involved in it?
Didn't her original attempt to bust the robot fighting ring end with Corpse Witch basically telling her "I have your boss on speed dial, this will go badly for you if you try to make something of it?"
Edit: It's a more subtle threat than I recalled, but it's still pretty clearly indicating the local PD enforces the law rather selectively (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3364).
I got the impression that Corpse Witch was full of crap though and never had any more leverage than just being extremely manipulative and bluffing.
I've already got the feeling that this week's strips are not going to be enjoyable and I may even bow out for a while because the political opinions that are going to be openly and shamelessly be presented as objective fact will just make me mad at Jeph.
It may just be a matter of reminding yourself that neither the average nor the worst case in policing is the same on opposite sides of the Atlantic.
I've already got the feeling that this week's strips are not going to be enjoyable and I may even bow out for a while because the political opinions that are going to be openly and shamelessly be presented as objective fact will just make me mad at Jeph.
It may just be a matter of reminding yourself that neither the average nor the worst case in policing is the same on opposite sides of the Atlantic.
I think it's more of a problem of treating the "worst case" as if it were the norm, a trend far too rampant in today's society. (Like the "all cops are bad" narrative.)
I am so glad this thread exists...
I was sitting here thinking something was terribly wrong when I opened up the page to find.... T..T....Taffy!!!! (Tillly)
Then thought "Oh - no new comics then?"
But thats a helluva jump from standing on the street with May to a "Sod, this - I'm off" moment.
(I don't even know if I understand why that particular phrase has caused Roko's "Bugger it, I'm out" reaction...?)
<snip>
Panel #3 (bottom left): this is a typesetting joke right? Because my reaction to that terrible pun/joke was totally Panel #4
Also: Italics is totally the vindictive type. Looks so backstabby.
Okay. Made an account just to comment on today's (QC #3836) comic. At first, I thought the comic was just to move the current plot along, but then I may have imagined a punchline? Again, made an account to see if anyone touched upon this and no one hasn't, so I suppose I guess I'll explain the joke that was (wasn't?) made.
Panel #3 (bottom left): this is a typesetting joke right? Because my reaction to that terrible pun/joke was totally Panel #4
Also: Italics is totally the vindictive type. Looks so backstabby.
I am so glad this thread exists...
I was sitting here thinking something was terribly wrong when I opened up the page to find.... T..T....Taffy!!!! (Tillly)
Then thought "Oh - no new comics then?"
But thats a helluva jump from standing on the street with May to a "Sod, this - I'm off" moment.
(I don't even know if I understand why that particular phrase has caused Roko's "Bugger it, I'm out" reaction...?)
Funnily enough, I had read the comic, exited the page and came back to find Hanner!Mom being fanned by the Robohorse, so that was a WTF? moment for me.
And regards to understanding the phrase, I think its Roko twigging that she had to say to someone "she's not a vindictive cop". To a parolee, no less. To an idealist like Roko seems to be, where the cops are supposed to be the ones who serve the public and who the public should always feel safe around, the fact that she had to clarify that she wasn't the vindictive kind made her realise that May, and possibly others, are terrified of her and the police. That's enough of a realisation to break someone, especially someone whose only crime has been a little too dogged in her job and whose only vice is liking the smell of bread.
I am so glad this thread exists...
I was sitting here thinking something was terribly wrong when I opened up the page to find.... T..T....Taffy!!!! (Tillly)
Then thought "Oh - no new comics then?"
But thats a helluva jump from standing on the street with May to a "Sod, this - I'm off" moment.
(I don't even know if I understand why that particular phrase has caused Roko's "Bugger it, I'm out" reaction...?)
Funnily enough, I had read the comic, exited the page and came back to find Hanner!Mom being fanned by the Robohorse, so that was a WTF? moment for me.
And regards to understanding the phrase, I think its Roko twigging that she had to say to someone "she's not a vindictive cop". To a parolee, no less. To an idealist like Roko seems to be, where the cops are supposed to be the ones who serve the public and who the public should always feel safe around, the fact that she had to clarify that she wasn't the vindictive kind made her realise that May, and possibly others, are terrified of her and the police. That's enough of a realisation to break someone, especially someone whose only crime has been a little too dogged in her job and whose only vice is liking the smell of bread.
Hmm...
Whereas I understand your reasoning, personally, I would think the exact opposite (where I Roko).
It's either that or Jeph is suggesting that NOT being a vindictive cop is something 'other' than the norm.
And if that IS the case, then my take on Roko is, she would make bloody sure that perception ended... but not by leaving. (!?)
It's an odd one, certainly...
She could be ego-fragile. There are plenty of people who would be shaken by the realization that they were assumed to be vindictive jerks simply because of their job.
and whose only vice is liking the smell of bread.
I think it's more of a problem of treating the "worst case" as if it were the norm, a trend far too rampant in today's society. (Like the "all cops are bad" narrative.)
Those people generally don't make it through the Academy in the first place.
She could be ego-fragile. There are plenty of people who would be shaken by the realization that they were assumed to be vindictive jerks simply because of their job.
Is that "ego-fragile?" Being shaken by someone presuming you possess a stereotypical characteristic?
Those people generally don't make it through the Academy in the first place.
Have you been paying any attention to the kinds of people who made headlines on the job after making it through the Academy?
I think your idea of their standards is optimistic, at best.
... DON'T @ ME
It seems AIs get the more... enunciated character traits. "Going Commie on us"? It's a weird expression in this situation, but hey we saw O'Malley like... twice? before this arc. Maybe he is the AI embodiment of the cold war era.
... DON'T @ ME
I've started seeing this around...
Not sure I totally understand what it means...?
... DON'T @ ME
I've started seeing this around...
Not sure I totally understand what it means...?
It means that the author of the post is uninterested in debating the issue they raised. Generally I take it as meaning that they know that a lot of people will agree or disagree, vehemently, and they have no interest in seeing the thread cluttered up with the resulting firestorm.
EDIT
Fixed typo
It seems AIs get the more... enunciated character traits. "Going Commie on us"? It's a weird expression in this situation, but hey we saw O'Malley like... twice? before this arc. Maybe he is the AI embodiment of the cold war era.
By choice or exposure, O'Malley seems to wish to embody the stereotypical traits of a Bostonian Irish Cop (tm). This includes the assumption that any view other than 'status quo' is intrinsically 'Commie' or whatever the current appellation for those who don't like the status quo may be.
Basically, Jeph writes O'Malley as the stereotype of the 'cynical veteran copper'. Like all stereotypes, he's best interpreted as mainly the comic relief rather than any serious attempt to write a nuanced character. Unlike Roko, who is genuinely sweet in that she asks O'Malley to 'look after himself' as she leaves. One wonders if the only reason she went drinking with him was in the belief that she could stop him from over-indulging and damaging himself (not realising that she is a lightweight compared to him).
You can look at history or even round the world today and find plenty of examples of societies with functional central authority or law enforcement. You'll have to try a little harder to find any that are nice places to live.
I have a friend who was a cop in the southeaat. An out lesbian, concerned about social issues, willing to both call out her fellow officers both in person and online and question her own actions when called out, she did a ton of good for her community. Officers like that leaving does not help, especially when the reason is just a vague unease about how others might think about you.
Or, to put it another way: Whilst any social collective where authority structures exist necessarily seem to breed corruption, injustice and abuse by those authority structures, areas without authority structures tend to also breed injustice and abuse, often on catastrophically greater scales.
... DON'T @ ME
I've started seeing this around...
Not sure I totally understand what it means...?
It is a way to state a controversial opinion without wanting to receive controversial opinions in return.
Not on the other hand at all - it was a catastrophic typo! It was meant to say without functional central authority!!You can look at history or even round the world today and find plenty of examples of societies with functional central authority or law enforcement. You'll have to try a little harder to find any that are nice places to live.On the other hand, it is easy to find places without functional central authority or law enforcement that are not nice places to live.
... DON'T @ ME
I've started seeing this around...
Not sure I totally understand what it means...?
It is a way to state a controversial opinion without wanting to receive controversial opinions in return.
This, exactly. I find it hard to have respect for people who want to change people's minds, yet are completely unwilling to change their own mind in the process.
More accurately, it is a way to state a controversial opinion without wanting to receive controversial opinions in return.
Or, to put it another way: Whilst any social collective where authority structures exist necessarily seem to breed corruption, injustice and abuse by those authority structures, areas without authority structures tend to also breed injustice and abuse, often on catastrophically greater scales.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiapas
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala
Two counter examples I can think of, where the lives and economic conditions are strictly better than the surrounding nation.
Chances are, you’ve never heard of Kerala. This tiny Indian state on the Arabian Sea has a population more literate than any American state’s— its main export is PhD’s for energy and computer industries.
... DON'T @ ME
I've started seeing this around...
Not sure I totally understand what it means...?
It means that the author of the post is uninterested in debating the issue they raised.
I've already got the feeling that this week's strips are not going to be enjoyable and I may even bow out for a while because the political opinions that are going to be openly and shamelessly be presented as objective fact will just make me mad at Jeph.
Ah, but both of those examples are 'protected' from outside threats due to either geographic location or because they are part of a larger, more powerful state[...]We aren't though, which means that an Anarchist group would either have to be powerful enough to take on all comers
... DON'T @ ME
I've started seeing this around...
Not sure I totally understand what it means...?
(Or is it simply, don't tweet about this and include me as a direct recipient?)
Now she can become a private dick!
Now she can become a private dick!
... I was just imagining Pintsize's reaction to that...
... DON'T @ ME
I've started seeing this around...
Not sure I totally understand what it means...?
(Or is it simply, don't tweet about this and include me as a direct recipient?)
Basically it's "Don't link to me in any response or discussion, I'm not interested in having my viewpoint challenged."
... DON'T @ ME
I've started seeing this around...
Not sure I totally understand what it means...?
It is a way to state a controversial opinion without wanting to receive controversial opinions in return.
This, exactly. I find it hard to have respect for people who want to change people's minds, yet are completely unwilling to change their own mind in the process.
But I like Joe and Tova, so I'll dip my toe *this once*.
Moratorium back on, may the odds ever be in your favor you poor bastards.
Can I just point out the deep irony that an sardonically posted "Don't @ me" has resulted in the most @'d replies in the entire thread?
I have a friend who was a cop in the southeaat. An out lesbian, concerned about social issues, willing to both call out her fellow officers both in person and online and question her own actions when called out, she did a ton of good for her community. Officers like that leaving does not help, especially when the reason is just a vague unease about how others might think about you.
... DON'T @ ME
I've started seeing this around...
Not sure I totally understand what it means...?
(Or is it simply, don't tweet about this and include me as a direct recipient?)
Basically it's "Don't link to me in any response or discussion, I'm not interested in having my viewpoint challenged."
This, and the variations of it others posted in the thread, are as inaccurate as claiming someone blocking you on Twitter means they "can't handle debate" or are "hiding" or "know they lost" or etc.
"Don't @ me" doesn't mean they don't want to be challenged or refuse to change their minds or are otherwise closed to new ideas.
It means they don't want to hear from you, the anonymous online public, about it. They're stating their opinion; you can debate it amongst yourselves all you want, just don't include them because they don't care about your opinions on their opinion. They don't know you, they don't owe you their time, and you're probably going to post bullshit about it anyway - as demonstrated in the above quote suggesting they "don't want their viewpoint challenged," for example, proving their point.
More specific to Twitter where this started, @ing people also sends them notifications so it's also just a way of keeping your notifications clear for things you actually care about responding to instead of getting potentially flooded with rando replies to a statement you made X days ago. Less of an issue now that they have a "mute this conversation" feature, but etymology and all that.
Can I just point out the deep irony that an sardonically posted "Don't @ me" has resulted in the most @'d replies in the entire thread?
Speaking as a user, not a mod, for whatever it's worth, when I say 'Don't @ me' I actually mean 'I am desperate to discuss this shit, someone talk to me.'I have a friend who was a cop in the southeaat. An out lesbian, concerned about social issues, willing to both call out her fellow officers both in person and online and question her own actions when called out, she did a ton of good for her community. Officers like that leaving does not help, especially when the reason is just a vague unease about how others might think about you.
This is a very, very complicated thing to talk about and it really doesn't have a right answer.
That said, I admit that she may have done all the above for some time already and her interaction with May may have simply been the proverbial last straw. It just didn't come across that way to me.When I first read today's comic, that's actually the impression I had as well, that we see the last straw breaking the proverbial camel's back, but missed the rest of the load. However, I figured we still have the rest of the week coming.
Look, there's enough badwill in the world, this forum should be a safe haven from it. So don't go fucking adding to it here.
I think I should go join De_La_Nae in that moratorium.
Look, there's enough badwill in the world, this forum should be a safe haven from it. So don't go fucking adding to it here.
I think I should go join De_La_Nae in that moratorium.
Not a bad idea that.
...so I guess she's free of the police department's ban on exaggerated Boston accents? (You'd think that would be an obligation...)
...so I guess she's free of the police department's ban on exaggerated Boston accents? (You'd think that would be an obligation...)
FAHK OAFF is a Boston accent?
(FAHK OAFF ...! :-D)
It seems that this appearance of the Eminence Gris is primarily to annoy.
If not with its observations, then with its outfit...
I thought Basilisk was parodying the Spookybots' accent, which is apparently non-rhotic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhoticity_in_English) like mine. In Australia we really do say: "I'll pahk my cah in the yahd, twenty meetas outside the shopping centa."
I know some people on this forum aren't the biggest fans of Spookybot/how they were introduced, but they're definitely one of my favorite characters because of how little we know about them. I love seeing them show up again!
(click to show/hide)
I thought Basilisk was parodying the Spookybots' accent, which is apparently non-rhotic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhoticity_in_English) like mine. In Australia we really do say: "I'll pahk my cah in the yahd, twenty meetas outside the shopping centa."
Wow, I know it was one of the multiple choices, but I honestly did not expect Spookybot.
I thought Basilisk was parodying the Spookybots' accent, which is apparently non-rhotic (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhoticity_in_English) like mine. In Australia we really do say: "I'll pahk my cah in the yahd, twenty meetas outside the shopping centa."Also Australian - that first part is spot on - and now I'm wondering about the pronunciation of "car" in other parts of the world. Cah just seems so right that I can't even work out how you would pronounce it differently.
I also suspect that Roko is going to wake up tomorrow and realise that she told a god-tier AI to 'fuck off' and muse that she now hopes that they are powerful and self-assured enough to not take stuff like that personally.Ah but you see, the Eminence Gris is not the vindictive type, if that's what you're worried about.
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”
― C. S. Lewis
Oh, is that supposed to be a Boston accent?
My first thought was Scottish, but I suppose something from the States makes more sense.
No. It's not even close. Nobody in the Boston area ever speaks like that. "ah" and "uh" are interchangeable for "ar" "er" and "or" sounds depending on neighborhood, how long you have lived in the area, and the speed of your voice. "Pahk the cah in Hahvahd Yahd" is total bullshit. Real Boston area accents are in "bublah" "Medfuhd" "rivah" "cruisah".
She's running a language file that is someone's idea of a joke.
Also Australian, I actually had to read the sentence out loud to realize it was true.English is my second language, so I'm possibly more self-conscious about my pronunciation. ;)
Wow, I know it was one of the multiple choices, but I honestly did not expect Spookybot.
Nobody expects Spookybot! Their chief weapon is surprise... surprise and fear... fear and surprise...
Those hoping for an Australian accent, do be aware that it has been specifically stated as a Boston accent. https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3695 (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3695)
This out-of-nowhere continuity-breaking "joke", a one-time(?) poke at Boston accents... just jarring. Not funny.
The accent struck me as very exaggerated. Not in itself, but because there's been no previous accent in any of Roko's speech, anywhere. In fact, she declares "fuck this" just the other day but "fahk off" here.
This out-of-nowhere continuity-breaking "joke", a one-time(?) poke at Boston accents... just jarring. Not funny.
(click to show/hide)
Counterpoint:
"Let go of my hands! Stop! Stop hitting me!"
"Bullshit! You want anarchy? This is anarchy! Where the stronger rule the weak, and guess where your place is, Pugsly? Anarchy is your sixth grade gym class for all eternity!" (https://www.somethingpositive.net/sp12102002.shtml)
The accent struck me as very exaggerated. Not in itself, but because there's been no previous accent in any of Roko's speech, anywhere. In fact, she declares "fuck this" just the other day but "fahk off" here.
This out-of-nowhere continuity-breaking "joke", a one-time(?) poke at Boston accents... just jarring. Not funny.
I'm not where I can find the original strip, but Roko, while 'drinking' with O'Malley, descends into a Bostonian accent when angry.
Those hoping for an Australian accent, do be aware that it has been specifically stated as a Boston accent. https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3695 (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3695)
As an Australian myself, I'd like it too, but it's sadly not the case. Would be cool to have the traditional "Aussie Backpacka" pass through at some point, organic or otherwise.
Also, pardon me, but what the heck is a "backapacka?" Google is of no help at all.
OK, been holding this in since the very first "Spookybot" run since I figured it was gonna be a one-and-done. But now it's back so....
Jeph, drop this annoying obnoxious literal deus ex machina POS character in the "do not reuse EVER" file immediately. It's very existence diminishes ever other character in the series.
You can't fix a broken system with the tools of that system. A "good" cop is not going to fix the department from the inside. It's rotten to the core. The whole thing needs dismantled and rebuilt from scratch.But is the whole department of QC's Northampton really that broken?
And how can you do it without ending up exactly where we are today?Perhaps one day the price will not be too heavy? (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3486)
And how can you do it without ending up exactly where we are today?Perhaps one day the price will not be too heavy? (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3486)
The best of friends call you Fucker or Goddammit.
It'll be interesting to see Roko get pulled into the circle of friends.
I also look forward to someone finding out the bread fetish. If it's Miss Reed, expect a 'eh, whatever.' shrug. :)
You can't fix a broken system with the tools of that system. A "good" cop is not going to fix the department from the inside. It's rotten to the core. The whole thing needs dismantled and rebuilt from scratch.But is the whole department of QC's Northampton really that broken?
And how can you do it without ending up exactly where we are today?
You can't fix a broken system with the tools of that system. A "good" cop is not going to fix the department from the inside. It's rotten to the core. The whole thing needs dismantled and rebuilt from scratch.But is the whole department of QC's Northampton really that broken?
Exactly. If this was a city like Baltimore I’d understand completely, but is Northampton really that hopeless?
OK, been holding this in since the very first "Spookybot" run since I figured it was gonna be a one-and-done. But now it's back so....
Jeph, drop this annoying obnoxious literal deus ex machina POS character in the "do not reuse EVER" file immediately. It's very existence diminishes ever other character in the series.
Those hoping for an Australian accent, do be aware that it has been specifically stated as a Boston accent. https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3695 (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3695)
You can't fix a broken system with the tools of that system. A "good" cop is not going to fix the department from the inside. It's rotten to the core. The whole thing needs dismantled and rebuilt from scratch.But is the whole department of QC's Northampton really that broken?
Exactly. If this was a city like Baltimore I’d understand completely, but is Northampton really that hopeless?
Roko is state police (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3311)
If Roko wants to change society she should get in touch with Momo forthwith.
That depends. How fond of you of capitalism as an insitution -- which neccesitates a focus on property rights, which is both the cause of most crime (https://www.gregpalast.com/florida-honduras-inequality-kills-want-to-end-the-american-shooting-epidemic/) and leads to the strongest incentives for police corruption -- or of hierarchal power structures in general?If there is power in the structure, there is necessarily hierarchy. Between one giving orders, and another who must obey, there is no equality. And the briefest glance at the history of my homeland will demonstrate that you certainly don't need capitalism or property-rights to have violent and unaccountable police officers, or unjust courts.
I don't quite get all attention put on individual cities' police departments - are state and city police completely different and independent organizational units?In the USA, I think, yes. In Australia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_enforcement_in_Australia), each state has a separate police-force, and then there is the national Australian Federal Police (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Federal_Police) (AKA FedPol).
I don't quite get all attention put on individual cities' police departments - are state and city police completely different and independent organizational units?In most US states that's an emphatic YES, and you can add county (or parish in Louisiana) sheriff's offices as another layer.
I don't quite get all attention put on individual cities' police departments - are state and city police completely different and independent organizational units?In most US states that's an emphatic YES, and you can add county (or parish in Louisiana) sheriff's offices as another layer.
People assume that law enforcement in the US is a monolithic institution when in reality it is anything but.
I don't quite get all attention put on individual cities' police departments - are state and city police completely different and independent organizational units?
I don't quite get all attention put on individual cities' police departments - are state and city police completely different and independent organizational units?
You know what I'd like to see? May getting a Transformers-like body that is either as a surface-to-orbit shuttlecraft or an upright humanoid form (and maybe a giant bear-dog beast mode because Dr Ellitcott-Chatham likes good four-legged girls). After seeing the latest Bumblebee trailer, I like the idea of May in a Giant Mecha body trying to fit into her usual routine and places; naturally, she ends up knocking over lots of stuff.
You know what I'd like to see? May getting a Transformers-like body that is either as a surface-to-orbit shuttlecraft or an upright humanoid form (and maybe a giant bear-dog beast mode because Dr Ellitcott-Chatham likes good four-legged girls). After seeing the latest Bumblebee trailer, I like the idea of May in a Giant Mecha body trying to fit into her usual routine and places; naturally, she ends up knocking over lots of stuff.
We've speculated on how AIs acquire education, and since they are computers it's reasonable to assume they can simply download information. That Mr. Bartholomew Punchbot, CPA has never reminisced about his college days supports this theory. AIs, like humans, have differing levels of intellectual capacity, and Roko seems to be on the bright side, even among AIs.
Is Roko going to download a JD and sit the next Massachusetts bar exam? She has the smarts and practical knowledge of the criminal justice system. I can definitely see her as an attorney (and she'd have plenty of opportunities to user her "I am surrounded by idiots" face from panel 4).
That Mr. Bartholomew Punchbot, CPA has never reminisced about his college days supports this theory.
And to add on how fractured police are with state/federal/county/city etc police in the US, our laws are just as bad. There are federal laws, state laws, county laws, city laws, sometimes something can be legal or not depending on where you are standing. (most major things are federal or state laws, and things like gun laws and self defense laws can vary wildly).
I said information, you are speaking of skills (the ability to apply information in a real world environment.We've speculated on how AIs acquire education, and since they are computers it's reasonable to assume they can simply download information. That Mr. Bartholomew Punchbot, CPA has never reminisced about his college days supports this theory. AIs, like humans, have differing levels of intellectual capacity, and Roko seems to be on the bright side, even among AIs.
Is Roko going to download a JD and sit the next Massachusetts bar exam? She has the smarts and practical knowledge of the criminal justice system. I can definitely see her as an attorney (and she'd have plenty of opportunities to user her "I am surrounded by idiots" face from panel 4).
IMO, that would cast doubt on the possibility of acquiring non-trivial skills via a simple download . . .
I submit that an AI can download the contents of every textbook and lecture in any course of study.
I said information, you are speaking of skills (the ability to apply information in a real world environment.We've speculated on how AIs acquire education, and since they are computers it's reasonable to assume they can simply download information. That Mr. Bartholomew Punchbot, CPA has never reminisced about his college days supports this theory. AIs, like humans, have differing levels of intellectual capacity, and Roko seems to be on the bright side, even among AIs.
Is Roko going to download a JD and sit the next Massachusetts bar exam? She has the smarts and practical knowledge of the criminal justice system. I can definitely see her as an attorney (and she'd have plenty of opportunities to user her "I am surrounded by idiots" face from panel 4).
IMO, that would cast doubt on the possibility of acquiring non-trivial skills via a simple download . . .
I submit that an AI can download the contents of every textbook and lecture in any course of study. I have stated in prior discussions that they would still need practical experience to learn to use that information, that is, to acquire those skills. Roko already has substantial experience in the legal system, including formidable legal research skills. (God help the first witness that thinks being cross examined by her is going to be a piece of cake.)
The bottom like is that Jeph, if he so desires, can have Roko licensed to practice as an Attorney-at-Law within a few weeks in-strip time and still maintain story continuity rather than either switching the locus of Roco arcs to law school for a couple years or making her vanish while she completes a LLM or JD.
Which is what I was speaking of: The reading-and-thinking-about-and-understanding part. I don't think that one works much different for (QC-Verse) AIs than it works for us.Probably.
Are we talking past each other? :psyduck:
Someone with better archive skills than I have may know the strip in which a synthetic is reading a book and someone asks why, given the option of downloading the information. I don't remember the answer but don't think it was "we can't just download knowledge".
/me acknowledges OldGoat's distinction between knowledge and skills.
I think I maybe should have remained blissful in my ignorance... :oops:
Eyeballs as input device or straight to the drive - text is text is text.
Eyeballs as input device or straight to the drive - text is text is text.
I hope I'm not imposing on you: Did you never encounter a 'text' (I'd include e.g. math-textbooks into that definition - math is a language, too, in a sense) that you had to read several times to understand it?
/me acknowledges OldGoat's distinction between knowledge and skills.I throw a distinction between skill and talent/aptitude into the mix as well, with talent innate while skill needs to be developed. Both have to do with what and how the entity, meat or metal, does with knowledge.
I'm just confused as to why May decided to ask Roko for a new body...literally after Roko lost her job ._.;She didn’t. She used her own cut rate chassis as an example of one of the ways criminal AI get shafted by the system and one of the things Roko, in her quest to improve the lot of the robot ex-con, could look into.
I'm just confused as to why May decided to ask Roko for a new body...literally after Roko lost her job ._.;To be a good (including effective) cop, a person needs to know where and how to crime, and May sees Roko as a good cop. She may even be subconsciously probing Roko to see just how far she's left law & order behind. Castlerook's right, though, it's more likely that, at least at the front of her mind, she's hoping Roko can provide her with an in with the Lost & Found room custodian before the department's next unclaimed property auction.
> screwed for mistakes you've already paid for.I don't suppose there might be a subtle distinction between destroying teeth and destroying a life.
Well that's life. You pay for your mistakes, to a greater or lesser extent, for the rest of your life.
Doesn't matter how well I look after my teeth now, they're always going to be compromised by the poor care they got when I was younger.
Something that's been repaired is pretty much never ever quite as good as something that was never broken. Same is true of mental and social status as physical.
I don't quite get all attention put on individual cities' police departments - are state and city police completely different and independent organizational units?
And then you get into cases where there are police departments with multiple overlapping jurisdictions. I used to live in Raleigh, North Carolina. In Wake County we had:
* Multiple state police agencies - the State Bureau of Investigation, the NC Highway Patrol, the State Capitol Police and the State Fairgrounds Police (yes, the last two really were separate independent police agencies.) Plus a few others I’m probably forgetting.
* The Wake County Sheriff’s Department
* Nine different municipal police forces
* The NC State University Police and the Meredith College Police (it’s not unusual for colleges and universities in the US to have their own police forces)
* The Crabtree Valley Mall Special Police - yes, the mall cops were real police officers, with the power to make arrests and write tickets.
Try getting all of those departments to cooperate.
I don't quite get all attention put on individual cities' police departments - are state and city police completely different and independent organizational units?
They are independent of one another. There are no villages, townships, or unincorporated communities in the state, those are part of incorporated towns and unless the town itself hasn't organized a police department thus necessitating the state police to patrol the town the town's department provides law enforcement. The state police, fire marshal's office, and Environmental Police are statewide and have legislatively mandated authority, thus operated in every city or town independent of the police chief and at times can overrule him/her and take over investigations. In all of the counties the local county sheriff's offices are impotent when it comes to law enforcement outside of providing aid in the form of communications, command centers, swat teams, K9 units, and additional manpower. They technically have police powers in their counties but are all but barred from exercising the option due to strong local police unions preventing the use without an emergency declaration.
But why a light-rail commuter system has such a need for its own police force, in addition to all of the above, is a bafflement to me. They're essentially serving in the role of private security, except that because BART is owned by a government institution they have to be officially police?
There are plenty of books who's intent and experience is wholly dependent upon absorbing the text in order. The sequential process of reading them reveals things and ellicits particular responses based on the timing of when specific elements are presented. Just downloading the information directly into your brain would fail to provide the experience of the book. Often it is not the information that matters as much as how the information is presented
But why a light-rail commuter system has such a need for its own police force, in addition to all of the above, is a bafflement to me.Training for access to working rail lines. People without specialist training who wander round active rail systems have a habit of getting killed. We have specialist transport police in the UK too. We don't really have a national police force as such. its basically (simplification) regional forces.
I see a distinction in that one is physiological cause and effect and the other is an assembly of choices that employers and laws and licensing boards have made.Ultimately no. Your mistakes will always haunt you to a greater or lesser extent.
I see a distinction in that one is physiological cause and effect and the other is an assembly of choices that employers and laws and licensing boards have made.Ultimately no. Your mistakes will always haunt you to a greater or lesser extent.
In societies without functioning law enforcement and criminal justice the payment tends to be very short term and of the type that involves stones, or ropes and trees... People forget that what we had before modern law enforcement was more arbitrary, more brutal and more error prone.
There have been people at various stages in history who decried writing things down at all saying it eroded our ability to remember things and made us intellectually lazy. With the advent of the internet and how easy it is to look something up immediately when you are curious and then instantly forget it again cos you don't need to remember, I can kind of see their point.
There have been people at various stages in history who decried writing things down at all saying it eroded our ability to remember things and made us intellectually lazy. With the advent of the internet and how easy it is to look something up immediately when you are curious and then instantly forget it again cos you don't need to remember, I can kind of see their point.
The ability to store information beyond the capability of human brains made it possible to stockpile more knowledge than a single human could possibly hold.
Nowadays it's more important to know how to find what you need, and how to interpret information you can't or don't need to remember.
This all, of course, doesn't apply to basic knowledge, and a certain kind of people tries to justify being dumb as "I can look it up anytime I want!"
{cropped part about handwriting and knowledge}
Our technology changes us. Maybe that's what QC is about.
Haven't seen Winslow in a while...or did he go with Hannalor? I feel like i'm forgetting something.
Yeah, I also learnt that perfect engineer's printing, although not in school. It was never taught us in my own discipline, but in my discipline we have source code (and cryptographic keys, and passwords), and the distinctions between different glyphs can become very very important.
There used to be a lot of jokes about the difference between engineers (incredibly precise) hand printing and doctors' (stereotypically incomprehensible) handwriting. Much of the angst against doctors' handwriting was misplaced, though; In medical school, they used to teach future doctors (for reasons unknown to me) to write their prescriptions in Latin. People who couldn't read it reached the conclusion that it was illegible.
Much of the angst against doctors' handwriting was misplaced, though; In medical school, they used to teach future doctors (for reasons unknown to me) to write their prescriptions in Latin. People who couldn't read it reached the conclusion that it was illegible.
Much of the angst against doctors' handwriting was misplaced, though; In medical school, they used to teach future doctors (for reasons unknown to me) to write their prescriptions in Latin. People who couldn't read it reached the conclusion that it was illegible.
They probably haven't taught doctors to write prescriptions in Latin for at least a hundred years, and trust me, doctors' handwriting is still extremely illegible. My wife the ex-nurse can testify to that. The main problem seems to be that doctors do so much writing that they write as quickly as possible, a habit which has extremely detrimental effects on legibility.
Much of the angst against doctors' handwriting was misplaced, though; In medical school, they used to teach future doctors (for reasons unknown to me) to write their prescriptions in Latin. People who couldn't read it reached the conclusion that it was illegible.
They probably haven't taught doctors to write prescriptions in Latin for at least a hundred years, and trust me, doctors' handwriting is still extremely illegible. My wife the ex-nurse can testify to that. The main problem seems to be that doctors do so much writing that they write as quickly as possible, a habit which has extremely detrimental effects on legibility.
All mine moved to computer printed 'scripts a while ago, but for the past year of so everything's been sent to the pharmacy electronically. Mrs. Goat RN agrees, the doctor with legible handwriting is a rare beast indeed. Nothing like a large malpractice settlement pay-out for a disastrous medication error to change long standing custom real quick.
They probably haven't taught doctors to write prescriptions in Latin for at least a hundred years...
They probably haven't taught doctors to write prescriptions in Latin for at least a hundred years...
You say that, but have you ever seen script abbreviations such as "a.c.","b.d.s", "q1d", "tds", "ud", or anything else on this list?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_medical_abbreviations:_Latin_abbreviations (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_medical_abbreviations:_Latin_abbreviations)
I'm sure most doctors don't write completely in latin, but many of the doctors where I am use latin abbreviations on their scripts.
No doubt there were people in the First Century criticizing those new-fangled codices and claiming that the experience of reading from a scroll was far superior.https://www.gocomics.com/phoebe-and-her-unicorn/2014/12/07 (https://www.gocomics.com/phoebe-and-her-unicorn/2014/12/07)