Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

I'm not much of a video game person.

5 (5.6%)

A few minutes (or at least until I get killed the last time).

1 (1.1%)

An hour or so.

3 (3.3%)

A few hours.

15 (16.7%)

I lost a whole day once - it was a new release!

31 (34.4%)

I've got WOW in a separate window in the background as I'm clicking this.

7 (7.8%)

I haven't STOPPED playing.

12 (13.3%)

Shhh! I'm fighting Kefka.

5 (5.6%)

I keep losing at solitaire.

4 (4.4%)

Where's this "Quantifiable Concerns" forum I've heard about?

7 (7.8%)

Total Members Voted: 78

[Akima]

Who is he, and what did he do with the real Pintsize?

[PintsizeForPresident]

Looks like Pintsize just had a software upgrade that fixed some of his sociopathic tendencies.

[Pilchard123]

Pintsize is like an onion!

He stinks, he makes you cry, and he grows little white hairs in you leave him in the sun too long?

[de_la_Nae]

Might be possible that he's gotten a few (only a few) of his wild oats sown finally. I know I'd be a little crazy being Marten's *only* friend for a couple years, might get a little wild once more and more of that pressure got taken off.

Then again maybe Jeph just figured "Hey it's time to remember that Pintsize isn't *always* Chaotic Neutral."

[Soulsynger]

I'm kind of sad that Pintsize seems to see his relationship with Marten as a "job". The way he casually used that word in his penultimate line really bugs me.

Might just be that I liked Pintsize where he was. Giving him hidden depths feels out of place.

[Border Reiver]

Who is he, and what did he do with the real Pintsize?

I suspect that this is the real Pintsize, and that he's just waiting for the point of maximum humour to reveal the next wacky hijink.

[Welu]

I'm kind of sad that Pintsize seems to see his relationship with Marten as a "job". The way he casually used that word in his penultimate line really bugs me.

Might just be that I liked Pintsize where he was. Giving him hidden depths feels out of place.

I was wondering about the use of that word too. I'm still delighted to see Pintsize having a somewhat serious discussion for a few sentences.

[jwhouk]

What's the longest YOU have played a video game (console or PC)?

I'm not much of a video game person.    3 (4.1%)
A few minutes (or at least until I get killed the last time).    1 (1.4%)
An hour or so.    0 (0%)
A few hours.    14 (18.9%)
I lost a whole day once - it was a new release!    26 (35.1%)
I've got WOW in a separate window in the background as I'm clicking this.    7 (9.5%)
I haven't STOPPED playing.    10 (13.5%)
Shhh! I'm fighting Kefka.    4 (5.4%)
I keep losing at solitaire.    4 (5.4%)
Where's this "Quantifiable Concerns" forum I've heard about?    5 (6.8%)

Total Members Voted: 74

[Game and Watch Forever]

I'm kind of sad that Pintsize seems to see his relationship with Marten as a "job". The way he casually used that word in his penultimate line really bugs me.

Pintsize said his "job is done" and that he and Marten are "still friends." The two statements would contradict really badly if both job and friendship were the same to him (not to say there isn't some-- if not a decent amount of overlap). I think his job description is more "keep companion from feeling too lonely" and now that Marten isn't, he really can relax and do his own thing if he desires. But the relationship is still there, of course.

[jwhouk]

Kinda like they're married.

[Game and Watch Forever]

That's probably not a bad comparison to how the AIs would like their companion contracts/bonds to be treated. Well... how marriage is supposed to be treated, anyway.

Although now I'm having visions of an awkward human-AI companion "dating" period between Marten and Pintsize. It's complete with a montage of them having a milkshake out of the same glass, them spinning on a playground carousel, and goofy pictures in a photobooth. Cause that's how television informs me two people are dating....

Edit: My paranoia is telling me I'll somehow be warned about shipping.  I hope it's clear that isn't even close to what I'm trying to do.

[jwhouk]

"People let me tell ya 'bout my beeeeessstt friieeennnnd...."

[LTK]

Pintsize has come a long way from "I'm supposed to be helping?"

[Method of Madness]

Edit: My paranoia is telling me I'll somehow be warned about shipping.  I hope it's clear that isn't even close to what I'm trying to do.

Moderator Comment

Nah, you're alright.

[FunkyTuba]

Today's strip makes me realize how close to canon some of the guest strips are. particularly SMBC's.

[Is it cold in here?]

I could use a Pintsize right about now, minus the crazy cartoon antics. The Porn I'll keep.

Welcome, new person!

I could benefit from an AnthroPC with a social protocol database myself.

[TinPenguin]

Today's strip makes me realize how close to canon some of the guest strips are. particularly SMBC's.

Except that, counter to Mr. Wiener's boner bonanza, Jeph is still afflicted with Butt's Disease.

[DSL]

I dunno. The one guest strip I *hope* turns out to be canon is Milholland's posit that Hanners is Pizza Girl. Presumably succeeding the Pizza Girl who may or may not have died in the dumpster.

[Sassafras]

I love that Pintsize is showing some depth, but he's still pretty cruddy at his job. He's supposed to be an ambassador to humankind, but he's not making AIs look very good.

[Method of Madness]

Why is he expected to be an ambassador to humanity? As far as I see it, his job is simply to be a good friend to Marten.

[Akima]

I love that Pintsize is showing some depth, but he's still pretty cruddy at his job. He's supposed to be an ambassador to humankind, but he's not making AIs look very good.

Wasn't the ambassador thing Momo's line?

[slydon]

This week's reveal: Pintsize comes out as trans.

(click to show/hide)

He wants to be a pair of spanx.

[CrowFairy]

I don't know that Pintsize meant "job" the way you guys have interpreted it. My own interpretation was that it's just what he does, what he feels like he's supposed to do and wants to do. Like, one of my friends has panic attacks on occasion, and I'm her Remus Lupin and give her chocolate ("Here. Eat this. You'll feel better.") and sit with her and help her calm down. If she were to say, "You don't have to do that," I would say, "Yeah, I do. It's my job." Sometimes duties as friends are like jobs--specially defined things that we do in certain situations that show our friendship for the other person.

[Method of Madness]

I didn't mean job as in he has to be Marten's friend, I meant that he has no obligation to be an ambassador.

[Moonlight]

Although now I'm having visions of an awkward human-AI companion "dating" period between Marten and Pintsize. It's complete with a montage of them having a milkshake out of the same glass, them spinning on a playground carousel, and goofy pictures in a photobooth. Cause that's how television informs me two people are dating....

That made my day, also, I don't know why but I felt a little sad for Pintsize, maybe it's because in every other story where someone says "He now have friends, my job here is done" it is always acompanied with a scene of said person sadly smiling while looking at the other guy having fun with his new friends from the distance.

[de_la_Nae]

I love that Pintsize is showing some depth, but he's still pretty cruddy at his job. He's supposed to be an ambassador to humankind, but he's not making AIs look very good.

I see what you're thinking, but apply it out to some other examples and I'm sure you'll note the flaw a little bit.

Maurice is supposed to be an ambassador to white people, but he's not making black people look very good.
Juanita is supposed to be an ambassador to Americans (probably white people again), but she's not making Hispanic people look very good.
de la Nae is supposed to be an ambassador to cisgender people, but she's not making transgender people look very good.


While I do consider it something of a personal responsibility to try and be something along the lines of my ideal of 'a good person', nothing in this world really holds me to that except my own beliefs. Holding me, or anyone, too strongly to some idea of unyielding 'ambassadorship' is troublesome because it ends up denying someone their personhood (or humanity if you will, but not sure if best word when AI people get put into the mix). Putting them up on a worshipful pedestal is sort of a way of removing your own ability to understand when and why they might make mistakes or decisions you don't agree with, and now instead of working through that problem to try and find common ground you hate them for not living up to your standards.

If that makes any sense? I know I certainly ended up having that dilemma growing up and realizing my grandfather and father weren't monsters and my grandmother wasn't perfect.

[Sassafras]

Why is he expected to be an ambassador to humanity? As far as I see it, his job is simply to be a good friend to Marten.

I suppose it could have just been Momo's interpretation of their job rather than an official job description, but she sure made it sound important.

[Method of Madness]

Well it's important to her, sure.

[DSL]

Why is he expected to be an ambassador to humanity? As far as I see it, his job is simply to be a good friend to Marten.

I suppose it could have just been Momo's interpretation of their job rather than an official job description, but she sure made it sound important.

Some folks idealize and glamorize their jobs. Some folks have a more realistic picture. Or "cynical," if you want to look at it that way.

[Sassafras]

I see what you're thinking, but apply it out to some other examples and I'm sure you'll note the flaw a little bit.

Maurice is supposed to be an ambassador to white people, but he's not making black people look very good.

Actually, that's not what I was saying, so let me clarify: Momo and Pintsize have both called their role as companion AIs a "job" and implied that they have goals and responsibilities stemming from it. Momo even chose to describe her job as an ambassadorship (though as others have pointed out, it's murky as to whether that's an official duty of companion AIs or just her interpretation of it). Of course this is not related to the pressure forced on marginalized people; I am talking about an official and willingly-accepted job, not an imposed social role. If Momo was just being poetic about her role, and Pintsize doesn't actually have an official duty to be an ambassador, then fuck it, he can do what he wants.

[de_la_Nae]

Well, possibly I don't see what you're thinking then. Though unless I'm mistaken there seems to be an undercurrent that most human-AI relations in the civilian sector are funneled through the Companionship Contract, which is unlike a lot of my examples and may throw in variables that invalidate my comparison.

[jwhouk]

Occam's Razor:

Pintsize is a hipster/slacker AI.

[Method of Madness]

Slightly OT, but apparently I've been pronouncing Jeph's last name wrong for YEARS according to the QC dump. Oops.

[jwhouk]

You're not alone.

"Jeff Jacks" not "Geoff Jocks".

[Is it cold in here?]

AIs who sign up for the companionship gig are doing a job, both as companions to people and as “ambassadors” for their kind.

From Tumblr.

[Kugai]

I love that Pintsize is showing some depth, but he's still pretty cruddy at his job. He's supposed to be an ambassador to humankind, but he's not making AIs look very good.

Wasn't the ambassador thing Momo's line?

I thought that was Londo Mollari   



Plumbing the depths of Pintsizes personality is best done in a full Marauder Suit - with all available weapons

[cesium133]

In reference to the poll: back in college, there were a couple times I spent an entire weekend playing Civilization. I started playing Friday after class and continued through Sunday night, stopping only to sleep. One of those times, my Mom's birthday was Saturday, and she was annoyed that I forgot to call her...

[Method of Madness]

You're not alone. "Jeff Jacks" not "Geoff Jocks".

Wait, why did you spell his first name wrong in two different ways? Now I'm confused. Are Jeph/Jeff/Geoff pronounced differently? 

I didn't really pronounce it "jocks", I pronounced like it was French, except I pronounced the s.

[riccostar]

Daw cute pintsize moment, oh so rare.  He's been making a good showing here in the last few comics.

[pwhodges]

Are Jeph/Jeff/Geoff pronounced differently? [/quotes]

Nowhere I know!

I pronounced like it was French,

The people I know in the UK with the name Jacques pronounce it like "Jakes", so I always have to correct myself when thinking of our Jeph.

[Carl-E]

"Jakes" is still better than "Jay-kwees". 

[slydon]

I'd thought it was like Jacques Cousteau for years, too.
My life is a lie.

[jwhouk]

Not that I ever did, but some would see the "ph" at the end and assume his first name was pronounced with a hard-G sound (ala Gee-eff).

[Method of Madness]

I'd thought it was like Jacques Cousteau for years, too.

Yeah, same, except with a non-silent s. And wait, J, why would the ph affect how the first part of the word is pronounced?

[jwhouk]

You're asking someone whose last name has been mispronounced so much, I'm used to correcting people on the pronunciation* by reflex?

If I were Jeph, I'd only want them to spell my name right on the checks and bank sheets.


* -

(click to show/hide)

It's pronounced "HOWK." The "ou" is NOT pronounced like "aw".

[StevenC]

And here I always pronounced your name Who-k in my head. Damn French lessons.

[jwhouk]

The W is my middle initial. I'm "olde skool" when it comes to internet handles: my first "real" internet account (aka Non-AOL) was the first initial, middle initial, and last name.

There are people who only know me as "JWHouk".

[Near Lurker]

I'd always assumed it was meant to be parsed "J. WHO UK."  Nine hells if I knew what that meant, but there you are.

[Vurogj]

Same here Lurker, I had it as a UK based Doctor fan with the initial J. Oops.

[Carl-E]

Really?  I think I read it as J. W. Houk (howk) from the first time I saw it!  I can't imagine someone taking that for hawk...