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15 (3.2%)

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27 (5.8%)

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31 (6.6%)

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23 (4.9%)

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5 (1.1%)

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30 (6.4%)

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22 (4.7%)

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25 (5.4%)

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8 (1.7%)

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9 (1.9%)

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5 (1.1%)

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19 (4.1%)

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15 (3.2%)

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9 (1.9%)

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17 (3.6%)

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11 (2.4%)

Politics

9 (1.9%)

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21 (4.5%)

Relationship status

26 (5.6%)

Languages

19 (4.1%)

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7 (1.5%)

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2 (0.4%)

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10 (2.1%)

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35 (7.5%)

Total Members Voted: 93

[MillionDollar Belt Sander]

Dale seemed to be a confident conversationalist when he and Marigold first met. How do we reconcile that with his saying he's afraid of talking to girls? It's also worth remembering that he's a favorite at Coffee of Doom.

There is a difference between "talking to girls" casually and "talking to girls."  It's a subtle difference to us socially awkward folks.   

I have no problem talking to women on neutral subjects such as "so how about them Bills are they a crappy team or what!" and so forth.     Anything else -- forget it!   Social anxiety makes eating shards of glass and/or using a lit stick of dynamite as a butt-plug seem like a good idea.
 

[ankhtahr]

Most of the time even casual talk is too difficult for me. OTOH, I have trouble with casual talk with anybody.

[bhtooefr]

I don't have a problem talking to women in professional or platonic contexts.

It's when things get into romantic contexts that there's a problem.

I wouldn't be surprised if Dale's the same way. He can deal with women when he's delivering pizza. He can be perfectly friendly with women in other environments, too. And, he hasn't had a problem with May as far as being afraid of talking to her (annoyed, yes, but not afraid). But, when a cute woman who's deep into his main hobby comes into the picture... my guess is that his brain goes into fight or flight mode.

[Loki]

There is this one guy I know. He is incredibly talkative on Facebook. If you knew him, you'd expect him to be the "heart of the company" guy. The one making jokes and having a CHA of 18.

I met him once. He is, in fact, incredibly awkward in real life. I look forward to getting to know him further, which I will.

I am not sure why I am telling this. It started out as relevant in my head.

[MillionDollar Belt Sander]

I don't have a problem talking to women in professional or platonic contexts.

It's when things get into romantic contexts that there's a problem.

I wouldn't be surprised if Dale's the same way. He can deal with women when he's delivering pizza. He can be perfectly friendly with women in other environments, too. And, he hasn't had a problem with May as far as being afraid of talking to her (annoyed, yes, but not afraid). But, when a cute woman who's deep into his main hobby comes into the picture... my guess is that his brain goes into fight or flight mode.

A much better explanation of what I was trying to say above.   Thank you.   

[ZoeB]

There is a difference between "talking to girls" casually and "talking to girls."  It's a subtle difference to us socially awkward folks.

Unless you're *really* socially awkward, in which case it's the same, and doesn't happen.

I'm reminded of just how much my teens sucked, mostly due to circumstances than natural social aversion. I think it accurate to say I didn't have an adolescence as such.

[Akima]

I really like the drawing in today's strip (though Dale's face looks a bit "kid like" in panel three). The resolution feels a bit pat though.

[Loki]

Calling Chekhovs Gun on the jeans for the arc when May inevitably gets a body.









In five of our years.










Noone shall be able to say I don't think ahead.

[haskellelephant]

Is it me, or does Marigold look unusually slim in the first panel?

[LordVaughn]

I dunno why, but I read their text in kid voices, which managed to make it simultaneously hilarious and adorable.

[Border Reiver]

Well, considering how little May likes the 'anime maid' look, I kinda doubt she would appreciate 'chibi anime doll' much more. Any body may be a better option than stuck in a Robot Jail server bank though. Assuming they even let her out and into a body anytime soon.

Actually, since May's out on "work release" ATM could she be uploaded into the old chassis right now? 

[Welu]

This is a great conversation between Dale and Marigold. I hope this leads to him interacting with the whole group more often.
Jeph is right that he drew a particularly adorable Marigold in panel 3B.

[GarandMarine]

This Comic is Brought to you by: The Magic of Friendship! It's power is undeniable even though friendship itself takes many forms!

[Somebody]

Does this feel like we missed a strip with Dale getting entry to her room and trying to calm her down to apologise, after the way she reacted to him being in her flat, to anyone else? Not to mention entering her bedroom after being told to get out at all!

Well, considering how little May likes the 'anime maid' look, I kinda doubt she would appreciate 'chibi anime doll' much more. Any body may be a better option than stuck in a Robot Jail server bank though. Assuming they even let her out and into a body anytime soon.

Actually, since May's out on "work release" ATM could she be uploaded into the old chassis right now?

No way - that would mean she'd escaped. Right now, she's not actually in Dale's Glasses, she's still on a Robot Jail server being "broadcast" to his Glasses (and presumably monitored on threat of being cut off). If she was actually embodied, she'd be processed by (e.g.) miniMomo's CPU and thus out of the RoboJailers' control.

[Neko_Ali]

Well, considering how little May likes the 'anime maid' look, I kinda doubt she would appreciate 'chibi anime doll' much more. Any body may be a better option than stuck in a Robot Jail server bank though. Assuming they even let her out and into a body anytime soon.

Actually, since May's out on "work release" ATM could she be uploaded into the old chassis right now?

It seems very doubtful. For the idea of 'robot jail' to work on AIs, they either would have to be to big/complex/impossible to transfer their programming and consciousness by the internet, or some safeguards would have to be in place to prevent them from doing so. Otherwise May and others in her position could just download themselves and escape. The only way to keep them locked up would be to isolate them from any outside networks. We really don't know the technical aspects of how AIs work though. My own personal canon is they are so complex in code and semi-random that they can't copy themselves like you would a file or a simple program. What you would get from the copy would not be the same person as the original. And even if you could, you would just wind up with two of the same people, as to the original being deleted after the copy is made would seem like dying.

[techkid]

Most of the time even casual talk is too difficult for me. OTOH, I have trouble with casual talk with anybody.

Ditto. Well, if the topic is interesting enough, and I have some knowledge or input on the subject in question, then that can override my sense of awkwardness at least for the duration. The rest of the time, it's just awkward silence or useless stammering.

Online is definitely a more "natural" habitat for me. As unnatural as it sounds.

On comic: I can't really stand Momo with the glasses. I suppose I can get used to it, but... to me, the glasses don't really suit her.

[Carl-E]

Does this feel like we missed a strip with Dale getting entry to her room and trying to calm her down to apologise, after the way she reacted to him being in her flat, to anyone else? Not to mention entering her bedroom after being told to get out at all!

Maybe it was more like a "*knock knock* 'May I come in? I wanna apologise.'"

I'm willing to go with something like this. 

[TheBiscuit]

Dale seemed to be a confident conversationalist when he and Marigold first met. How do we reconcile that with his saying he's afraid of talking to girls? It's also worth remembering that he's a favorite at Coffee of Doom.

I have  a minor problem talking to anyone I don't know. Those people will generally not realize this.

It's because as soon as I realize conversation will happen I fall back on projected artificial confidence and humour.  It's a trained response, and it is also completely superficial. I would have trouble having a sincere and meaningful conversation with any of the people in question, but I can easily manage to mask my nervousness.

It's a... survival skill. It stops people from thinking I'm anti-social (I'm not, I'm just bad at it) and it effectively puts a shield up. I'm also good at diverting the conversation from anything too personal, because I don't really want to talk about me, or my life. In truth, I've practised it for so long that it is completely automatic and while I still feel nervous, it's not an issue as much as it once was. Becoming the mask.

Sounds at all like what happened to Dale? He fell back on his projection of confidence. He also went straight for trash talk which is (sadly) a major part of online interaction. I'd argue that Marigold didn't really have the skill of projecting confidence in their early encounters and that's why she seemed to come off a little worse than he did.

Anyway I'll be glad if they are friends now. It is unlikely to turn into romance at least for a while. Marigold is still maintaining a relationship with the handsome scientist from the station, is she not? I don't think she's likely to dump him for no reason. He might even come back dirtside one day.

[ankhtahr]

techkid:
I agree. Talking about factual topics is no problem to me. But as soon as I don't know what to talk about anymore, well then I don't know what to talk about.

[Game and Watch Forever]

Marigold is still maintaining a relationship with the handsome scientist from the station, is she not? I don't think she's likely to dump him for no reason. He might even come back dirtside one day.

Is she??? She hasn't even mentioned him or anything since the space arc. I'm worried he got eaten by a space allosaurus or something...

[Method of Madness]

He's probably doin' ok.

[cesium133]

Marigold is still maintaining a relationship with the handsome scientist from the station, is she not? I don't think she's likely to dump him for no reason. He might even come back dirtside one day.

Is she??? She hasn't even mentioned him or anything since the space arc. I'm worried he got eaten by a space allosaurus or something...

I suppose there could be a storyline where Marigold and Dale hook up shortly before Francis' post-doc at Ellicott-Chatham Labs ends and he gets a faculty job at Smif, but I doubt Jeph would do something like that. More likely, poor Francis was eaten by the Spathe Allothaurus.

[Rghfrgl]

Does this feel like we missed a strip with Dale getting entry to her room and trying to calm her down to apologise

Missing strip went something like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyNxU4rL_b0

[Is it cold in here?]

AIs are copyable. Pintsize got backed up to Marten's desktop computer at one point and continued conversing in a Pintsize-like way.

[Nepiophage]

Is that homeopathic butt cream made from real homeopathic butts?

Yes, but at 30C dilution there is not a single butt molecule in a billion cubic miles of cream

[TheBiscuit]

Marigold is still maintaining a relationship with the handsome scientist from the station, is she not? I don't think she's likely to dump him for no reason. He might even come back dirtside one day.

Is she??? She hasn't even mentioned him or anything since the space arc. I'm worried he got eaten by a space allosaurus or something...

In the absence of a scene about her crying that she broke up with her first boyfriend ever, I assumed that she's keeping it going, in a low-key sort of way. Maybe it's not been shown on screen because Jeph doesn't feel like depicting cyber-sex.

[Mr_Rose]

I dunno why, but I read their text in kid voices, which managed to make it simultaneously hilarious and adorable.

Hilorable?
Adorious?

[Method of Madness]

In the absence of a scene about her crying that she broke up with her first boyfriend ever, I assumed that she's keeping it going, in a low-key sort of way.

I don't think Marbear considered him a boyfriend. If they do keep in touch it's probably as friends.

[Game and Watch Forever]

If that is true, then Hanners will be upset. A reasonable number of babies doesn't make itself, you know.

[Rghfrgl]

AIs are copyable. Pintsize got backed up to Marten's desktop computer at one point and continued conversing in a Pintsize-like way.

Now that just makes things complicated. Do robots have souls? Do robot BACKUPS have souls? If Marten deletes the backup is it murder? Do robots cry robot tears in the recycle bin?

[cesium133]

If that is true, then Hanners will be upset. A reasonable number of babies doesn't make itself, you know.

We're working on that technology!

[Barmymoo]

I realise this denies the fourth wall, but if you look at the No Tips for Alliance Scum strip which someone linked earlier, in the news post Jeph says he originally intended the gag for Marigold and Sven but he prefers drawing Dale. So back when he started this whole storyline, he didn't realise there was a storyline. That explains why Dale's initial character doesn't wholly fit with his current character.

[jmucchiello]

I'm totally socially awkward with "new" people. I need to get use to people to open up. So, I'm not trying to pick on you MDBS, this is just food for thought:

I have no problem talking to women on neutral subjects such as "so how about them Bills are they a crappy team or what!" and so forth.

So you consider "The Bills" a neutral subject for talking to women about? Have you considered that (certainly not all, but) many women might not want to talk about a sports team?

[FuryoftheStars]

AIs are copyable. Pintsize got backed up to Marten's desktop computer at one point and continued conversing in a Pintsize-like way.

Now that just makes things complicated. Do robots have souls? Do robot BACKUPS have souls? If Marten deletes the backup is it murder? Do robots cry robot tears in the recycle bin?

Depends on how the AIs view themselves.  If they consider the backups as being just that, backups and thus expendable, then I doubt they would consider the backups as having souls or deleting of such as murder (provided the original still existed).  They may even consider their "soul" as something a little different than conventional thinking, perhaps more like their "state of being" (words are failing me there...).  Also, backups would most likely be in a state of "suspended animation" as they're not actively running and thus be unaware of their current situation... so wouldn't be able to cry tears in the recycling bin.



Oh, and hi everyone.

[FunkyTuba]

Does this feel like we missed a strip with Dale getting entry to her room and trying to calm her down to apologise, after the way she reacted to him being in her flat, to anyone else? Not to mention entering her bedroom after being told to get out at all!

Maybe it was more like a "*knock knock* 'May I come in? I wanna apologise.'"

My interpretation when Jeph leaves something like this out is that it's usually because either:

1) He didn't think making up a joke about the scene that was good enough to justify spending a strip (or a panel) on it would be worth the time/effort
or
2) He's got pacing reasons to shortcut some of the chitchat because there's something more important coming that he wants to end the week on (the feels coming up on Friday)

[Kugai]

It felt shortened to me, but I was still able to grasp the gist of Dale and Marigolds interaction and conversation.

I kinda like these two together.  It should be interesting to see where this goes from here.

Cargo pants and a tank top with Doc Martens.     

[TheBiscuit]

In the absence of a scene about her crying that she broke up with her first boyfriend ever, I assumed that she's keeping it going, in a low-key sort of way.

I don't think Marbear considered him a boyfriend. If they do keep in touch it's probably as friends.

In my limited experience when a 30 year old virgin becomes physically intimate with another human being, they have a tendency to form an emotional attachment. I think it's unavoidable. It is only those who have already experienced a lot of intimate human contact who are prepared to accept that sometimes it just doesn't mean that much.

[jwhouk]

I realise this denies the fourth wall, but if you look at the No Tips for Alliance Scum strip which someone linked earlier, in the news post Jeph says he originally intended the gag for Marigold and Sven but he prefers drawing Dale. So back when he started this whole storyline, he didn't realise there was a storyline. That explains why Dale's initial character doesn't wholly fit with his current character.

The lady from the UK has a valid point. Jeph had this idea about Marigold, and Dale just happened to be the right guy in the right place.

Imagine if this whole storyline had happened with Sven instead of Dale. (shudder) We'd be on page 30 by now, and Mr. Hodges and company would be locking threads and banning people left and right.

[pwhodges]

Mr. Hodges and company would be locking threads and banning people left and right.

Ah!  Nostalgia...

[MillionDollar Belt Sander]

I'm totally socially awkward with "new" people. I need to get use to people to open up. So, I'm not trying to pick on you MDBS, this is just food for thought:

I have no problem talking to women on neutral subjects such as "so how about them Bills are they a crappy team or what!" and so forth.

So you consider "The Bills" a neutral subject for talking to women about? Have you considered that (certainly not all, but) many women might not want to talk about a sports team?

1) Apparently you ain't from around here, yo.  This is Bills country -- everyone KNOWS how badly they suck including people who aren't into sports. 

2) Most of the women I know around here are either Sabers fans or Bills fans.   

3)  For gosh sakes it was JUST AN EXAMPLE so lets move along now.   

[Is it cold in here?]

Would getting backed up be a civil right?

[WilliamCA]

http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2512

OMG.  It's happening, it's really happening.  IT IS HAPPENING!!!!!   WE ARE AT HAPPENING DEFCON 5 HERE PEOPLE!!!  I can sense the power of two gamers coming together to form a couple!!!  And it shall be awesome!!!!!

Plus i've dated BBWs in the past.  It is great.  I really hope these two get together.  Their power level will be over 9000!!!  Oh and they'll probably be the first couple to get married in comic.  I am calling it!

[DSL]

If that is true, then Hanners will be upset. A reasonable number of babies doesn't make itself, you know.

We're working on that technology!

This was pre-Francis, of course, but Hanners did not seem to be averse to the idea of Dale-Marigold flirtation. EDIT -- he crossed what would have been my creepy threshold in that strip, though.

[Kugai]

I always thought Hanners and Maribear would wind up as the Crazy Cat Ladies of QC in 20 years time.

[Loki]

techkid:
I agree. Talking about factual topics is no problem to me. But as soon as I don't know what to talk about anymore, well then I don't know what to talk about.

My advice (and personal strategy): Go meta.

Cheerfully tell the person "And this is the part of the discussion where it looks like we don't know what to talk about. (I used to know this one guy who could magnificently get himself out of those situations. $anecdote_about_person_you_may_invent|I really hate it when this happens. It feels like $comparison. $vaguely_related_topic_to_comparison_you_just_made|Do you think we should continue the awkward silence, or should we talk about $random_topic? What is the first thing that comes to your mind about $random_topic? I think $own_opinion)."

You have to do it cheerfully. This signals "Hey, you know this is awkward, and I know this is awkward, and we both know that the other knows, so let's laugh about this together!"

This has multiple advantages:
1) Going onto the meta level is not something that people expect. That automatically makes you interesting.
2) The reaction of most people to going onto this level is laughing or at least smiling, because they are surprised and laughing seems to be one of the ways they react to surprising situations. People like it if you make them smile.
3) The other person probably feels about as awkward as you. You are "saving" them from the situation. They will be grateful, possibly not even consciously.
4) In my limited experience, people will surprisingly readily go along with a completely random topic. Random topic should not include controversial stuff like religion, politics, ethics, family, money, health... . Random stuff from your surroundings is good. ("What do you think about gas lanterns/letter boxes/door handles?")

Animals are good too. ("What do you think about dolphins? In my opinion, you cannot trust a species that keeps smiling. Did you ever touch a dolphin? I have too/I never have. $description_of_occasion/We have always only traveled to the mountains. But they have their advantages too - like that one time when $anecdote). BAM, conversation got going again.

Warning - while you were typing a new reply has been posted. You may wish to strike up a conversation with the forum.

Oh, that's great. Say, forum, what do you think about the color red? What would you say is your personal ranking of colors? Oh really? That's an interesting choice.

http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2512

OMG.  It's happening, it's really happening.  IT IS HAPPENING!!!!!   WE ARE AT HAPPENING DEFCON 5 HERE PEOPLE!!!  I can sense the power of two gamers coming together to form a couple!!!  And it shall be awesome!!!!!

Plus i've dated BBWs in the past.  It is great.  I really hope these two get together.  Their power level will be over 9000!!!  Oh and they'll probably be the first couple to get married in comic.  I am calling it!

No shipping please, there is a rule against that somewhere. Out of curiosity, what's a BBW?

the first couple to get married in comic

That honor is already taken.

[jwhouk]

WilliamCA: Might wanna read the Rules 'n Stuff section before you post another UPS about BBW's.

(click to show/hide)

UPS - Unauthorized Post about Shipping.
BBW - Big Beautiful Woman (though that second B has been replaced by another word referring to a woman's anatomy)

[Is it cold in here?]

The PBS documentary "Neurotypical" included an autistic person who has a reputation as a wonderful conversationalist. He discovered that all you have to do is repeat the last few words the other person said.

"You just repeat the last few words the other person said?!"

[TheBiscuit]

OMG.  It's happening, it's really happening.  IT IS HAPPENING!!!!!   WE ARE AT HAPPENING DEFCON 5 HERE PEOPLE!!!  I can sense the power of two gamers coming together to form a couple!!!  And it shall be awesome!!!!!

A couple? I still don't get that from them at all.

Plus I've dated BBWs in the past.  It is great.  I really hope these two get together.  Their power level will be over 9000!!!  Oh and they'll probably be the first couple to get married in comic.  I am calling it!

In what twisted universe is Marigold a BBW? She's not even that large!

[Is it cold in here?]

If I knew more anime references, would I have enjoyed this strip more?

[K1dmor]

 I don't think so. It could be something like Prince of Tennis+Mecha.

 A little mistake in the first panel, but Jeph said on Twitter that he'll try to fix it.

 EDIT: Fixed.