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May wants F-pics. (GET OUT).

Apologetic Drunk Hanners!

"Sorry we started yelling about anime."

Steve, that's the bathroom.

She's still kill for a drink, but it'd have to be someone she didn't like.

The prophecy says he'll die for a good cause.

It involved a box of dildoes tossed down a stairwell.

Goat entrails into the delivery room?

Chipper Claire is Chipper!

Nothing in her Mini-Wheats.

But what did Pintsize put in the milk?

Rip his head off and fill it with birdseed?

A better idea: the USLOC dongle.

Tables and tables and tables of archived GeoCities web pages from 2001.

PLEASE, PLEASE FILL MY HEAD WITH BIRDSEED!

Don't mess with a librarian.

Pintsize literally having his head filled with birdseed

BAAARF

That adorable photo of Shebly on Jeph's twitter earlier in the week (it was adorable okay?)

[MooskiNet]

Yeah, I'm gonna have to cast my vote with those who think Claire skated over from cute into hot.

[Method of Madness]

Who says there's a limit? Use as many as you want.

[marsman57]

Where is the outrage?

I expected there would be some outcry about how Claire is anti-AI, threatening Pintsize's rights and autonomy, etc.

[Martok]

"Don't mess with a librarian." 

Ha!  Love.  It. 



I can say with certainty that this strip is the one that made me love Claire. 

[Case]

DAMNNNN Gurl!

[Magniras]

Where is the outrage?

I expected there would be some outcry about how Claire is anti-AI, threatening Pintsize's rights and autonomy, etc.

its been established since the beginning of the comic that Pintsize deserves everything he gets.  Because he's awful.

[DSL]

Where is the outrage?

I expected there would be some outcry about how Claire is anti-AI, threatening Pintsize's rights and autonomy, etc.

its been established since the beginning of the comic that Pintsize deserves everything he gets.  Because he's awful.

With a side of "Claire can do no wrong." -- though I have to admit an adorable redhead would probably get the same pass from me.

[Neko_Ali]

I wouldn't go that far. But there is the point that Claire found a thing that really does frighten Pintsize. Stuffing him in odd places, dismembering him of stuffing his chassis with birdseed means nothing to him. At best it's a minor inconvenience, and he's known to do some of those things to himself for a joke or a lark. But it doesn't do anything to him permanently. At most it means Marten will have to clean out his chassis again, or he has to spend some time disassembled.

On the other hand, Claire's threat could significantly affect him. So could leaving him turned off for long periods of time, or pulling his personality core out a chassis, turning off his wifi connection or similar things. Until people start treating to do those sorts of things, it's all just a game to him. Or it's him using negative psychology to prod people into action.

[amykathleen]

Where is the outrage?

I expected there would be some outcry about how Claire is anti-AI, threatening Pintsize's rights and autonomy, etc.

If Claire actually follows through on this, I'll be pretty outraged, because that's basically intentionally brain-damaging him and/or wiping out his entire self.  As long as it's just a threat that she's not likely to follow though on, her brandishing that USB drive at Pintsize is no different from Faye brandishing a series of swords at a series of people throughout the years.

[swapna]

One: I'm... confused about the state of network/computer security in QC-Verse. I mean - you can build an USB-Stick that might attempt (and succeed) to infect the OS of the system it's stuck into. Three things would be necessary for that - malicious intent: you really have to want to build such a dangerous thing (usually, you don't want an USB stick that starts overwriting everything once you stick it into a random computer), exploiting vulnerabilities (the people who build computers don't want that either) and three - the computer must be turned on. So, maybe Pintsize could turn himself off as last line of defence?

So, why would a library build that? Or at least, something you can't turn off from the computer's side if you decided you didn't want all those petabyte of data (mistakes happen, y'know)?

So, Claire must be lying (we hope), or she really doesn't understand what that USB-Stick's doing (maybe believed an explanation by Tai), or it's the truth and the QC-Verse is even more terrifying and deadly for AI. And the guys doing computer security have no idea what they're doing.

Where is the outrage?

I expected there would be some outcry about how Claire is anti-AI, threatening Pintsize's rights and autonomy, etc.

Eh, noo. Faye tells Claire to stop sassin' her: She's basically already beating her up. Claire threatens Pintsize with brain damage: Aww, look how badass adorable she is!

..every time.

[Kugai]

Whether it's true what Claire said is true or not doesn't matter.  Pintsize believes it's true thanks to Claires performance, and that's the important part.

[Method of Madness]

(click to show/hide)

Claire was bluffing after all!

[hedgie]

One: I'm... confused about the state of network/computer security in QC-Verse. I mean - you can build an USB-Stick that might attempt (and succeed) to infect the OS of the system it's stuck into.

Windows autorun.  Sony did the same with "audio" CDs (which didn't follow red book standards, but I digress) to put rootkits on vulnerable machines in order to "prevent piracy".  Millions were infected, and no penalties came down.  Hell, the exec ordered it probably got a huge bonus.  If the QC-Verse is anything like the real world when it comes to computer security…  Well, I can't think of one.  Even those of us who run Linux or Mac have to qualify as someone who could be diagnosed with clinical paranoia to stay anything even approaching "safe".

[bhtooefr]

Mind you, autorun isn't even needed for a specially crafted malicious USB drive. Note that Claire claimed to have to hit a button on it.

Plug drive in, it's a USB composite device that is both mass storage and HID. Hit the button, the HID endpoint sends LGUI+R, then sends the string "E:\payload.exe", then Enter. Or, for that matter, it could just send friggin' Enter once the AutoPlay dialog (which was specifically added because of things like Sony's rootkit) comes up.

Also, looks like Jeph's using a different font?

[Squiddlywinx]

That was so sad.

[mustang6172]

Where is the outrage?

I expected there would be some outcry about how Claire is anti-AI, threatening Pintsize's rights and autonomy, etc.

its been established since the beginning of the comic that Pintsize deserves everything he gets.  Because he's awful.

With a side of "Claire can do no wrong." -- though I have to admit an adorable redhead would probably get the same pass from me.

Stuffing an AI's memory full of unwanted data without consent seems like the AI equivalent of rape (even as a bluff.)

[Perfectly Reasonable]

What do we know about Pintsize's operating system? It's not Linux (because Neckbeard). It's not any flavor of OSX (because Winslow). We've seen Momo suffer from corrupt registry entries.

This may be the first time anyone has gotten the better of Pintsize without physical violence.
"Don't mess with a librarian."

I want the T-shirt.

[ysth]

Nice an Alice Grove reference.

[Is it cold in here?]

Accumulation of data from the comic about Pintsize. It seems to be some flavor of Windows.

[neurocase]

New fonts? Tricksy! We don'ts likes it. Hisssss. Change scares us! I watched Twin Towers tonight, sue me.

[hedgie]

Well, cump.

[Drunken Old Man]

Bluff. Called it.  I couldn't really imagine Claire doing anything actually harmful to Pintsize, after all.

Pintsize himself, on the other hand, has no problems imagining it, apparently.

[Tova]

You mean she was bluffing? Inconceivable!

[bhtooefr]

I do wonder, however, how Marten's going to react when he finds out that Claire just threatened an effective mindwipe on his companion.

[Tova]

High five? 

[BenRG]

It was even crueller than we thought! Claire was able to bluff Pintsize into asking for a painful and humiliating punishment and thinking that he got the better end of the deal! I think that Faye will be careful to be more afraid of Claire from now on! After all: she believed it too!

Also, looks like Jeph's using a different font?

Possibly not entirely intentionally - He has a new computer and it might not have the same fonts available.

[TheEvilDog]

And in that moment, Pintsize knew.
In the dark recesses of his silicon soul, he knew.
That knowledge that would haunt him for the rest of his days, until the ending of time.
He knew exactly why Claire's boyfriend slept through breakfast!

[osaka]

Basically, in that moment he knew, he fucked up.

I wonder if it'd be possible to make popcorn on Pintsize's head. His mouth seems to be the perfect dispenser.

[Detachable Felix]

With so many moments to choose from in the poll, everyone now gets a second vote!

[ankhtahr]

I actually put some thought into this yesterday. We don't know much about AI consciousness. But like bhtooefr said, we know about autorun features, which try indexing anything on a new drive. If AI consciousness was made to be inherently curious, so they'll try and save (learn) anything they're shown, that might result in Pintsize freezing up until his memory is full. Hence the "seizure". It wouldn't overwrite anything, but Claire never mentioned that. Having to sieve through Gigabytes of Geocities-sites to filter out his important porn collection might be horrible enough for Pintsize. People implementing such a feature seems plausible to me. Who would've known there was a way to attach a storage in the petabyte range to an AI in the near future (sadly such assumptions happen way too often). And the button on the stick? That just establishes the quantum tunnel, nothing more. No malicious intent there.

[DSL]

Basically, in that moment he knew, he fucked up.

I wonder if it'd be possible to make popcorn on Pintsize's head. His mouth seems to be the perfect dispenser.

His head might make a pretty good covered wok, too. Turn it upside down. Nice parabola.

[Kugai]

You mean she was bluffing? Inconceivable!

You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means



I was right, she was pulling a fast one on Pintsize.  Not many can do that, she is a worthy foe.

[gopher]

Assault and bullying is fine if aimed at an AI?
Not surprised by Faye, she is a nasty thug, but very disappointed in Claire.

[War Sparrow]

Assault and bullying is fine if aimed at an AI?
Not surprised by Faye, she is a nasty thug, but very disappointed in Claire.

I get the feeling it's fine if it's aimed at Pintsize. If it was Momo, Winslow, or even May, I think people would be less than thrilled.

[Perfectly Reasonable]

There's quite a lot of empty space in Pintsize's head.

Why would the Library of Congress be interested in archiving Geocities web sites from 2001?

[mustang6172]

Because they know how much fun it is to ride the Way Back Machine.

[Tichy]

I'll have to echo gopher and War Sparrow:

After #3079 I had to go back and see whether I missed a strip, because that reaction just seemed exaggerated. My interpretation of his comment in the previous strip is that it's a nonspecific joke, not "Faye I'll make you relapse into drinking". From this we've gone to Pintsize being threatened with "the equivalent of a grand mal seizure" (which is really bad, mmkay) and finally being stuffed full of birdseed.

Sure, Pintsize has been a (both figurative and literal)  punching bag since early on, but then he was actually really misbehaving - honking boobs, destroying property, the like. Also in the meanwhile, the topic of AI rights has been developed more inside the strip (conversations with Momo, May's job search, Bubbles' past...), and when Faye switched off Pintsize the last time she went back and apologized. Since AI rights haven't been discussed a lot in connection to Pintsize (other than the time Clinton came to do a survey), it may be easy to forget them. Also Pintsize or Winslow look less like humans, so in a way I also understand why more readers have a different view.

We don't yet know whether this is the start of an arc or some one-off strips, but I love the QC where storylines are connected, things develop and the panels aren't a sandbox for playing with static characters. Having these strips stand in the middle of it all doesn't feel natural, and I'll be disappointed if this is the direction Jeph choses to develop the strip. (Though  there's no doubt I will keep reading!)

[jwhouk]

Moment Of The Week Nominations!

May wants F-pics. (GET OUT).    2 (4.2%)
Apologetic Drunk Hanners!    0 (0%)
"Sorry we started yelling about anime."    1 (2.1%)
Steve, that's the bathroom.    0 (0%)
She's still kill for a drink, but it'd have to be someone she didn't like.    1 (2.1%)
The prophecy says he'll die for a good cause.    0 (0%)
It involved a box of dildoes tossed down a stairwell.    2 (4.2%)
Goat entrails into the delivery room?    0 (0%)
Chipper Claire is Chipper!    2 (4.2%)
Nothing in her Mini-Wheats.    0 (0%)
But what did Pintsize put in the milk?    2 (4.2%)
Rip his head off and fill it with birdseed?    1 (2.1%)
A better idea: the USLOC dongle.    3 (6.3%)
Tables and tables and tables of archived GeoCities web pages from 2001.    10 (20.8%)
PLEASE, PLEASE FILL MY HEAD WITH BIRDSEED!    4 (8.3%)
Don't mess with a librarian.    17 (35.4%)
Pintsize literally having his head filled with birdseed    1 (2.1%)
BAAARF    0 (0%)
That adorable photo of Shebly on Jeph's twitter earlier in the week (it was adorable okay?)    2 (4.2%)

Total Members Voted: 40

[Method of Madness]

That adorable photo of Shebly on Jeph's twitter earlier in the week (it was adorable okay?)    2 (4.2%)

This one?

[hedgie]

She's more fur now than dog, tired and lazy.

[pwhodges]

A dog can be lazy without being tired; my old dog Polly has always been like that.  She's fluffy like Shebly as well, but black.