Topic: WCDT Strips 3196-3200 (11th to 15th April 2016) (Read 24391 times)

BenRG · « **on:** 10 Apr 2016, 13:12 »

Okay, so I made this a multiple-vote poll because a lot might change for Bubbles now she's allowed Faye close to her during one of her dark times.

Personally, I suspect that she'll still be shaken enough that Faye's going to have to hold up her end of the repair shop for the day and maybe longer. After that, I do think that Bubbles is going to suddenly develop a need to see if her newfound friends truly are genuine about their attitude towards her. I also think that she may possibly decide to reassess her attitude and certainly try to find some other outlet for her anger. I suppose that could turn dark but, on the other hand, her, May and Momo being part of demonstrations against AI-discriminatory businesses and the like is just as likely.

What do you think?

Gladstone · « **Reply #1 on:** 10 Apr 2016, 16:35 »

Bubbles quits and Corpse Witch fires Faye. Faye's sudden unemployment and troubles making rent lead to Marten getting serious about the band again (having a serious goal-oriented girlfriend to encourage him certainly helps too). Meanwhile, Hannelore pulls some strings and gets the robot fights shut down, with all the bots getting decent jobs with her dad's company (whereas CW ends up employed by Hannelore's mother, just 'cause), and this whole weird episode is never mentioned again.

chaospersonified · « **Reply #2 on:** 10 Apr 2016, 17:20 »

I've got to remember to put multiple votes when I can.

Is it cold in here? · « **Reply #3 on:** 10 Apr 2016, 21:24 »

The Pugnacious Peach has a deft touch.

~~mustang6172~~ · « **Reply #4 on:** 10 Apr 2016, 21:30 »

I don't recall any apology.

K1dmor · « **Reply #5 on:** 10 Apr 2016, 21:41 »

She apologized on 3086.

Method of Madness · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 Apr 2016, 22:28 »

Yay for happy Bubbles!

Theinternetsurvivor · « **Reply #7 on:** 10 Apr 2016, 22:52 »

I strangely ship Faye and Bubbles for some reason, please don't judge me

BenRG · « **Reply #8 on:** 10 Apr 2016, 23:12 »

Poor Bubbles! I wonder how long she's been dealing with this shit on her own, telling herself that hurting is an unacceptable sign of weakness? No wonder she isolates herself; it's the only remedy that she allows for herself!

Faye's doing the right thing by not responding directly when Bubbles lashes out. That's just a sign of how badly she's hurting and her embarrassment at this; she doesn't want Faye to see her that way (her body language backs up this interpretation). Instead, Faye rightly focusses on reassuring Bubbles of her friendship and the fact that she's there for her.

The saddest part of this strip? Bubbles genuinely can't understand why Faye would be kind to her. That's a wound that runs deep.

Kugai · « **Reply #9 on:** 10 Apr 2016, 23:44 »

They do work well together. Definitely an 'Odd Couple' type of friendship.

And I like it

USS Martenclaire · « **Reply #10 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 00:40 »

The thing is, Bubbles is right. As a human, Faye will never understand what it's like to be an AI. However, Faye most certainly *does* understand the feelings that arise from it - the anger, the feeling of isolation, the sadness and desire to punch things.

It's like when I try to be supportive of my trans friends - I've got no idea what it's like to be dysphoric or to face transphobia. I do know what it's like to feel angry, to feel humiliated and to feel alone. That's the core of showing empathy to someone. It helps.

Doc · « **Reply #11 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 00:59 »

Robots don't blush. I's probably a sticker.
Next month in the webshop: QC Blush Stickers.

theMarc · « **Reply #12 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 02:23 »

Dammit, thanks to Faye's comment in the last panel, Bubbles's voice sounds like Megatron in my head now.

You'd think it'd be Frank Welker Megatron, but no, it's Corey Burton Megatron.

Case · « **Reply #13 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 02:57 »

Damn, those last two strips raised my estimation of Faye by a few orders of magnitude.

Pugnacious she may be, but she knows how to be a good friend!

USS Martenclaire · « **Reply #14 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 03:01 »

Quote from: theMarc on 11 Apr 2016, 02:23

Dammit, thanks to Faye's comment in the last panel, Bubbles's voice sounds like Megatron in my head now.

You'd think it'd be Frank Welker Megatron, but no, it's Corey Burton Megatron.

I'll see your Bubbletron and raise you a Corpsewitch as Starscream.

St.Clair · « **Reply #15 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 03:14 »

"Oh, how it pains me to do this..."

chaospersonified · « **Reply #16 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 05:00 »

Quote from: Doc on 11 Apr 2016, 00:59

Robots don't blush. I's probably a sticker.

Word of god says they do, and it's because cute.

BenRG · « **Reply #17 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 05:23 »

I really think that we need a cast-iron protocol in this forum for a poster to communicate that their comment is sarcastic, parodying or intended to be humorous.

MrNumbers · « **Reply #18 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 06:07 »

"Why are you so determined on being kind to me?"

(click to show/hide)

"I just can't understand!"

wlewisiii · « **Reply #19 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 06:11 »

Quote from: BenRG on 11 Apr 2016, 05:23

I really think that we need a cast-iron protocol in this forum for a poster to communicate that their comment is sarcastic, parodying or intended to be humorous.

At another forum we use //// after the body of the message to imply this. The greater the number of / implying greater sarcasm or humor intended. It works well but grew up with site.

jwhouk · « **Reply #20 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 06:32 »

Quote from: wlewisiii on 11 Apr 2016, 06:11

Quote from: BenRG on 11 Apr 2016, 05:23
I really think that we need a cast-iron protocol in this forum for a poster to communicate that their comment is sarcastic, parodying or intended to be humorous.

At another forum we use //// after the body of the message to imply this. The greater the number of / implying greater sarcasm or humor intended. It works well but grew up with site.

Could always use the tried and true [/sarcasm_mode] tag.

jheartney · « **Reply #21 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 07:13 »

I like the way that the length of Bubbles' neck stretches and squashes depending on how vulnerable she's feeling in the speech balloon. Panels 3 and 4, where she's saying she ought to be stronger, and telling Faye she has no idea what it's like to be an AI, it lengthens right out. Then in 5 it shrinks right back down again. There must be a telescoping mechanism.

BenRG · « **Reply #22 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 07:23 »

Quote from: jheartney on 11 Apr 2016, 07:13

There must be a telescoping mechanism.

Or we're watching her straightening up or slouching depending on her mood from an unfavourable angle to see the curve of her neck.

Nepiophage · « **Reply #23 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 07:51 »

Quote from: jheartney on 11 Apr 2016, 07:13

I like the way that the length of Bubbles' neck stretches and squashes depending on how vulnerable she's feeling in the speech balloon. Panels 3 and 4, where she's saying she ought to be stronger, and telling Faye she has no idea what it's like to be an AI, it lengthens right out. Then in 5 it shrinks right back down again. There must be a telescoping mechanism.

And Faye's arm; in the first panel her left arm is much longer than her right

Is it cold in here? · « **Reply #24 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 09:04 »

The long arm of the lawless.

DSL · « **Reply #25 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 09:25 »

Good friend with occasional violence. Faye's found her Faye.

Morituri · « **Reply #26 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 09:33 »

While people are in the military they learn a particular way of dealing with pain.

"Pain is weakness leaving the body."

That helps keep them effective as soldiers while in physical pain; reciting that mantra they focus on being strong - on continuing to do their duty - and doing that takes their minds off the pain. Doesn't make it stop hurting, but allows them to think about something else for the duration of the emergency (or until they get killed, whichever happens first).

It keeps them effective as soldiers, but it makes them about a thousand percent more prone to further injuring themselves than people who haven't been through that. And it leaves them prone to re-injuring themselves by stressing parts of the body that aren't fully healed.

I've heard that mantra dozens of times now from guys who are out of the service for years and still in emotional pain, and as a long-term strategy for dealing with emotional pain it sucks, for pretty much the same reason it isn't an effective long-term strategy for dealing with physical pain.

In my not-so-humble opinion, the military organizations of the world should devote at least as much effort training ex-soldiers to be effective civilians as they spend training ex-civilians to be effective soldiers. Most of them Don't. To be fair lots of countries have something like the (USA) GI bill that covers college tuition for ex-soldiers, but most of them don't, and even the ones that do don't devote effort to the emotional side of it.

chaospersonified · « **Reply #27 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 12:37 »

Quote from: BenRG on 11 Apr 2016, 05:23

I really think that we need a cast-iron protocol in this forum for a poster to communicate that their comment is sarcastic, parodying or intended to be humorous.

For what it's worth, I recognized that, and thought it funnier to pretend it wasn't.

I assume this was directed at me because it came immediately after I made a comment wherein I chose, for the purposes of my own funny, to ignore that a person was making a funny

Tova · « **Reply #28 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 16:00 »

Quote from: USS Martenclaire on 11 Apr 2016, 00:40

The thing is, Bubbles is right. As a human, Faye will never understand what it's like to be an AI. However, Faye most certainly *does* understand the feelings that arise from it - the anger, the feeling of isolation, the sadness and desire to punch things.

More than that, Faye understands how it is to feel anger at herself for being "weak."

She also understand that Bubbles isn't in a place where she could believe anything different, which is why she didn't argue and simply offered her sympathy, the thing Bubbles truly needed.

hedgie · « **Reply #29 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 17:16 »

Also, Bubbles really *did* seem to handle the situation in the best way possible. She walked away and didn't show how bothered she was until she got "home". Given her size, a physical confrontation would end in some puddles of goo that would be hard to explain away, and really with that sort of obnoxious brat, there's really no point in arguing. A certain pink-haired AI (assuming she didn't just pass) has shown a tendency to zap first and ask questions later.

DSL · « **Reply #30 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 17:31 »

Quote from: chaospersonified on 11 Apr 2016, 12:37

Quote from: BenRG on 11 Apr 2016, 05:23
I really think that we need a cast-iron protocol in this forum for a poster to communicate that their comment is sarcastic, parodying or intended to be humorous.

For what it's worth, I recognized that, and thought it funnier to pretend it wasn't.

I assume this was directed at me because it came immediately after I made a comment wherein I chose, for the purposes of my own funny, to ignore that a person was making a funny

Context usually works for me.

Also, I might use the [/sarcasm] tag sarcastically.

Or not.

Tova · « **Reply #31 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 17:49 »

I personally feel that tagging a sarcastic remark spoils the effect, somewhat like telling a joke and then immediately explaining it. So if you feel that you need to point out that you are being sarcastic because it's not obvious in the context, then maybe it's not worth bothering. Unless you're being recursively sarcastic, as DSL mentioned above. You know, ha ha, only serious!

Of course some - many - would point out that typed sarcasm is almost never obvious. I can't disagree. On the other hand, again depending on context, having someone miss your sarcasm is not always a disaster.

Eh. Communication is difficult.

Tova · « **Reply #32 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 21:27 »

COMIC

Faye finds a crack in the emotional armour!
Mods create a thread on the ontological basis of responsibility!
Hilarity ensues!
Tova gets a warning for over-excitability!!

Is it cold in here? · « **Reply #33 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 21:47 »

Quote from: hedgie on 11 Apr 2016, 17:16

A certain pink-haired AI (assuming she didn't just pass) has shown a tendency to zap first and ask questions later.

There was Clinton, who was touching her without permission, and Marigold's gaming PC, which was innocent. Were there other times she tasered someone?

"Technically, gravity was responsible" could be a great t-shirt caption. What should the art work be?

hedgie · « **Reply #34 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 22:05 »

May, who was being obnoxious. Even though AI drives are supposed to be nearly indestructible, with the shoddy work on a parole chassis, it is entirely possible that damage could have been done.

BenRG · « **Reply #35 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 23:16 »

I think that I'm starting to get a handle on Bubbles now. She's an introvert, a pessimist and she has self-esteem problems. The combination of the three is pretty toxic for her: She has extreme difficulty socialising, doesn't think that this can ever get better and believes that this is a symptom of some intrinsic flaw in herself for which others should ostracise her. That's before we get to her PTSD and the pain that she gets from others' casual bigotry.

Why is Faye getting through to her? I think that it is because Faye is the first one doing this out of a principled, unselfish love rather than a detached professional perspective. It helps that she and Bubbles have similar senses of humour.

neurocase · « **Reply #36 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 23:23 »

I'll be honest, my first thought on seeing panel 5 was "Now kith"

jwhouk · « **Reply #37 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 23:28 »

"You keep trying. That's why I believe in you."

Best. Response. Ever.

Is it cold in here? · « **Reply #38 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 23:31 »

Do therapy dogs work for synthetics?

hedgie · « **Reply #39 on:** 11 Apr 2016, 23:59 »

Only this one: http://www.sony-aibo.com/

USS Martenclaire · « **Reply #40 on:** 12 Apr 2016, 00:27 »

Quote from: Is it cold in here? on 11 Apr 2016, 23:31

Do therapy dogs work for synthetics?

If dogs don't work, there are all kinds of therapy animals - therapy cats, therapy bunnies, even ferre-py.

katsmeat · « **Reply #41 on:** 12 Apr 2016, 00:28 »

So is Faye now doing for Bubbles the job companion AI's generally do for their humans?

Magniras · « **Reply #42 on:** 12 Apr 2016, 00:57 »

"Listen Bubbles, don't believe in yourself. Believe in me! Believe in the Faye who believes in you!"

BenRG · « **Reply #43 on:** 12 Apr 2016, 01:19 »

Quote from: katsmeat on 12 Apr 2016, 00:28

So is Faye now doing for Bubbles the job companion AI's generally do for their humans?

I think so. If you compare this to how Pintsize used to needle Marten and Faye and how Momo used to be with Marigold, there are definite similarities. As to whether Jeph is doing this deliberately, I have no idea.

osaka · « **Reply #44 on:** 12 Apr 2016, 03:00 »

To be honest, companion AIs are, bluntly speaking, bought friends. Obviously there are a myriad of little things that make this much more complex than that, but it all boils down to the companion AIs acting as the friend you need (but not the one you deserve, as shown by Pintsize). And probably being friends as well, because I doubt either of them would put up with shit and I think the contract could be nullified. I do recall Momo saying that it eventually becomes a formality more than anything as friendship grows.

So yeah, if Faye is acting as a supportive friend and it looks like something companion AIs do it's because that's what they're originally made to do. But that's just coincidence, Faye is just acting as a friend and companion AIs are just acting as friends.

At least that's how I've always thought it worked.

Wildroses · « **Reply #45 on:** 12 Apr 2016, 05:01 »

I cannot wait to see how Corpse Witch is going to react when they both walk out of there calmly and start fixing Punchbot. She wants Bubbles to stay damaged and isolated so she can keep using her.

Jeph's newspost in comic 1996 has some interesting background on the retail AI companions which I thought I'd bring up.
http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1996
If you can't be bothered clicking, all the ones sent to 'retail' have decided they want a human companion rather than going into a specialised profession, and neither AIs nor humans are completely sure why so many new AIs pick human companions.

anahata · « **Reply #46 on:** 12 Apr 2016, 07:17 »

Quote from: Wildroses on 12 Apr 2016, 05:01

I cannot wait to see how Corpse Witch is going to react when they both walk out of there calmly and start fixing Punchbot. She wants Bubbles to stay damaged and isolated so she can keep using her.

How true.
Another "Hmmm..." moment, at least.

katsmeat · « **Reply #47 on:** 12 Apr 2016, 07:22 »

Quote from: Wildroses on 12 Apr 2016, 05:01

I cannot wait to see how Corpse Witch is going to react when they both walk out of there calmly and start fixing Punchbot. She wants Bubbles to stay damaged and isolated so she can keep using her.

Given what Bubbles did to Punchbot in about two seconds. I bet CW's long-term plan is to get Bubbles to agree to fight. And she thinks keeping Bubbles damaged and isolated* is the way to achieve that.

* Note that the more Bubbles is isolated, the more she's dependent on CW.

Redball · « **Reply #48 on:** 12 Apr 2016, 09:50 »

Quote from: osaka on 12 Apr 2016, 03:00

To be honest, companion AIs are, bluntly speaking, bought friends. Obviously there are a myriad of little things that make this much more complex than that, but it all boils down to the companion AIs acting as the friend you need (but not the one you deserve, as shown by Pintsize). And probably being friends as well, because I doubt either of them would put up with shit and I think the contract could be nullified. I do recall Momo saying that it eventually becomes a formality more than anything as friendship grows.

So yeah, if Faye is acting as a supportive friend and it looks like something companion AIs do it's because that's what they're originally made to do. But that's just coincidence, Faye is just acting as a friend and companion AIs are just acting as friends.

At least that's how I've always thought it worked.

If Bubbles is truly depressed, and not "acting" depressed, doesn't that suggest that AIs can truly be friends, and not merely "act" the role?

Zebediah · « **Reply #49 on:** 12 Apr 2016, 10:20 »

I think "acting as friend" in this case is meant to be read as "performing an action" rather than "acting a role".

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Poll

So What Next for Bubbles? (Three votes)

Author Topic: WCDT Strips 3196-3200 (11th to 15th April 2016) (Read 24391 times)