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Poll

Which other A.I.s that we've already met do you think Winslow will run into while volunteering?

Arthur
Bubbles
Charlotte
Iris
Leda
May (as a fellow volunteer)(awkwardness ensues)
Melon
Pintsize
PT410X
Punchbot
Spookybot in an ingenious/terrible disguise
Station
Toastbot
one of Pintsize's friends who have the same sort of chassis
Gordon
some other character I forgot (please name them)

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Author Topic: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)  (Read 54625 times)

Gyrre

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Right, then. I figured we needed a new thread as the last one seems to have a dead horse in it and bits are starting to fall off.


So Winslow wants to volunteer (sort of called it). I wonder if Faye and Bubbles might get involved too. It could be a good way to get their name out their.
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Method of Madness

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #1 on: 19 Aug 2017, 20:19 »

I hastily added a poll.
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Gyrre

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #2 on: 19 Aug 2017, 20:27 »

I hastily added a poll.
Ah.
I wondered what was going on when it told me I coud only associate one poll with a thread. New poll.
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cesium133

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #3 on: 19 Aug 2017, 20:27 »

What about Gordon?
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Gyrre

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #4 on: 19 Aug 2017, 20:31 »

What about Gordon?

Bogdammit! I knew I was forgetting someone. I forgot about the rest of the AI support group, too!

EDIT: Gordon added to list
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #5 on: 19 Aug 2017, 20:45 »

I wonder if Faye and Bubbles might get involved too. It could be a good way to get their name out their.
That would be awesome. I hope this becomes a thing.
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Method of Madness

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #6 on: 19 Aug 2017, 21:47 »

New poll.
Awwww. (I'm kidding, my poll sucked) Also:
Global Moderator Comment I moved a long post continuing last week's argument to last week's thread. We really, really, really don't need to continue this. At least wait until this week's comics start so there's more to go on.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #7 on: 19 Aug 2017, 21:50 »

I couldn't really imagine Winslow running into anyone specific, so I just went with Gordon because he's one of my favourites.

I also clicked 'other' so I could just throw in a completely unlikely option of Corpse Witch.  :evil:
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #8 on: 19 Aug 2017, 22:24 »

Friday's strip had the feel to me of the end of that particular arc. I'm expecting Monday to start something new, possibly something focussed around Brun.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #9 on: 19 Aug 2017, 22:33 »

I don't think the conflict between Winslow and May is quite resolved yet until they speak to each other again. Not that I expect that will take long. Jeph doesn't really do long running conflicts, especially not recently. Characters resolving their conflicts like adults is more his thing.
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Yet the lies of Melkor, the mighty and the accursed, Morgoth Bauglir, the Power of Terror and of Hate, sowed in the hearts of Elves and Men are a seed that does not die and cannot be destroyed; and ever and anon it sprouts anew, and will bear dark fruit even unto the latest days. (Silmarillion 255)

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #10 on: 20 Aug 2017, 00:41 »

Suddenly winslows tea vision comic! And it is...... um..... butts..... or penguins
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Gyrre

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #11 on: 20 Aug 2017, 04:18 »

I' d love to see Spookybot there just wearing a pair of Grocho glasses and having fun.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #12 on: 20 Aug 2017, 07:07 »

Speaking of Corpse Witch, can people in Robot Jail have visitors? There might be some people she hasn't alienated and there's also a thing where faith-based groups visit prisons. It could be interesting but perhaps it's better writing to leave Robot Jail to our imagination.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #13 on: 20 Aug 2017, 07:14 »

I theorized that Corpse Witch might have started a religion around Spookybot out of genuine inspiration and terror or profitable cynicism.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #14 on: 20 Aug 2017, 07:49 »

I tihknk Station seems rather unlikely to show up.

Corpse witch, a part of a charity visit to prison, perhaps. It would be interesting to see how Jeph does envision Robojail. Restrictions on chassis seem reasonable - just imagine some of the AI's who've dropped in to confront Pintsize ending up there... Thouch Corpse Witch's chassis seems inoffensive enough.
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TheEvilDog

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #15 on: 20 Aug 2017, 08:22 »

Speaking of Corpse Witch, can people in Robot Jail have visitors? There might be some people she hasn't alienated and there's also a thing where faith-based groups visit prisons. It could be interesting but perhaps it's better writing to leave Robot Jail to our imagination.

The question is, is Robot Jail a physical location with cells and the like, or is it closer to a server where the offending AIs are ported?
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Method of Madness

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #16 on: 20 Aug 2017, 08:23 »

...maybe both? Getting uploaded to the server could be their version of solitary.
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Gyrre

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #17 on: 20 Aug 2017, 10:42 »

Hmmm... What if Corpsewitch is there as a "volunteer" as part of a mandatory community service thing as part of her punishment?
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #18 on: 20 Aug 2017, 10:53 »

As cynical as it sounds, I imagine it's a server because that would be way cheaper than supplying electricity, repair, and replacement for a bunch of chassis (chassises?) And supplying chassis for convicted AI that dont have one. Also, I got the impression may only received a chassis AFTER her release, though I don't think she ever explicitly says as much.
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TheEvilDog

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #19 on: 20 Aug 2017, 10:59 »

Pretty much what Zisraelsen said.

It would come down to cost, even for this post-Singularity QC world.

It would be cheaper to have an off the grid server somewhere secure, port the offending AI to the server and let them serve out their sentence there, than to provide services for their chassis (singular and plural) and to imprison them. Plus how could you contain a chassis that would have above-human strength in a physical manner? How cash intensive would that be? The simplest solution would just be deprive an offending AI of their freedom to move, to take away their bodies and reduce them to a program. That would be the deterrent of Robot Jail.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #20 on: 20 Aug 2017, 12:05 »

Exactly. If you have the chassis, you have to have restrictions on them, at the very least.

Now, an essential question remains whether or not a chassis is counted as a right. If so, what is the minimum guaranteed chassis?

Having it just as a server makes sense. It also raises an interesting possibility: if it is a separate, isolated server, would it be possible to manipulate the reality in which they serve their time? How would that time be measured? A 30 year sentence, in that case, would seem to make little sense, or could be accelerated, to be served almost instantly.

As such, I have wondered about the resources of the QC-world. But then, that might be for another topic, rather than a precomic discussion, I suppose.
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TheEvilDog

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #21 on: 20 Aug 2017, 12:22 »

Now, an essential question remains whether or not a chassis is counted as a right. If so, what is the minimum guaranteed chassis?

Given that AI or their human friends have to pay large amounts even for a relatively basic chassis, it would likely be that chassis are a privilege, not a right.

They are, to all intents and purposes, luxury items. Does a companion AI really need a six foot tall chassis in order to be a companion? Pintsize has been Marten's friend for goodness knows how long and he gets by alright. Momo was able to cook meals (even if she need help on occasion, the chilli incident springs to mind). Winslow has been able to be a companion to Hanners. So it would seem that minimum guaranteed chassis for an AI is that of the AnthroPC, with Pintsize being the Ur-example. Basic enough, but just enough to get around and be helpful.

But if we're talking about a chassis fit for purpose, that's a different matter. AI don't seem to be programmed for a specific purpose, in order to grow in their own way. So an AI would have to choose their profession; an accountant or a soldier or a mechanic or whatever, then it becomes less about rights or privilege and more about having the right tool to do their chosen profession.

A chassis in the end is a tool.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #22 on: 20 Aug 2017, 12:57 »

I wonder if Winslow might end up helping May eventually get a new chassis.

Also, I still can't recognize this pink boy as that iPod AI from the rest of the comic. Wislow has always been a very small character, even May had much more personality before she got her human-sized body.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #23 on: 20 Aug 2017, 14:07 »

I might also suspect that Robot Jail is a server as well due to the variety in chassis (humanoid, spider, immobile toaster) that would be odd to accommodate and have their own inherent escape risks.  And it hasn't been brought up, other than Bubbles being physically imposing, but I have to imagine that AI are, in general, stronger/more durable in ways that humans may not be, making criminal AIs pretty dangerous.

Morally it seems pretty cruel to strip someone of their body for incarceration, but as the Prison Conditions DISCUSS thread shows, prison choices aren't always based on what's moral.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #24 on: 20 Aug 2017, 14:29 »

So it would seem that minimum guaranteed chassis for an AI is that of the AnthroPC, with Pintsize being the Ur-example. Basic enough, but just enough to get around and be helpful.
...
A chassis in the end is a tool.

There's also toaster and trashbot to consider.

Though I agree with the fit for purpose idea; Jeremy is a prime example there.

There's also the point of the chassis May is issued as a parolee. Could it be, while humanoid chassis are, presumably, luxury items, that immersion in human society is supposed to be part of her reintegration, regardless of what she might chose afterwards?

Note, this is not an attempt to resurrect the argument from the other thread. I'm not saying she deserves a malfunctioning, unmaintained, and obsolete body. I'm just speculating on the implications of the government issued chassis.

Separation from their body is cruel, in as much as they depend on it, and define themselves by it. On the other hand, it's not very hard to imagine an AI changing which chassis they wear, based on what they need/want to do. It seems to be a fairly easy procedure for them.

Too what degree would their chassis be considered property? There might also be the question of it being seized, to pay for reparations.

On an other note, it is definitely a change that will take a while getting used to. It's a fairly large change, lookswise, when compared to the other AI we saw getting body work done. Momo was more of a growing out change, while May it's not all that different from how she was projected. An Jeremy, by using the spare parts lying around, keep an industrial look.


Edit; someone please tell me to start proof reading before I hit post.
« Last Edit: 20 Aug 2017, 14:35 by Cornelius »
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #25 on: 20 Aug 2017, 15:12 »

Edit; someone please tell me to start proof reading before I hit post.

Start prufreeding befour you hit poste.

;)
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TheEvilDog

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #26 on: 20 Aug 2017, 15:42 »

Quote
There's also toaster and trashbot to consider.

Though I agree with the fit for purpose idea; Jeremy is a prime example there.
When Momo was getting her new chassis, the saleswoman had previously been a forklift, then served as the AI for a nuclear submarine. So its obvious that AI aren't necessarily constrained by their choices, so its not like they're banned from changing chassis.

Quote
There's also the point of the chassis May is issued as a parolee. Could it be, while humanoid chassis are, presumably, luxury items, that immersion in human society is supposed to be part of her reintegration, regardless of what she might chose afterwards?
I see May's chassis as part ankle monitor, part halfway house and part sentence. She's not getting a free ride, nor is she getting a free chassis. She's working as part of the agreement of her parole. Its crap, its falling apart and I would not be surprised if there was some sort of lock preventing her from uploading to a new chassis until her sentence was completed. Its living with Dale that is allowing her to integrate with society and to hopefully become a productive member of society.

Quote
Note, this is not an attempt to resurrect the argument from the other thread. I'm not saying she deserves a malfunctioning, unmaintained, and obsolete body. I'm just speculating on the implications of the government issued chassis.
I would not be surprised in the slightest if the government got the chassis for next to nothing because they were the first generation or the test batch or even just a defective batch.

Quote
Separation from their body is cruel, in as much as they depend on it, and define themselves by it. On the other hand, it's not very hard to imagine an AI changing which chassis they wear, based on what they need/want to do. It seems to be a fairly easy procedure for them.
Let's stop a moment and consider this - Humans are essentially a species intrinsically connected to our bodies. For all we think ourselves a reasonable intelligent species, we're still one that relies 100% on our bodies, to the point we're the slightest change to that body completely changes our quality of life. Now consider this, AIs are not human...in the sense that we understand. We might have modelled themselves on us, they are completely and utterly a species of the mind.

The loss of the body for an AI is a inconvenience at best and just plain annoying at worse. With that in mind, we can't have the exact same type of punishment for an AI that we do for a human even if the essence is still the same. We imprison people to show the consequences of their criminal action being the loss of freedom. AI are imprisoned and uploaded from their chassis to show them that their criminal actions reduces them to a lone AI in a server, unable to interact with the world. A human prisoner can still feel the breeze on their skin, so what does an AI feel?

Quote
To what degree would their chassis be considered property? There might also be the question of it being seized, to pay for reparations.
Presumably the chassis would be treated as something like a car in that there's someone's name on the paperwork, probably the human companion's.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #27 on: 20 Aug 2017, 16:38 »

Jeph said AIs are the legal owners of their bodies though the nuclear submarine must have been an exception.

During May's work release Momo made it sound like Robot Jail inmates were stuck on a hard drive in a server rack. That could be why May said it was horrible.
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TheEvilDog

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #28 on: 20 Aug 2017, 16:48 »

During May's work release Momo made it sound like Robot Jail inmates were stuck on a hard drive in a server rack. That could be why May said it was horrible.

Well if your wish was to fly, you'd certainly find it horrible if your wings were permanently clipped.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #29 on: 20 Aug 2017, 19:54 »

I hope Winslow runs into new robots/people while volunteering and the whole May story-line is mostly dropped. I'd like to see Momo and Winslow interact more. Doesn't have to be a shippy thing though I'd be okay with that too. Just any kind of interaction. Momo is a fun character. She kind of reminds me of Hannelore in some ways.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #30 on: 20 Aug 2017, 20:46 »

I hope Winslow runs into new robots/people while volunteering and the whole May story-line is mostly dropped. I'd like to see Momo and Winslow interact more. Doesn't have to be a shippy thing though I'd be okay with that too. Just any kind of interaction. Momo is a fun character. She kind of reminds me of Hannelore in some ways.

to be fair just the fact winslow is doing stuff again is a big difference since well he didn't really show up like hardly at all once momo got her new body. the only other athropc without a human chassis was pintsize and with so many others in the apartment for him to interact with he wasn't needing to spend time with winslow from a story perspective. I think making him relevant again from a writing perspective was why he was given a humanoid body. sort of like how in the comics mimic can copy the powers of five mutants specifically because of the fact there were five x men at the time so he could copy all of them.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #31 on: 20 Aug 2017, 22:07 »

Fun fact: Birds can't taste spiciness! Capsaicin, which is what makes spicy things spicy, only sets off mammals.

The reason for it is birds are far better for seed dispersal. They're more likely to leave the seed wholly undigested, and spread it further away. Thus, chilli pepper plants use spiciness as a way of encouraging only the right kind of animals eating its fruits.

Humans eat something specifically designed to be toxic to them because carpe gotta fuckin diem.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #32 on: 20 Aug 2017, 22:16 »

Something that kind of bugs me about this arc is that it was a complete no-win scenario for Winslow. May got mad at him for simply stating that he GOT a new body at all. She's mad because he was even CAPABLE of getting a new body so easily. She's not mad at him because of the new body, she's mad at him because it's easier for him to GET a new body than her. She's mad at him for something he had no control over.

If he HAD thought of her situation and chosen not to say anything, she would have been mad at being intentionally shunned. Nothing Winslow could do here would have avoided pissing off May, and that hits me wrong. He didn't DO anything except be a little bit luckier than her. He doesn't owe her an apology for that.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #33 on: 20 Aug 2017, 22:20 »

He may not owe her, but sometimes it helps smooth things over socially if one lets go of themselves and does so.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #34 on: 20 Aug 2017, 22:45 »

While I agree with both parts above, I hope this doesn't set off the same argument again.

Personally, I accept this resolution: It seems, to me, to be back in perspective. He apologises, she accepts, neither makes a big deal out of it, and we get to move on.

I just hope wet get some confusion and shenanigans - confused shenanigans? - when he meets Pintsize.

Incidentally, Tesla was well known to spend, at the end of his life, more time with pigeons than with people. Do they know something? First they take over pigeonkind, and then, the world...
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #35 on: 20 Aug 2017, 22:55 »

I still think Winslow had nothing to apologize for and May should have been the one to apologize. I guess it's just me. Privilege is one thing, but it doesn't justify acting like an asshole.

(edited to be more readable)
« Last Edit: 20 Aug 2017, 23:16 by tut21 »
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #36 on: 20 Aug 2017, 23:10 »

I guess it's just me. I still think Winslow had nothing to apologize for. May should have been the one to apologize. Privilege is one thing, but it doesn't justify acting like an asshole.

Nope, not just you.  This whole arc really pisses me off.  I should be patient and wait for Jeph to finish it to see what all happens, but I am so far incredibly put off by it.  May treated Winslow like sh**.  And everyone in comic so far seems to think thats ok because "privilege".  Never mind that Winslow is in no way responsible for, nor are his actions contributing to May or anyone elses negative situation in any way.
Never mind that Winslow took no action to cause harm whatsoever.
Its ok to treat him like crap because one part of his life is going better than one part of hers.

The idea that he should be ashamed or embarrassed because his lift isn't as sh***t as May's, that he shoudl have to apologize simply for living his life and interacting with her in a normal fashion is, IMO ridiculous.  He can have compassion for the difficulty of her situation without being made to feel like its somehow his fault. 

And the idea that she is not only, not in the wrong, but in the RIGHT for treating him like crap?  Garbage.  She owes him an apology and I hope there is more to this arc.  Its been the most disappointing one in the entire comic as far as I'm concerned.
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ChipNoir

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #37 on: 20 Aug 2017, 23:13 »

Something that kind of bugs me about this arc is that it was a complete no-win scenario for Winslow. May got mad at him for simply stating that he GOT a new body at all. She's mad because he was even CAPABLE of getting a new body so easily. She's not mad at him because of the new body, she's mad at him because it's easier for him to GET a new body than her. She's mad at him for something he had no control over.

If he HAD thought of her situation and chosen not to say anything, she would have been mad at being intentionally shunned. Nothing Winslow could do here would have avoided pissing off May, and that hits me wrong. He didn't DO anything except be a little bit luckier than her. He doesn't owe her an apology for that.

Relationships are difficult to navigate, and sometimes we all put ourselves in the line of fire for it. May has her good qualities, and for some that may not be enough to out weight what she did to him, but Winslow, however childish he seems to be, is still capable of making his own choices. If he sees something of value in May, then so be it.

The people that want to get up in arms and act like Winslow should shun May from now on for one outburst, well, I have choice words about that kind of sensitivity. And before anyone throws around the word "Toxic" I advise you remember that everyone is an ass once in a while, and this is May's first (and maybe last) time being so to Winslow.  I'd argue that we've seen most of the cast of QC put each other threw far, far worse outbursts, and they all have far more loving relationships than the bare acquaintance between these two.

May already seems to past it, so the conflict is over. Unless someone out there really wants to see Winslow stubbornly demand an apology, someone else to do that on his behalf, or any other number of situations that won't ever happen in this narrative based on the established personalities we've been dealing with for years.

« Last Edit: 20 Aug 2017, 23:28 by ChipNoir »
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miados

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #38 on: 20 Aug 2017, 23:14 »

for some reason I just imagined may adopting lots of birds as a kind of stereotypical cat lady except with birds and she tells them how she hates them.
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BenRG

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #39 on: 20 Aug 2017, 23:14 »

So, May is adding recreational animal cruelty to her resume? For shame! Seriously, though, those winged rats will literally eat anything and somehow find some way to survive on it!

I still think Winslow had nothing to apologize for and May should have been the one to apologize. I guess it's just me. Privilege is one thing, but it doesn't justify acting like an asshole.

I agree with you on principle. Sometimes though, you have to be the bigger person and be the one who tries to preserve the peace by making the first move. Swallowing your pride is always hard but the outcome is usually good for the sake of your social circle.

So... Are those real pigeon or is the fire in that one's eyes sign that they are something else and are the remote-control agents of someone who is watching May? I'm just back from binging on Marvel serials on Netflix and the possibility of a conspiracy that is targetting May is suddenly not unimaginable to me!
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Cornelius

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #40 on: 20 Aug 2017, 23:25 »

Maybe try are her co-conspirators, reconnecting her to her cell: She didn't just want to be af fighter jet, she needed to be, to fulfil her role in the revolution.

As for the rest, sometimes it's just easier to apologise and move on, even if you don't see why. Sure, it might be enabling behaviour, but the conflict it's not always worth it.
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ChipNoir

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #41 on: 20 Aug 2017, 23:26 »

Quote
There's also toaster and trashbot to consider.

Though I agree with the fit for purpose idea; Jeremy is a prime example there.
When Momo was getting her new chassis, the saleswoman had previously been a forklift, then served as the AI for a nuclear submarine. So its obvious that AI aren't necessarily constrained by their choices, so its not like they're banned from changing chassis.

Quote
There's also the point of the chassis May is issued as a parolee. Could it be, while humanoid chassis are, presumably, luxury items, that immersion in human society is supposed to be part of her reintegration, regardless of what she might chose afterwards?
I see May's chassis as part ankle monitor, part halfway house and part sentence. She's not getting a free ride, nor is she getting a free chassis. She's working as part of the agreement of her parole. Its crap, its falling apart and I would not be surprised if there was some sort of lock preventing her from uploading to a new chassis until her sentence was completed. Its living with Dale that is allowing her to integrate with society and to hopefully become a productive member of society.

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Note, this is not an attempt to resurrect the argument from the other thread. I'm not saying she deserves a malfunctioning, unmaintained, and obsolete body. I'm just speculating on the implications of the government issued chassis.
I would not be surprised in the slightest if the government got the chassis for next to nothing because they were the first generation or the test batch or even just a defective batch.

Quote
Separation from their body is cruel, in as much as they depend on it, and define themselves by it. On the other hand, it's not very hard to imagine an AI changing which chassis they wear, based on what they need/want to do. It seems to be a fairly easy procedure for them.
Let's stop a moment and consider this - Humans are essentially a species intrinsically connected to our bodies. For all we think ourselves a reasonable intelligent species, we're still one that relies 100% on our bodies, to the point we're the slightest change to that body completely changes our quality of life. Now consider this, AIs are not human...in the sense that we understand. We might have modelled themselves on us, they are completely and utterly a species of the mind.

The loss of the body for an AI is a inconvenience at best and just plain annoying at worse. With that in mind, we can't have the exact same type of punishment for an AI that we do for a human even if the essence is still the same. We imprison people to show the consequences of their criminal action being the loss of freedom. AI are imprisoned and uploaded from their chassis to show them that their criminal actions reduces them to a lone AI in a server, unable to interact with the world. A human prisoner can still feel the breeze on their skin, so what does an AI feel?

Quote
To what degree would their chassis be considered property? There might also be the question of it being seized, to pay for reparations.
Presumably the chassis would be treated as something like a car in that there's someone's name on the paperwork, probably the human companion's.

In terms of what an AI would feel? They do have sensory inputs. CorpseWitch definitely was experiencing 'something' that Jeph was trying to depict as pain when Spooky put her through the ringer, even if it's not a 1:1 comparison. But at heart, the thing that AI's seem to value most is interacting with intellectuals. They themselves may not be the er, brightest bulb in the box, but they love talking and interacting with human kind and each other. So to lock them away in isolation would be every bit as cruel, or even more so as putting someone in solitary if there was no other recourse. That should be reserved for only cases like CorpseWitch.

I'd like to imagine they all are given access to a close circuit server to communicate with each either, a prison LAN party if you will, the way prisoners have their time to socialize via common grounds and such. But as I've said before, the AI justice system is a mystery, and I very much have my doubts about their civil rights status as a whole.

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vodyanoi

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #42 on: 20 Aug 2017, 23:33 »

I honestly find this strip deeply disheartening.  Having May easily accept Winslow's apology further marginalizes the oppressed and onus of marginalized people like myself.  The oppressed owe the oppressors nothing, least of all pardoning of your sins.  May shouldn't be accepting the apology until Winslow at least ensures she's in as good a place as he himself.
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Cornelius

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #43 on: 20 Aug 2017, 23:47 »

I find your view very problematic. The oppressed do not owe the oppressors, I understand and agree. However, that the is no forgiveness for individuals, who are not actively, or consciously, taking part in said oppression, until they personally make reparations to that person, seems to me to be fostering an antagonistic model that is not inducive of better understanding.
« Last Edit: 20 Aug 2017, 23:53 by Cornelius »
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Tova

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #44 on: 21 Aug 2017, 00:00 »

I agree with ChipNoir and BenRG so far in this thread. As is usual in QC, May and Winslow have dealt with the situation like adults. The conflict is resolved.

Having May easily accept Winslow's apology further marginalizes the oppressed and onus of marginalized people like myself.

I honestly do not understand this sentence.

Quote
The oppressed owe the oppressors nothing, least of all pardoning of your sins.  May shouldn't be accepting the apology until Winslow at least ensures she's in as good a place as he himself.

Well, it's up to May herself as to whether she accept an apology, isn't it? It's not up to you or anyone else. Certainly no-one said or implied that she was compelled to.
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jwhouk

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #45 on: 21 Aug 2017, 00:31 »

Try to be nice to each other. I think I heard someone say that once.

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Cornelius

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #46 on: 21 Aug 2017, 00:35 »

True, and that's why today's resolution between May and Winslow works. They are being nice to each other.
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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #47 on: 21 Aug 2017, 01:13 »

BUbbles visiting Corpse Witch in jail might be interesting.

(One wonders if time in VR jail might pass faster than in reality. Be interesting if they meet Corpse Witch on the street and have CW reveal she spent thirty years subjective time in jail, while only weeks passed in real world...)

Shjade

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #48 on: 21 Aug 2017, 01:34 »

True, and that's why today's resolution between May and Winslow works. They are being nice to each other.

In as much as May gets close to being "nice." That was a pretty neutral acceptance on her part.

While I take vodyanoi's point, May's not exactly bending over backwards to accept the apology; there's no emotional labor for her to do for it, and he's doing what she wanted him to do: think about it. Getting on his level of social opportunity isn't realistic under the present circumstances and was never in the scope of her immediate goals.

She got what she wanted out of the situation and it didn't cost her anything to get it. Seems like at the very least a clear "just take the win" situation.
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Akima

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Re: WCDT Strips 3551 to 3555 (21st to 25th August 2017)
« Reply #49 on: 21 Aug 2017, 02:44 »

May shouldn't be accepting the apology until Winslow at least ensures she's in as good a place as he himself.
So she shouldn't accept Winslow's apology until, what, he buys her a new body? I don't think I accept that idea. Winslow is responsible for his own behaviour, which was arguably insensitive, but I don't think he's somehow responsible for fixing May's entire difficult life situation, a large part of which is her responsibility. Besides which, forgiving other people is something you do for yourself, not for them.

So... Are those real pigeon or is the fire in that one's eyes sign that they are something else and are the remote-control agents of someone who is watching May?
I think it just signifies that it is filled with spicy habanero fire. I now imagine May shouting "Drakaris!" at a cloud of pigeons...

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