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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)

[Tova]

Going by past QC form, I would not expect violence, slapstick or otherwise, from any male character in the strip.

Like Marten and the "monk", you mean?

I knew I was just asking for someone with better archive-fu than mine to come up with a counter-example. I don't specifically remember that one (although it rings a bell, now that you mention it).

So, okay, I can't say it couldn't happen. I think it's rare, though.

[Shjade]

I'd think the only notable male QC characters commonly involved in violence are Elliott (bouncer, throws someone out at least weekly, regional bar brawl competition), and Steve (retired, but still, when The Government calls).

[BenRG]

Today, May learns that her most treasured dream is a fantasy, blown away like a waft of smoke in a strong wind by the unforgiving gale that is reality (You can tell I'm still bitter about dragons not being real, can't you?). Silliness aside, I find it interesting that May and Winslow have such an easygoing conversation. Although it has not been mentioned in-strip, it is clear that they are friends, to a certain interpretation of the word. They are clearly friendly enough together to be at ease with each other in most circumstances.

Hang on, is he using his old chassis to look things up?

Yes, he is. Its clear that his previous chassis is nothing more than a 'dumb' tablet computer with minimal limbs without an AI mind present. This strip is also an insight, I think, into how AIs view chassis in terms of 'personhood'. To them, it's just a bit of hardware to be used as intended (or even recycled) if there is no sentient mind present. I wonder if this extends to their attitude towards death in humans and their view of corpses?

[TinPenguin]

Okay, own up, who angrily emailed Jeph about columbine gustation?

[Jakk Frost]

Soooo... safe to say Winslow's been playing with himself?

[Doc]

Next week: RoboXXX!

[MrNumbers]

Okay, own up, who angrily emailed Jeph about columbine gustation?

YOU CAN'T PROVE IT WAS ME. AND EVEN IF IT WAS, IT WOULD HAVE JUST BEEN POLITE AND INFORMATIVE AND HELPFUL. IF I DID. WHICH YOU CAN'T PROVE.

Be amusing if it was because he saw my post on the first page of this week's thread actually. Didn't think he read in here no more.

[JoeCovenant]

New comic up!

Hang on, is he using his old chassis to look things up?

It *does* kinda look like that doesn't it !

[Tlaloc]

Quite the ride this week. I find it a bit weird that Winslow is using his old chassis. Still I imagine (and given what we've seen vis a vis sanctity of mind vs sanctity of form/chassis), it's like an old toenail clipping. It was part of him, right now it serves a use, but ultimately it is to be properly discarded, in this case as a donation.

Still the arc resolution isn't bad. If the people in real life were half as sensible as all the characters seem to be of late, there'd be a lot fewer problems long-term. Feels like the comic is all about growing up and resolving your issues like adults by coming to reasoned points, making apologies and compromises where necessary. Aside from gag characters like Barry, I don't think there's really any character who hasn't even experienced some growth.

As for the zombie Winslow, well that's Pintsize out and out. He seems to be a physical incarnation of a troll, after getting through the existential crisis precluded by the normalisation of his wacky antics at around comic 2000. (I did a whole archive binge before coming here and registering.) The guy is all about the transgressive and the bizarre. He's an avant-gardist trapped in a foot-high shell.

Anyway, I'll wait for next week and see what comes next.

[USS Martenclaire]

Today's comic resulted in a very disturbing revelation. We saw the glowing red eyes in the pigeon comic earlier this week, usually a comic short form of indictating spicy food. But if the pigeons can't taste spice, we can only draw one logical conclusion about May's new friends.

Hellpigeons.

Hatched and nested in The Wood of The Sucidies in Hell, these evil-eyed feathery devils await only the word of their dark master before flying over the Earth and covering it in a tidal wave of guano.

They should get along just fine with their new robot friend.

[zisraelsen]

From what i can tell, covering everything in poop is the endgoal for all of pigeonkind anyway, so I dunno how worried we should be.

[Is it cold in here?]

Of course, who knows what will happen in today's comic...

Donors to Jeph's Patreon do; shame on you IICIH for unmarked spoilers!

I am not logged in to Patreon. I saw it on the main site. Was this one of those "up briefly by mistake" events?

In fact it's been kind of annoying to be missing the Patreon previews while I'm on the road.

[Tlaloc]

From what i can tell, covering everything in poop is the endgoal for all of pigeonkind anyway, so I dunno how worried we should be.

I actually am currently at war with pigeons. Those bastards keep sitting on my windowsill of my toilet, crapping and cooing.
There will be a reckoning when I get my air gun...

[hedgie]

Okay, own up, who angrily emailed Jeph about columbine gustation?

No one.  It was mentioned on Patreon (which Jeph does read) about as soon as the pigeon comic went up there.

[TheEvilDog]

New comic up!

Hang on, is he using his old chassis to look things up?

It *does* kinda look like that doesn't it !

That's because it is his old chassis. Its got the feet and the tiny little arms in the last two panels.

[theMarc]

I like, in today's strip, how May's red shirt and light blue skin contrasts with Winslow's blue shirt and pink (aka light red) skin.

[JoeCovenant]

New comic up!

Hang on, is he using his old chassis to look things up?

It *does* kinda look like that doesn't it !

That's because it is his old chassis. Its got the feet and the tiny little arms in the last two panels.

Yes, we know...

We're actually saying it looks like he is using that chassis (his)  as tablet of sorts.
(Commenting on the fact that he is using it as a tool.. not that it IS his chassis... which it clearly is...) 

[oeoek]

I think of AI's chassis as clothes, more than as body parts. And you can still use clothes, even when you are not wearing them, to put stuff in pockets, rest a weary head on and such. And clearly, even without sentience, the tablet is still a tablet. Nothing weird about it, I would say

[brasca]

New comic up!

Hang on, is he using his old chassis to look things up?

What Pintsize downloaded may have tainted the old chassis so badly it can't be given away at this point.

[Roborat]

I think of AI's chassis as clothes, more than as body parts. And you can still use clothes, even when you are not wearing them, to put stuff in pockets, rest a weary head on and such. And clearly, even without sentience, the tablet is still a tablet. Nothing weird about it, I would say

I get what you are saying, and I agree, somewhat.  However, I still find him using his old chassis as a tablet a bit creepy.  And would he need to do that anyway?  I thought the AIs had a neural interface into the net built in?

[OldGoat]

I think of AI's chassis as clothes, more than as body parts. And you can still use clothes, even when you are not wearing them, to put stuff in pockets, rest a weary head on and such. And clearly, even without sentience, the tablet is still a tablet. Nothing weird about it, I would say

I get what you are saying, and I agree, somewhat.  However, I still find him using his old chassis as a tablet a bit creepy.  And would he need to do that anyway?  I thought the AIs had a neural interface into the net built in?

Perhaps for the same reason some of us meat users still prefer a separate pocket calculator to the one that comes with your OS accessories - they just find it easier to use.  Or in this case Winslow may be practicing acting like a meat person.

[Kugai]

They cancel each other out

Perfect pairing

[swapna]

I think of AI's chassis as clothes, more than as body parts. And you can still use clothes, even when you are not wearing them, to put stuff in pockets, rest a weary head on and such. And clearly, even without sentience, the tablet is still a tablet. Nothing weird about it, I would say

I get what you are saying, and I agree, somewhat.  However, I still find him using his old chassis as a tablet a bit creepy.  And would he need to do that anyway?  I thought the AIs had a neural interface into the net built in?

Perhaps for the same reason some of us meat users still prefer a separate pocket calculator to the one that comes with your OS accessories - they just find it easier to use.  Or in this case Winslow may be practicing acting like a meat person.

Maybe, but still weird. It must take so much longer! I mean, contrast writing up something on a mobile or tablet with doing it on a keyboard or just speaking it into a microphone - it must be so much easier to use. Or he's not actually looking stuff up but  is checking up on the progress of the millionth wipe he had his old body undergo - as far as I know, he still wants to donate it.

Also, that's how you do it. In a personal space, in private. I mean, yes, May had less choice than Winslow since he doesn't volunteer yet, but don't you think it's really rude to show up to another's place of work for minor personal things? Yeah, Winslow didn't think about it, but Hanners should know better. But then again she is used to the Coffee-of-Doom-style bring-your-drama-to-work-management, so maybe she doesn't?

[St.Clair]

From what i can tell, covering everything in poop is the endgoal for all of pigeonkind anyway, so I dunno how worried we should be.

And just today, elseforum, someone reminded me of this background gag from Top Secret!, in which the tables are turned, as it were:

[Is it cold in here?]

If Winslow ends up having regular conversations with May then he is going to expand his horizons.

[Gyrre]

Today, May learns that her most treasured dream is a fantasy, blown away like a waft of smoke in a strong wind by the unforgiving gale that is reality (You can tell I'm still bitter about dragons not being real, can't you?). Silliness aside, I find it interesting that May and Winslow have such an easygoing conversation. Although it has not been mentioned in-strip, it is clear that they are friends, to a certain interpretation of the word. They are clearly friendly enough together to be at ease with each other in most circumstances.

To a certain interpretation of the word, dragons were once real (just not so fantastical). 'Dinosaur' is still a relatively new word by comparison.

Hang on, is he using his old chassis to look things up?

Yes, he is. Its clear that his previous chassis is nothing more than a 'dumb' tablet computer with minimal limbs without an AI mind present. This strip is also an insight, I think, into how AIs view chassis in terms of 'personhood'. To them, it's just a bit of hardware to be used as intended (or even recycled) if there is no sentient mind present. I wonder if this extends to their attitude towards death in humans and their view of corpses?

Anyone else suddenly concerned about an AI opening a cannery in the QCverse? Especially if they're fans of suspense thrillers from the 70s?

[flondrix]

but what does it say about the people who think it's funny/reasonable stress relief to throw someone around just because they can?

[flondrix]

So he's not a nice enough guy to avoid enacting unnecessary violence toward another AI, but he's too nice to deserve getting yelled at by another AI?

Violence against Pintsize is seldom unnecessary. 

[Perfectly Reasonable]

I fed 'red hot' chips to pigeons today. They liked them fine. So did sparrows and starlings.

Now I have to find chips that are too hot for -me-.

[SmilingCat]

I might ask how you even remotely correlate getting yelled at for simply saying hi to someone with him being abusive.

I don't?

Except when you do?

So he's not a nice enough guy to avoid enacting unnecessary violence toward another AI, but he's too nice to deserve getting yelled at by another AI?

Interesting. What exactly is this nebulous space Winslow inhabits in which he is simultaneously abusive and innocent?

Your own words. Winslow can't be abusive unless he deserved to get yelled at. Even though he literally did nothing but say hi to May in a new body to get yelled at. There is no correlation between the two, or any reason to link them at all. Yet you felt the need to bring it up again. Because... why exactly? Because you object to people liking Winslow?

Here's a secret, you can yell at someone without justification whether or not that person is a jerk. Because whether or not that person is a jerk does not determine whether or not you, yourself, are a jerk.

[Is it cold in here?]

So is May sincerely reflective or is she there because The Daughter of God "suggested" it?

That cartoon with Faye treating a person like an object struck me as the worst thing Faye has done. Perhaps it's in a tie with looking up Momo's skirt.

There must be some very bitter AIs out there determined never to forgive humans. Humans being what they are there have doubtless been far more creepy and comptemptuous people than The Pugnacious Peach.

[Storel]

Hang on, is he using his old chassis to look things up?

Yes, he is. Its clear that his previous chassis is nothing more than a 'dumb' tablet computer with minimal limbs without an AI mind present. This strip is also an insight, I think, into how AIs view chassis in terms of 'personhood'. To them, it's just a bit of hardware to be used as intended (or even recycled) if there is no sentient mind present. I wonder if this extends to their attitude towards death in humans and their view of corpses?

Anyone else suddenly concerned about an AI opening a cannery in the QCverse? Especially if they're fans of suspense thrillers from the 70s?

This sounds like a reference to something, but I have no idea what. Could you please explain?

[Cornelius]

Sounds a bit like Soylent Green is implied, but perhaps another film?

[Tova]

I might ask how you even remotely correlate getting yelled at for simply saying hi to someone with him being abusive.

I don't?

Except when you do?

So he's not a nice enough guy to avoid enacting unnecessary violence toward another AI, but he's too nice to deserve getting yelled at by another AI?

Interesting. What exactly is this nebulous space Winslow inhabits in which he is simultaneously abusive and innocent?

Your own words. Winslow can't be abusive unless he deserved to get yelled at. Even though he literally did nothing but say hi to May in a new body to get yelled at. There is no correlation between the two, or any reason to link them at all. Yet you felt the need to bring it up again. Because... why exactly? Because you object to people liking Winslow?

Here's a secret, you can yell at someone without justification whether or not that person is a jerk. Because whether or not that person is a jerk does not determine whether or not you, yourself, are a jerk.

I think that Shjade was trying to make the point that it's perhaps a bit weird to think that someone is nice, but that you'd have to somehow be really nice not to enact violence against Pintsize. Shjade was wondering why you would say that when violence is (obviously) not nice at all. I can see why you see the post as drawing a correlation between two unrelated events (I think, kinda), but I don't think that was intentional, hence the puzzled reaction.

[JimC]

And would he need to do that anyway? 

Easiest way to ensure Pintsize isn't messing with it?

[Gyrre]

Hang on, is he using his old chassis to look things up?

Yes, he is. Its clear that his previous chassis is nothing more than a 'dumb' tablet computer with minimal limbs without an AI mind present. This strip is also an insight, I think, into how AIs view chassis in terms of 'personhood'. To them, it's just a bit of hardware to be used as intended (or even recycled) if there is no sentient mind present. I wonder if this extends to their attitude towards death in humans and their view of corpses?

Anyone else suddenly concerned about an AI opening a cannery in the QCverse? Especially if they're fans of suspense thrillers from the 70s?

This sounds like a reference to something, but I have no idea what. Could you please explain?

Ever tried Soylent Greens?

[Emperor Norton]

I think of AI's chassis as clothes, more than as body parts. And you can still use clothes, even when you are not wearing them, to put stuff in pockets, rest a weary head on and such. And clearly, even without sentience, the tablet is still a tablet. Nothing weird about it, I would say

I get what you are saying, and I agree, somewhat.  However, I still find him using his old chassis as a tablet a bit creepy.  And would he need to do that anyway?  I thought the AIs had a neural interface into the net built in?

Perhaps for the same reason some of us meat users still prefer a separate pocket calculator to the one that comes with your OS accessories - they just find it easier to use.  Or in this case Winslow may be practicing acting like a meat person.

Maybe, but still weird. It must take so much longer! I mean, contrast writing up something on a mobile or tablet with doing it on a keyboard or just speaking it into a microphone - it must be so much easier to use. Or he's not actually looking stuff up but  is checking up on the progress of the millionth wipe he had his old body undergo - as far as I know, he still wants to donate it.

Also, that's how you do it. In a personal space, in private. I mean, yes, May had less choice than Winslow since he doesn't volunteer yet, but don't you think it's really rude to show up to another's place of work for minor personal things? Yeah, Winslow didn't think about it, but Hanners should know better. But then again she is used to the Coffee-of-Doom-style bring-your-drama-to-work-management, so maybe she doesn't?

I think that is just a conceit of a lot of slice of life fiction QC included. People just go to talk to people where they are, work, home, friends house, etc. etc. to talk to them.

[Shjade]

I think that Shjade was trying to make the point that it's perhaps a bit weird to think that someone is nice, but that you'd have to somehow be really nice not to enact violence against Pintsize. Shjade was wondering why you would say that when violence is (obviously) not nice at all. I can see why you see the post as drawing a correlation between two unrelated events (I think, kinda), but I don't think that was intentional, hence the puzzled reaction.

This. I dunno where you learned to make logical leaps, SmilingCat, but you were way off. I wasn't saying he doesn't deserve to be yelled at unless he's abusive; I was pointing out that, what, five strips ago? people were practically sainting Winslow and demanding swift retribution against May for the horrible crime of being undeservingly rude to such a pristine angel, but now he's apparently also fine with getting his rocks off bullying weaker AI. And since OldGoat (the person who I asked that question) wasn't even one of the people who'd previously been so wounded on Winslow's behalf, it wasn't that serious a question to begin with.

[Emperor Norton]

I think that Shjade was trying to make the point that it's perhaps a bit weird to think that someone is nice, but that you'd have to somehow be really nice not to enact violence against Pintsize. Shjade was wondering why you would say that when violence is (obviously) not nice at all. I can see why you see the post as drawing a correlation between two unrelated events (I think, kinda), but I don't think that was intentional, hence the puzzled reaction.

This. I dunno where you learned to make logical leaps, SmilingCat, but you were way off. I wasn't saying he doesn't deserve to be yelled at unless he's abusive; I was pointing out that, what, five strips ago? people were practically sainting Winslow and demanding swift retribution against May for the horrible crime of being undeservingly rude to such a pristine angel, but now he's apparently also fine with getting his rocks off bullying weaker AI. And since OldGoat (the person who I asked that question) wasn't even one of the people who'd previously been so wounded on Winslow's behalf, it wasn't that serious a question to begin with.

Oh yes, because that is an accurate summation of "Hey they both made mistakes, maybe both of them should have to face that."

Do you think maybe the reason the horse got beaten far beyond death is that people vastly misrepresented what people were saying in order to make them look ridiculous, which caused people to restate their point over and over hoping that people would actually argue against the point they were making rather than making up a straw man to bludgeon? Nah, that couldn't be it.

[Shjade]

If it doesn't resemble their argument, why would they assume I was talking about them? 

At this point I'm pretty sure some folks just enjoy beating the horse.

[Emperor Norton]

If it doesn't resemble their argument, why would they assume I was talking about them? 

Because almost no one, at least no one who did more than drop a 2 sentence post and then leave, actually had an opinion that sounded anything like what you typed. The statement you made was a straight straw man.

But sure let's play "Let me make a swipe at people and state their opinion in a way that makes them look ridiculous and then pretend that isn't what I did."

[Gyrre]

I'm starting to think that some folks enjoy beating the dead horse. Especially those that like riding their high horse.

Can we just leave the horse to rot in peace?

[Emperor Norton]

So stating a strawman is OK, but calling it out is frowned upon? I'm out.

My suggestion though: You want a horse to stay buried, you don't continue to make swipes at one side of the argument.

EDIT: Longer point: The discussion was over, no one was discussing it, everyone seemed to be happy about it. I wasn't the one who brought the argument back up though. My last 2 posts before his straw man was just to say I really like undercooked chocolate chip cookies, and that it is a normal conceit of slice of life fiction for discussions to happen at people's places of work.

[Shjade]

I made a joke, not a curse besmirching your family name - or anyone's name in fact. You didn't need to dig up the horse to defend its honor. Chill.

Jesus. The tension level of the QC forum's a lot higher than I remember it.

[Emperor Norton]

I made a joke, not a curse besmirching your family name - or anyone's name in fact. You didn't need to dig up the horse to defend its honor. Chill.

Jesus. The tension level of the QC forum's a lot higher than I remember it.

Once again, you brought the argument back up, not me, by creating a straw man of the opposing side. I'm not seeing how this isn't clearly obvious.

Am I cranky? Hell yes, I'm cranky. I dealt with pages of people misrepresenting what I said to make arguments against things I never said, and then when it is finally dead, over, and finished, someone decides that they need to make another straw man swipe at the side of the argument I was on.

If I'd made a passing comment on how everyone last week was saying May's lack of privilege made it OK for her to be a dick to everyone better off than her (which, by the way, is not an argument anyone who stayed in the conversation for more than one drop in post made), would you blame me for digging up the horse, or the person who responded to point out that I was digging up the horse?

EDIT: You know what, nevermind, I just don't care anymore. I just think it is frustrating that someone can bring a dead argument back up with a strawman, and the bad guy is apparently the person who points it out. Like seriously you don't think this "one of the people who'd previously been so wounded on Winslow's behalf" isn't taking a swipe at people?

[Shjade]

1: I thought you were out?

2: Please stop saying "straw man" to describe a joke. This isn't a formal debate, last I checked, and I didn't even posit the exaggeration as something to argue against; you might not have noticed, but I didn't include any argument involving the previous thread's horse after that rhetorical question, because I wasn't making an argument, I was making a fucking joke.

3: I wouldn't have blamed anyone. Seriously, who (other than you) cares? What is the deal with your horse corpse fetish? (Not kinkshaming.)

[Emperor Norton]

You don't see how misrepresenting the other side of an argument you were in into something that sounds ridiculous isn't a pretty shitty and perhaps unintentionally mean-spirited joke?

Like, if you made fun of the side of the argument you were on, it could be seen as maybe self-aware poking at yourself. Making fun of the other side of the argument... yeah, not the same.

[Neko_Ali]

Okay, stop. This is getting nobody anywhere and it is beyond tiresome. Agree to disagree or not, but this is far past enough.

[Shjade]

Okay, stop. This is getting nobody anywhere and it is beyond tiresome. Agree to disagree or not, but this is far past enough.

Happy to.

[Is it cold in here?]

Okay, stop. This is getting nobody anywhere and it is beyond tiresome. Agree to disagree or not, but this is far past enough.

Global Moderator Comment

Yes, please. I've seen this kind of thing before and it seems likely to become Bad For the Forum.