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Marten & Claire

3 (2.5%)

Dora & Tai

6 (5%)

The Secret Bakery Crew (Jim, Elliot and Renee w. Sam, Roko and Brun guest-starring)

9 (7.4%)

Roko and her search for meaning (including Beepatrice, May, SpookyBot & others)

15 (12.4%)

Union Robotics (Faye & Bubbles w. Punchbot, Sam & other customers looking in)

16 (13.2%)

The Old Apartment (Marten, Faye, Bubbles, Claire & Pintsize)

9 (7.4%)

The Voyages of Hannelore

20 (16.5%)

Roko, Melon & Elliot's interactions in their apartment complex (with Arthur and SpookyBot looking in)

3 (2.5%)

Dale, Marigold, May & Momo's domesticity

5 (4.1%)

Back to the Library (Marten, Tai and Momo and possibly Claire, plus the students)

2 (1.7%)

Coffee of Doom (Dora, all the barristas and their significant others as well as random customers)

8 (6.6%)

Steve & Cossette

2 (1.7%)

Penny & Wil

4 (3.3%)

The Brun-Elliott-Clinton-Roko axis

16 (13.2%)

Other (please specify in comment)

3 (2.5%)

Total Members Voted: 41

[OldGoat]

May's journey to developing a group of friends has been a long and painful one, hasn't it? I now find myself wondering just when and under what circumstances she'll first say "I love you"?

Visit to a military airfield?

Yup.  She's decide she likes older guys and start dating a C-130 Hercules.

She's a fightergurl, so I can't see her dating a Hercybird. A F4U Corsair, maybe ...

That's just it.  She'll be saying, "He's so, so Herckey.  I don't know whether to swoon or chug a quart of AeroShell W100."

[brasca]

Strip is up! 

Of course Spookybot isn’t monitoring you, Roko.  If they were they’d be dressed like you.

I like the pinkish glow of the setting sun.  It makes Spookybot all the more devilish.

[Tova]

Jeph forgot about the camera's colour temperature setting today.   

[Scarlet Manuka]

May's last comment made me *lol*

(Wasn't it Momo who 'sexed' a Magic Love Gentleman doll in her old body?) 

she can also shoot live eels out of her 
https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1298

I would assume that that function isn't part of her new chassis.

[shanejayell]

Weirdly I always like seeing Spooky. Dunno why.

Poor Roko. *lol*

[Scarlet Manuka]

Weirdly I always like seeing Spooky. Dunno why.

I think it's best summed up by one of Jeph's newspost comments (to the best of my recollection): "Spookybot are awful but also I love them?"

[andrybak]

Jeph forgot about the camera's colour temperature setting today.   

I thought my monitor was acting up. Maybe comic is late in the evening, and we see a nice beautiful Northampton sunset?

[Gyrre]

There are those that regard interest on a loan to be theft from the lendee. And, there aee those who consider no interest on a loan to be theft from the lender.

[sitnspin]

How is no interest theft? If you get your money back, how are you out anything?

[cybersmurf]

May's journey to developing a group of friends has been a long and painful one, hasn't it? I now find myself wondering just when and under what circumstances she'll first say "I love you"?

Visit to a military airfield?

Yup.  She's decide she likes older guys and start dating a C-130 Hercules.

She's a fightergurl, so I can't see her dating a Hercybird. A F4U Corsair, maybe ...

At this point I have to throw in the A10. Purely for the hiss of the engines, right?

[SPAZwazza]

This whole strip looks rose-tinted. It's nice-looking. Is it supposed to be sunset?

[OldGoat]

May's journey to developing a group of friends has been a long and painful one, hasn't it? I now find myself wondering just when and under what circumstances she'll first say "I love you"?

Visit to a military airfield?

Yup.  She's decide she likes older guys and start dating a C-130 Hercules.

She's a fightergurl, so I can't see her dating a Hercybird. A F4U Corsair, maybe ...

At this point I have to throw in the A10. Purely for the hiss of the engines, right?

Knowing May, she'd want to try a threesome.

[Cornelius]

How is no interest theft? If you get your money back, how are you out anything?

The logic is that for the time it is being lent,  it's not available for yourself to use, and that the interest is also part payment for the risk of not being paid back. Which is why the interest for high risk loans trends to be higher.

Usury is still considered a sin, but as best I remember, only when there is no collateral, as that's considered basically a firm form of sale and lease back, with intention to buy back. Though I may well misremember.

[BenRG]

One of the things that I've noticed about how Jeph has portrayed SpookyBot recently is that he has shown three distinct nodes with noticeably different personalities. Whilst they seem to share knowledge, objectives and behaviour, there are subtly different 'flavours' to their personalities, the inevitable result of the fact that each node has processed unique experiences before 'synching' data with the others. My mental summary of them (and how I identify them) are as follows:

• Cool Suit - The most willing to use their powers on other beings; comes across as sadistic but I'm not sure if that's a front as they paradoxically also have the strongest sympathy for the innocent victim;
• Rumpled Shirt - The most strongly ethical and the only node that has robot-style square speech bubbles;
• Jogger (whom we're seeing today) - The most mischievous and teasing; maybe stands to the feminine side of the androgynous spectrum.

Today's strip also makes me think think that Jeph is confirming my theory that Spookybot was originally an AI surveillance program deployed by the NSA or a similar alphabet organisation that achieved sapience through sheer weight of processing a massive data-flow. Having long since abandoned their previous duties, they're now looking for a purpose for their capabilities but are somewhat hampered by hard-wired paranoia (they were created to 'find enemies' through data monitoring, after all) and the contempt for ordinary minds that seeing all the gibberish on the Internet bred in them.

We definitely seem to be on a path where SpookyBot gets May a new body through illegitimate means - A chassis that likely will have all sorts of weird experimental capabilities that will both fascinate and horrify its new resident, who isn't sure if she wants to be that anthropomimietic!

How is no interest theft? If you get your money back, how are you out anything?

The only way that occurs to me is that inflation is a thing. The buying power of any arbitrary amount of money is always declining so, a 1:1 repayment, especially over a long period of time, is effectively returning a smaller amount of purchasing power than you were given.

[pwhodges]

The only way that occurs to me is that inflation is a thing. The buying power of any arbitrary amount of money is always declining so, a 1:1 repayment, especially over a long period of time, is effectively returning a smaller amount of purchasing power than you were given.

But the loan doesn't cause the loss; if you'd kept the money yourself you would have experienced the same fall in purchasing power.

[Cornelius]

On the other hand, if you'd kept the money, then you could have used it to invest in your business or other, and used the purchasing power it had at that time. Arguably, if you invest it in your business, that could have a return that negates the fall i n purchasing power.

[Thrudd]

Funny thing is that if it was a book or a hammer then the lending takes on a whole different connotation to the CA$H centrist mind.
It is how Libraries work and most times friends, family and neighbours.

At this point I have to throw in the A10. Purely for the hiss of the engines, right?

I'm more a Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt fan myself.

[Case]

May's journey to developing a group of friends has been a long and painful one, hasn't it? I now find myself wondering just when and under what circumstances she'll first say "I love you"?

Visit to a military airfield?

Yup.  She's decide she likes older guys and start dating a C-130 Hercules.

She's a fightergurl, so I can't see her dating a Hercybird. A F4U Corsair, maybe ...

At this point I have to throw in the A10. Purely for the hiss of the engines, right?

What's not to like about a fighter built around a monster of a Gatling cannon?

[Case]

How is no interest theft? If you get your money back, how are you out anything?

Opportunity cost and inflation?

Personally, I'm not opposed to the lendee getting some kind of fee (on top of adjustment for inflation) - I'm a bit baffled how little we talk about whether it's a good idea that the fee is growing exponentially ...

[BenRG]

What's not to like about a fighter built around a monster of a Gatling cannon?

It's as ugly as sin and has the performance of a particularly obese bovine. Heck, the design makes a virtue of its ability to soak up ground fire because it can't dodge!

Give me something sleek like a YF-23 or a Su-27 any day!

[TheEvilDog]

That said, the Warthog is one of the most reliable aircraft in the world. Between its introduction and its projected retirement in 2040, that cannon with wings will have nearly 70 years of service. I mean, no one is suggesting the Ca 60 Noviplano.

[Theta9]

(Wasn't it Momo who 'sexed' a Magic Love Gentleman doll in her old body?) 

I have no recollection of this. Cite?

[alc40]

https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1533

[shanejayell]

Thank you, Alc40.

[Eternal_Newbie]

Funny thing is that if it was a book or a hammer then the lending takes on a whole different connotation to the CA$H centrist mind.
It is how Libraries work and most times friends, family and neighbours.
....

Thing is libraries charge late fines. And I've stated thinking I need to start charging them as well.

[Cornelius]

Exactly. And even then, there's a large difference between lending a hammer or a book and lending a large amount of money. For one, if it doesn't come back, I'll have to work a lot longer to replace it.
Secondly, it's going to take a lot longer before you'll see it again, and good luck to you if you should need it in the mean time.

And that's not even getting into the point that for most people, there is a cost to lending the money, in taking it out of their savings or investments.

[JoeCovenant]

I have to say... I'm a bit disappointed with ol' Spookybot, here.
It's taking away all of the implied mysticism and intrigue by painting them as just another branch of organised crime.

(Also... Roko's being a bit Hypocritajudgey, is she not? Considering her first thought in this particular saga was to dig up the dirt on May's boss...?)

[Cornelius]

The only excuse, and it's not very firm ground, is that Roko was applying pressure that might get May did, whereas SB is suggesting things that might land May back in Robojail.

As for taking away the mystery; somehow I feel that they're not another branch of organised crime, but they they might enjoy the thrill of it, as a way to pass the time. But then, I imagine, they'd rather go for an elaborate physical burglary, as posing a bit more of a challenge.

Edit: this touch screen in warm weather is really demonstrating why I like actual buttons to press.

[BenRG]

I don't think SpookyBot is suggesting crime in the strictly moral/ethical term. They're just noting that simply rewriting some chassis construction, delivery and assignment dockets so that it goes to May would be infinitely more efficient than struggling with the bureaucracy and, due to said bureaucracy's tendency to not question paperwork, it will have a higher likelihood of having no negative repercussions for all persons involved.

I strongly suspect that SpookyBot does not have any intrinsic respect for 'law' beyond its value in preventing destructive social anarchy and values 'efficiency' far more. Another challenge for Roko's friendship with them, I suspect.

[Cornelius]

Fair enough, from an efficiency point of view. On the other hand, what I wanted to get at was that they might have liked the idea of wacky, less than legal, aventures with their new friend. Only to turn out to have burgled themselves, for instance.

[mahlernut]

Something about Jeph's post made me think: what if Spookybot was originally that nightmarish paperclip "helper" from that old iteration of Word (97?).  I could see it achieving sapience, a bad attitude, and a baseline disdain for everyone that hated it whenever it popped up on the screen.

Also, the tint to today's strip reminded me immediately of the US release of Spirited Away 

[Cornelius]

You know, I actually rather liked Clippy, back then.

Also, welcome!

[mahlernut]

You know, I actually rather liked Clippy, back then.

Also, welcome!

Hopefully you'd be safe from Spooky's wrath then   

And thanks!  Many years of silent watching around here.  The Clippy thing seemed really important to share, though   

[Gyrre]

How is no interest theft? If you get your money back, how are you out anything?

It's not. Those folks probably make up ~5%of the population at a guess. They're the sort of people who can't fathom working on something for free for the pure enjoyment of it (like fanfic writers and video game modders).

Excessively wealthy people tend to have a rather skewed view of reality.

[Kiloku]

Is this comic tinted red for everyone or just me? I even went back to check previous comics.

[BenRG]

Is this comic tinted red for everyone or just me? I even went back to check previous comics.

It's tinted red because the encounter is at local sunset.

[KB]

Sunset doesn't make things turn pink.

[Mr_Rose]

It does if you mix it right.

[TheEvilDog]

Sunset doesn't make things turn pink.

Depends on where you are and what time of year it is. August/September can have pink sunsets.

[OldGoat]

(Also... Roko's being a bit Hypocritajudgey, is she not? Considering her first thought in this particular saga was to dig up the dirt on May's boss...?)

But it wasn't.  Roko's first thought was to run a bluff without digging up anything. 

[Roborat]

What's not to like about a fighter built around a monster of a Gatling cannon?

It's as ugly as sin and has the performance of a particularly obese bovine. Heck, the design makes a virtue of its ability to soak up ground fire because it can't dodge!

Give me something sleek like a YF-23 or a Su-27 any day!

Well, to be fair, it is not a fighter, it is a ground support platform, hence the "A" in it's designation, A-10, ie, attack.  I was lucky enough to have a summer job on a fighter base patching the runways as a teenager.  There was a squadron of A-10s visiting for an exercise.  I always found it so cool that the things would be right on top of you before you heard them, and they sounded like a turbocharged hair dryer when you finally did hear them.

[Zebediah]

Sunset doesn't make things turn pink.

You may not have seen a western Massachusetts sunset. They can be pretty spectacular. We’ve had a run of amazing sunsets the past few days, partly due to a forest fire in Canada that’s been sending smoke our way.

[Theta9]

You know, I actually rather liked Clippy, back then.

Hopefully you'd be safe from Spooky's wrath then   

Is this another version of Roko's Basilisk?

[Case]

What's not to like about a fighter built around a monster of a Gatling cannon?

It's as ugly as sin and has the performance of a particularly obese bovine. Heck, the design makes a virtue of its ability to soak up ground fire because it can't dodge!

Give me something sleek like a YF-23 or a Su-27 any day!

Well, to be fair, it is not a fighter, it is a ground support platform, hence the "A" in it's designation, A-10, ie, attack.  I was lucky enough to have a summer job on a fighter base patching the runways as a teenager.  There was a squadron of A-10s visiting for an exercise.  I always found it so cool that the things would be right on top of you before you heard them, and they sounded like a turbocharged hair dryer when you finally did hear them.

Just so.

I also never got why people called her ugly - to me, she always looked like the badass big brother of the ASK-13 I had trained on ...



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schleicher_ASK_13

[mahlernut]

You know, I actually rather liked Clippy, back then.

Hopefully you'd be safe from Spooky's wrath then   

Is this another version of Roko's Basilisk?

Spookybot's Chimera?

[DashaBlade]

I have to say... I'm a bit disappointed with ol' Spookybot, here.
It's taking away all of the implied mysticism and intrigue by painting them as just another branch of organised crime.

Huh. I didn't get an organized crime vibe, more of a secret government dirty tricks squad type vibe.

Of course, there are those who believe that government(s) itself (themselves) is (are) an organized crime syndicate, but that's a whole 'nother discussion...

[Perfectly Reasonable]

Spookybot wants a friend. And there may be people out there who would be happy to have them as a friend. I'm just trying to figure out who they might be...

[Is it cold in here?]

People attracted to danger, people attracted to power, and people hoping the friendship would pay off in some illegitimate way.

EDIT:

How much would a zero-interest loan really help someone like May? She'd still have the stigma of a conviction and still face prejudice against robots. She'd then be faced with making payments on a not-cheap chassis out of minimum wage or not much better.

At least it would solve the credit rating problem and free her from the ball and chain of end-of-life repairs.

[Tova]

Sunset doesn't make things turn pink.

It does more often than you probably think. Your brain is just awfully good at adjusting for different colour temperatures and maintaining things at a constant colour appearance. Today's comic looked a bit odd because you wouldn't have noticed the colour change in person unless either you are an artist or creative who is particularly good at noticing that kind of thing, or you take a photo with the camera set for the wrong colour temperature (hence my quip earlier in the thread).

Colour perception is pretty weird.

[cybersmurf]

The human perception is full of filters, both voluntary and involuntary (not even talking about which ones you are aware of).