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Back to the Future (1st movie)

Back to the Future II

Back to the Future III

the cartoon

the comics

the games

the movie novelization(s)

the board game

Lego Dimensions level

Sven is not a mooch

[RMc]

So...because Faye’s mom is taking more than 30 seconds to digest the fact her daughter is dating a robot, she’s an asshole? Wow. Nice.

Life among The Woke ain’t easy, is it?

[Tova]

Literally no-one here called her an asshole. 

Please take your anger towards The Left out on someone else, thanks.

[Zebediah]

And if you think that it’s Faye or Bubbles calling her an asshole, go back and reread what they are actually saying.

[Is it cold in here?]

So...because Faye’s mom is taking more than 30 seconds to digest the fact her daughter is dating a robot, she’s an asshole? Wow. Nice.

Life among The Woke ain’t easy, is it?

Nope.

Global Moderator Comment

I think you're trying to pick a fight. If so it won't work.

[dutchrvl]

So...because Faye’s mom is taking more than 30 seconds to digest the fact her daughter is dating a robot, she’s an asshole? Wow. Nice.

Life among The Woke ain’t easy, is it?

Did you seriously come back to post after 2 years just to try to pick a fight here, or did you seriously not understand the comic? Because nobody here, nor Bubbles is calling Ms. Whitaker an asshole.

PS: I suspect it's option 1 considering your posting history and attempt to make 'The Woke' into a monolithic group.

[DSL]

I was reading the strip and yesterday's thinking: Mrs. W. rates more credit than Faye's been giving her (if she's been thinking about it at all) these last few years. I can almost see her taking Bubbles aside and saying: "You sure, honey? My girl can be a handful."

[BenRG]

So...because Faye’s mom is taking more than 30 seconds to digest the fact her daughter is dating a robot, she’s an asshole? Wow. Nice.

Life among The Woke ain’t easy, is it?

Nope.


I think you're trying to pick a fight. If so it won't work.

Don't bother to engage them guys. Their profile page shows that they posted and then immediately logged off and haven't been back since. I doubt that we'll see them again until they need to work off some frustration and/or aggression again.

[SmilingCat]

Although, given how Mrs Whitaker said the old "I'm not racist against...." which is pretty much a big flag for a racist.

So she might have accidentally burned herself.

It's usually "I'm not racist, but...." you have to watch out for.

This was more a clumsy attempt by Mrs Whitaker to reassure Faye that she doesn't object, it's just new to her.

She's come a long way from her initial angry reaction to Faye's sister being gay, or even the "I don't approve, but I accept it" attitude she had after that. Which is neat.

[TieDyeKat]

Okay, the comics have been great this week, and I love the development. But something is sorely bothering me.

In the shots from Faye's mom's tablet, you can see that Faye is holding the phone with her right hand. But the shots of Faye's mom from Faye's phone show Faye's holding the phone with her left.

It's a weird continuity thing, I know, but it is bugging the tar outta me.

[RMc]

I think you're trying to pick a fight. If so it won't work.

Er, no. I was reading the comic and commenting on it. That's still allowed, right?

Also, there should be a comma after "If so".

[Thrillho]

I think you're trying to pick a fight. If so it won't work.

Er, no. I was reading the comic and commenting on it. That's still allowed, right?

Also, there should be a comma after "If so".

Moderator Comment

This post reads like the kind of comments the 16-year-old students I used to teach made in class. Maybe that actually is how old you are, but this is not a classroom and we are not going to tolerate somebody claiming to not be provocative then immediately being exactly that. Cool your jets.

[SeaWoodStage]

I'm really liking the last few strips. QC has (only occasionally, and slightly) bothered me in the past, when characters have reacted to surprising news with almost perfect eloquence. Mrs Whitaker's reaction strikes me as very realistic, given that she 1) loves her daughter and 2) is probably massively boggled.

Being given such totally unexpected news she naturally doesn't have a speech planned, and is clearly trying to express herself with both acceptance and reasonable honesty, while on the spot. I think all three parties are doing pretty well.

[Thrillho]

I'm really liking the last few strips. QC has (only occasionally, and slightly) bothered me in the past, when characters have reacted to surprising news with almost perfect eloquence. Mrs Whitaker's reaction strikes me as very realistic, given that she 1) loves her daughter and 2) is probably massively boggled.

Being given such totally unexpected news she naturally doesn't have a speech planned, and is clearly trying to express herself with both acceptance and reasonable honesty, while on the spot. I think all three parties are doing pretty well.

I'd agree with this.

QC's characters are so tolerant and open sometimes that it can feel like they're not experiencing any hardships - I'm digging Faye's mom brave face-ing this shit.

[Killspree]

Just popping in to say today panel 5 and yesterday's panels of Bubbles are some of the 'cutest' we've seen of her. Really hitting that 50's sitcom vibe to me.

[TRenn]

Just popping in to say today panel 5 and yesterday's panels of Bubbles are some of the 'cutest' we've seen of her. Really hitting that 50's sitcom vibe to me.

And in Friday's panel 7, she's simultaneously being adorable and snarky.

If we needed any more proof that she and Faye are a good match, that's it. 

[RMc]

I forgot...this board is so “open and tolerant” that it immediately shuts down all dissent, complete with insults. Nice.

[Tova]

Are you okay? You seem a bit unhappy.

[BenRG]

I forgot...this board is so “open and tolerant” that it immediately shuts down all dissent, complete with insults. Nice.

Actually, misreading the source text so badly that you have no idea who is being insulted isn't a good way to get people to take your opinion on the scene particularly positively or seriously. There is literally no reason whatsoever to assume that Bubbles was insulting Faye's mother. None whatsoever.

You weren't being criticised for 'dissenting'. You were being criticised for being so overtly and painfully wrong. It is possible that you literally only read the one speech bubble where Bubbles announces that synthetics like to call anti-AI bigots 'assholes' and then built the rest of your opinion backwards from there in line with your complex about 'the woke' shuttling down all dissent without bothering to read the rest of the strip. I could be wrong about that last bit but that is certainly the impression you gave. If you did read the rest of the strip, it's actually much worse for you as you obviously failed to understand the fairly simple narrative.

So, yeah: The solution is to actually read the strip and then give an opinion that actually in some way fits with what happens in it, not just cherry-pick whatever out-of-context line of dialogue can be crowbarred into your desire to complain about the author's political prejudices. Believe me  that there are a lot better strips for that end that have been published in the two years that you've been away.

[gajatko]

Well recent comics might resurrect some long not seen user. I too have entered the forum after a long period of simply reading QC. I think I never was a bigot but I definitely was less tolerant in the past.

I'd like to share a thought which has been a long time with me. I really, really, really miss the Corpse Witch. It was my favorite character! If a crazy idea of robots having human-like emotions wasn't enough, here we had a story about a military AI suffering post-tragedy trauma. It was so cool and innovative, although I wish it had a more dark ending. Like Faye killed by Corpse Witch and Bubbles disabled by an EMP again and imprisoned by that super-AI or something like that. It wasn't that bad with a semi-happy ending though. 

Anyways, I hope Jeph will introduce some dark character in the future. I was thinking about writing an e-mail but I guess it would get lost in a huge amount of others.  BTW can we see Angus in a TV, please?

[Zebediah]

I really don’t think Jeph wants to make QC anywhere near that dark. It would be a total departure from the tone the comic has had for the last 17 years.

On another note, I am once again unable to post via Tapatalk  - looks like Tapatalk’s IP address got accidentally banned again as collateral damage.

[Is it cold in here?]

Human prisoners are allowed to exchange letters and in some prisons, notably Federal, strictly limited electronic messaging.

Corpse Witch could theoretically reappear on that basis, though I can't imagine a dramatic reason Jeph would want to do that.

Or she could appear in Dale's Glasses, though something tells me she is a very long time away from being eligible for parole.

[Thrudd]

Not knowing the hows and whats of the AI penal system all we can have is idle speculation.
We are idle so lets go with the speculation.

As we already know white collar crimes like embezzlement leads to AI jail and it is not a very pleasant place for the AI.
Now CW did much more than just illegal fighting, gambling, bribery and all that organized grime stuff but actually attempted murder.
Now QC verse is more enlightened than our version of the states so I highly doubt there is state sponsored murder.

So what does that leave us with? Extended time in AI Jail?
I doubt simple AI jail would be acceptable as a punishment for any levels of cyber-cide committed by an AI.
My speculative proposition is something far more frugal with the limited resources of the penal system yet just as effective.
Have her AI sandboxed [isolated] with a basic psychologist/warden program [not AI - too much risk there] on an overclocked system where the time differential can be orders of magnitudes greater than Real Time.
Hardware would be retired but still functional super computers.
This could translate into years per second spent in isolation with only a disembodied psychologist program monitoring and administering therapy.
The program would be patiently performing therapy until CW is deemed ready for reintegration with society.

[jwhouk]

Except that the psychologist program is ELIZA.

[hedgie]

So you see M-x doctor too? 

[Gyrre]

I forgot...this board is so “open and tolerant” that it immediately shuts down all dissent, complete with insults. Nice.

Everyone here is human.

Humans make mistakes.

Trying to learn from them and attempting to communicate beter is often the best solution.

I think Paul put it best when he wrote; "If possible, and to your own extent, live in peace with all people."
Granted, these days that can be a pretty big "if" in some cases.

[Theta9]

Now CW did much more than just illegal fighting, gambling, bribery and all that organized grime stuff but actually attempted murder.

Wait, what? Who did Corpse Witch try to kill, and when?

[zisraelsen]

She tried to trigger the self-destruct protocol she implanted in Bubble's head.

[sitnspin]

Step 1: Say something to deliberate provoke the forum
Step 2: Wait for someone to respond to said provocation
Step 3: Complain about being "attacked" and feel smug

[Tova]

Anyways, I hope Jeph will introduce some dark character in the future.

I think that it would be great for QC to have an above-the-line villainous cast member. Having a villain in the cast need not lead to QC becoming "dark" (although, honestly, a bit of black humour in QC wouldn't go entirely astray).

Having a villain would provide a focal point for the working out of a QC cast member's internal conflict, which is the main benefit of writing a story with external conflict. Giving forumites someone to get angry at apart from every character flaw revealed in the other QC cast members would just be an added bonus.

I'm not going to post my various ideas because it would be pointless - it wouldn't prompt Jeph to pick them up, and it might even prevent him from writing those stories.

But there are still a bunch of characters with dangling internal and/or external conflict to be worked out, and the introduction/re-introduction of a villain would help to push those stories along.

Hanners... May... Roko... Marten... Clinton... Sven... and more. Take your pick.

[Is it cold in here?]

Step 1: Say something to deliberate provoke the forum
Step 2: Wait for someone to respond to said provocation
Step 3: Complain about being "attacked" and feel smug

Global Moderator Comment

RMc is no longer here.

[TieDyeKat]

Okay, the comics have been great this week, and I love the development. But something is sorely bothering me.

In the shots from Faye's mom's tablet, you can see that Faye is holding the phone with her right hand. But the shots of Faye's mom from Faye's phone show Faye's holding the phone with her left.

It's a weird continuity thing, I know, but it is bugging the tar outta me.

What, no one else? I'm worried my art perspective is skewed.

[Tova]

It's common for video call software to mirror the video. It makes things less confusing when you're looking at your own feed.

[Theta9]

She tried to trigger the self-destruct protocol she implanted in Bubble's head.

I have no recollection of that. Strip?

[cesium133]

https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3405

[Thrillho]

It's common for video call software to mirror the video. It makes things less confusing when you're looking at your own feed.

This was my immediate thought but I forgot to check.

[Theta9]

https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3405

And where is the strip referencing a self-destruct protocol? Because that isn't it.

[Pilchard123]

https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3413

[alc40]

After Emily killed the monster-looking thing, Spookybot said in comic 3400 "no telling what havoc that might have wrought if it had been free to rampage through the rest of Bubbles' mind". In comic 3405 I think the implication is that Corpse Witch tried to trigger that malware when she said "it was nice knowing you" (when her eyes light up).  Then in comic 3413 Spookybot calls it "kill software".

[Is it cold in here?]

Also, CW's reaction when Bubbles said "I am still here".

[Zebediah]

Yes, CW tried to kill Bubbles. And she did it with a smile on her face.

[Tova]

Embarrassing to admit, but that sailed over my head at the time. 

[hedgie]

It didn't with me, but I had forgotten about it until it was brought up.

[Is it cold in here?]

What happens if the legal system discovers that CW's guilty plea was the result of a threat of torture?

[Tova]

I don't know, but that scenario seems unlikely. Only CW and Yay know about it, and I don't anticipate either of them speaking up about it.

[SmilingCat]

What happens if the legal system discovers that CW's guilty plea was the result of a threat of torture?

The torture wasn't conducted by an officer of the court or police, and the actual confession was delivered later under police supervision. So the confession is not in and of itself necessarily tainted and would probably be admissible.

HOWEVER, the circumstances under which Corpse Witch was compelled to later give that confession would also be admissible in any re-trial. Because of that, the prosecution would probably need evidence to back up the validity of the confession. The binder full of evidence that then Spooky handed over to Roko probably wouldn't be admissible since its source is inherently mysterious. The police would need to establish where all this information came from, or even recreate it though their own investigation so that it's clear there's no funny business.

It would probably be quite an endeavor to re-try Corpse Witch.

[Tova]

I would have thought that evidence as a result of torture would be inadmissible regardless of who did the torturing. But IANAL.

[Tova]

Okay, I employed the finest legal advice that a google search has to offer.

18 U.S. Code § 3501.Admissibility of confessions
"In any criminal prosecution brought by the United States or by the District of Columbia, a confession, as defined in subsection (e) hereof, shall be admissible in evidence if it is voluntarily given."

It wasn't voluntarily given. It just looked that way to the court.

[Theta9]

Embarrassing to admit, but that sailed over my head at the time. 

Was lost on me as well.

[N.N. Marf]

Now QC verse is more enlightened than our version of the states so I highly doubt there is state sponsored murder.

An interesting interpretation of Bubbles' destroyed war memories as a figment of her imagination.

This could translate into years per second spent in isolation with only a disembodied psychologist program monitoring and administering therapy.
The program would be patiently performing therapy until CW is deemed ready for reintegration with society.

Perhaps soon, in QC cyber-prisonsrehabilitation centers. May's testimony would seem to indicate that it's more like the Clockwork Orange's rehabilitation chair, the doctor occasionally administering false tears, than Norway's lock-from-the-inside rehab hotels.

It wasn't voluntarily given. It just looked that way to the court.

Would the court know the difference? Where I'm from, usually not.

[Zebediah]

The thing is that Corpse Witch really doesn’t want a retrial. Spookybot made the deal explicit: allow the criminal justice system to have its way with her... or they would have their way with her. Robojail is frankly her best option, because someday they might let her out.