Questionable Content XVII: "My Brain Is Trash And I Live On The Internet"

[Wraith]

Open marriages are a thing, but bigamy... er, pet-amy? Perhaps? Is against the law in nearly every place that isn't Utah

[DavidSh]

Open marriages are a thing, but bigamy... er, pet-amy? Perhaps? Is against the law in nearly every place that isn't Utah

Polygamy is legal in 58 countries, according to Wikipedia, following a pattern that we really can't discuss here. Typically, although not universally, later wives must be agreed to by the earlier wives. In Utah bigamy is a misdemeanor.

And as far as I know, there are no current laws concerning marriages by robots.

[Wraith]

Fair enough, but I couldn't be bothered to look it up just for a one-line joke - hence that "nearly", which I admit is doing an inordinate amount of heavy lifting to support that - but thank you all the same

[Keltest]

Ok, i admit, this latest page was pretty good, up to and including "oh no Bumblebee!!!"

[DavidSh]

Ok, i admit, this latest page was pretty good, up to and including "oh no Bumblebee!!!"

Is Bumblebee a

Spoiler: explaining the joke

Show

Transformer,

then? I suppose I should look it up.

[Keltest]

Is Bumblebee a

Spoiler: explaining the joke

Show

Transformer,

then? I suppose I should look it up.

Yes. He's somewhat iconic.

[VoxRationis]

And who might well have been the one copulating.

[VoxRationis]

You know, I think "Safe and boring" is likely to be an appropriate descriptor for following Roko outside as well, truth be told, unless Yay commits themselves to fixing the transformer themselves (which would likely be only slightly more entertaining for them, given their demonstrated capabilities).

[georgie_leech]

You know, I think "Safe and boring" is likely to be an appropriate descriptor for following Roko outside as well, truth be told, unless Yay commits themselves to fixing the transformer themselves (which would likely be only slightly more entertaining for them, given their demonstrated capabilities).

Not to mention that they have backups.

[hungrycrow]

You know, I think "Safe and boring" is likely to be an appropriate descriptor for following Roko outside as well, truth be told, unless Yay commits themselves to fixing the transformer themselves (which would likely be only slightly more entertaining for them, given their demonstrated capabilities).

It is weird. Also, why is Roko rushing out to give people emergency batteries? It's been seconds, could anyone actually be in danger from being out of power for this long?

[Vinyadan]

It is weird. Also, why is Roko rushing out to give people emergency batteries? It's been seconds, could anyone actually be in danger from being out of power for this long?

That's what I wondered, too. Then I remembered that Roko is a robot running on electrical power, and we have seen May suddenly run out of power. Someone might miss his recharge and fall catatonic.

[Mechalich]

That's what I wondered, too. Then I remembered that Roko is a robot running on electrical power, and we have seen May suddenly run out of power. Someone might miss his recharge and fall catatonic.

May's junk body had extremely bad charge retention. Most other AI chassis seems to function at least in the cell phone range of charging, in that they can function for many hours of normal operation and probably much longer if they stay in one place and don't move. So the actual risk - especially a the power disruption of a transformer explosion (these do happen, usually because some animal managed to crawl into the transformer) is inherently localized - is quite small.

More reasonably, we're seeing Roko's cop heritage at work. She's acting upon the internal compulsion to do something, anything, in an emergency situation that many first responders develop even though technically she's no longer a first responder. It's actually one of the better bits of character work to show up recently.

[Keltest]

May's junk body had extremely bad charge retention. Most other AI chassis seems to function at least in the cell phone range of charging, in that they can function for many hours of normal operation and probably much longer if they stay in one place and don't move. So the actual risk - especially a the power disruption of a transformer explosion (these do happen, usually because some animal managed to crawl into the transformer) is inherently localized - is quite small.

More reasonably, we're seeing Roko's cop heritage at work. She's acting upon the internal compulsion to do something, anything, in an emergency situation that many first responders develop even though technically she's no longer a first responder. It's actually one of the better bits of character work to show up recently.

This is, i think, late at night. Its not at all unlikely that many of the robots in the complex have come close to depleting their regular charge and are down to their last 10-5% of power, whatever their comfort threshold is.

[VoxRationis]

Strictly speaking, influencers do not count as legal persons, which is the main reason why their videos are all shot from their bedrooms.

[Wraith]

I swear, I'm sure that Jeph is deliberately trying to make me loathe his AI characters. I just knew, as soon as I saw that stupid, noseless face, that the mind behind it was going to be obnoxious and irritating.

...Am ...am I racist now? Have I been radicalised? Is this how it works? Oh god, I hope not, I really thought that Gordon was cool....

This is, i think, late at night. Its not at all unlikely that many of the robots in the complex have come close to depleting their regular charge and are down to their last 10-5% of power, whatever their comfort threshold is.

I would think it depends on the chassis? May's went from 20% to 0% in 3 seconds because her battery, or her readout, or both were broken, but Winslow somehow made it to Outer Mongolia to help herd yaks for a month, or whatever, so presumably his can go longer than a day without charge. Likewise, they don't need sleep or get hungry so I would imagine that many would have atypical work patterns, so why we'd expect the majority to be on the verge of 'starvation' as an equivalent to end-of-day-bedtime feels unlikely?

[Max_Killjoy]

Yay will delete that photo as often as it is posted.

[Manga Shoggoth]

It's not just robots who need power - having a decent power bank will be useful for meat-based creatures as well (providing a light source if nothing else). But yes, Roko putting her training to good use...

[Cazero]

but Winslow somehow made it to Outer Mongolia to help herd yaks for a month, or whatever, so presumably his can go longer than a day without charge.

They have electricity in Mongolia. And in farms. And in mongolian farms.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Oh dear. Clinton is about to meet Yay. This might not go well.

[Vinyadan]

https://tapas.io/episode/2237729

[Manga Shoggoth]

Well, if Hannalore can liken friendship to a disease, I suppose Roko's assessment isn't too far off the mark. At least Yay is taking it better than Mr Influencer...

[Wraith]

I unironically enjoyed today's comic way more than I have done in a long time.

Clinton has an opinion and he's stating it, instead of days and days of indecision and bumbling. Also, he likes robots, and he knows a lot of things about them while admitting that he wants to learn more! That actually sounds like Clinton! And Yay is making reference to actually being a deeply classified unfathomable intelligence and not just cosplaying as yet another quirky AI twerp! More, please!

...Although if I hadn't just read last week's comics, I would interpret this as flirting almost like a meet-cute between Clinton and Yay (for whom it would be a meat-cute, possibly? ) What with them having hitting it off on a subject about which both have a vested interest and engaging in what appears to be a mutually enjoyable conversation, and what-not, instead of spending endless hours just looking uncomfortable with each other.

[Traab]

Funny thing is, Yay actually mentioned the best way possible to keep it a secret. Stone tablets hidden in a cave somewhere are about as inaccessible to AIs as its possible to get.

[DaFlipp]

I unironically enjoyed today's comic way more than I have done in a long time.

Clinton has an opinion and he's stating it, instead of days and days of indecision and bumbling. Also, he likes robots, and he knows a lot of things about them while admitting that he wants to learn more! That actually sounds like Clinton! And Yay is making reference to actually being a deeply classified unfathomable intelligence and not just cosplaying as yet another quirky AI twerp! More, please!

...Although if I hadn't just read last week's comics, I would interpret this as flirting almost like a meet-cute between Clinton and Yay (for whom it would be a meat-cute, possibly? ) What with them having hitting it off on a subject about which both have a vested interest and engaging in what appears to be a mutually enjoyable conversation, and what-not, instead of spending endless hours just looking uncomfortable with each other.

Have they had a "we don't really have that much in common" arc in their relationship yet? If not this actually seems like a possible jumping-off point to one.

In fact, I imagine it would go almost exactly like this:

E: "Wow, you're really passionate about AIs! I guess I don't really know that much about them."

C: "That's okay! I mean, I don't really know that much about bread!"

E: "..."

E: "...OH NO WE HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON"

Possible subsequent punchline:

"It's fine if we don't have much in common, we still clearly have chemistry!"

"..."

"OH NO WE'RE ONLY USING EACH OTHER FOR OUR BODIES"

[Wraith]

E: "...OH NO WE HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON"

As of right now I'm taking odds on one of Elliott's parents also being a fetish streamer. 5/1 that they both are. Evens on one of them being SexDrawer69.

In seriousness though, they've... kind of, very briefly, touched upon it? When they kissed for the first time, they were making small-talk about Elliot working in the bakery, but neither were really listening to each other and it was pretty shallow "So, I guess you like bread?" stuff. It's hard to say whether Clinton was genuinely interested in hearing about it, or was just making affirmative noises while ogling.

The biggest setback so far seems to be that Jeph hasn't told *us* what it is that either of them like to do, so it's hard for them to explain it to each other. I mean, Elliot goes to the gym, he works as a bouncer and a baker, generally seems more satisfied with baking than throwing people around, and owns a pet cat. We don't know any of his hobbies, or where he's from, or any of that kind of in-depth detail, and we probably know even less about Clinton aside from the fact that he's a tech-nerd who studies AI's at college.

So far, they seem to like those few details about each other, but I wouldn't say it's yet enough to make a solid evaluation of each other as a long-term match, but who knows? Sven and May got together on way less and were great fun to watch, so maybe it'll work out?

[Max_Killjoy]

Yeah, I can see this making Elliot super insecure or jealous, and then him beating himself up over feeling that way, and then...

[Rodin]

So far, they seem to like those few details about each other, but I wouldn't say it's yet enough to make a solid evaluation of each other as a long-term match, but who knows? Sven and May got together on way less and were great fun to watch, so maybe it'll work out?

True, but there's a couple of differences.

1) We know pretty in-depth information about both Sven and May from before they met each other. Sven likes indie music, Kurosawa films, skirt-chasing (although Faye cured him of that), he likes to read a lot, etc etc. May likes watching robot fighting and obscene things on the Internet and enjoys sword forms, etc etc. We see a lot of these characters outside of romantic entanglements. That's not really true of Clinton and Elliot.

2) Sven and May never had a deep romantic relationship. They had some casual sex but never went on dates with each other or had any kind of relationship arc. It actually made a nice comparison to the train wreck of a relationship Sven had with Faye. Unlike that relationship both parties were expecting the same thing - a casual "we're not dating" relationship where they occasionally bumped into each other. With their crotches. Faye and Sven never had the same agreement, and the result was predictable.

[Manga Shoggoth]

The biggest setback so far seems to be that Jeph hasn't told *us* what it is that either of them like to do, so it's hard for them to explain it to each other. I mean, Elliot goes to the gym, he works as a bouncer and a baker, generally seems more satisfied with baking than throwing people around, and owns a pet cat. We don't know any of his hobbies, or where he's from, or any of that kind of in-depth detail, and we probably know even less about Clinton aside from the fact that he's a tech-nerd who studies AI's at college.

We know significantly more about Clinton than Elliot, if only because he is related to one of the other characters. We have seen his relationship with two members of his family - he is devoted to both his mother and sister; somewhat concerned about the path is mother is taking, is fiercly protective of his sister, while at the same time being annoyed at her attempts to steer his love-life. He had a somewhat one-sided relationship with Emily which was partly torpedoed by his sister, and we learn from this that he loses a lot of his confidence around girls.

It's the amount we know about Clinton that makes the relationship with Elliot feel significantly off - at least to me.

[Willie the Duck]

We also have had them both crush on Brun, but again we saw more of (and more of the inner workings of) Clinton with regards to it.

[Cikomyr2]

I forgot how they interacted in the past