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

[Keltest]

Thats honestly not a terrible quote. If crime is organized, that means it has rules, and it has a structure to be attacked if certain limits are exceeded. Its an interesting theory on keeping crime under a certain amount of control, trading the moral high ground a bit because a part of that means letting a certain amount of crime go because there is an "agreement" in exchange for ensuring it doesnt get "too bad" From a logical standpoint it makes sense, you were never, EVER going to eliminate all crime in a chaotic setup either, and this way you can establish some ground rules like no crimes of this level or above, and if some rando comes into town making trouble, hand him to us or take care of it yourself, fast. If they dont, again, crime being organized means there is a structure to attack, making them in ways more vulnerable to police action. If the Kingpin is known to run all crime in the city, and some big bad crime happens, the cops know who to go to about it. He doesnt want that sort of attention so he keeps an eye on the city and ensures such behavior is stopped and all incoming criminal types know the rules and the cost of breaking them. Of course thats under ideal terms.

The problem there is that if you're relying on ideal conditions to make a system work, then why aren't you just making a system with no crime instead of some crime? Or at least a system where criminals are as poorly organized and ineffective as they could feasibly be.

[Wraith]

Thats honestly not a terrible quote. If crime is organized, that means it has rules, and it has a structure to be attacked if certain limits are exceeded. Its an interesting theory on keeping crime under a certain amount of control, trading the moral high ground a bit because a part of that means letting a certain amount of crime go because there is an "agreement" in exchange for ensuring it doesnt get "too bad" From a logical standpoint it makes sense, you were never, EVER going to eliminate all crime in a chaotic setup either, and this way you can establish some ground rules like no crimes of this level or above, and if some rando comes into town making trouble, hand him to us or take care of it yourself, fast. If they dont, again, crime being organized means there is a structure to attack, making them in ways more vulnerable to police action. If the Kingpin is known to run all crime in the city, and some big bad crime happens, the cops know who to go to about it. He doesnt want that sort of attention so he keeps an eye on the city and ensures such behavior is stopped and all incoming criminal types know the rules and the cost of breaking them. Of course thats under ideal terms.

This is exactly what happens in Discworld. The Patrician ("President") decides that he can't stop crime, so instead he might as well allow Guilds to form that are each responsible for policing their own criminal enterprises - Thieves, Assassins, Beggars, Lawyers, etc - and not only does that cut the crime rate (mostly because most crimes are now 'legal' within very specific methods) but it doesn't cost the city anything since now they don't need as many courts, prosecutors, watchmen, etc.
Then, just when everyone has gotten comfortable, he points out that he now knows EXACTLY who the Guild Leaders are, what they do, where they live, and where their children go to school.

He calls it the Carrot & Stick approach to law enforcement. Carrot because the heads of the Guilds have made themselves wealthy and within their own domains have executive power to run business as they see fit; Stick because that's what they will have pushed into their assorted orifices if they allow unlicensed/non-Guild crime to happen under their watch.

I can sort of see how a satire of High School could run with that - the Student Council can't stop bullies, so like Nelson from The Simpsons they've worked out an agreement to abide by that let's them be figures of menace within acceptable school-centric hijinks, but prevents them from going too far and seriously damaging someone. I doubt that is what Jeph has intended to create, his plots so far aren't much deeper than "High School bad", but it'd be an interesting concept for another webcomic.

[halfeye]

Here, schools are infants (4-7), junior (8-10) (which together make primary?) and secondary (11-16/18), secondary used to be first years to sixth years with an upper sixth, but they've changed it now (twice?, more?) and I didn't keep track.

[Mechalich]

This is exactly what happens in Discworld. The Patrician ("President") decides that he can't stop crime, so instead he might as well allow Guilds to form that are each responsible for policing their own criminal enterprises - Thieves, Assassins, Beggars, Lawyers, etc - and not only does that cut the crime rate (mostly because most crimes are now 'legal' within very specific methods) but it doesn't cost the city anything since now they don't need as many courts, prosecutors, watchmen, etc.
Then, just when everyone has gotten comfortable, he points out that he now knows EXACTLY who the Guild Leaders are, what they do, where they live, and where their children go to school.

He calls it the Carrot & Stick approach to law enforcement. Carrot because the heads of the Guilds have made themselves wealthy and within their own domains have executive power to run business as they see fit; Stick because that's what they will have pushed into their assorted orifices if they allow unlicensed/non-Guild crime to happen under their watch.

I can sort of see how a satire of High School could run with that - the Student Council can't stop bullies, so like Nelson from The Simpsons they've worked out an agreement to abide by that let's them be figures of menace within acceptable school-centric hijinks, but prevents them from going too far and seriously damaging someone. I doubt that is what Jeph has intended to create, his plots so far aren't much deeper than "High School bad", but it'd be an interesting concept for another webcomic.

Note that this approach only 'works' in Ankh-Morpok, to the extent that it does because of specific local conditions. Namely that Vetinari and the various other significant elements of the city's government (Vimes, Drumknott, both Ridcully's, etc.) are completely and totally incorruptible, which prevents the organized criminal elements from leveraging their way into essentially total control of the state, which is what tends to actually happen in real life.

In high school terms, the equivalent is when students form an official or unofficial gang and the administration refuses to curb gang activities, leading to functionally a shadow administration by the students with which the students must comply in addition to official rules and when those rules inevitably contradict each other, someone gets hurt. This 'SEC' Jeph has postulated is simply a more corporatized and technologically based version of that structure, though it probably also exists entirely in the shadows due to the general inability of school administrations to control what happens on social media.

[Vinyadan]

So, is this where Faye comes to a belated understanding of her subterranean homosexual feelings as she was 14, and has to decide whether to bring Canadian Girl to self-realization, possibly leading to a lesbian relationship between her and Sam?

[Shadow of the Sun]

So, is this where Faye comes to a belated understanding of her subterranean homosexual feelings as she was 14, and has to decide whether to bring Canadian Girl to self-realization, possibly leading to a lesbian relationship between her and Sam?

Worth noting that Emmett has not been referred to with gendered pronouns in the comic yet, so they could be male, female, or non-binary.

[Vinyadan]

Worth noting that Emmett has not been referred to with gendered pronouns in the comic yet, so they could be male, female, or non-binary.

I hadn't noticed the consistent use of "they". Interesting that Faye is the first to use it, in spite of not knowing the kid.

[Wraith]

I hadn't noticed the consistent use of "they". Interesting that Faye is the first to use it, in spite of not knowing the kid.

I think she's mostly just being polite. Emmett is fairly androgynous between that big hoodie and the long hair covering their face, she might just be using 'they' because she can't tell if Emmett is masc or femme and doesn't want to appear rude by assuming. Jeph is usually pretty good at making sure that people state their pronouns when it comes up, and this looks to be a deliberate mystery rather than Psychic Faye.

[Mordokai]

I think she's mostly just being polite. Emmett is fairly androgynous between that big hoodie and the long hair covering their face, she might just be using 'they' because she can't tell if Emmett is masc or femme and doesn't want to appear rude by assuming. Jeph is usually pretty good at making sure that people state their pronouns when it comes up, and this looks to be a deliberate mystery rather than Psychic Faye.

I mean, it's been some time since I was 14 and maybe puberty and hormones are to blame, but I would think voice would be a pretty dead giveaway. Obviously, as readers, we aren't privy to that detail, but characters shouldn't have that limitation.

Or is it really that hard to tell prepubescent girls from boys based on their voices?

[DavidSh]

Or is it really that hard to tell prepubescent girls from boys based on their voices?

In these modern days, it isn't wise to assume gender identity matches perceived sex.

[Delicious Taffy]

Or is it really that hard to tell prepubescent girls from boys based on their voices?

I mean honestly, if it weren't for gendered clothing, hygiene expectations and hairstyles, there really wouldn't be much to tell the two apart. Kids are pretty androgynous, for the most part. There are exceptions, of course, but it's something alive noticed. Some long-haired kid mostly obscured by a dark hoodie really doesn't give much ammo for assumptions, and even for voices some people just don't sound how you'd expect.

[Wraith]

I mean, it's been some time since I was 14 and maybe puberty and hormones are to blame, but I would think voice would be a pretty dead giveaway. Obviously, as readers, we aren't privy to that detail, but characters shouldn't have that limitation.

You're probably right most of the time. Still, there's a variety of reasons that might account for it - whether they are non-binary by preference, androgynous by genetics, or just a 'late bloomer' for whom they haven't yet matured one way or the other, teenagers are an eclectic bunch even before hiding themselves under baggy clothing and having a tiny, shy little voice. I worked for a few years as a 'phone operator in a High School, it's not just the kids who you

If I had to guess.... Maybe Jeph just hasn't thought of that. Or, to be more charitable, he may well be deliberately avoiding it in order to prologue the mystery - maybe he likes to keep his audience guessing just for the fun of it. It's a very small and trivial mystery, but he's repeatedly threatened to introduce a new LGBT+ character every time someone is bigoted on Twitter so small petty joys are entirely reasonable and in-character for him

[Morquard]

In 4693 Sam says "Emmett scored low 'cause they're shy" ... so I don't know why you make this all to be a big mystery or something. It's very clearly the pronoun Emmett wants to be called by.

[Keltest]

In 4693 Sam says "Emmett scored low 'cause they're shy" ... so I don't know why you make this all to be a big mystery or something. It's very clearly the pronoun Emmett wants to be called by.

"Very clearly" would be Emmett announcing their desire to use that pronoun. But "they" is often treated as interchangeable with the "correct" gendered pronoun in casual conversation, for various reasons. Its certainly a point of evidence, but if Sam later comes out and calls Emmett "she" or something else, its not a contradiction either.

Besides, wild unfounded speculation is fun.

[Traab]

"Very clearly" would be Emmett announcing their desire to use that pronoun. But "they" is often treated as interchangeable with the "correct" gendered pronoun in casual conversation, for various reasons. Its certainly a point of evidence, but if Sam later comes out and calls Emmett "she" or something else, its not a contradiction either.

Besides, wild unfounded speculation is fun.

Maybe its not as solid steel as emmet going, "Hey, refer to me with "they" pronouns" but its enough of a hint for anyone paying attention to follow suit on in the conversation.

[Max_Killjoy]

Use of "they" as a default could also be Sam's peculiar school's influence.

[Keltest]

Use of "they" as a default could also be Sam's peculiar school's influence.

Or even just Sam's personal default, for that matter. "They" is a versatile pronoun.

[The Glyphstone]

I think its more that it gets remorselessly kludged into place wherever something better isn't available. Its not a good option, just the least bad available.

[Mordokai]

In these modern days, it isn't wise to assume gender identity matches perceived sex.

That is a fair point.

I mean honestly, if it weren't for gendered clothing, hygiene expectations and hairstyles, there really wouldn't be much to tell the two apart. Kids are pretty androgynous, for the most part. There are exceptions, of course, but it's something alive noticed. Some long-haired kid mostly obscured by a dark hoodie really doesn't give much ammo for assumptions, and even for voices some people just don't sound how you'd expect.

As is that.

You're probably right most of the time. Still, there's a variety of reasons that might account for it - whether they are non-binary by preference, androgynous by genetics, or just a 'late bloomer' for whom they haven't yet matured one way or the other, teenagers are an eclectic bunch even before hiding themselves under baggy clothing and having a tiny, shy little voice. I worked for a few years as a 'phone operator in a High School, it's not just the kids who you

If I had to guess.... Maybe Jeph just hasn't thought of that. Or, to be more charitable, he may well be deliberately avoiding it in order to prologue the mystery - maybe he likes to keep his audience guessing just for the fun of it. It's a very small and trivial mystery, but he's repeatedly threatened to introduce a new LGBT+ character every time someone is bigoted on Twitter so small petty joys are entirely reasonable and in-character for him

Yeah, I guess it fits with Jeph's character.

Very well, let us carry on.

[Max_Killjoy]

This is a good conversation, this is the kind of conversation my friends and I sometimes have.

[Keltest]

Now, the really important question. Does Emmett have a ponytail, or is that some kind of bun or something? Or just an oddly drawn lock of hair?

[Wraith]

It's been pointed out to me that Emmett has the same unusually shaped (compared to the rest of the cast) nose and hair colour as Willow.

I find myself hoping that's just coincidence and there's not yet another convenient familial link, just because. But then, growing up while having ever mundane detail of your own life explained to you in excruciating detail whether you wanted it or not? I can see that being a good reason to hide inside a hoodie and avoid human contact.

[Delicious Taffy]

For anyone who doesn't get it (probably nobody but still), the alt-text/commentary is referring to a character called Raiden from the Metal Gear series of video games. Raiden (pronounced like "ridin'") has a cool sword that vibrates super-duper fast and gets real hot, and he uses it to chop up robots and cyborgs in ways that explicitly defy physics, so the bisected robot body being clean-cut is a routine occurrence for him. Now that the joke has been explained, we can all give the proper amount of chortling for it.

[Max_Killjoy]

Zamboni and Snowplow...

[DavidSh]

Zamboni and Snowplow...

Together, they fight crime.

(I think that's how that meme runs.)

[Radar]

Zamboni and Snowplow...

Have you heard of the Doncaster contest for gritter names? I wish things like that happened more often.

[Max_Killjoy]

Have you heard of the Doncaster contest for gritter names? I wish things like that happened more often.

Michigan named all the snowplows in the MDOT fleet.

https://www.michigan.gov/som/0,4669,...9772--,00.html
https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616...5096--,00.html

The fleet now includes a plow named Betty Whiteout.

[Wraith]

Zamboni and Snowplow...

How else would you know they were Canadian?

Michigan named all the snowplows in the MDOT fleet.

This seems to be a universal approach to snow ploughs; In Scotland they have similar names for their fleet.

[Taevyr]

The nonsense talk in todays comic immediately reminded me of this.

And yes, everyone needs a friend or 2 (at least) that they can have nonsense conversations with. Always refreshing

[SaintRidley]

Definitely how some of the conversations my spouse and I have sound.