Freefall: DOGGY!

[Ravens_cry]

They are not *only* using the robots for Geoscale engineering. There are from what I can see, robots that are the equivalent of giving full awareness and intelligence to a hammer. Jar-Jar bot, for instance.

That was rather cruel, yes.
On the other hand, I believe it was established earlier that that was the only kind of robot their factory could make.

[Coidzor]

That was rather cruel, yes.
On the other hand, I believe it was established earlier that that was the only kind of robot their factory could make.

True, but they were using them in completely frivolous ways which just made the problem they're in that much worse.

Now that they realize the problem, then they should definitely get to work on rectifying that. Because seriously, not even AM deserves being forced to be a Jar Jar Bot. Granted, whoever or whatever thought up Jar Jar Bots in the first place probably needs a good purging for EXTRA HERESY.

[Ravens_cry]

True. On the other hand, people have been using amazing technology for frivolous uses for quite some time.
You got a means of publishing the written word for mass audiences? Let's print pornography!
You have a a cheap, small ,powerful and easy to use computing device? Play games!
You have an international decentralized computer network connecting people from all corners of the world and even parts of space via multitude of media? Pornography and games!

[Coidzor]

True. On the other hand, people have been using amazing technology for frivolous uses for quite some time.
You got a means of publishing the written word for mass audiences? Let's print pornography!
You have a a cheap, small ,powerful and easy to use computing device? Play games!
You have an international decentralized computer network connecting people from all corners of the world and even parts of space via multitude of media? Pornography and games!

Well, yeah, but if they start making sexbots, then it's sorta rapey.

[Ravens_cry]

Well, yeah, but if they start making sexbots, then it's sorta rapey.

Sentient sex bots is certainly an ethical landmine of its own, yes. Sure, you could program them to love whoever they 'imprint' on, but does that programming count as coercion? In many ways yes, in all the important ways, but, at the same time, that love, for all intents and purposes is real, while it exists.

[Rockphed]

Moving away from the creepy, I think it is amusing how good at playing people Dr Bowman is.

[Ravens_cry]

Moving away from the creepy, I think it is amusing how good at playing people Dr Bowman is.

I like that he has padded knuckle guards. I always thought it made sense for a creature whose manipulators were also motile limbs to have or invent something of that nature.

[Rakaydos]

"We have to give the wolf back. Your existance is top secret. Do you see my Problem?"
"Yes. You dont think more than 5 moves ahead" he says as he makes a copy of the wolf's brain.

[Math_Mage]

Well, I bet they didn't see that coming. But that isn't exactly going to make humanity proper less apprehensive about him...

[Silver Swift]

Why would it matter that Florence can't see commander poopy head's (real) credentials? We didn't see dr. Bowman give her any direct orders so as long as the commander outranks the mayors assistant (which should be obvious to Florence given that he has command of the entire base) she should be forced to obey his orders.

[Math_Mage]

Why would it matter that Florence can't see commander poopy head's (real) credentials? We didn't see dr. Bowman give her any direct orders so as long as the commander outranks the mayors assistant (which should be obvious to Florence given that he has command of the entire base) she should be forced to obey his orders.

What are the rules for who Florence has to take orders from?

[HandofShadows]

The commander had no (proven) authority over Florence. She is talking to Bowman willingly. He didn't have to give her orders. Florence knows very well the commander should have authority over her, but since he can't PROVE it she has the option of ignoring him. She is using a loophole to ignore orders she does not want to follow. .

[Silver Swift]

The commander had no (proven) authority over Florence. She is talking to Bowman willingly. He didn't have to give her orders. Florence knows very well the commander should have authority over her, but since he can't PROVE it she has the option of ignoring him. She is using a loophole to ignore orders she does not want to follow. .

But that opens up a whole new can of mental yoga Bowmans AIs can use to wiggle out of direct orders. If they can ignore blatantly obvious things like that, then how does the mayor PROVE that she is actually the mayor? After all, she might be an imposter.

Of course, it isn't exactly like the AI have any kind of lack of loopholes to get out from under their safeguards, but it still seems like a pretty mayor oversight in their design.

[halfeye]

But that opens up a whole new can of mental yoga Bowmans AIs can use to wiggle out of direct orders. If they can ignore blatantly obvious things like that, then how does the mayor PROVE that she is actually the mayor? After all, she might be an imposter.

Of course, it isn't exactly like the AI have any kind of lack of loopholes to get out from under their safeguards, but it still seems like a pretty mayor oversight in their design.

No, he holds up his ID card, and the computer displays it wrong, then he says "I hate redaction software", so he knows it's what she's seeing that's wrong, not what she's doing with what she's seeing. If he was really showing bogus ID, she would be correct to ignore his orders. It's not Florence's fault that the computer transmitted his ID card wrong. and we see that it is transmitted wrong, the colour changes.

[Rockphed]

No, he holds up his ID card, and the computer displays it wrong, then he says "I hate redaction software", so he knows it's what she's seeing that's wrong, not what she's doing with what she's seeing. If he was really showing bogus ID, she would be correct to ignore his orders. It's not Florence's fault that the computer transmitted his ID card wrong. and we see that it is transmitted wrong, the colour changes.

But she took orders from the Mayor without the Mayor having to prove her position. The Commander, on the other hand, is being ignored to the best of her ability.

[Kornaki]

The guy who changed the commander's ID card is the only guy on the planet who understands how Florence decides who is and is not human. I am certain he took advantage of a very subtle loophole, not a world-altering bug in the design. The base commander didn't just fail to prove he had order authority, he explicitly proved to Florence that he did not have order authority, which is completely different.

[Silver Swift]

The guy who changed the commander's ID card is the only guy on the planet who understands how Florence decides who is and is not human. I am certain he took advantage of a very subtle loophole, not a world-altering bug in the design. The base commander didn't just fail to prove he had order authority, he explicitly proved to Florence that he did not have order authority, which is completely different.

Hmm, yeah that works. I wonder what poopy head will do next, now that direct orders are off the table. Will he try to reason with Florence or will he try to force her hand some other way (keeping in mind the only other reference he has for biological AI's)?

[Rockphed]

Hmm, yeah that works. I wonder what poopy head will do next, now that direct orders are off the table. Will he try to reason with Florence or will he try to force her hand some other way (keeping in mind the only other reference he has for biological AI's)?

Reasoning with Florence might work. However, I doubt she will submit to anything without the Chief being present. She is, after all, evidence in a terrorism case.

[Gez]

But she took orders from the Mayor without the Mayor having to prove her position. The Commander, on the other hand, is being ignored to the best of her ability.

The commander is the commander of the security personnel of the Ecosystems Unlimited compound. His authority is over ESU staff. The Mayor on the other hand represents the government of the city she resided in (or was it even the entire planet?). Of course, ESU actually owns the planet so it muddies waters a bit.

To put it another way, when the Mayor claims authority over Florence, she's treated as a citizen; when the Commander does that, she's treated as an ESU product and property.

[Rockphed]

The commander is the commander of the security personnel of the Ecosystems Unlimited compound. His authority is over ESU staff. The Mayor on the other hand represents the government of the city she resided in (or was it even the entire planet?). Of course, ESU actually owns the planet so it muddies waters a bit.

To put it another way, when the Mayor claims authority over Florence, she's treated as a citizen; when the Commander does that, she's treated as an ESU product and property.

Well, the mayor does try to force her to get a dog license.

Edit: and I would have abbreviated ecosystems unlimited "EU". Why are you using esu?

[lord_khaine]

Perhaps because when you say EU a lot of people would automatically think about the real world political organisation?

[Sobol]

Did the author say anything about how long the comic is going to be? It seems to me that things are moving towards a conclusion.

[Rockphed]

Did the author say anything about how long the comic is going to be? It seems to me that things are moving towards a conclusion.

Things are reaching a tipping point. I expect that when this storyline is over, things will go in New and interesting directions.

[hajo]

Did the author say anything about how long the comic is going to be?
It seems to me that things are moving towards a conclusion.

Indeed, he did

The current story in Freefall is coming to a conclusion (Hopefully this year, though I'm beginning to suspect it will bleed over into next year a bit.), but the comic isn't ending.
Future stories will be shorter. One can only do so many 15 year storytelling stints in a lifetime. :)

Note the length of the "bit" already

Also, more recently How much longer will Freefall continue?:

Probably arcs will run less than two years.

[Silver Swift]

So, apparently turning someone's brain off repeatedly can have negative side effects, who'd have guessed? I'm not sure if I should admire the commander for keeping a level head (and prevent brain surgery being done by an angry chimp) or be angry at the apparent lack of caring about brain damage inflicted on Florence.

Either way though, dr. Bowman continues to be one of the more interesting characters in the comic.

[halfeye]

You'd better make that six.

[HandofShadows]

So, apparently turning someone's brain off repeatedly can have negative side effects, who'd have guessed? I'm not sure if I should admire the commander for keeping a level head (and prevent brain surgery being done by an angry chimp) or be angry at the apparent lack of caring about brain damage inflicted on Florence.

I very much doubt that he knows that there is any danger in the danger to Florence from her brain being shut down. It's clear from his first meeting with her that he likes her and respects her.

[Kornaki]

I think it's also clear that this is not a short term emergency. It needs to be fixed, but Bowman needed to take ten minutes to calm down first.

[Math_Mage]

Welp. At least our Discworld friend Reboot From Start didn't make an appearance.

Any idea what's going to happen next?

[Kornaki]

The fact that he asked shows some sort of maturity, right?