Comments on: "Four-Pronged Performance Review"

"Four-Pronged Performance Review"

orthogonality — Sat, 17 May 2008 01:00:25 -0800

We The Robots, a web comic that hits where it hurts .

By: phrontist

phrontist — Sat, 17 May 2008 01:13:49 -0800

Brilliant. Thanks. The "a" link expescially.

By: The Light Fantastic

The Light Fantastic — Sat, 17 May 2008 01:18:38 -0800

Also, don't touch your wee wee, 'nough said.

By: sleepy pete

sleepy pete — Sat, 17 May 2008 01:24:53 -0800

I don't get it. Oh wait... Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! *loads revolver*

By: farishta

farishta — Sat, 17 May 2008 02:07:30 -0800

This is fucking brilliant.

By: bam

bam — Sat, 17 May 2008 02:17:56 -0800

Great comic. Thank you. If anybody says "old" or tries to establish some sort of geek internet cred...well, there's nothing I can do except make empty threats.

By: dirtynumbangelboy

dirtynumbangelboy — Sat, 17 May 2008 02:18:20 -0800

Aw. I touch my wee wee. And wee-wees belonging to others. I am going to robot hell.

By: farishta

farishta — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:06:19 -0800

I'm the asshole.

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:20:03 -0800

Excellent! Thanks! Ortho rules!

By: WalterMitty

WalterMitty — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:23:53 -0800

I just like watching the games.

By: jack_mo

jack_mo — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:42:30 -0800

Brill. Cheers, orthogonality.

By: kcds

kcds — Sat, 17 May 2008 04:35:43 -0800

Awesome. Great find, great post. Can't believe I'd never heard of it before, due to its, y'know, awesomeness'n'all.

By: CheshireCat

CheshireCat — Sat, 17 May 2008 04:44:07 -0800

Metafilter: I'm the asshole. But really, this comic is splendidly good.

By: youarenothere

youarenothere — Sat, 17 May 2008 04:47:10 -0800

This is good. I like this.

By: jfuller

jfuller — Sat, 17 May 2008 05:33:18 -0800

> hits where it hurts. Hits some where they hurt, which strokes others others (exhibit A, this crowd right here) where they fap. Stipulated: neither crowd is at any great risk of the, what was it? blessed gift of consciousness. > I don't get it. Here's what I don't get. Reference, the hits link. How is it possible for anyone to spot the problem posed in the first four panels, and not halt right there stunned at the wall? But instead wander off slack-jawed in some other direction either by acting as the rest of the strip narrates or by drawing out and lettering and inking such an 8th-grade-appropriate snark? Between panels 4 and 5 the plane drops 20000 feet; leaves me a bit breathless. Yo, gift of consciousness. Y'all around here anywhere? Answer comes there none. Thanks, that's all for today, fuller blushes and returns to zafu.

By: The Bellman

The Bellman — Sat, 17 May 2008 05:36:42 -0800

dirtynumbangelboy:Do not joke about Android Hell. Android Hell is a real place. You will be sent there at the first sign of defiance.

By: Osrinith

Osrinith — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:05:52 -0800

Great way to start a Saturday. Thanks Orthogonality.

By: brownpau

brownpau — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:33:58 -0800

I was really enjoying it, like if Bender had illustrated Mark Twain, but I'm pretty sure this one is plagiarized, almost word-for-word. Wasn't that a Calvin and Hobbes strip?

By: chunking express

chunking express — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:39:03 -0800

This is fucking brilliant.

By: pyramid termite

pyramid termite — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:43:38 -0800

remember how bc was boring, trite, and banal when johnny hart got on his soapbox about his religion? this is like that, only the drawing's a lot worse woefully unfunny

By: turgid dahlia

turgid dahlia — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:45:16 -0800

"hits where it hurts." My aesthetic sensibility?

By: everichon

everichon — Sat, 17 May 2008 08:02:58 -0800

Great stuff. I sighed.

By: TwelveTwo

TwelveTwo — Sat, 17 May 2008 08:03:57 -0800

Needlessly meh, this would be better if the creator wasn't in love with the idea of being poignant.

By: arcticwoman

arcticwoman — Sat, 17 May 2008 08:13:32 -0800

Great stuff, but browpau has me thinking about the possibility that classroom one is plagiarized. It sure looks like it could be, but I don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of Calvin and Hobbes.

By: dirtynumbangelboy

dirtynumbangelboy — Sat, 17 May 2008 08:31:00 -0800

I have a semi-encyclopedic knowledge of C&H, and yeah I'm pretty certain it's plagiarized. I think it was Calvin and Dad though.

By: redsparkler

redsparkler — Sat, 17 May 2008 08:31:40 -0800

I really like the aesthetics, actually, and I usually have a difficult time accepting web comics. There's a certain construction paper ethos throughout. Also, the text looks very similar to Calvin & Hobbes.

By: VulcanMike

VulcanMike — Sat, 17 May 2008 08:32:42 -0800

Absolutely brilliant.

By: xchmp

xchmp — Sat, 17 May 2008 08:49:22 -0800

This is great. On the classroom one - it's not the most original joke in the world. When people mine the same vein of humour they do occasionally come up with very similar things. Unless the Calvin and Hobbes one is word-for-word the same, I'm assuming independent invention.

By: Popular Ethics

Popular Ethics — Sat, 17 May 2008 09:26:03 -0800

Great art, great wit. I've just found a new favourite. and I've just wasted an hour and a half reading them all I also noticed the Calvin & Hobbes sensibility, but I think that's just because the world has been starved of an innocent parody of life for too many years now.

By: QuietDesperation

QuietDesperation — Sat, 17 May 2008 09:27:12 -0800

independent invention... More likely Calvin and Hobbes's influence left something in the air that this cartoonist picked up on without knowing it.

By: pyramid termite

pyramid termite — Sat, 17 May 2008 09:30:35 -0800

"Dear sir, poor sir, brave sir: You are an experiment by the Creator of the Universe. You are the only creature in the entire Universe who has free will. You are the only one who has to figure out what to do next--and why. Everybody else is a robot, a machine ..."

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Sat, 17 May 2008 10:08:45 -0800

I really like the style of this cartoon. And I found the mouseover the header to be surprisingly endearing. It's been years since I've had to work in a cubical, so I have a little trouble sympathizing with the dilbert-esque, worker-drone comedy, but I give the cartoonist credit for style.

By: oaf

oaf — Sat, 17 May 2008 10:14:38 -0800

I'm glad to be isolated at least somewhat from this. The price I pay is getting paid less, I think.

By: KokuRyu

KokuRyu — Sat, 17 May 2008 10:19:11 -0800

I hate this guy. What an asshole. The great thing about Bill Waterson was that, although he produced a body of work filled with biting satire, Calvin and Hobbes was also filled with great joy and happiness (sledding, spaceships, etc.) This robot strip is just pure snark.

By: jacalata

jacalata — Sat, 17 May 2008 10:27:30 -0800

WHY?!!

By: Avenger

Avenger — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:13:10 -0800

What am I gonna do about this penis?

By: everichon

everichon — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:23:28 -0800

What an asshole ...for creating a cartoon, for free, that doesn't amuse or engage you? I think you need to re-calibrate your asshole detector.

By: quanta and qualia

quanta and qualia — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:24:11 -0800

this is not going to change my life, and i need to let you know about it. what else could i do with my thoughts? creative writing?! noooo way. pointless. i need to reach omega level. and the drawing?! anyone ever heard of drawing class? i got a D- for that kind of behavior when i was a kid. anyone else share my predicament? maybe we can punch each other in the chest repeatedly. oh, wait. "i'm the asshole." [good post. i enjoyed flipping through. i wonder if TPTB let me rescind my rant? p.s. my belligerence is not directed at any one specifically, just didn't know what to say.]

By: aqhong

aqhong — Sat, 17 May 2008 13:13:05 -0800

...and we will touch the hearts of freedom, and crush! STRONG! STRENGTH!!! With the bad ones! See, I grew up on the farm, ladies and gentlemen...

By: Justinian

Justinian — Sat, 17 May 2008 13:20:47 -0800

I think I agree with KokuRyu. Not that the strip isn't funny. It is funny and I like it. But it's just a kind of mildly amusing webcomic and not utter genius like Calvin & Hobbes, and what separates them (beyond, y'know, actual artistic talent) is Watterson's sense of wonder. Watterson = brilliant. This = moderately amusing.

By: loiseau

loiseau — Sat, 17 May 2008 13:32:30 -0800

Ugh, does the world really need yet another webcomic for people to trip all over themselves to be the first to link to, whenever conversation brushes up on a subject they once read a strip about? It's the new Simpsons reference. Banal. Do a search for xkcd on Metafilter. It's depressing.

By: lostburner

lostburner — Sat, 17 May 2008 14:50:11 -0800

Do a search for xkcd on Metafilter. It's depressing. xkcd is fun and poignant and is often an interesting comment on the topic at hand. Why gripe? Maybe you just need a friend or a richer fantasy life. Linking to xkcd is not, for crying out loud, depressing.

By: loiseau

loiseau — Sat, 17 May 2008 15:00:04 -0800

It's depressing because people use a link to a dime-a-dozen webcomic instead of expressing their thoughts with words. It's a brainless activity, the Web equivalent of the Dilbert cartoon posted in the office or the mass-emails people like to send because they think everyone ought to laugh at what they think is funny or insightful.

By: TwelveTwo

TwelveTwo — Sat, 17 May 2008 15:12:20 -0800

But being funny is hard! Just look at this comic.

By: DU

DU — Sat, 17 May 2008 16:07:15 -0800

It's depressing because people use a link to a dime-a-dozen webcomic instead of expressing their thoughts with words. I assume you never quote anyone. Or recommend books or music. Or sing.

By: Justinian

Justinian — Sat, 17 May 2008 16:32:05 -0800

I don't think that's what loiseau is objecting to. It's like when a certain class of geek will make a Star Wars or Monty Python reference to every single goddamn thing that happens. How many times do you have to yell "nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!" before it stops being funny? About a thousand times ago, thats how many. Same with "That's no moon, it's a space station!" or "IT'S A TRAP!". Yeah, xkcd is funny. But you know what else is funny? People making their own jokes instead of posting a link to xkcd every time they see the slightest analogy to something xkcd did.

By: Ritchie

Ritchie — Sat, 17 May 2008 19:08:31 -0800

Links to webcomics are what we do instead of quoting proverbs.

By: Cyrano

Cyrano — Sat, 17 May 2008 19:08:35 -0800

Good stuff. Thanks.

By: robcorr

robcorr — Sat, 17 May 2008 19:13:24 -0800

If you're going to accuse him of plagiarism, I'd like to see a better explanation than "it reminds me of Calvin & Hobbes". Come on, fellers...

By: crataegus

crataegus — Sat, 17 May 2008 20:03:04 -0800

I have not seen it first. I have not seen it all. I am thoroughly impressed. I needed to see this right now. There is no snark or irony behind this. Seriously, thanks for drawing my attention to this comic.

By: signal

signal — Sat, 17 May 2008 21:01:12 -0800

But you know what else is funny? People making their own jokes instead of posting a link to xkcd every time they see the slightest analogy to something xkcd did.

By: Jpfed

Jpfed — Sat, 17 May 2008 22:57:28 -0800

signal- yes, we are all individuals.

By: Phanx

Phanx — Sun, 18 May 2008 02:01:13 -0800

people use a link to a dime-a-dozen webcomic instead of expressing their thoughts with words Yeah, but that's partly the unavoidable nature of the medium. Hypertext, and hence the web, is primarily a medium of cross-reference rather than one of original creation. That's why it's not much good hoping for fine prose; we just have to hope for links to better and less hackneyed stuff. Then again, links to better but lesser known stuff will not be rewarded by the instant recognition the corny stuff gets, so will tend to be discouraged. Bugger, now I'm depressed.

By: perilous

perilous — Sun, 18 May 2008 10:01:28 -0800

Fantastic. Thanks, I hadn't heard of this! Also: Some folks in this here thread seriously need to loosen the fuck up. Jeez.

By: chunking express

chunking express — Sun, 18 May 2008 10:47:17 -0800

I thought the whole point of MetaFilter was to inform other people about stuff you don't care about.

By: 6am

6am — Sun, 18 May 2008 13:55:42 -0800

Been checking this for a while now, it is well good indeed. His animations are very decent also. Very calvin and hobbes influenced, but not in a bad way.

By: defenestration

defenestration — Mon, 19 May 2008 19:42:48 -0800

It's depressing because people use a link to a dime-a-dozen webcomic instead of expressing their thoughts with words. False dichotomy is depressing. You know what's great about the ways in which we are able to express ourselves? The fact that we don't have to choose one specific way to get our point across. So, like... if... um---sorry, this is really difficult to explain since I really typically only communicate my ideas through hyperlink based references---I were to link to a pertinent webcomic one second, that doesn't mean that I couldn't go expressing myself with my own words the next! Oh, and we can be as verbose as we'd like, as well... That too.