First new comic of the new year. The optimistic beginning of our fresh new lap of the drain, as it were. I hope you and everyone you care about have had good holidays and will have a good year. As for me, I can’t really complain.

Well, as I’ve said many times, I can complain, but no one will want to hear it because I am, in fact, the luckiest person any of you know. You’re all a big part of that, and I appreciate it.

As always, thanks for using my Amazon Affiliate links (US , UK , Canada ), and for considering joining my Patreon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

As always, thanks for using my Amazon Affiliate links (US, UK, Canada), and for considering joining my Patreon.

I have been creating new comics for about two months now, and posting them for about a month. I am thrilled and delighted with the enthusiasm of the response I’ve received, and shocked at the realization of how much effort the strip requires. (Imagine how much worse it would be if I actually drew new pictures for the damned thing!)

I have taken the advice of several readers and started a Patreon for Basic Instructions.

https://www.patreon.com/basicinstructions

It has one tier, with a suggested fee of 3ドル.00 a month. Joining the Patreon is a way of letting me know that you want me to keep making strips, helping me cover my overhead, and compensating me for my efforts. (Yes, "efforts." I make more than one effort.)

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A reminder: I don’t do April Fools jokes.

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It looks like this strip originally ran in July 2015. That’s weird. I usually make my major announcements on April 1st.

Huh, looking at the calendar, it seems April 1st is coming up soon. Hmm.

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Here, watch it for yourself and decide if I exaggerated a single point.

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This comic probably angered a few tightrope walkers, but what are they going to do about it from up there on that rope? Hit me with that long pole of theirs?

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I wrote this comic after I had two of the same make and model of keyboard break on me in the exact same way in less than three years. If you’re wondering whether I had done something unusual on the keyboards to make them break, the answer is yes. I typed on them more than the manufacturer anticipated.

Some of you are thinking that I got what I deserved for buying cheap keyboards. Goes to show what you know. The keyboards weren’t cheap! Not at all! (That sounded a lot more like a victory in my head.)

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If we ever create an artificial intelligence that is truly superior to us, it may well keep us around to make itself feel superior. It also may to try to improve us, in the spirit of helping the less fortunate.

Imagine a future where robots constantly criticize us or instruct us how to do things, then smother us with condescending praise as we try to follow their advice.

I might prefer extermination.

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I was the receptionist at an office where everyone had to fill out a specific form every day. Almost nobody did it. The person in charge made it my responsibility to make sure everyone filled out their form.

Of course, I was the lowest person on the totem pole in that office, so I couldn’t use fear of punishment to make them fill out the form. Instead, I had to rely on charm and their respect for me and my opinion of them.

I’d bet that you can predict how well that worked.

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