I have two questions, (1)does that actually work on some mobiles? (2)Do people actually read this on desktop so often that it explains why I’ve run into this problem before? I can’t even remember the last time I read a webcomic on desktop (my laptop is for work and for watching series, no need for much else anymore), and I thought that was pretty much the norm nowadays.
Paul
Prepare to be shook. Some people don’t have mobile phones. I’m one of them. My mum finally got one just a few weeks ago because of the whole ‘don’t want to be stranded in a broken down car in the middle of nowhere’ thing. Also because a whole bunch of companies seem to be unable to grasp that not everyone has a mobile phone.
So far the phone has been used to actually phone someone, once. And it was to our own landline to check it worked.
Greg
Eh, it’s just a fact of life in 2023 that the vast majority of people use their phones for browsing the Internet.
I don’t remember what the global numbers look like these days but very website I’ve worked on in the last five or so years has had around 70% mobile traffic. Obviously it differs depending on the site or specific demographic group, but in general, desktop usage is significantly lower than mobile.
(For what it’s worth, I’m on my phone now but probably ready Dumbing of Age half the time on my phone and half the time on my tablet/laptop.)
elebenty
There are so many variables. Definitely younger people who may not even have a desktop of their own access the web through their phones. It’s similar for folks of all ages in some countries.
Older Americans (can’t speak for other countries) are more likely to have trouble with the tiny keyboards and screens on phones, are often housebound or hermity. It’s more convenient for them to use a computer/laptop.
I would say no age or economic bracket is a monolith when it comes to preference. Poor may mean you are online on a hand-me-down computer at home or that you can’t afford internet and only have cell service.
khn0
There are education programs to get students laptops.
I don’t know if they use it for checking comics though.
Nowadays it’s highly unusual not to have a smartphone. I don’t because I like to be able to repair and upgrade and not having to rely on more slavery that I’m already responsible for.
StClair
I finally got a mobile phone in 2018. It’s been remarkably handy.
I still don’t use it for browsing this site, because that’s a pain; that’s what my desktop is for.
In my country it’s more common to own a smartphone than own/have access to a laptop. Not everyone has a computer.
Pergola
I am at war with PayPal. I can no longer log on because it demands a mobile number and will not accept the landline number I used to make my account years ago. And you can’t do -anything- without logging on first.
When you’re retired, a natural night person, and can get up when you want, the night is young at midnight.
But at the moment I’m on my tablet because my laptop is busy doing stuff.
Psychie
I use a laptop for most of my webcomic reading, back when I *had* a tablet I used that for some of them, but I prefer to read these on the larger screen and I prefer to engage with comment sections with an actual keyboard, so I don’t tend to visit these sites on my phone. I have other things that I do on my phone instead. IIRC when I was on my tablet sometimes I could trigger the mouse-over text by holding my finger on the underlined text, but I think I had to aim exactly right to ensure the line was being held down at least as much as the text and when I took my finger off it would disappear and highlight. It was so finicky that I usually didn’t bother to try. Or I’m remembering wrong and my brain made that up, that happens sometimes and I haven’t bothered to get a new tablet since I left college a few years ago.
i mean it’s win win if she feels like she acted like a proper big sister to joyce and enjoying getting rid of joe but i don’t htink it’ll turn out this way
well, she has admitted it once or twice, but idk if jacob would interpret this as love rather than an unhinged attempt at controlling her dating life/relationships
Yeah, not to mention Joyce is at peace with her big sister, but they have an understanding about what that means. Joyce feigned being horrified by Halloween just so Sarah could express herself a bit. Sarah might have to take the training wheels off and I for one think it’d be great if she got laid.
Booster should call everyone they know on the Psych department faculty and say that their dormmates need help ASAP. Maybe swing by the chem department for experimental meds while they’re at it too.
Oh, yeah. Every time there’s an innocuous interpersonal drama the best thing to do is get as many psych students involved as possible. That’ll be sure to de-escalate the situation.
if anything i’d think booster would encourage joe and joyce being together, versus thinking that lucy’s ‘too good’ for walky in comparison
and any ‘advice’ towards sarah would either backfire or be met with great resistance unless they use reverse psychology to get her to do/act a certain way
it’s only funny from the 3rd person point of view unless you get secondhand embarrassment or hate cringe comedy.
it might’ve been amusing at first but at this stage she rly needs to remove herself from the situation
Tho wonder if her mind would explode if they legit like, got married/eloped or so which would be too soon but plenty of ppl have fiancees at this age if a bit rushed (and def don’t need to be married to hookup but makes me wonder how many ppl use marriage as an excuse to get rid of their virginity, i imagine they’d either go at it like crazy, or be disappointed and divorce asap and move on)
HueSatLight
Or stay in a dysfunctional marriage because they thought it was their religious duty.
191 thoughts on “Backfired”
Ana Chronistic
*BONK* Go to human jail.
Arr.
Jo_cubstar
Was that supposed to be a hyperlink? Can’t tell if I’m supposed to be able to click on something there
BarerMender
Hover over the dotted line and it reveals a message.
Jo_cubstar
Not sure how to do that on mobile. I can only click it or highlight it, neither of which does anything
a/snow/mous/e
It says “Happy birthday, Willeses!”
Thag Simmons
*anniversary
Straximus
*Holidays
Stanistani
*Willises
Needfuldoer
Happy birthday, Willises’ marriage!
Anna
I have two questions, (1)does that actually work on some mobiles? (2)Do people actually read this on desktop so often that it explains why I’ve run into this problem before? I can’t even remember the last time I read a webcomic on desktop (my laptop is for work and for watching series, no need for much else anymore), and I thought that was pretty much the norm nowadays.
Paul
Prepare to be shook. Some people don’t have mobile phones. I’m one of them. My mum finally got one just a few weeks ago because of the whole ‘don’t want to be stranded in a broken down car in the middle of nowhere’ thing. Also because a whole bunch of companies seem to be unable to grasp that not everyone has a mobile phone.
So far the phone has been used to actually phone someone, once. And it was to our own landline to check it worked.
Greg
Eh, it’s just a fact of life in 2023 that the vast majority of people use their phones for browsing the Internet.
I don’t remember what the global numbers look like these days but very website I’ve worked on in the last five or so years has had around 70% mobile traffic. Obviously it differs depending on the site or specific demographic group, but in general, desktop usage is significantly lower than mobile.
(For what it’s worth, I’m on my phone now but probably ready Dumbing of Age half the time on my phone and half the time on my tablet/laptop.)
elebenty
There are so many variables. Definitely younger people who may not even have a desktop of their own access the web through their phones. It’s similar for folks of all ages in some countries.
Older Americans (can’t speak for other countries) are more likely to have trouble with the tiny keyboards and screens on phones, are often housebound or hermity. It’s more convenient for them to use a computer/laptop.
I would say no age or economic bracket is a monolith when it comes to preference. Poor may mean you are online on a hand-me-down computer at home or that you can’t afford internet and only have cell service.
khn0
There are education programs to get students laptops.
I don’t know if they use it for checking comics though.
Nowadays it’s highly unusual not to have a smartphone. I don’t because I like to be able to repair and upgrade and not having to rely on more slavery that I’m already responsible for.
StClair
I finally got a mobile phone in 2018. It’s been remarkably handy.
I still don’t use it for browsing this site, because that’s a pain; that’s what my desktop is for.
Taffy
Who’s gonna be “shook” by that?
Anna
In my country it’s more common to own a smartphone than own/have access to a laptop. Not everyone has a computer.
Pergola
I am at war with PayPal. I can no longer log on because it demands a mobile number and will not accept the landline number I used to make my account years ago. And you can’t do -anything- without logging on first.
NGPZ
WHAT THE FU– okay sound like some white suit dickheads over at PayPal HQ need to check their privilege
Leorale
Also checking it on my phone, scrolling past those mouseover comments.
Unless there’s a new Willis poll we won’t know the exact percentages, and are likely to hear from outliers. Science?
Pizzasgood
I view my webcomics at home on my desktop, or on my laptop on those rare cases when I’m away from home more than a day. My phone is a last resort.
Leorale
how do these desktop users obsessively refresh the page in bed at 12:05ish am?
Taffy
Really long arms
clif
When you’re retired, a natural night person, and can get up when you want, the night is young at midnight.
But at the moment I’m on my tablet because my laptop is busy doing stuff.
Psychie
I use a laptop for most of my webcomic reading, back when I *had* a tablet I used that for some of them, but I prefer to read these on the larger screen and I prefer to engage with comment sections with an actual keyboard, so I don’t tend to visit these sites on my phone. I have other things that I do on my phone instead. IIRC when I was on my tablet sometimes I could trigger the mouse-over text by holding my finger on the underlined text, but I think I had to aim exactly right to ensure the line was being held down at least as much as the text and when I took my finger off it would disappear and highlight. It was so finicky that I usually didn’t bother to try. Or I’m remembering wrong and my brain made that up, that happens sometimes and I haven’t bothered to get a new tablet since I left college a few years ago.
Corronchilejano
That last panel went from 100 to 0 real quick for Jacob.
Angel
shame he isn’t the type to always be recording i’m sure joyce would get a kick out of heraing that recording ,despite the motivation of it
Icalasari
Ok, NOW it feels like s-mothering rather than plain ol’ crazy obsessive hate
Quirdry Tawks
I unno, y’know? I’m getting cringe. I’m getting meltdown. I’m not getting maternal.
Unless her mom was insane, too.
someone
This is a Willis comics, parents should be assumed insane until proven otherwise.
Angel
i mean it’s win win if she feels like she acted like a proper big sister to joyce and enjoying getting rid of joe but i don’t htink it’ll turn out this way
Mr. Random
Joyce is family.
That’s weirder than humanity.
Angel
makes me wonder how her sister/parents would react to sarah’s current behavior/actions
Wraithy2773
Peak Tsundere here from Sarah.
NGPZ
hahaha, more like Yandere at this point given last strip
Reaver
Too much Tsun, not nearly enough Dere
khn0
Sun Tzundere
Stanistani
“dere” is a multipoint spectrum. –Parfait
Amós Batista
Sarah jumped from Lawful Evil to Chaotic Evil so fast. ?
NGPZ
You like
Krabby PattiesJoyce, don’t youSquidwardSarah? ?Angel
well, she has admitted it once or twice, but idk if jacob would interpret this as love rather than an unhinged attempt at controlling her dating life/relationships
DashWallkick
Yeah, not to mention Joyce is at peace with her big sister, but they have an understanding about what that means. Joyce feigned being horrified by Halloween just so Sarah could express herself a bit. Sarah might have to take the training wheels off and I for one think it’d be great if she got laid.
Mym
I think Sarah should put the moves on Joyce
Doctor_Who
Joe would honestly be pretty okay with that happening.
Insanenoodlyguy
No, Jacob should put the moves on Joe. Sarah will try to consider this a victory but just won’t be able to.
Jahu
I’ll read that slipshine.
Yotomoe
Hmmm…
Schpoonman
Willis got that perfect smug look on Booster and is now trying to put it on as many other glasses-wearing characters as possible.
quark
its like the mona lisas smile
NGPZ
yeah it just perfect!
(BTW this is the 69th comment, count them yourself if you don’t believe me or are also bored)
Steelbright
It’s the magical combination of skepticism, glasses and luscious lips that draws the comparison, i think…
EAG46
Booster should call everyone they know on the Psych department faculty and say that their dormmates need help ASAP. Maybe swing by the chem department for experimental meds while they’re at it too.
EAG46
I swear it’s just coincidence my icon is Booster. It helps tho.
Opus the Poet
Plus one for suitable Gravatar is suitable.
Proxiehunter
They probably don’t advertise it like they used to in the 60s but I bet the chem department still has the good LSD if nothing else.
Opus the Poet
Oh yeah, Acid is stupid easy to synthesize. Almost as easy as turning vinegar into aspirin.
elebenty
“Anyone who got a B in chem can make it. Someone with just a C can kill you.”
-paraphrased
Thag Simmons
Joyce and Joe becoming a thing broke both Sarah and Dorothy’s brains simultaneously
Bruno
Oh, yeah. Every time there’s an innocuous interpersonal drama the best thing to do is get as many psych students involved as possible. That’ll be sure to de-escalate the situation.
Angel
if anything i’d think booster would encourage joe and joyce being together, versus thinking that lucy’s ‘too good’ for walky in comparison
and any ‘advice’ towards sarah would either backfire or be met with great resistance unless they use reverse psychology to get her to do/act a certain way
Nono
Look y’all have to admit, watching Sarah fail this hard because she has negative experience interacting with other human beings is kind of funny.
PirateTawnee
As a person who has negative experience interacting with other human beings it’s not the funniest.
Angel
it’s only funny from the 3rd person point of view unless you get secondhand embarrassment or hate cringe comedy.
it might’ve been amusing at first but at this stage she rly needs to remove herself from the situation
Tho wonder if her mind would explode if they legit like, got married/eloped or so which would be too soon but plenty of ppl have fiancees at this age if a bit rushed (and def don’t need to be married to hookup but makes me wonder how many ppl use marriage as an excuse to get rid of their virginity, i imagine they’d either go at it like crazy, or be disappointed and divorce asap and move on)
HueSatLight
Or stay in a dysfunctional marriage because they thought it was their religious duty.
eh, whatever
No, I don’t get it.
Steve C
I stand by my comment from yesterday.
clif
But we have no possible way to know what you commented yesterday.
Well, yeah, we could go look, but who’s going to do that?
zee
It’s been mad entertaining
Imogen
This is going better than expected.
Joe Moose
Sarah…just…turn around. You’ve embarrassed yourself enough.
Although, this comic is called Dumbing of Age for a reason…
ktbear
Has she though? Has she really?
Angel