Jean AKA Jeannie AKA Jeanie is a film, book, and magazine reviewer for a national magazine. Most of Jean’s work is done through email, which means he doesn't have to go into the office.
On a trip to find a gift for his girlfriend, Jean found an empty Genie Bottle. Upon picking up this bottle, Jean became the bottle’s new genie-powered occupant. Not only was Jean turned into a genie, but the bottle turned him into what he believed a genie of the bottle should look like. Which, due to his fascination with a classic 60s TV show, turned him into a busty blonde woman.
Isn’t freelancers still have to show up on some meeting(include video meeting) at sometime or be there to renewal their contact(you can’t sign it though internet or phone line,isn’t it?)
(No matter how tech adveanced,something is still can only be down by face to face.)
@M. Hakari: Actually, contracts can now be signed across the Internet. I have a friend who’s a real estate agent, and they sign sales agreements and other things that way all the time. Not that everyone does that, but it IS common.
I’m betting it’s Jeans parents, about to drop in on her.
How is an over-the-internet contract signature legally binding? I mean, what mechanism exists to prove that the “signature” is from the person it purports to be from, as opposed to some other person who has physical access to the same computer and user account? What keeps me from logging in on my boss’ computer and account (if I know his passwords) and committing fraud under his name?
@ijuinkun: It’s actually an image attached to a document, a digitized version of your handwritten signature, and apparently (I don’t know all the details) there are some kind of cryptographic keys embedded in the image to prevent it being duplicated without the originating software. That’s about all I know, but the company that markets this system (well, one of them) is called VeriSign, and I’m sure if you Google them, you could probably get a better explanation than I can offer.
And for that matter, even a physical signature can be forged, as well. There’s really nothing that stops you from sneaking into your bosses’ office and signing his name to a fat check to you, either. They just have to have some mechanism for later examining things and retroactively figuring out if it was more likely, or not, to be authentic.
I guess if faxes, Xerox copies and digitally-stored documents are all held to be legitimate, then an image of a signature isn’t much of a stretch beyond that. I don’t know the exact legal reasoning used, but it seems to be pretty widely in use at this point, at least in the real estate industry.
Huh, I didn’t realize that image-based signatures had become a major thing. Back in ’06, I did an internship at Adobe, working for the guy who invented PDF. My project that summer was creating a prototype for an image-based signature plugin for Acrobat.
I wonder if any of my work made it into the stuff that’s being used today? That’d be cool.
@Robert: It kind of depends on the industry as to how accepted digital signatures are, so far. Real estate is totally into it, but banking is still getting used to the idea, and most government agencies & courts haven’t quite caught on to it yet.
That’s cool that you worked on that. And yeah, that would be neat if they have some of your code in there.
My guesses are either the family visit or job trouble as suggested above. Though we have not heard from his girlfriend in a while… And when something crappy is about to happen, there is usually a mean green baldy in the future!
And yes… that image of Jeannie up there is quite nice, isn’t it!
Could it be an email from Belle? Say, how long has it been since “Jean” came back from the Middle East for a short but very stimulating visit? Say, there was something involving verisimilitude involved with that, wasn’t there?
Maybe Jean is using an iFruity pad, a brand endorsed by the cast of Foxtrot?
I concur that she either meeting her family member or some business contact she can’t do on line. In any chase, it probably something where she has to show up in person, which might be a slight problem for her in her present Genie condition.
OMG Jeanie got a 401 message. Error Jean not found! No wonder she is freaked.
I wonder if she has the power to make the world think she always was a girl.
That probably would violate the genie rules about altering a person’s mind and behavior. But if it did work, would Belle now wonder about her own sexual preferences.
Let me guess,either some family members are coming to visit,or “Jean” lose his job,or he is orded by his boss to show up on some meeting.
How is that? He’s a freelancer, isn’t he?
Isn’t freelancers still have to show up on some meeting(include video meeting) at sometime or be there to renewal their contact(you can’t sign it though internet or phone line,isn’t it?)
(No matter how tech adveanced,something is still can only be down by face to face.)
@M. Hakari: Actually, contracts can now be signed across the Internet. I have a friend who’s a real estate agent, and they sign sales agreements and other things that way all the time. Not that everyone does that, but it IS common.
I’m betting it’s Jeans parents, about to drop in on her.
How is an over-the-internet contract signature legally binding? I mean, what mechanism exists to prove that the “signature” is from the person it purports to be from, as opposed to some other person who has physical access to the same computer and user account? What keeps me from logging in on my boss’ computer and account (if I know his passwords) and committing fraud under his name?
@ijuinkun: It’s actually an image attached to a document, a digitized version of your handwritten signature, and apparently (I don’t know all the details) there are some kind of cryptographic keys embedded in the image to prevent it being duplicated without the originating software. That’s about all I know, but the company that markets this system (well, one of them) is called VeriSign, and I’m sure if you Google them, you could probably get a better explanation than I can offer.
And for that matter, even a physical signature can be forged, as well. There’s really nothing that stops you from sneaking into your bosses’ office and signing his name to a fat check to you, either. They just have to have some mechanism for later examining things and retroactively figuring out if it was more likely, or not, to be authentic.
I guess if faxes, Xerox copies and digitally-stored documents are all held to be legitimate, then an image of a signature isn’t much of a stretch beyond that. I don’t know the exact legal reasoning used, but it seems to be pretty widely in use at this point, at least in the real estate industry.
Huh, I didn’t realize that image-based signatures had become a major thing. Back in ’06, I did an internship at Adobe, working for the guy who invented PDF. My project that summer was creating a prototype for an image-based signature plugin for Acrobat.
I wonder if any of my work made it into the stuff that’s being used today? That’d be cool.
@Robert: It kind of depends on the industry as to how accepted digital signatures are, so far. Real estate is totally into it, but banking is still getting used to the idea, and most government agencies & courts haven’t quite caught on to it yet.
That’s cool that you worked on that. And yeah, that would be neat if they have some of your code in there.
I like the image of Jeannie at the top of this page.
As for the comic, I guess we’ll find out next week what got Jeannie so freaked out.
This doesn’t look good!
My guesses are either the family visit or job trouble as suggested above. Though we have not heard from his girlfriend in a while… And when something crappy is about to happen, there is usually a mean green baldy in the future!
And yes… that image of Jeannie up there is quite nice, isn’t it!
Some of my worst days have started with “Oh crap.” Some of my best too.
Hm. I see Jeannie is using a Persimmon. Or is that a Pumpkin?
I thought it was an orange.
It’s actually an oPad.
Could it be an email from Belle? Say, how long has it been since “Jean” came back from the Middle East for a short but very stimulating visit? Say, there was something involving verisimilitude involved with that, wasn’t there?
Maybe Jean is using an iFruity pad, a brand endorsed by the cast of Foxtrot?
Blew off her e-mails too many times, huh?
I concur that she either meeting her family member or some business contact she can’t do on line. In any chase, it probably something where she has to show up in person, which might be a slight problem for her in her present Genie condition.
Neil/Jean is making a return appearance i am guessing.
Funny, that’s how I react to all of my e-mails.
1 question: what does Verisimilitude mean?
The appearance of being true. Resembling reality.
oohh. why do i have a feeling Jeannie’s gonna be ratted out?
OMG Jeanie got a 401 message. Error Jean not found! No wonder she is freaked.
I wonder if she has the power to make the world think she always was a girl.
That probably would violate the genie rules about altering a person’s mind and behavior. But if it did work, would Belle now wonder about her own sexual preferences.
Just re-read this again! Love it so much! Rob, CD, this comic is so good, I feel I must thank you two for it!