Memory Alpha
Register
Advertisement
Memory Alpha
Subj:  Answers
Date:  4/25/97 2:56:45 PM
From:  RonDMoore       

Well, it's a wrap.  DS9 officially wrapped production on Tuesday, ending
principle photography for Season 5 with a final scene between Rom and Quark.
 We held our wrap party last night and today the writing staff is saying
good-bye to Robert Wolfe and then we begin working on Season 6 next week.  It
was a good year for us and I hope you enjoy the rest of Season 5.

<<The Holodeck fantasy debate>>

I've read through these postings with interest and while many of the
observations and arguments were intriguing I still find myself supporting a
complete freedom to do as you please, to what and/or who you please on the
Holodeck.  Although the arguments against the idea of using images of real
people approached the problem from different angles, they all seemed to fall
into one of two categories:  1) It's bad for the person running the
simulation; or 2) It's dangerous for the person who's being simulated.  I
find neither argument persuasive.

1) It's bad for the person running the simulation.  To me, this is vaguely
paternalistic.  If you want to fill your mind with trash, be it written,
visual, aural, or holographic, that's your business.  I don't think the
government, be it the USA or the UFP should put itself in the role of
overseeing our fantasies and making sure that we're only indulging in "safe"
or "healthy" scenarios.  Do you really want a governmental body telling you
what images or words you see on the computer you're using right now?   Or
what fantasy you play out on a holodeck?  Not me.  (And let's be perfectly
clear here that we're talking about *adults*, not children.)

Will I lose touch with reality if I'm involving myself with Holo-people based
on real people?  I suppose that's possible (although we're kind of debating
in a vacuum here without any real-life experiences with holographic people to
guide us) but again, that's *my* fault for abusing the technology and my
failings shouldn't prevent *you* from enjoying the holodeck.  I would also
like to think that the vast majority of people could separate fantasy from
reality.  After all, I work with a group of people who dress up in costumes
and pretend to kiss/kill/love/hate other "make-believe" people every day, and
so far it doesn't seem to make them lose touch with reality.  

"But what about psychotics?  Won't they abuse the technology?"  Perhaps, but
tailoring the rules of society for the psychos of this world is bad public
policy.  Let's face it -- a disturbed individual can abuse *anything* and
we're not going to start outlawing kitchen knives or chainsaws just because
of their potential misuse by the mentally unbalanced, and those are real
tangible items that can be used in the commission of a crime, not a series of
fantasy images that can't leave a holodeck.

2) It's dangerous for the person being simulated.  This is the argument I
find the least persuasive.  I still maintain that if you go into a Holodeck
and interact with a Holo-person and when it's over you turn off the machine
and go back to your normal life, there's been no harm done to the Real-person
whose image was recreated.  No harm, no foul.  Now, if you step outside that
Holodeck and then stalk the Real-person, then you've committed a crime and
should be punished.  If you sell tickets to your fantasy simulation where the
Holo-person is being humiliated, then you've also committed a crime and
should be punished.  But the line to me is when you *take action*.  If I sit
in my room and concoct an elaborate fantasy about someone assassinating a
public figure, complete with graphics, photos, and gory detail about the
murder, I've committed no crime.  But the moment I send that to someone else
or advocate it or begin to carry out this plan, I've *taken action* and it's
time to pay the price.  I believe you should punish the *act* not the
*expression* or the *thought*.

(...continued in next post)
-----------------
Subj:  Answers
Date:  4/25/97 2:57:38 PM
From:  RonDMoore       

"But being simulated on someone else's holodeck gives me the creeps."
 Absolutely.  However, lots of things give me the creeps, that doesn't mean
they should be outlawed.  As I said before, I *am* concerned about how my
image made it to someone else's holodeck in the first place, but this is a
pretty complex issue.  You can take my photo on a public street, take it home
and do whatever you want with it.  At some point a computer will be able to
take my photo and extrapolate a 3-D image from it and then create a
reasonably accurate holographic representation.  The step from there to a
tangible, Holo-person is still a long one technically, but not ethically.  If
you can manipulate my photo as you see fit, then manipulating my 3-D photo is
no different and manipulating a tangible hologram is still only a difference
in degree, not in substance.  On the other hand, I should have some
"ownership" of my personality and my image, but where those lines should be
drawn is pretty murky if you ask me.  

All in all, this has been one of the more interesting debates within this
folder and I've very much enjoyed it.

<<How are starships named in episodes?  Does the writer of the episode supply
the name, or what?  Are they named from a list like hurricanes or something?
How would someone submit a name for consideration?>>

The writer(s) come up with the names for starships, planets, characters, etc.
 It's up to the individual and there're no master lists we work from.  Names
are usually a personal preference and I don't think you'd have much success
submitting a name for consideration.

<<Why were the Cardassian uniforms changed from TNG and is there any
possilility Gul Maset might return as Dukat's brother?>>

The costumes were changed for aesthetic reasons and also to make them easier
to use.  The costumes as established in TNG weren't designed for repeated use
and they needed to be redesigned for more extended wear and tear.  We haven't
talked about Maset in a long time and I don't think he'll be coming back.

<<I know that the kids in makeup have tried to incorporate the various styles
of Klingon Ridges from the movies into TNG, VOY,and DS9. Yet, one manages to
elude the body Kling. The style from STTMP. Granted I hate the hair, but that
style is my favorite. I think there might be one that is supposed to be it,
but looks very bad.(Checking the Production Photo of the B.O.P. crew from
Generations) Any chance you might slip down to makeup and get them to copy
this design?>>

I'll ask them out of curiosity, but I think the design from TMP was shelved
because of the difficulty of the makeup used at that time and for aesthetic
reasons.
Previous chat Chat index Next chat
Advertisement