It goes back to his vision of equality and his military service.Lazar wrote:I heard somewhere that Gene Roddenberry originally wanted everyone to be officers. Since the movie era they've at least theoretically had enlisted people, but they do seem to have trouble understanding that officers are usually just a small minority of the crew, and that not all ships are commanded by captains.
Raw Materals used in the Galaxy Class
-
- 3 Star Admiral
- Posts: 10988
- Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:01 pm
- Location: Timepire Mobile Command Centre
- Contact:
Re: Raw Materals used in the Galaxy Class
-
- 4 Star Admiral
- Posts: 26014
- Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 10:58 pm
- Location: Poblacht na hÉireann, Baile Átha Cliath
Re: Raw Materals used in the Galaxy Class
Surely his military service would help him understand that you can't have everyone as officers, right?
"You've all been selected for this mission because you each have a special skill. Professor Hawking, John Leslie, Phil Neville, the Wu-Tang Clan, Usher, the Sugar Puffs Monster and Daniel Day-Lewis! Welcome to Operation MindFuck!"
-
- 3 Star Admiral
- Posts: 10988
- Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:01 pm
- Location: Timepire Mobile Command Centre
- Contact:
Re: Raw Materals used in the Galaxy Class
IIRC he felt that having everyone be an officer would foster equality, he originally planned to have no ranks at all. This all falls apart of course when you consider that a naval service can't function without a defined hierarchy. From what I gather he didn't look very fondly at his service and how it functioned.Rochey wrote:Surely his military service would help him understand that you can't have everyone as officers, right?
-
- 4 Star Admiral
- Posts: 26014
- Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 10:58 pm
- Location: Poblacht na hÉireann, Baile Átha Cliath
Re: Raw Materals used in the Galaxy Class
Oh for Christ's sake. Even the USSR had freaking military ranks. This idiocy goes beyond communism and into some bizzare new realm entirely.he originally planned to have no ranks at all.
"You've all been selected for this mission because you each have a special skill. Professor Hawking, John Leslie, Phil Neville, the Wu-Tang Clan, Usher, the Sugar Puffs Monster and Daniel Day-Lewis! Welcome to Operation MindFuck!"
- Captain Seafort
- 4 Star Admiral
- Posts: 15548
- Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:44 pm
- Location: Blighty
Re: Raw Materals used in the Galaxy Class
Early on the Red Army tried to operate without ranks. The idea fell apart pretty quickly. Then it tried to operate with the minimum of insignia. This also fell apart. They wound up with some of the most extravagant senior officers' uniforms of the 20th century, and the stereotype of the saying "if you can't fight, wear a big hat".
Only two things are infinite - the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the universe: Albert Einstein.
-
- 3 Star Admiral
- Posts: 10988
- Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:01 pm
- Location: Timepire Mobile Command Centre
- Contact:
Re: Raw Materals used in the Galaxy Class
Rochey wrote:Oh for Christ's sake. Even the USSR had freaking military ranks. This idiocy goes beyond communism and into some bizzare new realm entirely.he originally planned to have no ranks at all.
I think I've said before that Gene had some good ideas but little to no idea how to implement them properly. Look at season 1 of TNG FFS.
-
- 2 Star Admiral
- Posts: 8094
- Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 3:25 am
- Commendations: Cochrane Medal of Excellence
- Location: Somewhere Among the Stars
- Contact:
Re: Raw Materals used in the Galaxy Class
Gene def had some issues with how he did it, but we should all be glad he did, otherwise we wouldn't have as much to complain about
In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.
-
- Fleet Admiral
- Posts: 35635
- Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:04 am
- Commendations: The Daystrom Award
- Location: down the shore, New Jersey, USA
- Contact:
Re: Raw Materals used in the Galaxy Class
Remember, Gene served in the USAF - which has a huge officer:enlisted ratio, even for a US military service. (I don't know it for a fact, but the US armed forces have to have one of the highest officer:enlisted ratios in the world, especially if we factor NCO's.)Rochey wrote:Surely his military service would help him understand that you can't have everyone as officers, right?
I can't stand nothing dull
I got the high gloss luster
I'll massacre your ass as fast
as Bull offed Custer
I got the high gloss luster
I'll massacre your ass as fast
as Bull offed Custer
-
- 3 Star Admiral
- Posts: 10988
- Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:01 pm
- Location: Timepire Mobile Command Centre
- Contact:
Re: Raw Materals used in the Galaxy Class
Are you putting the NCO's in with the whistleheads or the enlisted? Anyways it's all thanks to their sillyness of insisting that anyone actually being an aircrew member must be an officer. I can't begin to imagine what their personnel costs are when you pay a guy 50K a year (plus four years of university) to do a job a 19 year old with high school does in any other branch.Mikey wrote:
Remember, Gene served in the USAF - which has a huge officer:enlisted ratio, even for a US military service. (I don't know it for a fact, but the US armed forces have to have one of the highest officer:enlisted ratios in the world, especially if we factor NCO's.)
-
- Rear Admiral
- Posts: 4042
- Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:58 am
- Location: Right here.
Re: Raw Materals used in the Galaxy Class
Ironic when you consider the singularly iconic status of Captain Kirk.
How the hell would a rankless starship operate? A Klingon cruiser starts firing and the crew stops to vote on whether to raise shields?
How the hell would a rankless starship operate? A Klingon cruiser starts firing and the crew stops to vote on whether to raise shields?
"If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wonderous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross... but it's not for the timid." Q, Q Who
-
- Fleet Admiral
- Posts: 35635
- Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:04 am
- Commendations: The Daystrom Award
- Location: down the shore, New Jersey, USA
- Contact:
Re: Raw Materals used in the Galaxy Class
Well, in general, I inlcude the NCO's with the brass because it further illustrates how ridiculous things can get. In the Air Force, you don't have to for precisely the reason you cited.Cpl Kendall wrote:Are you putting the NCO's in with the whistleheads or the enlisted? Anyways it's all thanks to their sillyness of insisting that anyone actually being an aircrew member must be an officer. I can't begin to imagine what their personnel costs are when you pay a guy 50K a year (plus four years of university) to do a job a 19 year old with high school does in any other branch.
I can't stand nothing dull
I got the high gloss luster
I'll massacre your ass as fast
as Bull offed Custer
I got the high gloss luster
I'll massacre your ass as fast
as Bull offed Custer
-
- 4 Star Admiral
- Posts: 21747
- Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:38 pm
- Location: Forward Torpedo Tube Twenty. Help!
- Contact:
Re: Raw Materals used in the Galaxy Class
" The Klingons are firing! What do we do!?"Captain Picard's Hair wrote:Ironic when you consider the singularly iconic status of Captain Kirk.
How the hell would a rankless starship operate? A Klingon cruiser starts firing and the crew stops to vote on whether to raise shields?
" Well, I think we should use evasive maneuvers."
" I think we should close distance and return fire."
" Wait, I just got out of the sauna. What are talking abou-"
BOOM.
There is only one way of avoiding the war – that is the overthrow of this society. However, as we are too weak for this task, the war is inevitable. -L. Trotsky, 1939
-
- 2 Star Admiral
- Posts: 8094
- Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 3:25 am
- Commendations: Cochrane Medal of Excellence
- Location: Somewhere Among the Stars
- Contact:
Re: Raw Materals used in the Galaxy Class
well, if starfleet did operate that way, at least we wouldn't have to put up with it for long. It would take all of fourty eight hours to blow them to kingdom come, and that's only because plot speed has to create some drama.
In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.
Re: Raw Materals used in the Galaxy Class
Well, you COULD have a ship with all officers I suppose. But that means that you will field a MUCH smaller fleet, since not everyone CAN graduate from an intensive 4 year institution. Then, you'd simply have junior officers doing all of the menial, day to day admin and maintence tasks. Any rank below Lt Cmdr would be pretty much only for show, because you'd have litterally HUNDREDS of Ensigns, JGs, and LTs.
They say that in the Army,
the women are mighty fine.
They look like Phyllis Diller,
and walk like Frankenstein.
the women are mighty fine.
They look like Phyllis Diller,
and walk like Frankenstein.
-
- 3 Star Admiral
- Posts: 10988
- Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:01 pm
- Location: Timepire Mobile Command Centre
- Contact:
Re: Raw Materals used in the Galaxy Class
And you've just invented the Soviet Navy.Mark wrote:Well, you COULD have a ship with all officers I suppose. But that means that you will field a MUCH smaller fleet, since not everyone CAN graduate from an intensive 4 year institution. Then, you'd simply have junior officers doing all of the menial, day to day admin and maintence tasks. Any rank below Lt Cmdr would be pretty much only for show, because you'd have litterally HUNDREDS of Ensigns, JGs, and LTs.