Text based communication

[Sonic Glitch]

Off the top of my head, I recall the ep in which they had to repair a comm relay ("Ariel" or "Aquiel" or something) in which Geordi recovered A/V logs.

I didn't say they didn't have both...

[Captain Picard's Hair]

How about that Voyager ep in which Jonas sold out to Seksa/the Kazon? His secret communications would have been a lot more discrete/easier to hide if text rather than video, with far less data to disguise.

Of course, the lack of a proper keyboard anywhere in Trek might go into this as well! 8)

It also occurred to me that (having heard a statement that what was once Sci-fi in 'Trek has become real in the cell phone) we've already exceeded communicators in some ways. Trek seems to have the edge in range and battery life, but not only do modern cell phones do far more than "just" make calls but they're even more ubiquitous than in Trek. That is to say, how many civvies in Trek have we seen carrying personal communicators? They always seem to go to computer terminals to talk!

[Mark]

Did you ever wonder how Jake used to imput text on his PADD with a keyboard?

[Tyyr]

Both how AND why.

[USSEnterprise]

After WWIII, all common sense was bred out of Humanity.

[Lighthawk]

After WWIII, all common sense was bred out of Humanity.

After?

[Mikey]

After our descent from the trees, all common sense was bred out of Humanity.

edited for accuracy.

[Captain Seafort]

After the emergence of single-celled life forms, all common sense was bred out of Humanity.

edited for accuracy.

Edited your edit for accuracy.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

After the Big Bang, all common sense was bred out of Humanity.

edited for accuracy.

Edited your edit for accuracy.

Edited your edit for accuracy.

[Nickswitz]

Actually, the correct statement would be, after the start of humanity all common sense was bred out of humanity.

[Mikey]

Yeah, I think they were jokes... but thanks, Nick...

[stitch626]

I never understood why the sense was called common...

[Mark]

Since only common, everyday Joe's seem to possess it?

[Monroe]

Another possibility is that the language has evolved in the four centuries. Think about all the high schoolers you know, I drive a rape van so I know a few. When they text its always "do u hve 2 work 2day? can i hve ur hrs?" (I sure hope this job I interviewed with takes me). So fast forward into the 24th century and the language has changed: "iz picard leik tat grumie bald dude?" or "omg janeway just neds 2 stfu & blow up the f array."

So because the language has changed so drastically most people talk instead. Can you imagine what those mission briefings Picard reads must look like? haha

[Mikey]

I don't see how that would be an issue. That vernacular isn't an impediment to the people that use it, because of their familiarity with it. That's sort of like saying that two Filipinos can't talk to each other, because they both only speak Tagalog.