A minor way that Trek sucks

[Reliant121]

Very very true.

[Mikey]

With the microwave curry thing... if a bunch of frat boys were standing around a broken microwave and one says "you know you can just BOIL rice instead of microwaving it" and they all go "wow!"... yeah, that's believable, kinda. But if the same thing happens with a bunch of professional chefs, you go "they're supposed to know this stuff!"

I admit that you have me stumped. Why would those frat boys get a pass for egregious idiocy when the characters on 'Trek don't for relatively minor idiocy? For that matter, would you agree with me in calling someone an idiot who had referred to a galleon as a "ship?"

[Graham Kennedy]

The frat boys would get a pass because there's no particular reason why the should know that bit of information. Information isn't inborn, we either learn a thing or we don't. I know that "you can boil rice" is a very widely known piece of information, and one might look askance at a person who didn't know it... but some people just do not cook, ever. I've known people who have literally never used a kitchen in their entire life and would have no idea how to cook the simplest of things. It may be unusual, but it's hardly outrageous.

Whereas a bunch of professional chefs... for them not to know the most basic facts of something they are allegedly experts at, that indeed absolutely outrageous.

For that matter, would you agree with me in calling someone an idiot who had referred to a galleon as a "ship?"

Well at risk of repeating my point yet again, it would depend on the person. The average person in the street, I wouldn't call them an idiot for not knowing that. A professional sailor who had spent half his life working on galleons, though? He'd pretty much have to be an idiot not to know it, yes.

[Mikey]

All a matter of perspective, then. To me, the definition of "ship" as applies to the Age of Sail is something I would expect people to know - at the very least, I would expect people to understand if I said, "The Enterprise used for Worf's promotion scene was a brig, not a ship."

On the other hand, I don't have a problem with crew members congratulating Picard on his atmosphere-skipping maneuver - it doesn't mean that he's the only one who knew about the effect, it just means that people that it graceful under pressure to keep his head enough to recall the relevant facts, and just that people wanted to congratulate him on a job well done. Michael Moorcock obviously knows how to write novels, for example, but that doesn't invalidate a firend of his congratulating him on the completion of a new one.

[Reliant121]

All a matter of perspective, then. To me, the definition of "ship" as applies to the Age of Sail is something I would expect people to know - at the very least, I would expect people to understand if I said, "The Enterprise used for Worf's promotion scene was a brig, not a ship."

Really? I have to say, I find that incredibly surprising (that you expect that anyway).

[Mikey]

I should clarify. I don't necessarily expect knowledge from people, but I do expect a certain level on intelligence (except in the case of GK's frat boys - any adult who can't boil water to follow the "recipe" on a box of instant rice belongs in a zoo.) That is, if you and I were talking and I made the above comment to you, I don't care if you know the archaic nautical definition of "brig;" what I care about is that you are intelligent enough to determine the purpose I have for making that distinction, and not going on ignoring the distinction I made.

OTOH, if you didn't know specifically what I meant by the term "brig," I'd have a lot more respect for you if you asked me or otherwise found out than to continue in ignorance. That's why I use so much data on my phone - if I ever hear about something on TV about which I'm less than well-informed, I'm online immediately.

[Reliant121]

I do the same with finding things out and always ask if necessary. I just know a vast majority of people would not know that a brig relates to naval terms, at least within the locale I know (ironic, for a naval town).

[Mikey]

I don't know of any other definition than nautical. In modern usage, it refers to a prison aboard; originally, it meant a two-masted, square-rigged (although sometimes with a trysail abaft and a jib or spinnaker fore) vessel. The Enterprise from Worf's promotion scene as well as HMS Interceptor from Pirates of the Caribbean were both portrayed by the brig Lady Washington.

Ship, in the Age of Sail definition, means a square-rigged vessel with three or more masts. Galleons, for example, wouldn't count because the mizzen was lateen rigged.

[Reliant121]

I know there isn't any other, part from those two mentioned, but most I know simply won't know the word even exists.

[SolkaTruesilver]

I hate it when some people ALWAYS refer to the holo-technology as a "holodeck"

"Deck" is a denomination that refers to something inside a ship. If it's not a ship, then it's NOT a DECK. It's a Holosuite.

[USSEnterprise]

I hate it when some people ALWAYS refer to the holo-technology as a "holodeck"

"Deck" is a denomination that refers to something inside a ship. If it's not a ship, then it's NOT a DECK. It's a Holosuite.

I really don't have an issue with that considering its just the name of something. If the first holodecks were used in the long ranged explorer type vessels or something I could easily just see the term used for both ship based and "land" based facilities.

[Mikey]

Yeah, I see that as merely a precedence of vernacular, the same way that "gun" has come to be used for firearms or sci-fi longarms are called "rifles," even if they use directed energy and therefore can't be rifled.

[SolkaTruesilver]

Yeah, I see that as merely a precedence of vernacular, the same way that "gun" has come to be used for firearms or sci-fi longarms are called "rifles," even if they use directed energy and therefore can't be rifled.

I guess. But in these cases, it's not a portemanteau that's used. In holodeck, you are effectively saying holo-deck. The same holo-suites are being used in DS9. The vernacular excuse grows very thin.

And I don't believe holodecks would have been first installed on Starship. Wouldn't it had been first used in military installations?

[Captain Seafort]

And I don't believe holodecks would have been first installed on Starship. Wouldn't it had been first used in military installations?

Indeed - and starships would be the perfect such location. Planetary or orbital station starbases would have plenty of space for training facilities. Starships wouldn't, and would therefore benefit much more from having a holodeck.

[Tyyr]

I doubt they originated somewhere and slowly spread. Given how revolutionary a technology it is I suspect that they started showing up everywhere all at once. It's just too useful.