Whither the Internet?

[Smellincoffee]

Throughout the Star Trek shows we saw people with immediate access to a nigh-infinite amount of knowledge. That data seemed to be stored on the ships' computer banks themselves, or in 'tapes'. Could they stream from a cosmic cloud, from server farms the size of small moons? Assuming that planets had global internet service, do you think there was a uni-net -- a network common to the Federation, for instance, or even one with connections to other powers like the Klingons? In a military context, would officers in Starfleet have easy access to this internet...or would they be more isolated on the ship, restricted to its databank and the network of subspace messaging?

 

[The Wormhole]

Starship databanks seem to include everything known to the Federation anyway. Just look at Voyager, stranded out in the Delta Quadrant cut off from Starfleet, and yet they could easily look up a mundane log from Sulu talking about "routine maintenance" being done on the Excelsior (Flashback) personal logs from at least two other Starfleet captains (Scorpion) and access to a database that seems to be the Ferengi wiki (11:59). Not to mention every book ever published on any Federation world (Prime Factors). If a ship's computer core can store all that, why bother with a space internet?

 

[Horizons96]

Starship databanks seem to include everything known to the Federation anyway. Just look at Voyager, stranded out in the Delta Quadrant cut off from Starfleet, and yet they could easily look up a mundane log from Sulu talking about "routine maintenance" being done on the Excelsior (Flashback) personal logs from at least two other Starfleet captains (Scorpion) and access to a database that seems to be the Ferengi wiki (11:59). Not to mention every book ever published on any Federation world (Prime Factors). If a ship's computer core can store all that, why bother with a space internet?

Totally. My mind is blown when I think about the size of computer HDDs back in 2000, and now my local supermarket sells 64GB USB flashdrives that hang around your neck... imagine the storage capacity on board starships in the 24th century. They could instantaneously synchronize with cloud type storage (to keep up with new information), the same way the ship chronometers synchronize with Federation time-buoys to compensate for fractional time-dilation.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Starship databanks seem to include everything known to the Federation anyway. Just look at Voyager, stranded out in the Delta Quadrant cut off from Starfleet, and yet they could easily look up a mundane log from Sulu talking about "routine maintenance" being done on the Excelsior (Flashback) personal logs from at least two other Starfleet captains (Scorpion) and access to a database that seems to be the Ferengi wiki (11:59). Not to mention every book ever published on any Federation world (Prime Factors). If a ship's computer core can store all that, why bother with a space internet?

Good points.

Streaming and WiFi are impractical for a starship due to the time lags involved, plus an enemy could always jam or intercept the signal.

 

[SPCTRE]

Subspace communications allow for data burst transmissions, bandwith depending on the requirements of the writers for today's plot.

So a Federation-wide interstellar-net seems entirely plausible. Moon-sized datacenters as suggested in the OP to me feel somewhat incongruent with the level of technological advancement shown in TNG (and later).

Then again, the Technical Manual for TNG suggests the Ent-D's main computer encompasses several decks, which seems silly by today's standards but more in line with massive scale superstructures as requirements for very advanced computer tech. So yeah, I dunno.

 

[Amaris]

I always assumed that ships had massive databases, and then any necessary new information was updated when they approached a starbase or Federation beacon.

 

[MacLeod]

Well we do know at least in TOS time they had Memory Alpha which in essence was a masisve library.

 

[Mage]

Well we do know at least in TOS time they had Memory Alpha which in essence was a masisve library.

I was always under the impression that locations like Memory Alpha were storage facilities, with several others throughout the Federation. Back-ups, if you will.

But, if a singular starship can contain as much information in their computers as we see in TNG/DS9/VOY, I doubt facilities like that make sense really. Atleast, not in the 24th century. So perhaps 23rd century computer tech was not that sofisticated yet. Which makes sense, considering... I mean, they needed to project computer tech for the 23rd century from 1960's knowledge. In the 80's tech had already evolved beyond tapes/cartridges. By now, the concept of quantum computing is a theory that is likely for the nearby future.

Besides, internet is an unstable thing. Server can go down, wireless connection can get faulty. You need hardwired tech for quick responses. I don't think that starship databanks rely on something like an internet, where it connects to servers nearby to gain acces to a huge databank. Those databanks are on the ship/station.

As for Federation citizens, yeah, I think there is something like www that has free acces to all sorts of non-restriced information, like a wikipedia.

 

[BK613]

IDK, starship computing resources could be interpreted as the logical extension of content delivery networks, pushing the servers and services as close to the users as possible. All the while, they are synching with other Federation resources in the background (unless your 75,000 ly from home )

A Google data center is a good example of this idea. (Youtube video)

 

[at Quark's]

If a ship's computer core can store all that, why bother with a space internet?

Well, our internet not only serves as a repository of 'classic' knowledge, but it also facilitates being kept up-to-date (regardless of whether that would be being kept up to date regarding scientific research including all 'raw' data sets used for those who would care to verify the research independently, or the whereabouts of your friends, or general or specialized news reports, or any other purpose).

The classic knowledge could be stored in the computer databanks of the ship, yes. But I'm not sure it would be efficient to include everything that happens in standard subspace Starfleet communications.

So I could see use for a 'slimmed down' space internet, just in case a remote starship unexpectedly and urgently needs the very latest detailed research data on, say, a medical treatment, that was only released 1 day ago. It could certainly be more efficient than having to request the information at Starfleet HQ and then having to wait for someone to send the required information ...

 

[Smellincoffee]

Well, people aren't robots (Data excepting, of course). Surely one of the internet's appealing aspects is being able to interact with people beyond our own community. I'm sure that's a lot easier in the ST history, what with transporters allowing day trips across the planet, and lots of international travel.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The only reason they used record 'tapes' in TOS was 1) so characters could be seen carrying them, and 2) there was no Internet IRL as of yet.

 

[T'Girl]

The only reason they used record 'tapes' in TOS was 1) so characters could be seen carrying them, and 2) there was no Internet IRL as of yet.

The same with later shows where we see them delivering padds with information to various people, and Janeway with her desk stacked with padds.

At least the "tapes" were smaller (and came in different colors).

 

[JWPlatt]

I assume that ships are preloaded with the full bank of standard knowledge and that there are subspace connections that update storage as quickly as possible as more data becomes available (such as crew logs from other ships, starbases, and planets as they are made). What doesn't get updated because of subspace lag issues gets a full update at a starbase, which speed up anyway as the ship approaches a starbase. And those starbase updates come from other distribution channels. In a distributed network, they can all update each other.

Also, I do not believe that a starship would centralize its computer systems, even if it's been shown that way on some episodes.

These are all basic concepts in use today for tools such as code repositories and backup storage.

 

[Vger23]

Star Trek V has a line that refers to the "transmission from the Starfleet Galactic Memory Bank." That could imply a network of sorts.

 

[TheGoodNews]

I assume that ships are preloaded with the full bank of standard knowledge and that there are subspace connections that update storage as quickly as possible as more data becomes available (such as crew logs from other ships, starbases, and planets as they are made). What doesn't get updated because of subspace lag issues gets a full update at a starbase, which speed up anyway as the ship approaches a starbase. And those starbase updates come from other distribution channels. In a distributed network, they can all update each other.

I can imagine incredibly fast and intelligent APPS on ships, starbases, interstellar relays doing this automatically.

 

[Nightdiamond]

And since TV is obsolete, there is no 24th century version of Netflix, Youtube or streaming. No visual entertainment.

It looks the computers were used mainly for information, and maybe video games.

The funny thing is that the movie Starship Troopers picked up on the internet idea, and that was only 1997. The television also served as an internet data feed.

 

[Timewalker]

And since TV is obsolete, there is no 24th century version of Netflix, Youtube or streaming. No visual entertainment.

It looks the computers were used mainly for information, and maybe video games.

The funny thing is that the movie Starship Troopers picked up on the internet idea, and that was only 1997. The television also served as an internet data feed.

With holodecks, who needs Netflix?

There was an early episode where Riker was in his quarters, and grinning while he looked at some sort of holo-thingy of two women playing the harp... because apparently they were really good musicians, or something.

As I recall, that's about as close to watching TV as TNG ever got. At least on Voyager, Tom Paris got a real TV programmed with cartoons that B'Elanna downloaded from the ship's database.

 

[Nightdiamond]

And since TV is obsolete, there is no 24th century version of Netflix, Youtube or streaming. No visual entertainment.

It looks the computers were used mainly for information, and maybe video games.

The funny thing is that the movie Starship Troopers picked up on the internet idea, and that was only 1997. The television also served as an internet data feed.

With holodecks, who needs Netflix?

There was an early episode where Riker was in his quarters, and grinning while he looked at some sort of holo-thingy of two women playing the harp... because apparently they were really good musicians, or something.

As I recall, that's about as close to watching TV as TNG ever got. At least on Voyager, Tom Paris got a real TV programmed with cartoons that B'Elanna downloaded from the ship's database.

But the thing is, the holodeck was sited as a new invention in the early episodes. So then that would mean before that, what were people doing for passive entertainment?

And then look at what people did even with holotechnology available .

The episode where Geordi was kidnapped and brainwashed. Before it happened, he was alone, in a shuttle for a few long hours on his trip to Risa.

He's got one of those Starfleet computers on board. What does he do?

He plays audio puzzle games with it.

That was it. No 24th century version of streaming video, news, gaming, social media, etc?

Come on, boring man

I noticed that with DS9 and Voyager, they subtly tried to bring visual media back.

It added a more realistic quality to future society. Without the holodeck, entertainment seemed so one dimensional.