Holodecks are a boring technology to watch

[doctorfoto]

Shouldn't they bump into the real walls? I mean, it's in a big room right? Did they address that?

In the TNG Technical Manual, I believe it said that the floors move for each individual user, an omni-directional conveyor belt basically - so that no matter how much you walk, you'd never hit the walls. The holo-matrix projects the other people in the holodeck with you as part of the simulation (to your perspective) so that they can seem far away when they're not. Something like that.

Is it holo-addiction though? It's not like these people had TV to unwind to at the end of the day. How many hours of holodeck use per day would qualify as addiction? I'd be curious to compare that with modern tv viewing habits.

I find it interesting so many people are turned off that the holo-simulations are "too real" (not glitchy enough). I've personally never had any issues with that - hadn't even considered it. I DO however think that "holo-addiction" would be unlikely, simply because of lack of access.

Even assuming that a Galaxy Class starship had.. even 20 separate holodecks, with over 1000 crew members, that's a lot of wait time for your turn. The shows always implied that everyone (including low-level officers and civilians) had easy access to the holodecks and could spend hours every day to recreate, but that just wouldn't be feasible. Even in the 24th Century Federation, there are some limitations.

 

[Armored Saint]

The scenes filmed in them are typically so utterly flawless that they come off as just another scene. They blend in. There's nothing visually interesting to look at. When something is created, it just appears. No projections or lasers or machinery of any kind. There's never any minor glitches to make me feel like I'm watching an amazing technology as opposed to actors just doing another scene.

Yes, it's instantaneous...what's the problem. If Worf can read a fairly instructive message on his tactical station instantaneously, why the computer should have a compilation delay for the holograms? What's you're suggesting would have been repetitive and quite ugly considering we're talking about a 1987 tv-show.

 

[T'Girl]

Even assuming that a Galaxy Class starship had.. even 20 separate holodecks, with over 1000 crew members, that's a lot of wait time for your turn.

But as tempting as access would be for you, many of the people aboard the ship might be visiting the holodeck only rarely. Some never visit except for some type of require training.

Entering a chamber where all is make believe simply holds no interest for them. Instead they interact with real people in ten-forward, or send time in the ship's gym, read in their quarters, attend a play or concert.

Just because I like to run in the park, doesn't mean everyone does.

 

[LMFAOschwarz]

We've seen the holodeck stay in operation when the door was open and people came and went, so the heavy locking door isn't even required.

That corner with the big door seemed to pull double duty as the holodeck door, shuttle bay door, and cargo bay door as needed.

Just why was the holodeck door so doggone hefty? The big, imposing 'whoosh' as they opened and closed...it' seems more like a hatch which would open directly into space.

 

[T'Girl]

^ The holodeck and the corridor could have been separated by a bulkhead.

 

[Captain Kathryn]

I would literally spend my life at Quark's if I lived in the Star Trek universe (holosuites + booze + awesome people). I hear if you can offer some service you can basically live on the station for free... right?

 

[T'Girl]

I hear if you can offer some service you can basically live on the station for free

What kind of "service" were you thinking of offering?

 

[Captain Kathryn]

I hear if you can offer some service you can basically live on the station for free

What kind of "service" were you thinking of offering?

LOL nothing dirty I assure you...

Like... janitorial service? Er.... Oo-mox? LOL

Or I could put on a skimpy outfit and spin the dabo wheel.

 

[Armored Saint]

Even assuming that a Galaxy Class starship had.. even 20 separate holodecks, with over 1000 crew members, that's a lot of wait time for your turn. The shows always implied that everyone (including low-level officers and civilians) had easy access to the holodecks and could spend hours every day to recreate, but that just wouldn't be feasible. Even in the 24th Century Federation, there are some limitations.

Of course, but there's always a part of the crew currently on duty. Strangely, a lot of important things happen during the regular day shift when every important officer are on duty and Wesley's not at school. When something happens at the evening, half of the required officers are already on the bridge and the other half is playing poker or drinking non-alcoholic beverage.

I think the summum of convenience is in The Perfect Mate. Riker to bridge. If you need me, I'll be in holodeck four. Of course Willie Boy, when you need to interrupt your shift to barclay yourself, you know the holodeck four is open to you.

 

[dswynne1]

I forget which DS-9 episode it was, but an Alien fell for Kira and wanted Quark to build him a replica in the his Holosuite. When Kira found out it was edited to have Quark's head on her body- a funny as hell payback for having one's privacy violated...

But the thing was, Quark was going about the situation a bit sloppily, starting with telling his brother Rom what he was planning to do. Quark should have been smart enough to a) know that Kira would say 'no' to begin with, b) hire someone to get the data he needs, and c) have a back-up plan in case he is found out, so that when his operation was known, he secure some sort of plausible deniability in place. I know he's not Garak, but Quark should have been savvy enough not to be found out, especially with Odo around.

 

[dswynne1]

Unfortunately, if holodecks were around now, we'd use it for hedonism, mostly by Beta males who have nearly-sheltered or sheltered lives. Oh, and thrill seekers and the deranged who need that natural high. Of course, such technology would make excellent teaching tools, but I digress...

Still, I am surprised that 'Trek never introduced the idea of dream manipulation a la "Inception", though, that one episode on DS9, the one where O'Brien had to live a lifetime in his own mind for breaking a rule on some planet, and then contemplate committing suicide for failing to live up to the standards of 24th century Earth. I forget which one.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

It's true a lot of people would use it for hedonism but I doubt it'd be the only function. It'd be used for fitness training, and all kinds of job training for a variety of different fields. It could be used the way it was in Matter of Perspective to reconstruct crime scenes in the court room. It could be used for sports, like you could go to the best golf courses in the world without leaving your house. Run a full simulation of the American Ninja Warrior course. Climb Mt Everest without risking your life. It could be used for live sports broadcast. See Michael Jordan play against Lebron James in their respective primes. Walk on other planets. See Mike Tyson beating up Justin Bieber. And GAMING. First person shooters, blow your friends up to see who's better at it. And can you imagine what interesting strategy games nerds would come up with?

Hedonism, well obviously it would be used for that too. But not only by beta males. Let's put it this way: 50 Shades Of Grey. I think middle aged women would come up with far more depraved holodeck fantasies than beta males. Beta males would just put big breasts on submissive women who possibly look like aliens and/or animal hybrids. Amateur stuff.

Using other people's images in the holodeck is one of those things that I think is immoral but shouldn't be illegal because it doesn't interfere with that person's right to life, liberty and property. It's really not that much different from using somebody in your imagination like you can now.

 

[Drone]

The scenes filmed in them are typically so utterly flawless that they come off as just another scene. They blend in. There's nothing visually interesting to look at. When something is created, it just appears. No projections or lasers or machinery of any kind. There's never any minor glitches to make me feel like I'm watching an amazing technology as opposed to actors just doing another scene.

Yes, it's instantaneous...what's the problem. If Worf can read a fairly instructive message on his tactical station instantaneously, why the computer should have a compilation delay for the holograms? What's you're suggesting would have been repetitive and quite ugly considering we're talking about a 1987 tv-show.

Agreed. I appreciate the objections stated, here and in many other threads, including writers' sloth, moral ambiguities, and the rest. But this, that the technology is too unobtrusive and the results too seamless? Eh. Well, in-universe it's supposed to operate seamlessly and I would well imagine that after it being a regular feature of the Starfleet existence for long enough, that its users strong expectation would demand such a standard. After all, kinoplasmic radiation surges are likely pretty rare and their aftereffects short lived. But the day in, day out routine and unexceptional functioning of a system and activity, while perhaps not absolutely integral, that does have a number of important applications and uses beyond the obvious one, would be the norm and unremarkable.

I wonder if this objection is fed by a level of disdain, sometimes subconscious perhaps, that some folks hold against the commonly expressed perfection or Utopian quality of life in 24th century Federation life, or at least its stripe that we have become habituated in viewing over the years.