I wonder what would happen...

[at Quark's]

Maybe they're trying not to scare the new races the Borg meet?

By Tailoring the crews of the Assimilation Cubes as something familiar so the noobz don't completely freak the fuck out while they're being hunted.

The Borg do not think of themselves as evil. Assimilation is a good thing, that everyone should want once they know how good it is, it's their job to make the transition as comfortable as possible.

THIS is the Borg trying to be pleasant.

From Unimatrix Zero, pt. 2.

<boy runs into Borg Queen>

Borg Queen: Don't be frightened. Stand up; let me look at you.

Boy: You're one of the machine people. You're trying to hurt us.

Borg Queen: That's the last thing I want to do. I'm here to help you...All of you.

Boy: They said you want to assim...Assimi...

Borg Queen: Assimilate you. Yes. But that's nothing to be afraid of. You like having friends, don't you?

<Boy nods.>

Borg Queen: Assimilation turns us all into friends. In fact, it brings us so close together we can hear each other's thoughts.

Boy: Is that fun?

Borg Queen: Yes. It's fun.

<She steps forward. Boy steps back.>

Borg Queen: I was just about your age when I was assimilated. I was worried then, too. But when I began to hear the others...Hear their thoughts...I wasn't afraid anymore.

boy: Don't you miss your parents?

Borg Queen: They're here with me...Part of us. I can hear them right now. (looks at boy) Would you like to be with your parents? They miss you. They want to see you.

Boy: Can I talk to them?

Borg Queen: Soon. But first... I'd like to see more of this.

If only there wasn't the minor matter of her dismembering several drones for having a wrong type of dream in part 1, i'd almost think she actually believes what she says

 

[Guy Gardener]

Do you think that the assimilation process is offered to %100 of the target species?

Okay, yes. They do offer assimilation to billions without provision, but the Borg are so elite that if given a reason to believe that inferior stock is being included in with the current sample, there will be quality control.

The problem being I am guessing is that the Borg won't notice reasons (because the assimilatees are individually uniquely inferior "somehow" and will subtract from Borg Perfection.) not to continue assimilating a person until they're part way through assimilating that person. I'm guessing that someone who is half assimilated is not likely to last long, especially if the Borg then start removing all the 15 pounds of hardware they just spent 1/2 an hour growing inside that person.

5 billion potential assimilatees on any given planet, and all 5 billion are perfectly viable?

Somehow I doubt it.

 

[Kobayshi Maru]

It's never canonically stated whether or not the Borg are capable of assimilating Changelings. I might say, probably not, but if they ever met they might be able to find a way rather quickly. Ever notice we never meet a Borg who isn't a humanoid? Their nanites are designed with human nervous systems in mind. At the very least, existing nanites would not work on Changelings and they'd have to adapt the nanites to work on them.

@Kobayashi

Malevolent, yes, but more malevolent than real world humans?

More malevolent? Definitely! Humans are diverse, some are malevolent and some are very good. The changelings are only one thing. When they decide to destroy a planet there doesn't seem to be any appeal possible. They only argued about Odo's fate because he's one of them, they don't give a damn about other species, they've proven that, time and again. Like the holodeck Freud says in Data's dream: "Kill zem, kill zem all!!!"