Interesting oddity in 'Conspiracy' regarding the ENT D computer

[I am not Spock]

I was watching my s1 DVDs again last night. In the season one ep 'Conspiracy', Data is reviewing the Starfleet database, on a laptop computer more bulky than the one I am writing this on now (but I digress )

He starts displaying human behaviour. He talks to himself. He realises this, and starts listing the various reasons humans talk to themselves. And then the strangest thing happens. The computer gets impatient with him! It says something along the lines of 'I understand, sir'! to get Data to shut up. I laughed out loud! So not only does Data display human behaviour in this scene, but the LCARS does too!

Is this an example of Starfleet computer sentience, long before the EMH programme of the USS Voyager? Or did Starfleet program the Galaxy class starships with an artificial personality file? Not a criticism, just an observation.

 

[DGCatAniSiri]

I think the computer was implied to be a lot more interactive back in the first season. On a couple of occasions, didn't it speak to Riker in a flirtatious tone? "You're very welcome, Commander" or something like that?

 

[DrTaylor]

Yeah, well, there were a lot of oddities in the first season. It's funny though.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I think the computer was implied to be a lot more interactive back in the first season. On a couple of occasions, didn't it speak to Riker in a flirtatious tone? "You're very welcome, Commander" or something like that?

No, I don't think it did that, but 'Conspiracy' was definitely the only time I can ever remember a Federation/Starfleet computer speaking in the first person tone - it said to Data "Thank you, sir. I comprehend."

 

[I am not Spock]

^That's why I was taken aback by this line! I have never before or since seen an LCARS talk about itself in the first person.

 

[Tom Riley]

I remember hearing a sound clip, at the moment I can't recall which series it was from or what episode or anything, but it was a Starfleet computer saying "Please do not address this unit in that manner." or something along those lines. I know it's not referring to itself as "I" or "me" but it's similar still.

 

[Trekker4747]

I was watching my s1 DVDs again last night. In the season one ep 'Conspiracy', Data is reviewing the Starfleet database, on a laptop computer more bulky than the one I am writing this on now (but I digress )

He starts displaying human behaviour. He talks to himself. He realises this, and starts listing the various reasons humans talk to themselves. And then the strangest thing happens. The computer gets impatient with him! It says something along the lines of 'I understand, sir'! to get Data to shut up. I laughed out loud! So not only does Data display human behaviour in this scene, but the LCARS does too!

Is this an example of Starfleet computer sentience, long before the EMH programme of the USS Voyager? Or did Starfleet program the Galaxy class starships with an artificial personality file? Not a criticism, just an observation.

Yeah, I found it odd too. It's the only time in all of TNG where the computer displays this level of "impatience" or, really, shows any kind of "personality" beyond an all-knowing voice. Most of the time, and even in the very same episode I believe, the characters display annoyance with the computer answering questions not directed to it.

I think the computer was implied to be a lot more interactive back in the first season. On a couple of occasions, didn't it speak to Riker in a flirtatious tone? "You're very welcome, Commander" or something like that?

The only time I recall the computer "flirting" with a user is in the TOS Episode "Tommorow is Yesterday" while the 20th century pilot is on the ship he runs into some of the "problems" people have in the future which includes the Enterprise computer talking flirtatiously to Kirk.

 

[Danny99]

As cornball as it is, it was a set up for a Data laugh line in my books.

 

[Trekker4747]

Maybe Worf, fed up with Data always over-explaining things, hacked into the Data's UA in the computer and messed with the settings/inserted a program that'd make the computer grow annoyed with Data?

 

[adrianpatrick]

You wanna talk lines in 'Conspiracy' lol ?

"Increase to Warp 6."
"Aye sir, full impulse."

At the time I thought this was the best episode to date - but it seemed to be written by someone completely unfamiliar with Star Trek. There are so many 'lines' that just don't fit within the Trek universe. It's completely inconsistent. And pretentious. But we loved it first time around - and I'd love the main plotline to be followed up someday... Did this ever occur in one of the novels?

Watching the first season really is like watching a whole different (inferior) series.... and was the last to be overseen full-time by Gene- which speaks volumes I think.

 

[Michael]

It's meant to be funny. There isn't a deeper meaning to that scene.

 

[Trekker4747]

You wanna talk lines in 'Conspiracy' lol ?

"Increase to Warp 6."
"Aye sir, full impulse."

What's odd about that one is that you'd think Burton would've pointed out to the director that the line made no sense when the scene was being filmed.

 

[Shatnertage]

Maybe it was late in the day, and everyone was tired.

The first season inconsistencies make it more fun to watch, IMHO.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I remember hearing a sound clip, at the moment I can't recall which series it was from or what episode or anything, but it was a Starfleet computer saying "Please do not address this unit in that manner." or something along those lines. I know it's not referring to itself as "I" or "me" but it's similar still.

Actually I believe that was Kirk, in "Tomorrow is Yesterday," speaking TO the computer. After constantly hearing the computer call him "dear", Kirk - visibly annoyed - says "Computer, you are not to address me in that manner. Compute."

Which brings up Majel's hilariously pouting/sulking line, "Computed..."

 

[Timo]

What's odd about that one is that you'd think Burton would've pointed out to the director that the line made no sense when the scene was being filmed.

Why Burton? What would he have known or cared about technobabble? His involvement in Star Trek was less than a year old at that point...

OTOH, the character of LaForge had already been established as having a somewhat perverse sense of humor. And the whole teaser started out with LaForge telling a painful joke of some sort or another, of which we only hear the cringeworthy punchline (and Data's analysis of it). It's in response to the agony of listening to LaForge that Riker orders the increase in speed - so it wouldn't be out of character at all for LaForge to respond to those orders with another torturous joke of his...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Destructor]

I think the computer was implied to be a lot more interactive back in the first season. On a couple of occasions, didn't it speak to Riker in a flirtatious tone? "You're very welcome, Commander" or something like that?

No, I don't think it did that, but 'Conspiracy' was definitely the only time I can ever remember a Federation/Starfleet computer speaking in the first person tone - it said to Data "Thank you, sir. I comprehend."

That scene cracks me up. I know it was put in as a joke, but you can imagine a programmer putting that in there!

 

[Timo]

...Probably for the better. The starship computers of Trek are consistently portrayed as taking the initiative in conversations with the user. They answer questions that the user doesn't ask, and they filter the answers in a plot-promoting manner without prompting. They seem to monitor overall discussion rather than directly issued commands and queries (which actually makes more sense than responding to just the commands and queries, because telling those apart from the rest of the chatter would require monitoring and analyzing the chatter). Why wouldn't they also help the user along by offering suggestions or encouragement or exhibiting feigned impatience?

...Doubly feigned, in that all the responses would be "simulated" to a degree anyway, and the impatience would also be there not because the computer was truly getting bored but because pretending to be bored would help pull the user's train of thought.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Hober Mallow]

I think the computer was implied to be a lot more interactive back in the first season. On a couple of occasions, didn't it speak to Riker in a flirtatious tone? "You're very welcome, Commander" or something like that?

The computer was extra friendly with Riker in "Encounter at Farpoint." Here's a youtube link. The bit with the computer starts at 3:45.

 

[Trekker4747]

I think the computer was implied to be a lot more interactive back in the first season. On a couple of occasions, didn't it speak to Riker in a flirtatious tone? "You're very welcome, Commander" or something like that?

The computer was extra friendly with Riker in "Encounter at Farpoint." Here's a youtube link. The bit with the computer starts at 3:45.

The computer did some "uncharcteristicly friendly" in that scene. Maybe Picard turned the "friendliness" setting down at some point?

I also love it when the chick that helps him checks out Riker's ass.

 

[RegFan]

At the time I thought this was the best episode to date - but it seemed to be written by someone completely unfamiliar with Star Trek. There are so many 'lines' that just don't fit within the Trek universe. It's completely inconsistent. And pretentious. But we loved it first time around - and I'd love the main plotline to be followed up someday... Did this ever occur in one of the novels?

I have no idea if the plotline was ever followed up in the novels, but at least that happened in this fanfic.