Star Trek peeves

[CommanderRaytas]

Expanding the focus a bit on the entire fleet could help--even if it's just in the form of hearing in passing dialogue more about other ships elsewhere that were able to save this or that--so that it doesn't come across like only the ship we're following is the only one that can do anything.

Word. That would completely fix some of the mildly eye-rolling moments when the trope is overplayed.

I know I said this "we're the only ship in range" thing was the worst, but I was being hyperbolic. Sometimes it's okay, sometimes it just leaves me scratching my head and thinking, "Really, now?". A throwaway line about other ships would just do away with that problem entirely if the hero ship has to be the one speeding off to the rescue.

 

[Richard Baker]

Or have Starfleet send several ships but the hero ship arrives first.

If the situation is as important or critical as they suggest, why put your entire fate in a single ship? No matter how great the ship is or how competent the crew, something could happen to either delay or possible destroy that vessel en route. How many times did the Enterprise, no matter which one, get into some bizarre trouble while just travelling to another destination?

 

[TheGoodStuff]

In "First Contact" with that line about 'the Marta community...on the southern continent', I always assumed this was just Riker himself being unfamiliar with the planet. The Malcorian doctors must have been suspicious at this but probably just wrote it off as being the rantings of a half delusional patient.



That's not a bug, it's a feature. Really, it is. If the main bridge or any of its control panels would be destroyed or damaged, then any computer control surface can be used to operate the ship. Same goes for engineering - if its control surfaces are damaged, then the engines can be accessed from whatever is available.

The basic thrust of the gist is: Any ship's system can be operated from anywhere ON the ship. Including padds, if that's the only option left. Maximum flexibility and redundancy. They really did do that on purpose.

As a feature it is insanely misguided and overlooks basic security concerns. ANY computer surface on board a ship with a minimum of 1000 inhabitants being able to reroute life support to any console on the ship is a colossal security risk. Being able to reroute all ship functions to 10-forward is, in itself, ridiculous from a security standpoint.

Even logically speaking, the number of scenarios where re-routing the engines to the bar to save the day has to be less likely/frequent than scenarios where someone could commandeer the bar and hijack vital ship functions.

I don't even agree with your internet analogy in your follow-up post. A Federation Galaxy-Class starhip is not 'the internet'. It is a vessel with extremely powerful weaponry and at least a thousand personnel on board [including children]. Being able to re-route weapon control to the arboretum, to me, is a laughable 'function' and makes the Enterprise look like it has a 'PLEASE HIJACK ME' sign hanging from its neck.

 

[Drone]

As a feature it is insanely misguided and overlooks basic security concerns. ANY computer surface on board a ship with a minimum of 1000 inhabitants being able to reroute life support to any console on the ship is a colossal security risk. Being able to reroute all ship functions to 10-forward is, in itself, ridiculous from a security standpoint.

Even logically speaking, the number of scenarios where re-routing the engines to the bar to save the day has to be less likely/frequent than scenarios where someone could commandeer the bar and hijack vital ship functions.

I don't know. It could have been used to create a rather amusing Riley-type follow-up episode. Except this time, you'd have someone who was controlling things who preferred something a bit stronger than milk. We probably would have gotten a few more ribald comments coming from the miscreant, as well!!!!


On another track, I don't remember it it's been mentioned earlier in the thread, but personally, I could do without those oh so not funny, but ostensibly uproarious backslapping episode closers on the bridge, that we saw more than a few times, mostly on TOS. Phony camaraderie, often inspired by a jibe at Spock. Ugh.

 

[locutus101]

They can travel from one end of this quadrant to the other within a few weeks but they need 70 years to get back from the delta quadrant even though it is next to this one!!! What's wrong with these math???

 

[Captain Rob]

They should have made it just eight to ten years. less if they get lucky. More if they have to spend alot of time skirting around Borg space and other hostile threats.

 

[Triskelion]

As a feature it is insanely misguided and overlooks basic security concerns. ANY computer surface on board a ship with a minimum of 1000 inhabitants being able to reroute life support to any console on the ship is a colossal security risk. Being able to reroute all ship functions to 10-forward is, in itself, ridiculous from a security standpoint.

Even logically speaking, the number of scenarios where re-routing the engines to the bar to save the day has to be less likely/frequent than scenarios where someone could commandeer the bar and hijack vital ship functions.

I don't even agree with your internet analogy in your follow-up post. A Federation Galaxy-Class starhip is not 'the internet'. It is a vessel with extremely powerful weaponry and at least a thousand personnel on board [including children]. Being able to re-route weapon control to the arboretum, to me, is a laughable 'function' and makes the Enterprise look like it has a 'PLEASE HIJACK ME' sign hanging from its neck.

What if it has to do with command codes? Then only someone currently holding the command code would be able to establish a systems control interface; it wouldn't be a function of the screen, which is unnecessary, but of access to that level of software from the LCARS interface system. Sort of like a password to access a certain network running a company's management/accounting software and not just the buttons marked with hamburgers.

How aliens can beam in and start punching buttons labeled only with little numbers, I'll never know. I do note how they can somehow understand Federation Standard's numbering system on sight. I guess it has to do with the UT's neural components?

 

[TheGoodStuff]

What if it has to do with command codes? Then only someone currently holding the command code would be able to establish a systems control interface; it wouldn't be a function of the screen, which is unnecessary, but of access to that level of software from the LCARS interface system. Sort of like a password to access a certain network running a company's management/accounting software and not just the buttons marked with hamburgers.

The problem with that, as I can see, is that anyone who knew the command codes can still reroute weapons control to a botany lab. Security on Starfleet ships is clearly a tricky thing as we see Data perfectly mimmick Picard's voice in an episode of TNG, for example.

 

[Triskelion]

Damn Botanists!



Another peeve: we never got to see Voyager's "Tactile Interface".
Why not a "Marshmallon Interface" while you're at it?

 

[Captain Rob]

On my perfect starship of the 24th century I'd like to think that the computer continuously monitors every security camera on board. And actively keeps track of every life-form. So when Data would try to imitate Captain Picard's voice the computer would say "You're not Captain Picard. The computer would recognize people the same way people do. I said life-form so that Data could find out which cat knocked up Spot.

 

[Richard Baker]

The computer keeping track of people is inconsistent. Q takes the Captain off the ship and the computer does not mention his sudden disappearance until it is asked directly later, then it simply says he is no longer on board. You would think the senior staff's locations would be known at all times in case of emergency and anything unusual would raise alarms.

 

[Captain Rob]

That's why my system is not used. Just think of how many plot lines it would wipe out.
Every phone, tablet, laptop, and PC today have cameras built into them. A computer system on a starship should be able to not only track the whereabouts of all of it's crew but use facial recognition to proactively establish authentication and access control for a crew member before they even touch a control interface. No passwords or command codes required.

 

[Tracy Trek]

They can travel from one end of this quadrant to the other within a few weeks but they need 70 years to get back from the delta quadrant even though it is next to this one!!! What's wrong with these math???

Wasn't there an episode of the original series called That Which Survives where the Enterprise was flung a very long distance? But it didn't take years to get back.

The only thing that makes sense to me is they couldn't travel straight through the center of the galaxy even though it might have been the shortest route. But I still don't think it would have taken decades. Another thing I used to think is they couldn't safely go over a certain warp factor. But apparently it was established in the pilot that warp 9.5 was it's sustainable cruise velocity.

I guess the explanation for why they didn't have faster communications is because there were not Starfleet communication relays in the Delta Quadrant.

 

[Nebusj]

The computer keeping track of people is inconsistent. Q takes the Captain off the ship and the computer does not mention his sudden disappearance until it is asked directly later, then it simply says he is no longer on board. You would think the senior staff's locations would be known at all times in case of emergency and anything unusual would raise alarms.

Of course, Q being Q, there's not much reason he couldn't swipe the Captain and make the computers not share this information. He grabbed a shuttlecraft too, apparently, and nobody noticed inventory was down by one.

 

[Drone]

On my perfect starship of the 24th century I'd like to think that the computer continuously monitors every security camera on board. And actively keeps track of every life-form. So when Data would try to imitate Captain Picard's voice the computer would say "You're not Captain Picard. The computer would recognize people the same way people do. I said life-form so that Data could find out which cat knocked up Spot.

Has it been established that Fed starships of this, or any era, were actually replete with security cameras? I was under the impression that wasn't the case.

 

[The Wormhole]

He grabbed a shuttlecraft too, apparently, and nobody noticed inventory was down by one.

To be fair, this isn't much of a surprise considering how piss-poor the security in a typical shuttlebay is.

 

[Captain Rob]

Has it been established that Fed starships of this, or any era, were actually replete with security cameras? I was under the impression that wasn't the case.

In ST:TSFS near the beginning. Kirk uses security camera footage from Engineering to establish that Spock mind melded with McCoy before he went into the reactor chamber. The footage even included a dramatic zoom. I guess all ship's LCARS systems are programmed with a course in Cinematography.
And in STIV the Klingon ambassador presented footage to the Federation Council, from security cameras aboard Enterprise showing Kruge's crew in the corridors and on the bridge before the ship self destructed. Which brings up the point. How did they get security records from a ship that blew up? Did Enterprise automatically eject a recorder marker before self destructing?

 

[cultcross]

I'd quite happily believe security footage would be included in a ship's 'black box' flight recorder. And one would hope those were designed not to explode easily.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I guess all ship's LCARS systems are programmed with a course in Cinematography.

I love this concept and am now adopting it into my personal continuity.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

How did they get security records from a ship that blew up? Did Enterprise automatically eject a recorder marker before self destructing?

Probably.