Discussion WMG / StarTrek

1.) Mike Wong is wrong in that he completely misrepresents what others say. He is, in essence, setting up a strawman he can knock down. No source has EVER claimed that the replicators 'create things out of energy'. Rather, all sources, including the Star Trek Encyclopedia and the TNG and DS 9 Technical Manuals describe the function of a replicator as rearranging the molecular makeup of an object. It works on the same principle as the transporters, breaking down matter and reassembling it, only the replicator reassembles it in a different form. Again, essentially the same thing Mike Wong says they do. However, Wong is misrepresenting the argument his 'opponent' makes in order to score a 'win.' And Quark stated that gold was valuable to humans in the 1940's which it still was. In the 24th century, however, gold has been consistently described as having little-to-no value. This was even the case as far back as the Original Trek episode 'Catspaw' wherein it was mentioned that gold's only uses were as for decorative and functional purposes, and it held no value otherwise. The combadges of Starfleet officers are made partially of gold as a result of it's abundance. Not a very valuable metal if it's regularly used as a part of the uniform of every Starfleet official. The reason some things, such as latinum, cannot be replicated is due to the molecular and chemical makeup of those items, which the replicator cannot duplicate.

2) Again, Kassidy was not a Pirate. From the very first episode she appeared, she was described and portrayed as the captain of a freighter ship who worked first for another alien government, then for the Bajorans, and finally for the Federation during the Dominion war. She hauled freight. Breaking the law as such does not make you a pirate. At best, she could be considered a smuggler, even though she only smuggled food and medical supplies, no weapons. The terms of the treaty that established the DMZ between the Federation and the Cardassians was that neither size could militarize the zone, i.e by establishing a regular military presence within it. However, it was also within the scope of the authorities of both governments to send ships into the zone for the purposes of searching out rebels who were violating the treaty. The same thing happens on Earth. Both the North Koreans and the South Koreans monitor the DMZ between their nations and intercept any incursion into the zone from either side.

3.) Again, Mike Wong IS the definition of Fan Dumb. He can best be described as 'Star Wars is pure gold, infallible, and everything Star Trek is shit. And no reasonable person will disagree with me, and anyone who does is an idiot.' That, right there, perfectly fits the definition of Fan Dumb.

4.) Ds9 is not under Federation command? What? The what the hell are Starfleet officers DOING on it then? You mean that it doesn't belong to the Federation, and no it doesn't, but it is most definitely under the Federations command, being as a Starfleet officer is the commander of the station, and numerous Starfleet officers stationed on it. Nowhere was it said that the Starfleet Judge sentenced Bashir's parents. He was, quite clearly, there for Dr Bashir himself, to determine if Dr Bashir should be allowed to stay in Starfleet. He did mention that Bashir's father had turned himself in and that he asked to go to prison if his son could stay in Starfleet. No where did it say he handed down the sentence against Richard Bashir. Again, he was clearly established as deciding Julian's fate. He DID mention that Richard Bashir was going to serve a 2 year sentence, but from the conversation, it appears that he was merely relaying information rather than handing down the sentence himself.

My understanding of how replicators worked was that they were basically the output side of a transporter, which nobody is arguing doesn't work by matter-energy conversion. Of course, it takes a ridiculous amount of energy to "freeze" into matter, and just about all of it is taken from recycling various kinds of waste matter. But the conversion need not be instantaneous.

The other crucial difference between a replicator and a transporter is that replicators only resolve at the molecular level, which is vital to the declaration that you cannot replicate life.

it's possible gold became useless another way. memory alpha states that the father was sentenced by the judge. And what's more, Wong DOESN'T HATE STAR TREK. He's stated many times on the site that he loves the original series, and is somewhat cool about TNG. It's only DS 9 on that he truly despises. Gold was valuable to the ferengi in the 24th century. There are other people who also claim that it is communist. rearranging molecules doesn't mean that you can create another copy.

Sorry, but your points are foolish

Gold was worthless. They used the gold to hold the liquid precious metal "latinum." Pretty much the only things in the universe that are too complex to be replicated are dilithium and latinum.

I actually meant to say that it went the way of aluminum; once it became possible to extract aluminum the prices went down rapidly. something similar could happen to gold. they also failed to manufacture dueterium. Wong's also not the only one who's said the federation is communist