But he DID develop warp drive for personal gain. Direct quote from First Contact: "You wanna know what my vision is? Dollar signs, money! I didn't build this ship to usher in a new era for humanity. You think I wanna see the stars? I don't even like to fly! I take trains! I built this ship so I could retire to some tropical island...filled with naked women. THAT'S Zefram Cochrane. THAT'S his vision. This other guy you keep talking about, this historical figure? I never met him. I can't imagine I ever will."
"You wanna know what my vision is? Dollar signs, money! I didn't create Star Trek to usher in a new era for humanity. You think I wanna see the stars? I don't even like to fly! I take trains! I created Star Trek so I could retire to some tropical island...filled with naked women. THAT'S Gene Roddenberry . THAT'S his vision. This other guy you keep talking about, this historical figure? I never met him. I can't imagine I ever will."
runs back and hides in the flame proof bunker.
There is a certain truth to that, if you take into context the Enterprise content and the view history has of him you quickly realize that while he pursued warp flight for monetary gain his experiences when he achieved that goal and shortly thereafter quickly changed him and his outlook.
Its not that uncommon a thing from a historical perspective.
I never understood how Cochrane intended to make money out of his warp drive... given that he was living in a hard-scrabble post-apocalyptic wasteland, who was he going to get to buy it? How was he going to register a patent or collect royalties? How "retire", when the very idea of retiring is only a memory from life before civilization broke down?
The guy seems to have been nothing more than a very tall Underpants Gnome:
I would have thought one amongst many fictious characters would be entitled to a fictitious opinion and that it would be taken with a grain of salt, even if it did not match the value system of the reader.
I am now a big fan of the First Contact mission, anything that ticks Faux News viewers and tea partiers off is fine with me, need more of it
Great job devs.
I like tea parties. Especially with my kittens, Mr. Fuzzball, Fluffkins, Sehlat, Picard, Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam, Badass, and Bloodthirst the Extreme-inator.
They look soooooo cute when they lick up their little saucers of milk!!!!!
I never understood how Cochrane intended to make money out of his warp drive... given that he was living in a hard-scrabble post-apocalyptic wasteland, who was he going to get to buy it? How was he going to register a patent or collect royalties? How "retire", when the very idea of retiring is only a memory from life before civilization broke down?
The guy seems to have been nothing more than a very tall Underpants Gnome:
He was going to sell it to all the still rich people who were planning on evacuating Earth to live on another planet away from all those dirty poor peoples.
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP"
There is a certain truth to that, if you take into context the Enterprise content and the view history has of him you quickly realize that while he pursued warp flight for monetary gain his experiences when he achieved that goal and shortly thereafter quickly changed him and his outlook.
Its not that uncommon a thing from a historical perspective.
you guys do realize the Roddenberry family got almost no royalties nor even a large paycheck for Star Trek right? it was an abysmal show at start, and like most series of shows produced in that time it gained popularity from the reruns.
Roddenberry had a large following, but never made much money, Watch "The Trek Nation" to get a better perspective.
you guys do realize the Roddenberry family got almost no royalties nor even a large paycheck for Star Trek right? it was an abysmal show at start, and like most series of shows produced in that time it gained popularity from the reruns.
Roddenberry had a large following, but never made much money, Watch "The Trek Nation" to get a better perspective.
Actually, Roddenberry -- contrary to the benevolent future system he set up for mankind -- was quite greedy: 'unpleasantly focussed' on making money, to put it mildly. He even wrote his own theme song to Star Trek, just so he could milk rolayties from that too.
As irony would have it, Roddenberry and Cochrane shared precisely that in common: both lived far less lofty lives than they were remembered for.
The idea that true communism would one day be a normal every day thing and people would work to better themselves and others just cause. Yep it is a crazy idea... just imagine all the people living for today my friend.
Thanks for the wonderful completely out of touch OP though made my day.
Hey I think Gene was nuts... no way 300-500 years is enough time for us to come that far. Perhaps if trek was 2000 years in the future it might not seem so crazy.
As others have said they are being true to the IP... many people of the games time frame would find ZCs motives a bit sickening. If I'm not mistaken they show ZC on enterprise years later with a completely new take on things. When he sees what people do with the tech and how they come together after first contact... he reevaluates and gasp becomes a lot more socialist. lol
Incredible. No one notices interplanetary trade conducted by individuals. No one sees the shops at DS-9. Everyone just gets up every day and builds Star ships without any compensation. I can only wonder how many high school kids are going to get out of bed in the morning for that. The trade reality goes on throughout Star Trek, but someone finally decides that no one actually builds the replicator. They don't need raw materials for it. They just replicate on their own.
you guys do realize the Roddenberry family got almost no royalties nor even a large paycheck for Star Trek right? it was an abysmal show at start, and like most series of shows produced in that time it gained popularity from the reruns.
Roddenberry had a large following, but never made much money, Watch "The Trek Nation" to get a better perspective.
When Roddenberry died, his net worth was estimated at $1 billion, the vast majority of which came from Star Trek.
And his paychecks, in the millions, weren't enough. He systematically stole money from the writers and composers who worked on the original series and early Next Generation. Most famously, he wrote lyrics to the TOS theme song, then tricked the composer into signing a new contract (he claimed the original was lost and it was just a reprint, but it included new terms), so that Roddenberry would get 50% of all royalties on the song.
He also renamed numerous characters and races so he could claim 50% of the writer pay on the episode and 50% royalties on the character. Just for changing names. Doing this he turned repeat villains into aliens of the week and killed (arguably poorly laid) plans for an entire junior officer B cast for TNG just by renaming the character who was planned to link the A and B casts.
...someone finally decides that no one actually builds the replicator. They don't need raw materials for it. They just replicate on their own.
The transporter implies the replicator. Come up with the basic design, plug that into the pattern buffer on a cargo transporter, and there's your very first replicator. Now program it to make more replicators - a von Neumann machine, although if you have half a brain you also program in a shutoff point. Now you have lots of replicators. Total cost, whatever it costs to use the transporter, plus raw materials (which, given the replicator's ability to reassemble matter at the atomic level, can be just a bunch of rocks and dirt you dug up outside). Giving them away becomes economically feasible at this point, and you're just invented a post-scarcity economy on any planet with easily-available power (from either solar or fusion power plants, probably).
In a post-scarcity economy, people do things because they want to, and if there's some job so heinous that nobody wants to do it, then someone will invent a robot to take care of it, because making the robot is again just a matter of programming a replicator to make the robot. I can see a sort of "economy of fame" arising, with certain people being favored for their ability to make replicator patterns, but in a post-scarcity economy, what can you pay them with that they can't make for themselves, aside from maybe compliments?
I've been playing STO as a "paying customer" since it's beginning. STO would not exist without me and others like me.
Capitalism being blanketly described as "greed" is about as pathetic as it gets.
Tell me, Does DS-9 shop owners give away their wares?
Do those standing around trying to get handouts for the needy expect them delivered on a silver platter from a socialist or are they expecting you to donate them after you've purchased them?
Do the contractors who build Star Ships do it for free?
Does the interplanetary trade conducted by individuals not exist in the minds of those who are posting here?
Does Cryptic, CBS, or any part of STO work for free? Someone has to pay their bills.
Are they giving away Zen now? Giving away free advertizing space?
Why bother with energy credits, Dilithium ore, Zen, or the like? After all, it's just free! Right?
Now imagine a world where everything is free. What motivates anyone to produce food, clothing, shelter, energy, or event to just get out of bed in the morning? What prompts you do get out of bed to go work in the Dilithium mines? You just do it because you're a wonderful fella who cares so much more than anyone else? Who does the innovation that even creates Star Ships and their various components? The socialist government cult god just appear and there it is?
For all the reply posters that somehow think that life is free in the world of tomorrow, guess again. Take some time to grow up.
The transporter implies the replicator. Come up with the basic design, plug that into the pattern buffer on a cargo transporter, and there's your very first replicator. Now program it to make more replicators - a von Neumann machine, although if you have half a brain you also program in a shutoff point. Now you have lots of replicators. Total cost, whatever it costs to use the transporter, plus raw materials (which, given the replicator's ability to reassemble matter at the atomic level, can be just a bunch of rocks and dirt you dug up outside). Giving them away becomes economically feasible at this point, and you're just invented a post-scarcity economy on any planet with easily-available power (from either solar or fusion power plants, probably).
In a post-scarcity economy, people do things because they want to, and if there's some job so heinous that nobody wants to do it, then someone will invent a robot to take care of it, because making the robot is again just a matter of programming a replicator to make the robot. I can see a sort of "economy of fame" arising, with certain people being favored for their ability to make replicator patterns, but in a post-scarcity economy, what can you pay them with that they can't make for themselves, aside from maybe compliments?
Who digs the raw materials and feeds the machine? Who fixes the broke down machine? Who trains them to do so? What motivates anyone to take on these roles?
Okay. John, first off you're rather overreacting to the NPC's little speech. As quoted above, she's merely noting that while the popular histories depict Zephram Cochrane as being this saintly worker-for-all who developed the warp drive out of the goodness of his heart, the crew of the Enterprise-E learned that he was in fact a normal human being, looking to make a profit off of his invention. It doesn't state, or even imply, that there's anything wrong with that - merely that public perception differs from historical reality.
It's similar to the difference between perception and reality of one of my own ancestors, John Adams, second president of the United States. The popular histories paint him as a "patriot" of his new nation, the United States of America (in Congress Assembled,as it was known under the Articles of Confederation, the predecessor to the Constitution). In fact, his correspondences show that he just wanted some say in governing, and that after the Revolution started rolling, if the rebels failed, the British would never believe that he couldn't have used his influence to bring a halt to it; and if it succeeded but he hadn't backed it, he'd likely wind up on a rope as a traitor. His only real hope was to back the rebels and make sure they succeeded; it was as cold-blooded a calculation as you could ever hope to see from a human. (In fact, he was a royalist at heart, and wanted to see Washington crowned as King George the First, Protector of the Colonies and Defender of the Faith - with himself, of course, as duly elected Crown Prince...)
Secondly, I recommend studying economics. Look for the phrase "post-scarcity" while you do so. You may find it rather educational.
Who digs the raw materials and feeds the machine? Who fixes the broke down machine? Who trains them to do so? What motivates anyone to take on these roles?
Someone who wants to do so, and has nothing better to do. Have you ever had a great deal of leisure time on your hands? So much time that you've begun to wonder what to do with yourself? Picture this state encompassing all of humanity. There's going to be someone who does it just because they're bored. (This can already be seen, in volunteer organizations; my mother works as a lay preacher and a choir organizer in her church, and her only reward is that the job is done to her satisfaction.)
Comments
This. Exactly.
Nope. It's the Forum Prime Directive.
"A Forumer must not interfere with underdeveloped thread topics under any circumstance."
So naturally, we break that rule because reasons.
-Leonard Nimoy, RIP
There is a certain truth to that, if you take into context the Enterprise content and the view history has of him you quickly realize that while he pursued warp flight for monetary gain his experiences when he achieved that goal and shortly thereafter quickly changed him and his outlook.
Its not that uncommon a thing from a historical perspective.
No, he didnt. In the cockpit, he was already amazed of the views.. lol.
The guy seems to have been nothing more than a very tall Underpants Gnome:
Step 1: build faster-than-light interstellar drive.
Step 2: ?
Step 3: Profit!
Edit: Actually, I'm not going to call the mods. This thread is too stupid for their attention.
Of course it is, but its hilarious how seriously people take it...
This is true of sooooooo many threads though, isn't it?
Great job devs.
I like tea parties. Especially with my kittens, Mr. Fuzzball, Fluffkins, Sehlat, Picard, Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam, Badass, and Bloodthirst the Extreme-inator.
They look soooooo cute when they lick up their little saucers of milk!!!!!
Poe's Law, and in particular, Poe's Corollary.
He was going to sell it to all the still rich people who were planning on evacuating Earth to live on another planet away from all those dirty poor peoples.
-Leonard Nimoy, RIP
Pretty much.
If there are enough people in one place, at least one of them considers themselves above the others. :rolleyes:
Just like the Romulans...
-Leonard Nimoy, RIP
Visit my youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/Akurie369?feature=watch
Captain Bi Shonen's official Thread! http://sto-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?p=22866531#post22866531
you guys do realize the Roddenberry family got almost no royalties nor even a large paycheck for Star Trek right? it was an abysmal show at start, and like most series of shows produced in that time it gained popularity from the reruns.
Roddenberry had a large following, but never made much money, Watch "The Trek Nation" to get a better perspective.
Free beers, of any brand and nice and cold!
Get your popcorn!
Just ran out.
Thanks.
Go on please...
Actually, Roddenberry -- contrary to the benevolent future system he set up for mankind -- was quite greedy: 'unpleasantly focussed' on making money, to put it mildly. He even wrote his own theme song to Star Trek, just so he could milk rolayties from that too.
As irony would have it, Roddenberry and Cochrane shared precisely that in common: both lived far less lofty lives than they were remembered for.
Incredible. No one notices interplanetary trade conducted by individuals. No one sees the shops at DS-9. Everyone just gets up every day and builds Star ships without any compensation. I can only wonder how many high school kids are going to get out of bed in the morning for that. The trade reality goes on throughout Star Trek, but someone finally decides that no one actually builds the replicator. They don't need raw materials for it. They just replicate on their own.
Anymore popcorn? Can I interest you in some Bacon hashes? Or some beer?
When Roddenberry died, his net worth was estimated at $1 billion, the vast majority of which came from Star Trek.
And his paychecks, in the millions, weren't enough. He systematically stole money from the writers and composers who worked on the original series and early Next Generation. Most famously, he wrote lyrics to the TOS theme song, then tricked the composer into signing a new contract (he claimed the original was lost and it was just a reprint, but it included new terms), so that Roddenberry would get 50% of all royalties on the song.
He also renamed numerous characters and races so he could claim 50% of the writer pay on the episode and 50% royalties on the character. Just for changing names. Doing this he turned repeat villains into aliens of the week and killed (arguably poorly laid) plans for an entire junior officer B cast for TNG just by renaming the character who was planned to link the A and B casts.
In a post-scarcity economy, people do things because they want to, and if there's some job so heinous that nobody wants to do it, then someone will invent a robot to take care of it, because making the robot is again just a matter of programming a replicator to make the robot. I can see a sort of "economy of fame" arising, with certain people being favored for their ability to make replicator patterns, but in a post-scarcity economy, what can you pay them with that they can't make for themselves, aside from maybe compliments?
I've been playing STO as a "paying customer" since it's beginning. STO would not exist without me and others like me.
Capitalism being blanketly described as "greed" is about as pathetic as it gets.
Tell me, Does DS-9 shop owners give away their wares?
Do those standing around trying to get handouts for the needy expect them delivered on a silver platter from a socialist or are they expecting you to donate them after you've purchased them?
Do the contractors who build Star Ships do it for free?
Does the interplanetary trade conducted by individuals not exist in the minds of those who are posting here?
Does Cryptic, CBS, or any part of STO work for free? Someone has to pay their bills.
Are they giving away Zen now? Giving away free advertizing space?
Why bother with energy credits, Dilithium ore, Zen, or the like? After all, it's just free! Right?
Now imagine a world where everything is free. What motivates anyone to produce food, clothing, shelter, energy, or event to just get out of bed in the morning? What prompts you do get out of bed to go work in the Dilithium mines? You just do it because you're a wonderful fella who cares so much more than anyone else? Who does the innovation that even creates Star Ships and their various components? The socialist government cult god just appear and there it is?
For all the reply posters that somehow think that life is free in the world of tomorrow, guess again. Take some time to grow up.
Who digs the raw materials and feeds the machine? Who fixes the broke down machine? Who trains them to do so? What motivates anyone to take on these roles?
It's similar to the difference between perception and reality of one of my own ancestors, John Adams, second president of the United States. The popular histories paint him as a "patriot" of his new nation, the United States of America (in Congress Assembled,as it was known under the Articles of Confederation, the predecessor to the Constitution). In fact, his correspondences show that he just wanted some say in governing, and that after the Revolution started rolling, if the rebels failed, the British would never believe that he couldn't have used his influence to bring a halt to it; and if it succeeded but he hadn't backed it, he'd likely wind up on a rope as a traitor. His only real hope was to back the rebels and make sure they succeeded; it was as cold-blooded a calculation as you could ever hope to see from a human. (In fact, he was a royalist at heart, and wanted to see Washington crowned as King George the First, Protector of the Colonies and Defender of the Faith - with himself, of course, as duly elected Crown Prince...)
Secondly, I recommend studying economics. Look for the phrase "post-scarcity" while you do so. You may find it rather educational.
Best words of the week, gentlemen... This discussion is over.
Tell me where this island is, I DEMAND it!!! Already got my suitcase packed!