Be Right Back, Uninstalling

So watching Star Trek: TNG and I've come to an interesting realization. In the absolute basest definition of a computer Virus it is "any application that replicates, or attempts to replicate itself".

In knowing this I have come to the realization that Commander Data has one of many goals of recreating sentient AI beings much like himself via "Continuing the work of Dr. Sung" his creator. He quite literally wishes to replicate himself and makes many efforts to do so.

Not only this, he is an application that can change his own iterations and programming, and even modify his own systems and subroutines. Making him a particularly nasty virus.

While the character Data is not malicious, his programming quite literally, in the most basic of definitions, makes him a virus.

I came to this realization watching the episode titled "In Theory".

nd

(05-28-2013, 10:46 PM)Didzo link Wrote: [ -> ]nd

What?

Anyway I also made this thread for other people to make their own observations.

csb

(05-28-2013, 10:26 PM)FlyingMongoose link Wrote: [ -> ]So watching Star Trek: TNG and I've come to an interesting realization. In the absolute basest definition of a computer Virus it is "any application that replicates, or attempts to replicate itself".

In knowing this I have come to the realization that Commander Data has one of many goals of recreating sentient AI beings much like himself via "Continuing the work of Dr. Sung" his creator. He quite literally wishes to replicate himself and makes many efforts to do so.

Not only this, he is an application that can change his own iterations and programming, and even modify his own systems and subroutines. Making him a particularly nasty virus.

While the character Data is not malicious, his programming quite literally, in the most basic of definitions, makes him a virus.

I came to this realization watching the episode titled "In Theory".

This makes a lot of sense when you tie it into Agent Smiths observation of the human race in the original Matrix.

(05-28-2013, 11:39 PM)Greatbacon link Wrote: [ -> ][quote author=FlyingMongoose link=topic=6977.msg267558#msg267558 date=1369798009]
So watching Star Trek: TNG and I've come to an interesting realization. In the absolute basest definition of a computer Virus it is "any application that replicates, or attempts to replicate itself".

In knowing this I have come to the realization that Commander Data has one of many goals of recreating sentient AI beings much like himself via "Continuing the work of Dr. Sung" his creator. He quite literally wishes to replicate himself and makes many efforts to do so.

Not only this, he is an application that can change his own iterations and programming, and even modify his own systems and subroutines. Making him a particularly nasty virus.

While the character Data is not malicious, his programming quite literally, in the most basic of definitions, makes him a virus.

I came to this realization watching the episode titled "In Theory".

This makes a lot of sense when you tie it into Agent Smiths observation of the human race in the original Matrix.
[/quote]

Especially taking into consideration the inherent need of all men to preserve themselves and carry on their blood lines. Also Data makes a conscious effort to emulate humans. Again, while not malicious, this is Data attempting to emulate his environment. Which is a common function of viruses.

(05-29-2013, 12:27 AM)FlyingMongoose link Wrote: [ -> ][quote author=Greatbacon link=topic=6977.msg267564#msg267564 date=1369802361]
[quote author=FlyingMongoose link=topic=6977.msg267558#msg267558 date=1369798009]
So watching Star Trek: TNG and I've come to an interesting realization. In the absolute basest definition of a computer Virus it is "any application that replicates, or attempts to replicate itself".

In knowing this I have come to the realization that Commander Data has one of many goals of recreating sentient AI beings much like himself via "Continuing the work of Dr. Sung" his creator. He quite literally wishes to replicate himself and makes many efforts to do so.

Not only this, he is an application that can change his own iterations and programming, and even modify his own systems and subroutines. Making him a particularly nasty virus.

While the character Data is not malicious, his programming quite literally, in the most basic of definitions, makes him a virus.

I came to this realization watching the episode titled "In Theory".

This makes a lot of sense when you tie it into Agent Smiths observation of the human race in the original Matrix.
[/quote]

Especially taking into consideration the inherent need of all men to preserve themselves and carry on their blood lines. Also Data makes a conscious effort to emulate humans. Again, while not malicious, this is Data attempting to emulate his environment. Which is a common function of viruses.
[/quote]

So, wouldn't that mean that viruses < sentient beings?  It's not that Data is like a virus, but that viruses are like humans?