New/Semilurker with questions

[Drashner1]

I would imagine that especially early on, where there would probably still be a great deal of controversy and fear of what vecs could do--especially pre-Nanoswarm where the cultural memories of stories about things like the Borg, the Cylons, or the Daleks still exist--that such treatment would be quite common.

Actually, I'd sort of expect this to be more of an issue when the first AIs were developed in the mid 21st century. In fact, the whole AI's apparently having some degree of freedom (up to citizenship by the time we hit the First Federation) while vecs didn't (or at least had to jump through a lot more hoops to get) is something we need to work out.

So far, the most I've been able to come up with is that perhaps:

a) the development of uploading tech (even the early destructive kind) led to pressure to give intelligent software more rights/full rights

b) vecs were initially developed as 'smart' labor that was still not fully sophont. However, due to market forces and just general tech progress, each subsequent generation/model was made more and more capable while still not quite crossing the line to full turingrade AI/sophonce that would have forced people to grant them rights. Until one day they accidentally did. But then they didn't want to admit it because the vecs in question were so darn useful (not to mention profitable). In some respects this might be similar to the various mental hoops that were jumped through in the American South to justify slavery (eg. God made black people inferior with the intent that they become slaves, it's a matter of states rights, blah blah blah). It's also possible that people (or at least large chunks of the population) at this point in the timeline were not terribly nice by our standards.

Anyway, an area we probably need to work out. Although I don't think that will interfere with the development of your story.

There are a few areas where I am quite sure I will need a technology review, though.

No worries - just ask

In terms of the timeline strictures, we'd need to look at what you want to do and when you want to do it and go from there.

Where would the best place be to make a more coherent proposal as to what I see happening in the story?

The Creative Writing sub-forum for the proposal, outlines, drafts, etc. relating to the development of the story. For the tech questions you can either post them to this sub-forum or over on the creative writing one. We'll see em either way and can respond in either spot. Although you might get more responses and ideas on this forum just because some members who are more into the general setting discussion may not pay as much attention to the creative writing section and so miss your post. I'm honestly not sure how everyone interfaces with the forum so am only kind of guessing here

I would say the plot I have in mind will go into areas that some might consider controversial, but I have already seen a number of things that could cause controversy in the EG and in other stories, so I might well be OK.

Probably If you'd like, you can post a plot outline or summary containing the potentially controversial bits first and see what folks say.

Hm. Which outcomes? Just curious and, separate from any stories, this sort of thing can make for interesting discussions and sometimes new ideas or refinement of existing ones.

The control of the archailects would be the big one. Losing sovereignty to our own creations, in effect, is quite disturbing because if there's one thing we know about human nature, we're flawed, and what we create isn't perfect either...

It would also be dishonest of me not to say that the breakdown of society in the form we recognize it today isn't frightening in some respects. That's not an attack--it's just human nature to feel that way sometimes.
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Regarding the first issue, I can say that this actually comes up among new (and even not so new) members fairly often. The rule of the archailects is very much a deliberate 'plot choice' for the setting that the founding members made. I wasn't there for that initial decision, so I don't know how much discussion went into it (although I suppose a quick archive dive could tell me). I guess the main thing I'd say about it is that in OA we are often seeking to create an interesting and plausible future without necessarily any regard for whether or not it's a 'happy' future by most of the standards people are used to.

On the one hand the people of OA live incredibly rich, secure, and interesting lives. They are in many ways more free than any society in RL past or present. At the same time, they are utterly at the mercy of vastly more powerful and capable beings who may decide to wipe them from existence at any moment (and can with trivial effort). But they haven't yet so most people in the setting don't worry about it. It's been suggested that people in OA may be similar to people in past centuries who believed in the existence of 'nature spirits' living in practically every rock, tree, and stream. Living, thinking creatures who were intelligent but inhuman and who had to be propitiated, or at least treated with some degree of respect, as you went about in the world. Not to mention the gods who lived in the sky or in the Earth or wherever. The OA setting, with its various AIs, and living technology, and superhuman archailects may share similarities to such a way of life and its mindset.

Regarding your second point - I don't think I've heard that issue raised before. It sounds interesting. Can you elaborate on it a bit more please?

Todd