The damned cell-phone argument again

Batman · Post by **Batman** » 2006-06-26 08:47pm

Not to ruin your fun, Mr Poe, but how would a pre-TOS communicator have a button to call Nightwing, and why would any Bat communicator have a button to call the Joker?

Lord Poe · Post by **Lord Poe** » 2006-06-26 08:55pm

Batman wrote:Not to ruin your fun, Mr Poe, but how would a pre-TOS communicator have a button to call Nightwing, and why would any Bat communicator have a button to call the Joker?

That's the toy. I couldn't find a pic of the Bat-Communicator used on the 1966 show.

Batman · Post by **Batman** » 2006-06-26 08:56pm

Ah. My bad. No offense intended.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2006-06-27 02:45am

Lord Pounder wrote:http://www.wbglinks.net/pages/history/s ... phones.jpg

Woah, Saved by the Bell flashback!

Ryushikaze · Post by **Ryushikaze** » 2006-06-27 04:26am

Batman wrote:Not to ruin your fun, Mr Poe, but how would a pre-TOS communicator have a button to call Nightwing, and why would any Bat communicator have a button to call the Joker?

What, don't you have YOUR archvillians on speed dial?

Kane Starkiller · Post by **Kane Starkiller** » 2006-06-27 06:21am

OK this has nothing to do with the topic but I noticed the following image Lord Pounder posted

++http://www.wbglinks.net/pages/history/s ... phones.jpg

Am I the only one who sees a guy sucking dick?

WyrdNyrd · Post by **WyrdNyrd** » 2006-06-27 06:51am

I see the dick-sucking, too! NSFW! Just as well I'm resigning today, else I'd be worried about my job!

I'm hoping that this is some sort of mixup, rather than a very fucking retarded joke. If it is the latter, I'm gonna have to mentally file LP right next to Einy in the folder "Irresponsible fuckwits"!

Acidburns · Post by **Acidburns** » 2006-06-27 06:54am

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:
Lord Pounder wrote:http://www.wbglinks.net/pages/history/s ... phones.jpg
Woah, Saved by the Bell flashback!

Reading this, it would have to be a mistake otherwise Spanky equates dick sucking with Saved by the Bell. Now that you mention it....

Post by **Vympel** » 2006-06-27 06:59am

Image reference eliminated. Luckily I was warned by PM before I saw it and so was able to hit edit without the danger of my eyes bleeding.

Sonnenburg · Post by **Sonnenburg** » 2006-06-27 07:57am

Vympel wrote:Image reference eliminated. Luckily I was warned by PM before I saw it and so was able to hit edit without the danger of my eyes bleeding.

If only you'd come five minutes sooner...

Actually the worst part wasn't the picture, it was the fact I kept looking at it and the related text and trying to get the joke.

But to address an earlier point: even aside of the button issues, you don't even operate a cellphone the same way as a Trek communicator. People put it up to the side of their heads like a walkie talkie/telephone, not out in front of them. The application of Trek communicators wasn't for a personal conversation, it was for an open group discussion, more like a speaker phone in application, which was the direction TNG took it further in (or in a few years are people going to claim that cellphones that fit in shirt pockets were inspired by commbadges?)

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2006-06-27 11:37am

Sorry, it wasn't like that when i linked it. Someone must have objected to my linkage.

Dooey Jo · Post by **Dooey Jo** » 2006-06-27 12:53pm

It's pretty silly to believe that no-one would have thought of small portable communication devices if not for Star Trek. The fact that such ideas were around decades before Star Trek even aired only makes it more so.

Lord Pounder wrote:Sorry, it wasn't like that when i linked it. Someone must have objected to my linkage.

And that's why you shouldn't steal bandwidth

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2006-06-27 01:10pm

Dooey Jo wrote:It's pretty silly to believe that no-one would have thought of small portable communication devices if not for Star Trek. The fact that such ideas were around decades before Star Trek even aired only makes it more so.

The old Dick Tracy comics that started in the 1930s featured wrist worn video communicators.

Trekkies just see sci-fi classics like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea getting credited with things like "predicting submarines" and want to believe that their favorite sci-fi is in the same class.

General Soontir Fel · Post by **General Soontir Fel** » 2006-06-27 01:26pm

Darth Servo wrote:Trekkies just see sci-fi classics like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea getting credited with things like "predicting submarines" and want to believe that their favorite sci-fi is in the same class.

Except that's a myth just like the Trek/cell phone thing. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was published in 1873. Submarines had already existed and had been used in warfare (C.S.S. Hunley).

Jules Verne was a wanker of "limitless batteries", always utilizing his "Bunsen elements" as a crutch--having them produce way more electricity than would be possible. This was true in his first novel, Five Weeks in a Baloon, in his latest works (Robur the Conqueror and Master of the World), and everything in between.

The first nuclear submarine being named Nautilus is in the same class as the space shuttle named Enterprise. There are Jules Verne fanboys who are just like Trekkies in their delusions regarding this.

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2006-06-27 01:30pm

General_Soontir_Fel wrote:Except that's a myth just like the Trek/cell phone thing. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was published in 1873. Submarines had already existed and had been used in warfare (C.S.S. Hunley).

Hence the bit about "predicting subs" being in quotes.

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2006-06-27 02:01pm

WyrdNyrd wrote:I'm hoping that this is some sort of mixup, rather than a very fucking retarded joke. If it is the latter, I'm gonna have to mentally file LP right next to Einy in the folder "Irresponsible fuckwits"!

Thats ok, i'll just mentally file you in the folder listed "people who can suck my balls"

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2006-06-27 02:06pm

General_Soontir_Fel wrote:
Darth Servo wrote:Trekkies just see sci-fi classics like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea getting credited with things like "predicting submarines" and want to believe that their favorite sci-fi is in the same class.
Except that's a myth just like the Trek/cell phone thing. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was published in 1873. Submarines had already existed and had been used in warfare (C.S.S. Hunley).

Jules Verne was a wanker of "limitless batteries", always utilizing his "Bunsen elements" as a crutch--having them produce way more electricity than would be possible. This was true in his first novel, Five Weeks in a Baloon, in his latest works (Robur the Conqueror and Master of the World), and everything in between.

The first nuclear submarine being named Nautilus is in the same class as the space shuttle named Enterprise. There are Jules Verne fanboys who are just like Trekkies in their delusions regarding this.

It all boils down to non-techies desperately wanting to believe that scientists and engineers really need their input before they can design anything. They want to believe that scientists and engineers are totally lacking in ideas, so they need "inspiration". Science fiction is filled with this bullshit. South Park even made fun of the cliche. Remember Independence Day? "You might catch a cold"?

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2006-06-27 02:29pm

Darth Servo wrote:
General_Soontir_Fel wrote:Except that's a myth just like the Trek/cell phone thing. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was published in 1873. Submarines had already existed and had been used in warfare (C.S.S. Hunley).
Hence the bit about "predicting subs" being in quotes.

While the Hunley was built before 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea before the book was written there was no sub that could do what the Nautilus could pull off almost in passing.

Militarily the Hunley was a failure as it sank after its first attack and twicw before during testing.

The only sub to display what the Nautilis could do, including sailing under the north pole, was the SSN USS Nautilis.

It would give Trekkies a bit of chest beating bit of gratification to be raised to the level of literiary acknowlogment of the works of Jules Verne.

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2006-06-27 03:00pm

It is common knowledge that Trek communicators influenced Marconi and Tesla around the turn of the century. Without Trek we would never have radios.

althornin · Post by **althornin** » 2006-06-27 03:21pm

Wicked Pilot wrote:It is common knowledge that Trek communicators influenced Marconi and Tesla around the turn of the century. Without Trek we would never have radios.

Or, indeed, black people.
before Uhuru, there were none.

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2006-06-27 07:37pm

althornin wrote:
Wicked Pilot wrote:It is common knowledge that Trek communicators influenced Marconi and Tesla around the turn of the century. Without Trek we would never have radios.
Or, indeed, black people.
before Uhuru, there were none.

Well it was the first filmed interracial kiss.....for all that its worth.

But her position was basically the Enterprise's secretary.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2006-06-27 08:06pm

Isolder74 wrote:
althornin wrote:
Wicked Pilot wrote:It is common knowledge that Trek communicators influenced Marconi and Tesla around the turn of the century. Without Trek we would never have radios.
Or, indeed, black people.
before Uhuru, there were none.
Well it was the first filmed interracial kiss.....for all that its worth.

And all the Trekkies mysteriously fail to mention that it was involuntary. They were forced to kiss against their will by evil aliens. In context, that doesn't send quite the message that the "first interracial kiss" soundbite does.

OmegaGuy · Post by **OmegaGuy** » 2006-06-27 08:28pm

Whenever hear that, this is what I say:

"Just remember the next time you hear a ringing phone in a movie theater or have to listen to someone screaming their head off on the phone while eating at a restaurant, just thank Star Trek for that."

Lord Poe · Post by **Lord Poe** » 2006-06-27 09:39pm

Darth Wong wrote:And all the Trekkies mysteriously fail to mention that it was involuntary. They were forced to kiss against their will by evil aliens. In context, that doesn't send quite the message that the "first interracial kiss" soundbite does.

The way it was filmed, you can't even see their lips touch! What about that chick who makes you a slave with her tears? She was Filipino, wasn't she?

Anyway, do Trekkies also believe that the automatic doors at supermarkets were inspired by Star Trek too?

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2006-06-27 10:51pm

Lord Poe wrote:
Anyway, do Trekkies also believe that the automatic doors at supermarkets were inspired by Star Trek too?

You mean they weren't?