Dogma has nothing to do with my position here. Just because you disagree with the assessment does not mean your position on the matter is factual. вЂњThere is no rational basis for this claim.вЂќ You say вЂњqualifiersвЂќ and I say вЂњadded information because you were failing to understand the point.вЂќ Again, one does not get to disregard responses designed to help one understand a position just because one fears it undermines their own. вЂњActually, my point remains untouched by your reply.вЂќ Which is important to the discussion whether you choose to disregard it or not. I was pointing out the function that data served. So what? Were you trying to make a point with this obvious information?вЂќ Your bias against Data despite everything TNG established about the characters shows lack of learning on your part. As I said, you seem ignorant about AI and the ramifications of artificial intelligence/life. You are merely pushing your dogmatic belief. вЂњUntil then, it is difficult to see data as anything more than a machine.вЂќ There is no rational basis for this claim. Changing your argument this way shows that you know your original claim to be weak. You initially equated Data to a self-driving car, but now you are equating him to a hard drive that can be backed up. You are now adding qualifiers to your claim. вЂњwhen you can back up your childвЂ™s memory and everything that makes him what he is into another child then you might have a point.вЂќ Actually, my point remains untouched by your reply. So what? Were you trying to make a point with this obvious information? The difference is that the Spock character did a vastly superior job of it.вЂќ UmвЂ¦okay. An outsider to observe the human condition. Mе…ѓ1 вЂ“ вЂњData was created to serve the same function as Spock. So even after 30 years I still consider this episode overrated. The best Treks are ones where the audience is not told what to think.

It was awfully one sided and it was pretty obvious what the writer and director wanted the the audience to think. In fact, none of the main characters did and the only one who didnвЂ™t was presented as an incompetent A-hole. Also, even though Riker was on the side of the prosecution presenting very good arguments, his heart wasnвЂ™t in it. Tremendous conflict of interest obviously and I would think that this hearing would not have even taken place until satisfactory legal teams were in place and had time to prepare their cases. The main thing, of course, is that not only are Picard and Riker not qualified to be advocates or lawyers, but Riker even more so has no business being a part of the prosecution. A lot of court things that just made no sense unless one says that in the future the way the law is handled has changed for the worse. It was all the more convincing as he personally did not buy into it while PicardвЂ™s argument contained hints of hyperbole and emotion.ДЄlso while the subject matter was very much a Trek subject the episode suffered from a weak presentation. While Picard makes a passionate plea and there is a reasonable line of thinking on his side I am forced to conclude that Riker made the more persuasive argument.

Tng measure of a man