From Newsgroup: alt.tv.star-trek.tos   
   From Address: ryon@dslnorthwest.net   
   Subject: Re: Those Amazing Computers!   
      
   On May 11, 2:23apm, GeneK  wrote:   
   > On May 11, 1:20apm, Ron  wrote:   
   >   
   > > Moi? No... aBut *you* seem to b grasping at straws-- detrermined not   
   > > to admit that this is just a simple plot hole or rather, a subtle   
   > > mistake in the script. aTh computer's capabilitieis ar not at issue,   
   > > but the fact that the scinc officer made a mistake;   
   > > something even Vulcans are capable of doing. a :-)   
   >   
   > If the computer's capabilities are not at issue, why is the title of   
   > this thread "amazing computers" and not "Spock makes mistakes?" aWe   
   > could have save a lot of time by going straight to this.   
   >   
   > Spock's inquiry was definitely badly framed. aNo well-programmed   
   > database, even in our time, would return a "no matches" result from a   
   > search whose parameters were so broad as to include ANY matching   
   > item. aThere's no way that the dossiers for any four people who all   
   > lived under the same societal umbrella would have NOTHING in common.   
   > The science officer should have known this and framed his original   
   > question in a manner that would filter the response in some way. aWe   
   > can only presume from the fact that he didn't spend the entire   
   > remainder of the episode sifting through data that he either realized   
   > this and provided the computer with additional qualifiers offscreen,   
   > or that the computer saved him the trouble by presenting the dossiers'   
   > most recent commonality (Kirk's search) first. aThe latter would   
   > merely be smart programming today, but would have been pretty   
   > "amazing" by 1960's standards.   
   >   
   > GeneK   
   Sigh...   
   Spock did get one thing right when he advised McCoy--  "Doctor, you   
   should learn the difference between empiricism and stubbornness."   
   Something you might also take to heart...  :-)   
   Ron   
   --- Synchronet 3.15a-Linux NewsLink 1.92-mlp   
    * Origin: http://groups.google.com (1:2320/105.97)   
   --- SBBSecho 2.12-Linux   
    * Origin: telnet & http://cco.ath.cx - Dial-Up: 502-875-8938 (1:2320/105.1)