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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Erik S Jameson <esj@***.UUG.ARIZONA.EDU>
Subject: Lost Tech and all that Crap...
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 18:26:50 -0700
My turn folks. I think that we have several problem here, people making
assumtions where perhaps they shouldn't.

1) Yes, there appears to be a large amount of evidence that suggest that
FASA buried, intentionally, a lot of tech with the Crash of '29. The
most logical reason would appear to be that they wanted to slow things
down, so we didn't have a sci-fi space game, but a hard, gritty,
cyberpunk style game. It's easier to be a 'Punk with a slug thrower than
it is with a laser pistol. I think it was the right choice.

2) Yes, there were some rare isolated computers. But it is clear that
the vast majority of databases were infected. Two things: the Crash was
relatively quick, and two, the virus is stated as having a definite
"taste" for encrypted data, which would almost have to include new tech.
There was a great deal lost during the Crash, and it has been stated as such.

3) Who is to say we would have advanced so amazingly quick over the next
60 years or so? Yes, weapons will be deadlier (unless Bill Blinton and
his cronies get their way), and tech will advance a great deal. kjBut I
am not convicned it will be AS advanced as claimed in SR. JUST NOW
Stanford University is doing heavy research on "biochips", computer chips
that would understand human bio-electric signals, which is absolutely
necessary for functioning cyberlimbs. They are very far away, and I am
not conviced that cybertech will be as advanced in 2055-6 as is claimed.

That's all for now. Hopefully I've cleared some of this up, or at least
given a new direction for the discussion.

Erik, a.k.a. the Whistler
Message no. 2
From: Robert Watkins <bob@**.NTU.EDU.AU>
Subject: Re: Lost Tech and all that Crap...
Date: Thu, 26 Jan 1995 15:32:14 +0930
> 3) Who is to say we would have advanced so amazingly quick over the next
> 60 years or so? Yes, weapons will be deadlier (unless Bill Blinton and
> his cronies get their way), and tech will advance a great deal. kjBut I
> am not convicned it will be AS advanced as claimed in SR. JUST NOW
> Stanford University is doing heavy research on "biochips", computer chips
> that would understand human bio-electric signals, which is absolutely
> necessary for functioning cyberlimbs. They are very far away, and I am
> not conviced that cybertech will be as advanced in 2055-6 as is claimed.

Stanford U and just about every other major research center in the Western
World...

Cyberware became available in the early 2020s... in Shadowbeat it mentions
that football players got it around 2025. If we assume there was some
breakthrough (I can see at least two: the biochips mentioned above, and the
nanites from genetic engineering), then the only real surprise is that it's
not more advanced (gee, that sounds familiar...). Course, the Crash came
along and set everyone back.

--
Robert Watkins bob@**.ntu.edu.au
Real Programmers never work 9 to 5. If any real programmers
are around at 9 am, it's because they were up all night.

Further Reading

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Thwap!