CDZ How Could We Remake STNG Borg as 'Happy Borg'?

[JimBowie1958]

This is kind of a mental experiment that I have done at other sites, but want to try it here also. I might have done it here a while ago and dont remember, but I cant find it, so my apologies if so.

Star Trek the Next Generations 'Borg' civilization was a scary horrific look at coming technologies. The ability to be completely integrated mentally into a society and contributing all your thoughts to it, willingly or not, is a scarey thing to most people who cherish some privacy. The Borgs aggressive conquering approach to other civilizations was also a horrific trait, but I would like to look at just the human integration angle in this thread if we can.

If we could take Borg society and tweak it to be not only compatible, but a truly happy one, with a complete ability to pursue ones individual happiness, what would be necessary?

1. Having private thoughts would be necessary I think most would agree. To be hooked in with the Collective would have advantages, but the ability to unhook would be just as important. We need to have our mental privacy where we do not share with everyone every thought that enters our mind. IT would seem that the default mode should be to have public or private thoughts and further 'circles' of communication, family, friends, local area, etc, sort of like how Facebook does it now. There would also be a mode of thought that would have to be completely inaccessible to everyone ESPECIALLY any government access.

2. Ability to access information, applications, features and data resources is a boon, but doing it without being zombified while doing so is a must. Getting a mental DOS attack while driving is a bad idea. There needs to be safeguards and controlled priority mechanisms that keep immediate access to over-riding functionality. We have to be able to tell Mommy Borg that she has to stay out.

3. Security has to be nearly impossible to defeat. The thought of a hacker taking over integrated systems in our brains is a really bad idea.

What other features and problems would there be for a Happy Borg Society?

 

[MarathonMike]

What about the possibility of intervention from the "collective" to the individual in the case where the individual is exhibiting signs of depression, self-destruction?

 

[JimBowie1958]

What about the possibility of intervention from the "collective" to the individual in the case where the individual is exhibiting signs of depression, self-destruction?

I would think that could be monitored via analysis of public thoughts. But I dont know, jsut guessing.

Another thing I forgot was the hideous color of their nanites, a oily black that gave them an inhuman look (by design of the writers of course).

When we start shipping nano sized internal robotic devices, so-called nanites, they would be necessary to use a color that is more appealing than oily black.