JMS on CompuServe (May 04, 1997) *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*

[bbarrett at speedlink.com]

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 [ Summary of subjects in this section: ]
    Sb: #666547-Science Fiction
    Sb: #666541-#Comic Books
    Sb: Secure Communications
    Sb: #666549-<Mars Traffic>


 #: 666547 S5/Babylon 5: General
    03-May-97  16:27:40
Sb: #666425-#Science Fiction
Fm: MICHAEL  ZITAGLIO

Thanks.

How do you rate Star Wars in this? Or the 6 million dollar man?

mike


 #: 666566 S5/Babylon 5: General
    03-May-97  18:46:57
Sb: #666547-Science Fiction
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      Star Wars: space fantasy.  6 Million Dollar Man: began as something close
to SF, collapsed shortly thereafter into just plain awfulness.  The idea of
advanced prosthetics incorporated into a living human is an interesting
idea...but frittered away here.

                                                                    jms


 [ Summary: Thinks she fits the mold of an SF fan who's come from from
   comic fandom.  Mentioned growing up on "Adventure" and "Legion of
   Super Heroes." ]

 #: 666567 S5/Babylon 5: General
    03-May-97  18:46:59
Sb: #666541-#Comic Books
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      Don't you hate what they've done with Legion lately...?

                                                                    jms



 #: 666492 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
    03-May-97  10:25:11
Sb: Secure Communications
Fm: JOHN HARDIN

Joe:

I wrote:
> Franklin's entire message was probably about 1k of text. Add another 1k or
> so for recognition codes and such.

You answered:
> So they could see him and know by seeing him that he arrived safely; a
> text message could be sent by *anyone* who could've intercepted them.

Recognition codes that only Franklin and Marcus could possess. Encryption
keys that only Franklin and Marcus could possess. Code phrases that only
Franklin and Marcus know.

Granted, they could be captured and portions of the above determined by
Earthgov and used to attempt to forge a text transmission, but they could
also be captured and forced to make a video transmission, or be captured and
doubles found to make a video transmission, or a computer-simulated video
transmission could be created.

What bothered me was the unnecessary waste of a video signal vs. the
relative economy and reliability of text.

- John Hardin
  ISN^H^H^HVotR Mars Bureau freelance correspondent
  <jhardin at wolfenet.com>


 #: 666569 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
    03-May-97  18:47:02
Sb: Secure Communications
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      The issue of waste of bandwith is not as big a deal to an advanced
technology (from today's standards); also, any really good telepath could rip
out those codes and keys in about 10 seconds.  Further, they would've had a
password to use (as in "the board," which he used) to verify that he was all
right and not being forced to make the call.

                                                                    jms

 [ Summary: "Just wondering if the traffic around Mars in the last couple 
   episodes is standard Martian traffic or if it's increased and should be 
   seen as signs of Earthforce moving in to make even more trouble?" ]

 #: 666571 S6/Babylon 5: Spoilers
    03-May-97  18:47:04
Sb: #666549-<Mars Traffic>
Fm: J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI

      It's a little busier than usual.

                                                                    jms



[END]

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