Data's deactivation switch ...

[at Quark's]

... is located in his back, as Data tells dr. Crusher in Datalore.

But suppose Data really goes out of control (rogue) what good would such a switch be? I mean, he's so much faster and stronger that you'd never have the opportunity to press it. So I suppose it's a switch that's only there to be used with Data's consent.

Which got me thinking about other potential safety devices Data might have had built in. For example, a remote 'turn off' command that would override any of his other programming. We do see a kind of backdoor in Brothers when Data gets 'taken over' by a command to return 'home' - do you thing Soong would have built in other safety measures, and if so, did the crew of the Enterprise-D know any of those?

 

[JesterFace]

If Data had some built in buttons to switch him off, might he even tell anyone about them if no one knew about them?

 

[shapeshifter]

- do you thing Soong would have built in other safety measures, and if so, did the crew of the Enterprise-D know any of those?

None that we saw or were spoken of, iirc.

Anything is possible if Data were not dead. A PICD S3 storyline could be all about secret control codes being a part of his programming but, excepting some novel or comic story set in the past, that does not matter anymore because Data is dead.

 

[at Quark's]

If Data had some built in buttons to switch him off, might he even tell anyone about them if no one knew about them?

Probably. He even says as much about the button that he tells Beverley about. But there are other possibilities. The crew that found him might have found some documentation with him that they never told Data about, for example.

Anything is possible if Data were not dead. A PICD S3 storyline could be all about secret control codes being a part of his programming but, excepting some novel or comic story set in the past, that does not matter anymore because Data is dead.

I'm not thinking about the Pic 'present day' , but about his Ent-D years, where it would have mattered.

In a broader sense it doesn't matter since all of it is fiction anyway.

 

[shapeshifter]

I'm not thinking about the Pic 'present day' , but about his Ent-D years, where it would have mattered.

None that we saw or were spoken of, iirc.

 

[Silvercrest]

... is located in his back, as Data tells dr. Crusher in Datalore.

But suppose Data really goes out of control (rogue) what good would such a switch be? I mean, he's so much faster and stronger that you'd never have the opportunity to press it. So I suppose it's a switch that's only there to be used with Data's consent.

It'd be more accurate to say that a (hypothetical) switch in his front would only be there for use with Data's consent — and that otherwise you'd have no opportunity to press it.

If I was forced to turn Data off against his will, I'd much rather deal with a switch in his back. Attacking from behind, you've still got a slight advantage of surprise and blind spot.

 

[at Quark's]

^ Agreed, a back switch gives you better odds. But only slightly, given those superhuman attributes Data has, probably in nearly everythying. We know his sight is superior (he can see the movement of the cloud of the warp core explosion in Timescape, thus deducing that time is not actually at a standstill, which others can't see), wouldn't be surprised if his hearing was, too, and he'd hear the beating of your hart when you tried to silently approach him from behind.

 

[shapeshifter]

Front switch. Tasha has extensive files on that one.

 

[UssGlenn]

he'd hear the beating of your hart when you tried to silently approach him from behind.

Wonder what would happen if you hit him with a 90 mph fastball in that spot.

 

[at Quark's]

Wonder what would happen if you hit him with a 90 mph fastball in that spot.

I suppose if you actually succeeded in hitting him in that spot, you might have a decent shot at turning him off. But before that occurs, 0.68 seconds is 'nearly an eternity' for him, so he might still have ample time to hear it coming and avoid getting hit at that particular spot.

 

[Qonundrum]

... is located in his back, as Data tells dr. Crusher in Datalore.

But suppose Data really goes out of control (rogue) what good would such a switch be? I mean, he's so much faster and stronger that you'd never have the opportunity to press it. So I suppose it's a switch that's only there to be used with Data's consent.

Which got me thinking about other potential safety devices Data might have had built in. For example, a remote 'turn off' command that would override any of his other programming. We do see a kind of backdoor in Brothers when Data gets 'taken over' by a command to return 'home' - do you thing Soong would have built in other safety measures, and if so, did the crew of the Enterprise-D know any of those?

Considering how often they show Data throwing Worf of all people around like a rag doll made from tissue paper, there really should have been a voice command. "Siri, turn off unlimited Data" and Data responds "Surely you can't be serious."

Indeed:

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Dang. The scene in of itself is rather striking, pun not intended as I love this story despite its flaws, but even Worf couldn't have done a fake-out pass to get at Data's switch back there then nobody could. An auxiliary method would be absolutely crucial. So even if Dr Crusher should have narked to the rest of the bridge crew, like how Data didn't need to be on the bridge in 11001001, it'd not have made a difference to try to find his light switch in the dark... now imagine if Tasha had...

Then again, if Soong's sense of humor as warped as every other reason Lore called him "Often-wrong Soong", the safe code would be closer to:

Spoiler: ...oh dear...

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and not "fork".

also, that is the best 976 number anyone ever told.

 

[NCC-73515]

Just modify a tricorder with one of Data's actuation servos.
(Insurrection, anyone? )

Bev also was able to deactivate him and he didn't react fast enough to stop her in The Game.

 

[dupersuper]

^ Agreed, a back switch gives you better odds. But only slightly, given those superhuman attributes Data has, probably in nearly everythying. We know his sight is superior (he can see the movement of the cloud of the warp core explosion in Timescape, thus deducing that time is not actually at a standstill, which others can't see), wouldn't be surprised if his hearing was, too, and he'd hear the beating of your hart when you tried to silently approach him from behind.

"Data" says it's better than the average dogs in Schizoid Man.

 

[at Quark's]

Bev also was able to deactivate him and he didn't react fast enough to stop her in The Game.

True. Though that was a different scenario, one where not Data went rogue, but Beverley, which he had no clue of knowing. He had no reason to guard himself at that moment and prevent her from touching him, not suspecting that she might do anything like that.

I still think it's a silly episode anyway (for different reasons though).

 

[JesterFace]

If Data gives too much trouble just hit him with that GoldenEye thing from James Bond films.

 

[Ragitsu]

Better than the deactivation switch in Chobits.

 

[Mojochi]

... is located in his back, as Data tells dr. Crusher in Datalore.

But suppose Data really goes out of control (rogue) what good would such a switch be? I mean, he's so much faster and stronger that you'd never have the opportunity to press it. So I suppose it's a switch that's only there to be used with Data's consent

Or it's a switch mainly for Soong's own ease of access. I mean Riker didn't seem to have much issue getting to use it without consent. Granted, he did so by being somewhat unsuspecting. So, any such switch's purpose is to be used in conjunction with misdirection. Data can't know or suspect you intend to use it. Even that kind of function could still be of use

As for Soong's backdoor. I have to assume if it overrides, it also can deactivate, & after those events, I suspect the only way Starfleet would've ever trusted him again would've been if maybe he freely offered access to it on a command code type basis. If I were anyone at HQ, I'd also be demanding some upgrades that precluded the possibility of Data ever being able to mimic voice authorizations again

 

[Orphalesion]

I think Data's off-switch is just a product of its time. The 1980s didn't have wifi yet and stuff, so they probably thought in a simpler way about those things.

If the show had been created today there might be a way to switch Data off through the ship's computer.
Unless of course they want the off-switch for drama.

 

[at Quark's]

I think Data's off-switch is just a product of its time. The 1980s didn't have wifi yet and stuff, so they probably thought in a simpler way about those things.

If the show had been created today there might be a way to switch Data off through the ship's computer.
Unless of course they want the off-switch for drama.

If so, then we saw it change during the series' run. That is, the switch is revealed in season 1 (Datalore)-1987. I think the idea that external signals can be used to 'hack into' data (which in my view is not far from from an Enterprise computer controlled emergency shutdown), is seen in Brothers (S4) for the first time (and later in Descent). So that would have around 1991, when the internet (even though mostly still by wire) gradually became known in wider circles.

Though, if Soong really wanted his android as human as possible, it also would make sense to have no such remote turnoff.

 

[somebuddyX]

One safety device that might come in handy is a baseball bat to knock his head off like in "Times Arrow."