I see your point.
I just happen to think that yes, people "stupidly" allowing history to repeat itself is quite believable rather than unbelievable.
Surely one can think of lots of other examples in the real world of the same incredibly dangerous, stupidly dangerous, attitudes being carried through events that "should" have smacked us in the face with a wake up call.
True, we repeat the mistakes of the past all the time....
But generally, not within the same generation. Usually what happens is there is a calamity of some sort, everyone gets wise and stops doing it for a while (and in some cases Laws will be passed to prevent it from happening again).. And people adapt.. Then, a generation or two later, someone starts to walk down that slippery road that originally lead to the original calamity again.... Usually with the same results... and the same consequences.
From Crash 1.0 to now, we are barely a generation apart. From the Crash 2.0 to the wireless matrix was only 18 months!
From an AI turning the Arcology into a slaughterhouse to the wireless matrix (which would have allowed the AI to cause CITY wide mayhem!) we were just 6 years...
At every step that proved the Matrix was dangerous on a Society wide level, the PTB have just made the system MORE accessible and MORE prone to cause society wide damage... not less...
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Now, don't get me wrong. Behind the scenes I know this wasn't the intent. Nor would many pick up on this unless they have been around Shadowrun for a long while.
The Wireless matrix was a meta-game decision to bring the matrix more inline with the modern world.. After all, I can see the point a wireless matrix, especially given the fact we have wireless internet today. The Devs at the time probably figured it would create a disconnect between players that their "futuristic" game still needed a ethernet cable to work
And, there was the "decking mini-game" issue as well. Matrix runs in the early editions where almost solo run in themselves as just opening a door could take 20 minutes of rolls...
So, I can see the Devs saying.. "Hey, lets fix both these issues at once! Make the matrix wireless AND speed up the decking rolls".
And while I happily agree with speeding up the matrix side of things to keep all players invested and together (in a scene if not in action).. I'm just not sure if this was the right way to go about it. (And this extends right back to 4e.. Its not a dig at the Devs who have tried to fix the issues in 5e and 6e. Heck, I have yet to read 6e)
I just think (personally) that the wireless matrix has created more headaches then it was intended to solve. Personally, I would have divided up the matrix into two separate parts.
1 A wireless (read only) matrix for the commlink. This is the matrix that 99% of the world uses. And while it allows you access to the world's knowledge, (much like the internet today) it wouldn't be open to wireless changes.
2: ported connection for root access for the cyberdeck. If you want to change the matrix, then a ported connection would be required. This is where the decker would go to gain access to that door or security camera...
5e (6e?) tried to make this distinction with cyberdecks and commlinks.. which quickly fell apart with "dongles" and other things that just confused the public for a while...
yes, this wouldn't allow a Decker to hack a players cyberware... but then again (speaking of 5e only)... only a GM that wanted a rule book to the head would do that given just how unclear what happened to said cyberware was! (was that half million, 5 essence wired reflexes turned to slag? Causing a complete loss of that half million and 5 essence investment? How DO you fix cyberware?!! [The CRB page number would be great thanks!], did a simple reboot work?
Wait a minute, I thought DNI gave piority to the hack, and cybewrware has DNI, which must override the DNI of the decker, Unless his DNI has piority over MY DNI, but how can his DNI have piority over my DNI when my DNI is direct wired and his DNI is wireless??? unless wirelss DNI trumps direct DNI, but then why have DNI direct if DNI wireles is better?
CAN WE AT LEAST AGREE THE TERM DNI (the term) NEEDS TO FUCKING DIE!?!?!?
call it something else... how about Wet Farts for DNi and Squishy Farts for DNi? <If you can figure out which DNI is which....>