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Wi-Fi Cybers Question

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Daen82

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« on: <08-18-13/2102:28> »
I'm pretty sure this has been a topic of discussion at some point, and that I'm probably jumping on the subject a bit late, but here we go...

Why on earth would anyone want their cyber-implants with any sort of external conectivity? In game it adds a very welcome something to do for deckers, during combat. But in terms of scenario and suspension of disbelief, the risks seem too dangerous for any possible advantage it may provide.

So, in-character wise, why would anyone even consider that sort of technology? What are its supposed benefits?
Also looking for some PbP Shadowrun action!
My post on the runners bbb:
http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=487.msg229003#msg229003

SoyCaf

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« Reply #1 on: <08-18-13/2221:04> »
Low data usage and faster browsing?

RHat

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« Reply #2 on: <08-18-13/2241:51> »
Basic operating principle of computer security: Usable systems are not secure, secure systems are not usable.

Basic operating principle of human decisions: When the chances of negative consequences are low (and sometimes even when they're not), many people decide that it will never happen to them and thus take the risk, regardless of the severity.

Combine this with the fact that deckers and technomancers are gonna be rare as all hell, and it might start to make a little more sense to you.
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Daen82

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« Reply #3 on: <08-18-13/2324:10> »
Low data usage and faster browsing?
With risks that a third party makes it malfunction, possibly causing death or the failure of an important operation? Hardly a fair trade-off.

Rhat's premise is actually pretty damn interesting; however, considering the way it worked before, it was pretty usable AND safe.
(also, pardon if I miss a lot of details here but... what about Deckers/Techies being rare? Why?)

Don't take me wrong, I really love how it changes the role of Deckers in general; I just find it hard to justify it in-setting.
Also looking for some PbP Shadowrun action!
My post on the runners bbb:
http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=487.msg229003#msg229003

DeathStrobe

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« Reply #4 on: <08-19-13/0015:32> »
(also, pardon if I miss a lot of details here but... what about Deckers/Techies being rare? Why?)


Decks are illegal. All illegal Matrix activity gets flagged by GOD.

Also TM's are less than 1% of the population, fewer than the awakened. So who are you going to worry about more, the guy hacking with his brain or the guy who can light you on fire with his mind? (Answer: Both)

Crunch

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« Reply #5 on: <08-19-13/0017:02> »
I'm pretty sure this has been a topic of discussion at some point, and that I'm probably jumping on the subject a bit late, but here we go...

Why on earth would anyone want their cyber-implants with any sort of external conectivity? In game it adds a very welcome something to do for deckers, during combat. But in terms of scenario and suspension of disbelief, the risks seem too dangerous for any possible advantage it may provide.

So, in-character wise, why would anyone even consider that sort of technology? What are its supposed benefits?

Being able to run a diagnostic without invasive surgery.

RHat

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« Reply #6 on: <08-19-13/0143:13> »
(also, pardon if I miss a lot of details here but... what about Deckers/Techies being rare? Why?)

Couple reasons.  First off, as to technomancers, they just ARE extremely rare - they only even started coming around 5 years ago now, and the Emerged portion of the population is orders of magnitude smaller than the Awakened portion.  An effective decker, meanwhile, practically HAS to be extraordinarily intelligent (already cutting the potential group down to an extremely small share of the population), be in possession of a relatively rare, highly restricted, and very valuable piece of equipment, and has to develop a skillset that can pretty much only be used for being a decker.  No matter the assumption you run those numbers under, you're coming up with a pretty small percentage.

Part of it, of course, is that the new Matrix is WAY more secure - skript kiddiez are now impossible.
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Michael Chandra

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« Reply #7 on: <08-19-13/0420:52> »
And by slaving the cyber to a commlink you provide it protection as well.

See it this way: How many people have changed the password on their wifi?
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Daen82

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« Reply #8 on: <08-19-13/0653:55> »
I don't want to sound insistent  or stubborn, but the issue remains. To address some of the arguments:

- people do not care for their wi-fi password, but your modem isn't an artificial internal organ that can potentially kill you.

-if a cyber has wi-fi connections, it means any third party with access to a terminal can, theoretically, invade you for multiple harmful purposes, not only deckers. Heck, it would make sense to have some "wi-fi jammer device" in any mercenary's/police/runner" inventory, just in case.

- remember that this is not just a humanitarian concern, it can potentially hinder/compromise entire military/corp operations, its investiments, and any resources involved (including cyberware itself).

-the diagnosis idea sounds good, but can also be achieved via directly plugging into one's datajack.

Still hard to see why anyone would bother switching their gear to wi-fi versions (unless it has been ret-conned that it has always been an indispensable part of cyberware tech;is that so?)
Also looking for some PbP Shadowrun action!
My post on the runners bbb:
http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=487.msg229003#msg229003

Michael Chandra

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« Reply #9 on: <08-19-13/0700:06> »
You can still turn off the wifi, and it was already an option in SR4. You simply lose any wireless benefits then. And not every piece of cyberware is owned by someone who's a professional criminal or high-ranked security. How many facilities are built to resist a truck ramming the gate and exploding inside?
How am I not part of the forum?? O_O I am both active and angry!

Daen82

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« Reply #10 on: <08-19-13/0841:19> »
You can still turn off the wifi, and it was already an option in SR4. You simply lose any wireless benefits then. And not every piece of cyberware is owned by someone who's a professional criminal or high-ranked security. How many facilities are built to resist a truck ramming the gate and exploding inside?

I understand how wireless works great for the general user. But the runners and most meaningful characters involved in a shadowrun story are far from general public, they're actually closer to spec ops, militia, intelligence agents and the such.

People don't worry about gates being rammed by armored trucks because that isn't a very smart, discrete, practical or inexpensive strategy - unlike hacking/harassing a system remotely, cyberdeck or not.
Also looking for some PbP Shadowrun action!
My post on the runners bbb:
http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=487.msg229003#msg229003

Sendaz

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« Reply #11 on: <08-19-13/0859:33> »
(also, pardon if I miss a lot of details here but... what about Deckers/Techies being rare? Why?)

Because Deckers/TM prefer to do it online? :P

Hence lower number of second generations. ;)
Do you believe in a greater WIRELESS, an Invisible(WiFi) All Seeing(detecting those connected- at least if within 100'), All Knowing(all online data) Presence that we can draw upon for Wisdom(downloads & updates), Strength (wifi boni) and Comfort (porn) or do you turn your back on it  (Go Offline)?

Crunch

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« Reply #12 on: <08-19-13/0907:49> »
-the diagnosis idea sounds good, but can also be achieved via directly plugging into one's datajack.

Not everyone has a datajack, with the rise of trodes and wireless they're much less common than they were in the '50s, and there's really no reason that your datajack would mesh with all of your cyberware.

Essentially here's the deal. In the 60's nanotech revolutionized cyberware, not least by allowing rapid data transmission through the body by things like skin link, but the SYBIL virus fried enough nanotech that what's left is unstable and not trusted by most people. All of the cyber in 4E has wireless connectivity for diagnostic purposes already, 5E just offloaded some of the processing and routing to compensate for the increased size and cost of making all of this stuff in a world where nanotech is suddenly unreliable.

Belker

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« Reply #13 on: <08-19-13/0924:08> »
Perhaps the same market forces that are actually punishing more secure solutions while rewarding less-secure options and use behavior today are present in the 2070s?
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IKerensky

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« Reply #14 on: <08-19-13/0952:14> »
Because the more WIFI equipement avaliable the faster all the WIFI equipement work ? Data transmission is not the burden of your sole Comlink every computerised item share the burden of transmitting data from every other item in the area. That is how they manage to have the WiFi Matrix to be so fast and so powerfull. The trade back is that it make equipement vulnerable to hacking.

Personnaly I dont like it. I never allowed the hacking of cyber-implants and never will, I also profundly dislike the Wifi-Matrix because, from a Gamemaster point of view it make devicing interesting situation far harder.

But Fluffwise, it is only the logical step.