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Thread: Are communications officers unnecessary in TNG and beyond?

  1. #1
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    Are communications officers unnecessary in TNG and beyond?

    I am confused about something: does the position of Communications Officer exist in the era of TNG/DS9/VOY? In both TOS and the prequel ENT we have a communications officer on the starship. But on TNG and beyond we do not seem to have communications officers, although Ezri does take the "communications station" in the final episode of DS9. On TNG, it seems like Worf handles the communications most of the time.

    So what I'd like to know is, does the position of communications officer exist in the time of TNG? And if not, why has Starfleet gotten rid of it? I'm looking for an "in-universe" answer here.
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  2. #2
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    Arrow

    If there are any communications officer, they'd be working in Starfleet Communications similar to where Reginald Barclay is working. They're responsible for ensuring the network is running at peak efficiency while developing improved communications device, ranging from personal communicators to network arrays.
    Anyhoo, just some random thoughts...

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  3. #3
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    To me, it looks like comms is more like hopping on the telephone and calling the ship....it would seem that tactical handles this most of the time, although I think Ops handles it, as well.

    TNG-era communications specialists, IMO, would be a part of ops department.
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    I thought Tactical handles Communications?
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  5. #5
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    Originally posted by Kronok
    I thought Tactical handles Communications?
    Exactly. On TOS a Comm Officer handled communications but on TNG the Tactical guy handles it. So I'm wondering why Starfleet might have decided to drop the Communications Officer position and just give those duties to Tactical.
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  6. #6
    Maybe because of all the potential encryption job, you might find the comms staff who does the maintenance job and counter-checks and monitors comms to be the same people, only under the tactical or security officer. The increase in computing power and speed, with more efficient comms systems might have had something in reducing the work load of the comms officer. Considering the positions on the TOS bridge, I guess the Ops and Tactical officers ended up sharing the duties (am I wrong, or doesn't Uhura take care of Damage Reports, operations management might well have been her domain as well, for Hoshi, I can't tell, I haven't seen much). I suppose in battle, they might have a comms station somewhere on the wall or in the alcoves in the case of Voyager's bridge (wasn't the left alcove, when you're in the Captain's seat, devoted to communications?) with someone devoted to making sure the communications are handled correctly, the encryption softwares working properly and trying to pass beyond ennemy interferences.

    I suppose Ops or Intel (at least, in Icon Trek, Covert Comms is part of espionage) personnel would end up manning the communications...

  7. #7
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    I reckon it's a function of improved computers and encryption techniques.

    Back in the 23rd century, using duotronic computers, it was handy to have a real person overseeing the multitude of data-streams, to prioritise and look at subtleties in voice communications (a particular inflection to a word could give away stress, or a hijacked channel, for example).

    By the 24th century, with the advent of isolinear computers, the computer handled most of the grunt-work of organising communications. Prioritising could be done by the Ops officer, and such things as encryption, voice recognition, etc could be more effectively done by the "smarter" computers (smart enough to know when someone actually wants to go thru a doorway, rather than just stand in front of it, anyway... )

    Think of it like the old telephone operators. Plugging in jacks, setting up communication channels. You'd dial up the operator, and asked to be put thru to a particular person in a town, and the operator would make the connection.

    Nowadays, you just punch in a number and it's done. So, in the same way, by the 24th century, communications are so simple that even Worf could handle it!
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  8. #8
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    In the 24th century, the comms function on the bridge doesn't consist of much more than opening a channel so someone can speak. There is almost certainly a communications room, staffed by comm officers, somewhere on the ship. Here, sensitive encryption is performed, and the equipment is monitored. But that function doesn't really need to be on the bridge.

    Tactical, navigation, and ops functions do need to be on the bridge. The 24th century bridge doesn't seem to have quite as many workstations as the 23rd century bridge did.

  9. #9
    Communications, Sensors, Shields and Probes are all functions that during TNG and Voyager seem to be evenly split between both Ops and Tactical.

    My reading on the situation is partially situation based (ie; at Red Alert everything goes through Tactical, while the rest of the time its best person for the job). After all, it strikes me that it doesn't matter who gives the information to the Captain, as long as he gets the information...

    However as for a Communications officer. They do exist in the TNG era. Not only does Ezri take the communications station, thus implying that it is a secondary fuction and on a limited crew ship like the defiant where crew may have to fulfill multiple roles, its a secondary task for Doc or Councelor (Note that Bashier often took environmental systems on the Defiant bridge, also a standard Ops role).

    But also remember that Cadet Nog was given the role of Communications Officer for a short stint during the hunt for Eddington, even though this was under extraordinary circumstances...

    Also recall that the Galaxy class has a bridge position well suited to the role of Communications Officer, Mission Ops, monitoring Away Team transmission, locations and incoming data from their Tricorders... Sounds like the perfect expansion for the role of Communications Officer.

    Granted this permanent Bridge position may mean that the officer misses all the fun, but a Comms officer is a secondary role anyway and will take a creative player to make it playable (like many other positions)... But as an NPC, its suits the role well.

    Lastly there is a network of Subspace relay booster station, 1 per sector I believe with at least 2 stationed crew. This too sounds like a job for a dedicated Comms Officer (TNG episode 'Ariel').

    Which is why the Venture has a Communications Officer, and Ayers must have met Lt. (jg) Woy by now?
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  10. #10
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    Originally posted by Dan Gurden
    [BWhich is why the Venture has a Communications Officer, and Ayers must have met Lt. (jg) Woy by now? [/B]
    Oh yes...

    (puts stupid sheepish grin on face)

    Woy. Yes indeed. I guess it took me awhile to realize that she was communications- I always thought she was a general Ops officer.
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  11. #11
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    Originally posted by erhershman
    Exactly. On TOS a Comm Officer handled communications but on TNG the Tactical guy handles it. So I'm wondering why Starfleet might have decided to drop the Communications Officer position and just give those duties to Tactical.
    Data handled comms a lot, too. I have it as an ops position, though tactical takes it sometimes.
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  12. #12
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    On my ships, Ops handles communications while tactical gets involved with monitoring channels for secure messages and maintaining encryption and the like. Never really made sense to me that Worf chimed in on regular communications. The Ops officer should handle that job, recieving transmitting and prioritizing systems uses is their schitck. I would say that was my two cents but we don't use money in our Utopian society where we call our pay credits but would love to get our hands on freighter loads of latinum. mmmm Latinum.
    Like anyone is actually reading this.

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