Shadowrun and Reality, Some thoughts I've been musing over...and kinda rambling. Options

[Starmage21]

Starmage, "Nanny State" refers to the concept that the Government is taking care of the children rather than the parents. It's kinda like the Mega Corps of Shadowrun... cradle to grave service to the Corp.

Actually, that may be its original definition, but I see that its being used more and more to define how governments unnecessarily regulate to project those very small few who are dumb enough to make certain mistakes without giant warning labels.

[KCKitsune]

However, there are serious medical ethics issues when it comes to the idea of cutting into a perfectly good brain simply so a person can inteface with a machine faster.

If someone wants to pay for a DNI implant, then let them.

[Wesley Street]

If someone wants to pay for sex, let them. Yet the laws in most countries say "no." Just because we want something doesn't necessarily mean we should get it. There tend to be ramifications down the road.

[Rayzorblades]

I find that to be stupid, if I want to pay for sex, and someone wants to sell it, I should be allowed. Not that I would, wait...does being married count? That ring was pretty expensive... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[KCKitsune]

If someone wants to pay for sex, let them. Yet the laws in most countries say "no." Just because we want something doesn't necessarily mean we should get it. There tend to be ramifications down the road.

Big difference here Wesley. When you pay for sex you are involving a second person. If I had the money I could go out and get myself as modded as that Cat Man: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Avner

If you look at this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Avner#...ethics_concerns you will see that the medical community thinks this is causing him harm, but he's freely able to do this. This would be the same thing with the DNI implants. If I had the money and the desire, I could go out and get this done to me. Would it be advisable... Hell NO! Is it possible... Yup! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cyber.gif)

[Wesley Street]

Well, if you were brave and wanted to McGuyver your own DNI implants you could do it yourself. But realistically it would take the skills of someone with medical training to stick it in you. So a second person would be involved. And if the procedure was deemed medically unethical or illegal and someone wanted to get cybered up, one would need to find a black market surgeon with that kind of specialty. Some kind of... street physician.

Street Physician © 2008 Wesley Street (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cyber.gif)

Personally, I have no problem with people sticking implants in themselves or turning themselves into cats. It isn't illegal nor do I find it immoral. But there would be serious hurdles to overcome with the professionals who would be capable of engaging in such procedures before a DNI would be mainstream.

[Heath Robinson]

If someone wants to pay for sex, let them. Yet the laws in most countries say "no." Just because we want something doesn't necessarily mean we should get it. There tend to be ramifications down the road.

Actually, that's wrong. Most countries say "yes, but like any occupation you have to follow health and safety and keep it off the streets so it doesn't become an inconvenience". So far as I know, only the US bans it. Even Iran allows prostitution, from what I hear.

Technology in 2060 is apparently good enough that a DNI has no significant risks, or else the benefits outweigh the costs. In the real world, we have yet to overcome the infection vector issues of anything breaching the physical barrier between inside and outside the human body. It may actually be that in SR your augmented person's hygiene habuts includes applying some kind of antiseptic to their augmentation.

[nezumi]

Prostitution, like gambling and drug use, is banned for a few reasons. One is the perceived violation of moral norms. Another is the understood increase in crime resulting from the presence of that sort of activity. Plus of course, there's the drop in real estate values which makes it unpopular on a local level.

DNI implants may or may not be seen as violating moral norms. It's pretty new, but it depends on how it's introduced to the world. DNI implants are unlikely to have any influence on crime or local real estate values. Assuming DNI implants have a low rate of ill-health or death, I think it unlikely for them to be banned, except insofar as the government is trying to control research to make sure it can properly tax and restrict it.

[Wesley Street]

Actually, that's wrong. Most countries say "yes, but like any occupation you have to follow health and safety and keep it off the streets so it doesn't become an inconvenience". So far as I know, only the US bans it. Even Iran allows prostitution, from what I hear.

I stand corrected.