Clonus Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 So in the webcomic "Fans" the villains have just removed the ability of humanity to read alphabetic script. This probably includes the simplified modern scripts of Japanese and Chinese, but not heiroglyphic scripts. I bring this up here, because I think it's one of the more creative supervillain schemes I've seen. What do you suppose the consequences of that would be? How would people get along suddenly reduced to illiteracy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gojira Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Re: Grandiose Schemes II well, street signs are kaput. So transportation is messed up. And computer screens are dead. I assume all geeks immediately go into withdraw--Slashdotters are curled up on the ground. GPS with arrows and maps might be ok, as might Google terrain maps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Re: Grandiose Schemes II Nah. computer screens aren't dead, youtube gets more popular. Probably a villain plot right there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted September 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Re: Grandiose Schemes II The problem with youtube is how would one find the bookmark? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenn Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Re: Grandiose Schemes II The little logo next to the words. Or typing the URL. A lot of people who type regularly know where keys are without having to read the keys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Re: Grandiose Schemes II The problem with youtube is how would one find the bookmark? Visual cues. of course, the whole thing of 1's & 0's maybe problematic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gojira Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Re: Grandiose Schemes II Or typing the URL. I know what you're saying, but no alphabet = no typing. Keyboards aside, if the alphabet has been magically erased, then ASCII goes with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenn Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Re: Grandiose Schemes II I know what you're saying' date=' but no alphabet = no typing. Keyboards aside, if the alphabet has been magically erased, then ASCII goes with it.[/quote'] Who said the alphabet had been erased? So in the webcomic "Fans" the villains have just removed the ability of humanity to read alphabetic script. This probably includes the simplified modern scripts of Japanese and Chinese, but not heiroglyphic scripts. I bring this up here, because I think it's one of the more creative supervillain schemes I've seen. What do you suppose the consequences of that would be? How would people get along suddenly reduced to illiteracy? The nature of the problem, as described by Clonus is that people can no longer read. But the third key on the second row of the standard QWERTY keyboard pressed three times would still be the first three keystrokes of most URLs. If the spell is intricate enough to do things like keep the physical switch under that third key from communicating with the computer's processor that a value of 10100110 (in binary) should now be in that memory location associated with the current position of the cursor, that's fine. But that's electrical switches, some of which are tiny. Humans need language to interpret the symbols. But a computer's core just keeps track of which of millions of switches are on or off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Re: Grandiose Schemes II that demon text messaging will be gone Muhahahahahahaha it might take time but sign language could be used Icons(most traffic control signs are different shapes) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndianaJoe3 Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Re: Grandiose Schemes II This probably includes the simplified modern scripts of Japanese and Chinese' date=' but not heiroglyphic scripts.[/quote'] Omniglot has some info on different writing systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted September 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Re: Grandiose Schemes II I know what you're saying' date=' but no alphabet = no typing. Keyboards aside, if the alphabet has been magically erased, then ASCII goes with it.[/quote'] No, just the human capacity to understand it. Think of it as everyone being afflicted with super-dyslexia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtelson Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Re: Grandiose Schemes II Ok what's phase 2? How does this help the villains? Are they selling the ability back to the highest bidders? Disruption and Chaos are great if that's what they're after, I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quozaxx Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Re: Grandiose Schemes II They (being immune) will eventually sneak in a raid a library. Perhaps the Library of Congress. I mean who would look for them there. And less people means more uninterrupted searching. If the heroes do find them there, would they risk damaging countless rare, possibly unique pieces of printed material? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted September 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Re: Grandiose Schemes II Ok what's phase 2? How does this help the villains? Are they selling the ability back to the highest bidders? Disruption and Chaos are great if that's what they're after, I suppose. In the webcomic they want to establish an inegalitarian social order, one that dispenses with democracy and in which only superior minds can control magic and technology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoloOfEarth Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Re: Grandiose Schemes II No' date=' just the human capacity to understand it. Think of it as everyone being afflicted with super-dyslexia.[/quote'] So, basically, l337-speak is unaffected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Device Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Re: Grandiose Schemes II The players in one of my games visited an alternate world where something similar had happened around the end of the 19th century. All writing had been erased, and all knowledge of it had been erased. Civilization had survived and in the meantime reinvented an entirely new writing system. The players ran across writing first, and were surprised when they met one of the natives and the native spoke perfectly normal sounding English. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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