Can Starlink be Trusted?

Reasoning against a conspiracy…

Ann: This offer of a satellite link directly from my iPhone.  It worries me.
Max: Hmm?
Ann: Isn’t that ring of satellites, what’s it called, Skynet, copying our data and spying on us?
Max: Well. First off, it’s not Skynet. It’s Starlink. Skynet was a movie.
Ann: Same thing, right?
Max: Not same. Starlink is a carrier of signals. Not a malevolent intelligence like Skynet.
Ann: Well, Starlink could still steal our data couldn’t it?
Max: Not if the data is encrypted. And iPhones do that so make sure you set it up right. And update regularly.
Ann: What if I’m in a public WiFi area?
Max: Ah, now that’s where you might be vulnerable. So no shopping, using credit cards or using passwords.
__________
Voice-over
Configure your iPhone to interface with Starlink. Be vigilant but don’t veer into paranoia. Don’t fall for the social media misinformation. But if you’re still concerned go Settings > Cellular > Your Carrier > Satellite (turn off).

Pitching a Story

...

Joel, the writer, gives a pitch for a scene to Robert, the direct-

or.

Joel: Picture this. Two guys in an office.

Robert: Names. I visualize imaginary people better when they have names.

Joel: OK. Jonno and Zenno. And Jonno's got this bandage on his hand, a big fat elastic bandage. And Zenno looks on the computer and downloads an X-ray of a mangled monkey's hand.

[Close-up of iPhone screen showing X-ray of all the bones broken in a hand.]

Now the boss comes in the room.

Robert: Boss have a name?

Joel: Steve. In jeans like Steve Jobs. Boss says, “How’d the weekend go?”

And Jonno answers, “Had a party. Fireworks.”

[Boss looks at Jonno’s bandaged hand.] “What happened? Not fireworks?”

Jonno says, “Just been up the hospital. Had an X-ray. Got it back on the iPhone.”

[Hands iPhone to boss.]

Boss says, “TOLD you to watch out for fireworks.” [Boss looks at the iPhone.] “Bloody hell! WHAT!”

[Jonno peels off the bandage and reveals unharmed hand.]

Robert: Go on. I'm listening.

Joel: Zenno and Jonno dissolve in laughter watching boss’ face go from shock and horror to exasperation.

Robert: OK. Run this by Serena. If she says OK, we'll shoot it.

__________________
Voice-over

Pitching. Running a story by a director. Or a scene.

Characteristics: Present tense. Choppy sentences. Mix of dialogue and stage directions.

Listener pulls the pitch into focus, for example with requests for names.

By the way, Serena did say OK, they actually shot it and it’s here, (click to see) on YouTube!

...

Ahead of his time

Steve is discussing with his speechwriter how to approach the announcement of a new phone.

...

Steve: How about I begin by comparing telegramese with SMS abbreviations?

Speechwriter: Been done already.

Steve: Uh huh. OK. Um. How about taking snapshots with a Box Brownie compared with snapping friends on your phone and 3Ging them?

Speechwriter: Been done.

Steve: Damn. OK. Instant messaging now superseded by Twitter?

Speechwriter: Been done.

Steve: Just who was it who said all this before me?

Speechwriter: Samuel Butler.

Steve: I wanna meet this guy.

Speechwriter: Bit late. He died 1902.

Steve: Wow. Ahead of his time. Saw it all coming.

___________

Voiceover

Two strands run through this conversation.

One is Steve desperately hunting for an interesting angle. An analogy that hasn’t yet been revealed. That’s hard.

The second is that the concept of machines being a threat to humans was clearly foreseen and laid out 140 years ago by Samuel Butler in Erewhon.

It is ironical that even intelligent people can overlook the idea that less is more, or even more ominously, The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.

Will we become the slaves of machines? Some of us already feel we are.

...