More IBM-tans

[Chocofreak13]

i think it'd be funny if the "POWER" logo turned out to be her power button....but i doubt she'd let such a security breach slide. xD

@bella: good idea with the hair! ^^

[Paul]

Nope, IBM power buttons look like that

[Chocofreak13]

well, you don't have to make everything accurate down to the letter. that's the importance of artistic licence. :3

but i still don't think AIX would let something as obvious as that go. doesn't seem like her style.

[Paul]

Hmm, you're right Considered how paranoid AIX-tan is she probably won't let anyone even near her unless that person has verified herself.

[Chocofreak13]

that would probably mean she doesn't get along with many other -tans/-kuns, given her paranoid nature. (she'd probably think they were there to steal her secrets or something xDD)

[Bella]

Paranoid needn't =/= difficult or crazy though, and frankly, the assumption that it does can lead to character who's a mere caricature instead of a fully fleshed-out and believable personality.

Take for example, four of the more notable assumed-paranoiacs in the OS-taneverse: OpenVMS, SAGE, Mertvaya Ruka* and SCO Unix.

*Not really paranoid, but included here for comparison

OpenVMS-tan is paranoid and sociopathic (more in the empathy-lacking sense of the term than violent one) and she's generally ambivalent to the public but has a small circle of people she cares deeply about. The entirety of her violence is aimed at criminals like virii and crackers (the OpenVMS community, like most of the old time Hacker communities, is very anti-cybercrime). Likewise, her paranoia is specifically security-oriented - she's not afraid of any groups, but knows she has to keep herself safe because it's a dangerous world. Thus her tendency to carry lots and lots of sharp pointy weapons on her body at all times...

So in this case, paranoia = excellent self defense skills/constant preparedness

I can't speak with certainty 'cause she's not my character, but SAGE-tan's paranoia seems to be mostly rooted in her psychosis - so she doesn't have a good reason to be that way, it's just a symptom of whatever mental and/or emotional illnesses she's suffering from. Actually, in her case it's entirely illogical. Even though she had a job that required a high level vigilance (bomber interception), she hasn't been a target for attack since her retirement nearly 30 years ago. Possibly much earlier, if believe that ICBMs made bombers obsolete and that her job was pointless. So if she was sane she'd realize that she has nothing to worry about and would be living in peace... but her psychological disorder(s) make her believe that everything and everyone - including Unix-sama, microcomputer-tans, and birds, are out to get her.

In her case, paranoia = a symptom of psychosis. She doesn't have good reason to be; she just is.

Mertvaya Ruka isn't a paranoiac - it certainly seems that she would be, what with a lifetime of hibernating in a bunker in the currently-former-Soviet Union -  but instead she comes off as rather curious, attentive and level-headed. If she displays any paranoia, it manifests itself as reclusiveness... but even that's debatable.

Ruka is a good example of a character that could arguably be characterized as paranoid, but isn't.

SCO Unix-tan is clearly paranoid - she believes that Linux-tan is out to usurp the Unix throne; that Unix-sama is covering up Linux-tan's relationship to the Unix family; and that any number of her sisters are out to destroy her. If that last one wasn't true before it is now - most of the Unices are sick and tried of SCO's antics and want her gone, one way or another. It's theorized that the breaking point in SCO-tan's life was during the Unix Wars, when her (largely absentee) mother, Xenix-sama, died as a commoner in battle. As a child SCO was suspicious, mistrustful and had a bloated sense of self-importance, but that sort of tipped her over the edge... I guess you could theorize she's acting out for attention, like some sort of infantile cry for the love she never entirely got from her mother or anyone else? Of course she truly believes that what she's seeing is real and needs to be stopped, so there's a certainly level of delusion going on too....

Thus SCO Unix-tan is a character who's paranoia = a delusional manifestation of emotional trauma; a possible ploy for more attention

Sorry for the TL; DR, but I just want to show that there can be a lot of different spins on paranoia besides "Doesn't trust people". 

[NejinOniwa]

Well played, Bells. Hats off~

[Chocofreak13]

i wasn't trying to generalize, jeez....AIX just seems like she wouldn't get along with many people in general, given her protective nature and somewhat attitude. :\

that explanation was nice, although i can't help but take it personally...?

[Paul]

Well, I guess AIX-tan likes to protect herself and may be a little wary, but I think she's not evil or sociopathic (in fact, AIX provides some of the best OS administration tools like SMIT or WSM as well as sourcecode compatibility for Linux applications). Though I believe she still might be quite tense around people she doesn't know.

[Chocofreak13]

well, with that in mind, i think she might take a stern leadership position in places that doesn't have it (though it sometimes might be to the chagrin of others xDD).

[Paul]

Yay, AIX-tan for president!

[Chocofreak13]

xD not quite sure that's what i meant, but ok.

[Bella]

That was not a critique of yours' or Paul's ideas, Kari, I was merely saying that security can take many forms besides the usual ones, mistrust, physical distance, etc. Considering how many security-oriented OSes exist, that potentially makes for a lot of paranoid OS-tans.

I didn't mention a the other -tans that could be portrayed as being paranoid because of their respective OSes' security features - but aren't for the sake of variety - including Stratus VOS, BSD, Xenix and Multics among others. (Multics-sama takes the secure-OS-tans-being-mistrustful-trope and turns in on its head; she's actually a very social and amiable individual whose security-mindedness is manifested as an ability to psychically construct labyrinths around herself - a reference to Multics' rings and of course its logo.)

[Aurora Borealis]

@Bella: Great job explaining all of that!

When you describe Multics as being very social and amiable, is that her present-day self you're mainly describing, because she used to be very moody and melancholy, didn't she?

Sad that SAGE thinks the Vintage-tans are out to get her, when many of them like her.

@Paul, Choco: I agree with your interpretations of AIX, I see her as cautious but helpful towards others if she can trust them.

------
New character concept:

The ZX81 just turned 30! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12703674 I thought it'd be a good time to make a ZX81-tan (aka: Timex Sinclair 1000-tan).

-Small, thin and very frail.
-Wears a long black+white dress and has short black hair, red eyes and a ZX-81 brooch.
-Miserly. Does not like to use much of anything.
-Tsundere-ish, can be very harsh, at times mistaken for sadistic. (one screw up, and your program is ****ed)
-A teacher-type to many, despite her harshness towards others, has had a loyal following of students willing to stick to her rules.
-Taught her students, and her younger sisters to be highly resourceful.

[Chocofreak13]

@bella: ok, just wanted to make sure there wasn't any animocity. ^^;
@aurora: i like her! she's like a precursor to other bare-bones OSes, like puppy! ^^