Koala, some people just don't relate to machines as intelligent individuals no matter how much evidence there has been that they are sentient. (Dylin and I have this conversation regularly.) Dylin worked on the development of the probes and just can't see them as capable of evolving beyond the programming they were given.
Her comments are not meant to be hurtful (I don't think), but are a reflection of her honest opinion that the probes are "just" machines, with their value limited to their use as tools. Its not the same opinion that most of us here share. But it allows her to be objective at times when the rest of us might be pulled emotionally towards the probes and might miss something because of it.
OK,Dylin, I'll let you speak for yourself after this. Just had to put my $.02 in.
Cat