I agree re: universal translators. Most everything in the ST universe is
bent toward making the process easier, less challenging; I want to show the
process of overcoming. I think it's great if an alien shows up from a
previously unvisited planet, and they spend days trying to communicate with
it. I think that some computerized stuff might work, as in the case where
someone programs a machine to go from one specific language to another (sort
of a species-specific interpreter), but thats about it.

jms