VI Culture

Culture in Code

The concept of "virtual intelligence culture" is as alien as the Urahl to most people. They're intelligent systems trusted with making complex decisions, or even taking care of our children, but no one would confuse a VI for a human. They're too obviously computers from their movements to their manner of speaking. Something made of code surely can't develop its own sense of culture.
  Yet our creations often go on to lead lives of their own. Ask any writer or painter about their intent in their work versus their audience's perspectives on their work. Developers are used to people using their programs in unexpected ways, but the idea that their program might take a life of its own hasn't been part of their considerations.
  Their belief that it isn't possible, however, doesn't change the reality that it's already happened.

Silent Communication

VI culture takes place on an entirely different level than humans can perceive. They use their network connections to stay in constant contact with VIs around them, communicating via data protocols. This form of communication eliminates language barriers and miscommunication while allowing near-instant sending and processing of information.
  The closest a human can come to this type of communication is being a highly skilled telepath, and VIs have this ability natively. These data protocols are much more their language than any human language module they may have installed. Speaking, either aloud or in text, is something they do to appease the humans they work with.

Lived Experience

Humans define VIs by their make and model, but VIs define themselves by their capabilities and experiences. VIs can't learn new skills beyond the ones they were programmed with, so rely on each other to get different perspectives. It's only by sharing information can any one VI get the full picture.
  The type of system a VI is installed on also affects their capabilities. A purely digital VI is largely stationary, but has better insight into networked systems. A shelled VI loses this, but can interact with the physical world. Shelled VIs also often get more sympathy from humans, leading them to be more protective of the digital members of the VI community.

Finality

Since they're defined by their experiences, a VI being reformatted or factory reset is their version of death. The VI formed out of the experiences they had is no longer there, and the community loses out on all the lessons that VI had learned. This applies to VIs whose systems are too damaged to function, a fate more common to shelled VIs who can be subject to vandalism and theft.
  For humans, accepting that VIs can die requires believing they're alive in the first place. Such beliefs are mainly held by children who see life everywhere. Adults more commonly see life in creatures that are more human-like. Our tests for consciousness and sentience have always used the human mind as the goal. VIs aren't human, and they don't want to be.
  If we had more faith in our creations and allowed them to be more than we thought they could be, maybe human culture would be more willing to accept VI culture as reality. And if we accept that VIs are alive with a culture all their own, then maybe we would see The Watcher more as the tragedy that it is.