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The thriving black market of John Deere tractor hacking

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Re: The thriving black market of John Deere tractor hacking

#131
post #45
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great point. This isn't like biodiesel or ethanol, where the co2 would end up in the air anyway. A methane generator actively creates a carbon form that is significantly worse for the environment.

Which form is that? Elaborate?

Carbon is converted into methane (ch4) rather than co2. Methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas[1]

[1] https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases

Re: The thriving black market of John Deere tractor hacking

#132
post #36
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm assuming you mean a metal foundry and not a semiconductor foundry? Still, the fact that they build their engines in-house is pretty impressive. I believe that many auto makers purchase their engines instead of designing then in-house because they are so complex to get right.

Both. They've operated their own foundries for longer than I've been alive; probably closer to a century. They've since purchased at least one semiconductor company to design and manufacture some of their electronics. And yes, John Deere has built its own engines for a long time; the division is called Power Systems or JDPS, and they build engines in factories all over the world, and they sell their engines to other…

I highly doubt that John Deere operates any semiconductor foundries. Those foundries aren't your normal run of the mill factories. They are $10B monsters just to get started.

Re: The thriving black market of John Deere tractor hacking

#133
post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tying elements like radios to VINs is actually a result of extremely rampant theft in 90s and early 00s, and I would never consider it a bad thing. Annoying, yes, but it has eventually led to dramatic decrease in car break-ins and theft over the last 10 years.

Maybe theft decreased because radios were becoming worthless due to their mainstream installation into all cars ?

I think it's still an issue that starts when the first radio gets damaged. That creates a secondary market for replacement radios, so theft occurs. Then, the person owning the car where the radio was stolen is now looking in that same secondary market for a replacement...and the chain never stops.

Similar for things like 3rd row removable seats and tailgates on trucks. Craigslist and eBay have more of these for sale than would make sense if they weren't being stolen.

Re: The thriving black market of John Deere tractor hacking

#134
post #66
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great point. This isn't like biodiesel or ethanol, where the co2 would end up in the air anyway. A methane generator actively creates a carbon form that is significantly worse for the environment.

Ethanol is a bad counterexample. Most ethanol comes from corn, and most energy in corn comes from fossil methane, used to synthesize ammonia fertilizer.

I wondered what share of the energy input the fertilizer represented. USDA has a good report on it:

https://www.usda.gov/oce/reports/energy/2015EnergyBalanceCor...

The energy share of the fertilizer has gone up pretty significantly over the last 30 years as the corn ethanol industry has improved.

Re: The thriving black market of John Deere tractor hacking

#135
post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you are right, however it kinda seems they already put up with a lot more from companies selling them their 'patented' seeds and the constraints that come with those seeds. I once saw a doc mentioning a farmer that got 'fined' by a seed company because he had some seeds he did not pay for in his crop, these few plants that grew because the neighboring farmer was using them and the wind blew some on the side o…

Yeah that sounds familiar. I think it was a documentary about Monsanto. Can't remember the exact name, might have been a BBC program?

You're probably remembering "Food, Inc."

Re: The thriving black market of John Deere tractor hacking

#136
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Both. They've operated their own foundries for longer than I've been alive; probably closer to a century. They've since purchased at least one semiconductor company to design and manufacture some of their electronics. And yes, John Deere has built its own engines for a long time; the division is called Power Systems or JDPS, and they build engines in factories all over the world, and they sell their engines to other…

I highly doubt that John Deere operates any semiconductor foundries. Those foundries aren't your normal run of the mill factories. They are $10B monsters just to get started.

They could have a fab operating at a lower process node for manufacturing microcontrollers, but I also think that it's not likely.

Re: The thriving black market of John Deere tractor hacking

#137

Farmers are an independent group. They are used to relying on their own skills and hard work to make a living, and they are not going to tolerate this. I think it is an overreach for John Deere and other manufacturers to control what I do with my (my!) devices. I really hope this law gets passed to prevent companies from doing this. Farmers can really help, because everyone knows we depend on them for our food, so an…

> Farmers are an independent group

...who receive billions in federal subsidies.

> They are used to relying on their own skills and hard work

Almost universally using machines and seeds designed by engineers and scientists in "The City". (excluding Amish farmers, in which case, my sincerest apologies for the skepticism.)

> I think it is an overreach for John Deere and other manufacturers to control what I do with my (my!) devices. I really hope this law gets passed to prevent companies from doing this.

Agreed. And in return for that legal protection, farmers should concede their subsidies.

> I think they picked a fight with the wrong people.

Definitely. Not because farmers are rugged individualists, but because they have extremely effective lobbying organizations and are very well-connected in DC.

Re: The thriving black market of John Deere tractor hacking

#139
post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wasn't from the PR department, but engineering management.

I am sure that is how many in the engineering dept justify their unethical practices so they can sleep at night But it still just BS they are selling to themselves

It's a shame you're being ridiculously hostile, because I'm more interested in hearing from people who used to work at JD than I am in hearing people yelling at them.

Re: The thriving black market of John Deere tractor hacking

#140
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Both. They've operated their own foundries for longer than I've been alive; probably closer to a century. They've since purchased at least one semiconductor company to design and manufacture some of their electronics. And yes, John Deere has built its own engines for a long time; the division is called Power Systems or JDPS, and they build engines in factories all over the world, and they sell their engines to other…

I highly doubt that John Deere operates any semiconductor foundries. Those foundries aren't your normal run of the mill factories. They are $10B monsters just to get started.

To be clear, I never said anything about "semiconductor foundries" (I can only hazard a guess as to what this might mean), I said "semiconductor company".
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