Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Tesla bows to pressure, stops allowing drivers to play video games while driving

theguardian.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 123 posts

Re: Tesla bows to pressure, stops allowing drivers to play video games while driving

#21

Post by seanmcdirmid »

DSingularity wrote: post #16
paweladamczuk wrote: post #12

What about the idea that, as a customer who bought and owns something, you should have control over that thing, not the other way around? I am not saying this is the stronger argument. It's still an argument, though, and it surprised me to find this sentiment missing from the comments (granted, we're at only 7 comments right now). Why would something we want applied to smartphones and PCs not apply to cars?

… because it’s really hard for me to misuse my smartphone to the point where it kills someone/myself.

Actually, smartphones are a pretty significant cause of death, but when people are using them while driving.

For Apple iPhone, for example, you just have to assert that you aren't driving to use it while driving (assuming the iPhone could be used by a passenger instead, so they can't really tell).

Re: Tesla bows to pressure, stops allowing drivers to play video games while driving

#22

Post by gnicholas »

When I first heard about video games in Teslas, my first thought was about Ender’s Game. Will there be a time where self-driving cars are piloted/assisted by players of massive online gaming platforms? It’s been shown that monitoring a vehicle that is mostly driving itself is not an easy task for humans. But if you gamify it and add several layers of redundancy (multiple people effectively monitoring the same vehicle), it could be made fun and also sufficiently safe for passengers. Latency is a risk, of course, as are evildoers.

Re: Tesla bows to pressure, stops allowing drivers to play video games while driving

#23

Post by tempestn »

simmonmt wrote: post #19
alphabettsy wrote: post #3

It seems like they could’ve used the occupancy sensor to detect a passenger. A passenger playing a game on the screen which are also where your only instruments are located seems like an unnecessary added distraction so I’d say they made the right call.

… if you’re in a 3 or a Y. The S and X both have instrument cluster screens.

Even so, a passenger playing a game on the center screen would be reasonably distracting regardless I'd think.

Re: Tesla bows to pressure, stops allowing drivers to play video games while driving

#24

Post by seanmcdirmid »

jeroenhd wrote: post #20
paweladamczuk wrote: post #12

What about the idea that, as a customer who bought and owns something, you should have control over that thing, not the other way around? I am not saying this is the stronger argument. It's still an argument, though, and it surprised me to find this sentiment missing from the comments (granted, we're at only 7 comments right now). Why would something we want applied to smartphones and PCs not apply to cars?

The difference is that it's very hard to accidentally kill a family by messing with your PC or smartphone, assuming you're not doing it while driving. Your own safety is your own responsibility and if you want to try for a Darwin award you should be allowed to, but you're not the likely victim of something goes wrong. Cars are inherently dangerous, mostly to the people around you. Modern car safety makes sure you can…

> You should have control over the stuff you buy, but to use that stuff on public roads you'll have to get it certified for safety. If you want to build your own race track to play video games on, be my guest, but keep your mods off the streets.

When you try to use an iPhone while driving, it will ask you if you aren't driving (i.e. a passenger) but otherwise the choice is yours to obey the rule or not. Tesla is getting in trouble for offering the same thing, but it is different, because the panel is attached to the car, so is considered part of. If it was an iPad tapped to the dashboard, no one would say that you should be automatically locked out while driving (since...it isn't a part of the car, it is just something stupid).

There are actually proposals to change that: if the iDevice can detect that it is in a moving car, that it should be disabled just in case it is the driver using it, with exemptions for people on buses and such.

Re: Tesla bows to pressure, stops allowing drivers to play video games while driving

#25

Post by teawrecks »

paweladamczuk wrote: post #12

What about the idea that, as a customer who bought and owns something, you should have control over that thing, not the other way around? I am not saying this is the stronger argument. It's still an argument, though, and it surprised me to find this sentiment missing from the comments (granted, we're at only 7 comments right now). Why would something we want applied to smartphones and PCs not apply to cars?

No one cares what you do in your car when it's in your driveway. The issue is doing unsafe things while on a public owned and regulated road. Same reason you can't just drive any vehicle on the road, or use just any parts. They have to be road legal.

Re: Tesla bows to pressure, stops allowing drivers to play video games while driving

#26

Post by teawrecks »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #21
DSingularity wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

… because it’s really hard for me to misuse my smartphone to the point where it kills someone/myself.

Actually, smartphones are a pretty significant cause of death, but when people are using them while driving. For Apple iPhone, for example, you just have to assert that you aren't driving to use it while driving (assuming the iPhone could be used by a passenger instead, so they can't really tell).

Yeah, that's why doing so is illegal.

Re: Tesla bows to pressure, stops allowing drivers to play video games while driving

#27

Post by userbinator »

paweladamczuk wrote: post #12

What about the idea that, as a customer who bought and owns something, you should have control over that thing, not the other way around? I am not saying this is the stronger argument. It's still an argument, though, and it surprised me to find this sentiment missing from the comments (granted, we're at only 7 comments right now). Why would something we want applied to smartphones and PCs not apply to cars?

I am in complete agreement, but it seems Tesla is strongly pushing for a model where you don't actually own it.

Re: Tesla bows to pressure, stops allowing drivers to play video games while driving

#28

Post by userbinator »

jeroenhd wrote: post #20
paweladamczuk wrote: post #12

What about the idea that, as a customer who bought and owns something, you should have control over that thing, not the other way around? I am not saying this is the stronger argument. It's still an argument, though, and it surprised me to find this sentiment missing from the comments (granted, we're at only 7 comments right now). Why would something we want applied to smartphones and PCs not apply to cars?

The difference is that it's very hard to accidentally kill a family by messing with your PC or smartphone, assuming you're not doing it while driving. Your own safety is your own responsibility and if you want to try for a Darwin award you should be allowed to, but you're not the likely victim of something goes wrong. Cars are inherently dangerous, mostly to the people around you. Modern car safety makes sure you can…

On behalf of the entire aftermarket and performance tuning community: "fuck you".

We have minimum requirements for licensing, but otherwise we still have the freedom. Of course you are still liable for any damages caused, but that's called personal responsibility.

Re: Tesla bows to pressure, stops allowing drivers to play video games while driving

#29

Post by PraetorianGourd »

userbinator wrote: post #28
jeroenhd wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The difference is that it's very hard to accidentally kill a family by messing with your PC or smartphone, assuming you're not doing it while driving. Your own safety is your own responsibility and if you want to try for a Darwin award you should be allowed to, but you're not the likely victim of something goes wrong. Cars are inherently dangerous, mostly to the people around you. Modern car safety makes sure you can…

On behalf of the entire aftermarket and performance tuning community: "fuck you". We have minimum requirements for licensing, but otherwise we still have the freedom. Of course you are still liable for any damages caused, but that's called personal responsibility.

I’m no prude around cursing but let’s keep it civil. “I disagree and here is why” is way more effective than “fuck you and here is why”. The OP, and many people, probably just ignored your second paragraph because of the first.

Re: Tesla bows to pressure, stops allowing drivers to play video games while driving

#30

Post by zeusk »

gnicholas wrote: post #22

When I first heard about video games in Teslas, my first thought was about Ender’s Game. Will there be a time where self-driving cars are piloted/assisted by players of massive online gaming platforms? It’s been shown that monitoring a vehicle that is mostly driving itself is not an easy task for humans. But if you gamify it and add several layers of redundancy (multiple people effectively monitoring the same vehicle…

or basically outsource driving to some 3rd world country?
Post reply on HN