VW
blog.cleancoder.com
VW
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Re: VW
#2> It doesn't matter that their bosses told them to do it. They did it.
It's not that easy. Sure, what they done can be considered "evil"... but what if they had refused to do it? They would have most likely lost their jobs and they would have no chance in a court trial. Volkswagen has a army of lawyers and is in tightly connected with every relevant government agency in Germany.
Re: VW
#3Writing the software is one act. Being the one to greenlight taking this software and putting it into machines that will be sold to end customers is another.
I can see many reasons why software might be written, or maybe even configured, in a way that could be lethal when deployed to an actual customer, but have completely valid and sane reasons for existing (all maner of testing comes to mind).
Unless it can be proven that the developers had intent and did follow through, there is no particular reason why the blame should fall entirely on them.
Additionally, if he is so intent on having a "profession" that punishes illdoers, he should first call for one that protects good members.
Re: VW
#4 I suppose you could make the argument that these programmers did not
know what they were doing. That they were simply given some specs, and
they implemented those specs, and didn't know that they were
accomplices in a case of massive fraud.
I think that argument is even more asinine than Michael Horn's. They
knew. And if they didn't know, they should have known. They had a
responsibility to know.
For me it is a plausible scenario that the programmers have been told that his feature is needed for some good reason (probably testing).
When I was a young engineer I had a mentor. He was a war baby and a strict pacifist. He was also very good and his advice was much sought after so he could afford to refuse all offers from the defense industry.
He once told me that for his whole life he manged to never designed anything that could be used to harm people - except for one thing. When he was young he was hired to design a gear rim for a crane. He told me, he was given the load specifications but never saw a drawing of the actual crane. That was a bit unusual but nothing he worried about.
It turned out that the gear rim was actually for a Howitzer. He never worked for that client again.
There are all kinds of reasons why a car has to behave differently while on a dynamometer and there are all kinds of special code branches that are executed only during test. For the programmers it probably was just another special case among many.
Don't be evil and don't be a fool, but you can't be expected to do a full ethics check for every feature you are supposed to implement.
EDIT: Spelling, style and removal of some superfluous chatter.
Re: VW
#5It is absolutely plausible that the programmers had no idea.
From the excellent Metafilter thread:
> i mean, how do the product managers rationalize this feature to their colleagues? what to they write in the spec that isn't all-out incriminating?
Modularity
Department 1:
Req 1: Software should enable emissions controls upon receipt of control signal A.
Req 2: Software should disable emissions controls upon receipt of control signal B.
Department 2:
Req 1: if epa testing device is detected send signal A.
Req 2: if epa testing device is not detected send signal B
http://www.metafilter.com/153117/EPA-Accuses-VW-of-Emissions...
Re: VW
#6Professions are tools workers use to increase their bargaining power over employers and put up barriers to entry into said profession. See doctors.
Re: VW
#7It is absolutely plausible that the programmers had no idea. From the excellent Metafilter thread: > i mean, how do the product managers rationalize this feature to their colleagues? what to they write in the spec that isn't all-out incriminating? Modularity Department 1: Req 1: Software should enable emissions controls upon receipt of control signal A. Req 2: Software should disable emissions controls upon receipt o…
Just because it’s possible doesn’t mean that it’s plausible or even likely.
Re: VW
#8The vast majority of people working on the Manhattan Project had no idea they were building a bomb.
What says the programmers knew?
Re: VW
#9Sometimes I would not mind if developing software would need a license, even if I'm speaking against myself ATM.
Re: VW
#10It's conjecture at this point to say anyone who programmed the ECU to do this knew what they were doing.
Saying that, it is likely they did know but this comes from above. There's a few psychology experiments that show many humans will do things they know are wrong or immoral when an authority figure tells them to do it even though they don't want to do it. The Milgram Experiment, for instance, comes to this conclusion, among others.
Peer pressure and obedience of authority are real phenomenons and that starts with the leadership that needs to be held accountable. Hearing an authority figure pass the blame to someone at the bottom is disgusting and barking up the wrong tree I believe.