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I have noticed systemic abuse of ad hominem labeling anyone who doesn't lavish high praise and criticizes instead. Please show some emapthy and think about how

by Annatar 10y ago

I have noticed systemic abuse of ad hominem labeling anyone who doesn't lavish high praise and criticizes instead. Please show some emapthy and think about how the code could be improved instead, so these criticisms can be addressed with a practical solution. In this particular case, all my criticisms can be addressed by offering a manual transmission option with a dry clutch, not even code optimization is required. Also, as a firmware writer, you know that all such source code is under strict non-disclosure agreements, and whatever I know or have seen, I wouldn't be at liberty to discuss or cite, or else I risk legal penalties. We're neither anonymous nor protected here. As for unikernel, any firmware or subsystem concerned with one task - such as running a vehicle - is by definition a unikernel - all firmware is, as its running one single monolithic application image. Developers versus mechanical engineers - in this context a mechanical engineer is also a developer, just of the transmission, and they often write the software themselves, too. Finally, as a firmware writer, please explain to me why there is a lag between depressing an accelerator pedal in a 2011 Volkswagen Golf, why the engine will often konk out unless the accelerator pedal is pressed fully when starting on a hill, and why a 2012 Buick LaCrosse will display "shift denied" on the dashboard when I try to upshift from 5th to 6th going at 1,400 RPM, which would put me at 1,200 RPM, well within the engine's ability to continue running efficiently?

striking 10y ago
> lag between depressing an accelerator pedal Well, doesn't fuel flow need to be increased before acceleration can begin? That causes latency, much more than software would. Perhaps the software is causing a little bit of that, perhaps there's a simple delay loop instead of a sensor there and it's a little too long. We'll never know, but there are plenty of guesses you could make. > why the engine will often konk out unless the accelerator pedal is pressed fully when starting on a hill That doesn't at all sound like a software problem. It sounds like you're conflating "I don't like my car" with "my car software sucks". > upshift from 5th to 6th [...] 1,400 RPM [...] 1,200 RPM Are you certain that upshifting like that would only drop you 200 RPM? Not at least 1000? I'm fairly certain that's not correct. > [...] all my criticisms can be addressed by offering a manual transmission option with a dry clutch [...] Just buy a manual car if you care so much. Or buy a journal and vent into that rather than the HN comment section. Goodness gracious.
- Annatar 10y ago
  Well, doesn't fuel flow need to be increased before acceleration can begin? That causes latency, much more than software would. No, because the engine in question is a common rail diesel engine, which means that the fuel is kept under a constant pressure of 2,200 atmospheres, ready to be injected into the cylinders. The only thing that has to happen is for the piezoelectric injectors to open. On a vehicle with a common rail diesel engine without firmware, where the logic is hardwired electronics in the ECU, and the throttle is connected with a cable as opposed to drive-by-wire, such a thing does not occur: zero latency, instant response. As I owned both types of vehicles, I was in the unique position to observe and experiment. These are vehicles from completely different manufacturers, one German, one Japanese. The Japanese diesel has no issues or problems whatsoever. That's the one I kept. Not a single stall since going back to a mechanical throttle. And also, I've learned on a manual and have been driving them daily for decades. And for the record, I had two firmware updates on the drive-by-wire model, and they only helped marginally with throttle response, but never fixed the issue.
viraptor 10y ago
> I have noticed systemic abuse of ad hominem labeling You literally said it's due to developers' dim opinions. Lots of people don't like auto transmissions, and that's fine. Just chill about it. > you know that all such source code is under strict non-disclosure agreements Nope. Are you saying that all such code is under strict NDA? Likely, you can still say you signed one and cannot talk about it if that's the case. > I wouldn't be at liberty to discuss or cite As in, you cannot link to an existing, public article that supports what you're talking about? I call BS. > any firmware or subsystem concerned with one task - such as running a vehicle - is by definition a unikernel That's not a definition of a unikernel. You can easily have embedded systems with no kernel to speak of. It may be a unikernel, but since you're possibly under NDA you're not saying that, are you? > Finally, as a firmware writer, please explain to me... I'm not a the author of those systems, therefore I will not make assumptions about them. And I recommend the same to you. What you're describing is behaviour and sure - they may behave like this for some reason. Blaming that on a specific part of the system, or technology, or developers that are dim and do stuff without a reason, without a good proof is neither useful nor helpful.
- Annatar 10y ago
  You literally said it's due to developers' dim opinions. I did, and I stand by what I wrote: the product is bad, no matter how you slice it and dice it! But to label a generalized categorization based on anecdotal yet empirical experiments as ad hominem is outrageous. In my view, that is wanton abuse on equal grounds with censorship and other repressive measures, just because someone on the Internet doesn't like what someone else on the Internet wrote. Lots of people don't like auto transmissions, and that's fine. Just chill about it. That is a very personal issue for me, because driving is a physical and mental activity that I undertake intensely every day, and take it way more seriously than the average person. If I could chill about it, I would not have commented in the first place. But if one does not report what's broken, it will never get fixed: "we can't fix it if we don't know it's broken." Now, I don't mind having that choice, but when it means that it messes with my capability to choose a manual, because none is offered, that is where I have a major problem. If people want to drive automatics, I don't like it, but it's their choice and in general I don't care, as long as I can have my choice available, a manual. Live and let live. However, the situation is not developing in that direction, quite the opposite. You can easily have embedded systems with no kernel to speak of. Any firmware is an unikernel unless it is running as a generic operating system with generic processes and running multiple, distinct applications, or capable or running more than one single application. Otherwise, if the firmware is one single image running as one single monolithic body of code, they are one and the same. BIOS firmware, for example, is a unikernel. OpenBoot PROM is a unikernel. ECU firmware is a unikernel. It may be a unikernel, but since you're possibly under NDA you're not saying that, are you? Okay, you got me. I may not say anything. Well played, well played, I salute you.

by Annatar 10y ago

striking 10y ago

> lag between depressing an accelerator pedal Well, doesn't fuel flow need to be increased before acceleration can begin? That causes latency, much more than software would. Perhaps the software is causing a little bit of that, perhaps there's a simple delay loop instead of a sensor there and it's a little too long. We'll never know, but there are plenty of guesses you could make. > why the engine will often konk out unless the accelerator pedal is pressed fully when starting on a hill That doesn't at all sound like a software problem. It sounds like you're conflating "I don't like my car" with "my car software sucks". > upshift from 5th to 6th [...] 1,400 RPM [...] 1,200 RPM Are you certain that upshifting like that would only drop you 200 RPM? Not at least 1000? I'm fairly certain that's not correct. > [...] all my criticisms can be addressed by offering a manual transmission option with a dry clutch [...] Just buy a manual car if you care so much. Or buy a journal and vent into that rather than the HN comment section. Goodness gracious.

Annatar 10y ago
Well, doesn't fuel flow need to be increased before acceleration can begin? That causes latency, much more than software would. No, because the engine in question is a common rail diesel engine, which means that the fuel is kept under a constant pressure of 2,200 atmospheres, ready to be injected into the cylinders. The only thing that has to happen is for the piezoelectric injectors to open. On a vehicle with a common rail diesel engine without firmware, where the logic is hardwired electronics in the ECU, and the throttle is connected with a cable as opposed to drive-by-wire, such a thing does not occur: zero latency, instant response. As I owned both types of vehicles, I was in the unique position to observe and experiment. These are vehicles from completely different manufacturers, one German, one Japanese. The Japanese diesel has no issues or problems whatsoever. That's the one I kept. Not a single stall since going back to a mechanical throttle. And also, I've learned on a manual and have been driving them daily for decades. And for the record, I had two firmware updates on the drive-by-wire model, and they only helped marginally with throttle response, but never fixed the issue.

viraptor 10y ago

> I have noticed systemic abuse of ad hominem labeling You literally said it's due to developers' dim opinions. Lots of people don't like auto transmissions, and that's fine. Just chill about it. > you know that all such source code is under strict non-disclosure agreements Nope. Are you saying that all such code is under strict NDA? Likely, you can still say you signed one and cannot talk about it if that's the case. > I wouldn't be at liberty to discuss or cite As in, you cannot link to an existing, public article that supports what you're talking about? I call BS. > any firmware or subsystem concerned with one task - such as running a vehicle - is by definition a unikernel That's not a definition of a unikernel. You can easily have embedded systems with no kernel to speak of. It may be a unikernel, but since you're possibly under NDA you're not saying that, are you? > Finally, as a firmware writer, please explain to me... I'm not a the author of those systems, therefore I will not make assumptions about them. And I recommend the same to you. What you're describing is behaviour and sure - they may behave like this for some reason. Blaming that on a specific part of the system, or technology, or developers that are dim and do stuff without a reason, without a good proof is neither useful nor helpful.

Annatar 10y ago
You literally said it's due to developers' dim opinions. I did, and I stand by what I wrote: the product is bad, no matter how you slice it and dice it! But to label a generalized categorization based on anecdotal yet empirical experiments as ad hominem is outrageous. In my view, that is wanton abuse on equal grounds with censorship and other repressive measures, just because someone on the Internet doesn't like what someone else on the Internet wrote. Lots of people don't like auto transmissions, and that's fine. Just chill about it. That is a very personal issue for me, because driving is a physical and mental activity that I undertake intensely every day, and take it way more seriously than the average person. If I could chill about it, I would not have commented in the first place. But if one does not report what's broken, it will never get fixed: "we can't fix it if we don't know it's broken." Now, I don't mind having that choice, but when it means that it messes with my capability to choose a manual, because none is offered, that is where I have a major problem. If people want to drive automatics, I don't like it, but it's their choice and in general I don't care, as long as I can have my choice available, a manual. Live and let live. However, the situation is not developing in that direction, quite the opposite. You can easily have embedded systems with no kernel to speak of. Any firmware is an unikernel unless it is running as a generic operating system with generic processes and running multiple, distinct applications, or capable or running more than one single application. Otherwise, if the firmware is one single image running as one single monolithic body of code, they are one and the same. BIOS firmware, for example, is a unikernel. OpenBoot PROM is a unikernel. ECU firmware is a unikernel. It may be a unikernel, but since you're possibly under NDA you're not saying that, are you? Okay, you got me. I may not say anything. Well played, well played, I salute you.