3 ms·
I kinda sit in the middle. We need this technology, and people like Musk pushing and investing in it. But equally, his attitude to criticism borders childish an
by alan_cx 14y ago
I kinda sit in the middle. We need this technology, and people like Musk pushing and investing in it. But equally, his attitude to criticism borders childish and is very off putting.
What I don't get about any of this, from both sides, is that this is the early days of the technology and its clearly work in progress. As usual, early adopters pretty much know what they are investing in and expect and accept that there are going to be problems and that the systems are far from perfect. I mean, imagine a review of the first petrol engined cars, a few years after initial conception. Musk should be constantly reminding people that problems will happen, and this is the beginning of decades of development and evolution, while motoring petrol head journalists need to stop trying to pretend Musk is selling a perfect petrol car replacement, and that it is indeed work in progress at a relatively early stage.
To me it is clear that the Tesla car is still problematic, but it is also clear that its improving at a decent rate. In a decade, I imagine the whole system will work flawlessly, ish.
Sadly all I see are two camps, Musk supporters and petrol heads almost raging at each other like political parties, while Musk stirs it, resulting in non partisan parties look on aghast, keeping wallets well closed.
As for the idea that this CNN review, just after a controversial one, would be anything other than perfect is a delusion. Even if we bin foil hat theories that CNN were soft on Tesla for what ever reason, Tesla would have done everything to ensure this test went perfectly and contradicted the previous one. What ever we are up to, if a test goes wrong, we would all make sure the next test was an improvement. If not, then we have no business in any form of development.
- analog 14y agoThe experience with Top Gear has probably influenced the reaction here. I don't find it childish to strongly defend your product if you believe a journalist has written a hack job on it.
- taligent 14y ago>I don't find it childish to strongly defend your product if you believe a journalist Childish really is the best word for it. It wasn't a measured, intelligent response. It came across as a "beat the journalist up" because they posted a bad review. Reminds me of the sort of thing you see bad restaurant owners do when they respond to diner's complaints.
- atacrawl 14y agoIt came across as a "beat the journalist up" because they posted a bad review. Reminds me of the sort of thing you see bad restaurant owners do when they respond to diner's complaints. I disagree completely -- a better analogy would be that a restaurant owner gets pissed off because the reviewer complains of a fly in his soup when circuit cameras reveal this was never the case.
- jlgreco 14y agoAnd then everybody rushes to the defense of the reviewer saying "He was just explaining what a fly in the soup would have been like!" and "Yeah, but the soup was cold and took to long to come out!"
- RaphiePS 14y agoA bad review is not the same thing as a dishonest review. It wasn't that Broder simply disliked the car. Musk felt he had falsified data to make Tesla look bad.
- seanc722 14y agoI didn't think the initial article made Tesla look bad at all.. It pointed out a few problems such as needing charging stations closer together, better awareness on electrical card and maybe a better understanding of the effects of cold on a battery... Other then that I thought the car and Tesla seemed fine ul until Musk's responses.
- analog 14y agoYes, he picked a fight. This is an effective PR method, though it would be better if it wasn't. It will make some people rally to his cause more, and it will turn some people off (likely the ones who wouldn't buy the cars anyway). If you wanted to criticise the response you could call it cynical, but I think you'll agree that's a long way from being childish.