The scandal around Volkswagen and the role of programmers in it
Do you know the name of Michael Horne? He is the CEO of Volkswagen of America .
Do you know what is happening now with Volkswagen? Dieselgate? (a reference to Watergate ) That the software that drives the diesel engine in some of their cars, was sharpened to pass tests for exhaust gases? Yes, apparently, this software could determine that a test for exhaust is being conducted, and put the engine into a mode when it throws forty times less harmful carbon oxides compared to the normal mode.
')
A few days ago, Michael Horn testified before the congress on this issue. Do you know what he said? He told the law makers the following:
(original: "This was a couple of software engineers, who
You can listen to how he said it at 1:11:40 second of this recording.
It is not so important that no one in their mind believes this nonsense. The consequences can be very serious.
1. Now, whether software developers will become scapegoats depends on testimony in Congress. Specifically, this accusation is impossible to believe, but next time it may not be so. In fact, as soon as managers are pumped through this game, they will be able to provide much more convincing evidence of the programmer’s misconduct.
2. The public was given to understand that programmers may be criminals. This will cause the next time something goes wrong — a plane crash, a fire or a flood — the public will blame the programmer for everything. Of course, this will not happen immediately, but not so long ago, the very concept of a programmer’s involvement in a disaster did not exist.
However, this is all just my paranoid chatter. Yes, I’m worried that the public and politicians once realize that they depend on programmers too much, but they control them too little. You have heard my warning about this before.
Drive on everything that is written above. There is a problem much deeper.
Some programmers actually did it .
The fact that they did it without the approval of the authorities, and it is unlikely, and does not matter. They did it.
No matter what their superiors told them to do that. They did it.
It doesn't matter what they paid for it. They did it.
You could argue that these programmers did not know what they were actually doing. They were simply given certain specifications, and they implemented them in code, not knowing that they were accomplices in a large-scale fraud case.
I think this is even more ridiculous argument than Michael Horn. They knew. And if not, then they should know . They were responsible for knowing.
If we had a real profession (apparently, this is a formal involvement with certification and a license, like doctors - note. Transl.) , Then they would appear before a professional commission, an investigation would be conducted, and if they were found guilty - would have kicked out of the profession in disgrace.
Do you know what is happening now with Volkswagen? Dieselgate? (a reference to Watergate ) That the software that drives the diesel engine in some of their cars, was sharpened to pass tests for exhaust gases? Yes, apparently, this software could determine that a test for exhaust is being conducted, and put the engine into a mode when it throws forty times less harmful carbon oxides compared to the normal mode.
')
A few days ago, Michael Horn testified before the congress on this issue. Do you know what he said? He told the law makers the following:
It was a couple of programmers who did this for some reason ...
(original: "This was a couple of software engineers, who
You can listen to how he said it at 1:11:40 second of this recording.
It is not so important that no one in their mind believes this nonsense. The consequences can be very serious.
1. Now, whether software developers will become scapegoats depends on testimony in Congress. Specifically, this accusation is impossible to believe, but next time it may not be so. In fact, as soon as managers are pumped through this game, they will be able to provide much more convincing evidence of the programmer’s misconduct.
2. The public was given to understand that programmers may be criminals. This will cause the next time something goes wrong — a plane crash, a fire or a flood — the public will blame the programmer for everything. Of course, this will not happen immediately, but not so long ago, the very concept of a programmer’s involvement in a disaster did not exist.
However, this is all just my paranoid chatter. Yes, I’m worried that the public and politicians once realize that they depend on programmers too much, but they control them too little. You have heard my warning about this before.
Real problem
Drive on everything that is written above. There is a problem much deeper.
Some programmers actually did it .
The fact that they did it without the approval of the authorities, and it is unlikely, and does not matter. They did it.
No matter what their superiors told them to do that. They did it.
It doesn't matter what they paid for it. They did it.
You could argue that these programmers did not know what they were actually doing. They were simply given certain specifications, and they implemented them in code, not knowing that they were accomplices in a large-scale fraud case.
I think this is even more ridiculous argument than Michael Horn. They knew. And if not, then they should know . They were responsible for knowing.
If we had a real profession (apparently, this is a formal involvement with certification and a license, like doctors - note. Transl.) , Then they would appear before a professional commission, an investigation would be conducted, and if they were found guilty - would have kicked out of the profession in disgrace.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/268899/
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