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| Science & Technology |
| Toyota Hybrid Horror Hoax |
| 2010-03-13 |
| Virtually every aspect of Sikes's story as told to reporters makes no sense. His claim that he'd tried to yank up the accelerator could be falsified, with his help, in half a minute. And now we even have an explanation for why he'd pull such a stunt, beyond the all-American desire to have 15 minutes of fame (recall the "Balloon Boy Hoax" from October) and the aching need to be perceived as a victim. Couldn't find a finger to put in his chili, I guess? Next time put a razor blade in his Pepsi ... |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #8 Meanwhile, in the real world: Haven't found that software glitch, Toyota? Keep trying Having owned a Toyota myself, I have always been a fan of what I perceived to be the automaker's high standards for quality. I also happen to have more than three decades of experience designing, building and researching reliable computer systems, many of which are embedded inside other devices. Based on this experience, I find it very difficult to accept the statements from Toyota's chief engineer. And the implications extend beyond Toyota, to all other companies that rely on software for their product safety. As anyone with experience in embedded systems will tell you, there are nasty software bugs that can be extremely difficult to reproduce in a laboratory test environment. There follows a fascinating story about how a simple-minded checking routine uncovered a critical flaw in NASA's Pathfinder mission operating system. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-03-13 17:20 |
| #7 Such as Toyota Prius owners? Such as non-union autoworkers, DMFD. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-03-13 16:31 |
| #6 That's not a 'conspiracy theory', Besoeker, it's one reasonable interpretation of events. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2010-03-13 14:22 |
| #5 Where do they get these people? Journalism school and communication arts programs of academia. nuff said. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-03-13 13:54 |
| #4 Abu - that's why I don't watch Ch 10 news here. Ch 8 is better, but not by much |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-03-13 13:52 |
| #3 punish conservative voters Such as Toyota Prius owners? |
| Posted by: DMFD 2010-03-13 13:07 |
| #2 Dunno about the other news outlets in this town but 10News (Channel 10) in particular disgraced themselves with their complete acceptance of Sikes's story. They never even asked if he tried to shift it into neutral. That would have been the very first question I would have asked and I wouldn't have stopped asking it until I got some kind of an answer. Then, if the answer was not credible, I would have either run the story with emphasis on how this guy is a phony or I wouldn't have run it at all. This was bad journalism to the point of being suspicious. Just disgraceful. It wasn't until the next day when they started looking into the guy's finances and found out that he has all kinds of debt and upside down mortgages that they began to wonder about his credibility. When they put him on the TV that first night I could see right through him right away. But the 10News reporter and her bosses at the station swallowed his whole story hook, line and sinker. Where do they get these people? |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2010-03-13 13:02 |
| #1 ....and the aching need to be perceived as a victim. ...and be party to a class action lawsuite. Here's a conspiracy theory. What if this entire bash Toyota media frenzy is an orchestrated scheme to cripple the non-union company and punish conservative voters by the UAW and their Obama administraation handlers? Examine the location of key Toyota plants.... Princeton, IN, Lafayette, IN, San Antonio, TX, Hunstville, AL, Georgetown, KY, Blue Springs, MS, Buffalo, WV, Troy, MO, St. Louis, MO, Jackson, TN. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-03-13 12:11 |