ST Alpha - "People love to think these things go straight to the top, but there's a ton of crap that mid level workers can get away with" (Reading a Post)

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In response to "VW's top US exec blames it all on a couple rogue software engineers. Suuuure.... -- (link)" by Ender

People love to think these things go straight to the top, but there's a ton of crap that mid level workers can get away with

Posted by Max Oct 8 '15, 10:54

and the CEO has no idea. There's no reason for the CEO to double check or even concern himself with emissions data.

Responses:

Two random engineers didn't come up with a complex system of how to identify when the car was being tested on a lark. -- nm - Ender Oct 8, 11:00 5
- actually the software is probably pretty simple. psuedocode: if(testingport == active) { turn on emissions } else { turn off emissions} -- nm - decline Oct 8, 11:27 1
  - No, it's not as simple as that. They're doing analyses of speeds and running times, and stuff like that. -- nm - Ender Oct 8, 11:30
- I find that more plausible than the engineers voluntarily breaking the bad news to the CEO and then the CEO directing them to cover it up. -- nm - Max Oct 8, 11:03 2
  - You know there are entire levels of people between the CEO and a software engineer, right? - Ender Oct 8, 11:17 1
    - Multiple levels of management didn't come up with the Rich Purnell Maneuver! -- nm - Max Oct 8, 11:20
(he's known since early 2014) -- nm - Beaker Oct 8, 10:59 21
- That's when that research team discovered and released their findings. Not sure why the story didn't blow up until now. -- nm - zork Oct 8, 11:01 1
  - VW claimed it was a bug not a feature. They didn't admit to the defeat device until recently. -- nm - spamlet Oct 8, 11:03
- everyone's known since it was first reported, but I mean knowing (and directing) it at the time it was implemented. -- nm - Max Oct 8, 11:00 18
  - so the fact he knew and did nothing for a year is OK? I hopefully am missing your argument here -- nm - Beaker Oct 8, 11:02 17
    - I'm saying, here's the hypothetical situation - Max Oct 8, 11:06 16
      - [deleted] 11
        
        Right. "Our cars aren't going to meet emissions standards" is an issue that has to get elevated. -- nm - pmb Oct 8, 11:22 10
        
        Unless that department made sure it didn't get elevated. -- nm - Max Oct 8, 11:25 7
        
        [deleted] 4
        
        true, but in my conspiracy theory I'm picking the most likely culprit, not the public face of the company just because he's the CEO. - Max Oct 8, 11:46 3
        
        [deleted] 2
        
        I tend to believe the latter two are more frequently true, and I think the public and especially members of congress tend to want it to be the former - Max Oct 8, 11:56 1
        
        [deleted]
        
        Again, then, the question is why was it hidden. That's a big corporate problem and you have to look to the top for who is responsible. -- nm - pmb Oct 8, 11:34 1
        
        True, and the CEO should be responsible regardless. - Max Oct 8, 11:42
        
        which is why the Germans raided their HQ. To look for the "smoking gun" discussions on it -- nm - Beaker Oct 8, 11:23 1
        
        or smoking tailpipe as the case may be -- nm - Beaker Oct 8, 11:24
      - There are many situations where I think that happens. This is a big enough deal where I think it gets to the CEO or upper management in some way. - pmb Oct 8, 11:12 1
        
        "I didn't know about it" is a great defense from a legal standpoint, but opens you up to a whole new world of business shit from the investors. -- nm - Ender Oct 8, 11:43
      - Oh I agree, but then when WVU released their study and it came out in 2014 he should have known something was up then but did jack shit -- nm - Beaker Oct 8, 11:10 1
        
        till California and the EPA went after them in Sept 2015. He knew in 2014 something was up or should of and did nada -- nm - Beaker Oct 8, 11:11

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People love to think these things go straight to the top, but there's a ton of crap that mid level workers can get away with

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