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Re:I've Seen the Future, and It Has a Kill Switch by marvin on Thursday June 26, 2008 @11:23AM (#228691)
Installing killswitches in our engines is a fucking stupid idea. Isn't the stereotype criminal hell-bent on pimping his automobiles? It will be a cakewalk for a determined criminal to install an older engine. Unless laws are put into place (and likely even then) engines without computers will always be available, and in the end only criminals and enthusiasts will have ungelded engines. Perhaps the effort will affect a few desperate black carjackers, but not a determined criminal.

Only bad can come of this. You can see the real motivation for this push by the fact that terroristm is used as a justification. But although bullshit like this is technologically possible, it's users and politicians (and in the end "the people") who determine whether technological features like these will become a curiosity or a straitjacket. Oppression stems from politics, not technology.

In the worst case we will have the problem of DRM all over again: A lot of average people screwed over, while people like us are able to steer clear.

Re:I've Seen the Future, and It Has a Kill Switch by tx on Thursday June 26, 2008 @04:34PM (#229072)
Agreed. I am sticking to my car forever: just because it never locks my doors when it wants and doesn't bitch when I need to cover a distance of 10 yards without seatbelts.

Amazing, but it's a 2006 model, one of the last non-moronic vehicles.

Re:I've Seen the Future, and It Has a Kill Switch by ConradHex on Thursday June 26, 2008 @05:42PM (#229147)
I know what you mean about the "locking the doors" bit. Our minivan locked our toddler in once (he was in his carseat), and we had to call 911 and get the firemen to break in.