In article >,
"Elle" > wrote:

> "the fly" > wrote
> > This concern has been answered eloquently by a contributor
> to
> > these newsgroups a few years ago. Sorry I can't name the
> author, but
> > that person hit the nail squarely on the head with these
> words:
> >
> > ".........more importantly than that, you've got to have
> the
> > insight and wisdom to know when something has been
> developed to the
> > point where further development amounts to pointless
> engineering
> > masturbation.
> >
> > "The hydraulic brake system is a textbook model of
> development
> > to perfection. So was the hydromechanical automatic
> transmission --
>
> Ya, so was the horse and buggy, the bicycle, etc.
>
> > computerisation of the automatic transmission has taken
> away
> > three-for-one in durability, dependability and cost of
> repair what
> > little it has given us. We know how to make steering
> systems that work
> > and essentially never give trouble. There is, therefore,
> no valid
> > reason for steer-by-wire."
>
> This reminds me of Bill Gates comment a few decades ago that
> no one should ever need more than 64k of RAM on his/her
> computer.
>
> What you quote is incredibly short-sighted. It demonstrates
> a lack of willingness to do any kind of investigation of why
> fly-by-wire was considered. In short, these are the words
> not of an engineer, scientist, or technical person but a
> ninny, and a ninny tired of having more demanded of him for
> his labors, at that.
>
> He's happy with the status quo. Others are not. He should
> get out of the business or certainly never enter it.
>
>

Tell ya what, Ellie... You drive that "fly-by-wire" unit. Just do me a
favor: Warn me where you'll be so I can avoid that
deathtrap-looking-for-a-victim.

At least when something (Assuming it isn't a totally catastrophic
failure like a tie-rod snapping or similar) goes wrong, I'll be able to
wheel my poor obsolete "steered by a gear directly connected to the
wheels" rig to the side of the road as it coasts down from 50+. You, in
your "connected to the wheels by wires" steering vehicle are going to
continue hurtling down the road at whatever speed you were doing when
the system went Tango-Uniform, wondering which tree you're going to hit,
or embankment you're going to find yourself sailing over.

I want, and will settle for *ABSOLUTELY NOTHING LESS* than *DIRECT*
mechanical or hydraulic control of all major vehicle functions,
particularly steering and braking. Something that works *NO MATTER WHAT*
in every situation short of total catastrrophic failure. I neither want
nor need some engineer's piece of software deciding "Oh, you're turning
too sharp - Obviously you don't mean that, so we're gonna do you a favor
and take it from "on the locks" to "just a little to the right", which
is what we're sure is what you actually intended.

--
Don Bruder - - If your "From:" address isn't on my whitelist,
or the subject of the message doesn't contain the exact text "PopperAndShadow"
somewhere, any message sent to this address will go in the garbage without my
ever knowing it arrived. Sorry... <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd> for more info