[200q20v] Re: Big Brother and other stuff

[C1J1Miller at aol.com]

Read all about it here:
http://www.obdii.com/background.html

on the "monitoring" thing, it is happening; cars that have built in links to 
cell phones, and call the manufacturer on airbag activation, with GPS 
location; cars that store data and send it to the manufacturer without the 
consumer's knowledge (think Ford or GM?)
Chris



In a message dated 4/22/01 6:27:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
dpulvino at agraus.com writes:

> 
>  Hey all,
>  
>  Surprised that so many others didn't pick up quicker on the joke factor 
> relating to the GM climate control.  I also know the same climate control 
in 
> our 200's was used in Buicks of the mid 80's vintage.
>  
>  On another tack of the same topic, it's pretty funny to hear people going 
> haywire about the onstar system, but not also mentioning the oddity of a 96 
> model year mandated running change that required USA marketed cars to have 
> the OBDII system (referenced as per Chris Miller in Audi 4000 manifold 
thread)
> .  I can understand emision control systemes and the like being mandated by 
a 
> certain date by Env. agencies, but what would be the logic behind madating 
a 
> vehicle self diagnostics system?  Am I wrong, or is it not true that OBDII 
> adds nothing in terms of vehicle running and efficency, only vehicle care 
and 
> diagnosis?
>  
>  Sure there's a car lobby, but why would a manufacturer go through the 
> trouble to have something like that as a requirement?  Good business sense 
> would say that sure, it saves diagnosis time, and money under warante 
repairs,
>  but would a corporation really feel so powerless as to ask the legislation 
> to madate something that they would want to do at any rate to save on labor 
> time?  
>  
>  Beyond all that, how long can we sit and look over our shoulder, self 
arrest 
> ourselves from our pleasures, worried about who's watching us do what?  If 
> you want to drive a car, or take part in most anything for that matter, you 
> dont' really have time to worry.  I hate to say it, but screw it!  
>  
>  Tons of holes in my points, but with any kind of luck, the general message 
I 
> believe is coming across.
>  
>  Derek Pulvino