The Dumb Designs of Modern Cars

[mrrsm]

It will not surprise most of us to realize that the majority of visits to GMT Nation and other Automotive Forums centers around the mysterious nature of diagnosing Computer Controlled Autos and Trucks that may require specialty gear and equipment along with trying to find and and "Pick The Brains of the SMEs (Subject Matter Experts)" that pepper the sub-forums and hopefully, offer and provide FREE assistance that will not commit the inevitable "Wallet Rape" expected to happen at most Dealerships and Pro Auto Shops.

THIS Auto Industry Video provides and look back on the fact that in many cases... Automotive Computers may have drastically improved Stoichio-metrics over time... but seem to have gone from the "Sublime...to the Ridiculous" over time with providing WAY too much time, money and energy left in the hands of "The Engineers" for their own good... and OURS:

 

[azswiss]

These design considerations are bad enough (weird shifters, no gauges just screens, f*****g minimalism) but this aggressive movement towards the cell phone model of recurring revenues (subscriptions) is downright reprehensible. Oh yeah, and let's not forget data collection. New car? No thanks!

FWIW, my daily driver is 22 years old, my wife's is 19 years old, my fun driver is 41 years old and the motorcycle is 59 years old.

 

[Mooseman]

I've experienced a lot of these when I was working at the dealership and current job. The shifter I absolutely hate is the rotating knob in the Ford's My 2021 Sierra is the last year with the column mount shifter and they'll have to.pry it from my cold dead hands.

As for data sharing, I disabled the onboard data connection and OnStar but I still use Android auto especially for the mapping. At least they can't see my phone data.

Probably the only way to stop them from putting all this garbage in vehicles is to stop buying them. This will probably be my last new vehicle.

 

[mrrsm]

The insidious problem we face is that Human Beings are being reduced to the Value of the Information we can provide to Major Corporations that are Hell Bent upon gathering the minutiae of our lives and funneling that Data through systems designed to marshal MOST of us into what amounts to be an Advanced Technological Cage... A Human Zoo... with Bars not made of Drop Forged Steel... but crafted by design from invisible, incipient Radio Frequencies meant to observe and record everything we do.,, using our "Possessions" that constantly Spy upon and Surveil US.

Unfortunately, we are both the Guinea Pigs steered towards the The Cage by Advertisers and Data Brokers... becoming the Mice in The Maize ... following its walls... and acting as their Lab Rats for this dreadful Science Experiment.

All of this has been accelerated with the advent of Large Language Models and AI that will soon be transcendent of Human Intelligence by an incredible margin and in possession of as yet unknown "Emergent Capabilities".

Look at the facts... Computer Controlled Vehicles, The iOT (Internet of Things), Cell Phones with the Body Metrics Monitoring, Pin Point Geo-Location Finding and Informational Social Silos controlled and well fed by Facebook, Google and Microsoft. This is all such a Clever Trap... Where WE provide The Fuel... and Artificial Intelligence is the ENGINE.

But wouldn't it be ironic if the Auto and Truck Repair Forums of the Internet become the Last Vestige of Control over our Mobility Lives left to us...? And thus, Folks should not look too askance at us, but instead... JOIN US.... And Read... Study and Learn how to -=float sideways=- against this Technological Riptide. The satisfaction that comes from "Fixing Our Things" is just amazing!

Do this and perhaps we can keep many of our Legacy GM and GMC Vehicles Up and Running and continue to enjoy the feelings that Proud North Americans and Europeans have had since the 1950s... of Working on and Fixing our OWN Vehicles in the Shade of the Trees in our Yards...as a Point of Pride... before it utterly disappears from the Human Experience.

HERE is a Perfect Example of Authorities using Tech Surveillance...sans... Probable Cause and a Court Ordered Search Warrant Guided by the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: