Posted by
michael
on from the welding-torches-work-both-ways dept.
An Ominous Cow Erred writes "A common argument used by open source advocates (myself included) in favor of open source is the simple question: 'Would you buy a car with the hood welded shut?' According to an article from the BBC, Volvo thinks the way of the future may be exactly that."
It's a car for women!
by
wayward_son
·
· Score: 5, Funny
As if having they care if the hood is welded shut./go ahead, mod me down, you know it's true.
Re:It's a car for women!
by
tiled_rainbows
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
Sad but true: this is a Volvo "Concept Car" (ie automotive vaporware) that was designed "for women by women".
However, the whole article does read like something out of the Onion. Changable multi-coloured seat covers to match your clothes? If it wasn't true it would be a sexist joke.
I was talking with my wife about this and she said she likes having a bonnet that lifts up, as it acts as a kind of "distress flag" when she's waiting on the hard shoulder with a knackered car, hoping some good samaritan will pull over and help her out. I know that this, too, sounds like a sexist joke, but my wife said it first, and she's a woman, so that's OK, I guess.
Re:It's a car for women!
by
Araneas
·
· Score: 5, Funny
Same for the Volvo concept car. I have visions of the windscreen (windshield) covered with flaming petrol (benzene) because someone got the fill points mixed up.
And yes I know there would be some safety device to prevent this and I know there would be no ignition mechanism. Maybe I have been watching Zoolander too much. Besides - you know some guy is going to have to do it.;)
Re:It's a car for women!
by
the_mad_poster
·
· Score: 5, Funny
What the hell are you, some kind of Canadian? Petrol? Petrol Entry Point? BONNET!?!
Get me mah shootin' stick maw.....
It's GAS which goes in the GAS TANK which sure as hell isn't under the HOOD of the car!
Next thing you know, you'll be telling me you use a "Gay-raj" instead of a "car hole"?
-- Alito: A vote for Alito is a punch in the eye to put that bitch back in her place!
Re:It's a car for women!
by
aspeer
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
Having mis-spent my youth employed as a petrol pump jockey for several years, I can state with certainty that no matter how big the PETROL and WATER stickers are, it will only be a matter of time before petrol goes where the water should and vice-versa.
And I am not singling out females here, it could just be as easily be a male. I once saw a guy who had both the radiator and oil caps off (because they were both low) proceed to put *oil* into to radiator. He (almost) immediately realised the mistake, but it was too late to do anything but flush the radiator.
Also hope they have some sort of interlock where only one can open at a time, or what is stopping you accidentally splashing water into the petrol outlet when filling up the washer tank ?
Not that I really care that much, can't really see this taking off..
Re:It's a car for women!
by
Total_Wimp
·
· Score: 5, Funny
"sounds like a sexist joke"
I was in dismay as I read this. Basically you can change anything cosmetic but you can't change anything substanttive. I wracked my brain to think up any other product that's gone this route and finally found one: Windows.
You can chage the wallpaper, but you can't change the web browser. You can change the system font, but you can't upgrade the kernel.
I tried to think of what this all means and then it suddenly struck me. Of course, it's right in the aritcle! Windows was designed by women for women.
Now that I understand the Windows niche I can take real action in my life. The girlfriend will get my old Windows machine ("honey, what did you do with my Mac?") and I'm getting the real OS designed by men for men. It may look like crap, but I know I can change any file with complete confidence. Thank god for MS-DOS, the real-mans operating system.
TW
Re:It's a car for women!
by
cdrudge
·
· Score: 5, Informative
Huh? Brake fluid isn't compressable either. You don't want compressable things when maximum pressure is required.
Water could be used as a brake fluid if it wasn't for two things: corrosion and boiling point. The components of the brake system would quickly rust or otherwise corrode with water in the system. Also brakes get very hot and the water would boil off.
Re:It's a car for women!
by
cHiphead
·
· Score: 5, Funny
you underestimate the desires of a man to get to play with fire to unweld your hood.
--
This is my sig. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Re:It's a car for women!
by
Tmack
·
· Score: 5, Informative
No, water, same as most any liquid, is not compressable. What it DOES do that brake fluid does not, is boil at a relatively low temp. The friction from the pads against the disc/drum heats up all your brake components, disc/drum/pads/calipers/fluid/etc. Once heated, the water would boil, creating steam pockets in your brakeline, and steam (a gas) is VERY compressable.
Just realize the parent is flamebait and move along, nothing to see here.
Tm
--
Support TBI Research: http://www.raisinhope.org
Re:It's a car for women!
by
WinterSolstice
·
· Score: 5, Informative
Well, Porsche used to have the oil fill port as well as the fuel fill port accessible from the exterior.
This was *very* short lived (I think it was 71 or 72) because people are amazingly capable of screwing things up.
-WS
-- An operating system should be like a light switch... simple, effective, easy to use, and designed for everyone.
Re:It's a car for women!
by
Merk
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
Gas is short for gasoline. Petrol is short for petroleum. You don't put
petroleum in a car, otherwise really bad things happen.
Before cars, there were both boots and trunks.
Trunks were big cases used for storing things, like clothing. Boots were the things you put your feet inside. Which one of those two better describes how the storage area in your car is used?
Hood is the only one that doesn't have a strong case for it. Both hoods and bonnets are typically head coverings. Neither makes much sense when it comes to describing part of a car, but neither is better than the other.
One thing to note for people who don't actually read the article, this is a car that is not only just a concept, but is a concept aimed at the type of women who would never open the hood anyway.
My thoughts exactly. In fact, it's completely misleading.
The "Hood" is one peice, so there is no "hatch" like a traditional car. But it's still removable for access. The headline suggests the engine is completely sealed off to prevent anyone but the manufacturer from touching the insides.
Also, you make an interesting point about the type of people that would buy this car for the same rasons it was designed this way ("wold never oen the hood anyway"). From the article:
"So we shifted the filling station for washer fluid to the side of the car, next to where you fill up fuel, and we closed the bonnet for good."
Now taking bets on how often gasoline ends up in the washer fuild or vice versa!
The car should be programmed to discover any problems under the bonnet, then send a message to the garage to let them know.
Well that's something I don't particularly care for...
The mechanics would then contact the women directly to invite them over....too easy...:)
"If the car says nothing, then everything is fine," said Ms Temm optimistically....said Ms Temm optimistically, while sitting on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck...
So they have implemented a body scanning system...
The results of which are also sent to the mechanics so they can decide if they need to contact the driver directly and invite them to their shop! =Smidge=
My mechanic would never lie to me! He always charges me a fair price for my weekly fill-up of "blinker fluid".
ummm what happens if the engine is on fire?
by
dark404
·
· Score: 5, Funny
What happens when the engine overheats or you get in an accident and the engine is on fire?
"I'm sorry mr. firefighter, only a certified volvo firefighter is allowed to put out this fire"
By women, for women?
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
Actually, the article just seems to be about the reinforcement of stereotypes that women don't want to get their hands dirty fixing the car. The concept car is supposed to be "feminine", and quotes some woman about how she never wants to go under the hood. Stereotypes flourish in Scandinavia!
Now I can't be the only one who finds the generalizations made in the article offensive! And I'm not a woman and by no means some earthy-crunchy sensitive 90's-type guy.
On top of that, the concept is stupid. There are things that people (yes, even women) can do themselves under the hood of their own car. What's next? Welding our computer cases shut? (or at least making better "void your warranty" stickers)
Simple Solution
by
aliens
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
Don't buy the car, it doesn't sell you won't see others like it.
-- --
taking over the world, we are.
Welded shut in a car designed by and for women...
by
ravind
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
So the question to ask, when queried about the benefits of open source is: "Are you a man?":D
In fact you could also put that on a t-shirt - "Real Men Use Linux"
The Audi A2 is halfway towards this concept. It doesn't have a bonnet (hood) as such, just a small flap to check oil and water levels.
Don.
-- Slashdot - The Home of the Tortured Analogy
They don't have to weld the hood shut.
by
cblguy
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
Modern auto engineering is about packing as many options in as little space as possible - all while allowing room to cool the engine.
Many vehicles are designed to have "minor" service with "major" pain. Ever look under the hood of a minivan? Good luck changing the fuel injectors, or a spark plug. Most of these will require removal of at least the intake manifold's upper plenum (along with accessories), if not dropping the engine cradle.
For many people, a "welded" hood already exists - they don't want to open it anyway. It's not for me (I wrench my own cars - rebuilding my own transmission this weekend). But for others, why not. A welded hood is not much of a difference than the way my father-in-law treats his Cadillac anyway.
No seriously, it *is* a car for women - RTA
by
blorg
·
· Score: 5, Informative
Volvo's new concept car, launched at the Geneva motor show, is a car designed by women for women. [...] [The car] was designed by a team of women keen to change the way most cars are designed with male drivers in mind. [...] And for women with ponytails, there is even a split in the middle of the headrest. "It is very uncomfortable to drive with a ponytail," said Ms Christiansen.
Re:HONDAS dont break
by
cbiltcliffe
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
This won't cost more - it'll cost less. At least for those of us buying relatively new vehicles. For the rest of you saps buying 5-10 year old vehicles - EAT MY SEALED CARS DUST!!!
And if the person who's going to buy your car off you when it's 5 years old can't open the hood to fix it themselves, how much do you think they're going to pay you for it? You'll buy a nice shiny new plastic piece of crap with zero resale value.
The vision just popped into my head of dozens of these cars at 10 years old or so driving around major cities with no hood, because the owner ripped it off and left it off.
Volvo hot-rod, anyone? Problem is, I'm sure the practical V6 with hundreds of wires and sensors, so cluttered that you can't even see the engine, won't look nearly as impressive as a chromed 396 big block chevy.
-- "City hall" in German is "Rathaus"
Kinda explains a few things......
Of course this wouldn't be the case with cars built with plastic frames.
Time to be a Volvo mechanic (cha-ching!)
by
codefool
·
· Score: 5, Funny
YCC Chick: What seems to be wrong with my car?
Tow Truck Driver: Welp, it seems you've done busted a fan belt.
YCCC: Golly! Can you fix it? I mean, I'm stuck out here in the rain in the middle of nowhere.
TTD: No problem, little lady. Fan belts aint't no real trick. Happens all the time.
YCCC: Will it cost very much? I mean, I just spent all my money on this groovy car built by women, for women.
TTD: The fan belt will cost you about twelve bucks, but the installtion will be about twelve-hundred.
YCCC: WTF!?
TTD: Welp, you see we gotta tow this honey to a Volvo dealer, and they have to take the front end apart to install the fan belt. Shouldn't take more than a couple of days.
YCCC: (crying) But, its so easy to refill the washer fluid...
I have to disagree. The advantages of modern engine control are huge. Computer control has given us tons in terms of increased efficiency and horsepower, decreased emissions, and increased integration between components; IE when you stomp on the gas, the computer turns off the A/C for a few seconds to divert power to the drivetrain.
Computer engine control was kind of rough when it first started being used; the computers died a lot, they were susceptible to sensor failure, etc. Now they're way better, and engines are FAR more reliable than they were before computers.
I for one don't want to go back to the days of carburetors and distributors. Fuel injection and coil packs or coil-on-plug, along with the computer(s) to control them, have made cars LOADS more reliable. Sure, it may be harder to work on them, but you don't NEED to work on them nearly as much.
Try taking a 1969 car and driving it 120,000 miles without doing anything more than changing the oil.
Also, I find that in most cases it's EASIER to work on my car with a computer. Without a computer you only know if there's something wrong if it's bad enough to cause serious performance degradation. With a computer, you can catch problems way before they become serious. I had a light a few months ago, went to the auto parts store, borrowed their scanner, saw that I had a stuck EGR valve, wrenched it off, cleaned it, and replaced it. Without the computer I'd never have had a clue, just kept polluting more than necessary, and possibly fouling my catalytic converter as well.
I do have to agree about the shut hood though. I'd never even consider buying a car like this, or letting anyone in my family buy one.
I think they're missing a bit by saying this is "for women" - most men never do anything under the hood, either; I know men that are more hopeless mechanically than many women I know. One of the best mechanics I've ever had was female. I think the whole thing is kind of insulting.
Re:Maybe it's different in England
by
AlecC
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
I'd be inside it with the doors locked
Current advice in Britain is not to wait inside your car if the weather permits because of the remarkably high chance of getting shunted - hard - by another vehicle. You should get out of the vehicle and as far from the road as possible (e.g. behind the crash barrier). Basically, your chance of getting hit by a massive truck is much greater than your chance of a bad guy spotting you and stopping. I can't remember the fraction of accidents involving breakdowns on the side of the road, but I remember being startled by it. Emergency services now park their vehicle about 20 yards behind the breakdown to ensure that, if there is a hit, it is the empty emergency service van that gets hit. Even so, and despite their being covered with flashing lights, they still get hit.
You need a sense of priorities. Outside know "no go" areas, ordinary "innocent" traffic is a far greater danger than muggers, serial killers etc.
-- Consciousness is an illusion caused by an excess of self consciousness.
Setting the morons straight
by
Anita+Coney
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
A lot of people here are saying, "What's the big deal, we never fix our own cars anyway?!" And they are mostly right. Other than changing my battery, I would never repair my own car.
However, they are missing the larger picture. If the manufacturer is the only entity that can repair the vehicle, the profit will not come from the sale but from the repair.
And once the repair of the vehicle becomes the means of profit, manufacturers will have NO incentive to make quality automobiles. They will have every incentive to create automobiles that WILL require repairs, because that would fit perfectly with their new business model.
-- If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
Re:Maybe it's different in England
by
rkww
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
You need a sense of priorities.
The Automobile Association (AA) - one of the UK's major roadside assistance organisations - has the following advice:
"There is a perception that a 'lone female' is at risk of being attacked on a motorway hard shoulder. Research shows that the risk of being hit by another vehicle is much greater."
Re:Maybe it's different in England
by
slipgun
·
· Score: 5, Funny
Thats because in America, we have shoulders on our roads, instead of barely the width of 2 cars.
English roads are generally designed with steering-wheels in mind.
Slashdot Mirror
As if having they care if the hood is welded shut. /go ahead, mod me down, you know it's true.
thats why they make grinders
One thing to note for people who don't actually read the article, this is a car that is not only just a concept, but is a concept aimed at the type of women who would never open the hood anyway.
The headline should have been much, much clearer.
Besides, what happens when the radio transmitter breaks?
"I'm sorry mr. firefighter, only a certified volvo firefighter is allowed to put out this fire"
Actually, the article just seems to be about the reinforcement of stereotypes that women don't want to get their hands dirty fixing the car. The concept car is supposed to be "feminine", and quotes some woman about how she never wants to go under the hood. Stereotypes flourish in Scandinavia!
Now I can't be the only one who finds the generalizations made in the article offensive! And I'm not a woman and by no means some earthy-crunchy sensitive 90's-type guy.
On top of that, the concept is stupid. There are things that people (yes, even women) can do themselves under the hood of their own car. What's next? Welding our computer cases shut? (or at least making better "void your warranty" stickers)
Don't buy the car, it doesn't sell you won't see others like it.
-- taking over the world, we are.
So the question to ask, when queried about the benefits of open source is: "Are you a man?" :D
In fact you could also put that on a t-shirt - "Real Men Use Linux"
What if there is an engine fire?
Then you need a fire engine.
"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
The Audi A2 is halfway towards this concept. It doesn't have a bonnet (hood) as such, just a small flap to check oil and water levels.
Don.
Slashdot - The Home of the Tortured Analogy
Many vehicles are designed to have "minor" service with "major" pain. Ever look under the hood of a minivan? Good luck changing the fuel injectors, or a spark plug. Most of these will require removal of at least the intake manifold's upper plenum (along with accessories), if not dropping the engine cradle.
For many people, a "welded" hood already exists - they don't want to open it anyway. It's not for me (I wrench my own cars - rebuilding my own transmission this weekend). But for others, why not. A welded hood is not much of a difference than the way my father-in-law treats his Cadillac anyway.
Volvo's new concept car, launched at the Geneva motor show, is a car designed by women for women. [...] [The car] was designed by a team of women keen to change the way most cars are designed with male drivers in mind. [...] And for women with ponytails, there is even a split in the middle of the headrest. "It is very uncomfortable to drive with a ponytail," said Ms Christiansen.
This won't cost more - it'll cost less. At least for those of us buying relatively new vehicles. For the rest of you saps buying 5-10 year old vehicles - EAT MY SEALED CARS DUST!!!
And if the person who's going to buy your car off you when it's 5 years old can't open the hood to fix it themselves, how much do you think they're going to pay you for it? You'll buy a nice shiny new plastic piece of crap with zero resale value.
The vision just popped into my head of dozens of these cars at 10 years old or so driving around major cities with no hood, because the owner ripped it off and left it off.
Volvo hot-rod, anyone? Problem is, I'm sure the practical V6 with hundreds of wires and sensors, so cluttered that you can't even see the engine, won't look nearly as impressive as a chromed 396 big block chevy.
"City hall" in German is "Rathaus" Kinda explains a few things......
According to this article, the metal frame of an automobile acts as a faraday cage and is therefore immune to EMP blasts.o n.htm
http://www.aussurvivalist.com/nuclear/empprotecti
Of course this wouldn't be the case with cars built with plastic frames.
Tow Truck Driver: Welp, it seems you've done busted a fan belt.
YCCC: Golly! Can you fix it? I mean, I'm stuck out here in the rain in the middle of nowhere.
TTD: No problem, little lady. Fan belts aint't no real trick. Happens all the time.
YCCC: Will it cost very much? I mean, I just spent all my money on this groovy car built by women, for women.
TTD: The fan belt will cost you about twelve bucks, but the installtion will be about twelve-hundred.
YCCC: WTF!?
TTD: Welp, you see we gotta tow this honey to a Volvo dealer, and they have to take the front end apart to install the fan belt. Shouldn't take more than a couple of days.
YCCC: (crying) But, its so easy to refill the washer fluid...
Give me a freakin break...
"Stop whining!" - Arnold, as Mr. Kimble
I have to disagree. The advantages of modern engine control are huge. Computer control has given us tons in terms of increased efficiency and horsepower, decreased emissions, and increased integration between components; IE when you stomp on the gas, the computer turns off the A/C for a few seconds to divert power to the drivetrain.
Computer engine control was kind of rough when it first started being used; the computers died a lot, they were susceptible to sensor failure, etc. Now they're way better, and engines are FAR more reliable than they were before computers.
I for one don't want to go back to the days of carburetors and distributors. Fuel injection and coil packs or coil-on-plug, along with the computer(s) to control them, have made cars LOADS more reliable. Sure, it may be harder to work on them, but you don't NEED to work on them nearly as much.
Try taking a 1969 car and driving it 120,000 miles without doing anything more than changing the oil.
Also, I find that in most cases it's EASIER to work on my car with a computer. Without a computer you only know if there's something wrong if it's bad enough to cause serious performance degradation. With a computer, you can catch problems way before they become serious. I had a light a few months ago, went to the auto parts store, borrowed their scanner, saw that I had a stuck EGR valve, wrenched it off, cleaned it, and replaced it. Without the computer I'd never have had a clue, just kept polluting more than necessary, and possibly fouling my catalytic converter as well.
I do have to agree about the shut hood though. I'd never even consider buying a car like this, or letting anyone in my family buy one.
I think they're missing a bit by saying this is "for women" - most men never do anything under the hood, either; I know men that are more hopeless mechanically than many women I know. One of the best mechanics I've ever had was female. I think the whole thing is kind of insulting.
I'd be inside it with the doors locked
Current advice in Britain is not to wait inside your car if the weather permits because of the remarkably high chance of getting shunted - hard - by another vehicle. You should get out of the vehicle and as far from the road as possible (e.g. behind the crash barrier). Basically, your chance of getting hit by a massive truck is much greater than your chance of a bad guy spotting you and stopping. I can't remember the fraction of accidents involving breakdowns on the side of the road, but I remember being startled by it. Emergency services now park their vehicle about 20 yards behind the breakdown to ensure that, if there is a hit, it is the empty emergency service van that gets hit. Even so, and despite their being covered with flashing lights, they still get hit.
You need a sense of priorities. Outside know "no go" areas, ordinary "innocent" traffic is a far greater danger than muggers, serial killers etc.
Consciousness is an illusion caused by an excess of self consciousness.
A lot of people here are saying, "What's the big deal, we never fix our own cars anyway?!" And they are mostly right. Other than changing my battery, I would never repair my own car.
However, they are missing the larger picture. If the manufacturer is the only entity that can repair the vehicle, the profit will not come from the sale but from the repair.
And once the repair of the vehicle becomes the means of profit, manufacturers will have NO incentive to make quality automobiles. They will have every incentive to create automobiles that WILL require repairs, because that would fit perfectly with their new business model.
If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
The Automobile Association (AA) - one of the UK's major roadside assistance organisations - has the following advice:
"There is a perception that a 'lone female' is at risk of being attacked on a motorway hard shoulder. Research shows that the risk of being hit by another vehicle is much greater."
Thats because in America, we have shoulders on our roads, instead of barely the width of 2 cars.
English roads are generally designed with steering-wheels in mind.
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