What advantage would Windows 10 give a restricted user that Windows 7 would not?
Support past 2020. Updates for more than just security issues. Things like that. WSUS is a thing.
I understand there's a new file system, that it is optimized a bit better, will run the next generation of software, certain things can be restricted or allowed - it's not an all or nothing type of thing, and things like that.
Note: I do not actually have any Windows computers so I might have missed some other benefits.
Dr. Demento - DJ that did the Dr. Demonto Show, which sometimes plays that song and many others of a similar bent. It's the typical route to learn of Lehrer though not so much these days as I don't think it's syndicated any more. However, you can get them online and he's still continuing to put his shows together. He gave Weird Al his start.
Do you have a citation for that? As far as i know, only one person has ever died from one and one lady claims to have been hit by one - it shattered her arm.
Now, it seems to me we actually have quite a few more people that die from your other listed causes. I want to see how they butchered the numbers to come up with that.
Rumors of its demise... and all that... No, it's not dead and won't be for a while to come. I see no reason to not continue to improve it while we wait.
Yeah, those numbers seem pretty optimistic and why would you want to eliminate engine braking? We've got freewheeling transmissions in the upper gears. Engine braking is a *good* thing.
The "you" should have been more clear. You meaning people other than I (but also including I) so it probably should have been "we." I think that's what the person is getting at. That we should be (as a group) doing this sort of thing.
Their idea has merit. I'm generally not a fan of increased regulations. For better or worse, every law takes away some liberty. That may be a good thing - for example, you're not at liberty to enslave someone. Of course, there are some who view(ed) that as a bad thing. So, I like to avoid 'em where possible but we obviously can't have a lawless society so I'm not an anarchist or anything.
What might have been a good idea was some group that monitored and did ratings and regulation to ensure that was on the packaging and an education campaign. That might have been better because it gives companies incentive to improve beyond the baseline. So, I can see (I think) what they were on about and I'm not inclined to disagree entirely with them.
Don't get me wrong, I understand where you're coming from too. I kind of wish that they were right but, in the real world, most people aren't going to be educated consumers.
I wouldn't say Carter did much wrong (things are subjective) but that he didn't do much while president. It seems to me, he wanted to do more but really wasn't able to. Now? He's got nothing holding him back. I am *definitely* not anti-Carter. I did expect more from him after his campaign.
My comment wasn't that he wasn't a good president, but that he's been able to accomplish a lot more since his presidency. And he has, he's influenced so many people and so many decisions that he's really been an asset to the world. In hindsight, I can see my comment might be interpreted as my not liking his presidency.
We had ~220 people when I sold. I am not discounting your claim - and you may be right, but I think it may have been okay so long as the employees were all reasonably aware of their own responsibilities and if the culture remained similar. If I had to make a guess, I'd expect that somewhere around twice as many people was where it would start to fall apart. It should be noted that those numbers are (partially) divided among three offices and two skeleton offices.
On of the things we had, I like to call open interviews. If you're going to be working with the hire, come sit in the interview if you want. I've gotten more than my share of good fortune in life and one of those is I started off with the earliest hires being very skilled and good people. The trend, of course, continued because I was also able to learn to say, "Buggered if I know. Let me find someone who does." That was not actually all that easy to learn.
That's so retarded that it's completely backwards. I am *the* guy who tells 'em to fuck off. I am *the* guy who says that bad shit happens to good people and that's not justification to strip away our rights.
I won't argue but I will add that you're right, it's not uncommon. However, I've communicated with 'em before and they're usually not a dick. Even I'm a dick sometimes. Though, often it's my poor articulation that makes it seem like it was intentional but sometimes I'm still a dick. I suspect they were just grumpy or drunk.;-)
Yeah, that's about what I remember and thanks for the refined information. Somewhere, scattered throughout my posts, I've uploaded and shared a bunch of pics. I've got a stupidly large number of automobiles and will be (nearly certain at this point) acquiring at least two more this year. No trailer queens, they all get driven and often driven for very specific reasons and in very specific conditions.
I've not owned but I've rented the A8, similar model year as I recall. That's not a bad car. It was surprisingly nimble and surprisingly large. It's larger than it looks like. It's one of the few cars that I don't hate with the low-profile tires - so long as they're not absurdly low-profile. I did have, I no longer do, a VW Quantum which is "related" to the Quatros. It had a neat 5 cyl. that was possitioned on the left and all the things a non-mechanic would interact with were on the right. It was an impressive and thoughtful layout.
Unfortunately, there weren't a lot of them. I had rear brake issues and they were drum brakes. I had to wait for almost two weeks for the parts. It was actually surprisingly quick and handled well. Well, I'm not sure quick is the right word. It was not slow but it was really good at getting to a speed and being able to maintain it with little effort, even over large and steep inclines. It was the wagon, really rather stylish I think. I'm actually kind of partial to wagons, or at least a big fan.
I'll be getting a real HMMWV (Hummer) and a Tesla this year. I'm actually going to go look at one this week and it looks good from the pictures. I'll have it shipped back to Maine. I am *not* on the wait list for the Tesla yet, I want to see if there are any announcements and, if not, I'll get on the list in July. Other than that, I'm not planning on adding any to my collection but you never know what I'll find. Obviously, I'll put the HMMWV in interesting places and get lots of pictures. I've had ample opportunity to do so in the past so I'm reasonably familiar with it. I've looked at two of them and wasn't happy with the condition. Hopefully this is the right one.
The "brick" is an '82 245. I gotta say, it's also a tank. It's not a diesel. It's RWD and gets used, more often than not, when there's unplowed snow on the ground. It's quite a treat and rather tricky to drive in the snow. Once you get it figured out, it's a lot of fun. It does 0 to 60 in 3.2 days but once it gets up to speed, it's usually content to stay there. It is not noticeably modified to a casual observer and it's not modified for speed or anything. It's stiffened up, has a skid plate, and some minor engine tweaks. I sent it out to the West Coast to IPD and had them do the restoration and modifications. It's a whole bowl of fun in the snow.
At any rate... If you can keep your Benz, you might as well. They're pretty reliable if maintained and you've probably done a lot of the work on it already. If it's in decent condition, enough to justify shipping it back, I might actually be interested. I've met a bunch of Slashdotters in person but I can't say that I've ever bought a car from one. However, it might be easy to put in storage, park on a tarp and cover, or just put it out of the way and keep it. There are a few out there so you can always replace it later but why buy another one when you already know this one so well?;-) As time and money allows, get it painted.
Then, when 500 years passes, the FBI will return and ask what the answer is... The computer's monitor will flicker, turn on, and display a grainy image that shows but two number. 42.
Over the years, I've seen many people try to use an analogy that involves a physical object or action and something to do with computers. Often, the analogy is made with a car. Yet, very seldom has it been successful.
You can physically crack a safe with tools and a little bit of time. This is not possible with good encryption. No, I can't think of a good analogy.
Technically possible. They make circulation systems that will heat the oil and keep it heated. They've even got quick connecting attachments. There are also freeze-plug replacements that have heating elements in them. I don't know if one of those sticky heating pads that goes on the oil pan would help at very low temperatures. I imagine it'd help to a certain point. The circulation system just pumps oil out and heats it and does that in a continual cycle. You'd still need to bump-start it seeing as, for some reason, they're planning on doing this without a battery.
They'd probably have to do so pretty quickly or the heat will bleed off. It seems like a rather silly idea considering they'd have electricity to power the heating devices I mentioned. But, well, it's technically possible. I suppose a *really* long hill is also technically possible too. It's a diesel, it's bound to start eventually.;-)
My understanding is that you can, assuming nothing breaks, actually bump-start (push-start, pop-start, etc) a vehicle, even with a gasoline powered engine, that is automatic. In theory...
In theory, you can do it one of two ways. You leave it in drive and get towed up to speed or you coast in neutral and wait until you hit about 45 MPH and pop it into drive. I have never tested this. I can think of NO good reason to even consider testing this - if you want to keep your transmission. I've heard this from multiple mechanics in multiple locations and I've heard people who claim they have done it - I've heard multiple people claim they have done it, some with each method. (I associate with a lot of other automotive enthusiasts.)
I believe, and do not quote me on this, that the torque converter can be an issue? But, so long as the gears are synced then I suppose it could work so I doubt all transmission/drive-trains would be capable. I have never tried this. I do not recommend trying this. I can not think of any good (realistic) reason to consider such a thing.
That said, you have a *very* fine car. I do not have one in my collection but I've looked at a few. They are veritable tanks and will last you the rest of your life - if you take care of it well. '82 is the W126 or was it the 116? If I recall correctly, there's a guy in Gardiner, Maine who's got one that's the same year as your's, diesel as well, and has something like 500,000 miles on the odometer. Thursday nights, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, there's a "cruise night" at Ainsley's Market in W. Gardiner. I've scored a couple of nifty cars from there. My last one was a Datsun B210. Yes, yes I am a goober. But, I love it. We've got twisty dirt roads that go through the mountains and, come summer, they're reasonably smooth and have little/no traffic.
At any rate, the 300's are phenomenal automobiles. They are tanks. That's the same year as my 245. (I love my brick.) I am not, however, a Benz fan. Oh, I don't hate them and I've even considered a couple but I've just never really jumped on one. I do like the 300s from the early 80s - I think they changed body styles in the mid/late 80s? They are very nice automobiles and will probably still run after an EMP! I want to say that the 300s from that same vintage were different in Germany - body-wise, but I'd not swear to it. Still, a very excellent choice and indicates you actually know what you're talking about with automobiles. Nobody just buys 'em for no reason at all.
Anyhow, there don't seem to be that many automotive enthusiasts here. There are only a few - that I've noticed. It's odd because it's one of the most perfect things to geek out on. They are so varied, complex and sometimes simple, interesting, and customizable... They've got specs, and knobs, and twisty things. They harness the power of explosions and convert it to usable power. Then, there's the physics involved and taking the time to improve, just to shave a few tenths of a seconds off or to achieve a fraction of a percentage better fuel efficiency. They're full of history, in-fighting, culture, and often have some of the most forward technology available in difficult to engineer environments. What's not to love? I'm really surprised that there are so few automotive enthusiasts here.
I'm guessing you fit into that category though it is possible that you just bought it as the most practical thing you could buy, the most reliable thing you could buy, or the most novel thing you could buy. (Those are all really subjective.) Either way, it's a nice car and a great choice. If well maintained, it's reliable as all hell and will last you forever and a day. Cockroaches will be driving them after we destroy ourselves.
Good point. I'll (probably) be releasing it under one of the open source/CC licenses so my army of warriors (I don't have any) will edit it for me! I've been asked, a bunch of times, to write down some of the things that I learned about managing and business. I think I may have to sell it - oddly enough. The mentality of some people is that if it's free, as in beer and libre, it's not very good. I want it read because I find the horror stories that I read here horrifying. Horrifying!
Basically, I learned that if you give people the tools they ask for, clear directions, and then get out of the way - they're surprisingly adept. We didn't have any supervisors. There was no real HR department. We outsourced payroll and health care, and all that stuff. There were job roles but not really titles. People found the place they fit and did well at it. They'd self-organize, more or less. This is, specifically, programmers that I speak of. I hired them to do things I could not do - I am not a very good programmer. I've done it. I even made it work. But, they were hired because they were able to do things I could not. So, it took a while to figure it out but it's amazing what happens when you shut the hell up, get out of the way, and let people do the things you hired them to do. I tried the micromanaging. It doesn't work, or it didn't. Who the hell was I to be telling them *how* to do what I could not? In hindsight, that's pretty stupid!
It goes on, obviously. It's not a named management process. I guess I've technically taken some business classes but they did not include management and did not teach me anything. So, I don't actually know if it has a name. I guess I can call it the David Method but I'm just not that egotistical. "STFU, Listen, & Get Out of The Way!" Something like that... It was hard to learn - that was my baby and I was turning it over to others to maintain and care for. I liken it to sending your kid off to school for the first time but at the collegiate level. It's rough but you've gotta let go and give them their space.
I dunno? There are some societies that did so in the past, during famines and whatnot. One of the more recent ones would be them chucking babies off the cliff at Saipan and Okinawa but that's extenuating circumstances and they were throwing themselves off as well.
I'd really not put it past humanity but I suspect you might be right - as in thousands of generations. That's discounting the mentally ill and only considering it as a societal norm. So, you might be right. I once wrote a short story about it a very, very long time ago. I've pondered it ever since. With designed babies, what will we do with the defective ones? It's bound to not have a 100% success rate. What will that trigger - the designer part, the mentality associated with tweaking and changing to meet an ideal and then then them not meeting their expectations?
"What the hell! I wanted one with with two perfectly round eyes! Chuck it in the bin and let's go home and build another one."
I really don't know. Unfortunately, I wrote about that a long time ago and we didn't have computers back then. So, I don't have it to share or I would - it wasn't that good anyhow. But, I've pondered this before. My story didn't have gene splicing, it was much less scientific. It was based on a sperm bank and a mistake in the records. They ended up with black babies, if you're curious. Maybe I should write something again but actually use gene splicing. I probably won't.
I don't like admitting this but I do actually (sometimes) read the article. I just don't go bragging about it!;-) I've got a reputation to keep. So, pretend this message doesn't exist.
I believe ALL Hyundai are interference, Honda still has some, the 4L from BMW is (still?), the 2.0 from Jeep, the 2.1L turbo diesel from Jeep, all the big engines from Lexus, most of Mitsubishi, most Kia, (all current?) Porsche, a bunch of Toyota, some GM, the DOHC from Ford, pretty much everything from Fiat, and I think Audi - all are interference. The Subaru's a bit flaky, it's often a "box" engine - I guess. They're surprisingly popular still.
So, there's a bunch out there - my list isn't complete and I don't think I put any on the list that shouldn't be there. I am not an expert. Not even close. I am an aficionado with a whole bunch of automobiles, a garage full of tools, and my own lift. However, I don't do much work on them unless I'm bored - that's what you pay people for.
I think some of the Jags were, Rolls was (?), the HMMWV is not, the Lada is/was not (?), I want to say everything from Tata is (?), one of the engines that goes into a Hilux (not available in the US) is but I don't remember which and I'm not 100% sure, the larger Land Rover engine in the early 1990 (the Discovery) is - I know it is but I've forgotten the size of it (3.8L maybe?), and more...
If they weren't interference engines before, they will probably fail catastrophically after this. Well, assuming they don't fail gracefully and have a sanity check, that is. They've got valves on the sides in some of 'em. When (not if) this fails, if it doesn't do so gracefully, it's gonna be bad. If it doesn't have a sanity check, it's gonna be bad. This is not the best idea I've heard of - unless I'm missing something.
As I mentioned above - I can think of a few places this might be handy but I'm not sure how much efficiency will be gained. I'm not entirely sure this needs to be on a production car. I'm willing to see where it goes but I'd not hold my breath.
I am trying to come up with a reason... I even waited until the thread had a bunch of comments before opening it. I'm quite an automobile aficionado. I love the automobile, I love the internal combustion engine, and I love driving - even in traffic. I've kept this love since childhood but now I can afford a whole collection of cars and a garage full of tools (and my own lift).
I just, I just can't see any benefit to this? It's not that I'm a technophobe or a Luddite. I'm buying a damned Tesla! (How could I *not* want Ludicrous Mode or instant torque at the low-end?) I not only own several with an interference engine but I even have owned a diesel with an interference engine. (Jeep, if you're curious but I believe the engine was made by Renault.)
I can think of lots of downsides to this. It's going to be a mess when the timing fails - there's no doubt about that, unless they find some way to sanity check AND fail gracefully. You can have a cam slightly out of whack and get home. You can get home with a slightly bent cam. I'm not the kind of guy who hates computers in my automobiles. Even my Kubota has computers - my snowmobile and ATV have computers. Shit, my lawn tractor has a computer on it.
What efficiency gains are here? I can think of momentum and resistance. Those are trivial but there's some loss there. Timing? They're pretty damned optimized already. Weight? Maybe... Maybe I'm just not thinking this through - and I damned sure didn't read the article, but I'm not seeing any benefit. None... Well, I am seeing some but they're paltry.
You've got what I already mentioned. It would certainly make repairs easier - just swap a box and plug it back in. Weight, maybe a slight improvement in timing, how much variation is there to be gained and how much efficiency can that result in? I guess, maybe, it might be nice in a racing engine? Something that you're going to tear down and rebuild after 1000 miles might not be bad - you can also tweak it for the track. I do a little rallying and I could see maybe tweaking the timing a little for routes with some hills.
Cars have reached the point where you can buy a $15,000 Ford Focus, give it moderate attention, do your first tune it up at 100,000 miles, and expect to get 350,000 miles on it without any major repairs. Hell, the BMW I have here with me wants more attention than that! But, this? How long is that box going to last? When that fails, it's likely to be catastrophic. There's no limp home mode after that. There's no rebuild after that. Well, not for normal people.
What am I missing? What gains are there from this? Can it be made to fail gracefully and sanity check under the conditions that a normal vehicle faces? Yes, I could see it in some high end vehicles and some specific vehicles that are tuned for certain things and may benefit from some refinement. But... What good is that going to do in a Ford Focus?
I think I might read the article and then do some research. Sure, it's possible to do this. I'm the last person to say don't do it. I just don't see much real-world benefit and I see a lot of potential problems that will be interesting to see them overcome.
I'm working on it. I'm going to write a shim so that I can use my Asymmetric System Script. Gimme another day or two and I'll be ready to show it to the world!
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What advantage would Windows 10 give a restricted user that Windows 7 would not?
Support past 2020. Updates for more than just security issues. Things like that. WSUS is a thing.
I understand there's a new file system, that it is optimized a bit better, will run the next generation of software, certain things can be restricted or allowed - it's not an all or nothing type of thing, and things like that.
Note: I do not actually have any Windows computers so I might have missed some other benefits.
You should probably avoid absolute statements like that.
Dr. Demento - DJ that did the Dr. Demonto Show, which sometimes plays that song and many others of a similar bent. It's the typical route to learn of Lehrer though not so much these days as I don't think it's syndicated any more. However, you can get them online and he's still continuing to put his shows together. He gave Weird Al his start.
Do you have a citation for that? As far as i know, only one person has ever died from one and one lady claims to have been hit by one - it shattered her arm.
Now, it seems to me we actually have quite a few more people that die from your other listed causes. I want to see how they butchered the numbers to come up with that.
Rumors of its demise... and all that... No, it's not dead and won't be for a while to come. I see no reason to not continue to improve it while we wait.
Much thanks. I'll have to give a few different things to try. I've given myself until Sunday to prepare and on Sunday, I must write.
Yeah, those numbers seem pretty optimistic and why would you want to eliminate engine braking? We've got freewheeling transmissions in the upper gears. Engine braking is a *good* thing.
The "you" should have been more clear. You meaning people other than I (but also including I) so it probably should have been "we." I think that's what the person is getting at. That we should be (as a group) doing this sort of thing.
Their idea has merit. I'm generally not a fan of increased regulations. For better or worse, every law takes away some liberty. That may be a good thing - for example, you're not at liberty to enslave someone. Of course, there are some who view(ed) that as a bad thing. So, I like to avoid 'em where possible but we obviously can't have a lawless society so I'm not an anarchist or anything.
What might have been a good idea was some group that monitored and did ratings and regulation to ensure that was on the packaging and an education campaign. That might have been better because it gives companies incentive to improve beyond the baseline. So, I can see (I think) what they were on about and I'm not inclined to disagree entirely with them.
Don't get me wrong, I understand where you're coming from too. I kind of wish that they were right but, in the real world, most people aren't going to be educated consumers.
I wouldn't say Carter did much wrong (things are subjective) but that he didn't do much while president. It seems to me, he wanted to do more but really wasn't able to. Now? He's got nothing holding him back. I am *definitely* not anti-Carter. I did expect more from him after his campaign.
My comment wasn't that he wasn't a good president, but that he's been able to accomplish a lot more since his presidency. And he has, he's influenced so many people and so many decisions that he's really been an asset to the world. In hindsight, I can see my comment might be interpreted as my not liking his presidency.
We had ~220 people when I sold. I am not discounting your claim - and you may be right, but I think it may have been okay so long as the employees were all reasonably aware of their own responsibilities and if the culture remained similar. If I had to make a guess, I'd expect that somewhere around twice as many people was where it would start to fall apart. It should be noted that those numbers are (partially) divided among three offices and two skeleton offices.
On of the things we had, I like to call open interviews. If you're going to be working with the hire, come sit in the interview if you want. I've gotten more than my share of good fortune in life and one of those is I started off with the earliest hires being very skilled and good people. The trend, of course, continued because I was also able to learn to say, "Buggered if I know. Let me find someone who does." That was not actually all that easy to learn.
That's so retarded that it's completely backwards. I am *the* guy who tells 'em to fuck off. I am *the* guy who says that bad shit happens to good people and that's not justification to strip away our rights.
I won't argue but I will add that you're right, it's not uncommon. However, I've communicated with 'em before and they're usually not a dick. Even I'm a dick sometimes. Though, often it's my poor articulation that makes it seem like it was intentional but sometimes I'm still a dick. I suspect they were just grumpy or drunk. ;-)
Yeah, that's about what I remember and thanks for the refined information. Somewhere, scattered throughout my posts, I've uploaded and shared a bunch of pics. I've got a stupidly large number of automobiles and will be (nearly certain at this point) acquiring at least two more this year. No trailer queens, they all get driven and often driven for very specific reasons and in very specific conditions.
I've not owned but I've rented the A8, similar model year as I recall. That's not a bad car. It was surprisingly nimble and surprisingly large. It's larger than it looks like. It's one of the few cars that I don't hate with the low-profile tires - so long as they're not absurdly low-profile. I did have, I no longer do, a VW Quantum which is "related" to the Quatros. It had a neat 5 cyl. that was possitioned on the left and all the things a non-mechanic would interact with were on the right. It was an impressive and thoughtful layout.
Unfortunately, there weren't a lot of them. I had rear brake issues and they were drum brakes. I had to wait for almost two weeks for the parts. It was actually surprisingly quick and handled well. Well, I'm not sure quick is the right word. It was not slow but it was really good at getting to a speed and being able to maintain it with little effort, even over large and steep inclines. It was the wagon, really rather stylish I think. I'm actually kind of partial to wagons, or at least a big fan.
I'll be getting a real HMMWV (Hummer) and a Tesla this year. I'm actually going to go look at one this week and it looks good from the pictures. I'll have it shipped back to Maine. I am *not* on the wait list for the Tesla yet, I want to see if there are any announcements and, if not, I'll get on the list in July. Other than that, I'm not planning on adding any to my collection but you never know what I'll find. Obviously, I'll put the HMMWV in interesting places and get lots of pictures. I've had ample opportunity to do so in the past so I'm reasonably familiar with it. I've looked at two of them and wasn't happy with the condition. Hopefully this is the right one.
The "brick" is an '82 245. I gotta say, it's also a tank. It's not a diesel. It's RWD and gets used, more often than not, when there's unplowed snow on the ground. It's quite a treat and rather tricky to drive in the snow. Once you get it figured out, it's a lot of fun. It does 0 to 60 in 3.2 days but once it gets up to speed, it's usually content to stay there. It is not noticeably modified to a casual observer and it's not modified for speed or anything. It's stiffened up, has a skid plate, and some minor engine tweaks. I sent it out to the West Coast to IPD and had them do the restoration and modifications. It's a whole bowl of fun in the snow.
At any rate... If you can keep your Benz, you might as well. They're pretty reliable if maintained and you've probably done a lot of the work on it already. If it's in decent condition, enough to justify shipping it back, I might actually be interested. I've met a bunch of Slashdotters in person but I can't say that I've ever bought a car from one. However, it might be easy to put in storage, park on a tarp and cover, or just put it out of the way and keep it. There are a few out there so you can always replace it later but why buy another one when you already know this one so well? ;-) As time and money allows, get it painted.
Then, when 500 years passes, the FBI will return and ask what the answer is... The computer's monitor will flicker, turn on, and display a grainy image that shows but two number. 42.
Over the years, I've seen many people try to use an analogy that involves a physical object or action and something to do with computers. Often, the analogy is made with a car. Yet, very seldom has it been successful.
You can physically crack a safe with tools and a little bit of time. This is not possible with good encryption. No, I can't think of a good analogy.
Technically possible. They make circulation systems that will heat the oil and keep it heated. They've even got quick connecting attachments. There are also freeze-plug replacements that have heating elements in them. I don't know if one of those sticky heating pads that goes on the oil pan would help at very low temperatures. I imagine it'd help to a certain point. The circulation system just pumps oil out and heats it and does that in a continual cycle. You'd still need to bump-start it seeing as, for some reason, they're planning on doing this without a battery.
They'd probably have to do so pretty quickly or the heat will bleed off. It seems like a rather silly idea considering they'd have electricity to power the heating devices I mentioned. But, well, it's technically possible. I suppose a *really* long hill is also technically possible too. It's a diesel, it's bound to start eventually. ;-)
My understanding is that you can, assuming nothing breaks, actually bump-start (push-start, pop-start, etc) a vehicle, even with a gasoline powered engine, that is automatic. In theory...
In theory, you can do it one of two ways. You leave it in drive and get towed up to speed or you coast in neutral and wait until you hit about 45 MPH and pop it into drive. I have never tested this. I can think of NO good reason to even consider testing this - if you want to keep your transmission. I've heard this from multiple mechanics in multiple locations and I've heard people who claim they have done it - I've heard multiple people claim they have done it, some with each method. (I associate with a lot of other automotive enthusiasts.)
I believe, and do not quote me on this, that the torque converter can be an issue? But, so long as the gears are synced then I suppose it could work so I doubt all transmission/drive-trains would be capable. I have never tried this. I do not recommend trying this. I can not think of any good (realistic) reason to consider such a thing.
That said, you have a *very* fine car. I do not have one in my collection but I've looked at a few. They are veritable tanks and will last you the rest of your life - if you take care of it well. '82 is the W126 or was it the 116? If I recall correctly, there's a guy in Gardiner, Maine who's got one that's the same year as your's, diesel as well, and has something like 500,000 miles on the odometer. Thursday nights, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, there's a "cruise night" at Ainsley's Market in W. Gardiner. I've scored a couple of nifty cars from there. My last one was a Datsun B210. Yes, yes I am a goober. But, I love it. We've got twisty dirt roads that go through the mountains and, come summer, they're reasonably smooth and have little/no traffic.
At any rate, the 300's are phenomenal automobiles. They are tanks. That's the same year as my 245. (I love my brick.) I am not, however, a Benz fan. Oh, I don't hate them and I've even considered a couple but I've just never really jumped on one. I do like the 300s from the early 80s - I think they changed body styles in the mid/late 80s? They are very nice automobiles and will probably still run after an EMP! I want to say that the 300s from that same vintage were different in Germany - body-wise, but I'd not swear to it. Still, a very excellent choice and indicates you actually know what you're talking about with automobiles. Nobody just buys 'em for no reason at all.
Anyhow, there don't seem to be that many automotive enthusiasts here. There are only a few - that I've noticed. It's odd because it's one of the most perfect things to geek out on. They are so varied, complex and sometimes simple, interesting, and customizable... They've got specs, and knobs, and twisty things. They harness the power of explosions and convert it to usable power. Then, there's the physics involved and taking the time to improve, just to shave a few tenths of a seconds off or to achieve a fraction of a percentage better fuel efficiency. They're full of history, in-fighting, culture, and often have some of the most forward technology available in difficult to engineer environments. What's not to love? I'm really surprised that there are so few automotive enthusiasts here.
I'm guessing you fit into that category though it is possible that you just bought it as the most practical thing you could buy, the most reliable thing you could buy, or the most novel thing you could buy. (Those are all really subjective.) Either way, it's a nice car and a great choice. If well maintained, it's reliable as all hell and will last you forever and a day. Cockroaches will be driving them after we destroy ourselves.
Good point. I'll (probably) be releasing it under one of the open source/CC licenses so my army of warriors (I don't have any) will edit it for me! I've been asked, a bunch of times, to write down some of the things that I learned about managing and business. I think I may have to sell it - oddly enough. The mentality of some people is that if it's free, as in beer and libre, it's not very good. I want it read because I find the horror stories that I read here horrifying. Horrifying!
Basically, I learned that if you give people the tools they ask for, clear directions, and then get out of the way - they're surprisingly adept. We didn't have any supervisors. There was no real HR department. We outsourced payroll and health care, and all that stuff. There were job roles but not really titles. People found the place they fit and did well at it. They'd self-organize, more or less. This is, specifically, programmers that I speak of. I hired them to do things I could not do - I am not a very good programmer. I've done it. I even made it work. But, they were hired because they were able to do things I could not. So, it took a while to figure it out but it's amazing what happens when you shut the hell up, get out of the way, and let people do the things you hired them to do. I tried the micromanaging. It doesn't work, or it didn't. Who the hell was I to be telling them *how* to do what I could not? In hindsight, that's pretty stupid!
It goes on, obviously. It's not a named management process. I guess I've technically taken some business classes but they did not include management and did not teach me anything. So, I don't actually know if it has a name. I guess I can call it the David Method but I'm just not that egotistical. "STFU, Listen, & Get Out of The Way!" Something like that... It was hard to learn - that was my baby and I was turning it over to others to maintain and care for. I liken it to sending your kid off to school for the first time but at the collegiate level. It's rough but you've gotta let go and give them their space.
I dunno? There are some societies that did so in the past, during famines and whatnot. One of the more recent ones would be them chucking babies off the cliff at Saipan and Okinawa but that's extenuating circumstances and they were throwing themselves off as well.
I'd really not put it past humanity but I suspect you might be right - as in thousands of generations. That's discounting the mentally ill and only considering it as a societal norm. So, you might be right. I once wrote a short story about it a very, very long time ago. I've pondered it ever since. With designed babies, what will we do with the defective ones? It's bound to not have a 100% success rate. What will that trigger - the designer part, the mentality associated with tweaking and changing to meet an ideal and then then them not meeting their expectations?
"What the hell! I wanted one with with two perfectly round eyes! Chuck it in the bin and let's go home and build another one."
I really don't know. Unfortunately, I wrote about that a long time ago and we didn't have computers back then. So, I don't have it to share or I would - it wasn't that good anyhow. But, I've pondered this before. My story didn't have gene splicing, it was much less scientific. It was based on a sperm bank and a mistake in the records. They ended up with black babies, if you're curious. Maybe I should write something again but actually use gene splicing. I probably won't.
I don't like admitting this but I do actually (sometimes) read the article. I just don't go bragging about it! ;-) I've got a reputation to keep. So, pretend this message doesn't exist.
I believe ALL Hyundai are interference, Honda still has some, the 4L from BMW is (still?), the 2.0 from Jeep, the 2.1L turbo diesel from Jeep, all the big engines from Lexus, most of Mitsubishi, most Kia, (all current?) Porsche, a bunch of Toyota, some GM, the DOHC from Ford, pretty much everything from Fiat, and I think Audi - all are interference. The Subaru's a bit flaky, it's often a "box" engine - I guess. They're surprisingly popular still.
So, there's a bunch out there - my list isn't complete and I don't think I put any on the list that shouldn't be there. I am not an expert. Not even close. I am an aficionado with a whole bunch of automobiles, a garage full of tools, and my own lift. However, I don't do much work on them unless I'm bored - that's what you pay people for.
I think some of the Jags were, Rolls was (?), the HMMWV is not, the Lada is/was not (?), I want to say everything from Tata is (?), one of the engines that goes into a Hilux (not available in the US) is but I don't remember which and I'm not 100% sure, the larger Land Rover engine in the early 1990 (the Discovery) is - I know it is but I've forgotten the size of it (3.8L maybe?), and more...
If they weren't interference engines before, they will probably fail catastrophically after this. Well, assuming they don't fail gracefully and have a sanity check, that is. They've got valves on the sides in some of 'em. When (not if) this fails, if it doesn't do so gracefully, it's gonna be bad. If it doesn't have a sanity check, it's gonna be bad. This is not the best idea I've heard of - unless I'm missing something.
As I mentioned above - I can think of a few places this might be handy but I'm not sure how much efficiency will be gained. I'm not entirely sure this needs to be on a production car. I'm willing to see where it goes but I'd not hold my breath.
I am trying to come up with a reason... I even waited until the thread had a bunch of comments before opening it. I'm quite an automobile aficionado. I love the automobile, I love the internal combustion engine, and I love driving - even in traffic. I've kept this love since childhood but now I can afford a whole collection of cars and a garage full of tools (and my own lift).
I just, I just can't see any benefit to this? It's not that I'm a technophobe or a Luddite. I'm buying a damned Tesla! (How could I *not* want Ludicrous Mode or instant torque at the low-end?) I not only own several with an interference engine but I even have owned a diesel with an interference engine. (Jeep, if you're curious but I believe the engine was made by Renault.)
I can think of lots of downsides to this. It's going to be a mess when the timing fails - there's no doubt about that, unless they find some way to sanity check AND fail gracefully. You can have a cam slightly out of whack and get home. You can get home with a slightly bent cam. I'm not the kind of guy who hates computers in my automobiles. Even my Kubota has computers - my snowmobile and ATV have computers. Shit, my lawn tractor has a computer on it.
What efficiency gains are here? I can think of momentum and resistance. Those are trivial but there's some loss there. Timing? They're pretty damned optimized already. Weight? Maybe... Maybe I'm just not thinking this through - and I damned sure didn't read the article, but I'm not seeing any benefit. None... Well, I am seeing some but they're paltry.
You've got what I already mentioned. It would certainly make repairs easier - just swap a box and plug it back in. Weight, maybe a slight improvement in timing, how much variation is there to be gained and how much efficiency can that result in? I guess, maybe, it might be nice in a racing engine? Something that you're going to tear down and rebuild after 1000 miles might not be bad - you can also tweak it for the track. I do a little rallying and I could see maybe tweaking the timing a little for routes with some hills.
Cars have reached the point where you can buy a $15,000 Ford Focus, give it moderate attention, do your first tune it up at 100,000 miles, and expect to get 350,000 miles on it without any major repairs. Hell, the BMW I have here with me wants more attention than that! But, this? How long is that box going to last? When that fails, it's likely to be catastrophic. There's no limp home mode after that. There's no rebuild after that. Well, not for normal people.
What am I missing? What gains are there from this? Can it be made to fail gracefully and sanity check under the conditions that a normal vehicle faces? Yes, I could see it in some high end vehicles and some specific vehicles that are tuned for certain things and may benefit from some refinement. But... What good is that going to do in a Ford Focus?
I think I might read the article and then do some research. Sure, it's possible to do this. I'm the last person to say don't do it. I just don't see much real-world benefit and I see a lot of potential problems that will be interesting to see them overcome.
Then I read the article...
HERETIC!
I know you're not new here. This isn't even the worst article by far. Well, it's not the worst summary. Hell, these aren't even the worst comments.
I'm working on it. I'm going to write a shim so that I can use my Asymmetric System Script. Gimme another day or two and I'll be ready to show it to the world!