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Be careful what you design or build for your client

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    Be careful what you design or build for your client

    VW engineer jailed for emissions scandal - BBC News

    A former Volkswagen engineer who helped develop a device that enabled cars to evade US pollution rules has been sentenced to more than three years in prison and ordered to pay $200,000.

    James Liang, 63, was the first person prosecuted in the emissions scandal.

    The US investigation has led to charges against seven others in the US and sparked probes in other countries.

    Volkswagen has admitted guilt, agreeing to spend as much as $25bn to address US claims.

    Liang co-operated with prosecutors, who argued that his help with the investigation warranted a reduction in the possible punishment to three years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

    But US District Court Judge Sean Cox opted for a harsher penalty of 40 months and a $200,000 penalty, saying he wanted to send a message to others in the car industry.
    In a memo submitted to the court last week, prosecutors acknowledged that Liang did not "mastermind" the plan, but argued that he abdicated his responsibility to speak out.
    So VW asks an employee to design something and the engineer goes to jail, not the management?

    Very wrong IMHO.
    First Law of Contracting: Only the strong survive

    #2
    In a memo submitted to the court last week, prosecutors acknowledged that Liang did not "mastermind" the plan, but argued that he abdicated his responsibility to speak out.

    They wrote: "Unless individual actors are also punished, future corporate employees and contractors may be tempted to justify their criminal behavior as just 'doing their jobs' or 'following orders'.


    Wow. Just wow.
    What happens in General, stays in General.
    You know what they say about assumptions!

    Comment


      #3
      Well there you go.

      ****ed absolutely ****ed.

      Comment


        #4
        And are they lining up the solution architects, the test engineers and those that added the requirements to the project?

        They've just made an example and a scapegoat out of that poor sod.

        So remember permies - you'd better just resign and find another job if your boss asks you to do something dodgy. All the handwringing by the IEEE won't save your sorry ass from the consequences of whistle-blowing.
        "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
        - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

        Comment


          #5
          Compare and contrast with Google guy for speaking out about discriminatory inclusion policies.

          I hope that the people who told him to do it will be given more severe sentences.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by cojak View Post
            And are they lining up the solution architects, the test engineers and those that added the requirements to the project?

            They've just made an example and a scapegoat out of that poor sod.

            So remember permies - you'd better just resign and find another job if your boss asks you to do something dodgy. All the handwringing by the IEEE won't save your sorry ass from the consequences of whistle-blowing.
            ^^^This

            To be fair I have family members, friends' and acquaintances who have been asked by employers to do dodgy things. They all refused and where pushed out if those companies in nasty ways. Within 2 years the person/people who told them to do dodgy things ended up being sacked due to other unscrupulous practices that could be proven.


            In short if someone tells you to do something unethical at work start looking for another job immediately and say "No".
            "You’re just a bad memory who doesn’t know when to go away" JR

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by original PM View Post
              Compare and contrast with Google guy for speaking out about discriminatory inclusion policies.

              I hope that the people who told him to do it will be given more severe sentences.
              The guy at Google had no emotional intelligence and social awareness let alone commonsense.

              If someone tells you to speak out make sure you know who your CEO is and remember a CEO has family members....
              "You’re just a bad memory who doesn’t know when to go away" JR

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by SueEllen View Post
                The guy at Google had no emotional intelligence and social awareness let alone commonsense.
                The guy at google did what was good and just by pointing out that Google didn't have to be a vicim farm if they'd just recognise the ubiquitously accepted science of the situation.

                Also, there's no such thing as emotional intelligence.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by SpontaneousOrder View Post
                  The guy at google did what was good and just by pointing out that Google didn't have to be a vicim farm if they'd just recognise the ubiquitously accepted science of the situation.

                  Also, there's no such thing as emotional intelligence.
                  Have a read of the CEO of Google's Biography.
                  "You’re just a bad memory who doesn’t know when to go away" JR

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by _V_ View Post
                    VW engineer jailed for emissions scandal - BBC News





                    So VW asks an employee to design something and the engineer goes to jail, not the management?

                    Very wrong IMHO.
                    Don't see that if you conspire to cheat people no matter if its designing a device to do so or helping someone to rob a bank the end result is your going to get prosecuted.
                    It called taking responsibility for your actions
                    Warning unicorn meat may give you hallucinations

                    Comment

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