Anyone else not care about video games and farts in their car?

[David29]

I work in the video game industry and have for the last 15 years, all of those years being spent at two of the biggest and most well known game developers in the world. My experience in this arena is quite extensive, and I can tell you with absolute, 100% certainty that you’re utterly wrong.

First of all, yes, developers do work for free. Many of us make games in our spare time for fun, and while it’s quite rare for someone’s hobby game or mini-game to make into our company’s products, it’s not unheard of.

Second, tech companies are often very willing to pay their employees to occasionally work on things that have nothing to do with their actual job (and recent research shows that making this a regular activity is beneficial to employees & companies in the long run). In fact, our company specifically promotes an official version of this very concept three times a year. We call them hackathons, which actually is a thing at many tech companies, where people from all over the company can self organize and work on something — anything they want — for a 48 hr marathon session.

Third, in the tech world, there is no such thing as someone who can work effectively for an entire 8 hr day. You are quite mistaken if you think that if only someone didn’t spend a couple hours adding one of those Easter eggs, they’d be fixing all sorts of bugs. There’s not a 1:1 ratio here. Programmers (as do all humans, but coders specifically) need breaks to be able to maintain long periods of flow time (an actual tech term if u care to look it up). What they do to recharge their brains does not in any way diminish their productivity, but in fact enhances it.

Fourth, it’s quite wrong to simply assume that the people who made these games are the same people or teams who would work on all of the things you care about anyway. Tech companies have different teams working on different things. The person who made X Easter egg may not be on the team who develops the UI for example and so affects their potential for output even less so than as I described above.

Fifth, I don’t have the source code to these eggs of course, but from someone who knows a thing or two about how games are made and delivered, I would guess it’s likely that Tesla spent more time QA’ing these games than actually coding them.

I stand corrected. I appreciate your explanation of how coders really work.

But even if all you say is correct for Tesla, and I do not doubt it, the fact remains that there are many software defects and problems that users have complained about for years, and which appear to have a lower priority than games and Easter eggs. It would be far easier to accept your notion of how developers work if we saw progress or even acknowledgement from Tesla of longstanding issues such as the audio player problems as well as the new ones like letters missing from screen text. Tesla seems to tout the toys and pay little if any lip service to the complaints about more significant items. I guess that is the real beef -- not that there are games, but that more serious items are never mentioned or acknowledged as items to be solved.

 

[vikefan]

They do in my car! And I don't have a date on my display. so to me the end-user I have nonsense on my screen and I don't have things that I could actually use that used to be there.

Again, nothing you’re saying has anything to do with the dev of the Easter eggs. You’re assuming that, had they not made the Easter eggs, they would have done these things you want, as if it’s a zero sum game of development. That’s simply not how it works.

 

[vikefan]

I stand corrected. I appreciate your explanation of how coders really work.

But even if all you say is correct for Tesla, and I do not doubt it, the fact remains that there are many software defects and problems that users have complained about for years, and which appear to have a lower priority than games and Easter eggs. It would be far easier to accept your notion of how developers work if we saw progress or even acknowledgement from Tesla of longstanding issues such as the audio player problems as well as the new ones like letters missing from screen text. Tesla seems to tout the toys and pay little if any lip service to the complaints about more significant items. I guess that is the real beef -- not that there are games, but that more serious items are never mentioned or acknowledged as items to be solved.

I understand what you’re saying, but what I’m saying is that the development of these Easter eggs has zero relation to whether or not they fix/develop the things you’re asking for. The time spent on the eggs does not subtract from a finite bank of time that could have been used fixing other things for all of the reasons I posted previously.

What I’m saying is that the things you want fixed that haven’t been yet are not being deprioritized in lieu of Easter eggs; they’re being deprioritized in lieu of higher priority feature development (Easter eggs are not “features”, which is a term that has a specific meaning in software development), more critical bugs (many of which are found/fixed internally before they are ever customer facing), or they simply aren’t yet known to Tesla devs. The last option is the least likely, because the worst escaped defects are always spotted and called out quickly by the customer base due to the sheer number of users testing the software at that point.

 

[tccartier]

Again, nothing you’re saying has anything to do with the dev of the Easter eggs. You’re assuming that, had they not made the Easter eggs, they would have done these things you want, as if it’s a zero sum game of development. That’s simply not how it works.

With all due respect sir nothing you're saying is valid either unless you work for Tesla directly and are on the team of software developers that are responsible for this. You are making an assumption that it doesn't work that way at Tesla simply because you work for or worked for other companies where such is not the case. How it comes about is not as important to me as the fact that the end result in my car is exactly that.

And it's not what I want specifically. these boards are littered with threads about difficulties and problems with the UI in these cars. So in my opinion and I will maintain regardless of what you tell me. Any time spent doing nonsensical things will create the perception "real or imagined" that not enough time is being spent doing things to address real issues in the UI in these cars that we have had and have been dealing with for some time.

 

[clostridium]

With all due respect sir nothing you're saying is valid either unless you work for Tesla directly and are on the team of software developers that are responsible for this. You are making an assumption that it doesn't work that way at Tesla simply because you work for or worked for other companies where such is not the case. How it comes about is not as important to me as the fact that the end result in my car is exactly that.

And it's not what I want specifically. these boards are littered with threads about difficulties and problems with the UI in these cars. So in my opinion and I will maintain regardless of what you tell me. Any time spent doing nonsensical things will create the perception "real or imagined" that not enough time is being spent doing things to address real issues in the UI in these cars that we have had and have been dealing with for some time.

I’m curious that if you don’t accept his impression of how things maybe working at Tesla based on his experience as a developer at another company what is it that you think is going on? Do you think Tesla is making a conscious choice to prioritize Easter eggs above fixes that are needed? It’s possible but doesn’t really make sense.

I understand your frustration about what are perceived to be long-standing issues don’t get fixed. It’s important to consider which of these issues are actually on Tesla’s radar and perceived from their standpoint to be a real issue. The media player issues seem like the biggest ongoing issue that Tesla must be aware of and haven’t made lots of forward movement on. The poor integration with phones for texting and media control is my biggest beef with my Tesla. Which is strangely comforting actually.

Some of these other perceived issues - like your reference to wanting the date on the screen - are likely not strongly on Tesla’s radar. I follow these forums pretty regularly and I didn’t realize lots of people are fired up about that for example.

I’ve had a Tesla since March 2017 and now over the past 4-6 months I feel like the pace of progress and improvements has become pretty consistent which didn’t seem like the case last year.

 

[tccartier]

I’m curious that if you don’t accept his impression of how things maybe working at Tesla based on his experience as a developer at another company what is it that you think is going on? Do you think Tesla is making a conscious choice to prioritize Easter eggs above fixes that are needed? It’s possible but doesn’t really make sense.

I understand your frustration about what are perceived to be long-standing issues don’t get fixed. It’s important to consider which of these issues are actually on Tesla’s radar and perceived from their standpoint to be a real issue. The media player issues seem like the biggest ongoing issue that Tesla must be aware of and haven’t made lots of forward movement on. The poor integration with phones for texting and media control is my biggest beef with my Tesla. Which is strangely comforting actually.

Some of these other perceived issues - like your reference to wanting the date on the screen - are likely not strongly on Tesla’s radar. I follow these forums pretty regularly and I didn’t realize lots of people are fired up about that for example.

I’ve had a Tesla since March 2017 and now over the past 4-6 months I feel like the pace of progress and improvements has become pretty consistent which didn’t seem like the case last year.

That's why I said

" Any time spent doing nonsensical things will create the perception "REAL OR IMAGINED" that not enough time is being spent dealing with issues we've been dealing with for some time".

 

[vikefan]

With all due respect sir nothing you're saying is valid either unless you work for Tesla directly and are on the team of software developers that are responsible for this. You are making an assumption that it doesn't work that way at Tesla simply because you work for or worked for other companies where such is not the case. How it comes about is not as important to me as the fact that the end result in my car is exactly that.

And it's not what I want specifically. these boards are littered with threads about difficulties and problems with the UI in these cars. So in my opinion and I will maintain regardless of what you tell me. Any time spent doing nonsensical things will create the perception "real or imagined" that not enough time is being spent doing things to address real issues in the UI in these cars that we have had and have been dealing with for some time.

The general business of software development is the same regardless of the company. Unless your tech company is being run by 5 year olds, there are certain practices that are recognized in the industry as standard, and there are certain truths about the ways in which human beings can work, whether you’re making games, cars, financial planners, or rockets. Software developers — at any company — do not prioritize Easter eggs over desirable and necessary content and/or bug fixes.

If you want to live in a world of confirmation bias and believe your own ideas about how software — these games in particular — are created rather than believe someone who’s been in the professional business of making very big and complex games for 2 decades, then I guess that’s up to you. I don’t have a dog in this fight.

 

[UnknownSoldier]

OP: "NO FUN ALLOWED"

 

[roblab]

....

Great choice of avatar names there. I'm guessing you mean C. difficile, which is a cause of diarrhea.

 

[Darren Donovan]

The programmers (and other employees) are not robots, a motivated employee will work better. Those "nagging problems" don't always have easy fixes and can involve countless hours to correct. Allowing your employees to get distracted working on fun projects gives them better motivation and prospective in solving the nagging problems.

Would you want to go to work every day knowing you will spend 12 hours on the same one nagging problem?

What? That's why they're employees of a company, and that company has customers who pay for their wages.

 

[TT97]

What? That's why they're employees of a company, and that company has customers who pay for their wages.

I don't understand your point. Do you not want productive employees? Or do you want high turnover?

Either way, I would prefer motivated employees who make products that I would be happy to "pay their wages" for.

 

[vikefan]

What? That's why they're employees of a company, and that company has customers who pay for their wages.

You’ve clearly never been in a position of leadership at any place of business, or even received a formal business education. Your statement is terribly ignorant.

 

[jjrandorin]

What? That's why they're employees of a company, and that company has customers who pay for their wages.

I am sure that you also never surf this (or any other) website during your work hours right? They dont pay you to do that. If you have a company phone, have you ever made a personal call on it? If so, why? They dont pay you to do that.

What about "water cooler" talk at work? Sports, politics, etc. Ever just talked to a co worker about last nights "game" or cars, or whatever is in the news at that moment? Why? They dont pay you to do that.

This post is either trolling, or one of the most ridiculous posts I have seen. Being upset that you think time is being wasted is one thing, and understandable, although misguided (but again understandable).

The quoted statement is just silly... as silly as the statements I made under it.

 

[milosmaill]

I started programming before anyone knew what it was (1966). And, I consider programming an art form, like playing the piano. Either you are good at it or not (no binary joke intended). Complex programming, as must be involved with the basics of the Tesla OS, is a cerebral task, and it will require a lot of skill. It's not like assembling a Lego house. A good s/w developer needs an occasional break.
Don't know if the Easter Eggs were developed by Tesla or 3rd. party groups, but they add a bit of humor. I seriously doubt they are taking time away from main stream development needs for new features and fixes. And those folks have lots of pressure on them.
By the way, if writing code is difficult, finding bugs is much harder. Many studies have shown that finding the last bug is impossible, as the search/fix will just introduce more bugs.
I'm 76, and I enjoy the quirky add on's. I loved my Atari, and I play the games while waiting in the cell lot for flights to arrive. Fart jokes - meh... Santa mode or the fireplace...why not? Web access - sure, why not (it's probably needed for s/w updates anyways). Etch-a-sketch: same....
So, don't be a grinch

 

[clostridium]

That's why I said

" Any time spent doing nonsensical things will create the perception "REAL OR IMAGINED" that not enough time is being spent dealing with issues we've been dealing with for some time".

Yes, I read your post. What was it about my response that made you feel compelled to repeat a portion of it? In fact I agreed with your frustration about issues not addressed. If is amusing that you are so busy looking for disagreement that you disagree with people trying to agree with you.

 

[clostridium]

Great choice of avatar names there. I'm guessing you mean C. difficile, which is a cause of diarrhea.

That, or clostridium perfringens which causes gas gangrene. Or clostridium tetani which generates the tetanus toxin. The clostridium species have brought many great things to the planet.

 

[RossBrindleyAU]

At 64 and a software developer for the past 35 years I would like to offer my 2c worth.

There have been many occasions over the years that I have come up against extremely difficult problems that have frustrated me over extended periods. A long term friend in the industry advised me early in my software career that when I come across those situations the best thing to do is NOT think about it. Go off and play some mindless game for a while or even develop some application you would like to see/use for fun.

Amazingly this process often, and even regularly, results in a light bulb moment and a solution to a nagging issue. The attention returns to the problem you are trying to solve and the background task becomes background again until the next time you need some time-out from a difficult problem.

I think most people who have tried to solve a complex problem find themselves waking up in the middle of the night with a potential solution.

Those who do not understand this should simply not attempt to comment on something they know nothing about.

 

[CamDLux]

I thought it was silly but, my young nephews will like it.

 

[tccartier]

Yes, I read your post. What was it about my response that made you feel compelled to repeat a portion of it? In fact I agreed with your frustration about issues not addressed. If is amusing that you are so busy looking for disagreement that you disagree with people trying to agree with you.

I just wasn't sure that you saw that and I wanted to make that particular passage clear that's all. And says he who takes the time to respond yet again to judge me.

 

[ksb467]

Judging by the amount of attention this thread topic got this is great marketing for Tesla. This is part of their DNA, and part of the total package tesla offers. Those who truly can’t get past the investment made on these novelties have many other options. Tesla’s model is definitely not for everyone. Think of it like their version of marketing. GM spends a lot more on advertising and we don’t see their owners saying that money should have been repurposed to r&d, or to improve their own build quality. If nothing else it makes for interesting conversation points with those who know nothing about Tesla. It shows how different a Tesla is from everything else right now.