Duty calls
Hey guys, I'm back with the nachos!
...guys?
I'm not getting into the specifics of this case without RTFA'ing, as Medtronic may well have blown it here. Although I will also point out that typically peer-reviewed medical/scientific journals are the arbiters of scientific determination, not newspapers.
A few points to provide context to the world of medical device development:
Yup, medical device companies (like the one I work for) pay people and institutions they work with.
It might be to buy influence and release unsafe devices on the market, because they're greedy and evil.
It might also be because, just like every other industy/business on earth, you pay people for their time and the use of their facilities. Docs help develop devices, they earn partial rights to those devices and collect royalties, just like every other device on earth. If device makers didn't pay to have studies on safety and effectiveness done, they wouldn't get done at all.
I know everyone with money (except Steve Jobs) is evil these days, but you've gotta agree that of all the ways to get rich, developing devices that save lives and treat crippling diseases is on of the more "deserving" ways to do it.
If you're a medical device company working on developing the next generation of a device, are you going to just randomly look up docs in the phone book, or go back to the experts that you worked with before?
Re: The FDA...ugh...
The FDA is where unemployable C students go when they graduate with a bachelor's degree. These people can barely wrap their heads around how most medical devices operate, let alone offer an expert-level assessment and counter-point to the best minds in the industry.
A few points to provide context to the world of medical device development:
Yup, medical device companies (like the one I work for) pay people and institutions they work with.
It might be to buy influence and release unsafe devices on the market, because they're greedy and evil.
It might also be because, just like every other industy/business on earth, you pay people for their time and the use of their facilities. Docs help develop devices, they earn partial rights to those devices and collect royalties, just like every other device on earth. If device makers didn't pay to have studies on safety and effectiveness done, they wouldn't get done at all.
I know everyone with money (except Steve Jobs) is evil these days, but you've gotta agree that of all the ways to get rich, developing devices that save lives and treat crippling diseases is on of the more "deserving" ways to do it.
If you're a medical device company working on developing the next generation of a device, are you going to just randomly look up docs in the phone book, or go back to the experts that you worked with before?
Re: The FDA...ugh...
The FDA is where unemployable C students go when they graduate with a bachelor's degree. These people can barely wrap their heads around how most medical devices operate, let alone offer an expert-level assessment and counter-point to the best minds in the industry.
Would it have been unethical to contact AB directly about this before running the post?
If violations of trust are important to share, you should be happy to share who forwarded the email to you guys, right?
If violations of trust are important to share, you should be happy to share who forwarded the email to you guys, right?
I tend to believe in the concept of shared responsibility. People shouldn't have signed loans they didn't understand for houses they couldn't afford, lenders shouldn't have lent to them. Both share responsibility.
Similarly, I'm not excusing his actions. They were inappropriate and dumb.
Towards the case for sentence leniency, his post was identical to one that would've run were he not part of the campaign. AB runs stuff like that all day. He didn't alter a review, didn't change a recommendation. What are the consequences of his violation? Someone might enter a contest, and it looks bad for AB.
Regardless, was it necessary to throw up this post? Spinelli and Wert know how to get ahold of Neff if they want to. Why not contact AB directly first? Oh, because that wouldn't be sensational enough or score them enough points in a fictional pissing match.
Similarly, I'm not excusing his actions. They were inappropriate and dumb.
Towards the case for sentence leniency, his post was identical to one that would've run were he not part of the campaign. AB runs stuff like that all day. He didn't alter a review, didn't change a recommendation. What are the consequences of his violation? Someone might enter a contest, and it looks bad for AB.
Regardless, was it necessary to throw up this post? Spinelli and Wert know how to get ahold of Neff if they want to. Why not contact AB directly first? Oh, because that wouldn't be sensational enough or score them enough points in a fictional pissing match.
Introductory disclosure: If you know who I am, you'll know I've got a pretty obvious conflict of interest in writing this.
I'm not gonna say this is all ok, or not a conflict of interest, or not even a dumb thing to do.
But, he wasn't making a recommendation or doing a review, he basically regurgitated a press release for a marketing campaign. He probably would've ended up doing an identical post, even if he hadn't been doing the outside work, given the broader spectrum of stuff they run at AB.
He didn't lie and say the Versa was great, he didn't cast aspersions on one brand or another. No one is spending money or getting duped because of this. I can guarantee he wasn't getting rich off the side job, or the fact that the post ran on AB.
As I wrote this, a new announcement went up on AB.
I know he got himself into this, but your tattling just got someone fired, Jalopnik. Way to go.
I'm not gonna say this is all ok, or not a conflict of interest, or not even a dumb thing to do.
But, he wasn't making a recommendation or doing a review, he basically regurgitated a press release for a marketing campaign. He probably would've ended up doing an identical post, even if he hadn't been doing the outside work, given the broader spectrum of stuff they run at AB.
He didn't lie and say the Versa was great, he didn't cast aspersions on one brand or another. No one is spending money or getting duped because of this. I can guarantee he wasn't getting rich off the side job, or the fact that the post ran on AB.
As I wrote this, a new announcement went up on AB.
I know he got himself into this, but your tattling just got someone fired, Jalopnik. Way to go.
(hmmm...trolling or in need of info...? Sure, I'll take the bait.)
When "welding" a diff, you weld the spider gears together.
The spider gears are what allow the two output sides (left and right) to move at different speeds. Normally, it's good that they do that, as it allows the inside and outside tires to move at different speeds when you go around a corner. The problem is, the spider gears allow the most torque to go to the wheel with the least grip.
If you weld them together, you no longer have a differential, you've created a cheap version of a spool (look up "spool" on summit racing for a picture). In essence, the left and right wheels always move at the same speed, no matter what. This means the inside tire wants to spin while you turn.
It's a cheap way to not have to swap a diff to get more traction, but obviously has a lot of drawbacks.
When "welding" a diff, you weld the spider gears together.
The spider gears are what allow the two output sides (left and right) to move at different speeds. Normally, it's good that they do that, as it allows the inside and outside tires to move at different speeds when you go around a corner. The problem is, the spider gears allow the most torque to go to the wheel with the least grip.
If you weld them together, you no longer have a differential, you've created a cheap version of a spool (look up "spool" on summit racing for a picture). In essence, the left and right wheels always move at the same speed, no matter what. This means the inside tire wants to spin while you turn.
It's a cheap way to not have to swap a diff to get more traction, but obviously has a lot of drawbacks.
Either this is a really clever joke, or you're missing the point entirely.
(Said point being that they've used 41% of their budget for 6% of the project)
(Said point being that they've used 41% of their budget for 6% of the project)
2 hour windows are great, provided they turn out to be real. I moved a couple months ago, and it was on our 3rd or 4th appointment that the guy actually showed. I suspect this push to shorter windows (as the metric they're all graded against) will just result in more late or missed appointments.
From any remotely reasonable technical/scheduling/project management standpoint, this is a very solvable problem. Airlines have uncertainty, but the vast majority of flights are within like 15 minutes of on-time. Hell, all of us have uncertainty, but we manage to be more on time than "some time on Tuesday".
They haven't fixed the problem because there's no incentive. Everyone bitches, but in most cases there's a local cable monopoly, or only like 2 options. People tend to shop on price or feature set, not install performance.
For 10 million invested in better appointment management, do you think Comcast will see 10 million more in business than if they hadn't?
From any remotely reasonable technical/scheduling/project management standpoint, this is a very solvable problem. Airlines have uncertainty, but the vast majority of flights are within like 15 minutes of on-time. Hell, all of us have uncertainty, but we manage to be more on time than "some time on Tuesday".
They haven't fixed the problem because there's no incentive. Everyone bitches, but in most cases there's a local cable monopoly, or only like 2 options. People tend to shop on price or feature set, not install performance.
For 10 million invested in better appointment management, do you think Comcast will see 10 million more in business than if they hadn't?
Whatever this costs, you're better off with an equivalent dollar amount spent on a set of Kung Fu tools from Harbor Freight or a garage sale.
+1 on the recommendations for the BOB Revolution (the one with the swivel wheel).
Ours has the very 80s BMX-looking plastic wheels which are actually more durable than the metal-spoke ones. With no spokes to bend, we beat the hell out of this thing and it's never let us down.
Not bad for picking it up used on CL...which is a totally viable option, given how effing well built these things are.
Only minuses: not particularly compact, even when folded. We have an El Cheapo umbrella stroller for stuff like shopping. Would also prefer an attachment that hooks up where the front wheel pivots to make it a bike trailer.
Ours has the very 80s BMX-looking plastic wheels which are actually more durable than the metal-spoke ones. With no spokes to bend, we beat the hell out of this thing and it's never let us down.
Not bad for picking it up used on CL...which is a totally viable option, given how effing well built these things are.
Only minuses: not particularly compact, even when folded. We have an El Cheapo umbrella stroller for stuff like shopping. Would also prefer an attachment that hooks up where the front wheel pivots to make it a bike trailer.
"I enjoy a good episode of Bones"
...been a long time, man.
Angela's made an impressive career arc from park portrait painter to apparent computer simulation programming genius.
...been a long time, man.
Angela's made an impressive career arc from park portrait painter to apparent computer simulation programming genius.
How about
"Computers always make some kind of high-pitched bibibibibibi noise whenever anyone types or it's processing".
"Computers always make some kind of high-pitched bibibibibibi noise whenever anyone types or it's processing".
"I want to be an engineer...Sex can wait!"
Unintentionally Hilariously Redundant Billboard of the Year
Unintentionally Hilariously Redundant Billboard of the Year
Hipster NASA
...not very underground.
...not very underground.
"an engine block head"
...is what, exactly?
...is what, exactly?
Somebody needs to photoshop cigar guy behind the wheel.
@Doug Buffone: Seriosuly.
What next, ALIENS?!
What next, ALIENS?!
Judging by the lack of an image credit, we have to assume you took the picture yourself, Justin.
Since you were obviously there, what's the context?
Since you were obviously there, what's the context?
Well done.
