So I own a hybrid electric car; a 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid to be precise. This decision was a lot easier to live with before I realized that, having so many electronic components, the car must have been programmed at some level. Basically I got a letter saying that my care needs a software update because of a bug in the engine control module, so I need to go to the dealer and patch my car.

Now, if I wasn't a programmer myself, and if I haven't worked in what is a highly regulated industry (medical devices), this fact wouldn't bother me so much. However, I am and I have, so I know that there are more bugs in my car. Not that there might be more bugs, but there are more bugs in my car's software. Hopefully they'll be non-serious.

Either way, I'm strongly considering praying to the gods of computer science before every time I start up my car.



On a lighter note, the letter I got said that there was a bug in the "engine control module (ECM)", and when I first read the sentence my brain skipped over the words and went straight to the acronym. So for a confused moment I thought there was a bug in the electronics counter measures in my car. I really need to work that into conversation with a geek friend sometime soon. "Yeah, I need to get my car's ECM looked at this weekeend."