CIA Drones May Have Used Illegal, Inaccurate Code

skids writes "Coders hate having to rush code out the door before it's ready. They also hate it when the customer starts making unreasonable demands. What they hate even more is when the customer reverse engineers the product and starts selling their own inferior product. But what really ticks them off is when that buggy, knockoff product might be used by targeting systems in military unmanned drone attacks, and the bugs introduce location errors of up to 13 meters. That's what purportedly happened to software developer IISi, based on an ongoing boardroom/courtroom drama that will leave any hard-pressed coder appreciating just how much worse his job could get. The saddest part? The CIA assumed the bug was a feature. The tinfoil-hat-inducing part? The alleged perpetrators just got bought by IBM."

I think i understand

[ifiwereasculptor]

"The CIA assumed the bug was a feature." Are CIA agents being issued iPhones, by any chance?

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Salesmen promising too much

[OzPeter]

And sub contractor steadfastly saying that they can't deliver production ready software in the given time fame.

Where have I heard that before? .. ah yes .. the current death march project that I am in the middle of!

Off by 13 meters?

[mandark1967]

No one will ever need more than 13 meters accuracy.

Re:Wow.

[grub]

One's that it won't make a difference if you're off by 13 meters...

Nuke the site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

Re:Wow.

[Ukab the Great]

The bad news: If you use nukes, then coders will get even more lazy and feel they don't have to use asserts and end up being so off that the drones nuke New Jersey instead of Afghanistan.

The good news: Such as catastrophe just be enough to take Jersey Shore off the air.

ROFL

[sir lox elroy]

What did the CIA also think the Toyota "Bug" was a feature. Great car, drives it self. :-)

Re:Off by 13 meters?

[geminidomino]

Fuck You!

-Signed,
Princess Leia

AMEN Brother!
-Signed,
The Womp Rats

Re:Why is the CIA attacking anything?

[Spazntwich]

Maybe they need to analyze the effect of high-speed projectiles on foreigners.

Re:Wow.

[srussia]

Out of all the hardware that is controlled by software, I would have thought drone software would be the most scrutinized. Unbelievable. Even more reason why we should not arm robots (even remote human operated ones) with weapons such as Hellfire missiles.

On the contrary, this is the reason why we should arm robots with BIGGER weapons! One's that it won't make a difference if you're off by 13 meters...

Leave the weapon out altogether, just include a divide-by-zero error in the code!

Re:Wow.

[blair1q]

You're fired.

Better idea...

[countSudoku()]

Capture these badly programmed drones, reinstall them with some sweet, sweet Linux goodness, use them for fun aerial combat play, and taking snaps of bikini-clad neighbors. Problem solved. Patent not pending. Come as you are. There you go.

Re:Why is the CIA attacking anything?

[amicusNYCL]

The CIA is involved in the collection and analysis of foreign data.

Building an attack drone is, let's say, missing the mark.

You don't understand. Sometimes the foreign data they need to collect and analyze (mostly just analyze) is in a hardened bunker, or warehouse, or mud compound. They can't just land the drone and drive it into the mud compound very well, can they? The easiest way to expose the data they need to analyze is to remove the roof of the building. This allows the drone to take pictures of whatever used to be in the building, without landing, so that they can analyze it.

Re:Wow.

[amicusNYCL]

Rumor has it that Jersey Shore is offensive to Americans.

Re: Confounded

[ooshna]

Fine fine understanding that the stars are giant balls of burning gas just like the sun and like the sun could have planets and like the planet earth some of them could have light was too complex for the people that wrote the new testament.

Re: Confounded

[ooshna]

That's just thinning the herd.

Open letter to terrorists

[or-switch]

Dear Terrorists, Due to a minor software glitch we request that you stay within 13 meters of your cell phone at all times. No reason, we just appreciate your help. Thanks, The US Government P.S. Don't look up P.P.S. ....no...what whistling noise do you hear?

Re: Confounded

[Beelzebud]

Yeah forgive me for bashing a doomsayer. Funny, I didn't realize the Romans wrote the bible...

Re:Better idea...Better Meme

[bcong]

2012 will be the year of Linux on the drone

Re:Let me see if I have this straight

[waferhead]

1) US creates military drones used in Pakistan.

2) Drones are controlled using software.

3) Software company that writes drone software is bought by IBM.

4) Software can now, potentially, be outsourced to IBM development personnel in um, Pakistan.

Is it just me, or is something wrong with this picture?

Don't ask me, before I followed the links, I was trying to figure out how IBM bought the CIA ;-)