Google fixes Web site security bug

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Accountability won't help much.

The fact is - the reasons IT has problems are multifold.

1) IT products are much more complicated to predict than non-IT products.

A bridge is a bridge - it collapses if there's too much weight, or really heavy winds, but it can't possibly have a problem if someone says something to it in just the right way.

A software system is much more complicated - it's possible to test a bridge pretty exhaustively. Try exhaustively testing every possible input to a computer system - it's just not happening.

2) IT products have classes of problems that most other products don't!

Again - a bridge.
It's possible for a malicious person to destroy a bridge in a number of ways - but nobody cares.
We don't care if a bridge can be destroyed by someone detonating a car bomb on the middle. We don't care that someone could place explosives on the supports and destroy it - in fact, certain parts of our government (the military, ofc) *count* on this in their planning - they WANT bridges to be destroyable.

An IT system that can be destroyed by just the right sort of malicious action - is a problem.
A bridge that can be destroyed by just the right sort of malicious action - is not a problem.


And ever had a car break down? most IT systems don't do that, but nobody calls for higher accountability to car manufacturers.

Fact is - IT systems are always going to be more prone to problems than the majority of non-IT systems, because they're much more complicated systems, and there are entire classes of problems that are ONLY problems when they happen to IT systems.

Posted by: Sotek   Posted on: 10/10/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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