RealNetworks fixes 'highly critical' flaw

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Legalitys continued

All valid points of consideration about responsibilities with regard to software. Take into consideration too, that large portions of code have been developed by persons that fit the junket of 'shareware' programmers. These very hard working individuals do a good job and some are picked up by the big corporations who're looking for the right code to finish out a product.

As an example, although no one has mentioned this; say that a piece of code fails, and the digital guidance system that is bringing a 747 through an ash cloud in a foreign port. Although the code flaw WAS caught at the USA level, secondary companies believed it ok or could not get the updated code for another 20 months.

As a result, the sensors on the aircraft give false data, the plane crashes and hundreds are killed.

Companies begin pointing fingers and blames; the pilots are finally cleared; human error dissolved --it was only a piece of code that failed.

After hundreds of hours of investigations, it is found that the code snippet was purchased from a 'shareware' author; contracted through the software giant.

Anybody with a loss, sues the manufacturers of the aircraft, on-board computers and software engineers.

In this scenerio, even the 'shareware' author is at fault. The coding WAS tested thoroughly and shouldn't have failed but did.

Unfortunately, a similar occurance did happen in a 3rd world country about 4 yrs ago. The cause of the problem was a physical one where a linkage failed. The problem was that the on-board sensors failed as well to report accurately to the pilots the situation and there was a software error that through its self-test said everything was 'ok'.

The pilots over-corrected because of false data from the on-board computers. They'd over-steered. They did lose 1/3 of their cargo. Human life.

Right now, we're talking about liabilities within computer systems at work and home. To institute across-the-board testings would bring an exuberant cost to the software. Would they not also, have to force the hobbiest, the shareware and freeware programmers' out the door too? One can write as fierce an agreement at the opening of the software, but if it's not tested under new laws many would avoid the software.

It is most unfortunate, but the majority of computer users' understand software about as much as they understand their own automobiles. As long as they can get in, turn the key and do what they wanted should be enough.

Imagine the impact on sales, jobs, systems if new laws were created with highly stringent specific guidelines and your software rose 900% in cost? I bet you'd run out and purchase 2 because if it costs more, it should do more...right?

The last thing I'd like to see is the creation of new laws to protect us from ourselves!

Posted by: walterreads@...   Posted on: 04/21/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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