[Ticket#: 2006040510000641] Re: [OT] Articles to read

[Garrett Hylltun]

David Vaughan wrote:
> 
> On 07/04/2006, at 10:25, Garrett Hylltun <garrett at paraboliclogic.com> 
> wrote:
>>
>> What it comes down to is money.
> Yes, the cost and benefit analysis of which Richard spoke.
> 
>> I'm sorry, but my expectations of software is higher.  I get so tired of
>> hearing B.S. and excuses as to why software isn't or can't be bug free.
> Software is a creative product of staggering complexity, one whose 
> reliability has increased enormously over the years. One way of putting 
> it is that the boundaries of capability have been pushed over the years 
> while the rise in bugs has been disproportionately low.

If that were only true.  Time has no role in this matter.  And the 
statement that bugs in software is decreasing is essentially enforcing 
my stance, meaning that if the reduction in bugs in software is 
occurring, it means that developers are getting on the ball.

>> I can accept bugs that slip by undetected
> Look at the work being put in by others on the list right now, 
> illustrating how hard it can be to define a bug. As I have said to you 
> before, without a causal definition, the bug can not be fixed. Would you 
> like to contribute to the effort, perhaps, rather than lambasting the 
> work of others? Consider it a question of ethical behaviour :-)

I paid for what was suppose to be working software, not to seek and 
report bugs for the software.  In fact, if I start finding and reporting 
bugs, I want to be paid for it. And I would like to be paid for time I 
lose when Rev crashes or locks up and I have to kill it, and then have 
to recreate code that was lost due to Rev crashing or locking up.

And I'm only lambasting those who knowingly release software with bugs 
that should be fixed before they release.

Ethical behavior huh.  Charge a lot of money for software with known bugs.

>> How can someone sleep at night knowing they've release software with
>> bugs in it?  Don't you feel guilty about it?
>>
>> My morals and virtues are not for sale.  If I can't do the job right,
>> then I'm not doing the job at all!
> Why do you develop software, Garrett, since you have just said you will 
> never do it? Or is it that you have no commercial software product and 
> thus avoid the discovery of many bugs?

Why I develop software has no effect on this subject.  And I have 
released software as freeware and shareware and on contract.  And! I 
released my software with no known bugs!  The few bugs that did 
eventually crop up, were immediately fixed and an update released.  One 
of my programs had thousands upon thousands of users.  No bugs to 
report, all happy customers.

And every program developed for a client was treated the same way.

Figure that, a one man show, development, thorough testing, marketing, 
customer support and tech support, and still released a program that was 
free from any known bugs.  I'll have to assume that this is one those 
rare occasions in the software industry then.

So I'm not just talking without experience here.  I put my money where 
my mouth is.  No excuses, no BS.

But!  I will have to add to this that my software has never been on the 
scale of such things as Revolution.  I have never developed something as 
complex.  I will never try to make something that complex without the 
proper ability to develop it correctly and test it properly.  Hence "If 
I can't do the job right, then I'm not doing the job at all!"

Ok, so that addresses the Garrett factor, now back to the topic at hand.

-Garrett