A Facebook correspondent responds to this post:
I worry less about the languages used than how they are used. Devices like DSL modems, routers, home automation, car automation, etc. are all made as quickly and cheaply as possible, providing few or no avenues for updates or security patches, and few motivations to create really secure code in the first place.
Hmmmm. I bought a Netgear router last October and have already received notification of an available update – perhaps Netgear is high end?
But more importantly, I recall, decades ago (as, I’m sure, does my correspondent) the decision by Microsoft Corp to absolutely not provide any warranty on their software – and the accompanying uproar. But I do not believe Microsoft ever changed its stance. I confess not having read a software “warranty” in years – because I do not buy commercial software. Do they remain the same? Perhaps citizens should sue over every bug that causes them a loss…. I suppose open source software producers think themselves protected by their open source licenses. I’ve certainly lost hours due to bugs in the open source / free software I use (Linux, OpenOffice, Firefox, VirtualBox…..).
And then free online software, such as WordPress used on this blog, has already cost me some time and some enamel off my teeth.
I suppose so long as the consequences of bugs for the producers of the software is not devastating, little will be done about it beyond lip service – as you say in your last line. But once the motivation there, it’s not just a matter of telling the programmers to have a bit of grit and make it better. The tools have to be there, and I’m afeared an IDE or two (sorry, I’m an unrepentant vi programmer), or some hackers brand new language, just isn’t going to cut it. I think the profession will have to take a step up and learn more, as a group, about formal methods and which languages are accessible (yep, that’s the word I mean to use) to such methods.
