Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!tivoli!alan
From: alan@tivoli.UUCP (Alan R. Weiss)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Unlimited software warranties
Message-ID: <497@tivoli.UUCP>
Date: 21 Mar 91 23:25:13 GMT
References: <1991Mar12.015256.16098@ico.isc.com> <8024@rsiatl.Dixie.Com> <1991Mar13.021244.2538@ico.isc.com> <1991Mar16.171033.380@am.sublink.org> <12600@pucc.Princeton.EDU>
Reply-To: alan@tivoli.UUCP (Alan R. Weiss)
Organization: Tivoli Systems Inc., Austin, TX
Lines: 39

In article <12600@pucc.Princeton.EDU> EGNILGES@pucc.Princeton.EDU writes:

[much good flaming deleted ... lots of stuff to chew on].

>If programming is going to survive as a profession, programmers
>need to design in quality even when management doesn't ask for it.
>Why?  Because when the lawsuits begin when the software fails,
>managers will point to the programmers as being at fault.  And,
>like the guy peddling oatmeal on the boob tube says, writing
>quality code is "the right thing to do."
>+--------------------------------+ Edward G. Nilges
>| Child support, tax-deductible  | Princeton University
>| to payer AND receiver: an idea | Information Center
>| whose time has come.           | Bitnet: EGNILGES@PUCC
>+--------------------------------+ (609) 258-2985

This actually raises a different but related question:  when the lawsuits
begin, WHO IS AT FAULT?  Can we distiguish between "at fault" and
"legally liable?"  Possible culprits:

	1.  Marketing people
	2.  Senior management (i.e. officers of the firm)
	3.  Development management
	4.  Developers/programmers
	5.  Quality Assurance management
	6.  QA engineers
	7.  The customer

In keeping with the spirit of Usenet and news, I'll make my choices
after I hear *your* input  :-)  OK, I'll give in a little:  it sure
as hell isn't the customer's fault (i.e. "the market made me do it").

_______________________________________________________________________
Alan R. Weiss                           TIVOLI Systems, Inc.
E-mail: alan@tivoli.com                 6034 West Courtyard Drive,
E-mail: alan@whitney.tivoli.com	        Suite 210
Voice : (512) 794-9070                  Austin, Texas USA  78730
Fax   : (512) 794-0623   "No business would dare say these things!"
_______________________________________________________________________