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Software Approvals For Consumer Markets?
Odkin asks: "Some friends and I are struggling with a hardware project which is stalled due to costly consumer market approvals (which is alright I guess). But it struck me, why are there only market approvals for hardware and not software? The hardware approvals include functionality tests that ensure that the product works as intended in any way the user would handle it (even unsuitable use). Would such approvals for commercial software improve the quality of the products, including minimizing the risk of data loss and heightening the security? In other words, would it facilitate or inhibit the creation of good software?"
make a better product. However it would make it real hard for small software houses to put out software. Plus isnt the EULA's whole point to get around accountability in a product?
"All I can tell the "lesser of two evils" folks is that if they keep voting for evil, they'll keep getting evil."-Lp.org
Most small video game makers have to run there final versions by the box makers (Sony and Xbox). They run it through a bastion of tests before they will let it out to the consumer market. It doesn't seem to harm the video game makers ability to create good games. Of course, this doesn't include usability testing.
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ever read the warranty that comes with yr lawnmower? about how it's only valid if the mower is used "reasonably and correctly"? if you run over rocks or now nine foot wet grass, the warranty won't cover damage. most software is like that.
testing is done for "reasonable" use and the software shop regards "unreasonable" use as being either a) uncovered or b) a violation of the eula.
2 1337 4 u!
You have never worked in an ISO9000 shop.
Of course that doesn't mean that processes are any good. It does mean that the processes are documented and we stand by them.
There are some good software shops out there that do a good job of vetting their code of bugs: like the guys who make VMWare. Then there are other shops that don't: like the guy who make MS Windows.
Besides it's too late to require government involvement. The accepted industry practice of putting out buggy crap has already been established with the notable exceptions where NASA(proof that one can't catch every bug) and the FDA(proof that one can wade through immense bureaucratic red tape) are concerned.