Posted by
michael
on from the secrets-and-lies dept.
Tim writes "Tim Bray and Microsoft's Joe Marini are doing a back-and forth on Open Source. Tim serves (open everything), Joe returns (secret-source is good business) and Tim volleys (the closed-source niche is shrinking)."
I'm probably going to be flamed for taking opposite view, but I have to give this a try.
Than again, I'm probably gonig to be flamed by saing "I'm probably going to be flamed for saying this.."..
There are specific classes of software where the users should not really have access to the code. It generally involves highly specialized things. For example the code that runs the radiation machine for cancer treatment. Ideally, that code would need to be extremely well tested and researched. I know there are examples of companies that cut corners. Having some sort of review system would be beneficial, but there should be no way for customers/operators to be able to modify the code. Even by accident (or malicious hacker, whatever).
The systems I'm talking about are generally standalone for that very reason. Nobody can use them unless they need to do that specific task... Maybe that is security enough in itself. Is there ever enough security when lives are at stake though?
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I'm probably going to be flamed for taking opposite view, but I have to give this a try.
Than again, I'm probably gonig to be flamed by saing "I'm probably going to be flamed for saying this.."..
There are specific classes of software where the users should not really have access to the code. It generally involves highly specialized things. For example the code that runs the radiation machine for cancer treatment. Ideally, that code would need to be extremely well tested and researched. I know there are examples of companies that cut corners. Having some sort of review system would be beneficial, but there should be no way for customers/operators to be able to modify the code. Even by accident (or malicious hacker, whatever).
The systems I'm talking about are generally standalone for that very reason. Nobody can use them unless they need to do that specific task... Maybe that is security enough in itself. Is there ever enough security when lives are at stake though?