Writings W050602 Fear and Trembling–Software Liability

orcmid> writings> 2005>06> W050602> 0.00 2005-06-16 -16:56 -0700

When Bruce Schneier talks about software liability, I notice that I become anxious.  Not when I read what he and others say and take it in the abstract.  Then I just nod my head knowingly.  But I heard Schneier speak and he repeated that statement.  I notice that I was immediately anxious, uncomfortable and, yes, frightened.

I didn't think to mention that to him when I had the opportunity, but I did raise it the next day (April 16) in a cell-phone conversation with a buddy who returned my call while he was en route to a geek lunch on a geek Saturday outing.

In that conversation, I heard the coin drop.  Then I saw what I was afraid of and also how software developers are no different in their fears about software liability than, say, publishers are about open-media, piracy as a widespread practice, and loss of effective IP protection. 

I was so struck by that I wanted to write it up, but I have been procrastinating that for weeks (o.k., months). 

These pages are my remedy.

The following materials provide initial-draft placeholders as we bootstrap toward something useful:

• W050602b: (latest) Analysis

• W050602c: 0.00 Initial Analysis notes

• W050602a: Diary & Job Jar for this folio

0.00 2005-06-15-11:47 Create Placeholder

I have rough notes that I will be organizing.  This is the placeholder for where I'll extend those, along with a Diary and Job Jar for organizing items.  Although the accountable-progression pattern has not been established here, I am making an ad hoc application of it by cloning from W050601.  This page will ultimately be replaced with a synopsis and table of content.

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created 2005-06-15-11:47 -0700 (pdt) by orcmid $$Author: Orcmid $ $$Date: 05-06-16 16:56 $ $$Revision: 7 $