Archive for February, 2009

Remember Software Verification?

February 5, 2009

Maybe not. It used to be taken for granted that in the more or less remote future it would no longer be necessary to debug software because it had been verified.

That time is long past. What we now take for granted is that, for example, the two pieces of software essential to the health and safety of the internet, MS Windows and MS Internet Explorer, “vulnerabilities” are discovered at such a rate that the repair sessions are saved up to the second Tuesday of each month. Rarely does such a Tuesday pass without an update; sometimes five or six. Another exhibit for the prosecution: many pieces of software that invite being downloaded distinguish between the “latest version” and the “latest stable version”. Forget correctness: “stability” is the goal. Diminished expectations …

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