Re: Faulty languages and Liability

[mjsilva697@earthlink.net (Mike Silva)]

Hyman Rosen <hyrosen@mail.com> wrote in message news:<3D0C7C0B.5000707@mail.com>...
> Robert C. Leif wrote:
> > I was hoping to find a lawyer to speak on software product liability
> 
> It's a pretty sad state of affairs when you are reduced to trying
> to force people to use Ada at the point of a gun.

Which of course nobody is trying to do.  However, consider:

It's a pretty sad state of affairs when you are reduced to trying to
force people to use safety glass in automobile windows at the point of
a gun.

It's a pretty sad state of affairs when you are reduced to trying to
force people to manufacture children's sleepwear from nonflamable
materials at the point of a gun.

It's a pretty sad state of affairs when you are reduced to trying to
force people to build earthquake-resistant structures in earthquake
areas at the point of a gun.

Ad infinitum...

So, forcing people to use appropriate tools, techniques and materials,
for public safety and welfare, is not always considered a sad state of
affairs.

> I also point out to you that when your house is broken into or your
> car is stolen, you're not going to have any luck suing the makers
> of the locks.

A better analogy is when your car catches fire while driving down the
road. Lots of people have had -lots- of luck suing auto manufacturers
for faulty products, especially when the fault was caused by using
techniques or materials which are -known- to have fundamental flaws,
and for which there clearly exist better alternatives.
> 
> If I was sued becuase I didn't use Ada,

Nobody is proposing that.

> I would point out to the
> jury the results of using Ada on the Ariane 5. You may think it's
> unfair, but, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my worthy opponent
> wants my client to use software which demonstrably resulted in
> millions of dollars of damage and loss.

What, exactly, were the "results of using Ada" on the Ariane 5?  I
know you don't like it when people resort to stupid anti-C++ comments
to make a point, so don't resort to stupid anti-Ada comments to make
your point, if you want to be taken seriously on cla.

Mike