Directions: Based on ideas discussed and illustrated in the class periods, take a position (FOR/AGAINST) each of the following statements. Write a paragraph or two supporting or opposing the view expressed in the ideas as expressed in RISKS discussions of " ultrareliable" (faultless) software. ( http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks.data/search.html)
CONCEPT: Faultless software is impossible to obtain, but the lack of it is no compelling reason to prohibit computers from life-critical service.
CONCEPT: Consider the reliability advantage software has over hardware and people system components, which is that once a software bug has been truly fixed, it stays fixed. In contrast, consider the many times you repair hardware only to see it fail again from the same cause.
CONCEPT: The question is, have more people died in life-critical environments since software was installed than before, per man-hour of use? If the answer is no, the solution is obvious. If the answer is yes, that is reason only to intensify testing and debugging. Software engineering has not yet built all the tools needed to that end.