I've seen this argument surface before, and one point you don't touch on is the effect on cost of software.

While I agree with many points on both sides, the fact of the matter is, users are not ready for this! Users will not want to absorb the costs that this would incur. A couple points that lead into themselves:

How much extra $$$ would this cost the software companies (lawyers, insurance, etc)?

How many software companies will close up shop because they cannot deal with this increased costs?

Of the companies left, how many products will not see a large price hike due to the added costs?

How many users will be willing to absorb this?

How many copies of Office Suites are bought "out of bundle" right now?

How many of those types of applications will be bought significantly higher prices?

How much additional money will computer manufacturers have to charge, not only for additional software cost on the "bundle", but also for their own lawyers, insurance, and engineers to ensure compatibility between products and security of all of them?

What software falls into these categories? If Quake 7 crashes your system because your video drivers are to old, do you get to sue because they said they supported your card?

Who draws these lines? and what are the criteria?

Who supplies legal assistance for open source software?

If a user finds a free tool written by Joe Blow, and this tool is no longer even supported by Joe, is Joe still responsible?

The problems with the analogies to Car companies and Toy Manufacturers is simple, software is by far easier (economically) to produce! Of course Cars are expected not to crash because you use the brake and the gas pedal at the same time, but you don't see very many home grown cars out there, do you? It's much harder to build your own car (including all engine parts and stuff) without a machine shop, body shop, etc. But software, all you need is an editor and a compiler which are readily available for free (economically that is, I'm not putting a price on home hour development nor the skills required, that is beyond my point).

The major problem I have seen with these arguments is that they only scratch at the surface of what all of the issues will be. Even the things I have mentioned doesn't take everything into account, and for every layer you start to add you incur more Cost Of Goods Sold and the end price surges by a that plus a PERCENTAGE of that! I'm not saying that it is necessarily a bad idea, I do think that security software at the very least should carry an amount of accountability, but I also don't think the industry is at a point where it can absorb the costs right now.

Just my $0.02 ($0.032 CDN)

"Nothing is sure but death and taxes" I say combine the two and its death to all taxes!

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In reply to Re: OT: Software & Liability by Rex(Wrecks)
in thread OT: Software & Liability by cjf

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