in reply to How Safe is Safe::?

Even if Safe:: were as impregnable as Blowfish it would still carry that disclaimer. No rational person would write software for free and include a warranty as to its fitness for which one could then be sued.

If one wants a warranty for an open source product then one must purchase a commercial implementation of it which includes such a warranty, or for which the act of sale creates a legally-enforceable implied warranty.

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Re: Re: How Safe is Safe::?
by MeowChow (Vicar) on Feb 14, 2001 at 05:29 UTC
    There is no commercial software product, to my knowledge, which warrants suitability or fitness for any purpose. Moreover, the warranties usually say something to the effect of "if this program causes your computer to burst into flames, impoverishes you, and gives you cancer, it ain't our fault."

    Commercial software warranties serve the purpose of disclaiming responsibility, not accepting it. 

       MeowChow                                   
               s aamecha.s a..a\u$&owag.print
[reply]
      That depends on who you're buying from/what your purpose is...

      Think Hospitals / Military / Govornment

      Languages like Haskell exist specifically so they can be proved correct. While Haskell, for instance, is a real pain to program in (from my short experience in class), you can take your time: we need to know that there really isn't someone taking off on that runway that the plane is about to land on. ;)

      -Lexicon

[reply]

        The US Air Force, at least, requires no warranty of any software except firmware (e.g. for an airplane). Software crashes are not just commonplace, they are everyday, and "security" is almost entirely a joke. Other branches of the military do seem to have more cards in their decks, however.

        This attitude makes me very nervous about airplanes landing on Air Force bases. Thankfully, NASA has quality testing and breathes down the Air Force's backs when dealing with the space program...

[reply]
      Actually you have to warranty something. It is traditional to warranty the physical media that you shipped for a period (eg 90 days), under the theory that the majority of installation problems will be due to a bad CD.
[reply]

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