> Not all software infrastructure is critical infrastructure. This might be a valid argument if we had a standardized way of classifying critical software vs.

> Not all software infrastructure is critical infrastructure. This might be a valid argument if we had a standardized way of classifying critical software vs. non-critical software, that took into account corner cases. We do not. Instead what happens is that people arbitrarily classify what they consider 'critical' based on gut feelings and rarely considering the situation of people-who-aren't-them, and that the resulting potpourri of judgments produces critical systems where the authors of individual parts thought that it wouldn't be as critical as it ends up being. Then it breaks, and now all hell breaks loose. In practice, people build critical software systems with off-the-shelf components that really weren't designed to be used for such critical cases. This isn't specific to open-source, either; it happens just as much with proprietary components. There are no certification processes worth a damn, no clear idea of where and why this matters. And until we get to a point where those processes and standards do exist, there is only one safe assumption to make: all software is critical infrastructure, because you have no idea what it's going to be used for in practice. Hence the 'fury' being justified. EDIT: Addendum... I've had the critical-systems discussion with many developers. The overwhelming interpretation of "critical" is "I can see a way in which the software can directly kill people". Think drones, airplanes, and so on. Conversely, almost nobody considers the indirect consequences that might lead to that same outcome (no access to money, no access to healthcare, murderous stalkers, etc.). Let alone serious consequences that don't result in death. Realistically, barely anybody in the software industry has the first clue as to what constitutes a 'critical' system, or exactly how much damage their software can do. A similar issue exists in the design industry[1]. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0ucEt-La9w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0ucEt-La9w