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> This assumes (like everyone else seems to do) that the code was perfect, the APIs that were called were perfect, and that the process never changed. This is a

> This assumes (like everyone else seems to do) that the code was perfect, the APIs that were called were perfect, and that the process never changed. This is almost never the case. The code and APIs will never be "perfect," and many processes change little. Also, it's a little ambiguous who's code you're talking about: the customer's or the platform's? If a platform that maintains backwards-compatibility is an achievement worth celebrating, because it saves loads of effort across society and give people access to software who might not otherwise be able to afford it. If a platform breaks its customer's code because it's chasing after API perfection, it's kinda abusing its customers.

oneplane 7y ago
Yet in reality almost no business software will 'work' on newer versions of a platform be it purely due to licensing, support or version check restrictions. Heck, get a SIMATIC PC and randomly upgrade that 'platform' and watch a whole system stop functioning. The theory that a platform as 'backwards compatibility' is only good for lazy developers and lost source code. And yes, not doing maintenance saves time, but so does not upgrading your platform. I mean, if 8 inch floppies work for nuclear installations, OS/2 works for subway passenger systems, and Windows 3.1 for radio servers and other flight control systems, might as well not maintain anything at all. Heck, why not use relay logic in the subway control rooms.
- CharlesColeman 7y ago
  > might as well not maintain anything at all. I think the issue here is that you're viewing this as too all-or-nothing. If the OS/2 subway software is well-tested and does everything it needs to do, what's the benefit of spending $10 million rewriting it or paying a guy to keep up with platform changes? If IBM (or whoever owns it now) keeps maintaining OS/2 so the software can run with little to no modifications on new hardware (since hardware fails), good on them. There's probably 1,000 such systems, and that's $10 billion in savings for society. That doesn't mean no software should actively be maintained, a lot of it should. It also doesn't mean that working old systems shouldn't sometimes be replaced or upgraded. But it does mean backwards compatibility is important and shouldn't be dismissed.

oneplane 7y ago

Yet in reality almost no business software will 'work' on newer versions of a platform be it purely due to licensing, support or version check restrictions. Heck, get a SIMATIC PC and randomly upgrade that 'platform' and watch a whole system stop functioning. The theory that a platform as 'backwards compatibility' is only good for lazy developers and lost source code. And yes, not doing maintenance saves time, but so does not upgrading your platform. I mean, if 8 inch floppies work for nuclear installations, OS/2 works for subway passenger systems, and Windows 3.1 for radio servers and other flight control systems, might as well not maintain anything at all. Heck, why not use relay logic in the subway control rooms.

CharlesColeman 7y ago
> might as well not maintain anything at all. I think the issue here is that you're viewing this as too all-or-nothing. If the OS/2 subway software is well-tested and does everything it needs to do, what's the benefit of spending $10 million rewriting it or paying a guy to keep up with platform changes? If IBM (or whoever owns it now) keeps maintaining OS/2 so the software can run with little to no modifications on new hardware (since hardware fails), good on them. There's probably 1,000 such systems, and that's $10 billion in savings for society. That doesn't mean no software should actively be maintained, a lot of it should. It also doesn't mean that working old systems shouldn't sometimes be replaced or upgraded. But it does mean backwards compatibility is important and shouldn't be dismissed.