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Generally, nobody forces you to use software you don't consider reliable. That's especially true if you use open source software (and if you don't, you've got o

• alpaca128 4y ago
  That is technically true but in practice one has to use certain software to some degree or at least faces consequences of some software's output. Bad software has sent innocent people to prison, declared some officially dead etc without those people ever having a say in what system should be used. Unfortunately high quality software tends to be so much more expensive in various ways that almost nobody bothers. Which is understandable, but in some cases still unacceptable. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about open source software, those developers don't owe me anything and often produce better results anyway.
  • jonathanstrange 4y ago
    I agree that in some areas the bars could and probably should be set higher. While in most domains there are strict certifications (e.g. cryptography, military, banking, aviation, medical devices) there are certain grey zones in which unreliable software impacts our lives. Ideally, these gaps are closed. For example, EU legislation requires a certain amount of transparency for a system a citizen is subjected to, e.g. according to the GDPR customers have a right to know why they were given a low credit score. It's a double-edged sword because certifications are complex and sometimes expensive (e.g. FIPS certification for encryption), so smaller software companies have a hard time competing, potentially leading to more quasi-monopolies and cartels.