3 ms·

You really shouldn’t assume anything in software or any complex system. I know this wouldn’t fly at my job, and I don’t work at Mozilla. This is basic testing.

You really shouldn’t assume anything in software or any complex system. I know this wouldn’t fly at my job, and I don’t work at Mozilla. This is basic testing. Normally this is the mark of a bad software engineer, but attempting to blame the platform you’re on for your lack of testing takes it a to a new low. Mistakes happen, admitting full incompetence that basic testing isn’t done is damning. This is not a good defense of Firefox nor Mozilla.

jupp0r 4y ago
Not sure what your job is, but in my job: - we implement a feature, test it thoroughly for functional and non-functional requirements - when we are happy, we release it I don't see myself being responsible for a third party software company coming along years later and introducing a bug in code that injects itself between my software and the operating system that users of the software I wrote happens to install at some point.
- dpkirchner 4y ago
  Maybe you're not responsible, but if someone says "something changed in the OS and your previous method is now adding substantial overhead", you could either a) report the change to the OS and mitigate or b) report the change to the OS and ignore the problem for years. It sounds like Mozilla chose b, for whatever reason. As a software developer, I've had to workaround many many bugs in OSs, especially when dealing with updates to Android. It's just part of the job.
- thfuran 4y ago
  The OS isn't some random third party software, it's one of your dependencies. Your software doesn't work without the OS and if it also doesn't work with the OS, it just plain doesn't work.
  - wtallis 4y ago
    That's really not a tenable mindset to be taking these days. With how much Windows has become a constantly-moving target rather than a stable platform, you need to regard it first and foremost as your adversary, whether you are developing against it or are simply an end user. And the days of being able to thoroughly test against every relevant version of the OS are long gone; Microsoft has ensured your QA will be Sisyphean.
    - shadowgovt 4y ago
      At the end of the day, it's about your users. If your users are on Windows, you have to be where they are. Moving target, wonky API, warts, and all. Yes, it's Sisyphean. That's why my shop had a whole room stuffed with parallel Windows installs. We couldn't afford to have our users be the first ones to notice Microsoft pulled the rug out from under us again.
- garbagecoder 4y ago
  You basically just said you stop supporting things once they ship. Doesn’t work properly on Windows? Shrug.
  - BuckRogers 4y ago
    Which is my original point about quality software engineering.. Apparently many don’t test, and if it’s broken, don’t care!

jupp0r 4y ago

Not sure what your job is, but in my job: - we implement a feature, test it thoroughly for functional and non-functional requirements - when we are happy, we release it I don't see myself being responsible for a third party software company coming along years later and introducing a bug in code that injects itself between my software and the operating system that users of the software I wrote happens to install at some point.

dpkirchner 4y ago
Maybe you're not responsible, but if someone says "something changed in the OS and your previous method is now adding substantial overhead", you could either a) report the change to the OS and mitigate or b) report the change to the OS and ignore the problem for years. It sounds like Mozilla chose b, for whatever reason. As a software developer, I've had to workaround many many bugs in OSs, especially when dealing with updates to Android. It's just part of the job.
thfuran 4y ago
The OS isn't some random third party software, it's one of your dependencies. Your software doesn't work without the OS and if it also doesn't work with the OS, it just plain doesn't work.
- wtallis 4y ago
  That's really not a tenable mindset to be taking these days. With how much Windows has become a constantly-moving target rather than a stable platform, you need to regard it first and foremost as your adversary, whether you are developing against it or are simply an end user. And the days of being able to thoroughly test against every relevant version of the OS are long gone; Microsoft has ensured your QA will be Sisyphean.
  - shadowgovt 4y ago
    At the end of the day, it's about your users. If your users are on Windows, you have to be where they are. Moving target, wonky API, warts, and all. Yes, it's Sisyphean. That's why my shop had a whole room stuffed with parallel Windows installs. We couldn't afford to have our users be the first ones to notice Microsoft pulled the rug out from under us again.
garbagecoder 4y ago
You basically just said you stop supporting things once they ship. Doesn’t work properly on Windows? Shrug.
- BuckRogers 4y ago
  Which is my original point about quality software engineering.. Apparently many don’t test, and if it’s broken, don’t care!