From -5067761084756967092
X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit
X-Google-Thread: 10f5bc,6f6e97a6fdbbf44c
X-Google-Attributes: gid10f5bc,public
X-Google-Thread: 109fba,6f6e97a6fdbbf44c
X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public
X-Google-Thread: 1014db,6f6e97a6fdbbf44c
X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public
X-Google-Thread: 110292,6f6e97a6fdbbf44c
X-Google-Attributes: gid110292,public
X-Google-Thread: 102b75,6f6e97a6fdbbf44c
X-Google-Attributes: gid102b75,public
X-Google-Thread: f78e5,6f6e97a6fdbbf44c
X-Google-Attributes: gidf78e5,public
X-Google-Thread: 1149ec,6f6e97a6fdbbf44c
X-Google-Attributes: gid1149ec,public
From: lamaster@george.arc.nasa.gov (Hugh LaMaster)
Subject: Re: And you thought that the Pentium bug was bad!  (Get a load of this!)
Date: 1995/07/11
Message-ID: <3tud69$cg7@onramp.arc.nasa.gov>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 105998869
distribution: world
references: <3s2las$1br@hustle.rahul.net>
organization: NASA Ames Research Center
newsgroups: comp.std.c,comp.std.c++,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++,comp.sys.intel,comp.arch,comp.software.testing

A few weeks ago, Ron Guilmette posted an "amusing" example
of a bug in a common compiler, wondering what the reaction
would be.  He anticipated, of course, that the reaction
would be restrained, rather than outrage.  Of course, he
was right.  After all, it was "only" a compiler bug, and 
one which was "only" a problem involving the scope of variables.

Which all tends to confirm my pre-existing prejudice:
Many people don't know whether or not their answers
are actually correct, and, often enough, don't care
either, as long as any problem is "merely" a software
bug.

Back when the Intel Pentium bug furor hit, I posed the
question in several of these same groups regarding how
people knew they were getting correct answers.  The
reactions were not comforting then, as, indeed, the 
reactions to this bug are not comforting, either.
Once again, I am impressed by how easily people brush
off the question of how they know the output from 
their programs is correct.

"Garbage In, Gospel Out."


-- 
  Hugh LaMaster, M/S 233-18,    Email:       Please send ASCII documents to:
  NASA Ames Research Center     Internet:    lamaster@ames.arc.nasa.gov
  Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000  Or:          lamaster@george.arc.nasa.gov 
  Phone:  415/604-1056          Disclaimer:  Unofficial, personal *opinion*.