From: Jim Cochrane Date: 2006-11-25T04:48:27+09:00 Subject: Re: Bug in ruby? On 2006-11-22, Paul Lutus wrote: > Jim Cochrane wrote: > >> On 2006-11-21, Paul Lutus wrote: >>> AliasX Neo wrote: >>> >>> ... >>> >>>> This application needs to get done >>>> tonight, and I really can't afford anymore time on this tiny little bug. >>> >>> Famous last words. >>> >> >> So, how'd it go? Was it finished in time and under budget? :-) > > I think the OP is a student, in any case someone who isn't that into > programming as recreation. Yes, that's pretty apparent - I was being jocular, or perhaps, facetious. :-) > Professionals don't conceptualize program flaws as "this tiny little bug". You would hope not, but from what I've seen in the industry, I'd not be surprised to hear about such a statement. > There is no such thing. All the tiny little bugs that weren't so tiny ... > the one that disabled a US Navy destroyer running NT (after someone entered > a zero into a user-level application and precipitated a divide-by-zero > error that brought down the entire network), which then drifted out of > control as the sailor geeks tried to restart the network. The bug that > caused the Airbus to fly into the trees during an air show low pass > (passengers on board). > > The microcode bug that caused Intel processors to produce incorrect math > results, and damaged their reputation for a while. Yep - famous bugs. > > The bug that cause Mars Polar Explorer to prematurely shut down its engine > and fall the last 100 meters to the surface of Mars, never to be heard from > again. Due to a missing or incorrect unit conversion, right?! > > "Tiny little bug." No such thing. > Or how about the Ariane 5 ( http://www.around.com/ariane.html ). I don't remember ever hearing a description of the defect (or defects) that caused the DIA baggage sysgtem to fail ( http://www.cis.gsu.edu/~mmoore/CIS3300/handouts/SciAmSept1994.html ). Maybe a more severe word than "bug" needs to be invented. --