IP: Software Engineering, Dijkstra, and Hippocrates: [risks] Risks Digest 21.42

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> ate: Mon, 14 May 2001 17:58:35 -0500
> From: "Michael L. Cook" <MLCook () collins rockwell com>
> Subject: Software Engineering, Dijkstra, and Hippocrates
>
> The March 2001 issue of the *Communications of the ACM* contains an
> article by Edsger Dijkstra called "The End of Computing Science?"
>
> In it, he states "I would therefore like to posit that computing's central
> challenge 'How not to make a mess of it,' has *not* been met."
>
> As many of the RISKS entries have shown, application and other developers
> have certainly made a mess of things at times, often of Laurel and Hardy
> proportions ("That's another fine mess you've got us into."), and worse.
>
> If/when Software Engineering becomes a fully licensed profession, perhaps
> part of the code of ethics should be similar to the intent of part of the
> Hippocratic Oath, "First, do no harm".  This is a paraphrase of the statement
> "The health and life of my patient will be my first consideration" which
> is from the World Medical Association's "Declaration of Geneva" of 1948.
>
> Or, as colleague Glen McCort once said in a meeting, "Don't do anything
> really stupid."
>
> Michael Cook
>
>   [There is a big difference between Hippocrates and Hypocrites.
>   In particularly, there are quite a few Hypocrites who claim they are
>   "Software Engineers" but nonetheless write extremely riskful 
> software.  PGN]



For archives see: http://www.interesting-people.org/