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    Legal and Ethical Issues III: "Lecture 2"

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    moad alsaity
    This document discusses failures and errors in computer systems. It notes that while most programs have errors due to complexity, professionals must study failures to avoid them and understand their impacts. Individual errors include billing mistakes from inaccurate data entry or interpretation. High-level causes include lack of clear goals, poor management, and pressure for low costs. A case study on a radiation therapy machine that severely injured patients revealed reused faulty software, weak interface design, and inadequate testing. The document advocates for techniques like redundancy, testing with real users, and professional responsibility to increase reliability and safety. It also discusses potential roles for law, regulation, and warranties.

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    Legal and Ethical Issues III: "Lecture 2"

    Uploaded by

    moad alsaity
    20 views11 pages
    This document discusses failures and errors in computer systems. It notes that while most programs have errors due to complexity, professionals must study failures to avoid them and understand their impacts. Individual errors include billing mistakes from inaccurate data entry or interpretation. High-level causes include lack of clear goals, poor management, and pressure for low costs. A case study on a radiation therapy machine that severely injured patients revealed reused faulty software, weak interface design, and inadequate testing. The document advocates for techniques like redundancy, testing with real users, and professional responsibility to increase reliability and safety. It also discusses potential roles for law, regulation, and warranties.

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    This document discusses failures and errors in computer systems. It notes that while most programs have errors due to complexity, professionals must study failures to avoid them and understand their impacts. Individual errors include billing mistakes from inaccurate data entry or interpretation. High-level causes include lack of clear goals, poor management, and pressure for low costs. A case study on a radiation therapy machine that severely injured patients revealed reused faulty software, weak interface design, and inadequate testing. The document advocates for techniques like redundancy, testing with real users, and professional responsibility to increase reliability and safety. It also discusses potential roles for law, regulation, and warranties.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    20 views11 pages

    Legal and Ethical Issues III: "Lecture 2"

    Uploaded by

    moad alsaity
    This document discusses failures and errors in computer systems. It notes that while most programs have errors due to complexity, professionals must study failures to avoid them and understand their impacts. Individual errors include billing mistakes from inaccurate data entry or interpretation. High-level causes include lack of clear goals, poor management, and pressure for low costs. A case study on a radiation therapy machine that severely injured patients revealed reused faulty software, weak interface design, and inadequate testing. The document advocates for techniques like redundancy, testing with real users, and professional responsibility to increase reliability and safety. It also discusses potential roles for law, regulation, and warranties.

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    Legal and Ethical Issues III

    “Lecture 2”
    Failures and Errors in Computer Systems
     Most computer applications are so complex it is virtually impossible to
    produce programs with no errors

     The cause of failure is often more than one factor

     Computer professionals must study failures to learn how to avoid them

     Computer professionals must study failures to understand the impacts of


    poor work
    Failures and Errors in Computer Systems
    Individual Problems:

    • Billing errors

     Inaccurate and misinterpreted data in databases


     Overconfidence in the accuracy of data
     Errors in data entry
     Lack of accountability for errors

    • Wrong data entered into it.

    • People incorrectly interpret data they retrieve.


    Failures and Errors in Computer Systems
    High-level Causes of Computer-System Failures:

     Lack of clear, goals and specifications.

     Poor management and poor communication among customers,


    designers, programmers, etc.
     Pressures that encourage unrealistically low bids, low budget requests,

    and underestimates of time requirements.


     Use of very new technology, with unknown reliability and problems.

     Refusal to recognize or admit a project is in trouble.


    Case Study: The Therac-25
     Massive overdoses of radiation were given; the machine said
    no dose had been administered at all
     Caused severe and painful injuries and the death of three
    patients
     Important to study to avoid repeating errors
     Manufacturer, computer programmer, and hospitals/clinics all
    have some responsibility
    Case Study: The Therac-25
    Software and Design problems:
     Re-used software from older systems, unaware of bugs in
    previous software
     Weaknesses in design of operator interface
     Inadequate test plan
     Bugs in software
    Case Study: The Therac-25
    Why So Many Incidents?

     Hospitals had never seen such massive overdoses before, were


    unsure of the cause
     Manufacturer said the machine could not have caused the
    overdoses and no other incidents had been reported (which was
    untrue)
     The manufacturer made changes to the turntable and claimed they
    had improved safety after the second accident. The changes did not
    correct any of the causes identified later
    Increasing Reliability and Safety
    What goes Wrong?
     Design and development problems
     Management and use problems
     Hiding problems and inadequate response to reported
    problems
     Insufficient market or legal incentives to do a better job
     Re-use of software without sufficiently understanding the code
    and testing it
     Failure to update or maintain a database
    Increasing Reliability and Safety
    Professional techniques:
     Importance of good software engineering and professional responsibility
     User interfaces and human factors
    • Feedback
    • Workload that is too low can lead to mistakes
     Redundancy and self-checking
     Testing
    • Include real world testing with real users
    Increasing Reliability and Safety
    Law, Regulation :
     Criminal and civil penalties
    • Provide incentives to produce good systems, but
    shouldn't inhibit innovation
     Warranties for consumer software
     Regulation for safety-critical applications
     Professional licensing
     Taking responsibility
    THANKS!
    Do you have any questions?
    Hanin.omar@limu.edu.ly

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