Linux security

[Daniel Carrera]

John L Fjellstad wrote:
>>>It's not a shock, and it doesn't matter. If a user doesn't discover the
>>>bug (as in it doesn't affect them) then the bug doesn't matter.
>>
>>Theoretically yes. The point is that Microsoft has the wrong
>>motivations for producing secure software. All their finnancial
>>motivations point to creating insecure software quickly and fixing the
>>bugs after they hit users.
> 
> And the marked has shown that they're right,

Uhmm... that's the whole point. Microsoft has all the motivations for 
producing crappy software. Making insecure software makes finnaical 
sense for them. That's what you didn't seem to realize from your earlier 
posts.

>>>And it doesn't change Eric Dunbar's point in that as bugs get discovered
>>>and fixed, MS Windows will get better.
>>
>>This would only be true if the feature-set of Windows was static, and
>>it isn't. As new features are added, those will bring in new bugs to
>>replace the ones that were fixed. This is true of any evolving piece
>>of software (the only piece of software I know that is in use and
>>isn't evolving is TeX).
>>
>>Whether the system gets better over all is a factor of how quickly MS
>>fixes old bugs and how quickly it introduces new ones through new
>>features. And that will ultimately depend on the pressures and
>>motivations acting upon the company.
> 
> And interesting enough, Windows, despite all the fanatics on this side
> claiming otherwise, is getting more stable, even though MS are adding
> features.

Again, it goes back to pressures and motivations. For example, the 
existence of competition and greater user demand for security puts a 
motivation to improve software. It doesn't change the basic dynamics of 
the system (it's still cheaper to be buggy - but less so than before).

> I still fail to see why that will change.  Why would the
> trend suddenly change and Windows become more unstable?

There are factors that can make the trend stop. For example, greater 
demand for features over security and reduction in competition could all 
affect this. Do I think it will? Not really. But that's not the point. 
You thought it was a necessity that Windows would get more secure. I 
have shown that it isn't and that you ignored basic facts about how 
softare is produced.

Best,
Daniel.
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