Clarification...bug

tumbleweed2 wrote on 9/20/2008, 11:21 AM

So, everyone tell me...

what qualifies as a software bug?....

Is it a repeatable bug that is present on all systems it's loaded on?...

or is it something present on only certain setups?...

or is it something inbetween?....

what is a reasonable position to take when someone slams Sony, when most others aren't able to duplicate a problem?...

Comments

rmack350 wrote on 9/20/2008, 12:31 PM

Well, a wikipedia definition is a good starting point:

A software bug (or just “bug”) is an error, flaw, mistake, failure, fault or “undocumented feature” in a computer program that prevents it from behaving as intended (e.g., producing an incorrect result). Most bugs arise from mistakes and errors made by people in either a program's source code or its design, and a few are caused by compilers producing incorrect code. A program that contains a large number of bugs, and/or bugs that seriously interfere with its functionality, is said to be buggy. Reports detailing bugs in a program are commonly known as bug reports, fault reports, problem reports, trouble reports, change requests, and so forth.

So I think the questions are:

--Is it a software bug?
--Is it a design bug in that Vegas is just doing the wrong thing?
--Is it a design bug that just encourages users to do the wrong thing?
--Is it a software feature that exposes hardware weaknesses?

The first two are totally SCS responsibilities, the last two are things that SCS ought to address but it could also be said that the user either needs to stop doing what they're doing or they need to replace some hardware. Personally, I think Vegas should quietly own those things too, and the way to get SCS to own them is to hit them up for support. Support takes time and resources and eats into the bottom line.

Rob Mack

DrLumen wrote on 9/21/2008, 12:37 AM

The first two may not always be Sony's fault.
You have hardware drivers that can have bugs. It's also possible that Vegas is doing the right thing but some driver is interpreting it incorrectly.

There are software design bugs (logic flaws) that cannot be dismissed. Things like Vista's excessively long times for file transfers or any M$ security issue would classify as logic bugs. Considering that any windows app run on top of the OS, it would be easy to say the OS bug was a Sony problem when it actually isn't.

The drivers or system board firmware (or sometimes hardware ala AMD K6) are usually the cause of issues that can't be duplicated across all systems unless the systems are identical. Like rmack said, software that taxes the resources of a system will expose hardware/driver flaws. Also, like with identical car engines, one system may be 'weaker' than the other in some area. For example, sometimes when memory starts to go bad or overheating issues will cause one system to appear to have a 'bug' that can't be duplicated in other systems. While actually hardware issues, they are usually (incorrectly) labeled as software bugs. "Why doesn't Vegas cool my system so I can render?!"

It's a good question as the word 'bug' has been used to describe any type of system problem regardless if for software or hardware. The wiki definition does specify software bugs but in the early days of computing, when a system's wiring would occupy several floors of a building, they would have bugs like ants, beetles, roaches, etc, that would physically cause shorts across circuits.

To actually PROVE that an issue is the cause of the publisher (Sony), the issue would have to reproducible and then the code disassembled to pinpoint the exact issue as a sony problem or a driver/firmware problem.

tumbleweed2 wrote on 9/22/2008, 8:51 AM

Thanks to both of you, for your posts....

apparently, either everyone else understands what a bug is, or doesn't care...

: )