A couple of months ago there was a lot of discussion on the blogosphere about programmers, software quality, bugs and liability.
These discussions where started mainly due to security issues in software. You can read viewpoints on the subject at Slashdot, from Tom Espiner,Bruce Schneier, and others.
Now, imagine if the Code of Hammurabi,
the ancient (2500 BC) codes that were established by Hammurabi, ruler of Babylon, were applied to software engineers
(and engineers in general)… Below replace “builder” with “software engineer or programmer”, “house” with “software”, and the affected people with “customers”:
- 229. If a builder build a house for some one, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built fall in and kill its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.
- 230. If it kill the son of the owner the son of that builder shall be put to death.
- 231. If it kill a slave of the owner, then he shall pay slave for slave to the owner of the house.
- 232. If it ruin goods, he shall make compensation for all that has been ruined, and inasmuch as he did not construct properly this house which he built and it fell, he shall re-erect the house from his own means.
- 233. If a builder build a house for some one, even though he has not yet completed it; if then the walls seem toppling, the builder must make the walls solid from his own means.
Talk about making sure the quality of your work is superb! OK, it is extreme, but I bet buildings and homes back then were pretty solid (and the number of builders were few).
ceo