tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383512304639632735.post4780856874295442224..comments2024-01-23T07:34:52.253-08:00Comments on Copyrights & Campaigns: Tenenbaum P2P trial features prophetic warnings of doomBen Sheffnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06477793715765992689noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383512304639632735.post-57476459244996659782009-07-31T14:36:44.731-07:002009-07-31T14:36:44.731-07:00Of course "looking for errors" isn't...Of course "looking for errors" isn't a rigorous method, but this isn't the place for a course on software testing methodologies. <br /><br />Nor am I suggesting that they misidentified the IP addresses, or that any of the other data presented contained errors. I'm saying that nothing I've seen in the reporting of the trial addresses their reliability more than superficially, and that the MediaSentry expert's choice of phrasing is phrasing that I would not expect to see if high quality processes were in place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383512304639632735.post-61157611250589625982009-07-30T09:01:55.096-07:002009-07-30T09:01:55.096-07:00@Anon: " To prove a zero error rate, you'...@Anon: " To prove a zero error rate, you'd expect them to compare against independently derived data, or use other rigorous methods."<br /><br />So...uh...LOOKING FOR ERRORS is not a rigorous method? They're making factual assertions--"thus-and-so IP was sharing files over the Internet". It's not really a question of analysis or viewpoint, unless you're suggesting that MediaSentry somehow misidentified the IP address of every packet it received.halojones-fanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05473935330204075559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383512304639632735.post-60592574658822039152009-07-30T08:15:15.948-07:002009-07-30T08:15:15.948-07:00That would be circular reasoning. It's simila...That would be circular reasoning. It's similar to look at a large collection of court reporters' typed transcripts and saying "we don't know of any errors, therefore there are none." To prove a zero error rate, you'd expect them to compare against independently derived data, or use other rigorous methods. Unrealistic, but that's why the statement was inappropriate.<br /><br />Another blog cites Dr. Jacobson's testimony, with regard to this statement, as saying that he's never found any errors but that a zero error rate is "hard for software to achieve". Clearly Dr. Jacobson understands the distinction.<br /><br />For the purposes of this trial, it's a nit. Saying that "we've never found an error, and don't know of any" is more than adequate, and undoubtedly what MediaSentry intended. But by phrasing the assertion this way, it suggests that they don't have a rigorous approach to software quality. Typical for companies in their situation, but whether it's a legal vulnerability for future cases is outside my expertise. (If it's not obvious, I earn money by helping small companies establish good SQA practices.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383512304639632735.post-75517028929711201632009-07-29T18:51:52.832-07:002009-07-29T18:51:52.832-07:00"The issue is that the witness made a technic..."The issue is that the witness made a technical assertion that is absolutely unprovable..."<br /><br />...actually, it's entirely provable--look at their record, identify errors, if there are no errors then there's a zero error rate.halojones-fanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05473935330204075559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383512304639632735.post-45708759870685962582009-07-29T09:12:28.784-07:002009-07-29T09:12:28.784-07:00Halojones-fan: That's not the issue. The iss...Halojones-fan: That's not the issue. The issue is that the witness made a technical assertion that is absolutely unprovable unless the context out of which it was taken was very, very narrow.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383512304639632735.post-65133620049095793682009-07-29T08:29:46.500-07:002009-07-29T08:29:46.500-07:00Anon: The fact that software engineers do their j...Anon: The fact that software engineers do their jobs badly does not mean that other people do the same.halojones-fanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05473935330204075559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383512304639632735.post-50428999812851050492009-07-28T21:33:27.824-07:002009-07-28T21:33:27.824-07:00As a software quality engineer, I'm immediatel...As a software quality engineer, I'm immediately skeptical of anyone in the software industry who claims a zero error rate. It's not impossible under tightly defined circumstances, but in this case one must ask how would they know? Without independent verification, they would be relying on their own software and processes to prove that their own software and processes are infalliable. <br /><br />Though one wonders why, if Tenenbaum admitted in his depositions that he's downloaded songs, they need to spend the court's time on this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5383512304639632735.post-11381145492057810672009-07-28T21:08:04.580-07:002009-07-28T21:08:04.580-07:00Though I'm utterly without legal training, I&#...Though I'm utterly without legal training, I'd invite you to look at my takes on the trial at viewsfrommontparnasse.blogspot.com. Our opinions differ, but I am very appreciative of your thorough coverage.brenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16770376824847505367noreply@blogger.com