On Mon, Oct 12, 2009 at 8:11 PM, Tito Mari Francis Escaño <[email protected]> wrote: > > > On Mon, Oct 12, 2009 at 1:54 PM, Oscar Plameras <[email protected]> > wrote: >> >> I think it's silly to spend so much money and time to test the >> Election System by reviewing Source code. > > I find your assertions sillier Mr. Plameras because this Automated Election > system isn't just another program that a program that may determine the fate > of this country, and the last thing we may find acceptable is a lame excuse. >
This is an emotional response and has not merit in a technical discourse. >> >> From my experience, end users implement acceptance testing of the >> system by developing a series of test >> other than source code review.The main idea is to simulate scenarios >> of operations with input test data >> and pre-defining the expected results. Several scenarios are covered >> with the input data that's prepared. >> >> The Election system itself is a simple count and tabulate system and >> that is not difficult to simulate. > > We do not need nor require simulation, what you have in mind is a black box > testing where we expect certain results based on specific inputs. That > should be done with and of less priority in this regard. > Ask yourself, what do you want to get out of the Automated Election System? Once you know what you want then the answer will be a bit apparent. > >> >> Hardly no commercial developer will allow third parties to have source >> code access to their propriety >> software. And in general, commercial confidence protects the privacy >> of these codes.under the trade >> secrets act of countries. I think the Philippines is a signatory to that. >> >> And lastly, which source codes are they going to review. The >> application source codes? But application >> source codes interacts with system source codes. Are they going to >> review system source codes, too? >> What about the source codes of all firmware chips used in the system? >> Are they goind to review those source codes, >> too? How long is a piece of string? The code done by one programmer >> maybe anathema to another and so >> source code review leads to more controversies. As you know >> programmers are full of egos and one argument >> leads to another and another. The point is if it does the defined >> specifications, it does not matter how or why the >> code is written that way. > > I presume Mr. Palmeras isn't and never had his hands on software programming > and we have to spare him the humiliation.Having this mantra "if it does the > defined specifications, it does not matter how or why the code is written > that way" will not make you last long in an IT project or any job for that > matter. > I have 40 years of solid experience in Software Engineering with refutable Companies. I have been through this in practical terms not theoritical assumptions, if you want to know. >> >> Reviewing source codes is a mine field of difficult issues to deal with. > > The only difficulty that will hinder this to go forward is legalese which I > think is being addressed by the petition. > Right legal process. >> >> The simplest and easieast is to test by outcome, not how the code and >> why the code is written that >> way. After all, we are interested in the integrity of the system not >> the integrity of the code. >> > The integrity of the source code FYI is a factor to determine the integrity > of the system. If you need an example: MS Windows vs. Linux or > FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD > I really don't know what you are talking about. > _________________________________________________ > Philippine Linux Users' Group (PLUG) Mailing List > http://lists.linux.org.ph/mailman/listinfo/plug > Searchable Archives: http://archives.free.net.ph > _________________________________________________ Philippine Linux Users' Group (PLUG) Mailing List http://lists.linux.org.ph/mailman/listinfo/plug Searchable Archives: http://archives.free.net.ph
