The Developer and the Sophist

Here's an amusing koan (by Frank Atanassow) that I would like to share with you:

The sophist says, `Users demand correct software.'

The developer rightly replies, `Correctness is an illusion. The program exists or it does not exist; it behaves as it behaves. Motibo ergo sum.'

The sophist counters, `What users want is an illusion?'

`No. We exist only to serve. Such is our purpose. But our masters are fickle,' says the developer. `They do not know their minds, which are clouded by their own desires.'

`How can you serve your master when you do not acknowledge his desires?'

`We are clever and nimble. Though a chasm lies between us, our master may say, ``Come hither,'' and we run elsewhere very quickly, knowing his true mind.'

`Why do you not build a bridge?'

`We have no such art; do you think us engineers?'

`Then why do you not tell him you cannot please him?'

`Simpleton! Who bites the hand that feeds? He is anywise oft amused by our agile antics. We do not go where he asks, but where we go, we go quickly.'

Here endeth the lesson.

The original discussion was about whether or not Microsoft could ever be expected to solve all buffer-overflow security bugs.