Friday, September 25, 2009

Bug, Flaw and Defect are all possible problems.


One of my team members asked me "What is the difference between Bug, Flaw, Error and Defect in software?" With my very little learning, I understand all these words talks about potential problems or concerns with software application I am using.


Words are contextual and so its meanings are:

  • What does a 'Bug' mean for an Entomologist?
  • What does a 'Bug' mean for a scaring man or woman looking at it?
  • What does a 'Bug' mean for an organism that feeds on bug(s)?
  • What does a 'Bug' mean for a person who treats for poisonous bite of insects?
  • What does a 'Defect' mean for a Physician?
  • What does a 'Defect' mean for a Lawyer?
  • What does a 'Defect' mean for a Metallurgist?
  • What does a 'Defect' mean for an Acoustician?
  • What does a 'Defect' mean for an Architect or Civil Engineer who made the plan of a bridge or a dam or a skyscraper and constructing it?
  • What does a 'Defect' mean for an Aeronautical Engineer designing and building the aircraft?
  • What does a 'Defect' mean for an Astronaut?
  • What does a 'Defect' mean for a pilot flying an aeroplane?
  • What does a 'Flaw' mean to a Goldsmith?
  • What does an 'Error' mean to a Tailor?
  • What does an 'Error' mean to a referee in a game?
  • What does an 'Error' mean when I park my vehicle in no parking area?
  • What do a 'Bug', 'Defect', 'Flaw' and 'Error' mean when it is helping me to learn and know something new?
The 'Bug' for an entomologist can be source of knowledge. Bug can be a threat for scaring man or woman. Bug can be one of the survival source for an organism feeding on it. And for person who treats for bite of poisonous bugs, bugs can be source of bread and butter for her or him.

To a doctor who treats human, defect can be abnormality in human body as a defect in tooth for a dentist. To a goldsmith defect can be what she or he does not want the ornament to be or to have. An error to a tailor can be the incorrect measurement or cutting of garment.

And as a software user what can the bug, defect, error and flaw are?
What should a user say for problem(s) witnessed before using the software application? Should it be called a bug, a defect, a flaw or an error?

The problem known by different words like bug, defect, flaw and error etc., exist because me exist as a user. The actions and interactions of me as a user identifies the problems. The problems or concerns are to me for using the software application. I perceive them as problems when a particular *sequence of usage of application did not bring desired or expected results.

*If sequence of operations are varied, the same problem or concern may appear or not or something interesting may turn up.


If I have no problem using the application may be then it has no problem just to me. Or may be the application is being used only by me. Or might the application is not used to an extent so that it can exhibit different behaviors for same operations. Or I am unable to differentiate between the problems and what I am understanding by using the application.

A problem is a probe that identifies the variances from my (the user) expectations. What happens to me when it varies from my expectations? How I react to these unexpected contexts? Hope this tells the importance of the problems faced by me as a user. Interesting is, the problems are also a heuristic.



8 comments:

  1. LOL!! Which properties of problem takes the attention of all?

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Anonymous,

    LOL!! Which properties of problem takes the attention of all?

    The anonymous property of problem might take the attention of all.

    Though problem can be given an identity or name or identified, still what is the guarantee to say, "That's the anonymous problem" or "There is the anonymous problem.".

    How can I know, did I find the actual problem and solved it? I have failed and failing still to identify in good time and say that is the problem.

    Now ask, "do problem exist here?" It is interesting to know that problems exist here.

    You may find this interesting as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The anonymous characteristic of problem need to be considered and your replies make me cerebrate any time. Any books or source you know talking about problem.


    Regards
    Rama

    ReplyDelete
  4. The anonymous characteristic of problem need to be considered and your replies make me cerebrate any time. Any books or source you know talking about problem.


    Regards
    Rama

    ReplyDelete
  5. Why you did not publish my last two comments that I wrote?

    The anonymous characteristic of problem need to be considered and your replies make me cerebrate any time. Any books or source you know talking about problem.


    Regards
    Rama

    ReplyDelete
  6. @Rama,

    I don't not know what you thought or had in your mind when you said "talking about problem".

    I do not know any book on problem for now. Please find it yourself.

    I'm confused with how to read your very good name.

    Came into my mind -- if a book alone speaks to me and I did not speak to book, probably the book has found problem with me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. My name is ramamani and working on my doctorate. Searching for details landed up into your blog.

    Regards
    Rama

    ReplyDelete
  8. @Ramamani,

    Thanks for the information. Now I am able to pronounce your name. My wishes for your exploration and practice.

    ReplyDelete

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