• PC World
• » Software

It's a Bug's Life

With the explosive growth of the Internet, we report a lot of security flaws in Bugs and Fixes these days. Both Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer are vulnerable to hackers eager to take advantage of every hole they can find.

How much should you worry about these new security bugs? Experts say it's important to keep your guard up. But they point out that most holes in browsers and e-mail products are theoretical weaknesses. In other words, most of them haven't been exploited by the bad guys by the time the flaws have been detected and patches for them released.

Steve Gibson blames the overheated software development schedule for a lot of the trouble with bugs. Ship dates are often based on arbitrary promises by the software company or on the business's need to pump up earnings in a given financial quarter. Such pressures, though, lead to mistakes by programmers who are just going too fast. But it doesn't have to be that way. "I contend perfection is absolutely achievable," says Gibson.

In the meantime, if you're having trouble with your operating system, your office suite, your browser, or any other applications you use, you'll find some practical solutions in these pages. "Top Tips for Busting Bugs" lists ways to help keep your PC bug-free. Check out "Utilities to Keep Your System Humming." And consult "Friends of the Infested" to discover some of the Web's best sources of useful advice about software and hardware bugs.

Bug-Free Future?

The glint of a long-term solution to our buggy world is visible in the distance. You've probably heard about application service providers (ASPs) and the development of Web-based software. With today's slew of services, you don't have to plonk down a few hundred bucks for a shrink-wrapped software package; instead, you have the option of going online to access an app for a monthly or yearly fee (or for free, in some cases). Right now, a bunch of Internet-based office suites, financial software, and project management programs are available. The idea is that we'll pay for software services just as we now pay for phone service. (For a full discussion of ASPs and Web-based software, see "So Long Shrink-Wrap?")

Bugs can emerge in Web-based apps as well, but here's what happens: Instead of your having to download a fix, the ASP automatically updates the software on its servers. The downside? Apps continuously change outside your control. Plus, updates could introduce new bugs.

Web-based software has advantages, but not everyone views the arrangement optimistically. Richard M. Smith believes we will never be completely free of bugs. "Software is just too complicated [for companies] to get all the details right in every circumstance," he contends.

In any case, each vendor has a responsibility to fix bugs quickly and properly. And as far as we're concerned, the sorry state of software today reflects a continuing failure to meet that obligation. This means that for the immediate future our systems will remain susceptible to the kinds of problems that Karl Kasca endured. "We're able to play the programs in our Office suite like violins, but when they don't work, neither do we," says Kasca, "and when we get stuck in seemingly infinite loops, we despair."

Let's hope that someday soon we'll be playing more symphonies than dirges with our software. At present, however, the outlook remains rather bleak--and we don't plan on holding our breath while we wait for a rosier future to arrive.