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> I wonder why would a programmer go and work on a code when he is always in danger of going to prison for every mistake he makes.

You don't go to prison for "mistakes", you go to prison for criminal negligence.

Given that you can go to prison for criminal negligence in any other profession (e.g. a dentist who exposes thousands of people to HIV), why would programmers be the one category of job that's exempt from criminal laws?



> You don't go to prison for "mistakes", you go to prison for criminal negligence.

The difference between the two is what a politically-motivated prosecutor can convince a jury of.


If a politically motivated prosecutor can convince a jury of twelve people that Bill killed Dave, by using his psychic brain powers, or, alternatively, by sticking pins into a voodoo doll, or some other form of non-scientific witchcraft, Bill is going to hang.

The hypothetical gullibility of juries doesn't mean that we shouldn't have laws against murder, juries, or prosecutors.


The line between mistake and negligence is a lot blurrier than the line between killed and didn’t kill.




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