• Koen Verbeeck (5/15/2014)


    ... software is very complex and you can't expect something like SQL Server to be completely bug free, but on the other hand do we just have to accept what the vendors shove down our throat?

    No, we don't.

    To take your example, SQL Server is used in some very constrained circumstances, and Microsoft publish which standards they comply with, and how far their liabilities extend. Their customers have a duty of due diligence in what they produce, so they are responsible for ensuring that third party products they use are of sufficient standard for the purposes they wish to put them. If a customer isn't happy with what is offered, or if the vendor isn't clear about their standards, then they have the option of going elsewhere, or producing something themselves that will meet their needs - not just in functionality, but also in terms of quality and reliability. If the product isn't up to the standards the vendor declares, then the buyer has recourse through existing legislation.

    Your argument seems to suggest that all database products should meet the same rigorous standards, where I think the vendor should be able to sell more cheaply for a lower standard (or indeed an undeclared standard) of product.