Lord777
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The downside of development: many programmers are afraid to report software flaws due to employer sanctions.
Engprax, a Scottish audit firm, has identified systematic problems in software development that are common to many large companies. Many programmers face them, and the consequences are then reaped by millions of users of the final product.
The problem lies in the inability of developers to properly report errors in the supervised product, which in the future may lead to incorrect software operation or security problems.
Experts cited the example of a loud scandal with the Horizon accounting system developed by the Japanese company Fujitsu. Due to errors in this software, more than 700 employees of the UK Postal Service were unfairly accused of embezzlement and false reporting.
As it turned out later, the Horizon project managers knew about the system's problems, but did not report it publicly, so as not to undermine the reputation of their product, while innocent people suffered because of the program's errors, facing real lawsuits. Of course, the developers also knew about the problem, but they simply could not speak out publicly about it for fear of losing their jobs.
The survey showed that 75% of those programmers who dare to express their concerns about the work of the product being developed, usually face retaliatory measures from management or colleagues.
"Along with the risk of retaliation for voicing problems, an average of 1 in 6 software engineers feel unable to freely express their ideas or concerns, ask questions, or admit mistakes without fear of negative consequences," the Engprax report says.
The report also highlights that some companies have tried to circumvent public interest disclosure laws by forcing employees to sign special documents under which former employees were not allowed to disclose any details about the operation of the software they developed.
For such cases, there is a protected disclosure of information, which is not yet common in all countries. It represents informing an employee about illegal, unethical, or illegal activities in the organization. Such communications are protected by law to protect the informant from retaliation or any negative consequences.
Experts urge companies to abandon subjective metrics of software development performance in favor of objective ones. In addition, more robust laws are needed to protect whistleblowers.
Software developers who encounter clear violations should be able to report them to the relevant organizations without fear of being judged by colleagues or sanctioned by management. Reliable and safe products can only be created in a healthy, ethical and transparent work environment.
Engprax, a Scottish audit firm, has identified systematic problems in software development that are common to many large companies. Many programmers face them, and the consequences are then reaped by millions of users of the final product.
The problem lies in the inability of developers to properly report errors in the supervised product, which in the future may lead to incorrect software operation or security problems.
Experts cited the example of a loud scandal with the Horizon accounting system developed by the Japanese company Fujitsu. Due to errors in this software, more than 700 employees of the UK Postal Service were unfairly accused of embezzlement and false reporting.
As it turned out later, the Horizon project managers knew about the system's problems, but did not report it publicly, so as not to undermine the reputation of their product, while innocent people suffered because of the program's errors, facing real lawsuits. Of course, the developers also knew about the problem, but they simply could not speak out publicly about it for fear of losing their jobs.
The survey showed that 75% of those programmers who dare to express their concerns about the work of the product being developed, usually face retaliatory measures from management or colleagues.
"Along with the risk of retaliation for voicing problems, an average of 1 in 6 software engineers feel unable to freely express their ideas or concerns, ask questions, or admit mistakes without fear of negative consequences," the Engprax report says.
The report also highlights that some companies have tried to circumvent public interest disclosure laws by forcing employees to sign special documents under which former employees were not allowed to disclose any details about the operation of the software they developed.
For such cases, there is a protected disclosure of information, which is not yet common in all countries. It represents informing an employee about illegal, unethical, or illegal activities in the organization. Such communications are protected by law to protect the informant from retaliation or any negative consequences.
Experts urge companies to abandon subjective metrics of software development performance in favor of objective ones. In addition, more robust laws are needed to protect whistleblowers.
Software developers who encounter clear violations should be able to report them to the relevant organizations without fear of being judged by colleagues or sanctioned by management. Reliable and safe products can only be created in a healthy, ethical and transparent work environment.
