🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <nevin-1108950748380001@mac-nevin.cs.arizona.edu>,
Nevin ":-]" Liber <nevin@CS.Arizona.EDU> wrote:
>The debug mode is a backdoor by design, plain and simple.  Because it was
>there for "friendly" purposes, no one faced a lawsuit over it.  That's the
>great thing about putting code in the public domain:  you don't have to be
>responsible for anyone misusing it.

The debug mode was a compile-time option to aid in debugging (hence the
name) various features of the program.  It was expected that said option
would be turned off in versions compiled for production use.  Unfortunately,
many companies shipped debug-enabled versions with their distributions.  Why
they did this is a mystery to me, but so is the fact they still do not ship
current versions (though they usually manage to turn off the debug option).

>> So yes, I prefer to trust utilities with source available. 

>I trust that, as well as trusting companies that have a lot to lose when
>they get caught doing illegal things, especially if the gain by doing that
>covert thing is marginal at best.

I think that with a little historical research you will find many companies
that have engaged in illegal behavior when they felt the chances of being
caught were small and the profits to be made were large.

Max
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