The consequences of technological risk

"Act in haste, Repent at leisure"

This aphorism defines this century and this generation. The Iowa caucus tabulation system was completely messed up and is just the latest example of what is wrong in this country today. It's right on the heels of what happened at Boeing with the MAX 8, but fortunately the consequences were not life ending.

What happened to thorough planning and even more importantly proper testing of new products and services in this age of technology? Neither of these "projects" was properly managed; the software testing needed to be scripted by the designers, the coders and the most important players, the users. Then the tests had to be conducted by all three interested parties. Clearly this didn't happen. It's the user who can break the system. Even the best in the field face the challenge.

Facebook and Google have the resources to throw at a problem after the fact and Microsoft for all its efforts hasn't had a stable operating system since XP. So what makes Shadow Inc. with an unknown number of employees or Boeing possibly think they have a good plan to get it right? How can one possibly think the end justifies the means when the faulty product could affect the future of our country or worse yet the lives of the people it was meant to serve?

Lisa Halpin

Buffalo Grove