Star letter

With the predictability of Lee getting irate about something totally unrepairable, I’m in a strop about sodding software updates again.

Just this morning, I arrived on a site ready to conduct about 25 hearing tests. Got myself set up, tested to verify everything was working nicely, and with ten minutes until the first appointment I made a coffee. When I came back Windows had decided to install an update, which then took an absolute age and ran into the first appointment time, meaning the patient was standing waiting while I drummed my fingers on the desk. That’s annoying enough, but when it came back to life, magically what had all been working ten minutes ago was now utterly dead – no printer, no audiometer.

An hour of trying fixes later, I had to give up and break out my Mac which, love it as I do, is not so great at the medical equipment side of things as Parallels can be a little flaky. But I got it working and got going. Six people missed their appointments and can’t be caught up – they have to be rescheduled and have the hassle of taking more time off work and coming back again, and as I get paid per test, I lose out on income as well.

It had all been working just fine until Windows decided to force an update.

All software developers, STOP FORCING UPDATES OUT! I don’t care about “security patches” – if my software is out of date I may have a problem through poor security, but if patches are pushed out then time and time again it is proved I will have a huge problem with that. “Will” beats “may” every time. If I’m concerned about security I will update, or I will buy a new version, but stop reaching into the machine whenever you decide to, a machine that is my livelihood, and stop buggering about with it!

That applies to everything: operating systems, programs, apps, anything. Release it, sell it to me at a fixed point in time, then work on your new version and I will choose whether to update it and, as it is a new piece of software, if I need to I’ll pay again.

And breathe... Adam Jackson

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