- I went to a session about development of secure software. There were statements about how it's not feasible to formally specify and verify something as complicated as an operating system. Hmm. Well, in before 1980 aspects of UCLA secure Unix was formally specified and verified. In fact, work on "multilevel secure operating systems" is one of the most developed example of formal V&V of real, complicated (and really complicated) systems. And, work on multilevel secure operating systems paid for a lot of my UCSB education :)
In any case, this is all related to the infamous Orange Book. - Yesterday's plenary by Hal Abelson was good. It was essentially a pitch for Creative Commons, and how the knowledge-creation community should shun commercial publishers and some professional associations such as the American Chemical Society :) I will post a link to his slides when they are posted.
- I'm currently in a session about automated testing. Also here is my former UCSB professor, and father of design-by-contract, and Eiffel, Bertrand Meyer. It was nice to say hello.
One thing I like about HICSS (my first one was 21 years ago!) is if you make good selections about what to attend you'll hear some great ideas. Looking through the program I see the following software engineering names in addition to Bertand: Shari Lawrence Pfleeger, Barry Boehm (HICSS distinguished lecturer two years ago), John Carroll, et al.
Jonathan Grudin has a blog about HICSS and Using Information: New Technologies, Ways & Means: How to Have a Great HICSS Experience
