Backwards compatibility takes us … backwards
Sadly, as soon as you retain assist for previous, susceptible variations of your software program, folks will proceed to make use of previous, susceptible variations of your software program.
Distributors shrugged their shoulders, and pundits blamed software program customers for selecting to make use of a working-but-vulnerable model as an alternative of a broken-but-patched model (as if that was an actual selection). And as extra customers continued to make use of the susceptible options, distributors needed to proceed to assist the susceptible variations, which enabled extra customers to depend on the susceptible options, which … you get the image.
Software program has largely stopped being single goal, the place a vendor can perceive precisely how their clients will use it. As an alternative, it’s turn out to be basic goal, with most software program doing quite simple issues effectively, however being utilized in extremely unpredictable methods. And not does an IT group even set up most software program, as a result of most organizations are not “metal-native” — proudly owning their very own laptop techniques — however are as an alternative cloud-native, SaaS-native, and AI-native.
