[flashmob]

Counterpoint: Software engineers can just make it a configuration option and leave it to the user to decide how it is run. Unlike civil engineers who can't build a bridge with a configuration option for a 'light & unsafe' bridge, software engineers can make everything an option, and that's often the best practice.

Of course, assuming that they are unaware of how their user / client / employer will actually use the software, they should be fine.

[Jach]

"It should be noted that no ethically-trained software engineer would ever consent to write a "DestroyBaghdad" procedure. Basic professional ethics would instead require him to write a "DestroyCity" procedure, to which "Baghdad" could be given as a parameter."

--Nathaniel Borenstein

It's kind of hard to disagree...

[thebluehawk]

True, no ethical engineer would write "DestroyBaghdad", but how about perfectly reasonable "set custom threshold for test" function that lets the client pick? And then the client chooses an unethical value.