Re: I hope this is widely applicable.
I wish that were always possible! Unfortunately, most software contains trade secrets that the developers justifiably want to protect. The problem is that some developers of proprietary software make feeble efforts to maintain and fix their products.
There is a solution: Open Source software. It is repairable by any competent person and usually well documented. Competence is the issue here, but the developers usually record errors and fix them, and in many cases the reports of errors and fixes are available to anyone who needs them.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
