Airplane Quote by Ellen Ullman
“It has occurred to me that if people really knew how software got written, I'm not sure they'd give their money to a bank or get on an airplane ever again.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Close to the Machine, Ellen Ullman, 1997
Understanding software creation reveals its complexity and risks, undermining blind trust in tech-reliant services.
In simple terms: Knowing how software is built makes people skeptical of tech-dependent services.
Key Takeaway
Question tech services critically.
Themes
technology
trust
risk
software development
society
Mood
skeptical
cautious
reflective
Type
cautionary
critical
When to use this quote
- Choosing a bank
- booking a flight
- using online payments
- adopting new tech
- evaluating software vendors
Key Concepts
Complexity
black box
automation
dependency
Questions to Reflect On
- How does transparency affect trust?
- What balance between risk and convenience?
A Different Perspective
People may overestimate risk and reject beneficial tech.
![“I've always written. I'm from an older generation of programmers [who] did not come out of engineering. [A]ll sorts of people were drawn in from the social sciences and humanities.” quote by Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/341/ellen-ullman-3943_engineering_i-ve-always-written-i-m-from-an-older-ge_363898.jpg)
