All software should have an off-switch

Quick Take

• The notion of apolitical software — including bitcoin — is a potentially dangerous pipe dream
• System designers should carefully consider the legal and moral consequences of creating software that can’t be stopped
• Science fiction author Stanislaw Lem’s short story “The Electronic Bard” provides a funny and thoughtful basis for establishing a rubric for making design decisions regarding so-called “un-stoppability” 

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