This is a dumb saying that ignores the fact that humans are fallible beings who make mistakes.
Sure, you might shoot yourself because you're just careless with your gun. Or you might be also thinking of an argument you had with your spouse, or you might be tired when you're handling your everyday carry on your way to work, or you might get startled, or a million and one other things that might prevent you from singly focusing your attention the gun you're handling.
Machines exist to serve us, not the other way around. If a product doesn't take human habits and flaws into account, it's a bad product, because over a large enough sample size someone will make a mistake.
> This is a dumb saying that ignores the fact that humans are fallible beings who make mistakes.
It's not, because the basic rules of gun handling are designed in such a way that failing to obey one of them will not result in injury. They are:
* Never point a gun at anything you don't wish to destroy
* Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire
* Always assume the gun is loaded
* Know your target and what's beyond it.
> Machines exist to serve us, not the other way around. If a product doesn't take human habits and flaws into account, it's a bad product, because over a large enough sample size someone will make a mistake.
Modern firearms are absolutely designed to this criteria - it takes a willful act to discharge them. If someone "mistakenly" fires a gun and hits someone, it requires multiple failures and clearly rises to the point of negligence.
As long as you follow the basic rules of car safety, you won't crash. Stay within the speed limit, be aware of your surroundings, keep a safe distance from the car in front of you, signal 100 feet before a turn. Unless someone else doesn't follow the basic rules of car safety!
You know what system we've come up with to improve car safety that has only one rule to remember? Always wear your seatbelt.
You know what we've come up with that requires zero effort from the driver? Laminated glass. Crumple zones. Airbags. Automatic braking.
This isn't about whether people use a product negligently — put it in enough hands and it will happen. The point is to design products such that the consequence of negligence is not injury or death.
Sure, you might shoot yourself because you're just careless with your gun. Or you might be also thinking of an argument you had with your spouse, or you might be tired when you're handling your everyday carry on your way to work, or you might get startled, or a million and one other things that might prevent you from singly focusing your attention the gun you're handling.
Machines exist to serve us, not the other way around. If a product doesn't take human habits and flaws into account, it's a bad product, because over a large enough sample size someone will make a mistake.