| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the lack of Adobe Flash support on Apple devices, specifically the iPad, has happened before with Apple products. In the past, Apple faced complaints and issues regarding the lack of Flash support on their devices, such as the iPhone, leading to allegations of false advertising [186].
(b) The software failure incident related to the lack of Adobe Flash support on Apple devices has also occurred at other organizations. For example, in the U.K., customers complained that Apple was falsely advertising the iPhone in a TV commercial by claiming that "all the parts of the internet are on the iPhone" when the device does not support Flash. This led to the U.K.'s Advertising Standards Authority deeming the ad misleading and pulling it off the air [186]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the case of false advertising by Apple regarding the iPad's support for Adobe Flash content. The promotional material and images depicted the iPad correctly displaying content that required the Adobe Flash plug-in, even though the actual devices did not support Flash. This misleading representation was a result of design decisions made in the advertising and promotional materials [186].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase can be attributed to the operation or misuse of the system by consumers who expected the iPad to support Adobe Flash content based on Apple's advertising. Consumers, like Paul Threatt, filed complaints to the Federal Trade Commission alleging false advertising by Apple for not supporting Flash on the iPad, despite the promotional materials suggesting otherwise. This operational failure was due to the mismatch between consumer expectations and the actual capabilities of the device [186]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the lack of Adobe Flash support on Apple's iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch devices can be categorized as within_system. This is because the issue stems from Apple's decision not to support the Adobe Flash extension within their proprietary web browser, Safari, on these devices. The complaint filed to the Federal Trade Commission alleges false advertising by Apple for depicting the devices correctly displaying content that requires the Adobe Flash plug-in, despite the devices not actually supporting it [186]. Additionally, Apple's decision to use optimized images in promotional material to simulate Flash content on the iPad further emphasizes that the failure is within the system, as it is a deliberate choice made by Apple [186].
(b) outside_system: There is no information in the articles to suggest that the software failure incident related to the lack of Adobe Flash support on Apple's devices is due to contributing factors originating from outside the system. The focus of the incident is on Apple's internal decision-making regarding Flash support and its advertising practices, rather than external factors impacting the system. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is primarily due to non-human actions, specifically the lack of Adobe Flash support on Apple's devices like the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Despite Apple's promotional material depicting these devices correctly displaying content that requires the Adobe Flash plug-in, the devices themselves do not support Flash. This discrepancy led to allegations of false advertising and consumer complaints to the Federal Trade Commission [186].
(b) Human actions also played a role in this software failure incident. Apple's advertising practices, which depicted their devices as supporting Flash content when they did not, were highlighted as willful false advertising by a graphic designer who filed a complaint to the FTC. The designer expressed frustration with Apple's misleading advertising practices and called for a change in how Apple promotes its products [186]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The incident reported in the articles is not directly related to hardware failure but rather to the lack of support for Adobe Flash on Apple's devices like the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch [186].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The software failure incident in this case is related to the lack of support for Adobe Flash on Apple's devices like the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. This failure originates in the software aspect of these devices, specifically in the Safari web browser not supporting the Flash extension [186]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the lack of Adobe Flash support on Apple's iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch devices can be categorized as non-malicious. The incident involved false advertising by Apple, where the devices were depicted as correctly displaying content that required the Adobe Flash plug-in, even though the devices did not actually support Flash. This was highlighted by a consumer complaint to the Federal Trade Commission alleging false advertising [186].
Additionally, the incident involved Apple removing images from its promotional material and updating its video to accurately reflect the lack of Flash support on the devices, indicating a corrective action taken by the company in response to the issue [186]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident:
The software failure incident related to the lack of Adobe Flash support on Apple's iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch devices can be attributed to poor decisions made by Apple in their advertising practices. The incident involved false advertising where Apple depicted their devices correctly displaying content that required the Adobe Flash plug-in, despite knowing that their devices did not actually support Flash. This deliberate misrepresentation led to a complaint being filed with the Federal Trade Commission alleging false advertising [186].
(b) The intent of the software failure incident:
The software failure incident related to the lack of Adobe Flash support on Apple's devices could also be seen as a result of accidental decisions or unintended consequences. Apple's decision to showcase content requiring Flash on their devices in promotional material may have been unintentional or a mistake, leading to consumer confusion and complaints about the false advertising [186]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence can be seen in the case of Apple's false advertising regarding the iPad's support for Adobe Flash. The incident involved Apple depicting the iPad correctly displaying content that necessitates the Adobe Flash plug-in in promotional material, even though the device did not actually support Flash. This misleading advertising was highlighted by a consumer who filed a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission alleging false advertising [186].
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors can be observed in the case of Apple's promotional material showing the iPad loading Flash content, which was later revealed to be fake optimized images created by Chiat/Day Media Arts Lab for Apple's commercials. This accidental misrepresentation led to confusion among consumers regarding the device's actual capabilities [186]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the lack of Adobe Flash support on Apple's iPad and other devices can be considered a temporary failure. This is because the incident was due to contributing factors introduced by certain circumstances, such as Apple's decision not to support Flash on their devices despite implying otherwise in promotional material and advertisements [186]. The incident was not a permanent failure as it was within Apple's control to potentially address the lack of Flash support in the future if they chose to do so. |
| Behaviour |
omission, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the articles does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The issue is related to the lack of support for Adobe Flash on Apple's devices, particularly the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch, leading to false advertising claims and consumer complaints [186].
(b) omission: The software failure incident can be categorized as an omission where the system omits to perform its intended functions at instances. In this case, Apple's devices do not support the Adobe Flash extension, despite promotional material and images depicting them correctly displaying content that requires Flash. This omission led to allegations of false advertising by consumers and complaints to the Federal Trade Commission [186].
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to timing issues where the system performs its intended functions correctly but too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident does not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly in terms of the value provided to users.
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit a byzantine behavior where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The other behavior observed in this software failure incident is related to false advertising practices by Apple, where the company purposefully depicted its devices correctly utilizing the Flash plug-in in promotional material and images, despite the devices not actually supporting Adobe Flash. This behavior led to consumer dissatisfaction and complaints [186]. |