eli5: Why do we need to constantly do software updates? What happens if I dont?
In: Technology
There are 3 main classes of changes which will be brought in updates:
1. New features and fixes for existing features. If you don’t get these updates, it’s not so bad. The software will just keep working the way it always has.
2. Fixes for vulnerabilities discovered. If you don’t get these updates and the software is externally accessible (connected to the internet) then this can be quite bad. The software will technically keep working the same way it always has, but the bad actors outside now know how to exploit it, so it will actually become dangerous to use where it wasn’t before.
3. Compatibility updates for other software that it depends on. Programs often don’t run in isolation, and actually depend on other things to keep running (like changes in OS, changes in external servers, etc.). If you don’t get these updates, it can be bad. The software may stop working completely, because it relies on something external for some functionality, and the old version of your software can no longer work with the newly updated external service.
#2 is very bad to skip. #3 is kinda bad to skip (but the worst that can happen is that it stops working). #1 would theoretically be fine to skip, but in reality it gets bundled into updates with #2 and #3, so you can’t actually skip them in theory.
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