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Comment by jopsen

6 months ago

Amortization makes sense for things that have some inherent value. Like a microscope or computer.

A bankrupt company can still sell their computers. Selling you code, lol -- code is more of a liability really :)

> Amortization makes sense for things that have some inherent value. Like a microscope or computer.

I am nitpicking but since a microscope or a computer is a tangible asset, the correct term is depreciation. Amortization applies to intangible assets.

The software that companies make is sold off in bankruptcy all the time.

I have a few friends who specialize in it with 2 ongoing contracts for splitting off pieces of software.

> Selling you code, lol -- code is more of a liability really :)

It's important to consider that lawmakers (who are not well informed or downright stupid) might think code has intrinsic value because of media married with a lack of real-world experience.

  • Lawmaker is a misleading word. The people who actually make the law and lobby for it probably know quite a bit. The representatives are law voters not makers. They don't design the laws literally. They vote because they are told to.

  • Continuing your observation, this presumes they read and think deeply about the bills they vote on. They do not.

Realistically that says more about the quality of software that we build than the concept of software as an asset