That might seem like a rhetorical question. Or something an English teacher might come up with to provoke poetic young hearts and minds into action. It might. But it isn't. It's actually a matter of life and death.
Especially if you have a pacemaker.
You see, a pacemaker is a little computer, and computers run on code. Code that can be written, read and rewritten - just like any piece of literature. And just like literature, some dispositions and formulations works better than others.
It is therefore of the utmost importance that one has the possibility to read this code - literally the words that keeps that bleeding heart pounding. Yet if you ask to read these sacred words, you will probably be told that you can't.
Pacemaker software is as a rule closed software, and you are not allowed to read that.
Yet, these are the words that govern your life. If they contain flaws, errors and edge condition failures, it is your life that hangs in the balance. And since life is a tragedy of flaws, errors and edge condition failures, you will want to know about this.
In fact, you will want the whole world to know about this. So that every expert and amateur alike can look upon these words and despair. Before you do.
If there is a case to be made for free and open software, this is it.
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