Why Software Testing Matters to Us All

We continue the conversation by considering questions and concepts that have been gaining ground for some years now. Two of those concepts will be of particular importance to technology in the years ahead: intuition and vulnerability, and the meanings of both might be pushed to the limit.

Nothing lasts forever. When it comes to software, this idea takes on some interesting complexity and nuance.

Is our software actually built to last?

And what do we mean by product longevity?

Is our software being manufactured with all the safety, function and quality assurances that we expect from products manufactured in other industries?

When it comes to so much of our software, is this the best we can do?

Many of us don’t believe so.

For instance, we wonder why a company as huge and profitable as Apple expects customers to pay extra for service on its products. Do companies like Apple routinely release software that is known to have unresolved defects? Could it be that selling products is not as profitable as servicing those products?

It is unfair and pointless to attack the software industry. Where would we be were it not for its innovation and creativity? However, it must be noted that no other industry is so successful while simultaneously creating so many failures. What if planes crashed every day or even three times a month? What if elevators routinely stalled? What would happen if ocean liners kept sinking? What about buildings that fall down? Everyone would freak out. The media would be all over such incidents; government agencies and law enforcement would conduct investigations; indictments would be handed down and massive penalties assessed; recommendations would be issued and the industry would be forced to comply; lawsuits would be filed. Offending companies would go out of business.

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