And losing customer records due to a system crash would seriously threaten the health of most businesses. I once spoke to a scientist who lost six months of temperature data when his temperature apparatus stopped running. So untested products are dangerous, cause headaches, and lose you customers. But these aren't the only considerations. Although the dawning of the year 2000 passed without a major computer glitch, this is still a litigious society.
Most companies know that untested software can result in legal burdens too.
Not for the Faint of Heart Software testing is a practical, but also a theoretical, field. And much research has been done into how to make it break that way too. Terminology like unit and integration testing , black and white box testing , and branch coverage are bandied about at your typical quality assurance cocktail party. The system is tested by throwing inputs at it like throwing pennies down a well and waiting for a splash. Software developers on a project are best able to do this kind of testing, since they know which areas may be weak.