The Price of Neglect: Understanding the Consequences of Skipping Automated Regression Testing
Tags: regression, productivity, testing, writing
Published: 2023-01-29 15:20:10

## **Introduction:**
Regression testing is a critical process in software development that ensures that changes to a codebase do not break existing functionality. Unfortunately, many companies, including some of the biggest names in the industry, have suffered from regression failures in the past due to a lack of automated regression testing. In this blog post, we will take a look at some of the most notable regression failures of the last two decades from companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft and discuss the importance of automation in software development.

## **The Importance of Automation in Software Development:**

- Automated regression testing can significantly reduce the risk of regression failures by catching bugs early in the development process.

- Automated tests can be run quickly and frequently, ensuring that changes are thoroughly tested before they are released to users.

- Automated tests can also be run on multiple platforms and devices, helping to ensure that the software works as expected on a wide range of hardware.

- Automated tests can also save time and resources by reducing the need for manual testing.

![Automated regression test](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/da7d948aix31ht1wfres.png)
## **Notable Regression Failures in the Last Two Decades:**

**Amazon:**
**In 2011**, a change to Amazon’s pricing algorithm caused the company to accidentally post prices for thousands of items that were significantly lower than intended. The failure was caused by a bug in the code that was not caught by manual testing.

**Microsoft:**
**In 2013**, a bug in the Windows 8.1 update caused the operating system to crash on some devices. The failure was caused by a bug in the code that was not caught by manual testing.

**Apple:**
**In 2018**, a bug in the iOS 12 update caused some devices to experience slower performance. The failure was caused by a bug in the code that was not caught by manual testing.

**Facebook:**
**In 2018**, a bug in Facebook’s code caused the company to accidentally delete posts from 14 million users. The failure was caused by a bug in the code that was not caught by manual testing.

**Google:**

- **In 2008**, Google suffered a major regression failure when a change to the company’s web indexing system caused the search giant to temporarily lose about 20% of its index. The failure was caused by a bug in the code that was not caught by manual testing.

- **In 2010**, a bug in Google’s Street View code caused the company to collect and store personal data from unsecured wireless networks. The failure was caused by a lack of proper testing and oversight of the Street View code.

- **In 2013**, a change to Google’s search algorithm caused a significant drop in traffic for many websites, leading to widespread complaints from affected businesses. The failure was caused by a bug in the code that was not caught by manual testing.

- **In 2017**, a bug in Google’s code caused the company’s servers to crash, resulting in widespread outages for Google’s services. The failure was caused by a bug in the code that was not caught by manual testing.

## **Conclusion**
As these examples demonstrate, regression failures can have serious consequences for software companies. Automated regression testing can help to reduce the risk of such failures by catching bugs early in the development process. By implementing automated testing in their development processes, software companies can ensure that their products are of the highest quality and that they can be released with confidence.