Software QA testing is a form of Hermetic ritual magic.
Many people believe that the purpose of QA testing is to find and fix bugs, which it does in part. But in truth, no software has ever been sufficiently "bug free" to work on real hardware. We mostly pretend that putting lightning in crystals can make thinking boxes, and it works.
The value of QA testing is in its repetition. Thorough QA testing exhausts the expanse of possibility space, allowing the crafter to choose the canonical path. By performing 1,000 repetitions on the "happy path," a groove is worn in reality itself and provides a path for the software to follow. It is also helpful in part to have the belief in fixed bugs reinforcing the effectiveness of the software.
Poorly QAed software attempts to hijack this external belief the way that counterfeit goods and placebos do. So long as no one pokes too closely at the details and their beliefs, the software can continue to work. A doubtful click away from the "happy path" can break poorly QAed software where well-tested software can withstand pressure.
