Essay Argues Most Software Bugs Go Unnoticed by Users, Not Absent
A software engineer describes a decade-long pattern of noticing hundreds to thousands of software bugs weekly that most colleagues and users simply don't perceive. He explains that companies sometimes hire him specifically to test products because he reliably surfaces defects others miss, ranging from minor glitches to cases where products are effectively broken despite internal claims that everything works fine.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
This highlights a gap between how companies internally perceive product quality and how it actually performs, since teams often rate their own software favorably while it requires obscure workarounds to function. It suggests organizations may benefit from deliberately training staff to notice defects rather than assuming silence from users means the product works.
- The author reports seeing far more bugs than typical users or colleagues, attributing this to trained perception rather than unusual computer use.
- Internal team assessments of software quality often contradict the poor real-world usability found during hands-on testing.
- Companies sometimes seek out bug-sensitive evaluators specifically because most people don't consciously register recurring software failures.
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman — If this piece made you want to stop glossing over broken software, Norman's classic is the training manual for noticing bad design everywhere. It teaches you to spot the affordances, feedback gaps, and error traps that most people quietly work around. Perfect for programmers trying to cure their own bug blindness.
See The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: danluu.com, 2026-08-30
Published there as: “Bug Blindness”
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