QA is like...

I was recently trying to explain my job without making it seem to technical. I was trying to come up with a simple analogy, and this one got some traction. Context: I was discussing it with someone I knew from UBC who I had done my arts degree in.

So it goes like this. Writing software is like writing a book. Lots of writers can vomit on a page and try to sell it. Good writers have a team to support them. In my case, I act as a proof reader. I take a sober second look and point what is obviously wrong, makes no sense or can be reworked. We have the expectation that the writer has used spell check (like unit tests) and they have written complete sentences. We hand back notes on what has to change and what might need a second look. The publisher (business) can push it out the door if they really want.

Or something.