Just What the Heck is QA Anyway?

Michelangelo's Blockhead Slave (9 feet
1-1/2 inches tall) stands in the Galleria
dell'Accademia in Florence. 
(Image courtesy of HowStuffWorks)

Over the years, I've learned the truth that while many have heard of "QA", not much is really understood about this profession, or the professionals in it. I would like to shed some light on the business of Quality Assurance. More specifically, the Quality Assurance that goes on in Software development.

I realize that entering this sphere, I may stomp on some toes and offend some opinionated individuals, but I'd like to use this as a forum to present my ideas, and receive thoughtful feedback as I endeavor to improve my understanding and practice.

The photo on the right seems to symbolize the aim of Quality Assurance. I believe that we, as QA professionals, aim to finish and refine our work. We understand that this may never fully conclude at the end of the project, but higher quality is what we aim for.