Ask HN: Early Experiences with Software QA

Tell me about your early experiences with debugging and software QA. How do you feel about software testing in the past versus how software testing is handled these days? Were the old ways better? Or are they simply old? If you think they were better, why? What is there about software testing in the past that should still be used today? What is there about software testing in the past that should be left in the past? I'm writing a story for the Functionize blog, and I'm interested in your QA stories.