>
>They probably use a function like the following JavaScript to do the
>email address validation. As long as the @ and the dot are
>in the proper locations, then everything is assumed to be
>fine. Who bothers checking the top-level domains?
we do! IF we don't, then we get all kinda bounced email which loads down our servers. The NOC charges us for the load! You get incented real quick to fix that problem. Me? i'm just a security/validation kinda freak anyway. AND, it's a usability issue. Poke Yoka: prevent user errors in the first damn place is the motto for anyone who does user experience design. So yeah, you work on my team? You validate TLDs!
http://scott.donnel.ly/archives/140
>Also bad testing, bad QA, and just plain bad
>management.
yeah. but most management has no clue. They are so far removed from the development process and they are so bad at management (as in not people people ) that they don't know how to mentor n00b programmers. In my experience, inexperience is the big factor. And that inexperience gets cemented in when developers don't see the consequence of their actions - especially in a waterfall/rational environment. It is especially a problem with network ops is cut off from software development - which happens a lot. The networks ops guys will be cursing the bounced email but as long as software devs don't know about it, don't see the consequences of their work, they don't ever learn anything. Which solidifies their inexperience even more so. I'm especially thinking of this interesting book about what makes for an excellent programmer: The practical programmer i think it was called.