Thursday 27 June 2013

skyscrapers of the world


On occasions, I’ve noticed that we testers are not very confident in our role. Maybe we feel undervalued, who knows why,  but I think that can lead to a defensive approach in the way we work with others in the project team or department. Sometimes that can lead to writing overly long test cases, test policies or test strategies – as if that makes us look better! Sometimes we write lots of test automation because that will impresses our developers or our boss! Actually, that does usually impress them but have you thought about the MONEY? Or using management speak - Return of Investment?

NOTE: I decided to user a large image for this cartoon... hope you can see it all!

Thursday 13 June 2013

Diet and exercise... is all the rage now

I read lots of software testing blogs and articles. Some I skim read, some I read twice. I must have read thousands by now. But I don't recall ever reading about keeping fit or following a strict diet to improve your testing. But it must do... a healthy body is a healthy mind, and our work is all about the mind.
A few years ago I read a short biography about a famous theologian in the USA, Jonathan Edwards. In 1727, at the age of 21 he wrote a diet resolution for himself (which I think he pretty much kept to):

 By a sparingness in diet, and eating as much as may be what is light and easy of digestion, I shall doubtless be able to think more clearly, and shall gain time; 1. By lengthening out my life; 2. Shall need less time for digestion, after meals; 3. Shall be able to study more closely, without injury to my health; 4. Shall need less time for sleep; 5. Shall more seldom be troubled with the head-ache.

I think he was way ahead of his time, and a little crazy too.

I wonder if any testers out there have ever started a diet or increased their exercise for the main purpose of finding more bugs!!!