Comments on: Methodology Debates: Traps and Transformations

By: Michael M. Butler

Michael M. Butler — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 03:36:46 +0000

I was reading something recently where a blogger quoted his high school physics teacher. I wish I’d heard something like this from mine. Roughly, the preamble to any lecture was “At our current state of ignorance, what we think we know about {x} is…”

Harder to do than it looks. Even harder to be heard. We seem to be wired to crave (and assert) certainty.

By: Shrini Kulkarni

Shrini Kulkarni — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 11:08:13 +0000

James,

I specially liked the second part of the post … suggestions. I would use them as “guidewords” to improve my communication especially with those who “typically” disagree with me. I am termed as “sticky arguer”. Other day a colleague of mine expressed his shock said “I can not believe that you accepted this without argument .. I am feeling unconfortable. something wrong with you.”

I am work in heavy factory/process driven testing world, talking about context and testing as human intellectual activity has been my point of debate. Using the suggestions here, I will be able to convert few strong disgreements to some shades of agreement.

At times you face people who do not argue with good faith and to gain something. The argument is about holding to their ground, value system, faith and beliefs. The challenge would then about “when to stop” arguing.

Thanks for this great stuff …

Debating, Arguing is a core tester attribute … your suggestions add “sense and rationalism” to an arguement hence make the arguement more credible

Shrini

By: Sajjadul Hakim

Sajjadul Hakim — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 12:34:44 +0000

This is a wonderful post and I loved reading it. There are words of wisdom here that you have demonstrated and preached in many of your writings online. It is great that now we have a single source of reference.

I have tried to apply some of your advises in my local online forum with some success. Well actually, when I start asking questions to understand the intentions and disagreements of the argument, usually the debate dies down without moving forward. Similar effect when I express the context I myself come from. Although some of my well wishers think that this actually reduces the activity of the forum, I don’t think that it is necessarily bad. It does encourage people to think through their arguments and disengage from mindless mudslinging. In retrospect I think it has helped to build the quality of the forum posts, and readers now eagerly wait to read posts more frequently. Well, its a start.

I also feel that your advises have contributed in my office where my test team has a wonderful relation with the programmers and I with the project manager. We do have disagreements but we do have respect for each others skills and opinions. Thanks again for your words of wisdom.

Regards,
Sajjadul Hakim

[James’ Reply: Thanks Sajjadul. I hope the recent weather disaster in your country didn’t hurt you too much.]