People have been asking me why I haven’t been blogging. Well, here it is. I arrived in London, today. I’m going to Scotland next week. I just came from Sweden. I arrived in Sweden from Australia, by way of New Zealand. This is the longest and most intense road trip I’ve done since I started my company, eight years ago. I’m tired! No, here’s a better word: I feel dazed. If I’m not traveling, then I’m talking. My life for the last five weeks has been one conversation and demonstration after another, every day, even weekends.

I’ve taught at specific companies as well as doing public classes. I did a conference in Sweden and a SIG meeting in Christchurch. I consulted for two medical device companies that are using exploratory testing, and did a rapid testing clinic for an electronics company. I’m hoping they will let me write about what happened there. It was wonderful for me to see people demonstrating Rapid Testing on the job.

Although I have not been blogging, I have been getting lots of ideas. So much to talk about: new heuristics, the “mipping” of bugs, the importance of dynamic focus, latent testing skills, how to hold a testing clinic, doing standing state testing, verbal self-defense for testers, and my portable test coaching kit. Lots of stuff.

Adelaide and Christchurch were wonderful as usual. But I’m really coming to love Sweden and the Swedish testing spirit. To be sure, I’ve only seen a bit of it. But that bit is impressive. I make a point of meeting with Tobbe Ryber each time I visit. He taught me a game we call “plenty questions” that I will be blogging about, at some point. Pablo Garcia charmed me with wine, cheese, and his cheerfully incisive outlook on the testing world. Anders Claesson revealed himself to be a philosophical soul. Imagine someone with the voice and look of an accountant, but the subtle mind and resources of Gandalf the Grey– if Gandalf had been a tester.

Context-driven testing has been a predominantly American community. Some of it is also happening in England. But Sweden appears to be the emerging hotbed. Someone told me that the Swedish management culture is fond of diversity and individual initiative combined with teamwork. Maybe that explains it.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 11th, 2007 at 2:11 pm and is filed under Software Testing and Quality. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.