One of the techniques I use for my own technical education is to ask someone a question or present them with a problem, then think through the same issue while listening to them work it out. As it … [Read more...] about Transpective Dialogs for Learning
Question: Tester’s Freedom of Thought
Subha asks: A tester is usually bound by the constraints of specifications when he does functional testing. But what about usability? How much should the tester's imagination be allowed to … [Read more...] about Question: Tester’s Freedom of Thought
Manual Tests Cannot Be Automated (DEPRECATED)
[Note: This post is here only to serve as a historical example of how I used to speak about "automated testing." My language has evolved. The sentiment of this post is still valid, but I have become … [Read more...] about Manual Tests Cannot Be Automated (DEPRECATED)
My Commenting Policy
Here is my policy for accepting comments that you make on this blog: 1. I moderate all comments. I accept comments for one or more of the following reasons: - I value a dialectic approach to … [Read more...] about My Commenting Policy
“Intuition” and “Common Sense” Considered Harmful
Sometimes, you can improve your thinking just by avoiding using certain terms. I stopped using "best practice", years ago. When I am tempted to use the term in a serious discussion of methodology, I … [Read more...] about “Intuition” and “Common Sense” Considered Harmful
Should Developers Test the Product First?
When a programmer builds a product, should he release it to the testers right away? Or should he test it himself to make sure that it is free of obvious bugs? Many testers would advise the programmer … [Read more...] about Should Developers Test the Product First?
Sometimes it Gets Personal
Recently, a colleague of mine felt stung by something I said in an argument. He complained that I was making an "ad hominem" argument. I want to clarify this issue, because it's a common mistake: what … [Read more...] about Sometimes it Gets Personal
Who Stole Agile?
Brian Marick complains about people, like me, who prefer to use dictionary definitions of words such as agile, instead of capitalizing the word and using it as a brand name, as he does. Read his blog … [Read more...] about Who Stole Agile?
Studying Jeff Atwood’s Paint Can
I just found Jeff Atwood's Coding Horror blog. He's an interesting writer and thinker. One of his postings presents a good example of the subtle role of skill even in highly scripted activities. He … [Read more...] about Studying Jeff Atwood’s Paint Can
Defining Agile Methodology
Brian Marick has offered a definition of agile methodology. I think his definition is strangely bulky and narrow. That's because it's not really a definition, but an example. Those of us who've … [Read more...] about Defining Agile Methodology