Strangers contact me on a regular basis, asking questions about testing. I don't mind answering questions. In fact, until the day I get paid for answering questions, it will remain one of my favorite … [Read more...] about How to Ask (and Not Ask) for Free Consulting
Could the Military Be Waking Up?
Ever since I got into the testing field, almost 20 years ago, it's been a truism that military software development is moribund. It's not that they love process, it's that they love bad process. … [Read more...] about Could the Military Be Waking Up?
Question: How Many Times Should You Run a Test?
Kevin asks: What is the best or industry standard for how many times a test case should be run? There are questions that should not be answered. For instance, "What size unicorn do you wear?" or "How … [Read more...] about Question: How Many Times Should You Run a Test?
Question: How do you stay sharp as a tester?
Shrini writes: How does a good tester keep his testing abilities sharpened all the times. compare it with keep our body fit as we grow old ( walking, jogging and going to Gym, eating healthyfood etc) … [Read more...] about Question: How do you stay sharp as a tester?
A Question About Test Strategy
Maria writes: A) Your presentation Test Strategy: "What is it? What does it look like?" applies to creating a test strategy for a specific application (I've also read Ingrid B. Ottevanger's article … [Read more...] about A Question About Test Strategy
Transpective Dialogs for Learning
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