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
Testing Culture
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?
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
Peer Conferences and Learning
In the past two years, "Peer conference" and "exhibition conference" are terms I've come to use a lot. A peer conference is a get together among practitioners of a particular discipline for the … [Read more...] about Peer Conferences and Learning
Against Certification
What follows is a somewhat grumpy argument against tester certification programs. I have mixed feelings about writing this, because I know a lot of otherwise friendly people who are involved in … [Read more...] about Against Certification
On Answering Questions About ET
People ask me a lot of questions about ET. I want to be helpful in my answers. A problem I struggle with is that questions about ET often come with a lot of assumptions, and the first thing I have to … [Read more...] about On Answering Questions About ET
Why Talk About Exploratory Testing?
So, there I was at the Dutch Testing Day, last year. I was a featured speaker, talking about exploratory testing. ET is one of my favorite subjects. It is helpful and powerful, and yet by some strange … [Read more...] about Why Talk About Exploratory Testing?
Stuart Reid Says “It’s Better Than Nothing”
I was watching Dr. Stuart Reid talk about model-based testing, some months ago. During the presentation, he complained that so few people used UML for model-making. Why don't more people use UML, he … [Read more...] about Stuart Reid Says “It’s Better Than Nothing”
No Best Practices
Dear Reader, I would like you to give up, henceforth, the idea of "best practice." Thank you. I want to stamp out "best practice" for several reasons: There are no best practices. By this I mean … [Read more...] about No Best Practices