Occasionally people come to me and say they want to learn certain things. They ask "how do I become a good tester" or "how do I design test cases" or "how do I automate" or something specific like … [Read more...] about My Personal Source Code: Books to Learn Analysis
Satisfice Blog
The Next Step In “Test Automation” is Pure Bullshitting
I defy any responsible, sober technical professional to visit this website and discover what the "MABL" tool is and does without reaching out to the company to beg for actual details. It has an … [Read more...] about The Next Step In “Test Automation” is Pure Bullshitting
My War: Agency vs. Algorithm
In a recent Twitter conversation, yet again someone who should know better claimed that testing improves quality, and yet again Michael Bolton and I rose to speak against that notion. Our … [Read more...] about My War: Agency vs. Algorithm
Hiring Me: An Un-Marketing Message
Like a lot of independent consultants, I feel a bit icky about doing direct sales and marketing. I prefer the indirect approach-- to speak and write and just wait until people email me with offers of … [Read more...] about Hiring Me: An Un-Marketing Message
Six Things That Go Wrong With Discussions About Testing
Talking about software testing is not easy. It’s not natural! Testing is a “meta” activity. It’s not just a task, but a task that generates new tasks (by finding bugs that should be fixed or finding … [Read more...] about Six Things That Go Wrong With Discussions About Testing
Regression Test Tool for Trash Walking
My recent flirtation with trash-pickup-as-physical-exercise has led me down a familiar path. Even though it is not my responsibility to clean a public road in the first place, once I do it, I find … [Read more...] about Regression Test Tool for Trash Walking
Test Coverage Parallels in Trash Walking
First, about scope... As I began my trash walking (see here and here), I quickly found that I needed guidelines on what counts as my work space and work product. I am collecting trash along the road, … [Read more...] about Test Coverage Parallels in Trash Walking
Test Talk About Trash Walks
So, for exercise, I'm picking up trash. Here is a picture of me all kitted up: So far, I've done 37 miles of trash collecting. And I can't help but see some interesting parallels with software … [Read more...] about Test Talk About Trash Walks
The Unnecessary Tool
My wife bought a Steel Grip 36in Lightweight Aluminum Pick Up Tool. I saw it on our combination dining room/craft/office table and asked her what it was for. "My eye pillow fell behind the bed and … [Read more...] about The Unnecessary Tool
Floating Point Quality: Less Floaty, More Pointed
Years ago I sat next to the Numerics Test Team at Apple Computer. I teased them one day about how they had it easy: no user interface to worry about; a stateless world; perfectly predictable outcomes. … [Read more...] about Floating Point Quality: Less Floaty, More Pointed