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
Satisfice Blog
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
Rethinking Equivalence Class Partitioning, Part 1
Wikipedia's article on equivalence class partitioning (ECP) is a great example of the poor thinking and teaching and writing that often passes for wisdom in the testing field. It's narrow and … [Read more...] about Rethinking Equivalence Class Partitioning, Part 1
How Michael Bolton and I Collaborate on Articles
(Someone posted a question on Quora asking how Michael and I write articles together. This is the answer I gave, there.) It begins with time. We take our time. We rarely write on a deadline, except … [Read more...] about How Michael Bolton and I Collaborate on Articles
CC to Everyone
I sent this to someone who's angry with me due to some professional matter we debated. A colleague thought it would be worth showing you, too. So, for whatever it's worth: I will say this. I don't … [Read more...] about CC to Everyone
The Bestselling Software Intended for People Who Couldn’t Use It.
In 1983, my boss, Dale Disharoon, designed a little game called Alphabet Zoo. My job was to write the Commodore 64 and Apple II versions of that game. Alphabet Zoo is a game for kids who are learning … [Read more...] about The Bestselling Software Intended for People Who Couldn’t Use It.