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To Go Deep, Start Shallow

Here are two questions that testers ask me pretty frequently: How can I show management the value of testing? How can I get more time to test? Let’s start with the second question first. Do you feel overwhelmed by the product space you’ve been assigned to cover relative to the time you’ve been given? Are you concerned that you won’t have enough time to find problems that matter? As testers, … Read more

Alternatives to “Manual Testing”: Experiential, Interactive, Exploratory

This is an extension on a long Twitter thread from a while back that made its way to LinkedIn, but not to my blog. Update, 2022/12/07: James Bach and I have recently changed “attended” to “interactive”, to emphasize the tester’s direct interaction with the product that happens during so-called “manual” testing. “Interactive” is more evocative of what’s going on than “attended” is, but it’s also true the tester’s interaction might … Read more

“Manual Testing”: What’s the Problem?

I used to speak at conferences. For the HUSTEF 2020 conference, I had intended to present a talk called “What’s Wrong with Manual Testing?” In the age of COVID, we’ve all had to turn into movie makers, so instead of delivering a speech, I delivered a video instead. After I had proposed the talk, and it was accepted, I went through a lot of reflection on what the big deal … Read more

Suggestions for the (New) Testers

A friend that I’m just getting to know runs a training and skills development program for new testers. Today he said, “My students are now starting a project which includes test design, test techniques, and execution of testing. Do you have any input or advice for them?” Here’s my reply. Test design, test techniques, and execution of testing are all good things. I’d prefer performing tests to “test execution”. In … Read more

Lessons Learned in Grating Cheese

“Lessons Learned in Grating Cheese” by Michael Bolton | TestFlix 2020

0:44 / 8:06 #TestFlix#Testing#SoftwareTesting

About this Talk: “Lessons Learned in Grating Cheese” by Michael Bolton This is a video recording of a conversation between Michael Bolton and Ajay Balamurugadas, after Michael’s first attempt to produce a Testflix video. It’s about how things can miss the mark when you’re too close to them — and how a tester’s critical eye might be able to help.

Top Takeaways: The takeaways are yours to decide!

Speaker Bio: Michael Bolton is a consulting software tester and testing teacher who helps people to solve testing problems that they didn’t realize they could solve. In 2006, he became co-author (with James Bach) of Rapid Software Testing (RST), a methodology and mindset for testing software expertly and credibly in uncertain conditions and under extreme time pressure. Since then, he has flown over a million miles to teach RST in 35 countries on six continents.

Michael has over 30 years of experience testing, developing, managing, and writing about software. For over 20 years, he has led DevelopSense, a Toronto-based testing and development consultancy. Prior to that, he was with Quarterdeck Corporation for eight years, during which he managed the company’s flagship products and directed project and testing teams both in-house and around the world.

Contact Michael at michael@developsense.com, on Twitter @michaelbolton, or through his Web site, http://www.developsense.com.
Twitter – https://twitter.com/michaelbolton
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-b…

This video is of one of the Atomic Talks presented at #TestFlix– Global Software #Testing Binge, 2020. TestFlix 2020 had: -107 Speakers from 44 Countries -5200 Registrations from 91 Countries -Over 2100 attendees on the Event Day

TestFlix 2020 Proud Sponsors:
TestProject – https://testproject.io
AI Appstore – https://www.aiappstore.com
Trigent Software – https://www.trigent.com/services/qa-t…
Sauce Labs – https://saucelabs.com
Testsigma – https://testsigma.com
Testvox – https://testvox.com
Mozark – https://mozark.ai
Moolya Testing – https://moolya.com

#SoftwareTesting #Automation #SoftwareQuality #SoftwareDevelopment

Expected Results

Klára Jánová is a dedicated tester who studies and practices and advocates Rapid Software Testing. Recently, on LinkedIn, she said: I might EXPECT something to happen. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that I WANT IT/DESIRE for IT to happen. I even may want it to happen, but it not happening doesn’t have to automatically mean that there’s a problem. The point of this post: no more “expected results” in the … Read more

“Why Didn’t We Catch This in QA?”

My good friend Keith Klain recently posted this on LinkedIn: “Why didn’t we catch this in QA” might possibly be the most psychologically terrorizing and dysfunctional software testing culture an organization can have. I’ve seen it literally destroy good people and careers. It flies in the face of systems thinking, complexity of failure, risk management, and just about everything we know about the psychology involved in testing, but the bully … Read more

Breaking the Test Case Addiction (Part 10)

This post serves two purposes. It is yet another installation in The Series That Ate My Blog; and it’s a kind of personal exploration of work in progress on the Rapid Software Testing Guide to Test Reporting. Your feedback and questions on this post will help to inform the second project, so I welcome your comments. As a tester, your mission is to evaluate the product and report on its … Read more