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The Customer Wants To Speak With You. Why Cover Your Ears?

Speaking of oracles—the ways in which we recognize problems… I’m on the mailing list for a company whose product I purchased a while ago. The other day, I received a mailing signed by the product marketing manager for that company. The topic of the mailing is a potential use for the product, but the product doesn’t support that purpose very well at all. In fact, I’ve often wanted to use … Read more

FEW HICCUPPS

Several years ago, I wrote an article for Better Software Magazine called Testing Without a Map. The article was about identifying and applying oracles, and it listed several dimensions of consistency by which we might find or describe problems in the product. The original list came from James Bach. Testers often say that they recognize a problem when the product doesn’t “meet expectations”. But that seems empty to me; a … Read more

Oracles and The Right Answer

In which the conversation about heuristics and oracles continues… Tony’s brow furrowed as he spoke. “No oracle comes with a guarantee that it’s giving you the right answer. That’s what you said. But surely there are some oracles that are reliable,” he said. “What about pure math?” “Pure math? All right. Here’s an example: what’s 61 plus 45?” “Duh. 106.” “Well,” I said, “for many computer systems prior to the … Read more

All Oracles Are Heuristic

In which the conversation about heuristics and oracles continues… “So what’s the difference,” I asked my tester friend Tony, “between an oracle and a heuristic?” “Hmm. Well, I’ve read the Rapid Testing stuff, and you and James keep saying an oracle is a principle or mechanism by which we recognize a problem.“ “Yes,” I said. “That’s what we call an oracle. What’s the difference between that and a heuristic?” “An … Read more

Heuristics for Understanding Heuristics

This conversation is fictitious, but it’s also representative of several chats that I’ve had with testers over the last few weeks. Tony, a tester friend, approached me recently, and told me that he was having trouble understanding heuristics and oracles. I have a heuristic approach for solving the problem of people not understanding a word: Give ’em a definition. So, I told him: A heuristic is a fallible method for … Read more

Problems with Problems

People sometimes seem to struggle with a concept that’s central to testing, the concept of “oracle”. In the three-day Rapid Software Testing class, we define an oracle as a principle or mechanism means by which we recognize a problem. Sometimes I like to emphasize that oracles are fallible and context-dependent. When that’s so, I say that an oracle is a heuristic principle or mechanism means by which we recognize a problem. (Updated … Read more

Three Conferences of Note

A strong, active, local testing community is a wonderful thing. Kitchener-Waterloo, a hub of software and software-related companies small and large, has such a community, and an active association in the KWSQA. Each year, the KWSQA presents the Targeting Quality conference, which I’ve had the pleasure of participating in for a few years. Alas, this year I can’t make it—but maybe you can. This year’s presenters and workshop leaders are … Read more

I Might Be Wrong (But Not For Me)

Jerry Weinberg tells a story (yes, it’s me; I’m telling yet another Jerry Weinberg story) of meeting an old friend who looked distraught. “What’s the matter?” Jerry asked. The fellow replied, “Well, I’m kind of shellshocked. My wife just left me.” “Was that a surprise?” “Yes, it really was,” the fellow said. “I mean, we had had some problems, but I thought they were all settled.” Jerry paused for a … Read more