Small Steps in a Big Organisation

I recently did a talk about taking "Small Steps in A Large Organisation" at the Israel SIGIST in Tel Aviv - http://www.istqb.org/newsevents/events/istqb-conference-network/sigist-israel-conference-2013.html

I  have had an article based upon the talk published on the Eurostar blog page
https://conference.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com/2013/taking-small-steps-in-a-big-organization/ to go along with the presentation.

Once the details of the recording from the conference are made available I will update this article.

Testers should learn code

At the Eurostar conference in Amsterdam  Simon Stewart (@shs96c) presented a keynote on Selenium over the years

During the key note Simon made the following comment

"If you are testing the web you absolutely need to be able to code"

Now I am sure that out of context this could be taken in many ways and Rob Lambert has produced a very good discussion on this same subject here which takes on both sides.

I will add is that Simon did follow this up with the following line.

"If not become a specialist so you can add value"

This led to some interesting exchanges on Twitter (search for #esconfs) in which people came down on either side. I had concerns that people would only hear the first bit and this could cause barriers to some great people being able to be involved in testing just because they have no interest in coding or even wanting to learn to code.

IMO I am not sure about this statement and it caused much debate after the key note.  If you have an interest in learning code then do so otherwise do something that can add value. The discussions continued during lunch and the rest of this article is my own thoughts on this subject.

After talking to Simon afterwards it appears his message had got taken the wrong way.  He said it is helpful to code and that if all you do is test (check) scripts then you may not have a job.

My concern is forcing people to code if they have no interest could be a block from great people wanting to enter the world of software testing.

Dot Graham stated the following "Lose a good tester but gain a poor programmer".

I am not convinced that everyone needs to code, it can have its advantages but there is another perspective. If you do not understand the code you may test in a different non-confirmatory way.  You may be able to ask the difficult questions of why did you do it this way and made it complex?  You may not have a bias built up from your coding experiences and knowledge.  I think for some it can be useful but insisting on it is a very dangerous path to follow.

Some of the discussions that followed went along the lines that if testers refused to learn we should not employ them.  This is where I had a WTF moment.....  I have not said anything about testers not wishing to learn what I was saying was some people may not have an interest or a knack for coding or find it impossible for whatever reason to grasp.  However they make one hell of a tester and show a great thirst for learning new ways to exercise the software that are novel, unique and valued.  This was the second point that Simon was making and sadly appeared to have been missed.  As long as you can find ways to add value then you can be a tester.

I am afraid that a statement of this sort can be used as a filter to prevent people entering this great world of software testing.  There are many other things that IMO testers could learn about such as grounded theory, anthropology, social sciences, humanities, creative arts and the list goes on.  There are some great testers who have learnt these things and should we prevent them for working as software testers because they have no desire to learn code?

I will finish this on a positive note and that it was great to chat with Simon even if our views are slightly different and that he is a very thoughtful and  passionate person.  I look forward to meeting up again sometime  in the future and finding another topic to discuss.

PS Thanks to Rob Lambert for being the referee!!

(edited some of the grammar :o( )

Some good ideas to aid testing in 7 sentences

I was asked to do a small talk in the community hub at Eurostar 2012 test conference on the following topic:

The best test technique in seven sentences

which I changed to the following

Some good ideas to aid testing in 7 sentences

Since it might be best just for now.....

Some people have asked I post the presentation somewhere so here it is.

DISCOVER

...all the information you can, both verbal, non-verbal and written.

EXPLORE

....the system to learn about what it actually does rather than what you think it does.

TALKING

....and communication is important, you need to talk to everyone.

EXAMINE

..all information provided or uncovered by exploring this is your evidence.

CONTEXT

...is crucial, all your testing should be driven by the context at that time.

THINK

...and engage your brain, testing is all about thinking.

D.E.T.E.C.T

Act like a detective and DETECT your bugs

Making the most of the conference experience

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO CONFERENCE… WE WILL TALK TO YOU…..

Since it is so close to the Eurostar conference in Amsterdam I thought I would post a conference related blog. #esconfs @esconfs -

I had planned to do this blog article a few weeks ago when I posted on twitter about the point of conferences is not all about the tracks but about the conferring. Many thanks to Rob Lambert The social tester for spurring me to complete this post together with his great A quick guide to Eurostar 2012

What?  You have not read it yet!!!  Then please stop reading this and go and do so…… (There Rob plug over with I expect the cheque to be in the post tomorrow or at least buy me a drink at Eurostar!)

This article is not going to be a “you should do this or should do that” and follows some of the messages that Rob states in his article. I remember my first conference (many, many years ago) and how it can be very intimidating.  It is even worse if you are little shy or a quiet type.

The best value you can get from a conference is not from the tracks or the keynotes but from talking to other people and conferring.  You soon learn that the problems you face in your day to day job are similar to others. This may help you to feel that you are not alone and that the issues you face are normal.  It is so easy within our profession to become insular and trapped in our own bubble.  Conferences gives you a great opportunity to see that the issues you experience are common and others are facing the same problems.  This is a great part of attending conferences to discuss these issues with others and sometimes you may discover solutions which could help you resolve the problems you are facing.

There are many ‘strong’ characters in the software testing community and some can appear to be very intimidating.  Try not to be scared and approach them, maybe just listen to begin with; this is what I did at my first few conferences and I felt too nervous or inferior to even think about taking part in the conversation.   It was at one conference when, what I would consider, a high profile figure within the testing community  asked for my thoughts about a topic I was listening to with a group of people.  So I said what I thought and the person took what I said and said this was a great example of the point being made.  This made me feel good and that I had something worthwhile to say.  This one encounter at this conference changed my whole perspective of the testing community and spurred me to start writing this testing blog.  So the conference can change you and encourage you in unexpected ways.  (Thanks Michael B – your encouragement has led to all of this from your keen observations)

At the conference lookout for non-conference social meets they are sometimes advertised on twitter.  You are not on twitter?  Please do join twitter it is a great way to interact with the whole testing community worldwide. I am @steveo1967 on twitter if you want to find me.  Others are word of mouth so it is important to socialise with people at a conferences.

Do not attend every single track at the conference doing so will exhaust you and place you under a lot of pressure.  Take some time out to reflect on  what you have attended maybe even write it up on a blog or as notes to follow up at work.  Even better take some time out to visit the expo or the great sights around the venue.  A conference is not about the number of tracks you attend or making sure you fill all your time with attending lectures.  I tried to do that for the first few conferences I attended and it did not work I had no time to reflect on what had been said and forgot so much useful information.

I have met many wonderful people at conferences and some of them have gone on to be close acquaintances that I have regular contact with even inviting them to my home.  All it takes is a little courage to try and get involved; this is so difficult to do for some but very much worth it.

I would say to that who are regulars at conferences if you spot someone on their own please try to approach them and introduce yourself. At the Eurostar conference this year there is a new concept called the community hub,  which is being hosted by Peter Morgan.  I recommend that you come along and practice doing a little socialising.

ENJOY YOURSELF – it seems strange to say that but I have seen so many people come to a conference with a unhappy face – they have come because they have been told to or feel like an outsider.  Make the most of the conference by taking part and becoming a part of the community.  The testing community can be intimidating for an outsider but if you take those first wobble steps to becoming a part of the community then it welcomes you with open arms and lots of support.

You never know you may meet someone at the conference who changes your life or at least makes you think in a different way.

In memory of Ola Hylten whom I first met at a Eurostar Conference

A ‘title’ is of value to someone who matters

Recently I attended the Eurostar Testing Conference in Manchester and came away with some mixed messages and thoughts about the content of the conference. Some of the presentations and tracks were really good whilst others appeared to repeat the same old information. I hope to write a few blog articles on some of the positive messages I got from the conference along with lots of ideas I have with regards to social science and how it can be used within testing, these may have to wait until after the holiday period.

The reason for writing this blog post is due to the, what appeared to be a negative, message coming from some of the key note presentations, this is my opinion and how I understood the messages in the context of my views on testing and testers. The one point I wish to raise (and maybe rant) is one of the messages that James Whittaker made.

“at Google ‘Tester’ has disappeared from people’s job titles. People who were ‘testers’ are now ‘developers’ and are expected to code regularly”

Now my thoughts on this may be taking the point James was making out of context however I am not sure in what other context this could be made.

James during the presentation made the point that testers should be part of the team and not get bogged down in who has what role and I whole hearty agree with that.

However from a social and status perspective people need to be able to identify with a title and there has been a lot of talk within the development community about removing titles especially the title of tester. Take the following scenario:

You go out on a social evening with a group of friends and their partners would you work with a project manager, a developer, a business analyst and a tester, As the evening proceeds each person is asked by a non-team member what they do at work.

The developer could reply: I write code and create applications

The tester could reply that they test to ensure the system works

The project manager could reply that they make sure everyone knows what target they have to meet

The Business analyst could say they provide information on what the customers who will use the application need

Each person answering this question I would say would be proud of their job title and what they do.

So my take on making a statement in which we say get rid of the of the title of tester and call everyone a developer is a little insulting and makes me personally feel unappreciated and unvalued. I feel I have been working as a tester for a long period of time now and whilst I can understand that within a team people can have a variety of roles and responsibilities why should I have to give up something that I feel passionate about? I wonder what would be said if at a developers conference everyone is now going to be called a business analyst since we all provide something that the customer wants.

Why does everyone have to be a developer within a project? My concern is why has the word ‘tester’ become such a dirty word? It is if we should be ashamed of what we are and what our title is.

I AM A TESTER AND PROUD OF IT!