richrtesting

Need for Speed?

What do I mean by ‘Quality’?

Investing in testing

Confirmation and Exploration: two testing cultures

Confirmation Culture (and how to challenge and change)

Three Dimensions of Quality

Three Dimensions (and many factors) which can affect a person’s perception of a product.

Don’t mention the P******

Some ‘P’ words which have become unpopular in some quarters. Are they really dirty words?

Testing the Water

No matter how big the net, there is always a chance that something nasty can slip through.

Lessons from the Tinkerman

The temptation to tinker with something which is working well  may be overpowering.

What we are sometimes trying to create is perhaps a Minimum Valuable Product

Timing and depth are important factors in reporting on testing

When it comes to quality, perception matters

Perhaps we can provide a more inclusive kind of quality.

Questions to help promote discussion and analysis of product risk.

Mentoring can be a powerful mechanism for learning

If responsibility for quality lies with everybody then we need to think quality in.

A few suggestions for helping you understand your customers and their needs.

The relationship between customers and technology has been brought into sharp focus. We have an opportunity to demonstrate the value of testing in providing crucial information.

The world of software development is rapidly evolving, and the place of testing in this world is adapting too, but this is an exciting time to be involved.

What are the factors, perceptions and attitudes which might threaten testers by reducing demand for their services?

Instead of feeling nervous about the future of testing, I believe we must assess the changing landscape and define our place within it.

A reflection on my experiences with the online testing community so far.

Considering the risk of changes with the same rigour as new products.

Our thinking can become muddled if we are under pressure. Our thoughts become focused on a single path, even if that path doesn’t get us to where we need to be.

We have become familiar with the terms functional and non-functional in relation to testing. I suggest that they are terms which we might be better off without.

When we work on something intended to meet the needs of others, we can ask questions to determine how successful we have been .

If our job is to communicate information through our reports then we need to be selective about what information we present.

Looking at the mechanics of reporting and the broad question of HOW you communicate information effectively.

If we consider the customer in everything that we do, providing information is no different.

Introducing a series looking at how testers can play a significant role in getting the information that is needed to the people who need it.

In a darkened room, somewhere aboard the Death Star, a group of workers are gathered. They are the Death Star’s Imperial Testers.

Testers who call what they do ‘QA’ are reinforcing a misapprehension.

A new standard for Scrabble. Can this bring about more certain outcomes?

An expectation is sometimes placed on testers – that we can not only reduce uncertainty, but eliminate it.

To specialise or not to specialise – that is the question

Rather than vainly chasing the title of ‘expert’, we might be better served by demonstrating humility.

How much involvement should testers have in making the decision about whether a product is ready?

Good testers have many admirable qualities, but prophecy is not typically amongst them.

Testing is not simply about coverage of requirements.

Perhaps we could start a new debate on testers understanding design.

Congratulations on your ISEB certification! Just don’t test like that.

Experience is the basis for most of our learning. This won’t be a surprise to anyone who has spent time testing.

Human feelings and emotion create empathy. How can we close the empathy gap in IT?

Recognising “known unknowns” allows me to identify where I need to bring in the expertise of others.

Look out for more blogs soon!