I just finished reading Implementing Automated Software Testing by E.Dustin, T. Garrett, and B. Gauf and overall this is a good read providing some well thought out arguments for beginning an automation project, and provides strategic perspectives to manage a test automation project. The first chapter...

Using context-free software product measures as personal performance indicators (KPI) is about as silly as pet rocks ! Periodically a discussion of assessing tester performance surfaces on various discussion groups. Some people offer advice such as counting bugs (or some derivation thereof), number...

I often find discussions about quality to be hypothetical, and in fact unless you define your specific context the word itself is nebulous, vague, or simply meaningless philosophical psycho-babble. For a while now, I previously posted my opposition to the simplistic notion that quality is value to some...

Last week I was at the Test2008 conference in India. The organizers from PureTesting planned a grand event with workshops in Hyderabad, Delhi, Bangalore, and Pune. Then the main conference was then held outside of New Delhi. When I arrived in Delhi at the conference I was told I would be on a discussion...

As a young lad growing up on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay I would often spend part of my summer vacation from grade school helping my grandfather work the crab pots on the north shore. Now, don't think "Dangerous Catch," crabbing in the Chesapeake is much different than crabbing in Alaskan waters...

I previously blogged about quality and value , but after giving it more thought I determined that quality and value are indirectly related, but quality is not value! I define testing as any activity designed to evaluate an attribute or capability of a program in order to determine its' ability to...

The value of testing is important and critical to the success of many projects. However, testing is NOT solely responsible for the quality of a project! When we discuss the role of testing and quality in our internal training we emphasize the primary objectives of the tester as providing information...

I spent the last week in beautiful Denmark teaching at our offices in Vedbeak. I really like Denmark . The people are absolutely wonderful, the city of Copenhagen is magnificently rich with history, and of course the beer is delicious. Of all the places I have traveled, I must admit Copenhagen is easily...

I recently went to Portland, and when I am there I make it a point to always stop by Powells Book Store. They have a whole building about the size of a typical Barnes & Noble dedicated to technical books. It had been several years since I had read Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams by Tom...

Every once in awhile I meet testers who say their manager rates individual performance based on bug metrics. It is no secret that management is constantly looking at bug metrics. But, bug numbers are generally a poor indication of any direct meaningful measure, especially individual human performance...