Antoine de Saint-Exupery once stated that “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Truer words were never spoken. Although Antoine, who died in 1944, never had to work with software application testing tools in a world of perpetual evolution and changing consumer [...]
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.” In the world of software testing management, this general axiom definitely holds [...]
Apple traditionally runs a very tight ship. Its products perform as promised, and leaks about future releases are relatively rare. So when the tech giant does stumble, its missteps are very noticeable. I’m, of course, talking about the recent iPhone 5 mapping app debacle. One of the blogs that initially helped break the story received [...]
Like accountants and inspectors, software testers are part of that rare breed of professions in which our stamp of approval is the final word on what is acceptable. We check the developers’ work, locate bugs, recommend fixes, and go through as many rounds as necessary to ensure the final product reaches a certain standard. Once [...]
In the world of software, quality assurance testing is often regarded as an addendum to the entire development process. As testers, we’re frequently viewed as the busboys who come through and clear the left-over scraps of whatever delicious meals came from the gourmet chefs in the kitchen. This is not a knock on busboys. No [...]
In traditional capitalism, self-interest is the driving force behind innovation. Under this framework, concepts like cooperation and collaboration are somewhat antithetical to the profit maximization model. Every time you share, you enable a potential competitor. This is especially true in a world of finite resources where sharing literally makes your own pie smaller. In many [...]
In a previous post, we explored the importance of quality tools for software testing from the vantage point of the actual testers themselves. Better products make for better testing. This, in turn, makes our lives much easier. But software testing is also a business decision. You wouldn’t necessary realize this given how much money goes [...]
In the previous post, I extolled the virtues of software as a service (SaaS) for testing and development. When compared with on-site solutions (i.e. internal servers), SaaS consistently wins for its greater convenience and lower cost. But the software testing process doesn’t thrive on convenience or cost alone. Security is equally (if not more) important. [...]
As software quality assurance testers, we’re blessed to have so many resources at our disposal. Whereas in the physical world, value comes from scarcity, the digital world places value on abundance. But this cornucopia of options comes at a price. How do you select the best software quality assurance testing tools (or combination of tools) [...]
With most professions, it’s easy to fall into a rut. You may have an annual picnic or major product launch to help snap you out of the daily routine, but most days are “business as usual.” The software testing world is no different. You probably have modular training workshops here and there to bring you [...]
