Test Guide

Making the invisible visible since 1987

Problem Solving Heuristic #1142: Spin

I find that this Problem Solving Heuristic works when nothing else does. Situate yourself such that...

Author: humbugreality Date: 02/13/2008

Problem Solving Heuristic #1128: How Interesting

Have you ever reacted to something you noticed by saying "Bizarre!" or "Weird!" or "How strange"?...

Author: humbugreality Date: 02/06/2008

Campy Bear Heuristics

Here's a puzzle for you: I am out camping. One day I mark my spot and then walk one mile due south,...

Author: humbugreality Date: 01/30/2008

CASTing For Participants And Papers

If you are looking to attend a testing conference this year, consider CAST 2008. CAST is not your...

Author: humbugreality Date: 01/25/2008

Zoning For The Holarctic Region

Last week I asked you to see how many different interpretations of this sign you could devise. After...

Author: humbugreality Date: 01/23/2008

Two Hour Parking

Signs such as this one are a common sight in Seattle's residential neighborhoods. I imagine the...

Author: humbugreality Date: 01/16/2008

Check It Out

Recently I heard a tester venting about their developer. It seems this developer routinely complains...

Author: humbugreality Date: 01/09/2008

Developers Develop And Testers Test; What Else Is There To Know?

New Year's Day is traditionally the time when people sit down and examine their life and vow to make...

Author: humbugreality Date: 01/01/2008

I Want A BVT Blocking Bug For The Holidays

[To John Rox's "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas", which has long been my favorite holiday song,...

Author: humbugreality Date: 12/26/2007

Klutzes, Savants, And Mediums (Oh My)

Recently I overheard a developer describing how his wife constantly interrupts him when he is...

Author: humbugreality Date: 12/19/2007

Contracted Conversations

A colleague: "I don't understand it. I lived with my wife for eight years before we were married and...

Author: humbugreality Date: 12/05/2007

Call Stack

Author: humbugreality Date: 11/28/2007

A Tester's Rejoinder

[To the tune of Van Halen's Finish What Ya Started]Come on Barry finish what ya startedInto your...

Author: humbugreality Date: 11/22/2007

A Developer's Demands

[To the tune of Wang Chung's Let's Go]This is my applicationIt is perfect in every wayAll that is...

Author: humbugreality Date: 11/21/2007

I Don't Think That's Exactly What They Meant, Exactly

A hotel I was in recently had a toilet:I found that sign over the toilet rather interesting:Um, I...

Author: humbugreality Date: 11/20/2007

AYE - Amenities

The conference hotel was one of those every-room-is-a-suite places. I found having an extra room...

Author: humbugreality Date: 11/19/2007

AYE - Friday

Friday I recuperated from the week of brain stuffing, intellectual and emotional stimulation, and...

Author: humbugreality Date: 11/19/2007

AYE - Thursday

Thursday was SHAPE Day, a gathering of those conference attendees who are also members of Jerry...

Author: humbugreality Date: 11/19/2007

AYE - Wednesday

Wednesday morning I took part in a writing workshop by Johanna Rothman and Naomi Karten, each...

Author: humbugreality Date: 11/19/2007

AYE - Tuesday

Tuesday morning I took Naomi Karten's Building Connections That Amplify Your Effectiveness. I...

Author: humbugreality Date: 11/19/2007

AYE - Monday

Monday morning I attended Steve Smith's workshop on Virgina Satir's Change Model. The short form of...

Author: humbugreality Date: 11/19/2007

AYE? Aye!

I spent the previous two weeks in sunny Arizona. Last week I hiked around Sedona. The week before...

Author: humbugreality Date: 11/19/2007

The Test Laboratory

[To the tune of Barry Manilow's "Copacabana"] His name is Bobby, he is a testerHe finds bugs that...

Author: humbugreality Date: 11/07/2007

Doctors Are Testers Too

Jerome Groopman's book How Doctors Think is about doctors and how they think. It is also about...

Author: humbugreality Date: 10/31/2007

Rampant Reactions

Recently I read Eugene Kennedy's On Becoming A Counselor, and currently I am immersed in Jerome...

Author: humbugreality Date: 10/24/2007

Tester Central

I am excited to announce that as of now MSDN has a Tester Center! Here you will find articles,...

Author: humbugreality Date: 10/22/2007

A Tester's Translation Table

It seems to me that lots of people are experiencing lots of confusion regarding what lots of the...

Author: humbugreality Date: 10/17/2007

Tricky Trojans

Wayne writes seeking suggestions for dealing with simulacra of complex and complicated interfaces....

Author: humbugreality Date: 10/10/2007

Missing States

Every tester forms a model of each application they test. Sometimes this model is explicit, such as...

Author: humbugreality Date: 09/19/2007

My Test

[To the tune of Elton John's "Your Song"]It's a little bit funny, this feeling insideNot knowing...

Author: humbugreality Date: 09/12/2007

If I Understand You Correctly

Recently my wife and I were discussing the book I was reading. She had already read it and asked me...

Author: humbugreality Date: 08/29/2007

Testing Ideals

I have been thinking about what an ideal software development process might look like: The product...

Author: humbugreality Date: 08/22/2007

Planning Does Not Necessarily Make Perfect

For the past several months I have been testing setup for my application. Actually, that's not true...

Author: humbugreality Date: 08/15/2007

Testing In The Wild

Recently I read Edward Hutchins's Cognition In The Wild. Edward researches human cognition. Rather...

Author: humbugreality Date: 08/08/2007

Quantum Testing

Once upon a time, I thought testing was about finding bugs. Once upon a time, I thought I should be...

Author: humbugreality Date: 08/01/2007

The Path Not Taken

Part of my route from the bus to my office goes across a chunk of undeveloped land. This is my...

Author: humbugreality Date: 07/25/2007

Headlines

In the current issue of Better Software, Michael Bolton writes about risk-based testing. Thinking...

Author: humbugreality Date: 07/18/2007

Business BASIC(s)

Some years back a store near me started having a going-out-of-business sale. Six months later it was...

Author: humbugreality Date: 06/26/2007

The Answer Will Hit You Like A Ton Of Bricks

Question: Would you rather be hit by a ton of feathers or by a ton of bricks?Most people answer "A...

Author: humbugreality Date: 06/20/2007

Testing Estimation

Sonal asks:Could you discuss on estimating testing for a manual/automation project? How long to...

Author: humbugreality Date: 06/13/2007

Tester Dragon

Rather than spending hours crafting a post this week, I decided to spend hours crafting a cartoon...

Author: humbugreality Date: 06/06/2007

Tester Quiz

A short post today because I am pushing all the work over to you! <g/> How many answers to...

Author: humbugreality Date: 05/30/2007

Hunter Hunted

If you follow my DDJ blog you know I have been interviewing people about testing. Some time back I...

Author: humbugreality Date: 05/21/2007

YAPTTAT

I was planning a post filled with griping about people expecting testers to robot down lists of test...

Author: humbugreality Date: 05/16/2007

Riffing On Testers

Recently I heard of a company who is downsizing their test department because their developers are...

Author: humbugreality Date: 05/09/2007

Tatoo Detective

When a Microsoftie moves to a different group we typically take one of our machines with us. I opted...

Author: humbugreality Date: 05/07/2007

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