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"Wisdom is a circle. What you receive you must give back."
- Hot Wheels AcceleRacers: The Ultimate Race
Hiring Software Testers in an Information Age (Article, RedCanary.ca, October 2007)
I keep being asked for advice on hiring good software testers. I also keep being asked why I'm so picky when it comes to hiring good testers. Hiring good people requires luck or time. Here are some insights to hopefully improve the odds of finding someone appropriate for your needs.
Putting the "Test" back in Test Plan (Article, February 2006)
Ever get the feeling that there's some confusion about what a Test Plan is? Ya. Me too. This article walks you through my journey from a heavy, unfocussed, un-useful test plan to a document that helps me actually test.
Testing with an Accent (Article, Better Software magazine, February 2005)
It's a small world after all, and nowhere is that more evident than in the world of software, where differences in language and desktop settings can cause applications to crash with no warning.
Collected thoughts on Session-Based Exploratory Testing (2007)
Mini articles and tips based on my experiences in Exploratory Testing and Session-Based Test Management. Also includes a link to the Ruby tools I used for SBTM as an update to the original Perl scripts.
Intro to Web Application Testing In Ruby (Presentation, KWSQA Targeting Quality Conference, April 2009)
This presentation covers: (1) an introduction to Ruby, the tester's scripting language; (2) using Watir to talk to web apps; and (3) some sample test frameworks to help you test. Why Watir? In a nutshell, it's free, easy to use, fun, powerful, and let's you focus on testing rather than the complexities of cryptic programming languages. Exploring under the covers of web pages may help you discover new testing ideas and interesting bugs!
Unscripted Automation (Presentation, Kitchener-Waterloo Software Quality Association, March 2009)
Computers can help you test in many ways. Simply automating your manual test cases may not be the best choice. How much value does your automation effort return when it runs the exact same tests over and over again? Do scripted tests find bugs or blind you from the remaining bugs? Break free from the expected norm! Unscript your automated scripts! You don't need fancy, expensive tools. You just need to know what you can do with the tools you have. Unleash your creativity and boost your automation superpowers!
Re-Branding Software Testing (Presentation, Kitchener-Waterloo Software Quality Association, March 2008)
Branding is about more than just a logo or Marketing campaign. It includes what everyone hears, says and thinks. Most importantly, it's about what you deliver. What does the current Testing 'Brand' look like? What should it look like? Where do we need to go from here?
It's time for a change in how our industry and everyone else perceives Software Testing. The change starts with the individual tester and moves out from there. This presentation is subtitled "A Beginning." It is very much the start of a new direction and focus for me.
Debunking Myths in Software Testing: Considerations for a Career in Critical Thinking (Presentation, University of Waterloo, November 2007)
a.k.a. The presentation with the really long name. The intention of this presentation was to introduce the many aspects of Software Testing to Arts and Science (i.e. non-Computer Science and non-Engineering) students who might not otherwise know much about the profession. Software Testing can benefit from students with more of a cross-disciplinary education - there's more to it than meets the eye!
What's in your Toolkit? A Look at Testing Skills (Presentation, Toronto Association of Systems and Software Quality, March 2007)
What does Professional Development mean to a Tester in the IT sector? What skills should someone consider important when working in an Information industry? What are the general learning objectives that one should consider when thinking about updating their skills and knowledge? Programming courses and Operating Systems make up only a small fraction of all of the skills that a good tester will make use of in their daily routine. Find out what a Tester's Toolkit might look like to be truly well-rounded in this profession.
Continuous Improvement and Exploratory Testing (Presentation, Kitchener-Waterloo Software Quality Association, April 2006)
Continuous Improvement and Exploratory Testing: How do these two concepts mix? Are we talking about oil and water? Apples and Oranges? Or perhaps something complementary, like Apples and Cinnamon? Continuous Improvement is normally associated with process-laden Quality Assurance models, while Exploratory Testing is an agile alternative to more documentation-centric software testing approaches. Two Testing Schools: Quality vs. Context-Driven.
Can Continuous Improvement (CI) be applied on Agile Software Development Projects? Is there a process to Exploratory Testing that CI can work with? If so, what kinds of improvements might you expect to encounter? This presentation explores these ideas and provides some practical examples to see if we end up with fruit salad, apple sauce, or both.
The Four Schools of Software Testing (by Bret Pettichord - see link on Bret's Publications page. Presentation to the ASQ & KWSQA, April 2005)
Testing experts often disagree. Why? It's not because of personality, but because different testers have different understandings of the role and mission of software testing. This session presents four schools of software testing, each with a different understanding of the purpose and foundation of testing.
One school sees testing based on mathematics. Another sees it as an activity that needs to be planned and managed. A third sees it as a basis for understanding and improving software process. And the fourth sees it as an intelligence service, providing actionable information. These all sound reasonable enough, but each has provided the foundation for a school of testing and different hierarchies of values.
Learn more about the four schools of software testing and the effects they have on your life. You may find that you, your colleagues, and management are operating in different schools.
(Thanks Bret for letting me share this great presentation.)
The Softer Side of SQA (Presentation, KWSQA, January 2004)
Looking to get ahead in your Testing or SQA career? Think that next UNIX or Programming course is going to be the one to show off your technical expertise and get you noticed? There are many good reasons to take technical courses; however, whether or not you're interested in the management track, you might want to consider taking some alternative courses too. Building your "softer" (interpersonal) skills will make you a better tester, make your team more productive, and make your job more fun!
Managing Risks - Project and Testing based approaches (Presentation, KWSQA, November 2002)
The topic of managing risks in software projects often comes up when the testing resources are insufficient, or there just isn't enough time in the schedule to test everything that you want. Understanding the risks in any project can help you more effectively prioritize your work and resources for the duration of the project.
When talking about "managing risks" you need to keep in mind that it may mean different things to different people. This presentation provides you with an overview to two different approaches to managing risks - one at the Project level, and one at the Testing level.
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© Paul Carvalho. Contact me at: paul [at] staqs [dot] c o m