Software Testing Club released a charity ebook in 2010 filled with QnA from testers world wide, this was my contribution.
I’m not sure where you can find the PDF of the full book any more, but the original page was on justgiving
Q: 5 Books that you have found invaluable in your learning
- Quantum Psychology, Robert Anton Wilson
- The Art of War, Sun Tzu
- The book of five rings, Miyamoto Musashi
- Diagnosing the System for Organizations, Stafford Beer
- Provocative Therapy, Frank Farrelly
How to improve the software testing craft?
- Continually, and deliberately, practice testing software.
- Keep logs of your testing.
- Learn how to hack
- Get more technical
What is the most valuable “tool” you use to aid your testing?
- Systems Thinking
What’s the most “impressive” bug you’ve ever found?
Gaining access to all the customer details of a publicly accessible social networking site via their ring fenced beta testing environment, and subsequently being able to login as some of them.
The Fiddler web proxy was a tremendous help in doing this.
What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made when testing?
Complacency and forgetting to maintain a level of paranoia about coverage
What’s the biggest challenge facing Testing currently?
Testers remaining relevant in the software development process.
What do you think will be the biggest challenge over the next 2-3 years?
Spotting the difference between a tester and a developer.
What are your views on Testing Certification Schemes?
You’re better off becoming an ordained minister from the Church of Subgenius for only $30.00 than putting any money, or time, towards the Testing Certification Scam.
(That didn’t come across too strong did it? I tried to tone it down for the children in the audience.)
The most exciting, interesting and motivating testers in the community…
I’m not really a people person so I assume everyone is splendid.
Your country of residence?
England
Want to say a few words about this eBook and the charity it supports?
I hope this book doesn’t suck cause the charity deserves better than that. Oh God, I hope my bits weren’t the sucky bits.
Why do you love software testing?
I don’t love it. I’m addicted. I wish there was some sort of cure.
Seriously, if there was a pill I could take to just ease up, and not test stuff, I’d take it.
What’s to love?
- Learning new skills all the time?
- Continually expanding my technical knowledge and staying up to date?
- Constantly on the look out for new tools to increase my visibility into, or control over, the system?
- Finding faults and problems?
- Continually improving my abilities?
Who could love any of that?
