Great testing stories from India (Created by Not Following Any "Best Practices")

I would be presenting my workshop on Rapid Software Testing Excersises + a paper at Asia Pacific Software Testing Conference at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia between Feb 24 to Feb 29, 2008. I wish to thank Vishal Manghani of Processworks Sdn Bhd for the invite.

So, here goes the abstract for the paper I am presenting at the conference:

Great testing stories from India (Created by Not Following Any "Best Practices")

Authored and Presented by Pradeep Soundararajan, Consulting Tester - Satisfice Inc & Test Manager, TriVium Systems, India

When I was 4 years old, I used to eat sand (not because my mother didn't like me eating sand nor for the reason of poverty but as a child, I think, I liked exploring sand as another food option for me) . It was my mother who helped me know my act of eating sand during child hood and referred to me as 'naughty' during childhood.

I could eat sand without knowing it was called 'sand' and I could be naughty without knowing I was called 'naughty'.

When I started my career as a tester and found the first few bugs, I was told by a senior to do more such "negative testing" to find more such bugs. I asked him, "What is negative testing?" and he replied, "Whatever you did to find these bugs is negative testing".

I could do negative testing without knowing that someone refers to what I am doing as 'negative testing'.

Years later, I blogged that I still didn't understand what negative testing means but ideas of what it could be.

It took me a couple of years to learn that I do many things without knowing how someone calls it and then learned from others how some parts of the community I live in calls it.

All these stories indicate that we might be doing great things without knowing it. What is important to us is doing great things and not necessarily knowing the names but it is good to know the names of the great things we do when we intend to communicate with other people.

Anything that works great for me could make you fail badly. For instance, I can live a 100 years eating curd rice and pickle but you may die falling sick of it OR what medicines that could save me from a headache could kill you because although the common problem we might have is headache, the actual root cause is different .

If you disagree to it, 'best practices' fit you well.

If you agree to it, then I am sure you understand why doctors prescribe different medicines for the same person, the next time he /she gets a headache.

In this presentation, you would hear some of the great stories of Indian software testing that fortunately I was a part of and played a role in helping teams achieve the success. What might surprise you is the fact that those teams who did not follow 'best practices' tasted success that teams who claim to follow 'best practices', dream to achieve.

If you are going to listen to these stories in my presentation, I warn you to be aware that you *cannot* see the same success if you try doing things we did.

Welcome to context driven testing!

I would not be able to reveal anymore details about the presentation unless I am done with it but I welcome arguments, questions or success stories that you might want to share with my readers. I think I should be able to publish the slides for the same, post my presentation.

--
Pradeep Soundararajan - http://testertested.blogspot.com - +91-98451-76817 - pradeep.srajan@gmail.com

"The test doesn't find the bug. A human finds the bug, and the test plays a role in helping the human find it."

"If you can see it in your mind, you will find it in your life" -- Scott Barber

I saw in my mind that someday, I would be attending Jerry's workshop.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would see James Bach in live testing action.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would show Ariel ( Michael Bolton's daughter) how autorickshaws in India zoom.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would go around Toronto with Michael Bolton.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would get a chance to meet with Dr Cem Kaner.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would see Mike Kelly hosting a conference.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would have lunch with Karen Johnson discussing our experiences in testing.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would meet Scott Barber and learn more about Performance testing.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would meet Jon Bach and explore exploratory testing with him.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would meet my dear friend Ben Simo.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would meet David Gilbert and learn stories of his creation - Test Explorer.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would meet Harry Robinson and develop my model based thinking.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would meet Matt Heusser and learn more Creative Chaos.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would be introduced to John Kohl, a musical exploratory tester.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would meet Geordie and get a chance to listen to Rapid Tester Song, live.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would meet Adam Goucher and thank him for his constant feedback of my blog.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would see Braidy Tester gathering ideas to make more developers cry.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would attend Johanna Rothman's testing workshop.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would meet Elizabeth Hendrickson and help myself think more agile.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would see all stars glittering a few centimeter from my eyes.
I saw in my mind that someday, I would see and experience more things than what I see in mind.
I think I am going to find most of the above in life, this year, at CAST 2008.

If you have such a dream and being in India makes you feel as disconnected from all great action, send a paper to CAST 08 conference and you would see it in your life, too.

If you have all the above in mind then I urge you to have one more thing -- to travel with me on a 24 hour flight to Toronto, Canada from India, discussing and playing testing exercises or testing the in-flight entertainment system [ of course, without bringing the plane to a halt mid air :)) ]

I am all set to travel to Toronto, Canada for CAST 08 where all the action is set to happen. If you enjoy testing, learning and challenges - CAST is one of the ways that can cast you in such a situation. My current boss has disagreed to sponsor me for this workshop but that doesn't stop me. I have decided to attend CAST 08, shelling out all expenses I would incur from my own pocket. No, I am not rich but I feel I would be too poor as a tester if I dont make it there this time.

Are you going to be on my next seat?

Pradeep Soundararajan - http://testertested.blogspot.com - +91-98451-76817 - pradeep.srajan@gmail.com

"Pradeep's first language is not English--his first language appears to be testing." -- Michael Bolton

Progress Report 2007 of Pradeep Soundararajan

Happy New Year wishes to all my readers.

It is exactly one year since James Bach officially hired me to represent Satisfice Inc in India. James Bach wrote in his post Satisfice India, "A Satisfice tester, (as my brother Jon, at Quardev will tell you from working for me for 18 months) is expected to be quantum cut above normal testers. We achieve that not through wishful thinking, but through study and practice. A Satisfice tester is always ready to be challenged about his work".

So here is my progress report for 2007 that you might want to go through. When I wrote the report, (which took me a long time to compile, think, laugh and cry as I remembered each moment of 2007) I understood why I think I am one of the most passionate software tester without excluding the fact that I am living among other passionate testers. I finally feel eligible of what credit I got one year before, this day.

-- Pradeep Soundararajan - http://testertested.blogspot.com - +91-98451-76817 - pradeep.srajan@gmail.com

"Pradeep's first language is not English--his first language appears to be testing." -- Michael Bolton