"Some birds aren't meant to be caged, their feathers are just too bright"- Morgan Freeman, Shawshank Redemption. This blog is from one such bird who couldn't be caged by organizations who mandate scripted software testing. Pradeep Soundararajan welcomes you to this blog and wishes you a good time here and even otherwise.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Three new good things about Indian testers

Once upon a time, Bangalore was ahead in testing leadership compared to other cities in India. What I mean by that is, we did things and made it visible to the world. We did good things that helps us develop ourselves plus do something good to others.

I acted like a brand ambasdoor for Bangalore testing within India and used that opportunity to challenge testers outside Bangalore. In fact, looking at what was happening in Bangalore, my dear friend Manoj Nair relocated from Pune to Bangalore to later co-found the weekend testing. NCR also lost one of the passionate tester Mohit Verma to Bangalore. He relocated to Bangalore tired of seeing no action up there. I went to places like NCR, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Mysore... blah blah, I kept telling; explore or be the ash of our explosion. Maybe they thought Bangalore's explosion should be made to look small.

First good thing

NCR Testers led by Ajoy Singha, Vipul Kocher and Vipul Gupta have made it happen to an extent that we Bangaloreans are feeling the pressure to keep up to what we were doing.

First one is the NCR Testers Meet. For those who do not know what NCR means, it is, National Capital Region. It comprises of Gurgaon (which belongs to Haryana), Noida (which belongs to Uttar Pradesh) and Delhi (which belongs to Sonia G, oops, belongs to New Delhi)

NCR Testers Meet happened the 2nd consecutive time on 15th Jan and they seem to be doing very well. Tweets suggest to me that for the first time I am feeling bad for not being in the NCR Region. God give me enough money to travel to such meets in future.

NCR 1 : Bangalore 1

The second good thing

If that's one, the second one is Testing Circus Magazine led by Ajoy Singha. He is the editor of the magazine and with the help of other passionate people, has been spear heading this magazine for a couple of months now. You won't see a fancy looking magazine or a hyper stimulant content on all pages yet. It still is our own truly Indian testing magazine that is gaining consistency.

If these guys can keep it going and keep it going up, I bet we may see a migration of people from Bangalore to the happening place of NCR. Time for us, Bangalore testers, to think and try to stand up to the challenge. All these days, we were a monopoly and its nice to have a competition come in. We didn't expect a stiff competition upfront so testers at NCR, here goes a special thank you on behalf of testers in Bangalore.

We could still say, so what NCR Weekend Testing is not active enough? :)

NCR 2 : Bangalore 1

Now, what's the third thing?

Bharath from Chennai, the founder of co-founder of Weekend Testing Chennai chapter had attended my workshop about an year and a half back. I talked about the Bangalore Testers meetup and asked what's happening with Chennai testers? Why aren't they doing anything? Bharath stood up to the challenge and mingled with RIA-RUI folks and launched India's first truly low cost & highly affordable testing conference in Chennai. Its called the Bug-Debug.

I instantly agreed to be a speaker learning about the low cost highly affordable testing conference. This conference is a great challenge to all those hi fi commercial conferences who charge a lot both from the participants and the sponsors, making it unaffordable to many serious testers who have not yet started to earn good.

Looking at the speaker line up, Bug-Debug has a better speaker lineup than other conferences here in India to start with. Chennai, here I come.

Chennai 1 : Bangalore 0

Phew! Bangalore testers, are you reading this?

If you have read the book Outliers from Malcom Gladwell, you'd know that the best time to be a software tester in India, is from now on. I am going back to doing something credible in Moolya and continue to help Bangalore retain its status :)

Bangalore is hiring thought leaders, who is the next Sharath Byregowda and Parimala Shankaraiah?

14 comments:

Ajoy Kumar Singha said...

:)

Bangalore has Pradeep.

Bangalore 100 : Others (doesn't matter).

We are just taking baby steps. Thank you for encouraging us (NCR and other cities). Let us make India the 'capital of Software Testing'.

Pradeep Soundararajan said...

@ Ajoy,

Bangalore has Pradeep. Bangalore 100 : Others (doesn't matter).

Ha ha. You made me laugh. Let me land and touch down to ground....

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Landed. Please read Outliers by Malcom Gladwell to know why Bangalore has Pradeep or why Pradeep is whoever you think he is.

Not necessarily the skill. My birth timing was good to have got into software testing.

India needs more people of my age (like you) who are in software testing to recognize that they are in the sweet times and working hard can land them in good success.

Bharath S said...

I am really honored seeing my name in a legends blog, Thanks Pradeep. It is really cool that you remember our challenge and have mentioned it ihere which made me go up in surprise.

I dnt knw how many times i am going to thank you :)

Thanks for mentioning about the conference and our team welcomes you to Bug deBug.

Fairy Garden said...

Hats Off NCR team!!!

Worth reading your post Pradeep.

Ulhas said...

Where is Mumbai ?
Jago Mumbai Jago

Pradeep Soundararajan said...

@Ullhas,

Let me tell you how to do it:

Jago Ullhas Jago will trigger Jago Mumbai Jago

Vipul Kocher said...

Folks, Mumbai chapter being launched on 24th Jan.
Pune hopefully 2nd or 3rd week of Feb.

Bangalore - don't get disappointed. I have been courting you for 3 years now. I even started writing blog so that Bangalore could have an "Idiots not allowed" conference! Well there is still a chance. Let us meet in Feb. and do at least one of these. :-)
Vipul

Anonymous said...

"Idiots not allowed" in Bangalore. Precisely!!!

Lalitkumar Bhamare said...

@ullhas:

Mumbai is already having sleepless nights since Jan, Ullhas :-)

Join the heat:

www.teatimewithtesters.com

Regards,
Lalit
Tea time with Testers

Anonymous said...

all the best in your efforts to help bangalore retain its status

Asif Iquebal Sarkar said...

This post makes me sad.
Where is Kolkata? Where is Bengal?
Yes, we need to change this and then someday Pradeep Sir will update this post to include Kolkata as well.
Thanks for the inspiration Sir.

Pradeep Soundararajan said...

@Asif,

If you care for Kolkata testers then you should do something about it. Its your opportunity to show leadership exists in Kolkata.

chennadan said...

Hey Guys from Kochi

I am a tester from Kochi..Is there any testing activities taking place around this part of the world? I cant hear anything from here..i want to be the next Pradeep of this Area....Are you hearing anything from this area..pradeep?

ISTQB DUMPS said...

Thanks Pradeep sir for motivation....

@Asif Really sad....

We have to do something. We testers from Kolkata has no chapter in testing world.

I am really interested to do something for Kolkata as a tester.