The new year bug. Are you aware of it?

Happy new year everyone. But do you realize that the high severity bug and the workaround in the new year?


Here's the Requirement --- That the people of the world have a time period that they can gather together to celebrate the completion of 1 full cycle of the earth around the sun.

Expected Behavior - That the sun completes 1 full rotation around the earth at 12 PM on Dec 31.

Actual Behavior --- It takes some more time for the sun to complete 1 cycle; that's why we have the leap year.

End result --- All of us accept this bug; we have changed our lifestyle to have the leap year so that we have a life around this bug; and life does not stop, it goes on.

Most high severity bugs are like this; but what we fail to realize is that there's a workaround every bug. You just need to tamper around the design to make the bug extra-special (like Feb 29) and change life. Not every bug needs fixing; they just need workarounds.

But don't get misguided by me; most often, this would be a failed argument when you have vice-presidents and directors on the other side of the table.

And my Lesson Learnt --- Every bug has a workaround; it depends on how you try to make it sellable as a special feature so that the world accepts the workaround. Else, you better fix it :)!!! Happy new year and happy "testing times" to all of you in 2012!!!

Testing team --- Thank you for the family time that you sacrificed for us!!!

Have you ever heard anything like that? It's a very nice thought that every member of the management should thank the test team for the extra time that they spend at the workplace whenever they have to spend the time.

Doesn't matter if you are the program manager, project manager or whoever... Please take some time to thank the test teams for all the extra hours that they spent in ensuring quality!!! Might have been hours poured over a requirement document clarifying a requirement, might have been hours investigating usage of automation, might have been hours spent when called into work during the son's birthday or wedding anniversary, and it can even be a few hours lost by testing the wrong build... truth is that all of us spend extra time at the work place; not for personal whims and fancies, but to ensure product quality!!! Please take a few mins extra to thank the testing team members for spending the extra time in the project... That small bug they raised in extra time might have saved your product from disaster, indirectly saving your job!!!

Blocking a Release - Happy or Sad ?

Test teams block a production release. You are the tester who found that bug.

Is it a good feeling to block the release? Or do you cry your lungs out for not getting out a release in time for your customers?

Do you get some sadistic happiness since your work blocked someone's release? Or do you feel sad that someone's work could not get out?

Do you feel happy that the entire org are finally appreciative of your work? Or do you feel bad for your development colleagues who slogged to meet this date and could not meet deadlines?

Do you feel happy that you did not deliver a half-baked product to your customers? Or do you feel bad that you could not have done it earlier?

Do you feel happy that your bosses praise you? Or do you feel bad for your dev counterpart who gets yelled at?

End of the day... blocking a release, results in  feelings... some happy, some sad!!! Yes, even a tester feels sad that a release could not get out in time.... (after  all, blocking a release means "no launch party", right? :)"

But when a launch or release happens in time? Life becomes happy for all... at least till the next launch :) !!!

A tester all life... 7 Questions and no answers!!!

Question 1 - If you ever say the words, "I want to be a tester all my life" to your management, what do you think would happen?

Question 2 - Would they be happy with your above decision because you have long term career focus?

Question 3 - Would they treat you as a visionary because you have a very clear idea of what you want to do in life?

Questions 4 & 5 - Or, would they term you a loser since you have no ambition to grow up the career chain? And advise you on becoming a test architect or manager?

And if you don't have a blog, you are not participative in newsgroups and online forums, you don't market yourself, you are "uncertified", you don't read blogs and magazines, you refuse to use test tools because you don't trust those tools...  and you are a tester for the last 12 years, and an expert one at that.....

Question 6 - Would your management recognise your potential?

Question 7 - Or are you branded as a resource who's not grown up the ladder and gets you replaced?

Well, as the title says, there are only questions... no answers. Only "test cases"... no "expected behavior". At least I don't have them. If you do, please share.....

Hello World Again!!! Getting rid of Procrastination...

hello world again!!! I'd disappeared for long. I don't think I've updated my blog since Last November. What was I doing? Where was I? Well, most of you know... but for those who don't , I've been here all along. I'd started writing for Testing circus since Jan and they've been kind enough to publish my writings as a regular feature. Other than that, let's just say that I've been trying to change the world. And succeeded in parts... and failed in parts.

Why did I not write? Because I was busy perfecting the art of procrastination. Every day, I told myself that I'd write "tomorrow"... "next week", "after a few days", etc. etc. etc... Having mastered the art of procrastination, i've decided to try and master "how to de-procrastinate". I decided to help myself by not reading a single page of those 1000+ self-help books that are available. Decided to fight the journey myself and came up with this idea ----- "When I see myself procrastinating, I won't feed myself till I complete whatever it was that I'd procrastinated".  And when I get rid of all my other bad habits, I think I'd have enough material to write a book about :)!!!

Does starving yourself until you de-procrastiate work? Well, it did for me... I wrote this blog post :) !!! Helped me with other things in life too...

Does it work for you? If it does, do let me know... then I can become a "de-procrastination guru of sorts", quit my job, travel the world offering advice on correcting yourself :)!!!

NOTE:- By the way, I never said "don't drink coffee"; just don't eat till you complete what you set out to do.... that's all!!!

Mis-adventures of the fake tester - Part 1...

In the past few months, I have been writing a series of articles for the testing circus. The testing circus have been kind enough to let them published in the column named "Fake Tester's Diary".

The 1st article was on the introduction to the fake tester and the process of induction. You can continue reading this article and much more in Jan's issue of Testing circus available at http://testingcircus.com/January2011.aspx