1. Mistakes We Make in Testing
Mistakes, while frowned upon, can ultimately serve as learning opportunities for software testers. Recently asked about the common mistakes testers make, author Michael Sowers crafted a list of missteps that can occur in the early project stage, during testing, when selecting or using tools and generally in testers’ careers.
Check out his comprehensive list of testing mistakes here so that you can take care to avoid such issues and/or learn from them after the fact.
2. How to Improve Software Quality Using Continuous Integration Process
As the key to facilitating Continuous Delivery, Continuous Integration (CI) provides a number of benefits to organizations including the earlier detection of errors, decreases in bug accumulation, increased transparency and cost efficiency.
To put it simply, Continuous Integration is a process whereby code is frequently checked into a repository. When employing CI, tests are run immediately after code check-ins to catch any errors thereby creating the necessary feedback loop for Continuous Delivery.
From the QA perspective, there are several factors that must be in place to successfully practice CI. Explore these factors and other best practices for Continuous Integration in this Software Testing Help article.
3. Is the “Traditional Tester” Just a Myth?
Agile methodology’s impact on the software testing industry has been notable, to say the least. Quick and iterative in nature, Agile development places a spotlight on testers who must now play a larger role throughout the process. As a result, some may say that the “traditional tester” role has simply evolved.
However, in this article, author Josiah Renaudin cites testing mentor Bj Rollison who asserts there was never really a traditional testing role to begin with—and he’s actively encouraging people to avoid this way of thinking.
“The key is to forget ‘traditional’ roles. The industry changes very quickly. If you get mired down in some abstract notion of a ‘traditional’ role, you may soon find that your value to your company or project becomes obsolete and unnecessary.”
Read on for more insight into the “traditional tester” myth here.
4. Discussion: Will doing only Manual testing affect my QA career in the long run?
Without a doubt, automation has quickly become a goal, if not already a cornerstone, of software testing strategies across the globe. Many manual testers are beginning to feel the pressure of this shift and question the longevity of their value within a testing team.
The Software Quality Assurance & Testing Stack Exchange Forum has attracted such a question from a black-box functional tester who wonders, “If I only do black box testing for the rest of my career, will it affect my ability to grow in my field? Will I never earn more than the automation guys? There is no scope of performance, security or load testing in my responsibilities.”
To automate or not to automate, what’s your opinion? Join the conversation here!