Software Testing and Development Blog Posts

This post and video shows how to use the Simulation Mode in API Challenges.

This post and video shows how to use the Mirror Mode in API Challenges.

TLDR; Can Test Automation mind defects? Yes, both regressions and new defects by adding more variation into the paths or data used.

Statements like “Test automation should-not/can-not/will-not find defects” do not completely match my experience. In my experience, Automated Execution can be used to help find defects and frequently does. Not just ‘regressions’ but ’new defects’ as well.

Asking questions like “Do we need testing?” are important. But there are other questions we should probably ask first.

I have had “A Mind At Play” by Jimmy Sonni and Rob Goodman sitting on my shelf for a while now, waiting patiently with a bookmark on page 219 for me to revisit for reflection. This is the section of the book that describes Claude Shannon’s 6 Strategies for Creative Thinking.

TLDR; Negativity tends to bias processes towards the status quo. Negative feedback causes system to change. Change is how we improve.

TLDR; Testing does not make things look good, it makes things look the way they are. At which point we can improve, and then look better.

TLDR; Quality Assurance is a process. It is not a role. Roles have responsibilities, and we all have a responsibility for quality. People don’t DO quality.

Security Testing is a highly technical set of skills, covering a wide domain of knowledge that can take a long time to learn and gain proficiency. But there are simple ways to increase the scope of what we already do to provide more insight into the security of our application.

TLDR; If you are lucky enough to already be working in testing, and want to learn to automate, then I recommend gradually automating to add value in your existing work. Focus on a few tools and approaches that add value to you. Then build on that.