Throughout my time in the software testing industry it has become apparent that the role of a software tester has constantly been evolving. I remember when I first started out, and my day-to-day tasks basically involved planning and performing manual testing on various software such as; pc drivers, printer software and websites... Now, my role [...]
The mysterious case of the bug that could not be reproduced…
I've been reading a topic on the LinkedIn groups recently about a bug that was found but was rejected by a developer as "Could not reproduce". The person who initiated the discussion had said that he went to re-test the defect, but found that it was un-reproducible and he was looking for advice. As always, there were [...]
Testing Captcha!
Captcha is a method of security for a website, usually found on a registration form or on a login screen when dealing with forgotten passwords, or even on a website's "Comments" section. It's used to prevent malicious automated software from spamming the website and being able to perform the registration process and is also used [...]
“What makes a great software product?”…
I was recently asked the question "What makes a great sandwich?"... I began to think about the question and list out the various elements of my perfect sandwich: Is it the granary bread? Or the type of ham used in it? Or could it be because the cheese is grated instead of sliced? What about the coleslaw? Or [...]
The “Tester Gene”….
I've often wondered if there is such a thing as a "testing gene". In fact, since I first started out as a tester over 7 years ago, I've often asked if testing is a trait that people can learn or whether it's a knack that you are born with, that makes you feel the need to [...]
Perspective is a funny thing…
It’s amazing how one person's interpretation of a bug can differ so much from another person's interpretation of the same defect. It's all down to perspective. Of not only all of the individual people involved, but also from the testing objective point of view and also the business point of view. I was recently performing [...]
Lateral Thinking, Fast and Slow…
Recently, while trying to wrap a present (which was in a fairly large box), I hit an unfortunate block... the sheet of wrapping paper that I'd bought was not big enough to be wrapped all the way around the present. It was out by about 4cm, and for all my effort of trying to stretch the [...]
Dan Ashby 