Ingo Philipp
Excellent Software Testing
#1about 3 minutes
Software testing is a thinking activity, not a tooling one
Tools are like glasses that help you see, but the real work of testing happens in your head as a cognitive process.
#2about 6 minutes
The goal of testing is to close the knowledge gap
Testing is an information service that reduces uncertainty about a product, enabling stakeholders to make better-informed decisions.
#3about 1 minute
Introducing Alice, the persona of an excellent software tester
The characteristics of excellent software testing are explored through the story of a fictional tester named Alice.
#4about 4 minutes
Testing is a social and human-centric science
An excellent tester understands that quality is subjective, bugs are rooted in human thinking, and automation must be strategically managed.
#5about 4 minutes
Adapting testing practices to context and purpose
Effective testing requires adapting techniques to the specific context and evaluating the software's purpose, not just its specification.
#6about 3 minutes
Learning from history and collaborating with the team
Testers should build a learning culture from past mistakes and involve the entire team's brainpower, while accepting testing's inherent limitations.
#7about 3 minutes
Viewing testing as experimentation and stakeholder empathy
Testing is an adaptive investigation that challenges assumptions and requires understanding diverse stakeholder perspectives to properly assess risk.
#8about 3 minutes
The power of curiosity and critical thinking in testing
Asking simple questions, balancing cost against risk, and maintaining a healthy skepticism are essential for uncovering deep issues.
#9about 5 minutes
Communicating results and providing quality assistance
A tester's role is to communicate problems with empathy, tell a clear story about the testing process, and assist others in improving quality.
#10about 2 minutes
Excellent testing is fast, credible, and accountable
The story of Alice is a composite of many excellent testers, and true expertise comes from learning from the giants in the field.
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