The Evil Tester Show: Recent Episodes

Alan Richardson

Software Testing and related topics from Software Development Expert: Alan Richardson show notes at https://eviltester.com/show

This episode covers the Test Automation Pyramid, created by Mike Cohen in 2008-2009 in the book "Succeeding With Agile". We will go beyond the diagram and look at the model that supports it. Then deep dive into the model to explore it's meaning in relation to Automated Execution Coverage, not Testing.

The model was created by Mike Cohen in 2008-2009 in the book "Succeeding With Agile."
The original model focused on UI, service level, and unit level automation.
Over the years, different interpretations and variations of the model have emerged.
The term "service level" in the model has led to ambiguity and different interpretations.
The diagram in the model is a simplified representation of a deeper underlying model.
The focus should be on achieving coverage at the most appropriate level in the system.
The model addresses the importance of avoiding duplication and redundancy in automated coverage.
The process and team structure can impact the effectiveness of the model.
The model can be reframed as an automated execution coverage pyramid.

The most common Testing Entities that I've encountered over the years are:

Test Condition
Test Scenario
Test Case
Test Script

In my Testing I pretty much now have:

Test Idea
Test Log (Execution Log)

Is there any value in the original Testing Entities? There might be if we view them as logical concepts, but not really as physical artifacts.

Top 3 Phrases that should carry trigger warnings for the Test Community:

Manual Testing
Test Automation
Quality Assurance

In this episode I'm going to talk about Manual Testing.

So that's your Trigger Warning.

And I'm going to talk about what we might want to say instead of "Manual Testing"

Episode 017 - Manual QA is Dead - The Evil Tester Show

Manual QA is dead. Companies are getting rid of their QA teams. Quality Control performed manually is phasing out of style. What can we do instead? Become coaches, assistants or advisors? We could become developers? Or we could be better testers. QA and Quality Control is not Testing. This might be how people learn.

In episode 16 of The Eviltester Show we are looking at Test Automation Biases, what they are, how to avoid them, and how to evaluate your own biases.

00:00 What is an Automation Bias?

00:29 Treat all opinions as biased

01:50 Automating a GUI is Slow and Flaky

03:36 Automate through the API

05:23 Code Free Automating is Bad

06:17 Tool X is Better than Y

07:04 Postman is Better than Insomnia

08:54 Python is Better than Java

10:24 Seeing Through Biases

12:52 Try it, then decide

13:17 Page Objects vs Screenplay

14:52 Take Responsibility

16:11 External Experience

17:02 Start Small, Make Progress

17:50 Do not ignore issues

20:34 Be Real rather than Believe

21:18 Keep Options Open

22:48 Be Aware of your biases

23:19 It takes time

In this episode we have a discussion of a UK government guide to exploratory testing.

https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/technology/exploratory-testing

The aim is not to criticise the document, the aim is to use it as a base from which to see how far our thoughts diverge or overlap with the document. I want to know what I can learn.

Show notes are here:

https://www.eviltester.com/show/015-exploratory-testing-gov/

This podcast, was originally released to Patreon supporters in January of 2019,

https://patreon.com/posts/what-is-testing-23907385

I read through the document and try to understand the intent and meaning behind statements and offer my own thoughts.

Recruiting Testers is hard.

What we want to do is minimise the friction and barriers. In this podcast I'll share some tips on what has worked for me in the past.

remove as much ambiguity from your job spec as possible
someone like me, will read 'the worst' into your ambiguity
send clear messages, not mixed messages, in the job spec
help the applicant filter out roles that are not suitable for them
when writing a job spec, review existing job specs in the world, critique them and then build on what is best from those
start with a phone interview, never start face to face
some people bluff, some people offer general answers
your job as an interviewer is to help them answer specifically and ask for more information when you want it
Interviews as auditions, held by someone who knows how to do the activity being auditioned
audition hands on with the actual code, or the actual system
use your best people for the interviews, not just anyone that is free

Show Notes:

https://eviltester.com/show

We have more posts in our recruitment category:

https://www.eviltester.com/categories/recruitment/

And our Career category:

https://www.eviltester.com/categories/career-advice/

This video was originally released as a Patreon exclusive video back in January 2019

https://www.patreon.com/posts/recruitment-tips-23896867

Episode 013 of The Evil Tester Show covers "How To Get a Job in Software Testing".

Getting a Job is different from Doing the Job
Persistence is key to getting a job
Build an online portfolio on LinkedIn
Apply for jobs slightly out of reach
Amend your CV for each job that you really want
You do not need to code to Test Software
You might need coding skills on your CV to pass the interview filter
Demonstrate that you can test software, even if you are looking for your first job in software testing.

Shownotes are available from https://eviltester.com/show

This is an audio/video episode and the video version is available on youtube:

https://youtu.be/QB8n5RXTV10

Direct Show Notes Link:

https://www.eviltester.com/show/013-how-to-get-a-job-in-testing/

More and more conferences are going online. Speakers will have to adapt. In this post I outline some recommendations based on years of online video, webinar and course creation.

If you only want the summary then...

Presenting online over video is different.
Practice will help.
Practice with the kit you are going to use, and perform complete practice run throughs.
Use an external microphone.
Record your practice sessions and listen back to them to make sure your audio is good enough.

For show notes, visit https://eviltester.com/show

I receive a lot of emails asking which way should people focus their career - Testing? Programming? Automating?

And that's what I cover in this podcast.

Points:

we should not have to think like this
But - we need to get a job
Getting a job is different from "What should I be..."

A full transcript of the show has been upload for Patreon supporters. https://www.patreon.com/posts/35209341

You can support this Podcast, and receive almost daily blog posts by signing up to https://Patreon.com/EvilTester for as little as $1 a month.

Show notes are available at https://eviltester.com/show

Episode 10 of The Evil Tester Show

I receive a lot of concerned emails and messages from testers. People concerned that their testing skills will not be enough to keep them in work and that the future revolves around automation which they don't know how to do. No programming experience. And should they learn API or UI? What programming language should they learn? People do feel that their career is at risk.

And that's what I cover in this podcast to hopefully give you some tips if you do want to learn to program or code and start working on test automation, and some tips on what to do if you don't and think that software testers should not have to learn to code.

There are many paths to success in testing.

Show notes available at:

https://eviltester.com/show

"Why?" is an incredibly popular question. I think it has problems. I try to avoid it when I'm consulting. In this show we will examine "Why?" and under what circumstances I do use it. "Why?" is almost a default question because it can take the place of every other question. It is easy to ask. We don't even need to know what answer we want. It's also a very ambiguous question, and when we ask why there is a risk that people try to read into our motivation, and that people might take offence. Show notes will be available at https://eviltester.com/show

What is Software Testing? A Hard Question. But many people want easy answers. In this episode we look at: - popular definitions for interview answers - how definitions can help - definitions are models - your definition will change, and should change over time - my working definition, how it changes and how it helps me Show notes:

https://eviltester.com/show/008-what-is-testing/

Have you ever built a tool list?

Yes? Me too. I don't any more. And in this show I explain why, and what I do instead.

Show notes are over on:

http://eviltester.com/show/007-finding-tools-2019/

You can support me on Patreon https://patreon.com/eviltester (and receive extra content)

Hire me for consultancy and buy my online books and training at:

https://compendiumdev.co.uk
https://eviltester.com

Have you ever used a workaround to get something done? You betcha. In this show I describe some examples and how important they have been in my testing and my career. And some of the risks you face when you use them. Show notes are over on: http://eviltester.com/show/006-workarounds-2018/

You can support me on Patreon https://patreon.com/eviltester (and receive extra content) Hire me for consultancy and buy my online books and training at: - https://compendiumdev.co.uk - http://eviltester.com - http://seleniumsimplified.com - http://javafortesters.com

In this podcast we talk about Rejection.

You will receive rejection in many parts of your life. Happens to everyone. Everyone. The important thing is how you react to it. It is possible to allow a rejection to knock you flat and suck the motivation out of you so you give up. You have to understand that that reaction is a choice. And giving up, is probably the wrong choice.

In this podcast we will cover other choices you can make and strategies you can adopt to deal with and handle rejection.

How to develop resilience
How to handle rejection
Sales is “get the right offer, in front of the right person, at the right time”.
Rejection is built in to the sales process.
Nature abhors a vacuum how to avoid doubts filling a confidence vacuum

You can support me on Patreon https://patreon.com/eviltester (and receive extra content)

Hire me for consultancy and buy my online books and training at:

https://compendiumdev.co.uk
http://eviltester.com
http://seleniumsimplified.com
http://javafortesters.com

How to use your Testing Skills to define goals and plans - The Evil Tester Show - New Year Special 2018

In this show you will learn:

What is a resolution?
why do you want it?
how your beliefs help you
how your testing skills help you define goals and create action plans
Big goals or small goals?
how to explore progress on goals as value add chunks
Prioritise and learn to say NO
Books for Questioning - The Structure of Magic - vols 1 and 2
see also "NLP for Testers" https://www.compendiumdev.co.uk/page/nlp

Show Notes at EvilTester.com.show

In this Black Friday Special of The Evil Tester Show Podcast we consider lessons we can learn from discount sales, retail under pressure, and confidence tricksters and expert provocateurs. We discuss: - The Black Friday Software Testing Game - Oracles - Observation - Evidence - Belief - UK Sale of Goods Act - what is a sale? - What is an expert? - How to communicate like an expert - Automating through the GUI - Options for Automating - Testing for Confidence - Communicating Confidence - You can be confident that something is wrong - Confidence doesn't mean Goodness Show notes: http://eviltester.com/show/003-black-friday-2017/

The book Provocative Therapy has had a big impact on my life as a tester and a consultant. Also I want to discuss the Tester's Role in Modern Software Development and the current vogue for Quality Coaches (that might be a bit provocative)

What is provocative therapy?
The Goals of provocative therapy
Humour in provocative therapy
How to use provocative therapy as a consultant
What is the tester's role in modern software development?
Why are people confused about a Tester's role on Agile?
Why is Agile Testing Hard?
Why will Quality Coaching help?
What does a tester really do?
What makes a good tester different from other people on an Agile team?
What are the dangers with Test Coaches?
How do we define our own role on Agile Projects?
What does a tester do on Agile Projects?
Can programmer's test their own code?

Show notes at http://eviltester.com/show

http://eviltester.com/show/002-provocative-2017

We are in the Uncertainty Business. We find and investigate anomalous Phenomena Anomalous - "deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected." We are part of a long tradition of Anomalous Phenomena seekers. Show notes