Defining the profession - what next?

Following my keynote at EuroSTAR, a number of people wanted to know, “What do we do next to develop the profession?” and other people saying to me, “We have already started on this by…” so here are just some of the ideas and some of the projects already underway which you could join.

A group from Norway are already looking at links with universities to provide a improved tester education. This is from the Norwegian special interest group – visit http://dataforeningen.no/FgdLS4k.ips and http://dataforeningen.no/?module=Articles;action=ArticleFolder.publicOpenFolder;ID=1930

In the UK, the UK Testing Board is seeking volunteers to help write exam questions; visit the UK Board on www.uktb.org and email info@uktb.org.uk if you want to be part of the exam question group

Two survey activities are taking place; both researchers would value your input and their research will help us have a greater understanding of current position and what we need to do next.

• Brett Sumner is carrying out a survey and interviews for an MBA to look at the evolution of the IT profession and the relationship between IT and the business, and the links to his survey are in the December EuroSTAR Newsletter and are:

For general IT end users, business and management: http://www.surveyconsole.com/console/TakeSurvey?id=416482

For IT practitioners, IT management, etc. : http://www.surveyconsole.com/console/TakeSurvey?id=411081

• Nick Pearce – who spoke at EuroSTAR on cultural aspects of professionalism – is starting research for an MSC dissertation “An investigation into the discipline of software testing and its transition towards a profession.” Nick is looking for volunteers to interview, so please contact him on nick.pearce@infuse.it if you are happy to be interviewed.

If you are interested in the IT route map for development of the profession, look at www.ifip.org and click on “projects”. You’ll also find your country’s IT professional body, if you are not sure what it is.

If you are interested in certification schemes, have a look at the International Software Testing Qualification Board website, www.istqb.org. If you want to look at alternatives, have a look at the debates on the Association for Software Testing website http://www.associationforsoftwaretesting.org/
for discussion of certification schemes in an interview with Cem Kaner.

Two people from France said they would be interested in a special interest group in France – so I have put them in touch with each other – if you know of a SIG in France, we could pass that information on, or if you also want a SIG in France, again, we could put you in touch with each other.

If you are involved with any other initiatives or projects, why not write a short piece for the EuroSTAR newsletter to let everyone know what you are doing?

A number of people said that they are interested in continuing to discuss ideas. So, let’s use the EuroSTAR blog to do that as it already exists! But be aware this will not be “my” group as some of you have suggested! This will be “your” group – for you to control, keep alive and keep interesting! For you to agree, disagree, debate and try out ideas. For you to communicate, form plans and form groups to make things happen! So this is the start of a blog-place for you to add to and discuss ideas...

Thanks for your time. Let’s keep the momentum going!

Isabel Evans

Upcoming EuroSTAR Webinar- Thursday, 15th November.

'Regulating Professional Competence: How do we know we are fit to practice software testing?'
-Presented By Isabel Evans, Testing Solutions Group, UK.

Date: Thursday, 15th November, 2007
Time: 10:00 am London-Dublin / 11:00am CET
Duration: 30 minutes

Key Points
• Education and experience – how professions define competence levels
• Qualification - how professions regulate qualification levels for entry
• Evidence for competence level - how professions regulate individual career progress.

Biography
Isabel Evens, Testing Solutions Group, UK
Isabel is a Principal Consultant at Testing Solutions Group with over 20 years experience in the IT industry, including development of procedures, standards and methods, test management, test design and quality management. As well as presenting seminars and training courses to clients, Isabel has spoken on software quality, testing and test management at conferences in the UK, Europe and the USA. Her book, “Achieving Software Quality Through Teamwork” was published by Artech in May 2004. Isabel is a Certified Fellow of the British Computer Society. After 4 years study part time, Isabel qualified in 2006 with an RHS Advanced Certificate in Horticulture.

Register Today!

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Save this event to your calendar!

EuroSTAR Webinar - Thursday, 11th October.

'How To Develop A Reliable Test Effort Estimation'
- Presented By Ruud Teunissen, Polteq IT Services, The Netherlands

Date: Thursday, 11th October, 2007
Time: 10:00 am London-Dublin / 11:00am CET
Duration: 30 minutes

Key Points
• Even with little or almost no information available, it is possible to define a global estimate. By asking and answering a few questions, your estimate becomes more accurate.
• The “average” project is a myth! There are always differences that influence the required test effort. Learn how to create an approach for effort estimation that you can tune and that is reliable, defendable and negotiable.
• It's better to be honest than to admit you did not tell the whole truth at the start. It's essential for any estimate!

Biography
Ruud Teunissen, Polteq IT Services, The Netherlands
In the testing world since 1989, Ruud Teunissen has held numerous test functions in different organizations and projects: tester, test specialist, test consultant, test manager, etcetera. Ruud is co-author of Software Testing- Guide to the TMap® Approach and is a frequent speaker at (inter)national conferences and workshops. He was a member of the program committee for Quality Week Europe and EuroSTAR. Ruud is currently an International Test Consultant at POLTEQ IT Services BV.

Register Now!

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Save this event to your calendar!

Win A FREE Conference Place At EuroSTAR 2007

This competition is now closed.

To coincide with this year's Early Bird Deadline of Friday September 28th, we are giving you the chance to win a FREE conference place at EuroSTAR 2007. Simply click the link below to enter our competition and you could be joining us in Stockholm for Europe's premier software testing conference!

Next EuroSTAR Webinar - Wednesday, 5th September!

An Introduction to Testing on Agile Teams – The Practices & Beyond: presented by Antony Marcano, testingReflections.com, UK.

Date: Wednesday, 5th September, 2007
Time: 10:00 am London-Dublin / 11:00am CET
Duration: 30 minutes



Abstract: An increasing number of organisations are considering, or are in the process of, adopting Agile software development practices. Often, how testers integrate into this process is an afterthought. Worse still, organisations assume that it changes nothing about how testers function and operate. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, a capable Agile team can change the very raison d’etre of a tester in all the ways that testers have often hoped for. No longer does the tester *need* to be the gatekeeper of quality; the whole development team cares about quality like never before. No longer are testers at the end of the process; testers are involved from the outset of the project!

During this webinar, Antony discusses:

Key Points
• What is it that makes a team ‘Agile’? – Practices such as Test Driven Development are a reflection of underlying values and goals. It’s the adoption of these values and goals that allows a team to gain the greatest benefit from adopting an Agile approach to software development.

• What are the common ‘Gotchas’ for testers on Agile teams? – For example, extraordinarily short iterations producing software with end-to-end features can catch out many testing teams. This is especially true if the test team is used to being segregated from the developers as a separate team and/or rely on large amounts of manually executed scripted tests.

• What role do testers play and how can you deliver the most value? – Your primary role is no longer just to inform the project of how the software doesn’t work, but to be a welcomed guide who helps, before the first line of code is written, to make sure that the software does work.

Register Now for this Webinar!

Checklist for Test Preparation

Listed below are questions/suggestions for systematically planning and preparing software testing.

• Have you planned for an overall testing schedule and the personnel required, and associated training requirements?


• Have the test team members been given assignments?


• Have you established test plans and test procedures for


• module testing,


• integration testing,


• system testing, and


• acceptance testing?


• Have you designed at least one black-box test case for each system function?


• Have you designed test cases for verifying quality objectives/factors (e.g. reliability, maintainability, etc.)?


• Have you designed test cases for verifying resource objectives?


• Have you defined test cases for performance tests, boundary tests, and usability tests?


• Have you designed test cases for stress tests (intentional attempts to break system)?


• Have you designed test cases with special input values (e.g. empty files)?


• Have you designed test cases with default input values?


• Have you described how traceability of testing to requirements is to be demonstrated (e.g. references to the specified functions and requirements)?


• Do all test cases agree with the specification of the function or requirement to be tested?


• Have you sufficiently considered error cases? Have you designed test cases for invalid and unexpected input conditions as well as valid conditions?


• Have you defined test cases for white-box-testing (structural tests)?


• Have you stated the level of coverage to be achieved by structural tests?


• Have you unambiguously provided test input data and expected test results or expected messages for each test case?


• Have you documented the purpose of and the capability demonstrated by each test case?


• Is it possible to meet and to measure all test objectives defined (e.g. test coverage)?


• Have you defined the test environment and tools needed for executing the software test?


• Have you described the hardware configuration an resources needed to implement the designed test cases?


• Have you described the software configuration needed to implement the designed test cases?


• Have you described the way in which tests are to be recorded?


• Have you defined criteria for evaluating the test results?


• Have you determined the criteria on which the completion of the test will be judged?


• Have you considered requirements for regression testing?

EuroSTAR Webinar Archive

Did you miss last month's webinar? Now you can watch it at a time that suits you! We now have recorded versions available for both our May and June live webinars in our archive.

Webinar Archive...

EuroSTAR Live Webinars

Using Lessons Learned to Challenge ERP Projects -
presented by Paul Gerrard, Gerrard Consulting, UK

At EuroSTAR we know you have a busy schedule full of deadlines and meetings. Our solution is to offer live 30 minute webinars on the latest testing topics presented by some of the industry's leading experts.

A very valuable half an hour!

Date: Thursday, June 14th, 2007
Time: 10:00 am Dublin- London / 11:00am CET
Duration: 30 mins

Key points
• Hear how lessons learned in past implementations can help you to avoid the mistakes of the past
• See some examples of real-world ERP failures and lessons learned
• Hear how the lessons learned provide a framework for future Test Strategies

Register Now!

EuroSTAR 2007 Conference Programme Launched Today!

EuroSTAR is Europe’s ultimate testing experience…
3-6 December, Stockholm, Sweden!

Four action packed days of testing, training, discovery, networking and much more.
Check out our line up of 14 exceptional tutorials, over 40 track sessions and world-class keynote speakers, giving you more choice than ever before!
This year’s conference theme 'Defining the Profession'- is intended to be inclusive and will look at all aspects of software testing. Your participation will make this a conference to remember.

View the EuroSTAR 2007 Conference Programme just launched today!

Registration is now open, secure your place at the most educational and inspiring testing event this year!

RadView Launches World's First Commercial-Grade Open Source Internet Performance Testing Product into $1 Billion Market

WebLOAD, created by the co-founder of Mercury Interactive and backed by 1,600 commercial deployments and 250 engineering years, adopts GPL

SAN RAMON, Calif., April 11, 2007. RadView Software Ltd. (OTCBB: RDVWF), today launched WebLOAD Open Source, the world's first commercial-grade open source Internet performance testing solution. RadView will now focus on products that are based on open source to offer customers a solid alternative to high-cost proprietary performance testing solutions that are often too difficult to implement and lack the flexibility to properly meet customer needs.

WebLOAD Open Source, licensed under the GNU Public License (GPL) version 2, is based on WebLOAD, the company's flagship product that is already deployed at 1,600 sites. Immediately available for free download and use, WebLOAD is a commercial-grade open source project with more than 250 engineering years of product development.

"Current proprietary solutions are too costly and too inflexible, prohibiting developers from tackling performance issues correctly," said Ilan Kinreich chief strategist of RadView and a co-founder of Mercury Interactive. "RadView's open source approach will foster innovation, expand the use of performance testing, provide the foundation for an open source testing ecosystem, and help to define testing standards. Ultimately, open source testing tools will be the key catalyst to improve the quality of Internet applications."

"RadView is embracing an open source approach for building, marketing and selling software," said Yochai Hacohen, RadView CEO. "The power of the open source ecosystem, will make WebLOAD a better product, reduce time to market and increase WebLOAD's reach, enabling WebLOAD to become the de facto standard for performance testing of Internet applications."

RadView supports and distributes WebLOAD under a commercial open source business model. WebLOAD Open Source is a fully functional, commercial-grade performance testing product that is and will always be freely available. Companies that require commercial support, additional productivity features and compatibility with third-party protocols have the option of purchasing WebLOAD Professional directly from RadView.

About RadView

RadView Software Ltd. (OTCBB: RDVWF), is a commercial open source company that develops, supports, and sells WebLOAD, the world's leading commercial-grade open source performance testing solution. Deployed at over 1,600 customers and built with 250 engineering years, WebLOAD improves the Internet experience for everyone by helping developers build high quality Internet applications. More information on WebLOAD Open Source is available at http://www.webload.org/. Commercial customers seeking support, additional productivity features and compatibility with third-party protocols should visit http://www.radview.com/ or call 1-888-RADVIEW

The EuroSTAR Student of the Year Award

This year EuroSTAR are introducing a new award for students to encourage the next generation of testers.
The EuroSTAR Student of the Year Award aims to find the best students involved in software testing and make the results of their research available to the wider testing community.
So if you are (or know) a student who wants the opportunity to make their testing career blossom... find out more!

Last Opportunity to Submit Your Presentation to EuroSTAR 2007!

Share YOUR experience, YOUR insight, YOUR vision.

Would you like to speak at EuroSTAR?
Then get writing... Submit your proposal before the close of business on Friday, March 16th!

Full Call for Papers & Submission Form

Mark Your Calendar:
Deadline for submissions: 16th March 2007
Notification of acceptance: 8th May 2007
Presentations / papers due: 7th September 2007
Conference dates: 3rd - 6th Dec 2007

EuroSTAR Presentations Now Available Online!

EuroSTAR are delighted to introduce a new offering to the European software testing community - Online access to some of the Highlights of last year's conference!

You may now access up to 40 premium presentations from EuroSTAR 2006, which took place in Manchester last December. A selection of the conference sessions are available online as flash files, complete with the original speakers narration, synchronised to the powerpoint graphics!
This offer applies to past conference delegates or newcomers to EuroSTAR alike!
Perhaps you would like to access a session you really liked at EuroSTAR 2006, or alternatively one you missed because it may have clashed with some other tracks at the conference. We are delighted to offer you the chance to experience some of the excellent presentations from last year's conference in flash format which really does bring the presentations to life.

'Pay to Play'
There is a charge to view presentations. Once you have chosen to pay for a presentation you have unlimited access to that presentation. We also have options to purchase single or multiple presentations. You can choose to purchase 5 or 10 presentations to avail of discounted prices. Please note: Pre - conference tutorials are not available to play online.

CLICK HERE to access online presentations from EuroSTAR 2006.

Browse presentations on People Issues, Metrics, Model-Based Testing, Test Design, Techniques and much more!

STAR Tester Newsletter

Keep up to date with what's happening in the testing industry by subscribing to the STAR Tester Newsletter. Each month we bring you outstanding articles from some of the greatest testing minds.

Have a look at our Newsletter archive.

Please remeber your comments and feedback are greatly appreciated, if you would like to contribute your ideas feel free to submit your articles to me at susan@qualtechconferences.com

Kind regards,

Susan McAndrew

Editor

Call For Papers - EuroSTAR 2007

"Defining the Profession"
Stockholm, 3rd - 6th December, 2007

The theme of the conference is 'Defining the Profession'.

• Do you consider yourself a testing professional? Do others?
• What allows you to make that claim?
• Is there a core set of skills? Are they technical skills, people skills, or both?
• What is your single most valuable skill? Can you communicate it to others?
• Can qualifications define a professional tester?
• Can your organisation contribute a best practice to the profession?

By the end of the conference both delegates and speakers should have a far better picture of the current state of our discipline - and an opinion on the direction it should be moving in. This theme is intended to be inclusive and we will look at submissions covering all aspects of software testing. After all, if your message is of value to a professional tester attending as a delegate then it should, in some way, contribute to 'defining the profession'.
Your participation will make this a conference to remember.
We look forward hearing from you.
Thanks in advance,

Stuart Reid,
Programme Chair, EuroSTAR 2007

Click here for complete Call For Papers

Empirix Robosapien V2 Winners

On behalf of Empirix I would like to congratulate the winners of the impressive Robosapien V2! Many of you who attended EuroSTAR 2006 would have met or in my case bumped into (literally) this little guy as you walked around the Expo!!

The lucky winners are Chris Ambler, QA Director, Electronic Arts, UK
and Hans Ruesink, Competence Manager, Financial Services, Logica CMG, Netherlands.

Congratulations to you both!