So, it has been a bit over two and a half years since I scribbled my first message here, and yet I keep coming back to look at my post and wonder what I could be doing with this space, or rather, what I should be doing with this space. So... I have made the decision to actively work on putting my thought down more frequently, to share what I have learned in two decades of software testing, and hopefully help a few folks overcome challenges they may face.
Might as well start off with an introduction, in case folks decide to stick around a bit or want to know who I am and how I came to stumble into testing software. As noted in my previous blog, I grew up for the most part in farming areas, but moved to Eastern Washington as a teen, where I eventually discovered the Apple IIe and coding. From there I slogged through some Community College, some Junior College and some honest to god real college, getting a degree in computer stuff, then headed out into the wild to get a coding job, since I was sure that was where I wanted to be. My first job in tech changed my mind.
The job wasn't terrible. In fact, it was actually pretty close to perfect. I was brought into a printer manufacturer to write test code for the newly staffed test lab. And by newly staffed, I mean myself and one other guy, who worked the graveyard shift and never said anything to me other than 'I ate all your cookies... sorry'. So, I jump in, freshly learned in C++, and start writing code. Test code. And as fun as writing the code was, I found that testing the printers, both through automation, and especially through manual testing, I really liked testing stuff. I like it enough that I worked there from 1990 through 1997, moving from automation to manual testing, hardware/component testing to device driver and software test, and more importantly, from 'Programmer' to 'Tester'.
Eventually I was lured away from the Spokane area, back to the western side of the state, where I have had the fortune to work at some fantastic places: Microsoft, Washington Mutual, Nexcura.com, more Microsoft, some AT&T, and finally ended up, as of this writing, attached to 343 industries, which is, well, more Microsoft. There were a few other places and a few more Microsoft along the way, but the important thing to note is that I have had a great time trying new things over and over, and learning the entire time.
Which is where I wanted to get with this first 'new' post: Learning happens and should be embraced for the opportunity it is. A chance to discover new skills and new techniques. An opportunity to improve your skills and build on your foundations. And of course, a chance to try new stuff and see what makes it break.
Next post: I will actually discuss something test related. I promise. I will be back with my latest adventure in Black Box testing, as well as tread a bit into object orientated testing/test casing in an Agile environment.
