Get Some SQAForums Swag in 2012!

Join me and my 190,000 good friends at SQAForums.com

The good people over at SQAForums.com are giving stuff away!  Yes, stuff for free!

All you have to do is actively participate.  copyrightjoestrazzere

• If you post 100 times in 2012, you get a Pen or Stress Ball!
• If you post 200 times in 2012, you get a Mug or Tumbler!
• If you post 300 times in 2012, you get a T-Shirt!
• If you post 400 times in 2012, you get a Polo Shirt!
• If you post 500 times in 2012, you get a Pullover or Sweatshirt!
• If you post 1000 times in 2012, you get a Jacket!

Each of these is an official "SQAForums Limited Edition" item.

But even more than these rewards, you'll get to be part of a thriving community of professional testers from all over the world that is currently over 190,000 strong and growing! And of course, you'll find me there, helping to Moderate a few forums, answering a few questions, and asking a few of my own.

You'll also find Webinars, free blogs, job postings, and lots more.

Check out http://www.sqaforums.com/showflat.php?Number=693404 for this and other exciting SQAForums.com news.

Won't you join me at SQAForums.com in 2012?

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This article originally appeared in my blog: All Things Quality

	My name is Joe Strazzere and I'm currently a Director of Quality Assurance. I like to lead, to test, and occasionally to write about leading and testing. Find me at http://AllThingsQuality.com/.

Perhaps They Should Have Tested More - Windows Phone

Mang... oh, no!

A recent flaw in Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5 allows certain SMS messages to cause the phone to reboot and come back up with the messaging hub disabled. It's kind of one better than the Google Android flaw which rebooted a phone in response to a simple texted message. In the case of Windows Phones, you get a reboot and a disabled service - a twofer! And the only way to cure the now-disabled messaging service is to reset the phone, and clear out all of its data.  copyrightjoestrazzere

Perhaps Microsoft should have tested more?

It does lead one to wonder - what messages might do that to a Windows Phone?  Here are a few guesses:

• Reboot
• SJobsRulz
• URJustAZune
• Mangle
• QualityIsJob1
• WhoNeedsSMS
• IE9
• PutPeopleFirst
• wINrUMORS
• Droid
• Windows95

See also:

http://www.winrumors.com/windows-phone-sms-attack-discovered-reboots-device-and-disables-messaging-hub/

http://www.reghardware.com/2011/12/13/windows_phones_debilitated_with_killer_sms/

http://www.pcworld.com/article/246101/windows_phone_75_sms_vulnerability_can_disable_messaging.html

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/windows-phone-hit-by-sms-vulnerability/17099
http://www.tgdaily.com/mobility-brief/60183-yet-another-windows-phone-bug-plagues-os

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This article originally appeared in my blog: All Things Quality

	My name is Joe Strazzere and I'm currently a Director of Quality Assurance. I like to lead, to test, and occasionally to write about leading and testing. Find me at http://AllThingsQuality.com/.

Sharing Lessons Learned

Good Lessons Are Meant To Be Shared

Yesterday, I posted a long-overdue report on my favorite book on QA and Testing: Lessons Learned in Software Testing.

I mentioned that I use it in group discussions with my Team. When I handed out copies of the book, I wrote up a few notes and put them inside the cover of each book. I talked about them during our first group discussion. I thought I'd share them with you.

Lessons Learned in Software Testing

The book is a gift to you.  Put your name on it and keep it for yourself.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

My thoughts on what we can do with this book.

1.       Of all the testing books I have ever read, I think this one is

a.       The most useful

b.      The most practical

c.      One of the easiest to read and understand

d.      Has a great Bibliography at the back copyrightjoestrazzere

2.       The authors are all smart, practical, thoughtful people.  They also write a lot of other things you might want to read.

3.       On the Dedication page, Anna Allison was a friend and co-worker who died in the first AA plane to crash into the world trade tower on 9/11

4.       Lots of lessons here

a.       You already know most of them!  (But you might not know that you know)

b.      Not all of them apply to us

c.       None of them are “gospel”, just ideas to talk about

5.       I thought we might go through a chapter at a time

a.       Spend 2 weeks reading a chapter and writing up a few notes

b.      Discuss what we see in our next bi-weekly meeting

c.       We don’t have to cover the chapters in order

d.      We don’t have to cover all chapters

6.       I hope this is

a.       Fun first

b.      Educational second

c.       Not too boring for anyone

7.       Please let me know what you think

a.       I’m considering blogging about our process if it works out well

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This article originally appeared in my blog: All Things Quality

	My name is Joe Strazzere and I'm currently a Director of Quality Assurance. I like to lead, to test, and occasionally to write about leading and testing. Find me at http://AllThingsQuality.com/.

Book: Lessons Learned in Software Testing

Lessons Learned in Software Testing

by Cem Kaner, James Bach and Bret Pettichord

I'm often asked to recommend a good book about software testing. Sometimes I'm even asked what I think is the best book about software testing. I usually hesitate to ever say "best", since I believe the best for me may not necessarily be the best for you. But if I had to pick just one book that I think would prove to be the most valuable across the widest range of readers, it would be Lessons Learned in Software Testing by Cem Kaner, James Bach, and Bret Pettichord.

Lessons Learned is a terrific compilation of 293 "lessons" - short, real-world, easily-readable treatments of a range of topics relevant to new and seasoned testers, developers, managers, and executives. These lessons, culled from the experiences of the authors, are arranged in chapters addressing everyday topics you might face: copyrightjoestrazzere

• The Role of the Tester
• Thinking Like a Tester
• Testing Techniques
• Bug Advocacy
• Automating Testing
• Documenting Testing
• Interacting with Programmers
• Managing the Testing Project
• Managing the Testing Group
• Your Career in Software Testing
• Planning the Testing Strategy

Of all the testing books I have on my bookshelf, this is the one I find myself coming back to time after time.

I've even gone as far as purchasing a copy of this book for each member of my Test Team, and using it in group discussions. We find ourselves disagreeing about some of the points made in the book (as you will too), but we have found that virtually all of the lessons lead to a lively discussion about software, testing, and our profession. Books that are this thought-provoking are rare.

I'm convinced that every software tester who reads this book will find at least a few gems that are particularly relevant for their individual situation. And I believe that most folks will find most of the book extremely valuable.

If you get a chance to read Lessons Learned in Software Testing, do so, then let me know what you think.  And if you've already read it, do you agree with my assessment?

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This article originally appeared in my blog: All Things Quality

	My name is Joe Strazzere and I'm currently a Director of Quality Assurance. I like to lead, to test, and occasionally to write about leading and testing. Find me at http://AllThingsQuality.com/.

Requirements Are...

Requirements are

According to Google (and Google knows everything), requirements are ...

• Requirements are your friends
• Requirements are surprisingly reasonable
• Requirements are bullsh!t copyrightjoestrazzere
• Requirements are not enough
• Requirements are changing
• Requirements are approved
• Requirements are fittingly barren
• Requirements are the test
• Requirements are the foundation of knowledge
• Requirements are changing continuously
• Requirements are absurd
• Requirements are cumulative
• Requirements are your true north compass
• Requirements are rules
• Requirements are met
• Requirements are reasonable
• Requirements are helpful, but
• Requirements are needed
• Requirements are driving significant technology purchases
• Requirements are getting tougher
• Requirements are wasting your money
• Requirements are coming
• Requirements are a joke

Can you add to the list?

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This article originally appeared in my blog: All Things Quality

	My name is Joe Strazzere and I'm currently a Director of Quality Assurance. I like to lead, to test, and occasionally to write about leading and testing. Find me at http://AllThingsQuality.com/.