June 12, 2017 / by Ekaterina Budnikov / SEO & QA manager / @KatjaBudnikov

Nordic Testing Days

The Nordic Testing Days is an international testing conference for software testers from all over the world. It takes place in Tallinn, Estonia, and has a duration of 2 days plus a tutorial day. I heard a lot of interesting things concerning the topic of software testing and I want to give you a summary about what I’ve heard.

Keynote: Enjoy the ride (Henrik Roonemaa)

The internet and its users change very quickly as more and more people from all over the world can connect to it. Therefore you should keep in mind, that for some of them, their mobile phone will be the only computer they will have. Your website should be simple and easy to understand and it should definitely work on a mobile device. The goal is: Be for everybody.

10 Non-Obvious Tips to Testers (Erik Brickarp)

You should have a list of all the risks that might occur concerning your application and combine some models to create your testing strategy. Some quick tests are really useful to prevent unusual things to happen. An example could be a test for clicking on a “send” button twice or log out from a page and then click on the “back” button. But don’t forget that the tests have to have a value - so please question why you do things in a specific way or if you should check them at all.

Navigating Towards the Automation Promised Land (Erik Davis)

Being a tester it would be useful to have a technical understanding so that you are able to talk with your developers and gain some respect. If you want to build a new automation testing team you really need to find dedicated people as this might take quite some time and you will need to learn some things during the process. The automation itself has to have results that assist humans in testing and bring a value for the business.

Do Testers Need a Thick Skin? Or Should We Be Proud of Our Humanity? (Nicola Sedgwick)

The role of a tester is often treated with less respect as it should be treated and testers are seen as “just a tester”. But they are the ones that find bugs and help to build a product that works for the user. Sometimes there might be some things, that appear wrong in production, but then, as a developer, you shouldn’t just blame the testers, but try to find a solution for them together. Testers have to try to stay calm and watch out for their stress level, so that they won’t explode at some time. They shouldn’t just have thick skin, but try to change something about their situation, if they are not happy with it, and build some harmony to the whole team.

KEYNOTE: Creating Yourself as a Tester – Make Your Own Testing Path (Alan Richardson)

As a tester one of your main skills should be asking questions. And then also question the answers. You should find out how things really work and learn more about the product you are testing, because everything is just as related as you make it. Think about the way you are doing things and about how you can improve it and also yourself. If there is something you do not understand, try to find information about it to make the right assumptions. Create a model for the way you want to test things, so that you and your work is more structured.

10 Commandments for Ethical Software Testers (Fiona Charles)

During your work as a tester you need to have an ethical bottom line for yourself. Think about if you want to work for every company or maybe not for some that work in areas you don’t support (like tobacco, gambling, etc.). Try to find out whose interests you are serving and what the objectives of the company mean to you. Sometimes you need to be able to say “no” to not overstep your tolerance for risk.

A Chase of Incremental Improvement (Maaret Pyhäjärvi)

You should improve yourself and the testing process incrementally as huge changes aren’t possible over night. Try to get better and also to make your team better every day. This might mean that you should change communication patterns and try to motivate your team to work in pairs or even as a mob to create better results. You need to make your developers care about the feedback of the tester, so that the atmosphere is better and they can work together in a better way and with more respect of each other.

How to Give More Value to Business as a Tester (Margareta Muru)

Try to just test the most important things that give a value to the business. Normally you just test what is most important for the business and the users. You need to find out what users really do on your website to be able to test the right things. It would be best if your business understands that testing is in their interest, as there might be a risk of losing a user if something doesn’t work. Try to convince your manager that things like page speed or usability are important to be watched as they have an impact on the profit a user will bring.

Up and Away? How Moving Into Software Management Gave Me a Different View Of Testing (Stephen Janaway)

If you want to be treated with respect, you need to be able to explain what you do in a convincing way that also shows your value for the business. Try to bring a common understanding of quality to your team and to share your knowledge with others to gain their trust. With an adapted language you can communicate in a better way and bring your collaboration to the next level. If you also achieve to make the testing process fun, you and your team will bring great results and a great value to your business.