The document discusses the evolution and importance of testing in software development, emphasizing collaboration and shared responsibility among team members rather than a strict division between testers and programmers. It outlines the historical milestones in testing practices, from the establishment of the first software test team to the introduction of modern concepts like exploratory testing and the Agile manifesto. The author advocates for a shift in mindset to treat testing as an activity that enhances quality ownership within teams.

1. TESTING AS AN
ACTIVITY
AND WHY WE ALL NEED TO LET GO A LITTLE…
© Stephen Janaway 2014

2. WHO AM I?
STEPHEN JANAWAY
• Testing for the last 14 years.
• Mobile phones, mobile networks, mobile
applications, web and web services.
• Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, Net-a-Porter Group.
www.stephenjanaway.co.uk @stephenjanaway
© Stephen Janaway 2014

3. THANKS TO….
• Elisabeth Hendrickson.
• Ben Kelly.
• James Bach.
• Jerry Weinberg.
• Michael Bolton.
• And many more….
© Stephen Janaway 2014

4. WHAT IS AN ACTIVITY?
ac·tiv·i·ty
1. The state of being active.
2. Energetic action or movement; liveliness.
3.
• A specified pursuit in which a person partakes.
• An educational process or procedure intended to stimulate
learning through actual experience.
4. The intensity of a radioactive source.
5. The ability to take part in a chemical reaction.
© Stephen Janaway 2014

5. WHY?
THE WORLD IS CHANGING
© Stephen Janaway 2014

6. “TESTERS TEST
AND
PROGRAMMERS
CODE”
© Stephen Janaway 2014

7. TESTING VS.
CHECKING
© Stephen Janaway 2014

8. HOW DID WE GET
HERE?
1958 - First software test team (Weinberg) - Project Mercury.
1968 - NATO report mentions Software Quality Assurance.
1968 - “Testing shows the presence, not the absence of bugs” - Edsger Dijkstra.
1976 - Software Reliability, Principles and Practices (Myers) published.
1979 - The Art of Software Testing (Myers) published.
1982 - Out of the Crisis (Deming)- “Quality must be defined in terms of customer
satisfaction”.
1988 - Exploratory testing introduced (Kaner).
1996 - Heuristic Test Strategy Model (Bach).
1999 - Context-Driven Testing (Bach a.o.) - 'The value of any practice depends on its
context'.
2001 - Agile Manifesto is published..
2002 - Test-Driven Development (Beck) - Test Driven Development: By Example.
2009 - Testing vs. Checking (Bolton).
A BRIEF HISTORY OF SOFTWARE TESTING
WWW.TESTINGREFERENCES.COM/TESTINGHISTORY.PHP

9. SOFTWARE RELIABILITY:
PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES
(MYERS)
“The goal of the testers is to make the
program fail”
“Developers shouldn’t ever test their own
code”
© Stephen Janaway 2014

10. INSERT GOAL PICTURE
HERE
© Stephen Janaway 2014

12. HOW HAS THAT
MADE US FEEL?
© Stephen Janaway 2014

13. AUTOMATION – A
PERSONAL STORY
© Stephen Janaway 2014

14. TESTING AS AN
ACTIVITY
© Stephen Janaway 2014

15. IT’S ALL ABOUT
COLLABORATION
• Using the right people to do the right things.
• Pairing.
• Training.
• Supporting.
• Shared responsibility.
• NOT BEING THE QUALITY POLICE.
© Stephen Janaway 2014

16. TESTERS DO NOT
OWN QUALITY
© Stephen Janaway 2014

17. SO WHAT’S
STOPPING US?
© Stephen Janaway 2014

18. FEAR
OF JOB SECURITY?
OF A LOSS OF QUALITY?
© Stephen Janaway 2014

19. BELIEFS
THREATENED?
© Stephen Janaway 2014

20. “TESTING AS
AN ACTIVITY”
!=
“NO MORE
TESTERS”
© Stephen Janaway 2014

21. TESTERS
ENABLE TEAMS
TO OWN
QUALITY
© Stephen Janaway 2014

22. THE FUTURE…
© Stephen Janaway 2014

23. THE TESTING ROLE
IS NOT GOING
AWAY
© Stephen Janaway 2014

24. TESTING IS A
PERFORMANCE
JAMES BACH
© Stephen Janaway 2014

25. QUESTIONS
“THERE IS AN (UNFORTUNATE) BELIEF THAT TESTERS TEST,
PROGRAMMERS CODE, AND THE SEPARATION OF THE TWO
DISCIPLINES IS IMPORTANT...”
ELISABETH HENDRICKSON
STEPHEN JANAWAY
@stephenjanaway
www.stephenjanaway.co.uk
© Stephen Janaway 2014