Better Software Magazine Archive:

September 2006

IN THIS ISSUE

Blink . . . or You'll Miss It
By Michael Bolton

Michael Bolton takes some tips from Malcolm Gladwell's hit book "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking" to change his perspective, remove extra information, and look for hidden patterns in using the aptly named "blink testing."

Geographically Challenged
By Leonidas Hepis

Office politics are a fact of life in the workplace, but they sometimes spill over and affect employees' lives outside the office as well. In this tale by Leonidas Hepis, office politics endanger a QA team member's work and her family time.

I'm Tired of Finding Bugs
By Alan Page

After thirteen years as a tester, Alan Page is tired of finding bugs. While he still enjoys testing, he'd rather the bugs be prevented altogether. Read his article to find out how increase quality and decrease bugs earlier in the cycle.

A Look at Testimation.com
By Geoff Horne

Getting approval for time and resources is a big challenge. Geoff Horne takes a look at how Testimation.com can help provide test managers with fair and reasonable estimates.

Tapping into Testing Nirvana
By Tod Golding

As the initial, positive vibes of unit testing begin to fade, Tod Golding goes in search of whatever it is that sends some developers into a seemingly ongoing state of unit-testing nirvana. Respect your unit tests, Grasshopper, and find your testing center.

The Blind Men and the Quality Elephant
By Lee Copeland

Lee Copeland takes a look at quality assessment through the filter of John Godfrey Saxe's poem "The Blind Men and the Elephant" and offers an important lesson: When assessing quality, make sure everyone on your project is looking for the same thing.

Test to Impress: Getting the Most Out of Ajax Developer Tools
By Stuart Halloway

Ajax applications are very popular and can be flexible and dynamic, but only if you find the bugs first. Stuart Halloway has the details on tools that Ajax developers use and that will keep your applications dressed to the nines.

QA All-Stars: Building Your Dream Team
By Hans Buwalda

A testing team can mean success or failure for a project, but developing a team means more than putting a few people together and telling them to test something. Hans Buwalda shares his teambuilding experiences and gives some tips on how you can build the best team for the job.

Code Improvement: Five Practices to Help Spread the Joy of Great Code Design
By Jeff Grover

The software we produce is like the neighborhoods in which we live--the blueprints aren't as important as the enjoyment of simply using it. The best design brings joy to both those who create it and those who use it. Jeff Grover and Zhon Johansen detail five practices to help you spread the joy.

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