Better Software Magazine

Better Software Magazine Articles

When an Emergency Takes Center Stage

The middle of an emergency is no time to make a plan. Take a look at this installment of "Management Chronicles" to learn how not to be prepared for an emergency situation, and then read the Story Lines for some helpful, preparatory advice.

Peter Clark
Is the Pope a Bachelor?—Why Examples are Most Important

We like to believe that the categories we assign to the world are real and the definitions we use draw clear boundaries, but how clear are they really? Brian Marick writes about the vital nature of examples, both in the realm of software development and in the larger picture of life.

Brian Marick
Help Wanted: Hiring a Software Tester With an Agile Attitude

What can you do to ensure you hire a tester with an agile attitude? Lisa Crispin explains the approach her team used to find a new tester with both the right skills and the right attitude.

Lisa Crispin's picture Lisa Crispin
Tester PI: Performance Investigator

Finding avoidable, show-stopping problems when performance testing late in a project is, unfortunately, not uncommon. But Scott Barber says you can save time and money on your software development projects by investigating performance early and validating performance last.

Scott Barber's picture Scott Barber
Where in the World?—Is Your Test Strategy Multicultural?

Good software travels far and wide, and for rapid testers that means one of their goals is to discover risks associated with the product's operating differently with respect to some distinct locale. That's why Michael Bolton says "localizability" is preferred "internationalization," because the new target market may not be in a different country at all.

Michael Bolton's picture Michael Bolton
Feedback Before Firing

If someone on your project team isn't working up to par, it might take more than a simple showing of your disapproval to put him on the right track. Johanna Rothman suggests trying specific and useful feedback--show your employees the light before you show them the door.

Johanna Rothman's picture Johanna Rothman
Logging a Path to Code Clarity

A good log file may be the best tool to track down those "cannot reproduce" bugs, but creating the best log takes a certain amount of careful nurturing. In this article, Tod Golding explains why log files can be worth every extra line of code.

Tod Golding's picture Tod Golding
A Look at GreenBlue Inspector by Ecyware

Why should hackers have all the good tools? Marnie Hutcheson takes a look at Ecyware's GreenBlue Inspector, an inexpensive tool that automates gray box vulnerability testing for simple data types, buffer overflow, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting in forms, cookies, and client requests.

Marnie Hutcheson
Stress Testing - What a Load!

People often ask software quality specialist Scott Ames how they can increase stress in their projects. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, he responds with some steps that are guaranteed to increase the overall stress on people and projects.

Scott G. Ames
Held Hostage by a Prima Donna

This installment of Management Chronicles relates the story of an office that has been overtaken by the whims of a real prima donna. Is the value of one indispensable person worth risking the productivity of the entire team? Author Esther Derby offers her insights.

Esther Derby's picture Esther Derby

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