Computing nerds bring value to any company for which they work. They bring knowledge and an understanding of systems and projects that can help managers avoid bad decisions. But the computing nerd in this stage still has room for growth. In this week's column, Payson Hall says there's a higher level of value computing nerds can achieve. And, in today's economic environment, this level is far more valuable than ever before.

Much of our behavior is automatic. We breathe without thinking about it, and we blink without much conscious effort. We do lots of other things without an iota of thought. In this column, Naomi Karten explains how jumping to conclusions is yet another thing we do without thinking about it—for better or worse.

Testers and test managers who come equipped with their own practices and tools can save time and effort and get a head start on their projects. In this column, test manager and consultant Fiona Charles describes the "go with me" collection she has built over many years and projects to help leverage her varied experience and provide a quick start on new deliverables.

Clarke Ching's friend Gary is one of those quietly clever people who hated school, so he left as soon as he could to go work in a factory. Nowadays, years after their schoolboy days in New Zealand, Clarke works in Europe as a management consultant and Gary owns and runs a small farm in New Zealand. Their lives couldn't be more different, yet Gary taught Clarke one of the most valuable lessons Clarke has learned during his career. In this article, Clarke describes that lesson and how it has changed his approach toward dealing with customers and key players in developing a product.