One key benefit of metrics is that they can be measured using a standard process; we can explain the numbers, and leadership can understand what that means. The downside is that it is only a measurement, so issues can easily hide until they become problems, and great work can also go unrepresented. Sporting events are a great example: The end score tells you who won, but not the details of the game. We need to look deeper.

Many software testers are lamenting the impending demise of their jobs thanks to artificial intelligence. But Jon Hagar thinks there's no need to panic just yet. Here, he details some capabilities he's seen in AI, relates how these can be used in software testing, and explains why he thinks most people don't have to worry—although he also explains who should! As usual, it comes down to a willingness to learn new things.

Whole-team testing means the whole team understands and participates in testing, using testing education as a tool to support quality efforts. And to be able to support testing in a meaningful way, team members must experience how testing is done by professional testers. Understanding skilled testing can help non-testers realize what quality criteria should be there and what elements of a product contribute to great quality.

A command-line package installer is a handy tool that installs your desired software package without a fancy UI, yet it often proves to be more effective than some tools integrated into expensive IDEs. Brew and Pip are two of the more popular options for package installers when using the script language Python. But what’s the difference between them, and which makes more sense for your use? Here’s an introduction to Brew and Pip for testers.