Project Management

Some testers take it upon themselves to learn as much as possible about the inner workings of the system under test. This type of "gray box" testing is valuable, and most testers have the technical wherewithal to grasp much of what's going on behind the scenes. But it's important to recognize that sometimes "ignorance is strength" when it comes to finding problems that users will encounter.

It's easy to be frustrated by lack of executive management support for QA. Often it's difficult to get the backing we need to really operate effectively. But somewhere beyond cynicism lies a world of possibilities, and exploring them can help you articulate your needs. What would you ask for if you could?

A software project is a complex thing. It involves many players, many tasks, and lots of things that could go wrong (and often do). If not for dogged optimism, some projects might not be tackled at all. But optimism doesn't mean turning a blind eye to potential pitfalls. In this column, Esther Derby applies a lesson about asking, "What if..."

Are you inadvertently setting up a one-dimensional team? Managers regularly make statements to recruiters like, "I need another test engineer just like Charlie." Sometimes hiring people with very similar qualifications makes sense, but sometimes breaking the mold makes a better team.