Would you intentionally plant defects to test your test team? Bebugging, as it’s known, is a technique where software flaws are purposely introduced to gauge testing effectiveness. Are there times and places where bebugging is a valid way to help improve processes, tighten up testing, or root out a potential weak link?
We have all witnessed an alarming rise in deceptive marketing practices that undermine customer decision-making and market integrity, with tool vendors increasingly comparing their tools to industry leaders using deliberately misleading information.
As a test professional, I’ve seen countless projects where defects are treated as disasters rather than learning opportunities. But what if we flipped that mindset? What if software development projects embraced failure as SpaceX does—not as an end, but as the beginning of progress?
Over the next five years, software and software testing are set to evolve at a rate we’ve never seen. In fact, it has already started. Over the last few years, everyone remotely involved in tech has witnessed the constant change in the way things are done. This seemingly non-stop innovation has been driven by emerging technologies, shifting development paradigms, and businesses reevaluating their priorities… and is set to accelerate.
In the race to protect us against rogue AI, our best defence might not be scientists or politicians, but the often-overlooked heroes of the tech world: software testers. As AI systems increasingly mediate healthcare, criminal justice, and military decisions, this unlikely profession could hold the key to preventing existential catastrophe.
You see them everywhere. Top 10 this, top 20 that. We have all searched for lists that rank products. Whether cars, phones, software, or anything else. But how trustworthy are the ‘top software’ lists on the internet?
Ah, software testing—where meticulous planning meets unexpected chaos and where even the most rigorous quality assurance can sometimes go awkwardly awry. As we bid farewell to 2024, it’s time to take a step back and indulge in some light-hearted reflection on the quirky side of our profession.
The World Quality Report (WQR) 2024-25 looks at the current state and future trends of Quality Engineering—albeit from a particular perspective. It is based on a survey of 1,775 executives across multiple sectors and regions. While it is a potentially interesting source of information, I’m always left asking the question: Is it useful?
Here’s a universal truth: Within minutes of a solution going live, the user base finds unexpected ways of using it. This is applicable across the board, from large-scale ERP implementations to websites, from graphic design software to video games.
In my latest Testing Times newsletter, I discussed Microsoft and their poor software quality. This led to a couple of conversations on LinkedIn comments concerning Microsoft’s approach to testing… and whether developers should ‘test their own homework’ as the saying goes. Click the newsletter link to read the comments in full.
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