All I Ever Need to Know about Testing I Learned in Kindergarten

Column by Lee Copeland

As presented by Andy Sawyer

• Share everything.

• Share everything. • “Our profession advances when we share information

instead of using it for our own purposes.”

• Share everything. • “Our profession advances when we share information

instead of using it for our own purposes.”

• Play Fair.

• Share everything. • “Our profession advances when we share information

instead of using it for our own purposes.”

• Play Fair.• “When we don't play fair, we become untrustworthy.

Then others won't play fair with us. It's lose-lose all around.”

• Don't hit people.

• Don't hit people. • “If you find a defect in someone's work, first tell him

informally, personally, and discreetly.”

• Don't hit people. • “If you find a defect in someone's work, first tell him

informally, personally, and discreetly.”

• Put things back where you found them.

• Don't hit people. • “If you find a defect in someone's work, first tell him

informally, personally, and discreetly.”

• Put things back where you found them. • “When you are finished, put things back--reconfigure

the hardware, restore the software, reload the test data, set up the accounts, and reset the parameters.”

• Clean up your own mess.

• Clean up your own mess.• “We have a rule at my house, ‘It's OK to spill.’ No

one ever gets yelled at for spilling. But we have another rule, ‘Clean up your mess.’ That one you will get yelled at for not doing.”

• Clean up your own mess.• “We have a rule at my house, ‘It's OK to spill.’ No

one ever gets yelled at for spilling. But we have another rule, ‘Clean up your mess.’ That one you will get yelled at for not doing.”

• Don't take things that aren't yours.

• Clean up your own mess.• “We have a rule at my house, ‘It's OK to spill.’ No

one ever gets yelled at for spilling. But we have another rule, ‘Clean up your mess.’ That one you will get yelled at for not doing.”

• Don't take things that aren't yours. • Credit

• Clean up your own mess.• “We have a rule at my house, ‘It's OK to spill.’ No

one ever gets yelled at for spilling. But we have another rule, ‘Clean up your mess.’ That one you will get yelled at for not doing.”

• Don't take things that aren't yours. • Credit• Guilt

• Say you're sorry when you hurt someone.

• Say you're sorry when you hurt someone.• “Say ‘I'm sorry.’ It is one of the most powerful,

healing phrases in the human language.”

• Say you're sorry when you hurt someone.• “Say ‘I'm sorry.’ It is one of the most powerful,

healing phrases in the human language.”

• Wash your hands before you eat.

• Say you're sorry when you hurt someone.• “Say ‘I'm sorry.’ It is one of the most powerful,

healing phrases in the human language.”

• Wash your hands before you eat. • “In other words--start clean.”

• Flush.

• Flush.• Features

• Flush.• Features• Entire Projects

• Flush.• Features• Entire Projects

• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

• Flush.• Features• Entire Projects

• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

• (enough said)

• Live a balanced life.

• Live a balanced life. • “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look

around once in a while, you could miss it.”

• Live a balanced life. • “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look

around once in a while, you could miss it.”

• Learn some, think some, draw some, paint, sing, dance, play, and work every day.

• Live a balanced life. • “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look

around once in a while, you could miss it.”

• Learn some, think some, draw some, paint, sing, dance, play, and work every day.

• How about “Learn some, think some, model some, explore some, document some, communicate, and test every day”?

• Take a nap every afternoon.

• Take a nap every afternoon.• “Taking a step away from your project will give you

fresh insight and a different outlook. When you come back to the problem, you often have your own ‘a ha!’ moment.”

• Take a nap every afternoon.• “Taking a step away from your project will give you

fresh insight and a different outlook. When you come back to the problem, you often have your own ‘a ha!’ moment.”

• When you go out in the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.

• Take a nap every afternoon.• “Taking a step away from your project will give you

fresh insight and a different outlook. When you come back to the problem, you often have your own ‘a ha!’ moment.”

• When you go out in the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.

• “There is great strength in teams.”

• Be aware of wonder.

• Be aware of wonder. • “Be aware of wonder as a tester: the wonder that they

made so many stupid mistakes; the wonder that so much actually does work; the wonder that your organization is still in business; the wonder of your own talent as you discovered an amazingly convoluted bug in the code; and the wonder that you have so much fun and get paid for it.”