Discussion Time
Exercise
Here are two websites both selling the same service:
www.bondurant.com
donswansonracingschool.com/programs.htm
- Write a bug in a group of 2 or 3
- Ignore screenshots (but they are important)
- Swap with another group
- Write feedback from a dev perspective
- Brainstorm what we liked about each other's
Extra Tips
Increase Credibility
Pick your battles
Be prepared for a no
- Don't waste people's time
- But if you believe something should get fixed, do your best to persuade them why........
- Consistently create good bug reports
- Be professional
- Make friends
- Become a specialist in an area
- It might be too expensive to fix
- Stakeholders don't care
- There are other priorities at the moment
- Bug report might not be clear
- Your credibility needs to improve
Why?
- Consequences i.e. it looks bad, financial, embarrassing
- Easy fix
- Importance: will affect a high number of customers, very important customers or very easy to find
Let's raise it
Bad Example of Formatting
Utilise Formatting
Short and Sweet
Less words does not necessarily mean less information
If there's a way you can get your point across using less words - do so.
People shouldn't have to struggle to figure out what you're on about
Use bold/italic/underlined formatting to help you get your point across
Is there a reason to use sub-headings in the bug you raised? --> Use Underline or Italics
Is there a specific sentence you really want to draw attention to? --> Use bold
Good Example of Formatting
Can it be replicated?
Search for duplicates
- Spell words correctly
- Choose your words wisely
- Search for duplicates
State how you can replicate this bug
Or maybe... you can't replicate it straightaway?
If so.......
Intermittent Behaviour
State the behaviour you encountered appears to be intermittent (so that the bug doesn't get rejected straight away when the dev is unable to replicate it)
Again, make sure you spell correctly and choose your words wisely so others can find this bug and add a comment when they experience this strange behaviour
3. Jot it down
Bug Advocacy
- Post-it Note
- Come back to it later
- Stick it to the edge of your computer screen
2. Talk to someone
- Actually have a conversation with someone
- It's great for triggering extra thought processes
- Ask for their opinion
- Ask for help (if needed)
Before raising the bug
1. Investigate
2. Talk to someone
3. Jot it down
- Actually have a conversation with someone
- It's great for triggering extra thought processes
- Ask for their opinion
- Ask for help (if needed)
- Post-it Note
- Come back to it later
- Stick it to the edge of your computer screen
- This is where I do my best to narrow it down.
- Questions I ask myself:
- Can it be replicated?
- Do there appear to be any other bugs in this area?
- What does this tell me about the state of other parts of the software?
- What evidence can I gather?
Benefits of talking
- You can use your hands to help get your point across
- You can use your voice to help get your point across
- Some things are easier to say verbally that it is to write down
What is a Bug?
An Experience Report
"Any threat to the value of the product to any stakeholder who matters." James Bach
- May or may not be a coding error
- Design errors are bugs too
A bit about me
- I've been a Test Analyst with Assurity for two years.
- My degree: BA/BCom in Economics and German
- Past Projects: Education, Trade and Payments
- Curious - prone to ask questions and read a lot
- Tendency: To not mince words
- I'm on Twitter @NicolaO55 - I usually tweet about testing but sometimes about food.
- I blog: nickytests.blogspot.com It documents my learning journey.