Welcome - why are we here at all?

Welcome to my new blog, where the main focus will be on my professional life as a software tester.

I decided to start blogging about testing for a host of reasons, but the main one is that so many people are talking absolute rubbish about testing, and I want to set the record straight. Or, join in with more rubbish. Sure, I don't know everything, but I have a lot of experience and a lot of ideas.

Another reason is that I've found that I work on instinct a lot, yet get good results. So in addition to pointing out the rubbish and laughing at it, I hope to formulate my own approach into some sort of coherent framework that could be taught to others. It is easy to point out where something is wrong, it is much more difficult to suggest a solution.

My background, with anonymised company names: I started working in the Giant Fruit Company in Cork (Ireland) as a software tester in 1996, first on testing the porting of software to their range of laptops, and then testing localized software bundles. In early 1998, I moved to Dublin to work for the Coffee Cup Stain, my introduction to testing to spec, working on very large systems for GSM network management. In 2002, I went-all-Irish and emigrated to Finland, to work for A Finnish Telecoms Company (not the one you're thinking of) (nor the other one you're thinking of), which is where I finally began to have some input into how I was testing. Finally getting frustrated with the product I was testing, in May 2006 I moved to my current employer, The Logistics People, where I am the lead tester and (I like to think) shining example to all.

In addition: I am a rare being, a senior tester who also really likes executing tests. I have trouble taking things seriously, although inside, y'know, I'm like tortured. I move at my own pace, I'm easily bored, and I am far too busy outside of work.