[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]No matter who you are or what you are there are certain things that you should definitely avoid saying to a tester. A tester while testing knows what he’s doing, how’s he doing it and when he can deliver it so while he’s testing don’t bother crossing the line!!!
“You’re actually a very nice person. I don’t care what the developers say.”
The relationship between testers and developers is that of a husband and wife; can’t do with them, can’t do without them! When a product reaches its final stages it is judged at various points and both testers and developers find it easy to play the blame game. The relationship should however be of mutual understanding as James Bach, the testing guru, once wrote that a tester is not the gatekeeper of quality. He doesn’t own quality. Shipping a good product is a goal shared by both.
“Can you hurry up and finish testing soon? We’re under a very tight deadline.”
Haste makes waste. This is true for testing as well. Testing cannot be rushed. You are likely to miss out something when in a hurry that can be pointed out later. Testing should start at an earlier stage as it becomes less effective at the later stages. Designers and programmers should involve the testers from the start to avoid confusion and save on time. If the testers have knowledge of the product right from the beginning they are in a better position to understand its complexities. Giving the product to them at the last stage and then setting a deadline for it can never produce good results. You should let the testing process evolve at its own pace.
This is no longer a bug, please see the updated requirements.
Defects should not be turned into requirements at all. If the requirements change the testers should be informed well in time so that their time is not wasted. In fact they should be updated regularly about any changes made to the product be it design or programming.
“I didn’t have time to read your bug report. Give me the 5-second version.”
Testers take their work seriously and spend a lot of time in fixing and detecting bugs in order to provide their clients with error free products. Therefore, other team members should also take time out to evaluate what they’ve done and should not be brushing aside their efforts. Testing is an art in itself as it encompasses exploration, discovery and learning.
“Couldn’t a machine do this much easier?”
Automation testing undoubtedly has made the work of the tester much easier but it certainly cannot replace the testers themselves. There are certain things that can only be done manually and things that can only be decided by the tester for e.g. which tool to use or implement? Or who would analyze the tests?
“I only made one little change, so it doesn’t need to be tested.”
Testers work with precision and accuracy in order to make a product error free. Making changes at the last minute when the product is ready to be delivered is not a pleasant scenario for the tester. They cannot leave out on the minutest details-each and everything has to be tested and verified.
The job of the tester is not an easy one as they take their work very seriously so that the end users do not suffer. James Bach defines testing as:
Testing is the process of evaluating a product by learning about it through exploration and experimentation, which includes to some degree: questioning, study, modeling, observation, inference, etc.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
