Better Software - December 2008 - (Page 8)

Editor’s Pick Abusing Quality As this article is being finalized, I’m going back and forth between editing and keeping tabs on StickyMinds.com’s latest launch. In this release, we’re opening traffic to our new podcast landing page. You have to check out the new pages; we worked hard on them and feel so proud of our newest addition. Quotables “I can speak to the women’s stalls, and I will say they’re not any better! Plus, even if I don’t have luggage, I probably at least have a purse, though there may be a hook on the back of the door if it hasn’t broken off (and I refuse to place my purse on the floor). You didn’t mention bulky winter coats, which add another challenge—either to remove the coat or attempt to proceed with the coat still on, and again, I don’t want my coat touching that floor, and some hooks are too wimpy for some coats. When testing, we need to remember the many kinds of users with different needs and goals, and even the users we may want to be ‘unfriendly’ to. (How low is the wall between stalls?)” StickyMindS.coM MeMber Jo Wahle coMMenting on dale Perry’S article, think like a teSter www.stickyminds.com/quotables10-10a “Well said, Mary, using both oars is as important as using them in appropriate, synchronized manner. The article is one of the classic approaches for development as well as testing. Thanks for such an insight in a good, logical sequence. In fact I was so engrossed while reading this article that the end was like a jerk to bring me out of it. ” StickyMindS.coM MeMber JaideeP khanduJa coMMenting on Francesca Matteu Editor, StickyMinds.com fmatteu@sqe.com Aside from the emotions that are associated with being a proud parent (Look at my baby; isn’t it so cute?), I have learned a priceless lesson. I learned to let go of imperfections. Let me explain: When designing and testing these new pages, I saw many little imperfections that I felt, if changed, would make the site sparkle like a flawless diamond. But when you’re working in two- to three-week iterations, you have no time to polish to crystal clarity. We spent our gestation period making sure the pages would function well. We didn’t and couldn’t worry about cosmetics. Over time, we’ll have many moments to perfect the podcast pages. What matters most to us is quality. And let me be very clear about this: Quality to us means that the site functions exactly as it should. It means that every podcast is titled correctly, the link takes you to the correct page, all the pictures of the interviewees are correct and up to date, the correct MP3 queues up when you open the page, and the abstracts accurately describe the podcast you’re listening to. Quality to the end-user should mean functionality, but to some, quality is that sparkling diamond. You could spend as long as you’d like polishing your software until it’s “perfect.” But by the time you release it, someone else might have beaten you to the market with a cubic zirconium. Since development on our podcast pages was limited to three weeks and since I didn’t want to become a bottleneck to production, I had to let go of a few “sparkly” features so we’d meet our launch date. At first it was difficult to let go of these items, but turning our definition of quality into a mantra helped tremendously. We’ve all heard people use the term “quality” as some great characteristic to shoot for. There are commercials out there with the tagline, “Quality is our highest priority.” But what does this mean? Bring that tagline into software development. What does it mean for testers, developers, project managers, and coders? In your daily activities, is it reasonable to strive to create the highest quality software? If you’re in the medical industry developing pacemakers, quality is a huge concern. But then again, you could debate that you’re striving to create 100 percent reliable software. What this means is that quality is a subjective word that, when it’s not clearly defined, is easily abused. In most cases, we don’t have time to obsess over the quality of software. (We know that testing every single facet of software under development is impossible.) So when someone comes to you and says, “We’ve got to focus on quality,” I hope you take a step back and think for a moment about what is being asked of you. Many experts with whom I’ve worked creating content for StickyMinds.com are leery of the word quality. (They’re the same people who also say that best practices don’t exist.) One of those experts is Elisabeth Hendrickson who will admit that she hates the word, and she’s got reason enough. Her argument is that this buzzword is constantly being used out of context. People use it subjectively and rhetorically. In a profession where logic reigns supreme, this word has been—and continues to be—used to elicit emotions to get people to work more on software rather than launching it once its functions are operable enough to benefit the customer. Abusing the word quality can be a serious offense, especially when it prevents you from meeting your deadlines. Find out what Elisabeth says about this subject and what’s more important than quality. www.stickyMinds.com/editorspick10-10. 8 BETTER SOFTWARE DECEMBER 2008 Mary gorMan’S coluMn buSineSS ruleS and data requireMentS www.stickyminds.com/quotables10-10b “I expect that the reason so many of the testing professionals who read this kind of thing are the among the happiest is because they are among the most motivated in their field, so they genuinely feel they are in control of their careers, which is why they are reading these articles in the first place. ” david Fritz coMMenting on linda hayeS’S coluMn State oF the induStry www.stickyminds.com/quotables10-10c www.StickyMinds.com http://www.StickyMinds.com http://www.StickyMinds.com http://www.StickyMinds.com http://www.stickyminds.com/quotables10-10a http://www.stickyminds.com/quotables10-10b http://www.StickyMinds.com http://www.stickyminds.com/quotables10-10c http://www.StickyMinds.com/editorspick10-10 http://www.StickyMinds.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Better Software - December 2008

Better Software - December 2008 Contents Mark Your Calendar Contributors eLightenment Technically Speaking Code Craft Test Connection Management Chronicles What's a Manager to Do? Six Thinking Hats for Testers The Key to Good Interviewing 2008 Salary Survey Product Announcements 10 Things You Might Not Know About … The Last Word Ad Index

Better Software - December 2008

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